Flea Fest and other March Events

OK, we’re on for March 29 for our monthly get-together hosted by Flea Jumper Dick Loomis and Yo el Rey Roasting, a coffee shop at 1217 Washington St. in Calistoga. Festivities will begin at 6 pm with pupus and drinks (BYOwineglass).  The musical theme for the evening will be hapa haole music, which I’m interpretting rather loosley.  You can learn more about hapa haole music at the Square One website.  And don’t forget your $$$$, there will be another prize drawing!  Songs we’ll attempt from the Flea Jumper songbook:

• Aloha Wau Ia Oe
• Beyond the Reef (in F)
• Blue Hawaii (in G)
• Blue Lei
• Coconut Island
• Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai
• Down in Honolulu
• E Naughty Naughty Mai Nei
• Hanalei Moon (in F)
• Haole Hula
• Hawaiian War Chant
• Honolulu I’m Coming Back Again
• The Hukilau Song
• Little Brown Girl
• Lovely Hula Hands
• Love Song of Kalua
• A Maile Lei for your Hair
• Malihini Mele
• Maui Girl
• My Little Grass Shack
• My Waikiki Girl
• My Yellow Ginger Lei
• On the Beach at Waikiki
• Princess Poo-poo-ly
• Singing Bamboo
• Song of Old Hawaii
• Sweet Leilani
• That’s the Hawaiian in Me
• To You Sweetheart Aloha
• Ukulele Lady
• Waikiki
• When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop

We probably won’t get through all of them, and if there’s one we want to work on in particular (like we did with “A Maile Lei”) we can do  that for a while.   In any case, I know there are songs on this list  you won’t recognise (I sure don’t know them all), but it will be fun to learn some new ones.  If you want to do a little homework, I suggest you download songs you’re not familiar with from iTunes.  They may not be in the same key that we have, but at least you’ll get the melody.  And please, if your favorite hapa haole song is not on the list, bring it and about 15 copies to share. If you don’t have the Flea Jumper Songbook yet please let me know so I can have a copy made for you.  They’re running about $14 now. Let me know if you want one of those easel binders that I have (they’re also $14); I think I have 2 left.  And don’t forget your $$$ for raffle tickets; there will be another fabulous prize drawing to support the upcoming Wine Country ‘Ukulele Festival. Please RSVP via comments so we know how many to plan on.

More News!  I am looking for a parody of My Little Grass Shack. (I.e. “I want to go back to my little Grass Shack in Napa Valley.”)  If you can come up with one between now and the 29th, that would be lovely.  We’ll adopt it, sing it, and, of course, there will be a prize! If you can’t make it to Yo el Rey on the 29th, you can email your song to me.

March is going to be busy. I just received news of a Tiki-a-thon!  Sunday, March 22nd from Noon to 3pm at the Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge, 1304 Lincoln Avenue in Alameda.   Fellow Flea Jumper, Frank Novicki  needs a little help.  Frank is a longtime Bay Area musician known for his uke, guitar & steel work with the bands APE and The MaiKai Gents. Unfortunately, a perfect storm of calamity starting with a Xmas layoff, followed by the malevolent machinations of a diabolical divorce lawyer, and now the ongoing economic  recession, has pushed Frank to the brink of financial disaster. Luckily,  the Spirit of Tiki is strong and is stepping up to help out Frank & his kids.  All money raised at the Tiki-a-thon will go directly to the support of Frank’s boys, Louis  (11) & Henry (8). (Photo copyright 2006 Jamie Kripke www.jamiekripke.com)

Festivities start promptly at noon.  There’ll be an early afternoon fundraiser,  great live music, flaming Tiki cocktails, and a raffle of prizes, including actual artifacts from Frank’s own flea market-driven life, titillating items from burlesque superstar Kitten On The Keys, a Wine Country Escape donated by Iuka Grogg (that would be Judd’s Tiki alter ego) and Judd’s Hill Winery, and a Grand Prize of Tiki Objects created by the legendary artist CRAZY AL! And best of all, raffle tickets are just $1 each!    And, if you own a uke, bring it and you can be part of the big finale. This sounds like too much fun! Field trip! Field Trip!  $15 at the door. No minors, please.  I think carpool arrangements can be worked out through the comments.

NOTE: Even if you can’t come, you can still contribute with a donation of any size made payable to Frank Novicki, 41 Carmel Avenue, Pacifica, CA, 94044.

That’s it for now.  Don’t forget to subscribe if you want to get notified whenever there’s a new post!