Weekend Round-Up: MayJah RayJah, Jazz & Blues, Keiki Fest

By Madeline Ziecker

Katchafire. Courtesy photo.

MayJah RayJah 2012 Friday, April 13 at 5 p.m. at the MACC. Tickets are $38 in advance and $48 on the day of the show. 

Popular reggae bands Katchafire and Tribal Seeds headline one of the year’s most exciting island and reggae music events alongside some of Hawaii’s most popular performers, including Common Kings, Anuhea, Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds, Maoli, Positive Motion, Knova, The Steppas, Prie, Puali, Jimmy Weeks Project, Lighthouse Band, Angry Locals, DJ Glitchdick, Micah Banks, and Roxy.

To purchase tickets, call the MACC Box Office at 242-SHOW or go online at MauiArts.org.

Courtesy image.

Front Street Jazz & Blues Walk Friday, April 13 – Sunday, April 15 at participating venues on Front Street in Lahaina.

Maui Jazz Society presents the Second Annual 2012 Front Street Jazz & Blues Walk, a musical ‘pub crawl’ where jazz and blues lovers travel to several bars and venues to see some of the island’s best musicians perform.

Nearly 20 visiting and local bands and soloists are prepared to jazz up Front Street over the course of the weekend.

Some musicians featured  in this year’s ‘walk’ are saxophonists Marion Meadows and Paul Taylor, Oahu Jazz quintet Hot Club of Hulaville, and California’s bluesy Jenny Kerr.

Most participating venues will host their shows for free.

Click here for more details on this year’s Front Street Jazz & Blues Walk, including the line-up of performers and their showtimes.  

Courtesy image.

Valley Isle Keiki Festival Saturday, April 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on UH Maui College’s Great Lawn. Free admission. 

Everyone is invited to the popular Valley Isle Keiki Festival which features fun keiki activities, food, entertainment, and educational booths surrounding the theme “Celebrating the Keiki in April, the Month of the Young Child.”

Last year over 6,000 people attended the event, presented by the Kiwanis Club of the Valley Isle.

This year’s festival is expected to be even more popular with the addition of Mayor Alan Arakawa’s “County on Your Corner,” where Arakawa and other Maui County officials answer questions and address concerns from the general public.

Entertainment includes Te Tiare Patitifa, GAMEKIDS, Kalama School ‘Ukuklele Band, Marty Dread, Zenshin Daiko, Derick Sebastian, and Neighborhood Place ‘Ukuleles.

Ola Ka Honua, Earth Day 2012 Celebration Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens in Kahului.

Maui Nui Botanical Gardens hosts an event that is centered around the concept of preserving native Hawaiian resources and culture.

The event features live Hawaiian music, a native plant sale,  lei-making activities, food booths, demonstrations, games, and more.

Kings of Spade. Courtesy photo.

Two Shows with Freeradicals Projekt and Kings of Spade Friday, April 13 at Stella Blues in Kihei and Saturday, April 14 at Charley’s Restaurant in Paia. Both shows cost $15 and begin at 9 p.m. 

Two grungy, eclectic, motown, funk-rock bands join up for two nights only on Maui.

Oahu’s Kings of Spade has played in venues like the House of Blues and The Avalon in Los Angeles alongside international performers like Bon Jovi and the Deftones.

Maui’s Freeradicals Projekt is currently in fundraising mode – their dream is to go on a national tour this summer with the money they raise from local shows like these.

Tickets for both concerts can be purchased online only.

Halo, Marasco, and Gretchen Rhodes Live Friday, April 13 at 10 p.m. at Charley’s Restaurant in Paia. Tickets cost $15.

DJ Halo returns to Maui to celebrate the launch of his new record label, Surface Recordings Group. He is  joined by Maui’s deep groove DJ Marasco and Gretchen Rhodes, who will perform live selections from her upcoming album.

DJ Halo has played in several venues around the world in cities from London to Tel Aviv, spinning into world of electronic music with this own distinctive style.

HAPA Live Saturday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Stella Blues in Kihei. The show alone costs $30; a 4-course dinner with the show costs $60. Dinner seating starts at 6 p.m.

HAPA. Courtesy photo.

The acclaimed Hawaiian music duo Bary Flanagan and Ron Kuala’au play two special Maui shows this month at Stella Blues.

HAPA is known for their talent in combining beautiful ancient Hawaiian chanting with intricate and captivating slack-key guitar.

They are celebrating 20 years since the release of their debut album.

Launch of Saturday ‘Reggae Recovery’ Breakfast Saturday, April 14 and every Saturday after from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. No cover.

Hard Rock Cafe invites all of the island’s hungover reggae fans to recover from Friday night with Caribbean roots reggae from Jomo Pemberton and Jah Seeds Band.

If the music’s not enough to get you back in the groove, Hard Rock Cafe also offers ‘Bloody Mary’ drink specials for those who trust the drink as a hangover-be-gone elixir.