Date: Friday, November 15th 2013

Line Up: Slightly Stoopid, Barrington Levy, Makua Rothman

Venue: The Republik. Honolulu, Hawaii





Slightly Stoopid played for a sold out crowd at the Republik in Honolulu before hopping over to Kauai and Maui. They are cruising with Barrington Levy and Makua Rothman while they raise money for the Danny Way Foundation to construct multiple skate parks in Hawai’i. Originally from San Diego’s community of Ocean Beach, where they formed in 1995 as a duo made up of Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald, Slightly Stoopid are no strangers to touring long distances.

The goal of the aloha-filled Hawaiian Island tour is to raise money for the Danny Way Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to building skate parks in Hawai’i with the hope of introducing new generations to the extreme sport. Danny Way began skating when he was 6-years old while often frequented the Del Mar Skate Ranch with his brother Damon, along with Kevin Staab, Steve Steadham, Billy Ruff and Tony Hawk. Hosoi and Vision sponsored Danny by the time he was ten. After a near-fatal injury while surfing in the mid-1990s, Danny went through a long and laborious rehabilitation before his triumphant return.

By 1997, Danny Way broke the world’s record for highest air on a skateboard on the DC Super Ramp. “The same day he performed a 12-foot kickflip indy and bomb dropped from a helicopter into the ramp” says the foundation’s website. He wasn’t finished executing awe-inspiring stunts and ended up dislocating his shoulder while performing the same helicopter trick.

He has won two X Games Big Air Gold Medals on his MegaRamp, which he brought to China to become the first person to jump the Great Wall of China on a skateboard catching air over a 60-foot gap. He did this four times. Danny Way is arguably the greatest skateboarder of all time and his foundation is bringing the sport to a new generation of extreme athletes.

Many of Oahu’s transplants were in attendance, giving smiles and shaka’s when Barrington Levy burst onto the stage. The reggae icon shouted, “HONOLULU, ARE YOU SLEEPING!?”, when the crowd let out a cheer. The Jamaican native brought unparalleled stage presence and positive vibes to the Republik and presented nearly an hour of his classic dance hall reggae beats. By the time he played “Seedless”, the sold out crowd danced, skanked, and sweat the rest of the set.



Longtime Levy fan, Carli’akala Thompson, was astounded and told The Pier “Barrington Levy mashed it up with a high energy performance at The Republik. He loved the crowd and the crowd loved him. His backing band was tight. The light and sound engineering were wicked!”

Fans and friends were honored to meet and greet Barrington Levy at Smokey’s Coffee and Smoke Shop in Honolulu the next morning. It has been over a decade since Levy released of a full-length album and he told The Pier we would be listening to his new album sometime during 2014. Manager, Daddy Biggs, seemed exited about the release saying the acoustic album is going to be amazing. When speaking of special guest appearances, Biggs told us they “have Snoop Lion… who used to be a Dogg”.

Still amped and energetic from Levy, San Diego’s Slightly Stoopid followed and played a spectacular set. “Damn it feels good to be back in Hawai’i, thank you all for making this shit righteous out here” professed Miles Doughty. Jet lag obviously does not affect the group as Doughty and McDonald traded exchanged guitars back and forth while taking turns providing lead vocals for a mellow and unique blend of reggae inspired songs. It was standing room only as Stoopid fans sang and swayed to the irie music. Skate legend Danny Way was introduced to play guitar for “2am” and proved that he is a man of many talents while solidifying his dedication to music and skateboarding.

The opportunity to listen to high quality music in Hawai’i is quite rare, however, the Republik has given the island a chance to share a space with high profile reggae music. Fans were obviously content with having Slightly Stoopid on a perfect Friday night when Don Carlos dawned on stage for the second half of “Never Gonna Give You Up”. For those of you who have been sleeping for the last forty years, Don Carlos is a reggae icon from Kingston, Jamaica. The line-up was something the residents of Oahu will most likely not experience for quite some time and we were treated with the presence of legends. It was a sold out experience for a great cause that will not fade from memory no matter how cloudy our perspectives get.

The Republik is the only venue of its kind on the island and their management has provided a musical outlet for artists and fans alike. The staff members they employ provide the best service out of any small concert venue I have been to in a long time. The bartenders are second to none, while continuously pouring drinks for nearly one thousand patrons in attendance with very little wait time. The security guards keep everyone safe while keeping a safe distance. Overall, Slightly Stoopid, Barrington Levy, Don Carlos, and Makua Rothman at the Republik was an unforgettable experience and will be hard to top.

For more information on The Danny Way Foundation or to donate, go to: DannyWayFoundation.org





Slightly Stoopid Set-List:

1.) Chicken Fried Reggae

2.) Don’t Stop

3.) Anywhere I Go

4.) Wicked Rebel

5.) Way You Move

6.) False Rhythms

7.) Conquer Me (Delroy Wilson cover)

8.) 2am

9.) Dancing Mood

10.) Never Gonna Give You Up (featuring Don Carlos)

11.) Hog & Goat (Featuring Don Carlos)

12.) Holiday (Featuring Don Carlos)

13.) Ababajoni (Featuring Don Carlos)

14.) Running With A Gun

15.) Officer

16.) Sensimilla

Encore:

17.) Top Of The World

18.) London Dub

19.) Mona June

20.) Express Yourself





Slightly Stoopid Links:

Exclusive Slightly Stoopid Blog

Slightly Stoopid Website

Slightly Stoopid Facebook

Slightly Stoopid Twitter