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Pipeline books
Hepcat Sept. 4

Remember when Radio Free Hawaii expanded the horizons of Honolulu's radio-listening public? Back in the mid-'90s, personalities like Kathy with a K, Dave O'Day and Mad Mohammed introduced us to bands that would never get played on mainstream stations. Los Angeles-based Hepcat was one of them, capitalizing on their popularity in paradise to make a couple of concert appearances here before breaking up unexpectedly in 2000.

The good news? No, Radio Free isn't coming back, but Hepcat is returning to Honolulu! Go Jimmy Go will open for them Sept. 4 at Pipeline Cafe.

Tickets for the all-ages show, priced at $24 and $40, are on sale now at the club and all Ticketmaster outlets. Call (877) 750-4400 to order by phone ...

WALKING AMONG 12,000 mixed martial arts fans at Aloha Stadium during last month's "K-1 Grand Prix," I realized how lucky Hawaii is to be on the cutting edge of the sport. Of the three MMA events that took place here in July, the "K-1 Grand Prix" was by far the biggest production. Japan's Fuji TV was on hand to tape the action for pay-per-view, and we got to see legendary fighters Renzo Gracie and Butterbean alongside up-and-comers like Musashi, Hong-Man Choi and Gary Goodridge.

Mike Tyson also made an appearance that night, sitting ringside before moving on to Zanzabar Nightclub. He was spotted there as Sonia Mendoza was named Miss Zanzabar 2006, and mingled with bounty hunter Tim Chapman inside the club's VIP room. Leland Chapman, on the other hand, was too busy sipping on a Corona and watching the ladies from his vantage point near the DJ booth ...

IT WAS definitely a trip down memory lane on the second night of KCCN FM-100's "Birthday Bash" at the Waikiki Shell. The best part of the night had to be watching Fiji and Bruddah Waltah perform alongside Sean Na'auao during his Mana'o Company reunion with Danny Kennedy. ... And you missed one of the best hip-hop shows of the year if you slept on Thursday's Redman concert. The Funk Doc even jumped from a second-floor balcony to crowd surf. Spotted among the crowd: Promoters Darryl Hill, Sick Dog, G-Spot and Goldenchild, Island 98.5's Tati and Big Teeze, Microscopic Syllables' Keli'i Wong and Stone Groove Family DJs G-Dog, SubZero and Jrama ...