Posts Tagged ‘Chinatown’

It’s the first Friday of the month again and Chinatown in downtown Honolulu is going to start your Fourth of July weekend out right with multiple bars hosting art exhibits, DJs, and live music.  Plus there’s drinks!

First Friday in Chinatown coincides once again with Live from the Lawn at the Hawai’i State Art Museum in downtown Honolulu.  Playing this Friday will be Kaumaka’iwa Kanaka’ole, Bo Lozoff, and Lorna Lim & Wailau Ryder. This event is from 6pm to 9pm on the lawn at HiSAM, so maybe after some AOD pupus and drinks you can head on over.

Next, chinatown will be no slouch this Friday as it seems like every bar is preparing for the long weekend. bambuTwo, ThirtyNineHotel, and the Chinatown Courtyard will all be having exhibits of local artists for you to browse while drink and pupus are served.

We suggest a martini or two at Indigo’s and then heading off to one of the other spots before HiSam and maybe back to Hank’s for your early night cap. There is plenty to do this First Friday in Honolulu so get out there and start your weekend right.

It’s the first Friday of March and we almost forty to let our readers now. Tonight is going to be a good one, with all this junk weather, you local carport is probably out of commission, so why not head downtown.

Betwee Mardis Gras and St. Patricks Day, you know everyone will be heading to Bar 35, SoHo, Indigo’s or wherever else anyone can get in. So choose wisely. Outdoor seating may not be an option, so if you can nab a seat inside, take it.

Keep us posted on what it’s like down there, we’d love to see pictures or hear abou the night. I think we’re staying on the windward side.

These are some early pictures from one of the craziest nights in Chinatown, downtown Honolulu. It’s Mardi Gras 2010 in Honolulu and its a great time if you’ve never been there. Here are some of the earliest pictures we have of the night. More are definitely to come but this is from just getting the night started.

Way back in 1973 when Russia was ‘the’ Soviet Union young Valery Ponomarev escaped to America for his love of Liberty & Jazz.  Landing in New York City with fake documents it is proof of his talent that within three months Ponomarev was invited to sit in with the legendary Art Blakely & the Jazz Messengers, within three years he was an official member of the Messengers, going on to record nine albums with the group and touring the World.

Cut to 2010 and New York resident Valery Ponomarev headlines his own Quintet and to the delight of Jazz Aficionados will perform in Honolulu, Hawai’i.

Nestled above the venerable Hank’s Café, 1038 Nuuanu Avenue, The Dragon Upstairs has established itself as a haven for Jazz and many other more esoteric forms of music & performance.  The Valery Ponomarev Quintet presents a ‘Hard Bop Night’ Saturday January 16^th and Saturday January 23 at 9PM.

In addition to Valery Ponomarev and his trumpet, the impressive line up includes Jason Gaye on Sax January 16, Reggie Padilla on Sax January 23,, Satomi Yarimizo on Piano on both days, Jon Hawes plays Bass January 16, Steve Jones plays Bass on January 23, and Darryl Pellegrini, drums both gigs.

Cover is $10 and the concert runs from 9PM To Midnight.  For more info about Valery Ponomarev scope out his biography and Mars Jazz take on him .

A rare Celestial Confluence has brought the celebrated Honolulu First Friday Celebration into alignment with the First Day of 2010. Break away from a day of college football and televised coverage of floral parades by venturing into the Arts District downtown Honolulu. Festivities will begin around 5PM, though historically First Friday Events run on Hawaii’an Time and officially end around 10 PM but the clubs will keep running to 2AM and one can be assured to find fun things to well into the night.

Naturally there will be those who spent New Years’ Eve inside a bottle of bubbly or similar alcoholic concoction, those souls are encouraged to embrace the theme ‘Bloody Mary Friday’ with a drink designed to cure any hangover blues at any of the many wonderful watering holes in the Arts District. INDIGO at 1121 Nuuanu Avenue host ‘Martini Madness’ from 4PM to 7PM, “The biggest martinis all for $4.00, including our award winning sake martini and Mandarin Cosmopolitan. Complimentary buffet at 5:00pm.” Other clubs offering comfort & joy; BAMBU MARTINI BAR, BAR 35 CLUB KE KAI LOUNGE, THE INDIGO GREEN ROOM, MANIFEST, MURPHYS BAR & GRILL, NEXT DOOR, O’TOOLES IRISH PUB, SLIP INN, SMITH UNION BAR, and SOHO MIXED MEDIA BAR.

A big part of the fun though on First Friday is to scope out the Art Galleries and give in to temptation to buy the one of a kind painting or other work of art. Various musicians will share their talent at assorted spots, and most often one will find a ‘Tarot Card’ reader outside of the Institute for Hair Design on Nuuanu Avenue, giving everyone the option of peering deep into 2010 or the chance to unravel thorny personal issues. Most of all First Friday is a wonderful reason to interact with friends & complete strangers on the ultra friendly streets of downtown Honolulu. So celebrate the New Year with First Friday.

A beloved Honolulu Christmas Tradition returns to the historic Hawai’i Theatre.  Jim Nabors and a whole bunch of talented friends make for a very Merry Christmas concert beginning Friday November 27 at 7:30 PM, with a second evening performance Saturday November 28, and a special matinee show 2 PM on Sunday the 29^th.

The Hawai’i Theatre, 1130 Bethel Street, in the heart of the Arts District, is the perfect venue for Jim Nabors soaring vocals and playful personality.  Understated elegance and class personify the ageless singer whose Christmas show can melt the hardest Scrooge heart.  Joining Jim are many of the Islands most renown musicians singers among those scheduled to appear: Guest Stars, Jimmy Borges, Karen Keawehawaii, Emma Veary, Philip Huber and the Huber Marrionettes, plus Guy Merola, Dieamond Head Shooting Stars, The La Pietra Select Choir, The Hawaii Theatre Ensemble Singers, and The Hawaii Theatre Orchestra. One more Matt Catingub serves as Musical Director.

This just in! There will be a Special Preview Performance at a Special Price for Active Duty Military and their Dependents on Wendsday November 25 2009 at 7:30PM.

Tickets for this must see must attend event range from $25 to $75 with various discounts possible, for ticketing info contact the Hawaii Theatre Box Office via 528-0506 or go to http://www.hawaiitheatre.com/event_calendar.html.

About a month ago I wrote about my first visit to the Soul de Cuba Cafe, the only Cuban restaurant in Honolulu.  The whole experience — from the wait staff to the food and cocktails — not only reminded me of my time in Cuba earlier this year but also satisfied my tummy.

The great news?  You have two days to purchase a $30 restaurant credit that has a real value of $60.  AMAZING, I know!  There are only 25 dinner coupons left, so purchase one through Savvy Circle today.  Don’t delay!

Soul de Cuba Cafe
1121 Bethel Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
#808.545.CUBA
Fax #808.545.2833
hnlinfo@souldecuba.com
www.souldecuba.com

M-Th 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
F-Sat 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Great weather, a young population, vacationers, and a lot of enthusiasm make Halloween in Honolulu and Waikiki a great spectacle to behold. So what are you going for Halloween this year, its only two days away! And, it falls on a Saturday, so you now have 2 weekend days to dress up, and have fun.

We’ve been posting as much as we can about the fun activities that we think you may be interested in attending, block parties, after parties, costume contests, and more. When know there’s others, but below is our list of things you must drop by to see.

First up, is the 80s Fright Night at Pipeline Cafe with special guest Tiffany. That’s right, the 80s pop legend will be there in full force to keep the evening rocking into Halloween morning.

For Halloween Day, just prepare yourself. All of the south shore will be one large block party and we have your route. Start downtown in Chinatown for the Honolulu Hallowbaloo Music Arts Festival. 7 Blocks of Nuuanu will be closed down and the costumes will be out in full affect. Will music stages, drinks, and food everywhere. After you’re done here you can head to any bar downtown as they will all have after parties once the block party shuts down at 10pm. Or….

You can head into Waikiki where the fun will be littering the streets. The stretches of Kuhio and Kalakaua will be covered with people in the Halloween best. And we don’t think you’ll want to miss it. People are usually everywhere late into the night and the costume parties will abound at bars around Waikiki. Or, for a little alternative fun, you can head to Black and Bling Halloween at Fushions.

Stay safe, and have fun out there!

There are two absolutely perfect days for the annual rite of Halloween: Friday and Saturday, each allowing for unfettered fun & frolic.  Halloween 2009 falls on Saturday October 31^st so there is absolutely no excuse not to party especially when the party is in the Honolulu Arts District and more than seven bocks in and around Nuuanu Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic.  An easy walk from the heights surrounding downtown or a $15 or $20 cab ride away from most anywhere in urban Honolulu you cannot ask for greater convenience or opportunities for fun & frolic.

This is a free street festival with plenty of entertainment on tap.  Five stages will host fifteen or more bands, ten or more DJ s spinning music, and unlike the ‘bull’ the City & County gives its citizenry there will be an actual mechanical bull one can ride.  Hallowbaloo kicks off at 5PM and runs to 10:30PM but the partying will continue on into Sunday at the various watering holes in the district.  For those that imbibe there is a special $10 ‘Club Crawl’ that will mosey on to 2 in the AM.

Five stages play host to the most awesome variety of music to be heard anywhere on the planet. Kona Brewing Company presents the Loloweeny Stage at the corner of Nuuanu Avenue & Pauahi Street.  80’s flashback Band ‘Ferris Bueller Band’ launch the fun at 5PM, then at 6PM one of Hawai’i’s hottest new bands ‘Painted Highways’ dazzle with a mix of Americana/Springsteen/Hard-Rock.  The headliner though is nationally known ‘Blitzen Trapper’ whose 2008 release, ‘Fur’ was ranked by Rolling Stone # 13 for the year, while NPR listeners placed them in the top 25, the band lands in Honolulu after a dizzying Summer tour that touched downed at Coachella, Austin City Limits, and Seattle’s Bumbershoot.  ‘Blitzen Trapper’ plays at 7PM, to be followed by the raucous sounds of ‘Haberdashery’ at 9PM.

Better Brands presents the Grandest Spectacle Stage at the corner of Hotel & Bethel Street where Celtic Rockers ‘Doolin Rakes’ kick open the festivities at 6:30PM.  Then at 8:30 the outrageous ‘Cherry Blossom Cabaret’ performs their seductive mix, followed by New Orleans legend ‘Anders Osborn’ with special guest ‘Kirk Johnson’ at 8:30PM.  Anders Osborn has released two acclaimed albums, Coming Down & Bury the Hatchet, a ‘Soul Maestro’ adept with acoustic as well as ‘Stratocaster’ guitar, a gifted songwriter, certain to make Hallowbaloo 209 memorable.

The Nuboo Stage on the corner of Nuuanu Avenue and King Street erupts at 6PM with 5-time Na Hoku winner Ernie Cruz Jr, followed at 7:15 by singer-songwriter Johnny Helm.  Then at 8:30 it is time for a costume contest offering up more than a thousand dollars in cash & prizes.  After the contest roots-reggae/funk will be on tap courtesy of local fave ‘Dub Phylum.’

The Mercury Stage on the corner of Chaplain Lane and Fort Street Mall will surge with vintage surf music via ‘Tiki Taboo’ at 6:30 PM followed by the power rock & blues of vocalist Kasi Nunes and Kings of Spades’ at 7:30.  Hawai’i Underground Music Award Winner ‘Black Square’ takes the stage at 9PM with dance inducing Ska.

The Dance Cauldron on Hotel Street midway between Nuuanu & Smith Street is home to a variety of DJs: Logoe, Sovern-T, Compose, and @EKASE, performing from 6PM thru 9PM.  Scope out ‘Bull’s Revenge’ starting at 6:10PM, mechanical bull rides for a bargain $3 a ride.

Another great deal for $10 a wristband opens the door to seven clubs each hosting an incredible array of DJs and bands.  A small sampling: Ursula 1000, DJ Benzi, Kitty Lee, DJ Mr Nick, and much more.  BAR 35 hosts a COSTUME CONTEST at 10:30 with $500 cash awarded along with ‘major loot,’ get there early to register.  Other sites to wet your thirst for HALLOWBALOO 2009: Ursula 1000 and Blitzen Trapper

HALLOWBALOO offers a bit of everything for everyone so troop on downtown for the fun Saturday October 31 2009.