ALA MOANA / WATERFRONT
MADDness sounds
note of sobriety'Phuture 2000' goes off despite bomb threat
By Eloise Aguiar
Star-BulletinThey danced in their seats and on the stage: arms waving, bodies swaying, all to the pulsing beat of "The Macarena."
New Year's Eve wildness in Waikiki? Hardly. The scene was Starlight MADDness, the nonalcoholic event at Ala Moana Beach Park put on by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
And the dancers were among the 80 or so children and their parents who went to see magician Kevin Chun perform at McCoy Pavilion.
The event, which began at noon and lasted until 9:30 p.m., was sparsely attended at late afternoon and early evening -- a far cry from First Night, MADD's nonalcoholic downtown New Year's celebration which at its peak attracted 100,000 people, but died after seven years because of a lack of funding.
Still, the mood of Starlight MADDness matched its intent. Roger Watanabe, an event volunteer, and a couple of police officers on duty agreed the event was just right for the family.
"It's pretty mellow and relaxed," said Watanabe, who works for the city Department of Parks and Recreation.
For the kids, it also was fun. At the magic act, four children onstage were given balloon props and told that the one who danced the most would get the biggest balloon sculpture. One child shook his arms and got a balloon Road Runner.
When Weston Peters, 7, saw that, he increased the action, waving his arms and shaking his booty. The audience wildly applauded when Chun presented Peters with a Tasmanian Devil.
Out of breath after his performance, Peters said he realized he would get a bigger animal if he moved more. His reaction to the gift: "Cool."
The afternoon sun seemed to keep people away from the outside activities. Entertaining in the midafternoon was Ledward Kaapana. The evening was to conclude with surf-rapping by Colab Creation, folk island country music by Guy Cruz, contemporary island music by Country Side Band, and Hangin Five, a rock group.
Among those attending were Herbert and Ingrid Weichold, visitors from Germany. Here since mid-December, Herbert said he had read about the free event and was enjoying the party atmosphere and Hawaiian entertainment.
"We come and sit and eat and drink and have fun listening to the music," Weichold said. He added that he might go to a Waikiki club later in the evening. "When we see there is a party, we'll stay."
‘Phuture 2000’ goes off
By Leila Fujimori and
despite bomb threat
Harold Morse
Star-BulletinIt took more than a bomb threat to keep the show from going on at Kakaako Waterfront Park.
Local bands ground out hip-hop, rap, funk, hot licks and whatever last night -- accentuated by psychedelic lighting --except for punk rock.
Twelve of the bands hyped by "Phuture 2000" promoters were called off because of a report of a bomb scare or death threat against an organizer of the local punk rock bands.
Billy Makaila, head of maximum security for the event, said: "People like to make up stories so they can ruin this event. We would have cleared the park if it was for real."
Bryan Mizota, one of the event's organizers, said Mayor Jeremy Harris announced the threat on television, reportedly posted on the Internet.
Organizers received calls from Civil Defense to shut the stage down. Mizota said the request was reasonable, and the format was changed from punk rock to disc jockeys playing records.
Police did a bomb sweep of the area at 6 p.m. The event was scheduled for 6 p.m. but started at about 6:30 p.m.
Despite such misgivings, local bands provided syncopated fare for the crowd of mostly teens and people in their 20s, and some swinging dancing went on in front of the stage.
Mizota said Carl Cox, called the world's No. 1 deejay, headlined the multistage concert, which people throughout the world could view on the Internet for about 90 minutes.
Waikiki resident Marty Thompson, 26, an airline pilot, said he's upbeat about the new millennium.
"I just think things will be getting better," he said. New technology and life quality promise to just keep improving, he said.
"I agree with him," said Missy Phan, 29, of Riverside, Calif., a second-grade teacher there. "I think we're advancing every day. Technology -- we're advancing in that area," she said. "I don't think it will be as bad as everyone says with the Y2K scare."
Albert Alexander, 82, of the Kapiolani area also was optimistic. A draftee at Schofield on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, he hopes no more world wars take place. But he's not looking on the downside. "I don't see why you should be pessimistic," he said. "Why should a person be pessimistic?"
"I always say, certainly we're looking forward to beautiful years," he said.
