Paula Fuga has come a long way since her days of auditioning on American Idol. She’s gone on to play nation-wide tours, release her hit debut album, Lilikoi, and collaborate with Jack Johnson and Ziggy Marley. These collaborations can be found on Misery’s… [»Read]
In 2006, Three 6 Mafia won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The single was “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp” from Hustle & Flow. Academy Awards host Jon Stewart said it best: “I think it just got a little easier out here for a pimp.” And yes… [»Read]
A truly eye-opening scene for any kid is the food-fight feast in the 1991 movie Hook. Seriously, who didn’t want to sink their teeth into all that red, yellow, green and blue Play-Doh? Imagination continues to be the freshest ingredient at the Art of Fantastic… [»Read]
For those who don’t commemorate Statehood Day (it is, after all, often dubbed “Hawaii’s Forgotten Holiday”), a celebration meant to pay tribute to our islands and all its monarchical glory is right around the corner. ‘Onipaa is Hawaii Ponoi Coalition’s… [»Read]
Thirtyninehotel’s mixologist Christian Self recently earned the title of “Maker of the World’s Best Mai Tai” at the second annual Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai Festival in Kailua-Kona and walked away with a $10,000 check. Pretty impressive. And those who frequent the… [»Read]
It’s 1900 in Chinatown. Men gather in a brothel to smoke opium, imbibe alcohol and satiate their desires with the pleasures of the female flesh. Meanwhile, the government is working overtime to crack down on the bubonic plague and will do it by any means possible. (A century… [»Read]
It takes more than just the Jurassic Park trilogy, Godzilla mania and the colossal Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil display in New York City’s Museum of Natural History to satisfy our fascination with dinosaurs. Heck, the prehistoric creatures–whose vitality exists in… [»Read]
What the Island needs now is a toga party. Enter Bar 35. Grab that bedsheet, wrap it around yourself and throw some leaves on your head for the latest edition of ’80s Pop Muzik: The Toga Party. Get all Belushi, indulge your inner Animal House, raise a glass… [»Read]
Greeks believe they invented festivals. The truth is, they probably did, or they were at least second to the Egyptians. Were 14th century festivals stocked with food booths and “I’m A Greek God” T-shirts? Who knows, but the 30th Annual Honolulu Greek Festival has… [»Read]
The folks over at the Laughtrack Theater are a rib-tickling bunch. Known for its improvisational comedy, the troupe embodies the spontaneity and inventiveness of a genre that hinges on last-second resolve, questions instead of answers and an anything-goes attitude. One night… [»Read]
The models, the makeup, the hair, oh my! Like Ms. Cocoa Chandelier herself, each of her spectacular shows bring more than meets the smoky eye. The queen takes her place on the gooooorrrrrrrgeous Leeward Community College Theatre Mainstage–is there any other stage… [»Read]
1995 was a very important year. There was Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, the stellar hit “Big Poppa” by Notorious B.I.G. and the infamous one-liner heard in yellow school busses ’round the world–“You can’t sit here.” It was also the year Lisa Matsumoto and… [»Read]
On paper, Dave Koz and Jonathan Butler seem like a perfectly incompatible pairing. Koz is an openly gay, Grammy-nominated saxophonist from California. When he smiles, he has the face of an aging Precious Moments doll. On At the Movies, Koz’s eighth solo album… [»Read]
Fans of gypsy-infused guitarist Django Reinhardt or Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown, which starred Sean Penn as the legendary performer, will want to sashay down to the Doris Duke Theatre for what promises to be a musical extravaganza. Virtuoso jazz band Hot… [»Read]
A ballet in the final weeks of summer might seem a little unseasonable. Swanky evenings spent scrutinizing the precise movements of ballerinas in a dark, beaux-arts auditorium calls to mind snowflakes and Christmastime and nutcrackers, but Ballet Hawaii likes to change… [»Read]
An escape to a world of bhangra, Indian eats and Bollywood jigs seems inconceivable, or at least fanciful, to most of us in Hawaii. Not only is India on the opposite side of the globe, in these tough times, traveling is like a thing of the past. But Pipeline Café’s… [»Read]
From the sonically sick club bangers to the street-grimy head nodders, Hawaii hip-hop producers will once again get the opportunity to showcase their homemade creations in the first-round qualifier of the Beat RootHip-hop Beat Battle. Budding beatsmiths, fueled… [»Read]
Hip-hop’s universal appeal is exemplified by the work of Japanese MC-producer ShingO2. Known on the underground tip for spitting his lyrical fury in Japanese and English, whatever the dialect, he has earned his share of respect. He went from casual listener to hip-hop… [»Read]
Hey baby boomers. Feeling neglected and/or disgusted upon hearing concert announcements for Justin Bieber and Adam Lambert? Getting sick and tired that the past decade of choice is the 1980s, known for bizarre mullet-hair and synthesizer pop? Well, faster than you can cue… [»Read]
The minute he walks into the joint, she can tell he is a man of distinction–a real big spender. “Hey, big spender,” she wants to say, swinging her hips like Josephine Baker, “wouldn’t you like to spend a little time with me?” He looks her way but she loses her… [»Read]
In many ways, mixed martial arts and ultimate fighting fits our contemporary times perfectly. We want our grappling visceral, painful and real. But what of the quaintness of yesteryear, the theatrical days of chair smashing, piledrivers and some good ole-fashioned running… [»Read]
It’s one thing to have a bunch of steamy, hot stones placed on one’s back, it’s another to have someone’s feet performing the pressure. On Thursday, unsatisfied or curious massage lovers can participate in a complimentary, five-minute Ashiatsu demonstration…. [»Read]
Who can forget Shaq’s hilarious game-changing turn in 1996’s Kazaam? But then again, maybe that was “hilarious” for all the wrong reasons. Ragging on this legend’s personal foul never gets old, but 14 years later, Shaq’s still taking his shot at comedy,… [»Read]
The ‘ukulele, which loosely translates to “jumping flea” in Hawaiian, was developed in 19th century Hawaii as a variation of the cavaquinho, a small, four-string guitar made popular by Portuguese immigrants. Since, the wooden lute has gone through many far-reaching… [»Read]
Chick lit is still booming and How to be an American Housewife is certain to appeal to local readers. The first novel by Margaret Dilloway explores two very different types of Asian woman making their way in this country. The first half of the book is devoted… [»Read]
