PM Dawn proves show does go on
I DON'T know if he was planning to attend, but legendary entertainer
Don Ho would have been proud of the "show must go on" mentality of
PM Dawn's Prince Be at Ho's namesake restaurant on Saturday.
A simple, laminated sign wishing Ho "a warm aloha" commemorated his passing earlier that day, with opening acts Simple Souls and Gomega paying their respects with rousing sets. Then, Prince Be took the stage by himself and addressed the crowd.
"I don't know if you heard about that plane crash in New Jersey last week," he said. "But that house they keep showing on the news ... that's my house!"
As it turns out, a plane did crash near his property. There was more damage to a neighbor's home, but it was Prince Be's that kept showing up on TV -- and he suffered a heart attack shortly after getting the news.
Against doctor's orders, Prince Be left the hospital to fly to Hawaii ("Look, I'm still wearing my ID bracelet," he remarked at one point). But what about Dr. Giggles, the duo's other half?
While Prince Be was struggling to get to the airport, Dr. Giggles managed to get into a car accident and also had to be taken to the hospital. Luckily, he wasn't badly injured and was able to make it to Honolulu in time for Sunday's performance ...
CONGRATS TO spoken-word poets Melvin Borja, Lyz Soto, Travis K. Thompson and Kealoha Wong, selected as members of the 2007 HawaiiSlam Team.
The four earned their stripes during "First Thursdays: The Grand Slam FINALS" at the Hawaiian Hut on April 5. Hosted by local poets Intrepid and Cee, the event also featured guest performances by nationally recognized spoken-word artist Big Poppa E and scratch-guitar virtuoso the Genie.
Using money raised that night, Wong and crew will represent the islands later this year during the 2007 National Poetry Slam in Austin, Texas ...
CONGRATS ALSO to local bartender Gavin Hales, winner of the 2007 Awamori Spirits Cocktail Challenge, held April 9.
More than a dozen Japanese bartenders were flown from Okinawa to Honolulu for the competition, presented by the Awamori Meister Association. Elderly Japanese tourists attended in traditional attire, their kimonos looking just as sophisticated as the custom dresses worn at the Halekulani that day by 55th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival queen Richelle Nakata and her court. The O Lounge's Liz Watanabe, KITV's Mahealani Richardson and MidWeek's Melissa Moniz served as judges.
Hales' winning entry, "The Chocolate Cherry," earned him a trip for two to Japan and entry into a Japanese cocktail contest ...
REGGAE WEEKLY "Redda Fire" celebrates its first year at the Living Room on Thursday. DJs Jahson, Liloa, Dunza, Zacharijah, Ras Mikey, Eskae, Packo and Jami are among those scheduled to spin ...