Blizzard of Island talent at Winter Bash
By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
| Winter Bash
with Fiji, O-Shen, Go Jimmy Go, Natural Vibrations, Ho'onu'a, B.E.T., Ten Feet, Koa'uka, Red Degree, Kanalo, Kawao 4-10 p.m., Saturday Waikiki Shell $10-$25 (877) 750-4400 |
You've gotta love Mass Appeal's Winter Bash. The only live "Island music" bash with the cojones to book the Waikiki Shell for six hours during the cold and flu season, Winter Bash celebrates its third year on Saturday with another guaranteed-to-warm-lawn-seat-butts line-up of local acts.
Headlining this year's bash is always soulful, always enigmatic Island music renaissance man Fiji, who'll be celebrating the November release of his best-selling "Independence Day" CD. After bubbling under the top spot for weeks, the CD finally knocks off 2Pac for number one on Tower Records sales chart this week.
Other acts on Winter Bash's impressive bill of fare include:
- O-Shen. The Papua New Guinea native loves infusing homeland influences with reggae, hip-hop and dancehall to create a potent musical brew uniquely his own. His most recent CD, 2004's "Rising Son," also boasts Hawaiian, Fijian, Samoan and Tongan influences.
- Go Jimmy Go. The ska/reggae/soul favorites were born to play the big stages. Expect all the good stuff from "Soul Arrival" and "Slow Time" with sneak peeks at Go Jimmy Go's upcoming third CD "Open The Door."
- Natural Vibrations. The forever-Kahalu'u-based players of instruments are hands down, the state's best and most-recognized roots reggae band. Natural Vibrations' body-movin' fourth disc "The Circle," notched several weeks on Billboard's reggae album chart in 2003.
- Ho'onu'a. Longtime friends and Shell-bash vets Christian Yrizarry and Jared Keo always offer an inspired live set of favorites. The duo's last CD was 2003's Na Hoku Hanohano-nominated "Take You To The Jam."
- B.E.T. The music of Tim "Papa T" Troxell and Joe "J.D." Daniels is like a two-scoop-rice-mac-salad-side-order-of-chow-fun mix-plate for music lovers. Enjoy the R&B, hip-hop and reggae; savor the sides of punk, ska and dancehall.
- Ten Feet. The Hoku-award winning band has a way with originals and fresh-sounding covers. Who else would dare cover Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix and — hold your David Soul — Randy VanWarmer on one CD?
- Koa'uka. The band's 2004 disc "Just Doing Our Thing" was its third of engaging Island contemporary originals.
- Red Degree. The O'ahu reggae band formerly called Dub Version has opened locally for Freddie McGregor, Don Carlos and Barrington Levy.
Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.
