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www.liquidproductions.net
Glynn Motoishi of Liquid shares lead vocal
duties with Isaiah MacDonald.

Liquid out to
make its mark

Pahoa rock band
hopes to make it big

---

By John Berger
Special to the Star-Bulletin

The Big Island isn't known as a hotbed of progressive rock. Liquid hopes to change that. The quintet from Pahoa introduced itself last year with a self-titled, self-produced album and is reaching out to rock fans worldwide at http://www.liquidproductions.net.

The album is now available on Oahu and the band is here for a return engagement at the Wave Waikiki.

ON STAGE Who: Liquid When: 10 p.m. today and tomorrow Where: Wave Waikiki, 1877 Kalakaua Ave. Cost: $5 cover Call: 941-0424

"We're from a very obscure place but we do not plan on staying obscure," guitarist Chris Albers says. Liquid opened a split three-nighter at the Wave on Wednesday and will headline the club tomorrow and Saturday. Albers and his bandmates -- Frank Bianchini (drums), Isaiah MacDonald (guitar), Glynn Motoishi (vocals and percussion) and Jason "J-Boy" Paulsen (bass) -- came to Oahu a few days early for interviews on Honolulu's progressive rock radio stations and to hook up with rock musicians here.

The return to Wave -- they played a one-nighter last month -- is another step forward. Albers and MacDonald formed Liquid four years ago. Paulsen started off on drums before switching to bass. Bianchini replaced another drummer in 1998.

Albers mentions Alice in Chains, Tool and Rage Against the Machine as musical influences and says that various members of the band are also into jazz, reggae and "heavy stuff." The result is progressive rock with occasional references to reggae rhythms, rap-style vocals and electronic effects.

MacDonald and Motoishi are the primary vocalists. Albers adds harmonies.

"We started playing a lot of the popular bands' tunes at parties and then started writing our own. People got into those just as much as they did the others so we started weeding out the covers and writing a lot more songs."

www.liquidproductions.net
"We're from a very obscure place but we do not
plan on staying obscure," said Chris Albers.

Although still in the "up-and-coming" category, Liquid is on track as one of the most interesting mainstream rock bands to develop here since Sunburn and Crucible broke out several years ago. Albers says Liquid intends to keep building.

"We have a practice space in an industrial area so we get together three times a week and write songs. We can get together and jam for a few hours and it's all our own stuff. We still do some covers when we play bars ... but we also put on big all-ages shows so pretty much all our fan base can check us out."

Albers and the others have day jobs but "nothing we're attached to." Music is their passion and all five are ready to go for it.

"We plan to do as much as we possibly can and play anywhere we can. Writing and recording is definitely something we enjoy doing. We've sent a lot of stuff out: videos, press packages and pictures. It's exciting to create and we're ready to travel."

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