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`Ilio Nui
`Olu`olu
USA
826 Posts |
 Posted - 05/03/2005 : 10:16:15 AM
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Aloha TaroPatchers,
Thought I'd jot down some notes and show a couple pics from the final leg of the `Ohana Brown tour. We left for Grass Valley on Friday. Uncle was hungry so I stopped at an In-n-Out for his first taste of a double cheese. He was quite delighted.
The GrassValley concert was just another in a long line of fabulous concerts. Mark Nelson opened the show with his musical autobiography. He played everything from slack key guitar to slack key dulcimer (I don't know if that's an oxymoron), to ukulele and finished up with a Taro Patch/Bottleneck version of Opihi Moe Moe. Suffice it to say, it was great and he got the crowd worked up for the Brown's. Again, if you saw any of the concerts on this tour, you know how great it was. They also managed to slip in songs that hadn't been played in any of the other shows. What a repertoire!! (For those of you who want to copy/paste that word. There it is. I too have trouble with that one)
Saturday morning I packed them into the van and made a leisurely jaunt to Mark and Annie's house in Oregon. About half way there I realized that Ikaika and Ka`ena had never grown up with the great mainland tradition of a car trip. A two hour ride to Hana is as far as they had ever gone. (Are we there yet?). They were both very good. Ikaika never kicked the back of my seat once and Ka`ena never punched her brother. Not once did I have to threaten, "Don't make me stop this car!". Of course, the part of the trip that was the most boring, the Central Valley, they stayed awake for and when I finally got to Lake Shasta they were sound asleep, including Kevin. I finally woke them up to see Mt Shasta (pics below)
We got to Mark and Annie's about 5:00 and spent a relaxing evening. Of course, Kevin spotted one of Mark's slide guitars and proceeded to treat us to some masterful playing. Then Mark jumped in. It was slide heaven. The next day the hula dancers came over to practice for the show. What a great scene watching a troupe of dancers on the front porch of a home in the woods and Kevin all bundled up for winter playing guitar. We then had a nice feast and headed off for the sound check in Grants Pass.
Mark once again opened the show and the Brown's blew the house away. I think they were a little tired of me reining in the time for their sets. At the end of the last set I gave Ikaika the sign for two more songs. He acknowledged me, then they proceeded to play for another 40 minutes. Towards the end they dedicated the song Just Along for the Ride by Daniel Ho, to me. But before they started, Ikaika and Ka`ena went off on a mini dialog about the trip; Can you open the window, no not that much? Can you make the music louder, softer, more in the back, more in the front, it's too hot, it's too cold. Can we stop for a bathroom? I'm hungry. How much longer? I relived the whole drive in about thirty seconds. The punishment was beautiful. I love those kids.
We parted ways on Monday morning around 10:00 AM. I headed back to the Bay Area and they were off to Portland to visit some friends and fly home to Maui. The only thing that made it reasonably tolerable was knowing that I will be seeing them in 5 weeks on Moloka`i
I want to thank Patrick Landeza for allowing me to road manage the tour, Mark and Annie for their continuing friendship and hospitality, Eric and Linda from Seattle for using their vacation time to handle merchandise at the last three shows, and the Brown `Ohana for just being the Brown `Ohana, Frenz-4-Evaz
Mt Shasta
Imitating Bruddah Iz (at least that's what he said he was doing)
Hula in the woods
Playing for the Hula Dancers on the porch
Mahalo,
Kawiks
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Edited by - `Ilio Nui on 05/03/2005 10:30:07 AM |
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Pops
Lokahi
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2005 : 10:38:43 AM
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| What a great post! Thanks so much for sharing! Peace to you and yours. |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2005 : 10:58:36 AM
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Yep, it was a ball. Sunday morning our little woodland cabin was filled with good friends and good music.
Not to mention the lovely hula dancers. I took a look at the 97 pictures I shot of the concert & rehearsal ... 90 of 'em were of the dancers. Hmmmmmmm.
I miss you all already... and looking forward to seeing Kevin & Dog & Puna & Keonana & Kaulele & Jean & Susy &...... all the rest real soon.
Thanks to Patrick for putting it all together, & to Dave for doing the road manager thing.
cheers,
Mark |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2005 : 11:35:12 AM
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Ho, da funnneeeeee!
Dave, you gotta know that Lahaina is a looooong way away for them. Hana is for really important times. They usually only go over to the West Side for Halloween to see all the freaky stuffs in Lahaina. Except for akule. Kevin (and we) knows the secret for getting bags of the little disc shaped fish. Notice that Kevin still has his cutoffs/highwaters on, even with the Arctic wear. Also note the socks with the big-toe slot from da rubbah slippahs - nobody wants to wear shoes. That is his standard outfit. Also, you gotta be with the whole family to understand how funny they adlib - Joleen is actually the best.
Also, they had been getting various signals for cutting off a set during the whole trip. One was a bottle of water put on the stage meant that they should stop. Then, in Carlsbad, Don was just being a nice guy and put bottles of water on the stage for them at the beginning of the second set, and that really confused them because they were grooved by then, and didn't know if they should really stop. So, I suppose when they got hand signals to cool it, they just went ahead and played what they were going to play anyway. Kevin and Ikaika know, as pros, what it means to run over or under, but by that time in the tour, maybe it was K'den, le's jam!
About the music - who could expect anything but Da Bess and Da Most. Wish we were there the whole trip.
Another wait for us until Feb...
...Reid |
Edited by - Reid on 05/03/2005 1:43:45 PM |
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Auntie Nancy
`Olu`olu
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2005 : 1:46:31 PM
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Aloha eh Dog -
How much you hafta pay to get to do all dat'?? Too much fun fo' you!!!
auntie |
nancy cook |
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MahinaM
Lokahi
USA
389 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2005 : 7:25:12 PM
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Wow! Great post and pix! Now, I'm REALLY sorry I missed the Grant's Pass show! It sounds like the tour was a successful one, and great times were had by all. Hope this is the first of many more concerts to follow!
Maggie |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2005 : 03:24:44 AM
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Big Dawg,
Thanks for the photos and report. Almost feel like I was there. |
Andy |
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PuaLynn
Lokahi
USA
120 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2005 : 07:35:40 AM
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Bow WOW,
Great pictures and narrative. And thanks for not mentioning that Lynn gave horrible directions to Eric and Linda, sending them hurtling out into the black hole that is Grass Valley after 10pm. Luckily, they found their way back to Lyons. Eric/Linda .. if you read this .. so so sorry.
Such a wonderful concert and so generous of Mark, the Brown Ohana and Patrick to bring such aloha to our small community of Hawaiians-at-heart (with our sprinkling of Hawaiians-by-birth as well).
And my salute to Ka'ena in her beautiful Siz Zane dress, bravely feezing as the foothills evening chill sets in. Such a lovely voice doing one of my favorites, Amy Gilliom's Moloka'i song for her grandmother's home. Whata night!!! Mahalo nui loa. |
Me ke aloha,
Lynn |
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Puna
Lokahi
USA
227 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2005 : 08:19:08 AM
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During the shows, Kevin would talk about his perspective on distance: a half-hour car trip is a pretty big deal. The 2+ hour trip to Hana is a maybe once-a-year ordeal.
Here on the mainland, the distance between gigs was measured differently: a quarter-day (6 hours), a half-day (12 hours).
When Kevin asked how long we drove to meet him at the Sonoma gig and we replied "18 hours", he had to sit down!
What a pleasure it was to spend most of a week with Kevin, Ikaika, Kaena, Big Dog Kawika, Patrick, Susie, Kailana and Lanamalie. I didn't get to play much (too much driving), but I did get to sit in for Ikaika (who was off for some R&R in Jacksonville with Kaena and Keonaona) and sing with Kevin during the hula troop practice (dave- nice pic of my shoulder and head!).
Mahalo to all of you for letting us join you. Safe journey to the Brown 'Ohana, traveling home today.
Me ke aloha
Puna |
Puna |
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Puna
Lokahi
USA
227 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2005 : 08:20:57 AM
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PS to PuaLynn
Ah, the road trip into the wild woods around Grass Valley was fun! Gave me an excuse to hum the music from Deliverance...
Puna |
Puna |
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`Ilio Nui
`Olu`olu
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2005 : 08:50:16 AM
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Sorry Eric. This one's for you. Mahalo for all your help and give Linda a big hug for me.
I couldn't find Elmo, but I found Puna
Kawiks |
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hwnslacker
Lokahi
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2005 : 12:23:33 PM
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HEY!!!!! That's my SWEATER!!!!!! LOL!
Off to OHIO and St. Louis!! Thanks again to Dave Nye for Tour managing and driving, to Eric and his wonderful wife and Mark for playing!
Aloha!
Patrick |
Edited by - hwnslacker on 05/04/2005 3:44:11 PM |
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islandboo
Lokahi
USA
237 Posts |
Posted - 05/05/2005 : 02:22:53 AM
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Whoa, hey - what St. Louis? When, where? I knew about Ohio (8 hours is too far for a weekday), but what's going on in St. Louis????
Oh....ummm...there it is... Fenton, MO. Never mind.... |
Edited by - islandboo on 05/05/2005 11:43:29 AM |
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