THE NIGHT STUFF
Front row at show may get a Beat-ing
By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
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| Sharp-tongued drag queen Jackie Beat will entertain you — or verbally pulverize you — in shows tonight and Saturday at Hula's Bar & Lei Stand. |
For one thing, the Los Angeles-by-way-of-New-York drag queen will take you down verbally — whether you're along for the ride or not. Proximity to her stage, or lack thereof, is key here. Dressing lamely, chatting during her performance, or breathing in her general direction may set her off.
Next is Beat's other talent — reworking popular songs into shrewish and profane anthems on sex (of all persuasions), politics, race and narcotics. Here, I believe the title of one of Beat's more popular parodies, "Choke Like An Egyptian," pretty much speaks volumes.
Today and Saturday at Hula's Bar & Lei Stand, 9:30 p.m. $5. Call 923-0669, 941-0424, ext. 10.
BALFOUR ALL
Eric Balfour is being touted as one of the potential breakout stars of "Hawaii," the supposedly-gritty, locally lensed "four-heads-in-the-trunk" cop show debuting Wednesday on NBC.
Fine. But in our pop culture consciousness, homeboy already arrived a long time ago.
Balfour has worked the goatee on a number of films ("Can't Hardly Wait," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003") and TV shows ("The O.C.," "24," "Buffy The Vampire Slayer") we love. Our favorite Balfour character? A stint as Claire Fisher's doomed boyfriend Gabe on the first season of "Six Feet Under." Yup, he's the guy who found a dead guy's foot in his school locker courtesy of Claire's temper.
Balfour's got a band, as well. And a pretty decent one at that — a funk/soul/hip-hop/ska/Latin/rock collective with the unfortunate moniker Fredalba. (The name is shared by a French prostitute that ripped Balfour off.)
A quick spin of the band's indie debut, "Uptown Music For Downtown Kids," finds a solid L.A.-based band with perhaps too-intimate knowledge of its Ozomatli and Red Hot Chili Peppers CD collection. Turntablist Grady Reinagle and, especially, flutist Charmian Callon lend the band a tasty spark of originality sure to prove sweet at Fredalba's Wave Waikiki show Saturday night.
Cover is $12; show starts at 10 p.m. with Honolulu openers Neken; 21 and older only.
ART FOR SWINGERS
Tonight's Honolulu Academy of Arts' ARTafterDARK reaches all the way back to the 1940s — or 1998, depending on when you were Lindy hoppin' — for Summer Swing. Relive the joys of that once ubiquitous Gap Swing ad with the live big-band sounds of Swingtime In Hawaii, and mini lessons and dance demonstrations by professional swing kids Jennifer and Matthew Wong. There'll be dancing on the open-air Central Court, and the Gregory Peck/Audrey Hepburn flick "Roman Holiday" screens in the Doris Duke Theatre. From 5 to 9 p.m.; entry is $7 (free for museum members). More information at www.artafterdark.org.
HAWAII SLAM RETURNS
Fresh from finishing an impressive 25th of 69 teams in its debut showing at the National Poetry Slam, HawaiiSlam begins assembling its 2005 team at First Thursdays this week. The team missed the national slam's semi-finals Top 24 by a tenth of a point this month and is eager to start prep work for Year Two. From 8 p.m. Thursday, at Studio 1. Call 387-9664 for entry information.
NIGHTSPOTTING
"Destination: Rio De Janeiro" at The Ocean Club's Piranha Room, 8 p.m.-4 a.m., Saturday, $5-$10. ... "Get Fresh" hosts L A.-based dancehall DJ JFX at Indigo Eurasian Cuisine tonight. ... Live music buffet from Linus, Space Catalog, Tinkle Potty, Hosana From Umgawd and others at "The Sound of the Underground," at All-Star Hawaii, 9 p.m. Tuesday, $5, 21 and older. ... Seattle drum-n-bass turntablist Necron 99 at Studio 1, 10 p.m. Saturday, $8 ... Tag team breakbeat DJs take over "House of Breaks" at Pussycat Lounge, 9 p.m.-4 a.m. Tuesday, Wave Waikiki, $5, 21 and older.
Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.
