Isle promoter G-spot climbs to the top

Whenever I see the guy, he's got fliers in hand and is usually on the grind letting others know about the next big party he's throwing. Things were no different on Sept. 29, when I ran into him at UH-Manoa during "On the 1: Special Delivery."

Although he was in the middle of broadcasting his weekly radio show on KTUH-FM, G-Spot still made a point to come down and let the handful of people gathered know about Dieselboy coming up at NextDoor on Saturday.

As usual, I asked him about his recent travels. Not surprisingly, he had just gotten back from San Francisco and was getting ready to visit L.A.

But what blew my mind was a trip he took last month -- to Africa. G-Spot made a return trip to that country so he could climb Mount Kilimanjaro, a feat that took him 10 days. He called it the "hardest thing physically and mentally" he's ever had to do in his life ...

THE LONGTIME high school talent contest "Brown Bags to Stardom" is back with a twist, thanks to Johnny Kai.

The Hawaii Music Awards founder has stepped in to help produce the annual competition, which will now focus on music videos by students instead of live performances. Individual campuses will have until the end of 2006 to hold talent contests and produce a two-minute music video that will air on cable station OC-16.

In January and February, viewers will be able to vote for their favorites, which will be honored at the official "Brown Bags to Stardom" concert on March 24 at Blaisdell Arena. Visit www.brownbagstostardom.com for more info.

In conjunction with the music video competition, Mobi PCS is holding a contest for students to create 30-second commercials about the phone company. The commercials must be completely original and produced by a single student. Entries are due by Nov. 3, and winners will get to host an episode of the "Brown Bags" TV show. Entry forms are available online at www.mobipcs.com ...

CONGRATS TO Aloha Rag for being chosen one of the "Best Men's Stores in America" by GQ Magazine. Owner Tatsugo Yoda is hailed for having "a remarkable eye for designer clothes that are sophisticated but not too stiff for island life." Aloha Rag is located at 1221 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 115 ...