Lucky we live Hawaii. We get to have homeboy Jack Johnson all to ourselves this year.
After touring the world with his band the past two years in support of his "To the Sea" album, Johnson will spend the bulk of 2012 at home on Oahu’s North Shore, helping to raise his two sons and infant daughter with wife Kim.
But it won’t all be banana pancakes and bubble toes. Johnson last week announced an acoustic interisland tour at intimate venues in April, accompanied by John Cruz and Paula Fuga, to coincide with the April 17 release of the "Best of Kokua Festival" album. Proceeds from the tour and compilation album will benefit the Johnsons’ nonprofit Kokua Hawai‘i Foundation, which supports the arts in public schools and environmental education.
The album, which includes performances by Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder and Ben Harper, will have to suffice for fans of the festival, usually held in connection with Earth Day. The concert featuring Johnson and friends will be on hiatus for the second year in a row.
The surfing singer-songwriter’s low-key demeanor belies his status as an international music star.
The Kahuku High School grad first achieved commercial success in 2001 with the release of his debut album, "Brushfire Fairytales," and has released five more albums since then.
His hits include "Banana Pancakes," "Bubble Toes," "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" and "Upside Down" from the "Curious George" movie soundtrack.
 JACK JOHNSON
With John Cruz and Paula Fuga
>> April 19, Kauai Community College Performing Arts Center, 245-8270, $50
>> April 21-22, Hawaii Theatre, 528-0506, $50 and $75
>> April 25-26, Castle Theater, Maui Arts & Cultural Center, 242-2787, $50 and $75
>> April 28-29, Kahilu Theatre, Waimea, 808-885-6868, $50
Tickets go on sale noon Saturday (9 a.m. for Kokua Hawai‘i Foundation members), two-ticket limit per person, box office sales only
On the Net:
» www.jackjohnsonmusic.com
» www.brushfirerecords.com
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He has become known as much for his charitable work and devotion to his family as for his music.
"When I do tour, if it’s during the school year, I take short trips, and longer periods on the road is done mostly during the summer months when the boys aren’t in school," he said in an interview Thursday.
"This is meant to be a year off for me, but over the last few years, I’ve always had the idea of planning a tour of the Hawaiian Islands. It’s just that with going out with a big crew and playing large venues, it was always hard to work it in. So I think it’ll be fun to do a more laid-back tour, to be able to visit friends and families, and having the opportunity of playing a lot with John and Paula."
Johnson’s work with the two has gelled through previous Kokua Festivals and their collaborations for Mana Maoli, a nonprofit collective that supports the Native Hawaiian charter school movement.
"I originally met Paula at a kickball tournament at my sons’ elementary school, and through our mutual friend Keola Nakanishi at Mana Maoli, we did ‘Country Road’ for the benefit CD in 2010," he said.
"I’ve known John for years, and he played with me at the first Kokua Festival."
(You can hear Johnson’s collaborations with the two on the video clip of "In the Morning," included in the latest Mana Maoli two-volume compilation, and on several tracks on the upcoming festival album.)
"They’re the perfect blend for me," said Johnson. "In addition to being talented musicians, there’s a friendship there.
"For Paula, she came with us on some of our tour last year, and it was the first time for her to a lot of places. Plus, she’s auntie to my kids, both on and off the road. I get that same feeling with John. We could be playing together, and I could ask him, ‘Can you do this song in the key of G? You ready?’ and he can improvise with me."
Johnson said Hawaii audiences can expect to hear intimate versions of favorite songs, plus solo and group sets from all three performers.
That same approach pervades the 13-track "Best of Kokua Festival" album.
"The selection process was fun and pretty easy. Over the years, my engineer would send me a song or two in MP3 form from the festivals, and it was nice to listen to the times I sat in with people like Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne and Eddie Vedder for a song or two. The feeling’s real nice, and I wanted to give fans something stripped-down and intimate to enjoy."
