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April 02, 2009 He is the walrus
Thursday (April 2), 6pm & 8pm, Ka Lama 103, MCC
No struggle better encapsulates the ongoing battle between creatives and the squares who fear them than the one that pitted John Lennon against the federal government. The 2006 documentary The US vs. John Lennon documents the government's (namely the Nixon administration's) harassment of and attempts to undermine Lennon, whose activism in the '70s threatened to initiate real change. The Maui Community College Peace Club is screening the film, which chronicles Lennon's transition from Beatle (I am the Walrus?) to solo musician and activist for various causes, especially the antiwar movement. The movie doesn't really delve into the less savory aspects of Lennon, such as his "lost weekend," but it does heavily document the paranoid attempts to undermine his efforts and deport him (I am the Walrus). Much of what they tried to do was absurd, Ashcroftian and at times outright scary, and from this film we can extrapolate what their methods may be three decades later. Plus, it's got a soundtrack that cannot fail, given that it's loaded with Lennon compositions (I am the Walrus). Free.
Mmm…grapes
Starts Friday (April 3), 7:30pm, Steppingstone Playhouse, Queen Ka'ahumanu Center, Kahului
Even in good times the work of John Steinbeck is an absolute joy to read. But in tough times his fiction strikes a stronger chord, given that much of his writing centered on the impacts of the Great Depression. The Grapes of Wrath, which opens this weekend, follows the Joads, a family that flees their fruitless Dustbowl Oklahoma farm on the promise held by an advertisement enticing them to move to California and become migrant workers. In spite of their hope for prosperity and new beginnings, they end up unable to make it. They face illness, corporate denial of workers' rights and brutal conflicts among migrant workers. Now, this doesn't parallel most people's contemporary experiences exactly, but themes like disillusionment, powerlessness and corporate greed should resonate pretty damned well with those whose salaries are in the bottom 98 percent of the income ladder. The show runs through April 19, with performances at 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday and 2pm on Sunday. For tickets call the Maui Academy of Performing Arts at 244-8760 ext. 228. $16.
Wailuku time
Friday (Apr. 3), 5pm, Market Street (Between Main & Vineyard), Wailuku
First Friday has certainly been stepping up its game lately, which is greatly appreciated by those who work in close proximity to Market Street. This month has an especially dynamic set of offerings. On the heels of the release of Remember the Technicolor Dreamboat!, former Maui Time editor Anthony Pignataro will be on hand to talk story and sign copies of this colorful collection of his writings. With the help of illustrator Ron Pitts of Eh Brah! fame, Dreamboat paints a nuanced, twisted and altogether strikingly beautiful picture of Maui from the perspective of one of the island's most irreverent and meticulous journalists. Across the street, The Eazy will be shaking Cafe Marc Aurel to the foundation with its innovative brand of uke-centric rock. And down the street the Iao Theatre is putting on the Ultimate Singles Night, an Iao benefit featuring Erin Smith and the Throwdowns, a silent auction of date-oriented items, a manicure station, an Ocean Vodka martini bar, passed pupus by Bev Gannon and, of course, a chance to bid on dates with attractive local celebrities. (Admission: $40.) To top things off, Maui Time Weekly and Pat Masumoto of Gallery Ha fame are throwing a rocking party in the courtyard at 33 N. Market St. Masumoto's band Sing Sing Laugh Laugh will rock the house from 5:30 to 7:30pm, and a poetry slam follows. Anyone is welcome to compete.
The good fight
Saturday (April 4), 5pm, War Memorial Gym, Wailuku
There are two types of events that are guaranteed to pack any venue on Maui: mixed martial arts fights and reggae shows. Combine the two and you'll reach capacity at virtually any spot on-island. This weekend's Fight for the Kids event will feature MMA fighters BJ Penn, Kendall Grove, Troy Mandaloniz, and Justin McCully. Dominic Ah Nee and Maka Watson will square off in the main fight, which essentially makes this a Maui vs. Hawaii island showdown. Local reggae outfit Inna Vision opens. All, as 100 percent, of the profits benefit the Neighborhood Place of Wailuku, an organization that aims to prevent child abuse and neglect. Prior to the event BJ Penn will be signing autographs, at Quiet Storm in Lahaina (from 12-2pm) and Local Motion at Queen Ka'ahumanu Shopping Center (from 3-5pm). The Cellar 744 rounds out the evening with a post-fight party/fundraiser featuring Kendall Grove. Find tickets at 808 Nalu, I & I Gym, 1320 Performance, Crater Cycles, Da Kitchen, Request, Hana Hwy. Surf, Ku'au Store and Neighborhood Place of Wailuku. $30/$35 door.
They be breachin', mon
Every Wednesday through May 6, 5pm, Maalaea Harbor
Another thing that can be paired with reggae music for guaranteed results is a vast quantity of marine mammals, preferably whales. Oh, and booze. Ahab aside, whales have factored into regional mythologies (coastal ones, anyway) for millennia. Their appeal is obvious yet profound and intangible; it goes beyond the fact that most of them won't eat us. On a recent Wednesday I checked out Pacific Whale Foundation's weekly Reggae with the Whales sunset cruise, which features Maui reggae impresario Marty Dread. The boat was absolutely packed with tourists (the volume was somewhat surprising in light of recent stats) as well as residents. The ever-charismatic Dread sang his (and Bob's) tunes over pre-recorded instrumental tracks (OK, I can see the challenge of bringing a full band onto a boat this size), getting the pastiest, knee-sockiest on board to dance. The mai-tais flowed, and up top the scenery was phenomenal, aided by the kohola, the megaptera novaeangliae, the Hawaiian humpback whale. This cruise runs Wednesdays through May, when the whales head for cooler waters. Call PWF at 249-8811 ext. 1 to reserve. $49.95.
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