CAKE

SAT., FEB. 25 – Since their early ‘90s debut, Cake’s become a name to conjure with–though the meaning behind their name doesn’t reference dessert. “It’s like when something insidiously becomes a part of your life,” said frontman John McCrea of the band’s moniker, in a 1996 Chicago Sun-Times interview. “We mean it more as something that cakes onto your shoe and is just sort of there until you get rid of it.” As irony would have it, music lovers have been quick to not only keep Cake around, but exalt them–and for good reason. Cake’s sound is a postmodern mash of genre-bending rock, funk, Iranian folk, mariachi and more; replete with smartly sarcastic lyrics–done with deadpan execution–and quirky hallmarks like their use of the vibraslap (a percussive piece that’s rooted in instruments made of animal jawbones’ teeth rattling in loose sockets). And just when you thought Cake couldn’t get any cooler, their sole post (currently) under their website’s “weekly” header reads, “GOD — Republican presidential candidates Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Santorum each have detailed stories about where and when and what they were doing when God instructed them to run for president. Why is God doing this?” Point is, we’ll see you at the show. Pre-show dinner made available by Three’s Bar & Grill. $39 / $49 / $89. 7:30pm. Castle Theater, MACC (One Cameron Way, Kahului); 242-SHOW (7469); mauiarts.org

THREE CHEERS FOR PINK MARTINI

FRI., FEB. 17 – Portland’s Pink Martini is one of the few ensembles on Earth that can sculpt music into something that’s visceral yet palatial, rooted yet transmuted. And MauiTime’s own Ynez Tongson is one of the few writers on-isle who uses language in a way that’s supremely lithe and sparklingly on-point. So, we’re going to leave it to Tongson to describe Pink Martini (as she did the last time the 12-piece was on Maui, in March 2010): “If you’ve never had the joy of being intoxicated by Pink Martini, imagine how pop would sound if it met a time traveler and a linguist–and later, all three of them decided to go out for drinks. Do that, and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what it’s like to listen to [their] music that’s globally, historically and emotionally diverse. One moment you’re a signorina, shyly declaring your love in an Italian cafe, and the next you’re an unshaven hombre in Spain, laying in the gutter, clutching an empty bottle of red wine, trying to light your cigarillo. Whatever mood you’re in—happy, lovestruck, hopeful, cynical, sad, annoyed—Pink Martini’s got something you could toast to.” (PS: Arrive early for the pre-show dinner made available by Makawao Rodeo General Store, and stay late for the after-glow party in the Yokouchi Pavilion with music by Gene and Shea Argel.) $35 / $45 / $65. 7:30pm. Castle Theater, MACC (One Cameron Way, Kahului); 242-SHOW (7469); mauiarts.org

RASTA THOMAS’ BAD BOYS OF DANCE

THU., FEB. 16 – The Bad Boys of Dance is “a fresh, new dance company comprised of the most talented and versatile young male dancers in the world today… each hand selected [for] his extraordinary physical abilities and artistry.” The company’s founder Rasta Thomas says he started the group “to show the world what great male dancing looks like and to make dancing fun, entertaining and accessible to a whole new generation,” and describes his company men as “the dancers of tomorrow… hot, young and fresh to death… ‘hybrids’ that can do it all–from ballet to hip hop–[with] an unparalleled ability to morph from one style to another and are entertaining and exciting to watch.” $12 / $30 / $40. 7:30pm. Castle Theater, MACC (One Cameron Way, Kahului); 242-SHOW (7469); mauiarts.org / rastathomas.com

TONIGHT: The Airborne Toxic Event at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center

FRI., JAN. 20 – Sorry hippies, this isn’t an event about Chemtrails–it’s a concert by the Los Angeles-based hipster band acronymically known as TATE (named after section two of Don DeLillo’s book White Noise). “I’m trying to get down an emotion, a scene or a setting,” says frontman Mikel Jollett, of songwriting (in the band’s online “biography of sorts”). “Everything important that happens after that happens between the music and the listener; the rest of it is all mythology. The collective interpretation of it is way more important than what I think.” $23.50 / $28.50 / $55.50. 8pm. Castle Theater, MACC (One Cameron Way, Kahului); 242-SHOW (7469); mauiarts.org

BIG SHOW UPDATE:

LET THEM EAT CAKE  (just not this month)

***

We know. You love Cake like a fat kid loves, well, cake. Us, too. So if you’re crumb-bummed that the Cake concert’s been postponed (originally scheduled for Sun. Oct. 23), just think of it like magic prolonged.

The new date is Sat., Feb. 25–same time, same place and same price (i.e. 7:30pm, Castle Theater, MACC, One Cameron Way, Kahului; $39/$49/$89 + applicable fees).

If you’ve already got your tickets, BAMP Project and the MACC have two options for you:

1) If you CAN’T make it to the show on Feb. 25., you can get a refund.

2) If you CAN make it to the show on Feb. 25, you can simply keep your seats. However, if you’ve already claimed your tickets, you must exchange them for new ones at the MACC’s box office.

Either way, you need to work it out with the MACC prior to Nov. 1, by calling 808-242-7469 (SHOW) or visiting them during their regular business hours, Mon.-Sat., 10am-6pm. And of course, that’s the 411 for getting tickets if you still need them to begin with. Or, you can click here to buy tickets.

PS: And because we love you, too, we think you should listen to NPR’s All Things Considered March 2011 piece on Cake. http://www.npr.org/2011/03/03/134233768/cake-tk

***

***

THIS WEEK’S PICKS:

A HALT JAM

***

FRI., OCT. 14 – Legendary blues man Taj Mahal gigs at the Castle Theater, alongside longtime comrades The Hula Blues Band (which formed in 1981 when Taj Mahal moved to Kaua’i). Sourcing from reggae, calypso, jazz, zydeco, gospel and West African folk, his ethnomusicology studies lead to pioneering his nonpareil world music-infused style of blues. A Lazar Bear Production. Pre-show dinner by Makawao Rodeo General Store. $40 / $50 / $60. 7:30pm. Castle Theater, MACC (One Cameron Way, Kahului); 242-7469 (SHOW); mauiarts.org

TO DO LIST: 1) SAVE THE WORLD; 2) GET A JOB; 3) PARTY WITH THE KOOL KATS

The Keep The Hawaiians Islands Beautiful (KHIB) organization is working to keep our home comely. On Saturday (Aug. 27) they’re conducting an annual conference which focuses on litter control and greening initiatives—and you’re invited. As a statewide network of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., KHIB’s conference highlights include marine debris reports and plans in the aftermath of Japan’s tsunamis. Not that conferences like this aren’t totally cool, but you’re going to want to stick around (or show up) for the big benefit extravaganza following the day’s events.

The evening’s entertainment begins at 4:30pm, and crescendos with a Castle Theater screening of Get A Job, at 6:30pm—the last chance you’ll have to see Get A Job in Hawaii this year. For those of you who are just emerging from under some cozy rock, we’ll remind you that Get A Job was shot entirely on Maui over 21 intense days last spring, and features 175 local cast-members (of 180)—including the late, great kumu Charles Ka‘upu, who passed away on July 13. “About us, by us,” as the film’s director Brian Kohne says, this independent feature film is so far—and by far—the best fiction produced on our isles, from our isles.

It was a standing-room-only affair when Get A Job debuted at the Castle Theater last Fall, and it’d be nice for Mauians to send off it’s movie with similar flair. After the flick, hang out and party down with Jimmy Mac & The Kool Kats at 8pm. These classic rockers keep you hoppin’ so high, you’re better off trading your dancing shoes for landing gear. Oh, that reminds me! We may already be ‘lucky we live Hawaii,’ but a few benefit attendees are going to be even luckier: Vacations Hawaii is giving away trips to Las Vegas all evening. Seriously. $20 advance / $25 day-of. 4:30-10pm. Castle Theater, MACC, One Cameron Way, Kahului; 808-242-7469 (SHOW); mauiarts.org

THE GOODNESS OF GREEN

***

PURCHASE POLYNESIAN PLANTS

Lucky we live Hawaii, eh? More than a land of endless summer, over 30 million years of evolution, our wildly remote isles have yielded the highest endemism known on Earth. Celebrate Hawaii’s unique native flora—and support the programs and mission of the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens (MNBG)—by attending this Saturday’s (Aug. 27) Hawaiian Plant Sale and Family Fun Day. The event is free, but you can support the MNBG by purchasing rare Hawaiian plants sold on-site by various nurseries. And, augmented by entertainment from KPOA 93.5 FM, other festivities include activities for keiki and guided tours of the gardens’ Polynesian plant collection. Remember, parking may abundant and free, but carpooling is fun and green. 9am-12pm. Maui Nui Botanical Gardens, 150 Kanaloa Ave., Kahului; 249-2798; mnbg.org

TO DO LIST: 1) SAVE THE WORLD; 2) GET A JOB; 3) PARTY WITH THE KOOL KATS

Speaking of our comely home, the Keep The Hawaiians Islands Beautiful (KHIB) organization is working to keep it pristine. On Saturday (Aug. 27) they’re conducting an annual conference which focuses on litter control and greening initiatives—and you’re invited. A statewide network of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., KHIB conference highlights include marine debris reports and plans in the aftermath of Japan’s tsunamis. Not that conferences like this aren’t totally cool, but you’re going to want to stick around (or show up) for the big benefit extravaganza following the day’s events.

The evening’s entertainment begins at 4:30pm, and crescendos with a Castle Theater screening of Get A Job, at 6:30pm—the last chance you’ll have to see Get A Job in Hawaii this year. For those of you who are just emerging from under some cozy rock, we’ll remind you that Get A Job was shot entirely on Maui over 21 intense days last spring, and features 175 local cast-members (of 180)—including the late, great kumu Charles Ka‘upu, who passed away on July 13. “About us, by us,” as the film’s director Brian Kohne says, this independent feature film is so far—and by far—the best fiction produced on our isles, from our isles.

It was a standing-room-only affair when Get A Job debuted at the Castle Theater last Fall, and it’d be nice for Mauians to send off it’s movie with similar flair. After the flick, be sure to stick around for Jimmy Mac & The Kool Kats at 8pm. These classic rockers keep you hoppin’ so high, you’re better off trading your dancing shoes for landing gear. Oh, that reminds me! We may already be lucky we live Hawaii, but a few benefit attendees are going to be even luckier: Vacations Hawaii is giving away trips to Las Vegas all evening. Seriously. $20 advance / $25 day-of. 4:30-10pm. Castle Theater, MACC, One Cameron Way, Kahului; 242-7469 (SHOW); mauiarts.org

VIEW A RARE, 1937 HAWAIIAN-STYLE CARTOON

In other Maui-movie news, the first free movie night at Lahaina Gateway was such a huge success, they’re doing it again! This time they’re screening a rare, 1937 Hawaiian-style cartoon at 7:15pm, followed by a “magnificently produced… ocean-oriented docu-drama filmed throughout the globe” at 7:30pm. (Legal stuffs prevent us from printing film titles here, but you can find them at lahainagateway.com.) Mall-provided seating accommodates up to 100 peeps (first-come, first-served; no reserving seats), and beach chairs are welcome. Of course, No coolers or outside drinks are allowed, but why would you bother brown bagging it when myriad grinds abound? Speaking of grinds, if you attend arrive early and enjoy free chocolate fondue samples from The Melting Pot, plus other special deals. Free. 7pm. Lahaina Gateway, 305 Keawe St., Lahaina; 877-7073; lahainagateway.com

MAUI PRODUCTS FESTIVAL

All this talk of green-meets-grinds events has got us hungry. If you are too, check out the Maui Products Festival this Saturday (Aug. 27) at the Maui Mall. Cultural exhibits and local products will be on display, and the main stage acts run all day; including performances by Te Tiare Patitifa (11:30am), Na Pua Melia (1pm), Uncle George Kahumoku Jr. (1:45pm), and Energy 35 Productions (2:30pm). Free. 10am. Maui Mall, 70 E. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului; 871-1307; mauimall.com

MAUI AG DAY

If you’re a fan of the adage “grown here, not flown here,” mark your calendars for Friday’s (Aug. 26) second annual Maui Ag Day, presented by the Maui County Farm Bureau (MCFB). The trade show begins with a continental breakfast (8am), followed by a panel presentation from three Maui farmers who have gone through the Food Safety Certification process (9am). Then, a tour of Haliimaile Pineapple Company’s facilities and fields (10:30am) precedes a delicious grown on Maui lunch (11:45am; free for MCFB members/fee for non-members). Free. 8am-1pm. Haliimaile Pineapple Company, 872 Haliimaile Rd., Makawao; 243-2290; mauicountyfarmbureau.org

GROWN ON MAUI CAMPAIGN

The Maui County Farm Beureau is also launching a month of Grown on Maui cooking demonstrations, every Monday in September, as part of their “Grown on Maui, Agriculture Matters” campaign. The first event (Monday, Sept. 5 Whoops! Late Wednesday after going to press, we received notice that the date of this event has been changed to Tuesday, Sept. 6. So, sorry, print readers–and, you’re welcome, Web readers.) features executive Chef Tylun Pang of the Fairmont Kea Lani, who will demonstrate how to prepare beef poke using Maui Cattle Company beef and fresh produce from Whole Foods Market. Other chefs to be featured throughout the month include Garret Fujieda of the Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Caroline Schaub of O’o Farm, and Ryan Luckey of Pineapple Grill at Kapalua Resort. Free. 5:30-6:30pm. Whole Foods Market, Maui Mall, 70 E. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului

This Week’s Picks: Going Both Wayans

Friday (May 20), 7:30pm, Castle Theater, MACC, Kahului; $39/$49/$59 (+$30 for post-show meet-and-greet)

***

It’s probably easy for Shawn and Marlon Wayans to laugh off (all the way to the bank, that is) their numerous Razzie nominations—and wins—or flicks like Little Man and White Chicks. Because with “a combined domestic box office of over a billion bucks,” Entertainment Weekly calls the Wayans ‘ohana “the most powerful family in Hollywood.” From New York City’s Chelsea projects all the way(ans) to stardom, all 10 siblings—who’ve collectively “written, directed, produced and/or starred in more than 45 movies and television shows”—now find celebrity comforts a way(ans) of life. (OK, OK. I’ll stop.) And remember, Marlon has a role in Requiem for a Dream to his credit, while Shawn first found fame on In Living Color (though personally, I favor his guest-starring role on Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper). Of course, their on-the-road pairing is based on their popular TV show The Wayans Bros., which aired on The WB from 1995-’99. (If you want to brush up on their shtick before the show, you can catch reruns of the series on MTV2.) No way(ans)? Yes, way(ans). (Sorry. Couldn’t help myself!) 808-242-7469; mauiarts.org

Stars Align

Cuban musician grows from his tuneful roots

***

AFRO-CUBAN ALL STARS

Thursday (April 14), 7:30pm, Castle Theater, MACC
$12/$28/$38; 808-242-7469; mauiarts.org / afrocubanallstarsonline.com

“Right now,” says legendary Cuban musician Juan de Marcos Gonzalez in his patient Cuban lilt, “we’re damaging the Earth and the Earth is taking revenge. But if we take care of the planet, we’re going to become very homogeneous—with one race, one culture throughout the world. Otherwise we’re going to disappear.”

Just hopefully not before Thursday night.

De Marcos says his mission is “to show the wealth, diversity and vitality of Cuban music to the world.” He’s made a name for himself spearheading groups like the Buena Vista Social Club and, now, the Afro-Cuban All Stars—who will be making their inaugural trip to Maui.

Even in the blended future he foresees, de Marcos says the preservation of “cultural styles” will be important. He likens this acculturation to his own country, Cuba. “All these guys came [from Spain] to Cuba and brought slaves from Africa,” he says. “All of these cultures mixed in Cuba to create something different, something unique. But even Spain, for seven centuries, was under the power of the Muslims—so they are mixed as well.  All of these mixes created something special. This is Cuban.”

De Marcos vividly recounts his childhood in Havana. “When I was a kid, I grew up inside of the Cuban Revolution, so we never had a great relationship with America. But the United States is only 95 miles away from the Cuban border, so we had the radio. Everyday we would listen to radio from America. One was called WXAM broadcasting from Key West, Florida and the second one was KAAY, coming from Little Rock, Arkansas. KAAY used to have a program every night where they broadcasted underground music. We used to copy this material and perform it in our private parties.” It was then that de Marcos says he fell in love with contemporary music, “in the golden age of American and British rock and roll.”

Trilingual and with a doctorate in hydraulic engineering, de Marcos says he’s always had “a strong tenacity for working.” Though he was encouraged to pursue academics and music simultaneously, engineering work was “a proper career” at the behest of his father, Marcos Gonzalez, “one of the greatest Cuban musicians of the ‘40s and ‘50s.” The formation of the Buena Vista Social Club, among his other work, is a tribute to his father, his father’s friends—and their music.

“At a certain point I listened to Santana,” de Marcos says. “I listened to this guy who was one of my idols and I heard him use cha cha cha and mambo with a rock and roll band. I said, well, if these great guys are performing with Cuban music it means that World Music is really important. So I turned my eyes back, and in 1973 I started performing only Cuban music. It was an important step in my career because I rediscovered my roots. It’s very important to stand on your roots.”

“In 1990 I had to make a decision,” continues de Marcos. “It’s difficult to work two, so very different jobs. So I made the decision to become a full time musician. Since that time, I’ve been working as a musician, sometimes very successfully.”

But de Marcos says even his bands’ successes—especially alongside “the old guys” of the Buena Vista Social Club, including Arsenio Rodriguez and Ibrahim Ferrer—didn’t prepare him for the international acclaim he’s enjoyed.

“In those times, you couldn’t sell even 10,000 copies of a World Music Album,” he says. “Of course, if the album is good you can get the respect of journalists, but selling 12 million copies? That was not normal.” Ultimately, de Marcos says, it’s about the quality of his ethnic music and the contributions it stands to make on a global stage.

Which goes back to his predictions for the future. One race or no, preserving what’s worth exalting about your culture—specifically through music— says de Marcos, “is important because in this way you are doing something vital [and] it’s the only way you have to be really at peace. Once you are preserving your culture, you are doing something that is going to stay.”