THE NIGHT STUFF
Newly energized Lit stoked for Heat Rave show

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

The band Lit, which has won praise for its new, self-titled CD, headlines a concert Saturday at Volcanoes. John Juniper

They're finally getting around to that last part.

With four years, one major label home (RCA) and an underrated third CD ("Atomic") in the rear view, the Orange County, Calif., band is back with a self-assured, self-titled new CD. The long-together quartet is also Hawai'i-bound for its first show here since 2000's POI Fest.

Lit will headline Star 101.9 FM's Summer Heat Rave Saturday at Volcanoes Nightclub. Also on the bill, Last in Line and Living in Question.

Though better received critically than sales-wise since its late June release, "Lit" nonetheless represents a step forward for the band's membership. Lit bailed from RCA shortly after the October 2001 release of "Atomic," an impressively solid followup of workaday pop-punk that got about as much label support as illegal file-sharing.

"Our product manager, who was in charge of the (marketing) campaign, got fired the day after the record came out," said guitarist Jeremy Popoff, referring to layoffs and internal turmoil facing RCA at the time. "And then, one by one, people that were important parts of our team at RCA — friends who had almost become like family — were fired ... or began leaving for other labels. We felt like we were kind of on our own."

And, for the most part, the band really was.

"It's a story typical of what's been happening to a lot of bands at a lot of record companies," said Popoff.

Lit asked RCA to release the band from its contract. The label eventually complied. The band began work on "Lit" soon after, turning to the studio experiences of its biggest-selling CD for inspiration.

"We had written the songs for 'A Place In The Sun' over the two years prior to recording it," said Popoff. "We had tested songs at shows, recorded demos ... so the album was pretty much ready to go when we got signed (to RCA)."

The band did the same with "Lit," writing, recording and producing the CD on its own before signing with indie label Nitrus/DRT.

" 'Atomic' was a project where we literally had to go in and make a record," said Popoff. "We had a producer ... label people and all kinds of people involved in the process of everything from pre-production to song selection that weren't there before.

" 'Lit' was just very liberating and cool. And it was ... real. It was just us and an engineer who became one of our good friends in this little studio in Anaheim just getting great sounds and loving what we were doing."

That feeling is palpable on "Lit," a melodic slice of modern alt-rock filled with lyrics both sunny and elegiac, colored by occasional irresistible hooks. The CD has garnered the band some of the best reviews of its 14-year career.

The band is even OK with not scoring a huge radio hit from "Lit" out of the gate a la "My Own Worst Enemy" or "Miserable."

"It was cool to get lucky," said Popoff. "But that wasn't the game plan for us. It would be sort of silly if it was because there's so much luck involved.

"We're just still stoked and feel very lucky that we get to go to Hawai'i and get paid."

Tickets for Summer Heat Wave ($15 advance, $20 door) available by calling 566-0644. Doors open at 6 p.m.; show at 7.

AMOUR MORE MORE

Love ... exciting and new. That annual summer eve of delicious DJ vinyl, The Love Festival, will be making another run Saturday at Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park. The nationally touring dance music fest with something for everyone (hip-hop, house, breaks, trance, drum-n-bass, progressive) returns for the sixth year with three stages and more than 15 DJs and artists. The lineup includes Richard "Humpty" Vission, Reza, Rectangle, MC Supernatural, Rene, Jackal, Quadraphonix and more. Tickets are $20, $25 and $30. All ages welcome; 8:30 p.m.-4 a.m. 591-3500, www.thelovefestival.com.

TASTE OF AFRICA

Honolulu gets a somewhat rare double dose of live African-inspired sounds this week. Afro-Caribbean world beat collective Shaka JambÚ performs at Studio 1 today at 9 p.m. The set will also incorporate world/Carribbean DJ beats, live Afro-Caribbean drumming and dancers and even a midnight limbo contest. Entry is $5 (21 and older), $7 (ages 18-21). Over in 'Aiea Thursday, Panama Hatties continues its popular weekly show by talented West African dance and drum collective Kuumba. From 9 p.m., at 99-016 Kamehameha Highway above Dixie Grill. 488-8226.

ART COLLECTING 101

With a nod toward helping beginning art buyers, ARTafterDARK turns over its entire Honolulu Academy of Arts monthly to Energing Artists & Young Collectors Night. Tonight's pau-hana gathering offers tours of works by regional artists and words of wisdom from artists, collectors and appraisers. From 5 to 9 p.m. Free for museum members, $7 for nonmembers.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.