We are sold out of advance tickets for this show. There may be some limited standing room only tickets available once the show starts at 8:00 pm for $35.

George Kahumoku, Jr. has won multiple Grammy awards for his masterful performances on slack key guitar – but he’s not just a world class musician, he’s also an artist and sculptor, storyteller and writer, farmer and entrepreneur, as well as a teacher at his local high school and community college on Maui. Tonight he’ll play and sing at the Freight, mixing Hawaiian classics and contemporary songs with his own captivating originals. Who knows? We might even get to hear him do “Unchained Melody” Hawaiian style. George has amassed an outstanding body of work over the years, with more than 25 albums, including collaborations with Bob Brozman, Daniel Ho, and the late Norton Buffalo, and three Grammy-winning compilations of slack key performances culled from the weekly concert series he hosts at Maui’s Napili Kai Beach Resort. In his free time, George works on his farm, growing fruit and vegetables, dry-land taro – for his famous home-made poi – and tending his goats, chickens, ducks, and miniature horses. So we’re lucky that George is taking a break to bring his earthy vocals and unique 12-string slack key sound to Berkeley for a celebration of the music and culture that is Hawaii.

Ledward Kaapana, Hawaii’s legendary master of the slack-key guitar, brings his musical wizardry to Berkeley for an evening of traditional Hawaiian classics and compelling originals. He has recorded more than 30 albums as a solo artist and a member of the groups Hui Ohana and I Kona, and appeared on more than 40 collaborations and compilations, including two Grammy winners. As one of Hawaii’s foremost musical ambassadors, he has worked with such artists as Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, Bob Brozman, and Ricky Skaggs. Born on the big island in 1948, he cites his mother, singer Tina Kaapana, and his uncle, slack-key virtuoso Fred Punahoa, as his main musical influences. He started improvising as soon as he started playing slack key, which takes its name from the technique of “slacking,” or loosening guitar strings to create alternate tunings. Improvising, he says, is based on two things, the song itself and the mood of the moment, and the mood changes every time you play the song. “Led plays with great soul, happiness, gratitude, virtuosity, respect for his influences and peers, and love of his audiences,” says pianist and producer George Winston. “He enjoys playing more than anyone I've ever seen.” The National Endowment for the Arts awarded Ledward a National Heritage Fellowship in 2011.

Da ’Ukulele Boyz, first cousins Peter deAquino and Garrett Probst, began playing together as kids, competing as a team in Keoki Kahumoku’s Maui Ukulele Contest held annually at the Hula Grill. Their amazing instrumentals, dynamic vocals, and relaxed stage banter gave them multiple victories for several years until they matured and took over management of the contest themselves. Energetic, talented, and charismatic, they recently released their first album, Da ’Ukulele Boyz.

You don’t have to fly to Hawaii to feel the essence of the Hawaiian spirit. Just come to the Freight and hear these terrific performers play and sing!

Visit George Kahumoku, Jr's website

Visit Ledward Kaapana's website