WorldSound: 2008

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Aureana on stage with the girls of Na Leo Pilimehana in Japan

Na Leo with featured dancer Aureana Tseu on stage in Japan

Everything is going great and then Na Leo management gets into the act!

Hey, I went on the whole tour so I get to be in at least one photo with Na Leo and Aureana!

The Billboard Live Fukuoka staff took great care of Na Leo and Aureana!

The super friendly and efficient Billboard Live Fukuoka staff took great care of Na Leo and Aureana! A BIG Mahalo to them all!

The crowd goes wild for Na Leo in Fukuoka!

The Fukuoka crowd loved the Na Leo show!

Na Leo shows the crowd a great time in Fukuoka!

Na Leo Pilimehana shows the crowd a fantastic time in Fukuoka on one of three capacity crowd shows. Fukuoka was the most intimate of the venues in Japan but the crowds were wild!

Aureana wows the crowd at the Fukuoka Na Leo show!

Aureana shows the capacity crowd a great time at the Fukuoka, Japan Na Leo Pilimehana show!

Na Leo featured Hula Dancer Aureana Tseu in Fukuoka

Na Leo featured Hula Dancer Aureana Tseu takes the stage in Fukuoka, Japan

Na Leo played in Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo, Japan on this tour!

Na Leo played four shows each in Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo, Japan on this 2008 Hula tour. Tons of fun was had by the Na Leo members, their band, dancers and management. The venues were all Billboard Live Japan venues, some of the nicest, most modern concert venues in all Japan.

Na Leo Rocks the house in Fukuoka, Japan!

Na Leo rocks the house in Fukuoka Japan. In Na Leo's most successful tour of Japan yet, the girls and their band played to full houses in three cities for a total of 12 shows, WOW!

I will be posting a little retrospective of Na Leo's Japan Tour 2008, so please sit back and enjoy!

WW

Friday, September 19, 2008

Back home in my Seattle office!

A little beat from the travel but I am finally back home in my Seattle
office, yippee! Flew into Seattle from Honolulu late last night on Northwest #22. A lot of work to be done, and a lot of shows coming up, but it's all exciting! The Japan trip with Na Leo was super awesome, most shows sold out, great fan response and best of all the girls and their band sounded fantastic!!!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Anuhea shreds Honolulu hotspot The Shack

Anuhea rocks Waikiki!

Anuhea plays a smoking hot set at Waikiki's new hotspot The Shack

Imua Garza ponders the upcoming release of One Right Turn

Imua Garza of One Right Turn ponders the upcoming release of the
groups 4 record seton October 14th!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Check out that bike

Keith and I follow crazy red biker

It's all about food!

I had lunch with Tak, Aya & Takashi today at their secret lunch spot,
"the Chicken Place".

It's down an obscure little alley near the palacial JVC world
headquarters in Aoyama. Shown here ate Aya & Takashi gaurding the
super secret and well hidden entrance.

Tokyo's stock market crashes!

Following the collapse of AIG and other US financial insttutions
Tokyo's stock market suffers heavy losses

It's what we all need

Here comes my Uni!

My favorite Tokyo sushi chef delivering the goods!

Our favorite kaitan sushi bar in Tokyo is

Directly under a McDonalds sign! What's that all about???

The only bad thing about eating so much sushi is....

The bill!

The big tuna sushi bar

Well that might not be the official name but just look at that big
tuna hanging over the bar!

Sushi plate prices

Here are the sushi plate prices from my favorite Shinjuku area kaitan
sushi bar.

They go from least expensive on the top left to most expensive on the
bottom right

Here are my sushi plates

Kaitan sushi menu

So as many of you know pricing in a Japanese kaitan sushi bar is
calculated by the color of the plate you select.

All plates are stacked up and when you are done eating they total them
up!

Last sushi before heading to Narita airport

Yes Max this is the sushi bar under the McDonalds sign and it still
rocks! They all said hello and asked when my friend was coming back
(not kidding!).

This is our favorite kaitan sushi bar in the Shinjuku area of Japan!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Japanese music industry big wig Seigo Horiuchi with Na Leo

Japanese record industry big wig and JVC head of International, Seigo
Horiuchi hanging out backstage with Na Leo in Tokyo last night

Seigo was also styling as usual with a very fashionable briefcase bag,
well done Seigo!

JVC's Aya Takahashi & her Dad meet Na Leo

Na Leo backstage with JVC Records / Victor Entertainment representative Aya Takahashi and her Dad who she brought to the final Tokyo show to celebrate Japan's "Respect for Elders" Holiday - Nice job Aya!

Na Leo & featured Hula dancer Aureana Tseu onstage in Tokyo

Na Leo and featured Hula Dancer Aureana Tseu perform the 3rd of four shows at Tokyo's premier concert venue, Billboard Live Tokyo.

Na Leo with famous Sumo Stars & Local Boys Konishiki & Musashimaru!

Na Leo and featured Hula dancer Aureana Tseu pose with "Local Boys" and World Famous Sumo Wrestlers Musashimaru and Konishiki along with famous radio personality Kamasami Kong on the stage after another successful show at Billboard Live in Tokyo, Japan.

Na Leo onstage with Japanese Hula Dancers

Na Leo onstage at Billboard Live in Tokyo with Japanese Hula Dancers from Iwalani's School of Dance in Yokohama.

Na Leo backstage with their Band & Hula Dancers

Na Leo backstage with their band and local Japanese Hula group from Iwalani's School of Dance in Yokohama along with featured Na Leo Hula Dancer Aureana Tseu~

Na Leo performs last night at Billboard Live in Tokyo, Japan!

Na Leo playing live at Billboard Live in Tokyo!

Na Leo plays live with their band at Tokyo's hottest concert venue, Billboard Live!

Autograph signing!

Na Leo doing an autograph signing at the Tokyo Billboard Live after the second of 4 shows! CD's at the merchandise booth sold out after the first 3 shows!!!!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Na Leo member Lehua presents the sacred sharpie

Backstage in Japan Na Leo member Lehua presents the sacred sharpie that was used to sign many of the autographs while in Japan. We are now in high level negotiations to determine if the sharpie should be put in the permanent Na Leo archives or sold on ebay!

Kamasami Kong interviews Na Leo backstage at Billboard Live in Tokyo

Kamasami Kong interviews the ladies of Na Leo backstage at Billboard
Live in Tokyo after their historic performance - being the first
Hawaiian band to ever play this historic venue!

Kong is in the house!

World famous DJ and personality Kamasami Kong came backstage to say Aloha to longtime freinds Na Leo on their first night in Tokyo!

JVC Records Japan shows up backstage

Big Japanese record mogul Tak (one name like Madonna or Elvis) showed up backstage at the first Tokyo show.

In an effort to extend the famous Hawaiian Aloha spirit, and sell more
CDs Na Leo featured Hula Dancer Aureana presents (or attempts to
present anyway) the customary greeting flower.....

Na Leo takes the stage in Tokyo!

Na Leo just hit the stage at Billboard Live in Tokyo making history
tonight being the first Hawaiian group to play this world class venue.

And to make it even better the show is totally sold out!

Aureana enjoys the blog?

The normally unflappable Aureana "enjoys" the blog action backstage in Tokyo

The band enjoys a tender moment backstage

Na Leo's band enjoys a tender and touching moment backstage with their favorite George Michael DVD - getting in the "zone" for tonight's sold out show!