My Back Pages

Mudman Productions Presented Dave Alvin and the Guilty Men Friday December 1, 2006 at Hapa's Brew Haus Kihei, Maui. Saturday December 2, 2006 9:00 P.M. at Anna Bannana's Honolulu
James Ronstadt And The Dynamic Shuffle Kings opened on Oahu only. Click Here To See Some Pictures From Anna's

Mudman Productions Presented The Richard Thompson Trio
with Danny Thompson and Michael Jerome Friday November 24, 2006 at the Red Elephant - 1144 Bethel Street Honolulu
For some pictures from this outstanding concert, Click Here

Brian Reed's Pictures from Diamond Head Crater Celebration April 1, 2006

Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna
Mehana Brewing Co. and Blue Rooster Productions Presented Acoustic Hot Tuna With Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady and mandolinist extraordinaire Barry Mitterhoff

Thursday: March 4, 2006 7:00 P.M. Kauai War Memorial Hall Theatre in Lihue.
Friday: March 5, 2006 9:00 P.M. Hawaiian Hut, Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu.
Saturday: March 6, 2006 5:00 P.M. Ohana Keauhou Beach Resort in Kailua-Kona.
Sunday: March 7, 2006 7:30 P.M. Castle Theatre, Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului.

Click here to see pictures from the March 5th Hawaiian Hut gig in Honolulu(Now including some from Brian Reed! :-)

Buddy Whittington, Joe Yuele, John Mayall and Hank Van Sickle

John Mayall's Blues Breakers
Lazar Bear Productions presented: John Mayall's Blues Breakers
(with Very Special Guest Kim Simmonds!) in Hawaii February 1 thru 4, 2006
Click here to see pictures from the February 3rd Hawaiian Hut gig in HonoluluCheck out the tour poster

Travis "The Moonchild" Haddix! Thursday January 26, 2006 at O'Toole's Pub!
and Sunday January 29, 2006 at Ward Rafters
Click here to see some pictures from both shows! Click here to check the Travis "The Moonchild" Haddix Performance Schedule for more dates! Check out the poster

Keb Mo! Lazar Bear Productions Presented: Grammy Winner Keb Mo
at the Hawaiian Hut on Janaury 13, 2006

Check out a few pictures Check out the tour poster

If you need a Vintage Hawaiian Surf Band for your next party or FUNction! Check out Tiki Taboo!

Click on the "Tiki Taboo" photo/icon above ;-)

***********************************************

We're stoked! Tiki Taboo's debut CD from Pink Guitar Records is available at all major Island Record Stores! Hear the finest "Vintage Surf Music" from Hawaii, the birthplace of surfing! There's none better! Pick up a copy at your local Island Record store or you can order one thru CD Baby for only $12.99!
Tiki Taboo is grateful for being recognized as one of the hottest musical acts on the Island of Oahu in the "Honolulu's Hot Spots - A Guide To Living Local" section which was inserted into 180,000 copies of the Sunday June 26, 2005 Honolulu Advertiser newspaper!

The Honolulu music audience once again failed to come out and support the September 11th Collective Soul Benefit Concert/Auction at the Pipeline Cafe. Sadly, there weren't enough attendees for the promoters to break even. ;-( and Collective Soul played an energetic, tour ending, two hour long set that had it's fans on their feet all night! Unfortunately, Honolulu will be deprived of all but the most commercial acts in music if this trend continues. The upcoming Eric Johnson shows (scheduled for October 2005) have already been cancelled because promoters get tired of losing money too. Please come out and support live music!
Looking on the positive side, the auction to benefit SOS (Share Our Strength) Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund and the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund was very successful, raising approximately $10,000 for these worthy causes. Mahalo nui loa to all of you who participated in this fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina and 9-11 victims!

Jonny Lang!

Jonny Lang brought his new semi-acoustic band to Hawaii for five shows in May 2005. Friday May 6th at Maui Arts & Cultural Center - Kahului, Maui was Sold Out and the Standing Room Only crowd gave Jonny and his new band multiple standing ovations! ;-)
Saturday May 7th at the Kona Brew Pub - Kona was also Sold Out with an even larger crowd which was very excited about Jonny's new sound and who also called the band back for several encores!
Wednesday May 11th at Kauai War Memorial Lihue, Kauai
Thursday May 12th at Pipeline Cafe - Honolulu drew a disappointing Honolulu "crowd" of less than 500 people ;-(
Friday May 13th at Pipeline Cafe - Honolulu had a much better turnout and this audience was treated to the final show of the tour when Jonny and the band layed it all out on the line, what a fantastic show!
BTW, Slim Mango really did the local scene proud by practically "stealing the show" on both nights with their brand of killer blues!
Way to go, Slim! :-)
Is there a band you'd like to see perform in Hawaii? Please send us your suggestions!

Blues Tour Hawaii 2005

In one of the most disappointing audience turnouts that I can ever recall, the incomparable E.C. Scott and Smoke! plus Norton Buffalo and The Knockouts! played in front of dozens of music fans throughout the state of Hawaii in April 2005! Mahalo nui loa to those of you who did show up but it's hard to understand how a State with almost 1 million people can attract less than 200 to such fantastic shows. These types of turnouts are very discouraging (and even demoralizing) to promoters who will certainly think twice about presenting other quality entertainment from abroad in the future. ;-(
I was able to get some great photos cuz there was nobody to get in my way. Check them out here

Little Feat, an American Rock and Roll phenomenon played four shows while touring the Hawaiian Islands in early March 2005. Click here for a few pictures from the Honolulu show!

Dave Specter and Steve Freund! played Oahu February 18 & 19, 2005 in support of their new Delmark Release: "Is What It Is"!

Click here for some pictures from the February 18 show at Anna Bannanas

To see a short review of this great new CD, click here.

Blues - World - Island Music

BIG Mahalos to Blue Rooster Productions For Presenting An Evening With Taj Mahal and the Hula Blues Band!

Taj Mahal and his Hula Blues Band brought his unique brand of Blues, World and Island music to Hawaii for a four island tour December 9 through 12, 2004. Taj Mahal, truly a Renaissance man best known for his 1960's award winning album "Giant Step", was on tour in support of his latest release, "Hanapepe Dream". This incredible album features Blues and some wonderful World/Island tunes. Taj Mahal, a long time resident of Kauai, has moved his family from Hawaii to New Zealand and always looks forward to his homecoming Hawaii tours. The Hula Blues Band features Fred Lunt on steel guitar, Carlos Andrade on slack key guitar, Rudy Costa on saxophone, as well as Michael Barretto, Pat Cockett and Wayne Jacintho on ukuleles and a powerful rhythm section featuring Pancho Graham on acoustic bass and Kester Smith on drums.
*********************************************** Click here for some pictures from this night of funky, hip-swaying music, dancing and blues at the Pipeline Cafe in Honolulu.

Los Lobos 2004 Hawaii Tour

A BIG Mahalo to Blue Rooster Roductions for bringing Los Lobos to Hawaii (for the first time in 7 years!), Los Lobos had been on a world tour in support of their two latest releases on Hollywood Records/Mammoth Records, "The Ride" and "Ride This - The Covers EP" and stopped in Hawaii on their way home from Japan for these dates.
Libby and I caught two of the shows (at Sangha Hall in Hilo and the the Pipeline Cafe in Honolulu) and we agreed that both of them were outstanding and that it was well worth the cost of flying into and out of Hilo, renting a hotel room and a car so we could see two performances! The show in Hilo had a somewhat mellower vibe while the show in Honolulu was the last of the tour before the band would head home to their families in East L.A. for some R&R and the energy level was extremely HIGH! :-) Los Lobos was coaxed into playing THREE encores for the wildly enthusiastic crowd of about 750 people, finally ending this marathon Monday night show with a rousing cover of "Bertha",the Grateful Dead classic. (....with shows like this on Monday nights, who needs MNF? :-)
Click here for some pictures from both of these incredible shows.

Big Brother & The Holding Company, Vanilla Fudge and Canned Heat - Hawaiian Tour 2004

The Summer of Love no stay late, it's on Hawaiian time!
Yes, it is 2004 but some of the hottest bands of the 1960's were back in Honolulu on June 13, 2004!
Big Brother & The Holding Company, Vanilla Fudge and Canned Heat all played June 13, 2004 at the Neal Blaisdell Arena. Several hundred people of all ages came and boogied to the still seductive psychedelic sounds!

I have posted some of my pictures from this great concert, please click here. ;-)

The 8th Annual Hawaiian Islands Rhythm and Blues Mele

Click here for some Pictures from The 8th Annual Hawaiian Islands Rhythm and Blues Mele

The 8th Annual Great Hawai'i Jazz Blowout!
May 1 & 2, 2004

The music at the 2004 (8th Annual) Great Hawai'i Jazz Blowout was the best yet! This year's (8th Annual) Blowout was held on the beautiful "Great Lawn" of Kapiolani Community College
Saturday May 1st from Noon till Midnight and Sunday May 2nd from 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM.
In addition to the wealth of local jazz talent that was appearing, Trumpeter Valery Ponomarev, Bassist Martin Zenker and Flautist Mark Weinstein came in from New York plus the multi-talented Joey Stuckey came here from Atlanta, Georgia.
***********************************************
The 9th Annual Hawaiian Jazz Blowout is scheduled for Saturday May 21 and Sunday May 22, 2005 at the same beautiful venue and needs some volunteers or any other assistance that you might be able to offer, please e-mail Jazz Blowout Volunteers

Click here for a Three Page Pictorial Tour of The 8th Annual Great Hawaiian Jazz Blowout

Click here for pictures from
The 2003 7th Annual Great Hawaiian Jazz Blowout

Mike Bogart, Adolfo Acosta, Jeff Tamelier, Emilio Castillo, Roger Smith, Rocco Prestia, Doc Kupka, Tom Politzer, Larry Braggs and David Garibaldi

Tom Moffat Productions Presented Tower of Power
Valentine's Day February 14, 2004 at the Blaisdell Arena
Click here to see some pictures of this incredible 10 piece soul revue in action!!!

Click here to see some pictures from the Dave Alvin, Rick Shea and Ledward Kaapana show at the Hawaiian Hut on November 15, 2003.

Due to declining attendance, interest and revenue, the glory days of the KIPO Blues Nights have come to an inglorious conclusion. ;-(
KIPO Blues Nights were sponsored by Hawaii Public Radio and were usually celebrated on the last Saturday of each month. Help support live, local blues music by calling HPR at 955-8821 and asking them to revive this monthly showcase event for some of our great local blues bands, mahalo nui loa.

***********************************************

The most recent KIPO Blues Night was Saturday August 28th at Anna Bannanas and the entertainment was provided by the sensational Keahi Conjugacion ....vocals with an All-Star band consisting of her hubbie, Dan Del Negro........keys, John Kolivas........bass, Abe Lagrimas.......drums & ukulele and Rocky Holmes....saxophones, plus Special Guests: Eric Peterson......guitar/vocals and Gordon Frietas.....guitar/vocals.

***********************************************

The May KIPO Blues Night was held on the "Wine Stage" of the 8th Annual Great Hawaii Jazz Blowout at Kapiolani Community College on Saturday night May 1, 2004. Some of Honolulu's finest blues musicians performed: Bluzilla, Boogie, James Ronstadt and Bobby Thursby with his "Half Past The Blues" Band (plus a 5 piece horn section!) This was truly one of the most exciting KIPO Blues Nights in recent memory with an extremely high level of musicianship displayed by all of these terrific performers!
Click here for pictures from The KIPO Blues Night at The 8th Annual Great Hawaiian Jazz Blowout

***********************************************

What could be better than cruising off the shores of beautiful Waikiki while listening and dancing to good blues and jazz music? The Third KIPO Blues Cruise was held August 7, 2004 and for the first time, incorporated jazz and blues on one stage. Anita Hall and Nuevo Vida opened the night's entertainment while Chris Vandercook's Nitetrain rocked the boat till it was time to go home.

KIPO's First BLUES CRUISE was Saturday, September 27, 2003. Presented by the Kona Brewing Company aboard Atlantis Cruises' NAVATEK I,What a beautiful night for Blues lovers! FOUR bands were featured on two decks!
Click here for pictures from the upstairs "Delta Deck" featuring Backstreet and (direct from Maui) Bob Jones & Hard Drive
Click here for pictures of Bluzilla and Slim Mango "rocking the boat" down on the "Crossroads Deck"

***********************************************

The KIPO Blues Night was back on board the NAVATEK-1 on February 28, 2004 for the Second KIPO Blues Cruise and what a night it was! A special edition of Jeff Said No with Eric Peterson on guitar and Robert Joyce on bass joining drummer Jeff Ilardi and guitarist Gene Evans opened the show as we set sail from Aloha Tower to beautiful Waikiki. They were followed by Bluzilla (with Corey Funai, Byron Lai, Marc Pearlman, Rockin' Robert Joyce and Paul "Mojo" Gomes ;-) plus special guests Keahi Conjugacion (and Eric Peterson ;-) and they had that boat rockin'! Everybody was dancin'!

***********************************************

To see some pictures from the July 26, 2003 "Second KIPO Battle Of The Bands", please click here ;-)

***********************************************

To see some pictures from the August 31, 2002 "Second Annual KIPO Blues Marathon" please click here ;-)

***********************************************

You can find additional information on this and other HPR events on the Events page of the HPR web site.

Click here to see some pictures from my 2003 trips to da U.S. Mainland

The 2004 "Beyond The Blues" Festival was held on October 9, 2004 at the Ala Moana Shopping Center Stage. If you would like to learn a little more about this organization, please visit their web-site:
National Mental Health Association.

Click here to see some pictures from the 2004 "Beyond the Blues" Festival

Click here to see pictures from the 2003 "Beyond the Blues" Festival

Jimmy Thackery

The Mehana Brewing Co. presented Telarc Recording Artist Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers triumphant return to Hawaii!
Click here for some pictures from the October 2, 2003 show at the Hawaiian Hut

7th Annual Hawaiian Islands Rhythm and Blues Mele

The Mehana Brewing Company and Ohana Hotels Presented The Seventh Annual Hawaiian Islands Rhythm and Blues Mele.
Thursday May 15, 2003 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Kahului, Maui,
Friday May 16, 2003 at the Hawaiian Hut in Honolulu,
Saturday May 17, 2003 at the Keauhou Beach Resort on "The Big Island" and
Sunday May 18, 2003 at the Taro Patch Luau Grounds on Kauai.
The Incredible Derek Trucks Band and a few Special Guests were featured.
To see my pictures of the Honolulu DTB show, click here or the Derek Trucks publicity photo above. ;-)

Click here for pictures from "The Geezer Pleezer Cali Rally" on March 30, 2003 at Anna Bannana's.

Click here for pictures from the Rick Shea and Bla Pahinui show on February 15, 2003 at Anna Bannana's.

Click here for pictures from the Shawn Pittman and Killer Instinct show on January 25, 2003 at the Wave Waikiki.

Click here for pictures from
The November 8, 2002 B.B. King concert at the Blaisdel

Click here to see pictures from the May 2002 Steve Freund show
and the Sixth Annual Hawaiian Islands Rhythm and Blues Mele with Savoy Brown and Eric Sardinas

Click here for pictures from the August 16, 2002 "Rock n' Blues Benefit Concert"