COURTESY ELYSE ROGERS It's Hepcat reformed, with original members Deston Berry, left, Greg Lee and Alex Desert.

Get Hep one
more time

It may be the final chance
to catch ska band Hepcat
on stage intact

In a tip of the cap to longtime Hawaii fans, Los Angeles-based ska band Hepcat returns this weekend for one night only.

Hepcat With local opener Go Jimmy Go » Where: Pipeline Cafe, 805 Pohukaina St. » When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday » Tickets: $24 and $40 » Call: 589-1999

It will be the first time the group has played here since its heyday in the mid-'90s, when Radio Free Hawaii rocked Oahu air waves with music that listeners had never heard before.

"We've got all kinds of good memories of Hawaii," vocalist Alex Desert said Monday from Los Angeles. "Everybody was always really cool."

The band has only a handful of performances to its credit since a three-year hiatus that ended in 2003, so Sunday's gig at Pipeline could easily be the last time we see all eight members on stage together at the same time again.

Formed by Deston Berry and Greg Lee in 1989, Hepcat was a group born out of a love for traditional ska. While others involved in the music's resurgence 15 years ago focused on previous efforts by British groups in the '70s and '80s, Hepcat was more concerned with original Jamaican influences that date back to the '60s.

"We used to go to these ska shows to see friends of ours," explained Desert (pronounced "Day-Zair"). "And in between sets they played older-style ska, and we always liked that."

Once Lee and Berry hooked up with Desert, things quickly began to fall into place. Along with original members Dave Fuentes and David Hillyard, the band released a demo within its first year and followed that up with a couple of singles.

But it wasn't until 1992, when Hepcat was invited to go on tour with the legendary Skatalites, that they truly carved out a niche for themselves in ska's musical landscape. The next eight years would bring the release of three albums, 1993's "Out of Nowhere," 1996's "Scientific" and 2000's "Push 'N Shove."

The departure of several members and the addition of others over the years brought slight tweaks to Hepcat's overall sound.

Not only were they trying to stay true to their ska roots, but they also wanted to incorporate other types of music into their work.

"Ska was our basis, what we started with, and all of our influences have creeped in," said Desert. "Like we listen to soul music and jazz and Latin."

Adds Lee, "We like all types of stuff, and you'll hear it in every album and every live show.

"Every individual member of the band brings in a different element of music."

Hepcat's breakup in 2000 was unexpected, by fans and band members alike.

"Sometimes these things happen when you've got eight brothers and you have them in the same room," said Desert. "It was about three years that we didn't play as a unit, and the thing is, a bunch of us ... said we never wanted to play together again."

Even Lee thought it was a joke at first.

"Well, you know, the funny thing about that is we actually broke up on April Fool's Day," he said. "But we're playing again now, so you make the call."

While Desert turned to a blossoming television acting career, other members of the band focused on new projects, including the group Dubcat with members of the Long Beach Dub All-Stars. It wasn't until former Dance Hall Crashers singer and current Hepcat manager Elyse Rogers got a little sneaky that the guys decided to start making music together again.

"She basically tricked us," laughed Desert. "We kind of didn't know what was going on ... (but) she gave us the shove we needed. We owe her a lot."

After Rogers managed to get the band together for rehearsal, they announced a reunion show at Hollywood's House of Blues in July 2003, followed by a six-show tour to support the reissue of "Out of Nowhere" in May 2004.

Sunday's Honolulu concert will be only the third the band has played this year.

"It's been cool," said Lee. "We don't do shows often, so we still have time apart. But when we start playing, it's like no time has passed by."