Artist of Hawaii '11

With the end of a piercing afternoon sun and a cool velvety breeze, illuminated a gathering of Hawaii's creative community. Wednesday, June 29th marked the opening of the Artist of Hawaii 2011 show. Presenting some of Hawaii's finest artist, the Artist of Hawaii show is,"largest, longest-running all-media juried exhibition in the state." This year juror Michael Rooks selected 118 works from 79 different artist. I went that evening to view the pieces from Maui artist Michael Takemoto (wearing white on the right). Being one of the few artist from an outer-island, Takemoto is no stranger to the art scene in Hawaii. From his earlier work of, "Plexiglyphs," to his giant rubber roach portraits of the, "Axis of Evil," Michael displays some of his work with the tradition of Sumi-e ink brush painting. His finesse and intention is valued in every stroke which personifies an aspect of Michael's personality. In my opinion, his contrast really shows his accomplishment and knowledge not only in art, but the energetic spirit of the artist.

The evening was completed with refreshments and great live music from the Chris Yeh quartet. I didn't get the chance to speak with all the musicians but I spoke with drummer Shinya Yarimizo and was informed that you could see them performing in various groups at The Dragon Upstairs. Shinya performs Tuesday nights with his wife Satomi on piano.

Here is the Academy's webpage on the show: Click here

The show will be running until September 25th so I strongly advise you pop your heads in and see some of Hawaii brightest gems right in your backyard.

Today's Lesson @ PuaPua

So here are a couple of shots from today's lesson down at Ukulele PuaPua. For those who do not know: A free lesson is given every morning at 10am for anyone who wants to give it a shot. We of course are limited to space but besides that anyone and everyone is welcome! I usually do the lessons every weekday and today's was good fun. There was a large turn out and a couple of go-getters which makes my job a lot easier. I had my co-worker take a couple of shots of the set up and lesson.

Also today down at PuaPua we had special guest instructor Herb Ohta Jr. stop in a give a private lesson. To the left is a picture of Jr giving a demonstration of some of his classics such as his arrangement of Honolulu City Lights. Musicians of any sort can always learn one of his most distinguished traits in his technique: being clean. It seems to me that every single time I hear him play he always has a clean technique with bold yet fragile notes. Soft on the ears with a notable style. Something to work up to if you ask me.

Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. I think that's enough of a fire lit down below to get things moving. Yet a certain reassurance that's leads me to believe that with the right determination and direction, one can lead his/her path to where they need to be. Probably not anywhere we can imagine yet but when we get there (if we are lucky) it will feel right. . .


And usually only in short moments. . .

U-Bass

The U-Bass has always been a funny concept to me. For an acoustic bass it doesn't carry the volume that I hoped though it was nice and portable like an ukulele. The feel is so so but has a pretty decent tone when plugged in. So. . . . why not just make it solid!

So here is the solid body U-Bass. With a groovy look and decent weight for the portability, the Solid U-Bass is a excellent addition to the arsenal. It passes airline restrictions for a carry on and once it is plugged you get that sweet fret-less bass the original U-Bass has. I've so far seen black and red which I feel fits the the asymmetrical look with the cuts looking like spikes. A little pricey but if your looking for something new to whack at I would give it a whirl!

Order from mahalo@pua2.com from Ukulele PuaPua

The Daylight Effect

Since we are doing a show next month at the Sandbox down in Waikiki, I felt compelled to take a couple of shots of what this outrageous joint looks like in the day time. This hardcore venue which holds the Once A Month Punk shows is dormant in the day with a quiet reserve that is almost deceptive until you get close up and look in the windows. You see everything pushed up to the walls with a light tint of discoloration on the glass. Neon signs with drink specials say it's a bar without really describing it's clientele. The regular foot traffic seems weak. Even the side ally is emptied of the usual crowd looking for a breath of fresh air. I can't help but feel that these diurnal people have no idea the pulse that flows in it's veins once the sun goes down and the music starts pumping. So if your feeling like seeing this sleeping monster alive, come down on Saturday July 9th for the Sex Puppets live. We'll make sure to keep the crowd living and to nip this giant in the ass. You might see a little of yourself there and potentially see a little bit of your monster come out as well.

Roots

I can feel a couple of meanings from this beyond the medicinal statement. It is as if a tree is between two worlds with no branches or leaves. Just roots fanned out on both surfaces of the same two worlds.

Funny imagery