Live @ the MACC Virtual Concert Series Continues with Diverse Lineup

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center will continue its free Live @ the MACC series virtually with a diverse lineup of rock, pop and Hawaiian music concerts taking place in Castle Theater.

Performances will be by Andrew and Jay Molina, Jeff Peterson, Greg Sardinha, Tsun-Hui Hung, Gretchen Rhodes, Lily Meola, with special guest Lukas Nelson and featuring Matt Meola, Tavana, Kaleo Phillips and Anthony Pfluke.

The events take place Saturday nights at 7:30, but instead of the audience coming to the MACC, the events will be streamed on the MACC website and its Facebook and YouTube pages.

The lineup also includes a special film feature on an exhibit in the MACC’s
Schaefer Gallery, Abstractionx3, featuring a visual tour and talk story with the participating artists.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Live @ the MACC series launched in November 2020 to offer a respite during the seemingly never-ending pandemic while bringing joy to the community via the arts and various art forms. The first events in the Live @ the MACC series were a combination of drive-in movies and live and livestreamed concerts.

The Live @ the MACC series is made possible by the generous support of the County of Maui and the Office of Economic Development. The series is designed to bring much needed opportunities for many of Hawai‘i’s performing artists and art forms, in a combination of live/virtual or safe/live in-person events that meet or exceed current COVID-19
guidelines.

“On a typical pre-COVID Saturday night, 7:30 p.m. was showtime for live performances in the MACC’s multiple venues, often taking place simultaneously,” said MACC President and CEO Art Vento. “COVID-19 gathering safety protocols still make it such that you cannot come to the MACC for a performance.

“We look forward to the day when we can welcome everyone back to the MACC, en masse, in-person, every Saturday night. Until then, settle in with your phone, computer or TV tuned in for some incredible Hawai‘i-based artists streaming to you from the Castle Theater stage. “

All Live @ the MACC events are free of charge. Donations and support for the MACC are welcome and can be made online at www.mauiarts.org/donate.

Upcoming Schedule:

Feb. 20 — Generations: Andrew and Jay Molina 

The Generations concert features Maui favorites Andrew and Jay Molina, who will perform and talk story about the Molina family’s musical history dating back two generations. Jay Molina is a well-established bass player on Maui and O‘ahu, having performed with local bands Asian Blend, Music Magic, Slam and the Ali‘i’s. He also has performed with Henry Kapono, Loyal  Garner and Danny Couch.

Andrew Molina’s latest CD is Evolv3, released last year. ‘Ukulele Magazine  said of Andrew in its Evolv3 review, “This guy has serious ‘ukulele chops, and he’s capable of breathing life into any  style with sheer virtuosity”. For his first CD, The Beginning, Andrew was nominated for a Nā Hōkū award. His music is  categorized as a mix of Hawaiian, pop, rock, Latin and jazz. 

Feb. 27 — Galley Exhibit ABSTRACTIONx3 – a conversation with the artists

Abstractionx3 is an in-depth video walk-through that brings the exhibit  to viewers, along with some insightful conversation between the artists about their work. The exhibit features three Hawai‘i-based artists, Don Bernshouse from Maui, Debra Drexler from O ‘ahu, and Kaua‘i- based Tom Lieber. The artists each address issues informing abstraction in the 21^st Century with content that shows emotional depth and enduring personal direction.  

March 6 — Across the Sea – featuring Jeff Peterson, Greg Sardinha and Tsun-Hui Hung

Across the Sea is a trio consisting of O‘ahu’s slack key artist Jeff Peterson, accompanied by Greg Sardinha on steel guitar and Tsun-Hui Hung playing the erhu. Peterson is unique among ki hō‘alu guitarists — in  addition to his mastery of slack key techniques, he has also had extensive formal training in the traditions of European and American classical and jazz guitar. Sardinha is one of the foremost Hawaiian steel guitarists of his generation  and has contributed to this Hawaiian art form for more than three decades as a musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. Taiwan-born Hung is internationally recognized as one of the most innovative players of the erhu, a two-stringed Chinese instrument. Their Across the Sea CD was the first recording where the steel guitar,  Hawaiian slack key guitar and `ukulele were accompanied by the Chinese erhu. 

March 13 — GRB: Gretchen Rhodes Band 

Singer/songwriter Gretchen Rhodes appears with her band in this special appearance. She recently released her first EP, The Space In  Between, showcasing her unique, soulful blend of blues and rock. While trained in the classical tradition, Rhodes has found her passion fronting rock and blues bands. She has collaborated on stage with an impressive list of music industry heavies, including George Clinton, Steven Tyler and Pat Simmons and has toured with Rock N’ Roll Hall of Famer and founding member of Traffic, Dave Mason, along with guitarist and founder of The Blues Brothers, Steve Cropper. When  not touring, Rhodes fronts Mick Fleetwood’s Band with the legendary Fleetwood Mac drummer.

March 20 — Lily Meola with Special Guest Lukas Nelson and featuring Matt Meola 

Lily Meola will play with special guest Lukas Nelson, and feature Matt Meola. Accomplished as both a singer and songwriter, Meola has evolved from playing the lead in Man of La Mancha at age 11 to being a jazz-loving kid performing covers at local cafés on Maui to becoming an artist-on-the-verge. She has been mentored by super-producer Bob Rock, toured with Willie Nelson, taught to write songs by Jackson Browne, and performed in duets with Steven Tyler, Kris Kristofferson and Sammy Hagar. Currently, she has been in the studio with various co-writers crafting the bluesy, soulful pop songs that will make up her debut release for later this year.

Lukas Nelson balances his work as the front man of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real with his regular gig as Neil Young’s band leader and lead guitarist, along with the never-ending road alongside his father in Willie Nelson & Family. His band’s most recent CD, Turn Off The News (Build A Garden), arrived on the heels of his collaboration with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper on 2018’s blockbuster film and soundtrack, A Star is  Born. Lukas co-wrote and co-produced much of the film’s multi-platinum, Oscar-winning soundtrack. 

March 27 — Tavana 

Tavana is a multi instrumentalist from Honolulu who uses electronic drum triggers to lay down a variety of grooves with his feet while simultaneously playing guitar, banjo, lap steel or ‘ukulele and singing soulful, island-inspired rock and blues. He  performs everything live with no looping in his performances. He has released five albums and most recently an EP, Just Be You. His fourth album, Aloha Spirit, was a Nā Hōkū Hanohano nominee in 2018 for Best Contemporary Album. He has  toured with Alabama Shakes, Shakey Graves, Xavier Rudd, Jenny Lewis, Julian Marley and the band Kaleo. In 2009, Eddie Vedder invited him to perform with him in his solo Honolulu performance. 

April 3 — Kaleo Phillips in concert, featuring Pakalana Phillips and Wailau Ryder 

Maui singer, songwriter and musician Kaleo Phillips will be accompanied by lead guitarist Wailau Ryder and feature the hula artistry of Kaleo’s wife, Pakalana. Phillips is a singer/songwriter who followed in the musical footsteps of his father, James, who performed with many local musicians and bands and helped Kaleo get his musical footing at an early age. The latest of his three albums, First Dance, included musical collaborations with the late Willie K, Ron Kuala‘au and Shane Kahalehau. He received several Nā Hōkū Hanohano nominations in 2019 for his debut album, E Mama. His recordings and live performances are centered in large part on  his ‘ohana, past, present and future, and the unwavering strength that holds it together. 

April 17 — Jeff Peterson 

Jeff Peterson is recognized as one of Hawaiʻi’s most versatile musicians and is at the heart of the Hawaiian music scene today. This performance will be an ‘around the world’ musical journey. His passion for the guitar has allowed him to shine as a solo artist and has given him the opportunity to collaborate with a wide variety of artists from Hawai‘i, across the United States and abroad. His focus on slack key guitar, classical and jazz music has allowed him to develop a unique voice on the guitar while being deeply rooted in the traditions of his Hawaiian heritage. He has contributed to two Grammy Award-winning recordings and has been honored with nine Na Hōkū Hanohano Awards. 

May 8 — Anthony Pfluke 

Maui native Anthony Pfluke, 19, performs Hawaiian music, contemporary  and island style, and his original compositions on the ‘ukulele and piano. He has been playing and singing for about eight years and has been involved in many events around the island and elsewhere, including the March for Our Lives concert at the MACC in 2018 and at the Maui ‘Ukulele Festival, Fleetwood’s on Front St. and at many of Maui’s top resorts. He has rapidly  become a Maui favorite and recently released his third album, We Will Rise.  

For more information log on to MauiArts.org or call the MACC Box Office Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.