Images courtesy of Greenroom Hawaii
After a decade of success in Yokohama with an annual, two-day surf-inspired celebration, it was only a matter of time before the Greenroom Festival crossed the Pacific. On May 31, 2015, the Greenroom Festival Hawaii 2015 will, for the first time, take place at the Waikiki Shell with an all-day festival that celebrates our ocean and beaches through music, art, and education
Two stages at the Shell will host a line-up of local and international musicians including Jake Shimabukuro, Ray Barbee, Def Tech, Makua Rothman, Donavon Frankenreiter, Tommy Guerrero, and Lotus. Artists Heather Brown, Christie Shinn, Kat Reeder, Kris Goto, Nick Kuchar, Susan Wickstrand, The Captain Surfs, and Two Crows will round out the festival with art embellishing the Shell’s expansive lawn.
The heart of the festival beats with music and art but its soul emanates a simple message to love and respect the ocean. The artists become ambassadors who not only share their craft to the public but also their passions for the ocean and the importance of protecting it. With this in mind, Greenroom will also hold two concurrent beach cleanups in partnership with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii on the north and south shores of O‘ahu on May 30, the day before the festival.
“Through Greenroom Festival, through music and art,” says Naoki Kamayachi, owner and organizer of Greenroom Festival, “our aim is to convey ocean, beach lifestyles and culture and maintaining precious beaches for our children.”
Below, we feature a roundup of some of the national headlining musicians. We’ll be rolling out stories on featured local musicians and artists, so check back for updates.
Donovan Frankenreiter (plays 7:10 p.m. at Good Wave Stage)
Before a solo career as the protégé of Jack Johnson, Donavon Frankenreiter began his professional life as a surfer. Originally from Southern California, he landed a sponsorship with Billabong as a young teenager and moved at 14 to Hawai‘i, where he became fast friends with Johnson. Music was always a hobby for Frankenreiter, who began playing guitar in a local rock band called Sunchild during his late teens, but it wasn’t until 2002 that he grew confident enough to try a solo career and signed with Johnson’s burgeoning Brushfire Records. His self-titled album debuted in 2004 with guest appearances by Johnson and G Love and Special Sauce. Today, Frankenreiter’s music is infused with a decidedly more Hawaiian sound, with instructions like slack key guitar, lap steel, and ‘ukulele featured prominently in his new work.
Lotus (plays 8:45 p.m. at Good Wave Stage)
Tommy Guerrero (plays 8 p.m. at Blue Sky Amphitheater)
Def Tech (plays 5:35 p.m. at Good Wave Stage)
Ray Barbee (plays 4:20 p.m. at Blue Sky Amphitheatre)
The 2015 Greenroom Festival Hawaii happens May 31, 2015 from 3–9:30 p.m. at The Waikiki Shell. General admission tickets are $50. For tickets, click HERE.