The Buzz

Riding a reggae wave to Hawai'i

Seattle-based reggae band Little Big Man takes a not-so-little tour of the Islands with a multitude of appearances including:

• 6-6:45 p.m. Sunday at Queen's Surf Beach during "Sunset on the Beach." 523-2489.
• 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday at Bikini Cantina in Aloha Tower Marketplace. 521-2547.
• 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Tuesday at Boardriders Bar and Grill in Kailua. 261-4600.
• 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Wednesday at O'Toole's Irish Pub. 536-4138.
• 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursday at Kelley O'Neil's in Waikiki. 926-1777.
• 9 p.m.-1 a.m. June 10 at Hapa's Brewhouse in Kihei, Maui. (808) 879-9001.
• 9 p.m.-1 a.m. June 12 at Casanova's in Makawao, Maui. (808) 572-0220.

For those who have gone before

Pay tribute to your loved ones who have passed on during Shinnyo-en Hawaii's 6th annual Lantern Floating Ceremony on Monday, Memorial Day. Also known as Toro Nagashi, the ceremony is a traditional Buddhist rite practiced in Japan to express respect toward ancestors and to comfort spirits. Paper lanterns filled with lighted candles will be set afloat to help ferry spirits "from the sea of delusion to the shores of salvation." Consolatory prayer requests will be taken between 3 and 6 p.m. at Magic Island, with the lanterns later sent out to sea from Ala Moana Beach Park. The ceremony starts at 6 p.m. with an information video. Pre-event festivities begin at 4 p.m., with music by Te Vai Ura Nui, Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko and Maunalua. Donation. 947-2814.

Bumatai hosts comic showcase

Be prepared for a laugh attack Sunday when comedian Andy Bumatai hosts "Andy Bumatai's Stand Up Comedy Showcase" at the Ohana Reef Towers' Palace Showroom. Bumatai and cohort Paul Ogata bring with them new local comics to add to the laughs, including Kento, Rufus Demarco, Enrico, Shawn Felipe, Cathy Tanaka, Gerard Elmore, Stan Ige, Brian Lentz and Elroy Entendencia. Show starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, with a one-drink minimum. Reservations: 923-7469.

Classics series ends with the Dichters

It's fair season at Aloha Stadium

The 50th State Fair churns out more fun this weekend at the Aloha Stadium with a Bengal tiger show, World of Wonders sideshow and the new 120-foot-high thrill ride, Drop Zone. Of course, there's all the usual fun, including games, rides and a beer garden. Special events happening only this weekend include an 808 Teen Zone Dance Party from 7 to 10 p.m. tonight for a $2 donation; Tony the Tiger in an "It's GREAAAAT" contest from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday; and free admission for military people and their families from noon to 6 p.m. Monday. Fair times are 6 p.m.-midnight Fridays and June 10 and noon-midnight Saturdays-Sundays and Monday, until June 20. Tickets are $3 general, $2 ages 4-11 and free for those 3 and younger. A Fun Pass, good for one admission and one unlimited-ride wristband during certain hours, is $20. (877) 750-4400.

ARTafterDARK samples Japan

Lost in translation? Or simply looking for a change of scenery? Then head over to Japan via the Honolulu Academy of Arts as the popular ARTafterDARK shindig presents "Tokyo Nights" from 5 to 9 tonight. Check out the spring exhibit "Japan & Paris: Impressionism, Postimpressionism and the Modern Era" before it closes June 6. Take a zip tour through select galleries. Feel the beat when the taiko drummers perform. Or sample sake at the no-host bar. Admission is $7 general, free for museum members. Admission to the "Japan & Paris" exhibit is a $15 separate ticket. 532-8715.

For the keiki

Keiki will have their day Saturday when Hale Ku'ai Cooperative's Hawai'i Learning Center and Gift Shop hosts Keiki Day in Waikiki. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., feel like a kid again with free activities including performances by Leon and Malia, storytelling by Auntie Judy Naniole, Hawaiian crafts and balloons. The center is inside the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, Orchid Court, first floor. Hale Ku'ai is a 10-year-old cooperative that supports the making and selling of products and services by Native Hawaiians in the Hawaiian Islands. 924-5455.

Let the 'Sunshine' in

The Actors' Group starts wrapping up its 2003-2004 season at The Yellow Brick Studio with "The Sunshine Boys." Written by Neil Simon, the play is about former vaudevillians Willie Clark (Glenn Cannon) and Al Lewis (Sam Polson), once a great comic duo who are now estranged, and the comedic attempts to get them back together. The play premieres 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and repeats 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays, through July 4. Tickets are $10. 722-6941.

Riding high

Taj Burrow rides a wave in "Somewhere Anywhere Everywhere," a surf film being screened at the Hard Rock Cafe tonight. "Somewhere," a production of Globe Shoes, filmed some of the world's top surfers in locations including Hawai'i, the Caribbean, Australia, Tahiti, Mexico, Central America and California. Screening time is 10 p.m. It's part of the $5 Pitchers and Rubba Slippahs Launch Party; admission is $5 for those 21 and older, $10 for those 18 to 20. 955-7383.

Wild times return to the zoo