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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, August 15, 2008

Mraz, Augustana round out Camp

 •  311 returns for more Hawaii exposure

By Kawehi Haug
Advertiser Entertainment Reporter

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Jason Mraz, who loves Hawai'i as much as Isle fans love him, is back for Band Camp after performing here in May.

Bil Zelman

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If it seems like Band Camp these days is a few barracks short of a full camp, it's because the annual event, which started out six years ago with 10 or 12 bands on the bill, has been streamlined, allowing more jam time for the featured bands and more cruise time for the fans.

This year, Band Camp VI is a tidy trio of musical acts, all of which are known for long sets. It's a good thing, then, that there's plenty of time for them to do their thing.

In addition to headliners 311, pop fave Jason Mraz is back to woo the audience with his smooth, laid-back vocals and his love of the Islands.

Alt-rock outfit Augustana will bring a bit of emo to the gig with its piano-rock-meets-Americana sound, which has more than a touch of CW drama-soundtrack potential. (Just imagine a "Gossip Girl" scene set to the moaning vocals of lead singer Dan Layus doing his spookiest version of "Hey Now.")

FAMILIAR TUNE

Jason Mraz would be our Jack Johnson if we didn't already have a Jack Johnson. He's our hanai celebrity. All it took was one slack-key-inspired tune and we were hooked. And how could we not be? We found out in May when Mraz was last here in concert that the guy loves us as much as we love him, and so we're happy to add him to the fold.

San Diego native Mraz often talks about his love for Hawai'i. The music video for his megahit "I'm Yours" was filmed on O'ahu. (And P.S., Johnson is a fan who sat front and center during Mraz's first concert here, at the Hawai'i Theatre.)

"I'm Yours" has been on heavy rotation on local radio stations since last year, and judging by the audience response to the song when he sang it live at the Waikiki Shell just a few months ago, people still can't get enough.

Released originally as a live EP, Mraz added "I'm Yours" to his latest album, "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things," which was released in May. The album, Mraz's third, reached No. 3 on the Billboard charts, with "I'm Yours" reaching No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

If Mraz's May performances are any indication, Band Camp audiences are in for a good, long set courtesy of the super chill crooner who happens to kill it on the 'ukulele.

FRESH FACES

SoCal piano rockers Augustana round out the Band Camp VI bill with their first concert in the Islands.

The group, whose sound drifts between folk rock, Americana and that brand of unthreatening rock 'n' roll that has come to be known simply as "alt rock," is on tour in support of its second album, "Can't Love, Can't Hurt," on major record label Epic.

Perhaps best known for the sing-along ballad "Boston" from its "All the Stars and Boulevards" album, Augustana has continued to experiment with a variety of different rock sounds, making a fairly definitive move into Americana- and folk-inspired rock with "Can't Love, Can't Hurt."

The quintet's latest album debuted at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart.

Read her blog, "Scene It," at http://sceneit.honadvblogs.com

Reach Kawehi Haug at khaug@honoluluadvertiser.com.