THE LOFT will host some of Honolulu's most creative minds this weekend, when Lightsleepers Hawaii hosts the “;Beat Root”; grand championships on Saturday.

Hip-hop fans will often recognize a rapper's verbal skills or a DJ's turntable wizardry on a track while overlooking the producer who crafted the underlying beat. Pushing buttons and racking up mouse clicks isn't as sexy, but is still a vital part of the overall musical process.

DJ Kavet the Catalyst will host the finals, which start at 9 p.m. Saturday. The Hap, Laels Beats, TKO, Djah, Kazu the Gonzo and Osna have all moved on after winning preliminary rounds at Easy Music Center; Kavet and DJs Oliver Twist, Observ and Joe Gosalvez will spin between performances by Nomasterbacks, Slapp Symphony, New Jacks, Creed Chameleon, Rhyme da Old Man, Bless'd Chil and Nabahe. Cover is $7 at the door ...

DESPITE THE bad economy, there are still glimmers of hope shining in Clubland.

Weekends in Manoa are picking up steam at Sweet Thai Basil in the Manoa Marketplace. Fridays are for salsa fans, with Rolando Sanchez and Salsa Hawaii hosting live performances and dancing until 2 a.m. with a $10 cover charge.

On Saturdays, Eightball Hawaii hosts “;Buddha Bar,”; an 18-and-over affair with Shawn G on the decks starting at 10 p.m. Those old enough to order a cocktail will be happy to discover all drinks are $4 during this party ...

BITS AND PIECES: Happy birthday to KCCN FM-100's Bryan “;Bruddah Bryan”; Min, who celebrated last Thursday at Oceans808 with fellow KCCN jock Justin “;J-Irie”; Lopez, Krater 96's Ola Souza and Cox Radio Hawaii's Sean Gano ... The Ala Moana Hotel continues to do its part in supporting local musicians with their weekly “;Pakele Live!”; webcast. This week's featured performers are Pali, who will celebrate the release of their new album from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. Kupaoa and Vaihi will play on April 16, followed by May Kamai on April 23. Visit www.alamoanahotel.com for more ... I don't think “;Waikiki Nei,”; the Hawaii-themed stage production at the Royal Hawaiian Center, is coming back any time soon, following an announcement by the folks at LEVEL4 Nightclub and Ultralounge that a new dueling pianos show will take up residence there. Jeff Coleron and Rhiannon Kruse will star in performances scheduled for 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; tickets are $5 each. Call 931-6100 ...

CONCERT NEWS: Big Ben Entertainment has announced another “;Ladies of the '80s”; show for 2009. This time around, Lisa “;Lisa Lisa”; Velez, SWV, Expose and Salt-N-Pepa (with DJ Spinderella!) will perform May 9 at the Blaisdell Arena. Tickets are priced at $45, $75 and $100, and I'm told more than 1,000 have been sold since they went on sale last weekend ... DIG Lifestyles and Echelon Entertainment have confirmed Erykah Badu at Aloha Tower Marketplace's The Waterfront on May 29. Presale tickets, expected to go on sale sometime next week, will be priced at $45 each ... And BAMP Project will host Mos Def at Pipeline Cafe on May 21. More details on this one are expected soon ...

WEEKEND PICKS: Management changes at Pearl Ultralounge have resulted in the departure of promoters Flash Hansen and Matty Hazelgrove on Friday nights. This week's “;Candy Bar”; will be the last one at Ala Moana Shopping Center, and Hansen says the duo expects to have a new Friday weekly up and running in about a month. “;We didn't want to leave,”; he said. “;But given everything that's going on, it's time for us to move on”; ... Island 98.5's Lanai Tabura is set to host “;Fil-Am Comedy Jam 5”; at the Dole Cannery Ballrooms on Saturday. Doors open at 7 p.m., with performances by Joey Guila, Ron Josol and Rex Navarrete; tickets are $25 at the door for the 18-and-over crowd ... Also on Saturday, Chinatown nightspots NextDoor and thirtyninehotel team up on a fundraiser for the Life Foundation. One $10 cover will get you into both venues, with all of the night's proceeds going to charity ...

NEXT WEEK brings a big change to “;In the Mix”; and the rest of HILife. Be sure to pick up a copy of the new, redesigned Honolulu Star-Bulletin on Thursday to see what we've done ...