Maui Time Food & Drink

Best Band Website/Myspace Page, Winner
akettleprime.com or myspace.com/akettleprime
Email: akettleprime@gmail.com
Website: http://www.akettleprime.com
To be brutally honest, I am not sure if people are voting for the Web site itself or the actual band. But I’ll operate under the assumption that the former is the case. I have to agree that A Kettle Prime’s Web site is among the more user-friendly of local band sites. When I research a band ahead of a music review, their MySpace pages are typically loaded to the gills and thus often make my computer freeze. Which sucks. Since it’s not a MySpace profile, AKP’s Web site doesn’t do this, despite being packed with music and photo galleries—though you can’t download their tunes yet. In terms of aesthetics, their site seems to match the band’s sound, look, etc. KB

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Best Local DJ, Winner
Alaka'i Paleka Morning Goddess KPOA 93.5
She sports an arsenal of jewelry that would make Cleopatra pull her own braids out in jealousy. She’s got a presence that’s at once disarming and commanding. KPOA’s Alaka’i the Morning Goddess is one of those people who is helping keep Maui, Maui. She is all personality and super adept at cracking jokes on the fly, even when the mic is hot. And all the while she demonstrates her benevolence by giving local bands tons of airplay—she once told me that playing and supporting local (as in Hawaiian) music is key to keeping the culture alive. KB

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Best Beach for Writing Music - Edit Pick, Winner
Baldwin Beach
I refuse to get all quasi-spiritual on you, but there is an unexplainable quality about Baldwin that makes it particularly conducive to acoustic guitars (and maybe a beer or two). Perhaps it’s the view. If you’re playing solo and don’t want to be bothered, you don’t have to worry about everyone and their mother walking up to you and attempting small talk (unless you’re one of those people who desires this very thing, in which case make eye contact). But chances are you won’t be the only one wielding an instrument on this stretch of sand. Either way, play on. KB

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Best Local Talk Radio Program, Winner
Breakfast Club KAOI 1110
Media consolidation has done a number on many local media outlets’ ability to provide relevant, locally focused coverage. Radio is one arena in which this phenomenon is especially apparent. Not much was left in the wake of over a decade of entities like Clear Channel, which swallowed up hundreds of stations across the country. KAOI 1110 provides a forum for local issues, and serves exclusively as an early morning talk-story session on all things Maui, including restaurants, health and fitness, the economy, you name it. Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez and Kellie Pali-Kaneshiro host, and super-cool guest hosts include Trish Smith. The show airs live every Friday at 7am. KB

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Best Place to Dance, Winner
Casanova Italian Restaurant and Deli
Address: 1188 Makawao Ave., Makawao, HI 96768
Phone: 808-572-0220
Website: http://www.casanovamaui.com
With such a huge dance floor and the volume of carb-ridden food and drink this place slings, there is really no excuse to not shake it. Not to mention the choice musical acts that Casanova brings in each weekend. You can catch everyone from Teomon & the Kryptones to Gomega to P.O.R.T.A.L., so regardless of the sound to which you prefer to get down, Casanova is your best bet. 1188 Makawao Ave., Makawao, 808-572-0220, casanovamaui.com. KB

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Best Female Musician, Winner
Erin Smith
Smith has amassed quite a following in both her solo and collaborative musical endeavors, due in no small part to her steady gigging and the energy she exudes on stage. Whether it’s a solo acoustic set in a small barroom or an amped-up blowout with her band the Throwdowns, the Toronto native’s performances always seem to draw a sizable crowd, and always maintain a degree of grit that defies girly-girl rock stereotypes with a punch in the face. With the Throwdowns’ upcoming release (due out later this summer), you should expect to be hearing a lot more from Smith. KB

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Best Makeup Artist, Winner
Jessica Waite
This year, for the first time, we asked readers to tell us what Best of category they’d like to see, and to pick a winner. We got lots of submissions, including ones that flattered us (Best Independent Newspaper—aw shucks) and called us out (Local Newspaper with the Most Typos—ouch). But in the end, quite a few of you wanted to give props to makeup artist Jessica Waite, who, on her Web site, offers “cutting edge looks” for everything from weddings to theater productions. There are few canvases more valuable than your face, so picking the right artist is certainly important. 808-283-7837 or makeupmaui.com. JS

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Best Mana'o Radio DJ, Winner
Kathy Collins
Her voice unmistakable; a smoky alto on a clear day. But charismatic Mana’o Radio cofounder Kathy Collins is more than just a set of vocal cords. You’ll see her at all the choicest of Maui happenings, her petite frame and flowing hair swaying the night away on the dance floor. She plays a key role in bolstering the Valley Isle’s arts and entertainment scene as both a touchstone for top Isle musicians and artists and as an artist herself, which her autobiographical “Death Comedy Jam” performances demonstrate. It takes a lot of guts as well as spunk to live and breathe independent media, especially on Maui, and Collins pulls it off gracefully. KB

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Best Akaku Program, Winner
Maui County Council Meetings
OK sure, they’re not always earth-shatteringly exciting, but this is your chance to watch the sausage get made. Chances are, the decisions handed down at County Council meetings will have a much greater impact on your day-to-day life than the national news being reported on the networks and by the cable blathering heads. Plus, love ‘em or loathe ‘em, this Council has some characters. Bottom line: it’s a way to practice a little civic involvement (and possibly even be entertained) from the comfort of your couch. Channel 54 or akaku.org. JS

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Best Art Gallery, Winner
Maui Hands
Address: 612 Front St., Lahaina, HI 96761
Contact: Panna Speas-Cappelli
Phone: 808-573-2021
Email: panna@mauihands.com
There is certainly a high proportion of art galleries on-island, and understandably so. But such a profusion may actually be quite paralyzing for those who want to check out, and possibly buy, a decent piece of art or two. A gallery must have a plan, a theme, a common thread to lure people in. With its four locations (Paia, Makawao, Lahina, Kaanapali) and a somewhat enigmatic name, Maui Hands doesn’t just display a few overpriced Maui-inspired landscapes. Instead, owner Panna Speas seeks to highlight the work of artists living on Maui. This makes for a sweeping collection of paintings, ceramics, jewelry and even hand cremes for your viewing and/or purchasing pleasure. Suite 118, 200 Nohea Kai Dr., Lahaina, 808-667-7997, mauihands.com. KB

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Best Band, Winner
Silky Ringo
I don’t know if you know, but reggae-rock-Jawaiian is kind of a big deal here. Given this fact—a fact that a mere informal survey can overwhelmingly confirm—it’s no surprise that a band like this heavily Sublime-influenced reggae-rock outfit takes home top honors. They play regularly at Mulligan’s on the Wharf among other joints. KB

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Best Local Podcaster, Winner
Two Beer Queers
The name pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? You don’t have to love beer to enjoy this lighthearted-yet-informative show, but it sure helps. And judging by the feedback, it’s got plenty of support from the Aloha State’s suds-heads. Take this comment, from a recent episode done on-location at the Maui Brewers Festival: “Too good guys! Wish I was there. Just as well cause I surely would have ended up curled under a tree smelling like Arrogant Bastard.” Hey, we’ve all been there. Twobeerqueers.com. JS

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Best Local Podcaster, Winner
Two Beer Queers
The name pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? You don’t have to love beer to enjoy this lighthearted-yet-informative show, but it sure helps. And judging by the feedback, it’s got plenty of support from the Aloha State’s suds-heads. Take this comment, from a recent episode done on-location at the Maui Brewers Festival: “Too good guys! Wish I was there. Just as well cause I surely would have ended up curled under a tree smelling like Arrogant Bastard.” Hey, we’ve all been there. Twobeerqueers.com. JS

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Best Male Musician, Winner
Willie K
Address: PO Box 1454, Wailuku, HI 96793
Website: http://www.williek.com
Having worked with the likes of Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt and Cecilio and Kapono while scooping up multiple Na Hoku Hanohano awards, Willie Kahaiali’i resides in that tier of Maui musicians whose accomplishments are louder than the actual music. But rest on his laurels he does not. With tons of gigs on-island, including an occasional appearance at the MACC, Kahaiali’i continues to be one of Maui’s hardest working musicians. In addition to his phenomenal guitar skills, he’s incredibly versatile as a musician, which leads to a unique, genre-spanning sound. KB

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