A ukulele wizard, a slack-key guitar master and a top-notch bluegrass band will share the stage at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Hilo’s Palace Theater for a rare musical treat.
A ukulele wizard, a slack-key guitar master and a top-notch bluegrass band will share the stage at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Hilo’s Palace Theater for a rare musical treat.
Starting with their first sold-out performance at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in 2010, this unique mix of artists — Brittni Paiva, Keoki Kahumoku and the Aloha Bluegrass Band — has been developing a new style of music: a cross-pollination of bluegrass and Hawaiian music called “piligrass.”
While the combination might sound unconventional, the styles of music aren’t so different. Many of the songs share common themes — love of place, family and people, and some of the instruments once found in old-time Hawaiian music, such as the fiddle and banjo, are making their way back through the bluegrass genre.
The Aloha Bluegrass Band is Katy Rexford on fiddle, Rion Schmidt on banjo, Tyson James on guitar and Matt Del Olmo on bass.
This exciting combination has been selling out theaters on the Big Island for the last four years, and fans of great roots music are excited to welcome them back to the Palace Theater.
Tickets are only $30, available 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Palace Theater box office and at the door. You also can call 934-7010 during box office hours to order tickets by credit card.