COURTESY OF RACHEL KAISER Susan Copp of Quadraphonix.

Spreading good vibes

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Shawn "Speedy" Lopes
slopes@starbulletin.com

Sub-Vibe II Where: Studio 1, One King St. When: 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. today Admission: $8 donation Call: 550-8701

Exposure and interaction are the key themes behind tonight's Sub-Vibe II, a multi-faceted performance and art exhibition at Studio 1, says organizer Jonathan Heraux. The downtown Honolulu event provides a forum in which poets, deejays and artists can share and collaborate. "This gives unknown artists a public display to show their art," he affirms. Heraux, known to many Honolulu nightlifers as beat-minder for local jazz-funk groovers Quadraphonix, says his band is among the talents slated to perform. "We're all in this big circle of underground artists."

While this weekend's event marks the second Sub-Vibe shindig in two months, Heraux and co-promoter Rachel Kaiser are reluctant to call it a monthly just yet. "We'd like it to be every month," Heraux says. "But the scope of it is so enormous, it's so much bigger than people see on the surface and there's so much more work than people realize that it may be every two months." Complicating matters is his band's impending mainland tour, which kicks off later this month.

COURTESY OF RACHEL KAISER Artist Rachel Kaiser's wooden masks piece, titled "Maiden, Mother, Crone."

Kaiser, 28, is a well-traveled Hawaii-based artist who studied mask carving in Bali for a spell several years ago. Through her encounters with Oahu's under-the-radar artists, she has managed to assemble an intriguing lineup for this weekend's expo. There's North Shore photographer Scott Fidge; Waimanalo artist Sam Clemmens ("He's also a skateboarder, snowboarder, like, superstar," she adds); Eran McCullough, who specializes in oil painting; Island-born taro farmer/artist Jason Silverstein, whose work draws from Japanese and Hawaiian cultures; and photographer-videographer C.J. Lileikis.

"I just really enjoy the energy that's created and the inspiration that happens when artists get together on a non-competitive basis," Kaiser states. "I think it's really important to promote artists coming together and sharing vs. checking each other out and seeing who's better. That kind of vibe really destroys artists' creative potential. Even in the real posh galleries, it's like, 'who's making money' and 'what makes money' and I don't think that's what this group is about. They're about expressing themselves."

Local poets, spoken word artists and deejays will get their chance to shine as well, she adds. Lion dancers from Au's Shaolin Art Society will roam between Studio 1's gallery and performance area, serving as a symbolic bridge of sorts for the various art and entertainment forms.

Heraux says an $8 donation will be requested at the door, with a portion of the receipts going to the artists and the remainder to help fund Quadraphonix's California tour later this month. "We've played a lot of gigs here and never charged more than five dollars," he explains. "There are so many artists and people involved and we're basically asking people to contribute. You could never get all these artists together in one room."

COURTESY OF C.J. LILEIKIS C.J. Lileikis' "Anti-War Protest," taken March 5.

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