See original story on SDNN

Monday, June 8, 2009

It was in the late ‘80s, when a sandy-blonde haole boy from the mainland first introduced me to a traditional Hawaiian band, which would become a lion in island music.

The group was the Makaha Sons of Ni’ihau, and the album was Ho’ola. It featured four great singers, including a sweet-sounding lead named Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.

Brother “Iz,” as he was called, would eventually became famous worldwide for his simple ukulele-and-singing rendition of “Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World.”

My friend made a cassette-tape recording of that album and gave it to me. At the time, my Hawaiian music tastes were limited to contemporary island groups who mostly sang in English. They were popular singers I heard growing up in Honolulu – Cecilio & Kapono, Kalapana and Melveen Leed, to name a few.

Like many of my generation, I didn’t care for Hawaiian-language music, since it seemed kind of fuddy duddy.

But I fell in love with the Makaha Sons’ album. Their lush harmonies, strong strums, soft melodies and beautiful Hawaiian lyrics (translated into English in the crib notes of the CD I ended up buying) had me listening over and over again.

Fast-forward to the late 2000s. I have traveled the world, worked in foreign cities and settled in San Diego, which has a large Hawaiian community.

The Makaha Sons have grown as well. They became a trio — Louis “Moon” Kauakahi, John Koko and Jerome Koko – after Brother Iz went solo in 1993. They dropped “Niihau” from their name, since it was Iz’s parents who were from the island namesake. They held prime places at Iz’s 1997 funeral. And they are still playing together after 33 years.

They have produced 22 albums, won numerous Hoku Awards (equivalent to the Hawaiian Grammies), played in all 50 U.S. states and Japan, performed at Carnegie Hall three times, appeared on the “Today Show” and sung the national anthem for a New England Patriots’ game in 2007.

And they have performed in San Diego every Christmas for some 15 years.

They are known for their rich harmonies, deep baritones, tight instrumentals and, of course, classic Hawaiian songs. They also have great showmanship and audience rapport.

This Friday, June 12, the Makaha Sons will play in North Park with a few friends, who also happen to be stars in Hawaiian entertainment – slack key guitarist Willie K., ukulele virtuoso Daniel Ho & singer Tia Carrere and comedian Augie T. It is their first time playing here in the summer, after the Makaha Sons’ usual June venue in Hawaii got bumped by Mamma Mia.

Lucky us.

“It’s gonna be different than how we do our Christmas stuff,” said Jerome Koko, by phone from Honolulu. “More luau style, more laid back, more kanikapila.” Like a jam session.

San Diego audiences — which consist of Hawaiian transplants, as well as mainlander fans, said Koko — are likely to welcome the new show.

“We’ve been blessed when we go the mainland,” said Koko. “A lot (of Hawaiian ex-pats) miss it, after they move to the mainland and have to drive two to four hours to go to a concert. In Hawaii, everything is here. They kinda go, ‘we’ll catch them later.’”

Yeah, that’s me.

In the 80s, I was grateful to my haole (white) friend from far away for introducing me to the Makaha Sons of Niihau, who were in my own backyard on Oahu.

Now, I am thrilled to be able to see the Makaha Sons perform in my town in San Diego.

Other performers:

Willie K.

Daniel Ho & Tia Carrere

Augie T.

San Diego hula halaus dancing at the show:

Healii’s Polynesian Revue

Na Pua Ilima o Kehaulani

Halau o Pualani

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenChang.

See original story on SDNN

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Adam Lambert, the “American Idol” finalist, knew during his days as a student at Mt. Carmel High School that he would be working in the entertainment business.

As one of the three finalists in the competition – after Allison Iraheta was booted off Wednesday night – Adam is a strong contender for the top honor. Like the other two remaining contestants – Danny Gokey and Kris Allen – Lambert is visiting his hometown Friday. The “American Idol” producers organize the hometown visits, which are filmed and aired on the semifinal show.

Lambert’s visit to San Diego will include a Fox5 TV appearance, two radio interviews on 93.3 and 94.1, and a visit to his high school alma mater. Following a Mt. Carmel High School parade in his honor, Lambert is expected to sing two songs at the Sundevil Stadium, which seats 4,000 people.

During his freshman through senior years at the Rancho Peñasquitos school, Lambert participated in the drama, choir and business clubs. Looking through the photos, he grew from an ordinary, pudgy freshman to a stylish, handsome senior.

In his senior year, Lambert and classmate Kristi Gill sang the national anthem at the homecoming game. Other photos showed him performing as “Bottom” in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in which he commented: “This was to make an Ass of me! Thank you for all the laughter.”

That year, he sported dirty blonde hair with platinum blonde highlights.

In the 1999 yearbook, his junior year, Lambert was in the choir and performed in “The Secret Garden.” He was also an officer in DECA, a club that prepares students for a business career. His hair was a natural dirty blonde.

In 1998 and 1997, his sophomore and freshman years, Lambert also participated in the choir. He looked like a cherubic teen back then.

In the Sundevils’ 2000 yearbook, when Lambert graduated, he wrote the following:

“Who knows what I’ll be doing in the future? I’m pretty convinced that I’ll be doing something in the arts, since that is what has pre-occupied my every waking moment for the last four years, or at least those I have been awake for. Speaking of which, I plan to get more sleep and get a job that does not require me to be awake at too early of an hour.”

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenChang.

See original story on SDNN

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Mara Fortin and Judy Shuta of San Diego traveled to Los Angeles on Tuesday to watch Adam Lambert sing in the final showdown of “American Idol.”

Lambert performed against Kris Allen of Conway, Ark., in the last competition at downtown L.A.’s Nokia Theater.

More than 88 million people voted after last week’s episode, with “only” a million votes separating the top two singers, Lambert and Allen. This Tuesday night, the two will sang their final numbers, before the audience votes. The winner will be announced Wednesday night in the show’s season finale.

Mara, 36, and her mother Judy, 61, have been following Lambert since the season began. Mara, a business woman, is also a graduate of Mt. Carmel High. Judy, an assistant to the principal at Mt. Carmel High School, has known Lambert since he attended school there.

They both met Lambert two weeks ago, when he visited his alma mater for a student meet-and-greet and sang for the students and the public.

They got complimentary tickets to attend Tuesday’s show, from a friend from Star 94.1.

Mara and Judy sent SDNN updates throughout the day, before they entered the Nokia Theatre, and after they came out. Follow them here.

“It’s very personal to me, since I knew Adam,” said Judy. “It’s fun to see one of our own on ‘American Idol’ and possibly win the title.”

“It’s the ‘American Idol’ journey,” said Mara. “We’re just here to have a good time and support Adam. He deserves to win.”

Their adventure will be updated with the most recent posted first:

9:13 p.m. Mara and Judy drive back to San Diego.

“We’re dead tired, our feet hurt, and we can’t wait to get home,” said Judy.

8:54 p.m. Mara and Judy recall other parts of the show

“Adam and Kris are very close,” said Mara. “After each set, one would leave the stage and the other would come to set up, and they would hug each other.”

The two singers had done a coin toss, to see who would sing first. Allen won, and he chose to go second. By doing so, the audience would end the evening on his song and the judge’s comments for him.

Carrie Underwood sang the final song. She had a leg injury and limped onto the stage, said Mara, but when the cameras rolled, she belted it out and the audience couldn’t tell she was injured. When she was done, “she was limping off the stage,” said Mara.

Mara had the opportunity to see Lambert up close, because he chatted several times with the woman standing next to her — Kristi Gill, who performed in several high school musicals with Lambert.

Judy got to go to the front row and see Lambert’s father, Eber.

Judy said that the theater was actually very noise, with people and cameras moving around. “There was noise everywhere,” she said. “The performance we could hear pretty well, as long as people weren’t screaming. It’s much clearer to watch on TV.”

After the show, they mingled with the audience and took photos with Lambert’s dad, Eber.

7:35 p.m. Mara and Judy recall the show

Mara said: “I was in the front, right in the middle. I was closer to the stage than the judges. If I wanted to, I could reach out and touch them (the singers).”

Mara was in the moshpit, where fans stand the whole show.

“When you’re standing in that pit, it’s all about the arms, big movements. The producer told us to ‘Move your arms, everything is exaggerated.’ You have to get your arms up in the air to look like there’s anything going on there,” said Mara.

Lambert and Allen sang three songs: one that they sang previously in the show. One that Idol producer Simon Fuller chose. And another that Kara DioGuardi co-wrote.

The first song was something each did well with early in the season, though Mara and Judy could not remember any of the songs. Simon Cowell gave the first round to Allen.

[For the first song, Lambert sang, "Mad World." Jackson called it an "A+" performance; DioGuardi called him an "extraordinary singer and incredible artist." But Cowell called it "over theatrical," like something from Phantom of the Opera.

[Allen's first song was "Ain't No Sunshine." The judges raved about his artistic style. Cowell said that Allen won round one.]

The second song, said Mara, Cowell said “Adam won by a million miles, it was way over the top, Adam nailed it.”

[For the second song, chosen by Fuller, Lambert sang "Change is Gonna Come." Jackson called it "unbelievable," DioGuardi called it the "best interpretation" of songs, Abdul called him a "superstar" and "iconic." Cowell said Lambert was "back in the game."

[Allen's second song, also chosen by Fuller, was "What's Going On." Jackson said: "Its a little light for this big ole room." DioGuardi praised his ability to "uplift people, make think, make them feel." Cowell said: "You did not grab hold of it and make it your own." He gave round two to Lambert.]

“When Adam sang his second song,” said Mara, “he did such a fabulous job, everyone went wild.” But with Allen, “it didn’t catch us, and we didn’t get as excited. During the commercial, the producer came over and told us, ‘Can you please get more excited? Wave your hands as much as possible.’”

[For the third, Lambert and Allen sang the same song, "No Boundaries." Cowell called Lambert "one of the best, most original contestants we've ever had on the show." Cowell told Allen, "You thoroughly, thoroughly deserve to be standing on this stage tonight." ]

“None of (the judges) predicted that Adam would be the winner, but the way they were congratulating them, it was clear that Adam would be the winner,” said Mara.

“With Kris, they kept saying, you deserve to be here. You should be proud, almost like a consolation. Simon said, ‘By the look on your parents’ faces, you should be proud,’” said Mara.

“With Adam, their comments were, ‘You’re so powerful, you have this amazing voice, you’re one of the most talented singers to be on this stage,’” said Mara.

“They felt that if America voted properly, Adam Lambert would be the American Idol for season eight,” said Mara.

Judy sat in the audience area, about eight rows back. She was amazed by the stars she saw at the show, including: Anthony Hopkins and Katie Holmes and her daughter.

She was also impressed by all the Idol finalists who were at the show. In all, the theater held some 7,000 to 8,000 audience members, she said.

But most all, Judy loved watching Lambert sing. “It was an absolutely thrilling performance.”

2:35 p.m., 3:50 p.m., 4:23 p.m.: Phones turned off.

“American Idol” audience participants must hand in their cell phones, cameras and other equipment when they enter the theater, said Mara, who has been to a show before.

Mara said earlier she would probably only take in a stick of lip gloss.

1:53 p.m.: Arrive in L.A.

Judy and Mara arrived in L.A. and parked at Staples Center.

“The L.A. traffic wasn’t exciting at all,” said Judy. “It’s quite a mess. It makes me glad I live in San Diego.”

Judy and Mara touch up their make-up. “We can’t bring that in,” said Judy. “We’re doing that in the car.”

Judy saw a lot of people walking down the street, forming a line.

Mara got on the phone to check where they were supposed to meet the other San Diego fans — the flag pole.

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenChang.

See original story on SDNN

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Oh my god, Adam Lambert will be in San Diego on Friday!

You know, Adam, the “American Idol” contestant who might actually win this season’s crazy-wild show.

The one with the slate-chopped hair, black-painted fingernails, nasty green eyes and marathon banshee screams.

The one who grew up in Rancho Penasquitos, went to Mt. Carmel High School, and performed in local children’s theater.

Adam Lambert, the “rock God,” as “Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi called him, will be visiting the homeboys this week. Lambert is slated to do an interview with Jeff and Jer on Star 94.1, and perform a free concert at his old high school Friday at 10 a.m.

Aahhhhhhhhhhh!

At Mt. Carmel, some of Adam’s biggest fans are doing their all to make sure he wins.

Allyson Jacyln Ruiz, 14, text messaged 500 times to vote for him on Tuesday night. “Literally 500 times, I was like 500 outboxes,” she said. “I loved his performance, I loved the song he sang…I really want to see him win.”

Kira Compana, 16, Stephanie Valdez, 17 and their friends Sarah, 16, and Ashley, 16, are making posters and T-shirts with Lambert’s photos in preparation for the concert.

Compana, who works on the high school yearbook, said they plan to give Lambert a tour of the school if time allows. Valdez said Lambert was going to tour the theater, with all the drama students.

Compana said that when she found out Lambert would be there, “I ran up… screaming, because he’s my favorite on ‘American Idol.’”

Students in the drama school see him as a role model. “It encourages me to do more,” said Carribean Parnell, 14. “When you look at how far he went, it makes me want to go further.”

Kimi Nothduret, 15, a drama student, said that when she heard him sing one particular song, “I almost cried.”

Even though a lot of people think Lambert is gay, no one cares. Photos have been floating around the Internet showing Lambert kissing other men and Lambert has told “Access Hollywood”: “I have nothing to hide. I am who I am.”

“What does it matter?” asked Hannah Gillespie, 14. “It’s a personal choice, whatever.”

The girls think Lambert’s hot. “He’s a bomb,” said Parnell. And he’s got style. “He’s OG,” said Gillespie, meaning “orginal gangster,” which means he’s an original singer.

Even the school staff is rooting for their former student. Judy Shuta, administrative assistant to the principal knew him when Lambert performed in high school musicals, including “Big River” and “The Secret Garden.” She recalled his talent, while flipping through old yearbooks that showed Lambert’s photos.

Shuta and other staff have been emailing district teachers and staff, encouraging them to vote.

Especially after Lambert ranked in the bottom three the previous week, Shuta cranked up the heat, voting for two hours straight Tuesday night. “We’re doing our part to keep Adam running,” she said, “because we think he’s the best.”

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenChang.

See original story on SDNN

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Kayla Powell, 13, dropped her jaws.

Diane Rohrbach, 53, held her hands to her chest.

Christina Burton, 9, said later she would cry.

When Kris Allen was declared the “American Idol” winner Wednesday, hundreds of Adam Lambert fans watching at San Diego’s Copley Symphony Hall fell silent in shock.

They were among the 250 or so fans who packed the hall for the season finale of the singing competition, which shot San Diego native Adam Lambert into the national limelight. Lambert was one of two final contestants in the show from a field of tens of thousands nationwide.

After a two-hour, star-studded blowout show, host Ryan Seacrest announced the winner: Kris Allen.

In all, nearly 100 million votes were counted, said Seacrest, handing the title to the stripped-down, folk-balladsy Christian from the small southern town.

The fans in the audience expressed shock and disappointment.

“It is horrible, I am so shocked,” said Sarah Edwards, 13, who had come with a sign saying “Adam is a sexy beast.”

“I felt devastated,” said Soloman Stovall-Ceja, 1o.”I really thought Adam should have won.”

“I’m gonna cry my tears out, I’m really sad,” said Burton, 9.

But they also saw the silver lining for Lambert’’s career.

“I guess it’s kinda good, because he won’t have to be on the Idol contract and he can do whatever he wants,” said Megan Edwards, 14.

“I think that Adam will still have a great career,” said Katie Silverstein, 13.

The San Diego event, which ran from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific standard time, took place during the live taping of the show in Los Angeles, which aired 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. East coast time. It is traditional for “American Idol” to feature live feeds of fans from the final contestants’ hometowns during the final show.

Just the night before, during the final singing competition, judge Simon Cowell said that if Adam Lambert did not win, it would be a “huge upset.” And it was.

“Adam should have come away as the American Idol,” said Rohrbach. “He was the best.”

People started waiting downtown at Copley as early as 11:30 a.m., forming a line outside the historic hall. According to Copley press officer Stephen Kougias, American Idol organizers had rented the hall, which featured gold vaulted ceilings and white-tuxedoed ushers, special for the event.

During the show, the audience was treated to knockout performances by guest singers, including Black-Eyes Peas, Queen Latifah, Keith Urban, Lionel Ritchie, Carlos Santana, Cyndi Lauper, Queen, Rod Stewart and even Steve Martin on banjo. They were accompanied in turns by the top 13 Idol finalists.

In the last few minutes of the show, the winner was announced, and it was all over. Seacrest called Allen the “underdog.”

Cheers turned to silence and dropped jaws. Then, fans started chanting, “Adam! Adam! Adam!”

But the feed ended and the screen went blank. But for Lambert fans who had followed him all season, the memory will remain.

“Adam deserved it way more, and we’ll always support him,” said Edwards.

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenChang.

See original story on SDNN

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Despite San Diego’s sagging retail market, one lingerie store hopes to lift sales, while helping women lift their assets.

Intimacy, an Atlanta-based lingerie chain, opened its first West Coast store in the Fashion Valley shopping mall on Tuesday. The 3,300-square-foot boutique features luxury European brands, offered with personalized service.

“We felt that San Diego would be a really nice place for us to enter the West coast market – a little less formidable than L.A., a little more lifestyle oriented,” said Susan Nethero, company founder, who is also known as “the bra whisperer” in the Lifetime series “How to Look Good Naked.”

Nethero, who trained under the Queen of England’s Royal Bra Fitter, is helping women tuck in, lift their chests and reshape their figures, in the new store this week. The company’s main selling point is personalized service, with 30-minute consultations, 95 bra sizes, A to K cups – and no measuring tapes. The San Diego store alone has 12 staff who only do fittings with customers.

On the first day in San Diego, sales were the “highest of any store opening,” said Nethero. Intimacy stores typically do $3 million in annual revenue, or $2,500 per square foot, she said.

The retail sector is among the weakest in San Diego’s economy, but Nethero said her company is filling an unmet need in the market. When working with each customer, “We help her get the right bra for her body frame and size, then we work the cup depth to make sure she has sufficient cup depth and the underwire lays below the rib cage, so she doesn’t overflow or underfill the cup,” explained Nethero. A bra is “the most private product that you wear and the most technical product that you buy,” she said.

“Because of the economic environment, people are looking for basics and fashion,” said Jean Luc Tienturier, president, Curvexpo, a leading lingerie and swimwear trade show. “Lingerie is not a very high-end price point in the fashion world – it’s an affordable luxury accessory.”

People are buying fewer items or more basic colors – such as white, black and beige – said Tienturier, “but they still buy.”

The women’s underwear market was more than $14 billion in 2008, up nearly 15 percent since 2006, although growth rates are expected to slow in 2009, according to a report released by Mintel, a market research group. “Women’s underwear is big business and will grow despite (a) tough economy,” stated the report’s analysts.

Bras comprised $8.2 million or 59 percent of the market, while panties were $3.5 million, or 25 percent in 2008, the December 2008 report stated.

High-end lingerie particularly appeals to younger women, according to Mintel’s report. In addition, bra fit is a “top priority” for manufacturers, “because of the large percentage of women who say they have difficulty finding a bra that fits properly. ”

Victoria’s Secret is the nation’s biggest lingerie chain, with more than $4 billion in annual sales, 20 percent of the U.S. lingerie market and 1,000 stores nationwide, said Tienturier.

Curvexpo’s Tienturier believed that Intimacy will do well in San Diego, because the company is “very professional,” he said. “Before launching a new store, they study a market very carefully.”

San Diego is Intimacy’s seventh store location.

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenChang.

See original story on SDNN

Monday, July 13, 2009

Los Angeles, Anaheim and Las Vegas are trading punches with San Diego in the fight for Comic-Con, the mega-entertainment event that currently calls San Diego home.

Managers from the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau (LACVB), Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau (AOCVCB) and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) all confirmed they have been actively pursuing Comic-Con International’s organizers to possibly relocate to their cities.

“There’s no question that we have pursued that business,” said Michael Krouse, senior vice president sales at LACVB. “We would just be foolish not to. It’s a perfect piece of business for us.”

“We continue to be in talks with the Comic-Con staff,” said Elaine Cali, a spokesperson for Anaheim/Orange County Visitors Bureau.

“We have had conversations with management of Comic-Con,” said Jeremy Handel, a spokesperson for LVCVA.

But all three said nothing concrete had come of talks with Comic-Con.

San Diego continues to win this year’s round. Comic-Con takes place at the San Diego Convention Center this year from July 23-26, with a sold-out crowd of 126,000 participants. But space is limited and the City is pushing to expand (See related story: Pow! San Diego fights for Comic-Con).

By contract, the San Diego Convention Center has the homegrown event locked in through 2012. After that, it’s anyone’s game.

That’s why other cities have been duking it out for the lucrative event, and continue to maintain contact each year.

Convention managers at Los Angeles, Anaheim and Las Vegas boast a mixed bag of advantages over San Diego:
— larger convention facilities
— more seating halls
— greater parking capacity
— more hotel selection
— competitive prices.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles managers hosted Comic-Con organizers for a tour of the facilities in late 2007, said Krouse. Since then, LACVB has had a dedicated manager for the account and staff members who visit the San Diego event each year.

“We have never stopped pursuing them,” Krouse said.

Krouse said Los Angeles’ main advantage is space, allowing Comic-Con to grow far beyond its current limits in San Diego.

Los Angeles’ larger capacity

The area surrounding the convention center, called L.A. Live, spans 27 acres. The one-block radius of the convention center also creates a “campus” for convention-goers. Krouse said the total capacity would enable Comic-Con to add up to 20,000 more attendees than at the San Diego Convention Center.

The Los Angeles facilities include:

— L.A. Convention Center, with 1 million square feet

— Staples Center, a 20,000-seat hall where the Michael Jackson memorial was held

— Nokia Theater, a 7100-seat hall where American Idol finals take place

— Nokia Plaza, an outdoor area which holds up to 40,000 people, for events such as the Grammy and Emmy award ceremonies

— Parking capacity of 20,000 within an eight-minute walk

— A large dining district

— A chain of 14 cinema halls

— Hotels with 5,000 rooms within eight blocks

— Hotels with about 94,000 rooms in Los Angeles County

— An underground subway linking to outlying areas

“We would allow them the ability to expand,” Krouse said. “Being the entertainment capital of the world, that’s a big selling benefit to an organization like Comic-Con.”

Los Angeles lower price

The price for all this?

“$1,000 for the entire length of the stay,” Krouse said.

Huh?

“The convention center discount policy allows us to provide the convention center for $1,000,” he said.

The caveat: “They have to produce sleeping rooms,” Krouse said. The city allows the convention center to sell at a deep discount for events that promise a large number of hotel guests.

“It’s all about tax revenue,” Krouse said. “It presents a great business opportunity for us from a tax point of view.”

Hotel room tax in Los Angeles is 14 percent — compared to San Diego’s 10.5 percent. Consumer sales tax is 9.75 percent — 1.50 percent more than the State sales tax, and 2 percent higher than San Diego’s 7.75 percent.

Krouse noted that Comic-Con pays “significantly more” rent at the San Diego Convention Center.

Los Angeles related events

As more Hollywood producers launch movies at Comic-Con, the event has grown in importance to the entertainment industry as a whole. This makes Los Angeles an ideal location, said Krouse.

In addition, Los Angeles also has the advantage of hosting other synergistic events, said Krouse. These include:

— Anime Expo, a convention that draws 50,000 attendees, produced by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation

— E3 Expo, an event attracting 50,000 participants, for the entertainment and gaming software industry.

“They all have crossover because they do gaming related to anime, gaming related to software,” said Krouse. “That’s why the entertainment connection is so important to these shows.”

Las Vegas

Comic-Con has also considered Las Vegas as a possible new location, said Handel, an LACVA spokesperson. Comic-Con organizers contacted LACVA to find out about possibilities in summer 2008, and LACVA sent a manager to visit the San Diego event that year.

LACVA also has a sales manager assigned to the account, with some discussion continuing in winter 2008, said Handel. But so far, “there has been no formal development,” he said.

Las Vegas has the capacity and experience for Comic-Con to grow, said Handel.

Las Vegas facilities

The City’s facilities include:

— Las Vegas Convention Center, with 2 million square feet

— Sands Expo and Convention Center, with 1.5 million square feet

— Mandalay Bay Convention Center, with 1.5 million square feet

— Four-mile hotel corridor with numerous ballrooms, meetings and theater space.

— Citywide exhibition and meeting space of 10 million square feet

— Hotel rooms with 140,000 units citywide

Tax rates in Las Vegas are lower than Los Angeles, though still higher than San Diego. The hotel tax is 12 percent; sales tax is 8.1 percent.

The convention center is also more expensive. At 29 cents per square foot, it costs $580,000 per day to rent out the entire two-million-square-foot center. That’s $2.32 million for four days.

“We’re a public facility, so we don’t have the opportunity to negotiate the rates,” said Handel. But private convention centers can negotiate, he added.

Las Vegas trade show experience

Las Vegas also has experience in hosting trade shows, said Handel. The city ranks number one in number of trade shows per year in the U.S., including many broadcast and magic industry shows, he said.

“We’re the trade show capital of the world,” Handel said.

The Las Vegas visitors’ bureau has maintained contact with Comic-Con.

“It would be a great experience for Las Vegas, as well as Comic-Con to bring in a show of that size and that nature,” Handel said.

Anaheim

The Anaheim Convention Center in Orange County has been discussion with Comic-Con for more than a decade, said Elaine Cali, a spokesperson for AOCVCB.

“It’s been an ongoing conversation,” she said.

Although the convention square footage is large — 1.6 million square feet — the number of attendees is limited to 90,000 over four days, smaller than the San Diego Convention Center. The number of hotel rooms in the county is also comparable to San Diego — 55,000.

One of the advantages of Anaheim is the variety of hotel price points for visitors – ranging from family-affordable to deluxe accommodations, said Cali.

L.A. also had this advantage. In contrast, San Diego visitors tend to have fewer options for affordable hotel rooms, Krouse said.

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenChang.

See original story on SDNN

Friday, May 8, 2009

Adam Lambert, welcome home to San Diego!

Cheerleaders screamed, the band played and some 4,000 fans filled the stadium at Mt. Carmel High School, Lambert’s alma mater, where the San Diego native visited and sang for the crowd on Friday.

It was part of the homecoming for the “American Idol” contestant, one of three finalists in the national television show.

Students from the high school and Black Mountain Middle School sat on one side of the stadium and the general public on another, as helicopters circled above and photographers and cameramen covered the field.

Lambert arrived in a long white limousine escorted by security and his parents. In a closed visit, he went to the school’s Performing Arts Center and chatted with students in the drama and choir groups.

He and his parents then transferred to a red 2010 Ford Mustang, which took them to the stadium behind the band and cheerleaders.

As the car entered the stadium, Lambert sat high on the car’s back and waved to the crowd. In the back seat, his father and mother flanked him on each side.

Lambert was dressed in a black leather jacket, black T-shirt and black pants. His black hair was highlighted in blue.

When Lambert got on stage, he shared with the audience: “This is so weird,” he said. “Like, imagine, graduating and coming back and having all this happen.

“Without trying to be too cheesy or be on a soapbox, I just want to say a couple things.

“This is an example of believing in yourself, knowing who you are,” he said. “Anybody that feels different or weird, screw it! Embrace it!

“Embrace each other’s differences, ok? Celebrate it. It’s cool to be different.”

When he asked if he could play a song, the crowd broke out in screams. He then sang Michael Jackson’s “Black or White,” and “Mad World,” made famous by Tears for Fears.

After his second song, a woman who took off her shirt revealing a bright green bra, stormed the stage and attempted to climb on, before security guards grabbed her and escorted her out.

San Diego’s Mayor Jerry Sanders then got on the stage and declared it “Adam Lambert Day.” He said San Diego was proud of Lambert.

The school principal, Dr. Tom McCoy, encouraged the audience to vote and make Lambert “America’s next Idol.”

Lambert and his parents later climbed back into the escort car which slowly circled the track, where fans on both sides could cheer him on. Between moments, he also answered questions from the press.

What does Lambert, who lives in Hollywood now, remember most about San Diego? He thought for a moment, then said, “The traffic!”

His father Eber lives in San Diego, while his mother Leila, lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“It’s great, loving it,” said his mother from the car. “I fly to every show [he performs at] and I flew here.”

Earlier in the morning, while visiting the performing arts center, Lambert met with about 30 students in the advanced drama class, said student Hannah Gillespie, who missed out on the meeting because she is in the beginning drama class. Lambert also met students in the classical choir group.

“The drama teacher said [Lambert] was very nice and he wanted to see the stage,” Gillespie said. “He used to be in drama and there was an old drum, to present the show, and all the cast and crew signed it and he signed it when he was a student. He enjoyed (seeing the drum and) reminiscing.”

Fans came from all over. One woman, Tanya, drove two hours from Venice, Calif., arriving at the school at 8 a.m. She is a member of www.theadamlambertconnection.com, which has members nationwide. They pool money to buy jewelry for him, which he has worn, she said.

Another woman gave Lambert a necklace, while others held up posters and balloons.

As his car left the stadium, Lambert thanked people and shook their hands. “This has been amazing, Amazing!” he said. “I feel all the support, all the love.”

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenChang.

By Helen Kaiao Chang

See original story on SDNN

Monday, June 15, 2009

You might remember Tia Carrere from “Wayne’s World,” as the babelicious rocker. Or you might know her from “Relic Hunter,” as the sexy Sydney Fox. You might even have seen her in Playboy, in the best-selling issue of 2003.

But these days, Tia Carrere is showing her softer side. She’s singing Hawaiian-style music.

The singer and actress performed at San Diego’s Birch North Park Theater this weekend, as part of a Hawaiian music concert. She performed with Daniel Ho, an accomplished slack-key guitarist and ukulele player, who produced three albums with her.

The show also featured Hawaiian legends The Makaha Sons, slack-key guitar master Willie K., comedian Augie T., San Diego’s Ohana Plus and three San Diego hula troupes.

“This is a wonderful night of Hawaiian music,” Carrere said, during a break at the concert. “I’m honored to be sharing the stage with these guys.”

Carrere and Ho

Carrere and Ho showcased songs from their two albums, “Hawaiiana” and “Ikena,” which won a 2009 Grammy. Dressed in a loose, aloha-print dress, Carrere took to the stage with ease, while Ho’s solo playing offered a beautiful accompaniment.

Carrere’s rich voice and Ho’s elegant compositions resonated with simple sophistication. For the haiku-like song, “Welo,” they were joined by the San Diego-based hula group, Halau o Pualani, creating a visual poetry.

Hawaiian albums

Hawaii-born Carrere started going back to her roots in 2002, as the voice of Lilo’s sister in Disney’s “Lilo and Stitch.”

In 2007, she released her first Hawaiian music album, “Hawaiiana,” produced and co-performed with Ho. Four-time Grammy Award winner Ho — who plays guitar, ukulele and piano — frequently performed in San Diego in the 1990s with the jazz band Kilauea.

Ho and Carrere have known each other since age 14, when they attended sister-brother private schools in Honolulu. Growing up, they played in a band together, with Carrere as the lead singer.

A few years ago, after reconnecting in Los Angeles where they both live, Ho and Carrere decided to create an album that recalled the songs of their youth. The critically-acclaimed “Hawaiiana” was nominated for a Grammy.

“It was born of wanting to work together… and playing songs that we loved as children,” Carrere said.

For their second album, Ho wanted to create original Hawaiian-language songs. He engaged Amy Ku’uleialoha Stillman — a prominent Hawaiian music professor at the University of Michigan — to write song lyrics. To prepare for the album, Ho and Carrere studied the Hawaiian language with Stillman.

The songs from “Ikena” range from playful to soulful. One ditty celebrates Hawaii’s foods, such as Spam. An elegant hymn pays tribute to America. One chant honors “Earth Mother.” The album won a Grammy in February for Best Contemporary Hawaiian.

Their third album together, “Henani,” is due out in July.

“Each song is a poem,” Carrere said.

Recent films

Carrere returned to Hawaii to shoot her latest film, “You May Not Kiss the Bride,” starring Rob Schneider. The romantic comedy is due out in 2010.

“It’s a wacky film,” Carrere said. “It was so much fun being back in Hawaii and doing a project like this.”

She is also working on a film based on the life of Rell Sunn, the first professional Hawaiian woman surfer. Carrere wrote, directed and produced “Wave Dancer,” which begins shooting in January.

Carrere relates to Sunn. “She was of the land… the ocean,” said Carrere. “She was someone who was living an authentic life and found happiness there.”

A love letter

The singer’s return to Hawaiian music is a way to share with her daughter, she said. Carrere had her 3-1/2 year-old daughter Bianca with husband Simon Wakelin, a photojournalist.

“It seems I’ve come full circle, coming back to Hawaii, and cherishing all the things that aren’t as available to me now… the music, the people, the relationships — and Spam!

“It’s really great to document that on a record and share that with my daughter, so she knows where I come from and what’s important to me,” Carrere said. “‘Hawaiiana’ was a love letter to my daughter.”

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenChang.

See original story on SDNN

Thursday, November 12, 2009

When visiting a convenience store, Snatam Kaur was confronted by a clerk at the check-out counter, who said in an irritated voice: “Why do you wear that towel on your head?”

The Sikh follower looked down, paused a moment, then said, “So I can remember to have compassion.”

Kaur is a devotional singer, whose music inspires listeners with peace and compassion. Rooted in Indian chants, her singing is a blend of ancient songs and contemporary melodies.

Her exquisite music draws worldwide audiences. Her albums have consistently ranked in the New Age Retailer’s Top 20 lists, selling more than 50,000 albums annually. She has performed at more than 100 venues annually, including sharing the stage with pop singer Seal.

Since launching a full-time singing career in 2005, Kaur has visited San Diego several times to perform, including at a Deepak Chopra retreat in Carlsbad.

Kaur plays this Saturday at the NTC Promenade at Liberty Station in Point Loma. Local kirtan singer Bhava Ram opens the show with his own performance.

Concerts for peace

At concerts, Kaur’s pure voice weaves interchangeably with those of her male ensemble singers. The melodies blend elegantly with the sounds of guitars, violins, harmonium and table drums.

Her song lyrics move from ancient languages to English, making traditional prayers accessible to Western listeners. Kaur invites the audience to join her in chanting, singing, and even deep breathing. As the music reaches the sublime, Kaur asks audiences to devote the energy to peace.

“It’s at that point in the concert that the vibration for prayer is so incredibly strong, and that’s when we devote the most peace on the planet,” she said, during an interview on the grounds of Self-Realization Fellowship Temple in Encinitas.

Healing music

Soothing and uplifting, Kaur’s CD albums have touched people in deep ways. Pregnant women have given birth to Kaur’s melodies. One man on his deathbed listened to her chants when he passed away.

A soldier returning from the Iraq War refused to talk to his wife about his experiences. But when he listened to Kaur’s music, he broke down sobbing.

”Every emotion that you can imagine, these sacred chants transform it and take it to the next level,” said Kaur.

An American Sikh

An American follower of the Sikh faith, Kaur spends two hours each morning meditating and practicing yoga, which provides a wellspring of inner calm that infuses her music.

During the interview, she was dressed in traditional Sikh garb of a flowing white cotton gown, her hair up in a crisp turban. She was accompanied by her husband, Sopurkh Singh, who serves as the tour’s graphic artist.

Sitting on a bench overlooking the ocean, her eyes sparkled with joy. Her face was free of any make-up, yet glowed. Her voice was soft, yet deliberate.

“Every time I sit down to chant, I put my whole experience into all the singing. I put my entire self into the chant, and the sacred energy of the chant embraces all of me and in that way, I consistently find deep healing,” she said.

Musical family

Kaur grew up in California with Sikh American parents who loved music. Her stepfather was the manager for the Grateful Dead and her mother sang Indian devotional songs. Raised on Jerry Garcia and chanting, she played the violin, guitar and harmonium.

Kaur first visited India at age six, when her parents traveled to the revered Sikh Golden Temple. There she met Bhai Hari Singh, her mother’s music teacher, whose family welcomed the young girl as their own. They spent many hours singing call-and-response chants, called kirtan.

As she grew up in the States, the girl came to embrace the Sikh faith as her own. When her biological parents divorced when she was eight, the devotional chants she had learned healed her pain. As a teenager, the songs gave her joy and celebration.

“Many times I have cried while chanting and poured my emotions into the chants,” she said. “It was very difficult, but every night I would chant, and it gave me a real sense of strength.

“My (biological) parents could be going through what they were going through, but I could pray and have a place of sanctuary,” she said. “When I share these sacred chants today, it comes from a real place of experience.”

Peace ambassador

As a young adult, Kaur returned to India to study kirtan music with her mother’s teacher. “For a Sikh, music is life,” she explained.

Back in the U.S., Kaur worked as a food technologist at a progressive food company called Peace Cereal, where she continued to sing and write songs.

Kaur released her debut album Prem in 2002 to great success. When she started performing full-time in 2005, the company sponsored her worldwide tour as its “Peace Ambassador.”

Her musical ensemble includes an Indian tabla drummer who played with renowned musician Ravi Shankar and a former rock guitarist who founded the Spirit Voyage label, which produces her albums. To date, she has released eight albums, which continue to top industry charts.

Amazing blessing

But even on tour, Kaur takes time every morning to remember the source of her music.

“Being on tour as a musician and creating the music is such an amazing blessing, and it’s so astounding to see how many people are touched by the music,” she said.

“But I am still on my spiritual path and growing everyday and humbled by my own sense of humanity. It’s a daily journey.”

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenChang.