Marching On With Music

Kings of Leon played at Blaisdell March 1, just one of many exciting music events happening this week PHOTO COURTESY OF ELODRY VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The first week of March is here, and it’s a little overwhelming. Firstly, I’m not ready for it to be March — it feels like just the other week that I made my New Year’s resolution to listen to more new music. (I think I’ve been kind of cheating on this, because a lot of what I’m listening to lately is a mix of old and new music released on new compilations — the work of Strut Records being a good example, as I just picked up a handful of its latest releases to dive into.)

March also means that springtime nearly is upon us. Which means that spring cleaning is in order. Which means I need to get rid of some of my music, by either donating albums I no longer listen to or storing away audio files on a hard drive. (Digital files are convenient, as several thousand tracks don’t take up much space in storage. Albums and CDs do).

And if you can agree that this year already has been moving quickly, this week will be no exception. Take a look at some of the events happening around town:

On Sunday, March 1, big-name rock band Kings Of Leon performed at Neil S. Blaisdell Arena. Then, Wednesday, March 4, Blaisdell Concert Hall welcomes legendary jazz guitarist George Benson.

Over at The Republik, a string of reggae concerts fill the weekend, with three acts Friday, March 6: The Steppas, Gonzo of Tribal Seeds and Inna Vision. The following night welcomes Rebel SoulJahz to the stage, with support from Tribal Theory and Hakumon.

And then there’s First Friday with its flurry of arts and music throughout Chinatown, including (but not limited to!) DJs and live entertainment at your pick of venues: Downbeat Lounge, Bar 35, eleven44, The Fix, HASR Bistro, Hawaii State Art Museum, Madre Chocolate (which hosts Native American flute artist Broken Eagle Talon and another group that promises “consciousness-raising folk funk”), The Manifest … and a handful of others.

This month’s First Friday also sees the likes of the dubstep/trap/jungle/ bass event known as Slow & Low return to Nextdoor, with residents including Monkey, Toki and Coondog supporting headliner DJ Tittahbyte.

If none of that stuff is your thing, how about some karaoke with friends? (I’m stepping out the door now to do just that, actually.) In the end, the only recommendation I can give is to have fun this week!

For more from Roger, check out his blog at alohagotsoul.com.