 |
 |
Mahalo to Waihe'e School and Mrs. Lisa Bediamol and Mrs. Michele Suzuki AND Maui Waena Intermediate School under leadership of Mrs. Tracy Lui for a warm hearted performance of Holiday songs and cheer. They simply lit up Market Street that night. The students of Maui were surely on top of their vocal game. What an entertaining December First Friday. It's Christmas time in Wailuku Town, officially. Bring on the good times and cherish our last memories of 2009! A special thanks to the parents and teachers who came out on their own time being that it was a Furlow Friday to play for Wailuku Town. See you in 2010!  
As we move briskly into the chilly month of November, we can definitely say that Fall is here. So let's start the month off with an ode to Thanksgiving. And an ode to Second Saturdays that is. Here at Maui Thing over at 7 N. Market Street in Wailuku Maui, the kids are given the freedom to create something on their own each and every month. And there's always a fresh project idea to theme with what's going on. And did we mention it's FREE-ninety nine? That's right, no need to reach for the rainy day jar here! SEE YOU ALL NEXT MONTH ON DECEMBER 12, don't miss FREE holiday art activities! PAINTING :: ORNAMENT MAKING :: PAPER CHAINS :: CHRISTMAS TREES! 
Thanks to the help of the PONO Baseball parents, Maui Thing and PONO were able to raise $267 for the team by selling shaved ice and making Halloween masks. Thank you Alii Kula Lavender for hosting a fun filled family event. 
A delightful MAHALO goes out to Tasaka Guri Guri for the yummy treats on October First Friday. Old and new friends enjoyed the local delight as hula-hoopers swung their hips in the middle of Market Street. Thanks Uncle Alan for scooping and LeeAnn and Jaime for rocking out and keeping Iao Theater's Rocky Horror theme. See you at First Friday November for MAKAHIKI!!! 
Maui Thing celebrated September with island style grooves and Li Hing ice pops. Hawaiian By Nature kept the crowd grooving and the hula hoopers swaying under the stars in Old Wailuku Town. MT also hosted the ADK Teacher's Sorority by selling yummy Li Hing ice pops. The monies will go to scholarships for children in need. Love those teachers going above and beyond. Thank you to all of our friends and family (Uncle Alan) for always making First Friday a special night in Wailuku. 
The Throwdowns' CD Release Party at Mulligans was epic! Anuhea started the night off with songs from her best selling album. Playing to a sold out crowd of 800+ people, The Throwdowns gave their best performance ever! They sang all their songs from the new album, including "Redemption on the Dance Floor" with special guest Marty Dread. Many punk enthusiasts came from all over the island to support Kimo, Ola, Ian, and Maui's own Erin Smith. "This band is blowing up! What makes them cool is that they are really down to earth kind of people!", says a fan from the release party. Maui Thing helped with a killer CD display table that you can find on Facebook. By the end of the night, The Throwdowns had the entire audience singing along to "Kihei Town", wanting and screaming for more. 
First Friday was pretty cool this month with some intense head spinning and some impressive finger paintings on display. Brendan from Requests did a hell of a job as emcee, in his spiffy tux that he got from Gilberts (which apparently closed down, Wailuku will miss you Gilberts). DJ Joralien got the itch to scratch and kept the music going all night, chee ha-y-n. The night featured a supa fresh BBoy battle with some nice poppin' lockin' kicks galore. The Art show consisting of the likes of Reuben Cantere, Jason Mudrick, Adam Nolan, and Alex Quintana. A few of these art moving individuals were previously featured at Maui Thing's Uptown's Uprising last year. Reuben went big this year, with about 4 diptych paintings (meaning paintings consisting of two canvases) and a quadtych painting. Jason Mudrick did some sick face work. Alex flashed his works of paintings with inspirations such as girls, flower, and some other stuffs. "It was my first painting sold to a random person, pretty stoked. Attendance was good and so were the horderves. Super stoked for the whole thing, I think we gave that white wall a nice face lift. Nice and colorful now." It is pretty safe to say that Uptown most definetely knows how to get down. Thank you to everyone who comes out in support of art. It's very important to keep community connected thru creative expression and inspiration, especially from these youngster groundbreaking individuals. A friendly "mahalo" goes out to Alex Quintana for the quick stylin' narrative of Uptown Getdown. 
The big questions is, "How are we going to top this next year?!" First Friday in Wailuku will never be the same. Maui Thing left Market Street stunned after their 1 year store anniversary party. All ages were really able to appreciate what went down at Maui Thing's pre-4th of July Celebration. The event started with a little VIP hour from 5-6pm to preview the Summer Line and indulge in perks and pupus. With their true blue Emcee from their brand launch in 2007, Kawikaveeka definetly brought the community together. Team Maui Thing was introduced to the public. Inspired riders such as Marcus Rodrigues, Keoni Duey, Jacob and Jonah Romero were all there to support Maui Thing. Even though Rock N Roll was a heavy theme that night, the feeling of community was bursting out of Maui Thing all evening. With Erin Smith opening the event and Vince Esquire starting the fashion show, the entertainment lineup was a force that held the crowd all night. Their black and white disco checker runway brought the disco 70's era to life. Some other inspirations were picked up from Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin, Mod-glam rock, 80's hippies, gypsies, pirates and more! Mohawks and fierce attitudes brought out a new, edgy side of Maui Thing that shocked the crowd. "In fashion you always need to look back and show appreciation for where fashion has brought us today," says designer and fashion show director Malia Rodrigues. "Once Vince Esquire was on board, we thought that Rock N Roll and disco era was the way to go. With a cute Avant Garde twist at the end. We pushed the bar and used old fashion magazines in our last and final outfit." This "piece of art" skirt can be seen in the window display at Maui Thing. Some hairstyles brought funk and rebellion, while others took you on a futuristic path, which is what Maui Thing believes in. Taking things forward. Being leaders in creativity. We can thank Karli Benedict and Marc Tolliver for their brilliant styles and daring approach to the fierce Hairstyles in the fashion show, and also to Ry-N for his extremely professional fashion forward makeup applications. Talk about the cream of the crop behind the scenes talent. Maui Thing strives to bring together our community. You can expect more tricks and suprises from Maui Thing in the future First Fridays to come. Thank you to EVERYONE who made this event a success. That means you too ;) 
"We need a band to wake up Market Street and liven up the fresh vibes that Market Street has to offer," say a Maui Thing designer. Who to call? None other then The Throwdowns. They pumped up Market Street right in time for a Summer Kick off Celebration. With their unique and killer style, they intrigued Market Street with the most memorable ska/punk rock tunes, and left the crowd wanting more. Maui Thing also offered a Summer Sale of 20% off everything that evening. A BIG Mahalo goes out to Erin Smith, Ian, Ola, and Kimo. Keep it real Throwdowns! You guys rock! Such talent like that will always bring positive community together. Their LP CD album released and is available at Maui Thing. It has their new hit single, "Kihei Town" and a fun bonus track, "All The Answers". The Throwdowns are generous enough to offer the CD free of charge so come and get them before they are gone! 
 For the first time ever, Market Street has closed off traffic on May Day First Friday to give Wailuku goers a chance to freely roam around and discover new and eclectic things. It seemed to be a huge success for everyone at First Friday. Maui Thing featured live music by newly reunited local band, Hawaiian By Nature. Their philosophy as a band welcomes all who have that Aloha spirit vibrations in their soul, regardless if they are Hawaiian or not. Everyone can be Hawaiian by Nature. This is their beliefs and they hope to capture a wide range audience with their friendly Island Style Reggae Beats. Reunited after 7 years away, catch the music of "Hawaiian By Nature" featuring Joe Kamaka & Zacc Kekona. CD to be released this summer. Big Mahalo to the multi-talented musicians! 
There are many unsung heroes in our community. Maui's own Willie K is one of them. For the past five years, he has hosted the Willie K Charity Golf Tournament to benefit an important cause: The Maui Memorial Medical Center Oncology Department. This annual event has brought together the community while allowing golfers to do their thing on the greens. This is Maui Thing's 2nd year as a sponsor for Willie K Golf Tourney. You could find them at the 10th hole with Maui hot dogs while hosting a marshmallow drive contest. Longest drive wins a special MT prize. "It brings humor and entertainment to the game", says Malia Rodrigues. "It's all good. Most of the golfers really got a kick out of it." We were honored to make a difference in someone's life by supporting this important cause. Go Uncle Willie K!  
At Maui Thing, we try keep it fresh... with a little bit of entertainment. April First Friday went where no little bunny would go. Except for this one. We found him cruising Market Street one day and the rest is history. Employees of Maui Thing were seen wearing adorable bunny ear headbands to keep with the theme. A little Easter Egg hunt was another delicious topping for the evening. Kids not only got to find eggs all around the store, but they got to shake the Easter Bunny's paw and take pictures. We really want to thank DJ Jay-P for being such a great sport. None of this would be possible if it weren't for him. We're sure it's not gonna be the last that we will see of him. We always have more holidays that could involve themed mascots on the 1's and 2's.  
"PONO... Do What Is Right" was created in 2004, when young Pono Viela died in a tragic accident. Pono, in the Hawaiian language translates to Righteousness. Parents, Maile and Jon decided to turn their tragedy into something positive by teaching, inspiring, and spreading Pono. Maile and Jon Viela also began to print shirts for family and friends in remembrance of their son and to spread their message of Pono. With every shirt purchase, a portion of each Spread Pono shirt sold was donated to ALL PONO, a non-profit organization that gives back to the community through local youth sports programs. Maui Thing hosted their Shop + Share event on Sunday March 22. Families and friends helped support All Pono by buying tshirts to raise awareness of "Pono". A portion of all Maui Thing sales from Sunday was donated to All Pono. Much Mahalo's to everyone who made this event a success.  
Another First Friday, another chance to bring our community together. This month's intent was to help raise money to support the Maui Firefighters Fund, which is a relief association that helps firefighters and their families when there is an accident on the job. Their job is to put their lives on the line for us, and the Firefighters Fund is a strong backbone to support it all. Pito Javier, a fellow firefighter and talented musician, performed live while families and kids watched and posed in front of the fire truck outside the store. It was definetely a sight to see on Market Street that night. For a small donation, fellow supporters were given a heart-shaped balloon and lolli, and were also entered to win cool MT prizes. Thanks to everyone who supported this successful event. This was our best turnout yet! We love to see families spending time together at First Fridays. We were really happy to support this cause and hope to keep up with more events to benefit the people of Maui.  
Every year we do it. It's starting fresh and establishing new ways of life. At Maui Thing, we're always supporting new and adventurous goals, so we wanted to give everyone a chance to contribute to our "stuck on good" motto. During the month of January, anyone was able to grab a post it, write their resolution, and stick in on our store front window. Plus you got a special Japanese good luck treat just for sharing your plans with us. Sweet! Some resolutions were "don't judge people, be more compassionate about our earth, be more patient, surf more, try yoga", the inspiring list goes on. Whether it's a new year, a new month, a new week, a new day... set goals and accomplish them! Use a post-it and stick it somewhere that you can always see it. Practice the "stuck on good" philosophy!  
Here's the most fun your family will ever have together in one room! Every second Saturday of the month, pile the kids into the car and head down to Old Wailuku Town for a morning of art and shopping at the Maui Thing boutique. Our free art class runs from 10 am to noon - join in anytime. Kids get to express themselves with paints and colors. And you get a couple blissful of hours trying on all the fun and stylish stuff Maui Thing has in store. "Creative expression is very important. We want the kids to use their imagination and just have fun with the class", says Maui Thing designer Malia Rodrigues. "And it doesn't hurt to give the busy moms a relaxing break for a bit." This month was a Holiday themed project filled with trees, reindeer, bells, Santa, the list goes on.  
Maui Thing has something special planned for the Wailuku First Friday Celebration on December 5th. They pulled a quick change act and transformed their retail store at 7 N. Market Street in Wailuku into a Maui version of a bohemian art gallery rave party. Featuring four of Maui's hippest young artists Adam Nolan, Ian Maculum, Reuben Cantere, and Alex Quintana and fly beats by DJ JP; this was a celebration of creative expression, youthful energy and funky fashion. With all those pigments on the pallet mixing together, Uptown's Uprising was an event not to be missed. "I like to skateboard, and paint pictures. I like rice and music. You can see all this in my work," says Cantere. "It's my dream to be an artist. Right now I want to sell my work and use that money to go to art school on the mainland. But no matter where I go, my heart will always be right here on Maui." "These artists are all around the age of 20 and have a burning desire to express themselves creatively," says MauiThing founder Saedene Ota. "They have such a fresh way of expressing what they see in their daily lives. Their work has layer upon layer of imagery that sucks you in and tells all these fascinating little stories. You could almost call it 'post-graffiti reconstructivism with an island twist. 'It's the visual equivalent of how a hip-hop DJ reuses samples to make something new. And Maui Thing loves when people recycle!"  
Some things in Hawai'i are just meant to be together: Spam and Rice, Fish and Poi, Mai Tai's and Sunsets. Add to that list Vince Esquire and Maui Thing. Local hot-shot musician Vince Esquire has partnered with Maui Thing, the local clothing brand dedicated to 'All Things Good on Maui,' to launch a new T-shirt design. To unveil the new design, Esquire will be performing a free concert at the Maui Thing retail store at 7 N. Market Street in Wailuku on November 7, from 5:00-8:30pm during the monthly First Friday Celebration. Esquire, who has a rabid following throughout Maui and the rest of Hawaii with his unique blend of blues and rock, approached the award winning Wailuku based apparel company to design a shirt which conveyed the energy, passion and enthusiasm of his music. Maui Thing took the ball and ran with it. By creating a design which combines his respect for his blues influence and the freshness of youthful rock and roll. Esquire, 23, was raised in Maui and began playing drums in his father's band at age six. At age 15 he switched to guitar and the rest, as they say, is history. In his brief but impressive career, he has played throughout the US and shared the stage with such music luminaries as Willie Nelson, the Allman Brothers, Los Lonely Boys, Fred Wesley, Derek Trucks, Little Feat, Coco Montoya, Eric Johnson and the Doobie Brother's co-founder and guitarist Pat Simmons. He has release two full length CDs and is currently recording his third after which he plans to tour the mainland. |
