Kaleidoscope, Acid Wash celebrate 5 years
Holy hot dogs, Batman! It’s been an eventful week. So far, Monday is the only day I managed to not go out, but being at Kaleidoscope’s fifth anniversary at thirtyninehotel on Tuesday and Acid Wash’s 5th anniversary on Wednesday was so worth it.
Has it really been five years since I was in college and a friend asked me to come support him at a new indie rock night at NextDoor? I wasn’t an indie rock fan then, but I am now, thanks to the indie rock DJ crew, the Boys About Town, who took me in, taught me to spin and educated me in indie rock, soul and the finer points of what hipsterdom, but more importantly, the independent, no-big-money-but-lots-of-love DIY spirit of indie rock, is all about.
Thanks to being involved with Kaleidoscope, I know just about every rock band on the island, and thanks to the night’s constantly showcasing new artists, I’m one of the first to know when a talented new act begins performing. As I watched indie’s rise to a chart-topping genre, I can honestly say that I helped introduce bands like Arcade Fire, Feist, Spoon, Pulp and MGMT to a wider audience in Honolulu. It’s good to see that after five years Kaleidoscope, spearheaded by DJ Ross Jackson, continues to uncover new local talent and remains an integral part of the local music scene.
Here’s pics of some (but unfortunately not all) of the bands that performed at the anniversary party:
The next night, of course, was Acid Wash’s fifth anniversary. Like Kaleidoscope, I started going to Acid Wash at NextDoor back when I was in college, and it got so packed every Wednesday night that there was barely room to move around, let alone dance. But people managed.
The anniversary party at SoHo brought all the old Acid Wash DJ crew (G-Spot, Nocturna, Quicksilva and Vegas Mike), back together, with DJs Matt Kee and Rayne guest spinning.
Ever since the start of Acid Wash, there’s been this amazing diversity of people who showed up, from the goth kids to the hardcore college party people. Because of this diversity, it’s always been one of the most entertaining dance floors in town. But regardless of how people dance, it was awesome to see so many show up for the anniversary party!
