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On the Scene John Berger |
Partygoer hits on
unique sales techniqueRick Smoot, events coordinator for Tom Moffatt Productions, stopped by the Wave Waikiki Saturday night to check out the Missing Dave CD release party and was approached by a woman who said she would "flash him" if he bought a copy of the new album. He did, and she did -- and left him wondering what she would have shown him if he had purchased a box of CDs instead of just one ... Steel guitarist Jeff Au Hoy, a hit at the 27th Annual Brothers Cazimero May Day Concert, is going from success to success. He'll be this year's special guest performer at the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association convention in Joliet, Ill., in October -- an honor well deserved for a guy whose first steel guitar was a beat-up instrument he got in an eBay auction and restored on his own only a few years ago ... Hawaii recording artists rarely make it onto any of the six major Billboard charts but often turn up on the magazine's "World Music Album" chart. This week is no exception. Na Palapalai holds the No. 9 spot with "Ke 'Ala Beauty," Keali'i Reichel is at No. 12 with "Ke'alaokamaile" and Ekolu holds the bottom spot for the second week with "Back to the Valley: The 3rilogy" at No. 15. Reichel's album has been on the World Music Chart for 22 weeks thus far, but the king of the "World Music Album" chart these days is Irish vocalist Daniel O'Donnell, who has five albums on the chart out of 15. O'Donnell's newest, "Faith & Inspiration," debuted this week at No. 2. The oldest has been on the chart 62 weeks. O'Donnell is currently on tour in Australia and New Zealand. It is possible a local promoter will book him for a show here on his way back to Ireland? ...
Happy Birthday: To Marlene Baldueza, who is celebrating today, and to Ikaika Kahoano (Saturday), William "Baba" Alimoot, of Hema Pa'a (Sunday), Larry Paxton (Tuesday) and kumu hula Leina'ala Kalama Heine (Wednesday) ...
Hank Taufaasau saw a "Willie Nelson look-alike" sitting at a bus stop with a guitar. Invited the man -- Bob Burdon -- to sit in on an open-mike night at his club. Burdon did. Two months later, Dave Hayter started sitting in with Burdon. Burdon and Hayter performed as the Two British Blokes until Manny Aquirre made the act a trio. Someone dubbed them Two British Blokes and One Mini-Chicano, but that proved too long and unwieldy, and so it is as BBC that the trio and Taufaasau are celebrating five years together at Hank's Cafe Honolulu on Nuuanu Avenue Tuesday ...
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
John Berger has covered the local
entertainment scene since 1972. Contact
him at jberger@starbulletin.com.