MACC Announces A September Full Of Additional LIVE @ THE MACC Streamed Concerts

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center announces the return of its popular Live @ the MACC series of streamed Saturday night events beginning September 11.

Among the series past offerings has been a variety of rock, pop, and Hawaiian music concerts, and these additions feature Kanekoa on September 11, the Hawaiian Style Band on September 18, and Nathan Aweau on September 25. Each event will be at 7:30 pm, but instead of the audience coming to the MACC, The MACC will again come to its audiences, streamed on the MACC website, on its Facebook and YouTube pages as well as on Akaku channel 55.

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Live @ the MACC series has previously aired many livestreamed and streamed concerts and events featuring a wide variety of Hawaiian music, nationally renowned musicians, visual artists, and a wide variety of Hawai'i artists including Amy Hānaiali'i and Eric Gilliom, Pat Simmons Sr. and Jr., David Benoit, Josh Tatofi, Tavana, Zenshin Daiko, the Maui Pops, Lily Meola with Lukas Nelson, Henry Kapono, Jeff Peterson, Gretchen Rhodes, Gypsy Pacific, Andrew & Jay Molina, Kaleo Phillips, Anthony Pfluke, Jonathan Korth, Iggy Jang, Johnny Helm & John Cruz, the Camarillo Brothers, Brown Chicken Brown Cow String Band, Kamalei Kawa'a, Ho'okena, Makana, Alx Kawakami, and many many more.

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 all current CDC guidelines.

According to MACC President and CEO Art Vento, "Challenging times still require creative solutions. With the unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases, we all continue to be challenged to find moments of joy amidst the seemingly never-ending pandemic. Continuing the Live @ the MACC series will provide safe and accessible options and support our valued local artists, all while putting a smile on our audience's faces via the arts. As we've done over the past 18+ months, if you cannot/should not come to the MACC, the MACC will continue to come to you!"

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 LIVE @ THE MACC SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE:

The additional Live @ the MACC presentations consist of the following streamed events. More will be announced as the schedule evolves.

Saturday, September 11 / 7:30 pm

Kanekoa

Kanekoa's music is described as 'ukulele powered Hawaiian reggae folk rock. Kanekoa has been playing together since 1999, melding elements of Hawaiian, Rock, Folk, Blues, Reggae and improvisation into a truly unique sound. Kanekoa consist of Kaulana Kanekoa (rhythm 'ukulele, lead vocals, lyrics), Vince Esquire (lead 'ukulele, backing vocals, sounds), Travis Rice (cajon/congas, kit, electric pads, backing vocals), and Don Lopez (u-bass, electric bass, backing vocals).

Kanekoa as a band is one of Hawai'i's premier live music experiences. Because their sound is based on the yet untapped potential of the electrified Hawaiian 'ukulele, inspired by the range of musical tastes of its players, and shaped by the land and culture of Hawai'i, Kanekoa has discovered a land of limitless musical possibility.

Bill Kreutzman, drummer for The Grateful Dead and the 7 Walkers, called Kanekoa "The Hawaiian Grateful Dead." Mick Fleetwood said of Kanekoa, "The band is amazing, and Vince is amazing." And commenting on band member Vince Esquire, Fleetwood said "I saw him playing electric guitar years ago on Maui, and it was pretty stunning. He's now uniquely applying all his influences, stepping out of the traditional 'ukulele approach." Kanekoa won a Nā Hōkū Hanohano award (Reggae category) for its 2016 release of Tales of the Fruit Stand Mystic. Kanekoa's 2017 studio album Sonic Fruit Volume IV was nominated for a 2017 Na Hoku Hanohano award in the Alternative category.

Saturday, September 18 / 7:30 pm

Hawaiian Style Band

In the early '90s, Hawaiian Style Band, led by Bryan Kessler and Wade Cambern, redefined contemporary Hawaiian music. They offered a fresh musical perspective on local culture with original compositions about living Hawaiian style-about island romance, talking story, 'ohana, and sovereignty. The multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning band was conceptualized as a revolving band, a collaboration of more than fifty musicians over the course of its three albums: Vanishing Treasures, Rhythm of the Ocean, and 'Ohana. Participants included Hawaiian music notables Israel Kamakawiwaʻole, Bla, Cyril and Martin Pahinui, Fiji, Teresa Bright, the Ka'au Crater Boys, Del Beazley, and Robi Kahakalau. Now, in the 27th year since the release of Vanishing Treasures, Robi Kahakalau along with musician Shawn Pimental, join Bryan and Wade in delivering the distinctive vocal harmony of Hawaiian Style Band.

Robi Kahakalau, or as many call her, "Sistah Robi", is considered one of Hawai`i's most popular entertainers. She has won multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards and her distinctive voice, creative energy, as well as mastery of seven languages (one of them being Hawaiian) puts her in a class of her own. She mixes the sounds of her native islands with elements of reggae, pop, folk, and rock balladry, plus the occasional touch of jazz and R&B. Kahakalau began her own musical career in earnest in 1990, when she joined the Hawaiian Style Band and sang lead on their two highly acclaimed albums, Vanishing Treasures and Rhythm of the Ocean.

Saturday, September 25 / 7:30 pm

Nathan Aweau

Winner of nine Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, Nathan Aweau won Male Vocalist of the Year an unprecedented three times, the only artist to have achieved this. Nathan Aweau is not only known for his beautiful vocals, but also for his musical prowess, particularly on the bass guitar, his favorite instrument. Often described as a musician's musician with an in-depth understanding of orchestration, Aweau is proficient on piano, guitar, 'ukulele, saxophone, percussion, and bass. He also writes, records, engineers, and produces all his own material. Much sought-after, he has performed with numerous musicians, was a member of the award-winning groups Ka'eo, the Ali'i's, and HAPA from 2003 to 2010, and he played with the legendary Don Ho for 16 years.

His highly praised vocals earned him his first Nā Hōkū Hanohano Male Vocalist of the Year award for his debut CD and helped propel HAPA's CD Maui to the Top 10 on Billboard's World Music chart and three Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards. Traditional Hawaiian music features "leo ki'eki'e" (male falsetto singing) and Nathan's ability gives him a multi-octave range. For his six solo CDs to date, Aweau wrote and arranged every song, sang all vocals (including background), played every instrument, and recorded, engineered, mixed, and mastered.

The MACC is currently closed to the public on a daily basis with the exception of the Schaefer International Gallery. A new exhibit, Taiji Terasaki: Reset/Reshape opens to the public Wednesday, September 22. Despite the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's temporary pause for live, in-person events, it remains committed that - When it truly CAN happen SAFELY on Maui, it WILL happen at the MACC.

For more information log on to MauiArts.org or call the MACC Box Office Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

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