Also, I was under the false impression before they began that it was going to be a Queen cover band, so I was super disappointed with that.

Sabrina asked local bands about their experience with Kickstarter, including me for the ‘Gate’ EP project funded on the site.

Christa Wittmier reviewing my first Lapwing show at Kaleidoscope back in 2009.

Two Portlanders who blog about their experience in Honolulu covered our Clones of the Queen/At Sea show. Very nice!

My friend Niko Rivas interviewed me and wrote up this great column on my Lapwing EP.

‘At Sea (Honolulu, HI) @ thirtyninehotel, Honolulu, HI. 12th, July 2011.’ ‘Not merely a reunion, but a reinvention, as the band rearranges their instrumentation and song writing style, switching from long-form drone inspired post-rock epics to a more concise semi-pop-structure featuring former cellist (now guitarist/singer), Yvonne Harada on vocals.’

Sabrina profiles the weekly music showcase. Ross: “But Kaleidoscope may have some form of a legacy. I think it’s helped organize and increase the quality of music, to a point where I feel like a number of our bands are at a stage where they can crossover. We’ve played some role in that. And a role as well in the transformation of Chinatown. I know for absolute certain that we’ve been at the heart of some indelible moments in peoples lives. And that is a hell of a thing.”

A video by Jordan Blackmon, bassist for Toro Y Moi.

Photos by Tracy Chan. “The South Carolina-based ‘chillwave’ musician and his band brought their signature brand of funky, groovy, electronic shoegaze jams to a sold-out show at NextDoor Saturday night. Opening were local acts Clones of the Queen and Painted Highways. Although the club was packed and sweaty, people really got into the music, some dancing and some just swaying with eyes closed.”

Photos by Brian Tseng.

Gary Chun again! “Chaz Bundick and his crew manned their spaceship last night at Nextdoor, and took the good ship Toro y Moi and an audience of eager passengers to a nearby galaxy of sound and rhythm, forward thrusters go.”

Friend and ally Gary Chun gives COTQ and the Toro Y Moi show another shoutout in the Honolulu Pulse picks. Too kind. “Arguably the busiest indie rock band in Honolulu, Clones of the Queen had six shows lined up this month, and will be concluding their run this weekend and Thursday. Band member Matthew McVickar (also known as solo act Lapwing) is promoting his first club concert, and he got a great first mainland act in Toro Y Moi, the retro-pop-funk band led by Chaz Bundick. He and the band, along with fellow indie noteworthy band Painted Highways, will open for Bundick and company Saturday night at NextDoor starting at 9. Tickets are $20.”

A new all-ages venue. Struggling financially, of course, but this is awesome. Idea: offer to do a weekly solo show.