More Kaleponi News

December 21, 2009

Acoustic Guitar Night in Santa Clara, CA

Doug Young is a great friend, a terrific guitarist, and the host of a monthly showcase for acoustic guitarists at the Mission City Coffee Roasting Company in Santa Clara.

I'll be performing along with Doug and world guitarist Goh Kurosawa on January 3, 2010. The show starts at 7 PM with food and beverages available.

August 28, 2009

New Videos from Aloha Friday in Downtown Pleasant Hill

Time has been flying and I've been having a lot of fun with my new video gear. I've captured a few clips at the Aloha Friday in Downtown Pleasant HIll series. You can find them in the Music section.

Slack Key Workshops at the San Francisco Aloha Festival

I've done slack key workshops at past San Francisco Aloha Festivals and it's an honor to be back as part of the 9th annual celebration. I'll be hosting workshops on Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2 from 11:00 AM to 12 Noon on both days.

The San Francisco Aloha Festival is presented by the Pacific Islanders Cultural Association and features some of the best of the Bay Area's many Hawaiian performers, craftspeople, and food vendors. It's a great way to enjoy the Aloha Spirit without spending a bundle on air fare.

July 16 , 2009

Aloha Friday in Downtown Pleasant Hill

I'm happy to announce that I'll be playing a regular lunch time open air show in Downtown Pleasant Hill every Friday from July 17 through September 4. I'll be playing from 11:30 AM until 1:30 PM, on the plaza at 45 Crescent Drive, between Pasta Pomodoro and Daphne's.

July 9 , 2009

Opening for Ledward!

July and August will be lots of fun for Hawaiian music lovers in the western US. In July Led Kaapana will be touring with John Cruz and Hapa, visiting Washington, Oregon, and California. Check out the schedule and details on Led's website.

After this tour Led will be staying on the mainland for a few more gigs. On July 30 he'll play 142 Throckmorton Theater. I'll be opening shows at the Little Fox in Redwood City on August 4, Don Quixote's in Felton on August 5, and the venerable Freight and Salvage in Berkeley on August 6. A Ledward Kaapana show is one of life's great fun experiences, I hope you'll try to catch one.

April 3 , 2009

Big Fun in SoCal

The "No Planning" tour is over and I'm ready to go back again already. Our trip included long stretches of the Pacific Coast Highway, California Highway 1, which must be one of the most scenic roads in the nation. Traffic was light, the weather was gorgeous, the miles rolled by.

We visited the Southern California Slack Key Society at their weekly open mic at Kaisen Sushi in Oceanside and enjoyed the food and camaraderie, not to mention the music. Nancy Cook, a buddy from Taropatch.net, hosted a kanikapila at her lovely Mannhattan Beach home where there was plenty more food, friends, and music.

The Wingert House concert was another food, friends, and music adventure. I was especially honored and thrilled to have Lehua Kaapana Nash open the show with her duet partner, Chuck Burnett. Lehua certainly demonstrated that talent runs in some families. Please visit the Music section for a video clip from the concert.

March 15, 2009

Rancho Palos Verdes House Concert

Master luthier Kathy Wingert is starting a house concert series at her home in Rancho Palos Verdes and she has asked me to be her first performer. The show will take place on Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 7:30 PM. Please contact Kathy at wingerthouse@yahoo.com for a reservation.

March 6, 2009

The "Unplanned" Tour

It's time to put some miles on the road trip car. We've been taking all our vacations in Hawai`i since I bought the darned thing, so this spring we're heading out on The Unplanned Tour.

So far we only have one gig scheduled - a house concert in Rancho Palos Verdes on Saturday, March 28, but we're hoping to find a kanikapila here and there.

Led Kaapana Lesson in Acoustic Guitar Magazine

I was honored and pleased when Acoustic Guitar Magazine asked me to do a Private Lesson with Led Kaapana. Luckily we spent a lot of time together last year and I had a great time interviewing him about his playing style and family history. The results are in the April 2009 issue and you can access the lesson online as well.

February 22, 2009

Lance McCollum Birthday Concert

Lance McCollum was one of the leading luthiers of our new golden age of acoustic guitars. I've been the proud owner of a beautiful McCollum GA since 2004 and I know at least two other slack key players who own McCollums as well.

On February 1, 2009, Lance passed away just one month before his 51st birthday. Friends of Lance are holding a birthday celebration and benefit concert in Colfax, CA on March 1. I will be performing along with many much more distinguished artists.

Led and Mike have created a powerful musical force by joining their talents. One of their fans described the two of them as a musical "force of nature" and they used that as the title of their wonderful live CD. Now this terrific recording has been nominated for a Grammy award, and to celebrate the guys will be touring southern California just before the Grammy award. If you're in the neighborhood be sure to catch these amazing musicians.

Wed. Jan 28, 8 PM
Belly Up Tavern
143 S Cedros Ave
Solana Beach, CA,

Thu. Jan 29, 8:30 PM
SoHO Restaurant
1221 State Street Suite 205
Santa Barbara, CA

Fri. Jan 30, 8 PM
McCabe's Guitar Shop
3101 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA

Sat. Jan 31, 7 PM
Lord of the Strings Concert
200 Civic Center
Mission Viejo, CA

More Kaleponi News - 2008