StarBulletin.com

'Timing is perfect' for return of Jimmy 'Da Geek'


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POSTED: Friday, May 08, 2009

Former Hawaii resident Jimmy “;Da Geek”; Bender might not live here anymore, but that hasn't stopped him from creating new parody songs based on local customs and stereotypes.

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“;Make A”; was digitally released this week on http://www.hawaiitunes.com, featuring six parodies and six comedy skits, all executive-produced by Kutmaster Spaz. The project was conceived about a year and a half ago, when Bender flew here to perform “;Talk Like a Pinoy”; in 2007.

“;While I was down there I signed with Dis-N-Dat Media Group,”; Bender explained by phone from Arizona earlier this week. “;When I came home on vacation back in January, we literally went into the studio for one night and laid down all the songs.”;

Along with “;Talk Like a Pinoy,”; the new release features the tracks “;Love Dem Local Girls,”; “;The Hello Kitty Song”; and “;Put Li Hing,”; in addition to the album's title track and a collaboration with Augie Tulba called “;Local Boy/Haole Boy.”;

Bender hopes to return to Honolulu later this year to promote “;Make A”; in stores and on stage; he also has plans to work with Lanai Tabura, Alan Oda and Ryan “;Hawaiian Ryan”; Matsumoto on a greatest-hits collection of 3 Local Boyz material.

“;The timing is perfect right now,”; said Bender. “;August marks 20 years since the first 3 Local Boyz album was released on cassette”; ...

THE SECOND-FLOOR venue at the Waikiki Trade Center formerly known as Fashion45 is reportedly set to reopen this weekend as Black Diamond Nightclub.

Fashion45 originally opened its doors in December 2005 as the new home for Flash Hansen's “;Pussycat Lounge”; party after it departed the Wave Waikiki when that club closed. Its spacious layout and 4 a.m. liquor license made it popular among mainstream clubbers, but a management change and violations for underage drinking caused the club to slip in prestige among its peers in Waikiki.

According to a spokesman from the Honolulu Liquor Commission, Black Diamond has a valid license and will be able to serve drinks when the club opens for business. A representative for the establishment did not respond to a request for comment this week ...

CONCERT NEWS: Grammy Award-winning No Doubt will wrap up its 2009 summer tour with an Aug. 11 concert at Blaisdell Arena with Matt Costa as the opening act. Tickets are priced at $78 plus fees and go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday at all Ticketmaster outlets ... '80s pop star Tiffany returns to Honolulu for two shows in July. She'll play Pipeline Cafe on July 17, followed by the 2009 Gay Pride Festival at McCoy Pavilion on July 18. Tickets for the Pipeline show are on sale now at the club ... Tickets, priced at $60, $70 and $80, are also on sale for the Pussycat Dolls' June 13 concert at Blaisdell Arena. The all-female group, led by Hawaii-born Nicole Scherzinger, will perform in support of its 2008 release, “;Doll Domination”; ...

WEEKEND PICKS: Local rockers Grand Theft Audio bid farewell to one of their own this weekend at Kemoo Farms Pub and Lakeside Lanai. Guitarist Tim Fields, described as “;the driving force in GTA”; by band-mate Ruth Maiwela, is in the military and recently received orders to relocate to Mississippi. Say goodbye starting at 10 p.m. Friday ... The GroundUP Pirates are expanding their reach into modeling. Celebrate the launch of the new GroundUP Agency with a party at the Honolulu Design Center on Friday. Doors open at 8 p.m. for the 21-and-over crowd, with plans calling for a fashion show, live mural painting, a photography exhibit and a live performance by Kuwait's Elephant Armada. Cover is $10 for this one ... And on Saturday, sneaker fiends will descend on 831 Queen St. for “;DXC: Hawaiian Getaway.”; This is the second visit to Hawaii for mainland-based DunkXChange.com, which facilitates the buying/selling/trading of used sneakers. Admission is $11 at the door, with all the action taking place from 1 to 5 p.m. ...