MONDAY
Head to Blaisdell for fun a cappella by 10-man group
Want that giddy feeling from New Year’s Day to last one more day? Take in the upbeat, witty repertoire of Straight No Chaser, the male a cappella group that returns to the Blaisdell on Monday.
The 10-man choir got started in 1996 as a student group at Indiana University, getting its first big break with a school performance of “The 12 Days of Christmas” in which vocalists sang the verses out of order, overlapped them and insertedother holiday tunes, such as the dreidel song from Hanukkah. Pop tunes were added in for good measure and good fun.
Eight years later a video of that performance was posted on YouTube; it caught on and now has more than 20 million views. That caught the eye of a recording executive, leading to a reunion of the group and the album “Holiday Spirits,” which became a No. 1 seller on iTunes and Amazon.
The group has gone to record five more albums, all of them reaching the Billboard 200 chart.
Like the group’s name, all of their albums refer in some way to booze, with titles like “”With a Twist” or “Under the Influence,” but otherwise this is good clean fun. Take their “Movie Medley,” which puts lyrics to songs from “Jurassic Park,”“E.T.,” the James Bond films, “Star Wars” and “Chariots of Fire.” It was called “earnest and geeky” by The New York Times.
SATURDAY
Fireworks displays will thrill Oahu crowds on New Year’s Eve
Fired up over fireworks? You’ll have to head over to the South Shore if you want to see legal displays on New Year’s. That’s the only area on Oahu where permits for aerial fireworks have been obtained, according to Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Dave Jenkins.
Lest you worry about lasting until midnight, some of the shows will take place early. The Bud Light Party of the Year at Aloha Tower Marketplace will be setting things up big time, with displays at 9, 10 and 11 p.m. as well as at midnight.
You can also go to the Kahala area — Waialae Beach Park near the Kahala Resort & Hotel is probably your best bet — where a private party has hired a barge to fire the explosives off over the water starting at 10:30 p.m.
Closer to midnight, Waikiki will light up, with the Hilton Hawaiian Village firing them at the lagoon starting at 11:45 p.m. One minute before midnight, the Waikiki Improvement Association’s display, presented by Grucci-Hawaii, with be launching a musical fireworks exhibition, with tunes by Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars, the Ka‘au Carter Boys and other artists coordinated with the show. Listen to the music on radio station Hawaiian 105 KINE or download the free “Fireworks by Grucci” app to your mobile device. It’s available at both the App Store and Google Play.
The Kahala area will see another display at around midnight, this one from the Kahala Resort & Hotel.
Expect a noisy night wherever you are. Jenkins said more than 17,000 individual permits have been distributed for firecrackers, which are legal on Oahu with HFD approval (sorry, the application period is closed). That’s double the number distributed when the permit program started six years ago. All other fireworks are banned.
SATURDAY
Get ready to ring in 2017 with Far East Movement
Far East Movement, the first Asian-American group to top the Billboard charts, headlines the Bud Light Party of the Year at Aloha Tower Marketplace.
The L.A.-based trio gained attention with its tune “Round Round,” which was heard in the 2006 movie “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.” Their 2010 tune “Fly Like a G6” proved prophetic — it refers to the private Gulfstream jet favored by celebrities, and propelled them to fame and fortune when the tune reached No. 1 on the Billboard 100 chart.
The trio brings its blend of electronica, Asian-influenced beats and hip-hop to one of eight stages at the Aloha Tower celebration, which in seven years has become one of Honolulu’s favorite New Year’s events. There’s no carnival this year, but music of all sorts will be featured, from reggae with the Born Jamericans’ Notch, to electronic music with New York-based duo TWRK and local alternative artists like Ron Artis and Erin Smith.
Plenty of DJs will keep music emanating throughout the night, and food from more than 25 food trucks and vendors will keep revelers satiated well into the new year.
You can even enjoy festivities in Waikiki and take part in the Aloha Tower celebration. A shuttle service will run between the party and the Ala Moana, Ilikai, Sheraton Waikiki, Westin Moana Surfrider and Queen Kapiolani hotels between midnight and 3 a.m., for $10 per person.
JAN. 5-JAN. 7
Guitar duo brings energy, inventive style
Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo, one of the more inventive guitar duos on the jazz scene, comes to Blue Note Hawaii for a three-night gig.
The two started playing together in a band about 12 years ago but split off and became a duo seven years ago. Together they can mash up just about any style of music, from gypsy jazz to classic rock to classical favorites, and make it sound energetic and natural. Just check out their 2012 album “Earth Songs,” which includes their versions of “Killing Me Softly,”“Willow Weep for Me,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and Mozart’s Symphony No. 40.
Vignola, a specialist in jazz guitar and banjo, has performed with the likes of Ringo Starr, Madonna and Wynton Marsalis. Heplayed for five years with guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Most Admired Guitarists” list for the Wall Street Journal.
Rhythm guitarist Raniolo, a specialist in the vigorous “chord-melody” style of solo guitar playing, is a highly sought collaborator. His work with Vignola has taken him around the world to venues like Carnegie Hall, New York’s Lincoln Center and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
Correction: A cappella group Straight No Chase will perform on Monday. A story on page 2 of Friday’s TGIF section said the concert is on Tuesday.