THEY MAY not be best friends, but the members of Ozomatli have known Jack Johnson for quite a while.

“;We've known Jack for many, many years—way before he's had the kind of success he has now,”; Ozomatli lead singer Raul Pacheco said by phone last week. “;Me and his drummer, Adam Topol ... I've known him since high school. We see each other at festivals all over the world.”;

So when Ozomatli spent some time last year at Johnson's Brushfire Records studio in Los Angeles, it wasn't out of the ordinary for Johnson himself to stop by. What was surprising, however, was his willingness to step in and get involved with the creative process.

“;Jack just happened to be there,”; Pacheco explained. “;He came in and heard some music, he had an idea, put some lyrics down ... and from there we kinda just built a song around that.”;

The resulting track, “;It's Only Paper,”; will serve as the lead single for Ozomatli's new album, “;Fire Away,”; set for release on April 20 by Mercer Street Records.

“;It's always good for us as a band to be put in that kind of situation,”; Pacheco said. “;It's the type of song that we probably would have never played. It's an interesting mix for fans of both acts, and more importantly, it's a good song.”;

Ozomatli performs tonight at Pipeline Cafe; doors open at 9 p.m. They'll fly to Maui tomorrow for a 7 p.m. show at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Castle Theater. Tickets for both concerts are still available at www.ticketmaster.com ...

MORE DETAILS have surfaced about next month's Manny Pacquiao appearance at the Waikiki Shell that was first reported in this space last week.

According to co-promoters Island Fire Productions and Big Ben Entertainment, the WBO welterweight champion and Ring Magazine light welterweight champion will perform with the MP Band at the Waikiki Shell on March 21, just eight days after he is scheduled to face Joshua Clottey in the ring at Texas' Cowboys Stadium. Tickets for the concert, priced from $25 to $150, went on sale today at all Ticketmaster outlets ($150 VIP tickets include a meet-and-greet session).

Along with his band, Pacquiao will be joined at the Shell by Filipino phenom Madonna Decena; local performers Ten Feet, Augie Tulba, Guy Cruz, Al Waterson, Yasmine Dar, Ciana Pelekai, Kalei Gamiao, MIC3, Greg Gabaylo and DJ Kutmaster Spaz are among the scheduled openers ...

FRIDAY'S PICKS: Former Wave Waikiki regular visitor DJ Mei Lwun is back—the San Francisco-based mash-up DJ and producer will be at Apartment3 tonight and tomorrow. Cover is $5 after 9 p.m. each night, and VIP reservations are available; call 955-9300 ... West Coast hip-hop fans won't want to miss “;The Peach”; tonight at LEVEL4 Nightclub. One year after visiting with Busta Rhymes, DJ Quik and Tha Dogg Pound (Daz Dillinger and Kurupt) are back with E-40 and a “;special surprise guest.”; Doors open at 10 p.m. ... Local indie rockers Grlfrnds, the Jump Offs, Painted Highways and Clones of the Queen head to Asterisk (1939 Young St.) for the “;Last Minute Showcase.”; They'll be joined by DJ Capecod at this 18-and-over show; cover is $5 ...

SATURDAY'S PICKS: “;Once-a-Month Punk”; returns to Sandbox Waikiki this weekend, with sets by MistermeaneR, False Crack, Eddie Murphy's Law, D—s of Doom and Pimpbot. Skate video screenings begin at 10 p.m., and performances start at 11 p.m. Cover is $5 at the door ... Coffee shop Fresh Cafe presents “;Rising Notion,”; an evening of live music and art to benefit REACH, a local nonprofit organization. From 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. tomorrow, enjoy art by Chanel Tanaka and CKaweekS, body painting with Dr. Wiz and live music by Candy Diaz. Suggested donation is $10 at the door ... FLUX Magazine celebrates its inaugural issue with a launch party at Ka Restaurant and Lounge. Publisher/editor Lisa Yamada will be on hand to celebrate with readers and free pupus from 6 to 7 p.m. that night, with David Tamaoka and Yoza scheduled to perform between 7 and 10 p.m. Visit www.fluxhawaii.com ...

E KALA MAI: Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs will play the Shell on March 7. An incorrect date appeared in this space last week ...

”;In the Mix”; drops Fridays in HILife. Contact Jason Genegabus by e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).