Elvis has left the building
but not his fans’ hearts

MOST IMPRESSIVE THING about "Elvis the Concert" in Blaisdell Arena on Sunday was watching vintage footage of Elvis' stellar sidemen -- James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Jerry Scheff and Ronnie Tutt, and musical director Joe Guercio -- performing with Elvis in the early 1970s on the big center screen while two other screens showed them "live" in 2004 playing note-for-note renditions of those same songs in the arena. A beautiful a capella number by the former members of the Stamps Quartet demonstrated the power of pure old-style gospel music, and the Sweet Inspirations rocked the house with "Sweet Inspiration" after intermission. Having caught a very mediocre show several weeks ago by an act exploiting the name of the Crystals it was great to find that the Sweet Inspirations aren't coasting on their affiliation with Elvis or their own status as an oldies act. All in all, "Elvis the Concert" will likely stand as the most underrated show of the year in Honolulu. Anyone who loves the music of Elvis woulda loved it, shoulda been there ...

INTERESTING PEOPLE: Mapuana Makia is adding a fresh feminine presence to the local rap/hip hop scene. Got plenty compliments for her singing and stage presence working with Noxious at the Wave Waikiki on Sunday ... A "personal emergency" was the reason for blink-182's last-minute cancellation of a cameo appearance with Jason Momoa in a scheduled late-night shoot for "North Shore" last Friday ... Best thing about the wake for 97.5 KPOI last weekend was seeing that vintage early-90s video of the Electric Lunch Band (members included KPOI staffers Ken "Hutch" Hutchison, Marti "The Marti" Kerton, "Loud Larry" Lieberman and Mike Vasser) ... Lovely Penaroza Kwock, an Elvis fan since the '50s, enjoyed "Elvis the Concert" last Sunday in the same seat she had for his "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii, via Satellite" concert in 1973 ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: To Michael Cord and D.J. Pratt, who are celebrating tomorrow ... Also to Donald P. "Flip" McDiarmid III, Harry B. Soria Jr. and Ka'upena Wong (Saturday), Rudi Aquino, Jane Loo and Sonya Mendez (Sunday), John Koko (Tuesday) and Ledward Kaapana, Nedward Kaapana and Peter Moon (Wednesday) ...

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: Mark Prados, lead singer and harmonica player for Mojo Hand back in the '80s, writes that he's "kickin' round Chi-town" these days and jamming on harmonica in local blues clubs ...