twestival local - Tweet.Meet.Give. - March 24, 2011

The Honolulu Twestival is upon us! Thursday, March 24!

The live music lineup is an eclectic mix of great local talent: Jason Tom, Emi Hart, Kamuela Kahoano and Willow Chang. It's taking place at The Venue on Bethel St., one of Chinatown's top hotspots. And the cause is one that's touched the lives of almost everyone in the islands: the Blood Bank of Hawaii.

(The Hawaii Red Cross will also be on hand to collect donations for its ongoing Japan relief efforts.)

One hundred percent of ticket sales go to charity, with ticket sales through Amiando (and direct donations via FirstGiving) the primary fundraising channel for Twestival. As a result, it's up to our wonderful sponsors, partners, and volunteer organizers to make the event itself happen.

A huge mahalo goes out to:

Farmers Insurance Hawaii

"We are excited to be a part of the Honolulu Twestival for the third year in a row," says John Tapper, E-Marketing Manager. "At Farmers Insurance Hawaii, it is important for us to help keep our friends and neighbors safe on the road. With our hectic schedules, it is often easy to overlook basic car maintenance and renewal dates. Our new e-Safety Reminders service will offer local drivers a way to stay on top of important dates and help to keep Hawaii's roads a safer place for everyone."

Of course, the e-Safety Reminders service can also be used to remind you about an upcoming blood donation appointment!

For a limited time, registered members of the My Farmers Hawaii community who set up an e-Safety Reminder will be automatically entered to win a $100 gas gift card.

Hawaii Aloha Travel

Hawaii Aloha Travel has grown to become one of the largest locally owned inbound travel agencies in Hawaii. In May 2007, the agency was recognized in Travel Agent Magazine for its innovative approach to travel, and in May of the same year, Agent at Home Magazine featured the company's success story. In 2008 the company received the Circle of Excellence award from Nexion Travel Corporation for outstanding sales and service. In March 2009, Hawaii Aloha Travel was rated as one of the top 10 travel agencies in Hawaii by Pacific Business News. In 2010, Hawaii Aloha Travel earned a 2010 Travel Age West Trendsetter award.

Company founder Bruce Fisher and his wife Yaling have been key supporters and volunteer organizers since the very first Honolulu Twestival.

Partners & Supporters

Thanks also to the following partners for helping to spread the word about Honolulu Twestival, and driving much-needed ticket sales:

• Nonstop Honolulu: An independent, energetic lifestyle website covering Honolulu nightlife, dining, and community events.
• Yelp! Honolulu: Community manager Emi Hart is both performing and promoting Honolulu Twestival via the Yelp! newsletter and website.
• Jason Tom Productions: This Chinatown powerhouse is both performing and coordinating our fantastic music program.
• The Hawaii Independent: A locally-owned, independent source of local news, supporting local journalists, businesses, and non-profits.
• Surfboard Shack: New and used surfboards, surfboard bags, surfing accessories, and excellent surfboard reviews.
• Kukui High School: Valentino Valdez of In Real Life LLC has donated his design talents every single year.

Volunteer Organizers

In addition to Bruce and Yaling Fisher, Jason Tom, and Valentino Valdez, mentioned above, big thanks are also due to Kelly Mitchell, Vernon Brown, Lika Jordan, Judi Clark, and the other members of the Honolulu Twestival Planning List.

He's been described as "a walking, talking instrument, an energetic combination of drums, snare, vocals, and synthesizer." The Honolulu Weekly named him "Best Local Musician Deserving of a Wider Audience." He's dazzled the tech set locally at the first TEDx Honolulu conference, and has brought his distinct style and sound to New York City.

Next week, Jason Tom will headline the third annual Honolulu Twestival. Says he: "I will bring it!"

Jason is an extraordinary beatbox performer, dancer, and a tireless promoter and instigator in the thriving Chinatown arts and music scene.

"Chinatown is basically my home crowd, born and raised, before there was ever a Chinatown art and music scene," he says. "I never perform the same way twice, which makes my sets very unpredictable and fresh."

He has also been a huge supporter of Honolulu Twestival behind the scenes, helping bring together this year's live music program, which also includes Emi Hart, Kamuela Kahoano, and Willow Chang. Jason says, "It's a great eclectic mix!"

The Honolulu Twestival is part of a global fundraising event, in which social media communities around the world are coming together to achieve social good. This year, the Twestival is supporting a cause in each city, and for Honolulu, the beneficiary is the Blood Bank of Hawaii.

Ticket sales are the primary fundraising channel for Twestival, with one hundred percent going to the cause. The event is made possible through sponsors (like Farmers Hawaii and Hawaii Aloha Travel) and several volunteers and supporters... including Jason!

Of course, the worldwide community is also focused on the unfolding tragedy in Japan, and donations for the relief effort will also be welcome at the Honolulu Twestival.

The Honolulu Twestival is a fantastic pau hana event, with an enchanting line-up of local music, tasty pupus, and a great selection of drinks at a great Chinatown venue: The Venue, next door to BambuTwo. Join us on Thursday, March 24 to meet up with some good people to have a good time, all for a good cause.

Get your tickets online now, $20 in advance, or $25 at the door.

Each year, live local music is the beating heart of the Twestival celebration. And this year, Emi Hart will be kicking off the music program at The Venue on Thursday, March 24, 2011.

A self described champion of real beauty and underdogs everywhere, Emi mixes folk rock with a pop melodic ear, creating music for "fun, crazy genuine people."

You can hear her first single, "Let You Go," on her website, and watch her perform some original songs on YouTube, including "Tick Tock" and "The Other Side of Love."

In addition to lighting up the stage as a singer songwriter, Emi is also the community manager for Yelp! in Honolulu. And thanks to her, Honolulu Twestival is thrilled to have the support of Yelp! as one of its media partners.

Emi joins Willow Chang and Kamuela Kahoano in the fantastic lineup at Honolulu Twestival 2011, which is a benefit for the Blood Bank of Hawaii.

Get your tickets online now! Tickets are the primary fundraising channel for Twestival, and every penny of the $20 ticket price goes to charity. Admission will be $25 at the door.

Want more Emi? Check out Emi's website at EmiHart.com, or connect with her on Twitter at @emihart and on Facebook.

Local musician Kamulela Kahoano has big plans for 2011, including at least two LPs, an original art series, and a jump into the national scene. But you'll be able to catch the son of famed emcee Kimo Kahoano live right here at home on March 24 at the Honolulu Twestival.

Kamuela joins renown dancer and performer Willow Chang as part of the live music program for Twestival. This global charity event is local this year, and will benefit the Blood Bank of Hawaii, raising both funds and awareness to support its life-saving work.

Kamuela was dubbed "the happy music maker" as a symphonic composer at UH, but quickly grew his reperatoire to include 'ukulele, slack key guitar, rock, alternative rock, reggae, and even Hawaiian falsetto.

At 29 years old, he already has over 1,100 gigs under his belt, and has written and co-written over 200 songs. Talent obviously runs in his family. In addition to his celebrated father, his brother is Ikaika Kahoano, of "Making the Band" fame.

Kamuela's unique mix of talents makes for a live experince not to be missed. Get your tickets now, and join us for a fun pau hana gathering on Thursday, March 24. It's $20 in advance, and $25 at the door, and remember: one hundred percent of ticket sales goes to charity! 

Good music, good people, good times, all for a good cause. Help us spread the word about Honolulu Twestival by inviting your friends on Facebook! 

You can learn more about Kamuela on his website at KamuelaMusic.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @KKMusicman, check out his videos on YouTube, or connect with him on Facebook. You can even say "I'm in!" on Yelp!