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Thanks to some local connections, the band Ponticello is enjoying a two-week stint in the islands. The eclectic trio is rarin' to go for a packed weekend of four shows in Honolulu, following a similarly hectic schedule on Maui. Versatile trio keeps a quick pace
By Gary C.W. Chun
gchun@starbulletin.comWell, two of three of them, anyway. Ted Kamp and Chris Murphy are out here enjoying the sun and surf. They also brought Gregg Williams as a guest drummer. Williams, who has worked with Sheryl Crow, The Dandy Warhols and Pete Droge, produced Ponticello's latest album, "Down Like Mercury," and the Hawaii trip is the band's way of saying thanks to their producer/engineer for a job well done.
The trip was arranged with the help of publicist Michelle Hanley (a former Kihei resident), and the Arizona-Hawaii connections of Warsaw and Go Jimmy Go.
Playing in Kihei venues ranging from the roadhouse-like Life's A Beach to the more-upscale Mulligan's, is a continuation of Ponticello's road-tested tradition of playing to an audience's vibe.
"We're used to five-night-a-week gigs," Kamp said, "so we can do acoustic, Pogues-inspired Irish, rock, stretched-out jams, traditional swing or something more fast and aggressive that'll appeal to a 19-year-old.
"We do mostly originals, and the occasional cover will more likely be a Hank Williams or Cole Porter tune, or even something bluegrassy like the Stanley Brothers or Bill Monroe. So we can either perform ambient, background music or turn it up with all of the rock-star swagger on stage," he said.
All shows for 21 and older, with $5 cover charge except where noted. Appearances are as follows: Ponticello
>> Today: At Chez Monique, 98-150 Kaonohi St., Aiea, from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Call 488-2439.
>> Tomorrow: At Anna Bannana's, 2440 S. Beretania St., from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Call 946-5190.
>> Sunday morning: At Spinners, 2463 Kuhio Ave., from 1:30 to 3:30 a.m. Call 923-5538.
>> Monday: At Wave Waikiki, 1877 Kalakaua Ave., 10 p.m. Cover for 21 and older is $5; 18 to 20 pay $10. Call 941-0424.
Murphy's violin is the usual lead instrument in Ponticello's sound, but the guys can switch it up with guitar, mandolin, trumpet and various percussion. Kamp said the "Down Like Mercury" CD is indicative of the group's live performances. And, like any enterprising musician, the band will be selling its CDs -- including "The Escape Artist," a tribute to 1940s jazz, blues and gypsy music -- at the shows.
Ponticello's upcoming CD, "Cotton Diesel," will be more bluegrass-oriented.
"Chris and I originally met in a Seattle bar band," Kamp said. "Because we both had very eclectic musical interests, we decided to break away and start this band."
After four years in the Pacific Northwest, the two relocated to Los Angeles eight months ago.
"We usually do two sets a night, and the last one may just be one continuous groove -- like it may start up as a techno-jam, go to a rock groove, throw in a little fiddle and then back again. It's like going through chapters in a book, going from mood to mood. If the audience is with us, the ebb and flow should build up to the night's climax."
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