Interview with Maximum Rock N Roll, Issue 284

Where did you get the name, “White Rose”?

Steve-I learned about the White Rose in a literature
 class I was taking at Maui Community College, my
 professor wanted us to understand the power that students can, and should wield. She had us read a children’s book entitled, “Rose Blanche,” which was about a little girl who found out about the concentration camps at the edge of her town and at the risk of her own life, Rose would go and feed the prisoners her own lunch. I was really moved by this and
 researched the history of 
 the White Rose students. It was amazing to see that there were students who stood up to the Nazi regime.
What are you doing to live up to that name? To name a punk rock band after the students who were killed for
 distributing leaflets 
is a pretty bold move, don’t you think? 

Steve- I agree completely. I think that by naming
 ourselves after the students, we took on a big
 responsibility and it is one that I don’t take lightly. And that what I feel my professor was challenging me to do; I think she wanted her students to use critical thinking and ask themselves what they would do in Rose Blanche’s position. I feel very strongly that
 we need to be more than a band. I am working on ways
 to address many of the issues that we face in Hawaii today, whether
 it is corporate tourism and the prostitution of Hawaiian culture, or homelessness and hunger in Hawaii, as well as
 reforestation projects here on Maui.


Nate- I think the awareness we raise by choosing this
 name is reason enough, especially in this society where
 you can protest wherever and whenever you want without
 fear of reprisal, 
 I think it's time we realize if we actually want 
change, it is going to cost a little more than rubber 
bullets and tear gas.

Steve- The Islands of Oceania, which are usually seen as vacation spots or playgrounds for the rich are angry. Samoa was taken over and parceled up by the Europeans and the US in the similar to the way Africa was. The atolls of Tokelau are in danger of being lost to the ocean, due to the sea-level rising. Many people believe that in order for the islands of Oceania to throw off the chains of globalization that they want to return to primitivism. However, I disagree. Many of the people of Oceania, the thinkers and the intellectuals, want the island be self-sustaining and exist without having their natural resources stripped and sold. This isn’t a rejection of modernism. This is for our own survival. We cannot afford to pay high fuel costs to have food shipped here when we can grow our own food.



You are not from Hawaii, why would you take on
 Hawaiian issues? 

Steve- You are right, I’m not Hawaiian, I’m from Michigan. 
 However, I feel that it is my responsibility, as an outsider, to
 understand the illegal 
 takeover of the Hawaiian nation if I am to live
 here. I owe it to myself to see what happened here, and what is happening here. They didn’t teach me the ‘real’ history of Hawaii
 when I grew up in Michigan. We were told that Hawaii
 voted to be the 
“50th” state. What they didn’t tell us is that
 Hawaii was offered two choices: A. become a state or
 B. remain a territory. 
The option to regain their sovereignty wasn’t
 offered. After reading about George Helm and what
 happened in 
 Kahoolawe when they tried to stop the Navy from
 bombing the island, I felt that I had to do a lot
 more than go surfing and revel in the beauty of Hawaii. Just the other day I was visiting my sister-in-law on Oahu and during the entire day, we could hear munitions being exploded and the Navy practicing bombing missions. What needs to be understood is that the fresh water table sits on top of the salt-water table, within a sort of cup. If that is cracked, like they believe happened to Kahoolawe, the island of Oahu will not be able to sustain itself.

Nate- One thing I have been particularly interested in 
has been U.S. foreign policy throughout its history and 
this is just another example of us spreading our 
empire at the expense of indigenous people and their 
culture. 


What are some of your goals musically? 



Steve-Like I said, I hope to be more than a band. I
 hope to connect on a personal as well as a musical level. That’s really important to me. 

Nate- One of the main things that attracted me to punk
 rock was the awareness it raises about various social
 causes whether it is homelessness, racism, Women’s rights, or the anti-war movements. I am not African American but I agree and support the civil rights movement; if I lived back in the sixties, I would have marched and protested for their rights. I am
 not from the mountains of Chiapas but I believe as 
human beings they are entitled to the same quality of 
life as myself, I am not a woman but I believe that no
 human being should have to be abused because of
 gender.
Steve- I hope to raise more awareness. I know a couple of women who have gone through the “Women Helping Women” program on Maui, in order to get out of violent relationships. Women Helping Women provides lawyers, and advice to abused women. If anything, I want to be a vehicle of information as a band, and look for hope when there doesn’t seem to be any.

What makes you think your band is special? Don’t you
 think there are enough punk rock bands out there? 

Steve-I has loved punk rock for a long time. I’m 38
 years old and have participated in it since I was 13
 years old. I do 
think there are a lot of crappy bands out there, but
 I don’t think we are one of them. I think that
 sonically, we are a really 
 powerful band. We don’t play really fast blast beats
 or growl like the cookie monster, but we do play
 aggressive music 
 with a lot of melody. Back in the eighties, I saw
 bands like D.O.A. and Ruin and those bands blew me
 away. When Nate, 
 and I talked about putting a band
 together, those were two of the bands that came to
 mind. I wanted to rock as hard as they did and I don’t see bands doing that
 anymore. I don’t know if that makes us special or
 not, but I don’t hear 
 too many bands that sound like us. 


Nate-I started listening to punk when I was 14,and it
 has shaped who I am as a person more almost anything 
in my life so this is something I cannot help but do. 
 As far as other bands are concerned, I think our
 sound is more of a resurrection of the old stuff rather
 than another dressed-to-kill bands that sound like 
everyone else. 

Steve- I have been asked if we play ‘old-school’ hardcore and my reply is always “No.” I’m not interested in being a revival band, but we play this way because this is how I write songs. This is the way I play guitar. In 1981 we didn’t call it ‘old-school.’ To quote David Hayes, “It was pre-school.” We play the music that we want to hear.

What is the scene like in Hawaii?
Steve- 
 On Maui where we play the most, the scene is pretty
 small. When we play all-ages shows, they are pretty
 well attended, 
 but for the most part, there isn’t that big of a
 rock music scene. The funny thing is that there are
 some really great bands 
 here. Khrinj, who are our local metal band are
 absolutely amazing. Every time I see them play, I’m blown away
 by their sheer 
 ferocity. Gomega is another great band from Maui. On
 Oahu, there are a ton of kids and adults in the
 scene and lots of 
 bands. The Hell Caminos are our local psychobilly
 band, Black Square is reggae-influenced punk and 86
-List is a great 
 punk rock band. We have also made friends with The
 Insurgents from Oahu and they put on a great live
 show. Unity 
 Crayons is a local collective on Oahu and they put
 together a lot of great all-ages shows. To be honest
 with you, I 
 haven’t ever seen such hard working people in the
 punk scene before. And they do it on a volunteer
 basis! I’m really proud to work with people like that.

Nate-On Maui where we live, the scene is small but
 growing. The lack of venues is one of the main reasons it is so small. 
On Oahu the scene is pretty cool with Unity Crayons 
putting on a lot of all-ages shows. 


Steve-And even on Oahu, keeping all-ages venues open is really hard. It is a testimony to their hard work that they have shows as often as they do.




What are your feelings about Myspace? How do you
 justify using a website owned by Rupert Murdoch and
 the Fox news 
 corporation? 


Steve-I don’t like the fact that Rupert Murdoch owns
 Myspace. I know that eventually they will find a way
 to ruin it. 
 According to Wired magazine though, they really
 don’t know what to do with it yet. Recently though, 
 the military is 
 using Myspace to recruit kids. I’m not cool with
 that at all. I have to say though; I have met a lot
 of really cool people on 
 Myspace. It has been really good to White Rose. 
 Instead of us using it to beg people to “check out
 our band,” we just 
 promote ideas and try to be nice to people. That’s
 not a marketing strategy though, I see it as an
 extension of what zines 
 do and did in the past. I loved reading MRR and
 sending letters to SNFU or Final Conflict, asking
 them for an interview when I wrote my fanzine. 
 On Myspace, I can talk to them directly. Where else
 would I get to talk to Mike Watt or Bruce Loose? I
 never got to see 
 the Minutemen or Flipper, but I do get to message
 them and they answer back. I think that is really
 cool. We have met so many cool people on Myspace that it outweighs the
 negatives in my opinion. I don’t think that Murdoch
 would agree 
 with any of our positions on anything and it’s great
 to use his own weapons against him and his
 corporation.

Nate- How many trees do they chop down to print a 1 month
 of MRR? Even if the paper is recycled what corporation
 is it bought from? 


Steve- I think it is very difficult to remove oneself from the taint of corporations. I do everything I can to support local farming and local businesses. We use a lot of other Internet forums as well, but Myspace seems to be very popular right now.

Nate- I drive a truck to haul my drums to shows and we 
use Myspace to spread our anti-corporate message. In a
 way, I guess we are using this system to work against 
itself. 
 We are all guilty in some way, I mean, they kill trees for postage stamps and envelopes. If Rupert Murdoch is spreading republican
-fascist ideology, I say, let’s use his evil for something good. 


What are your goals as a band? 

Steve- I would love to be able to travel as a band and
 tour. Right now, it’s financial suicide for a band
 from Hawaii like ours to 
 tour. The logistics of us coming over without a lot
 of help are really tough. I hope to tour the
 continent next summer. We 
 have a lot of songs ready for the next CD as well
 and I’m really excited about recording them. I love
 working in the 
 studio and recording and the next CD should be
 amazing. We also are going to put out some 7 inches
 as well, hopefully 
this fall and we are always looking for new ways to put release our music. 

Nate- Steve pretty much capped that one. However, next time we record, we are going to try to use mind-control riffs to get people to like us more. 


Any other things you would like to say? 


Steve- I hope that we can connect with people. I’m really
 excited about our new CD and would love to hear from
 people. They can order it from us for $12.00 postage paid to PO
 Box 880908, Pukalani, HI, 96788. 
We also have t-shirts and stickers available.



If you are interested in ordering this issue, you can get it Here




INTERVIEW WITH BELGIUM MAGAZINE, RMP

Interview with Belgium RMP
RMP- Hey there, thanks for accepting the interview Smiley, so let's get started shall we. First things first, we need to know who'll be answering the questions.

Steve-I’m Steve, I play guitar in the band.

RMP -That being said, we'll start with a few general questions so that our readers have a general idea of the band. When did you guys know that it was your passion to start a band?
Steve- I’ve played in a lot of bands before and I’ve always wanted to have a band that plays the kind of music that we play and address the same types of issues that we do in the band. Nate, the drummer, and Noah the singer/bassist are brothers and they have played in bands together before. They too wanted to play the type of music that we play. Basically we all wanted to play in a band where we can play anything that we want. If we want to play reggae, we will. If we want to play rock, or punk or whatever, we are willing to give it a shot. If it sucks, then we usually won’t let the song get out of our rehearsal room.

RMP-What bands would you guys compare yourself with? How would you describe your own music?

Steve- We’re all over the place. The roots of what we do are punk rock. That’s what we play, but there are elements of a lot of bands that have influenced us. I suppose I’d describe our music as melodic, loud, socially-aware, honest and sometimes fast, sometimes not. We’re not going to set any land speed records –I think there are enough bands that play lightning fast. Don’t get me wrong, I love that type of music, I just don’t have the ability to play like that. What bands do we compare ourselves too? That’s pretty hard to answer. I could say just about anything, but I’d be wrong! I don’t know of too many bands that we sound like, but there is traces of Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, The Stooges, and The Descendents in the music. However, I can’t compare us to them –they have all proved to be timeless and unique. Hopefully, someday we could be like that.

RMP- Has Punk music been with you all your life?

Steve- It’s been with me for a long time. I’m 39 years old and grew up in Michigan. We had people like Ted Nugent who played in our area a lot –he was played on the radio constantly. Ted was like a local band for some of us. I was pretty young though and wasn’t able to go out and see concerts like that, but I had neighbors and cousins who discovered punk rock and I got turned on to punk rock from them. It was somewhere in the late 70’s, but I didn’t call myself punk rock until the 80’s. To me, REO Speedwagon was no different than anyone else –it was music and it was entertainment. I eventually saw that punk rock could also be radically political and that was really attractive to me.

RMP -Punk has many subgenres. How do you personally define "punk" these days?
Steve-I really don’t know. I’m not sure if I should or could define punk rock. I know what it is to me. I think that it has the potential to be amazing, fun, exciting, radical (in the true sense of the word), but it also can be trite, boring and plodding –without any meaning at all. I know that when I was young, the idea of punk rock having it’s own internet sites and radio was way beyond my imagination. Punk rock was music for outsiders and misfits when I was younger.
RMP- How did you guys come up with quite an unusual name like (Order of the) White Rose?
Steve- We named ourselves after the White Rose students in Munich, Germany. They wrote leaflets denouncing the Hitler regime and distributed it among their fellow students. They were eventually caught and executed. However, I felt that their commitment and desire to challenge the authorities was inspiring.

RMP -How popular is (Order of the) White Rose in the United States?
Steve- Not at all! We have a lot of work to do for even people who are hip to the whole punk thing to hear about us. Coming from Hawaii has its disadvantages, touring is difficult and getting our name out to other people in the scene, even with the internet, has been tough. I work at least an hour a day putting together mailers and promoting the band and our ideas.
RMP- In 2006 you released "War Machine", your first full CD. What are the main themes of the CD? Where did you get your inspiration?
Steve- I think we address a lot of things on War Machine. One major idea that we had was to look for solutions and look for self-affirming ideas. Our songs, “In Control” and “Resist Despair” talk about these things. Our song “Seeds of Destruction,” which we also re-worked for the b-side of our 7-inch, is about genetically modified foods. “Who Would Jesus Bomb,” was a song questioning Christian’s pro-war stance.

RMP- Can we expect new material in the near future? If so, is there an evolution in your style or is it the same in your face punk music?
Steve- Yeah, we’re recording demos at every practice and writing new songs. I think the evolution of our music continues what we did on War Machine. Some of our new songs are about the missionaries coming to Hawaii, immigration, and the people of New Orleans and the Katrina disaster. Musically, we are getting to play better as a band, and that helps writing better songs, and a more cohesive record.

RMP- What are your guy’s opinions about all the downloading that goes on?
Steve- I think that our songs are all available for download at one place or another. I’m not against it, but our records are really cheap and I’m willing to cut people deals if they want one. The artwork on War Machine is by Winston Smith and the 7 inch has a poster by Keith Rosson. Brian Walsby drew the front cover and Keith drew the back cover and the poster inside. I like records with good art in them. I don’t get that with a download, it doesn’t really feel ‘real’ to me without the physicality of a CD or record. But, with our natural resources like oil dwindling at a fast pace, downloading may be the way to go. I’m not sure that I want to just churn out records and CDs without thinking about what goes into their production.
RMP- Have you guys played on any big festivals or done any major gigs yet?
Steve- We’ve played with the Bouncing Souls and The Dropkick Murphys. Those shows were pretty big. We haven’t played any big punk rock festivals yet, but I’d like to.
RMP-You recently did a tour in California, did everything went as planned?
Steve- Yeah, it went well. I got sick, but we had great shows in Berkeley and Ridgecrest. I wanted to see how hard it would be for us to tour –we’re all very busy with our families, work and school, so it takes some planning for us to tour.
RMP-What's the funniest thing that has ever happened in a show?
Steve- I think anyone who asks if they can play my guitar after I get done playing is hilarious. I don’t lend out my guitars to people so they can show me how well they play “Sweet Child O’ Mine” on guitar. Every time someone asks me, “hey dude, can I play your guitar?” I get really confused. I would never ask to do that. It’s not the funniest story, is it? I wish I had some crazy story to tell, but I don’t really have any. Most of the time, people don’t talk to me –I’m older than a lot of the people who come to our shows, so they probably see me as their dad or something.



Do you guys have any favorite bands you like to listen to when off - stage?
Steve- When we are about to play, I like to listen to anything but punk rock. I like listening to jazz before we play. That being said, most of the time I’m listening to the other bands that are going on before us. I just get nervous watching them.
Do you guys have other jobs besides performing in a band?
Steve- Yeah, I work in a bakery with my wife, Nate works construction and Noah is a tattoo artist. I also attend college.

RMP-Final question, try to convince our readers that attending a show of "(Order of the) White Rose" is an absolute must.
Steve-That’s a good question. I don’t know if we’re an absolute must-see type of band. If it comes down to eating or going to see us play, please go eat first. I remember going hungry because I bought MDC’s “Chicken Squawk” 7 inch instead of food. I don’t recommend doing that. However, we will put on a honest show, we’ll be trying to rock out and entertain the people in the audience. Nate, our drummer is fun to watch. He hits the crap out of his drums and that’s a blast to watch.

Thanks for your time, and keep us updated about new releases. We'll gladly mention them on our site!

The Disneyfication of Hawai`i

The Friday 17th edition of the Honolulu Advertiser reports that new plans for a Disney-owned timeshare and hotel development will open in 2011. Although there are concerns that the economy of Hawai`i has slowed considerably, this new resort will have 350 rooms and 480 timeshare units. The estimated cost of the resort will be around $800 million and they plan on employing 1,000 people once the resort is opened.
Wing Chao, the executive vice-president of architecture and design at Walt Disney states, [The resort] honors Hawai`ian culture but splashes in some ‘Disney magic,’ …guests can swim in a saltwater snorkeling lagoon that will feature native fish and ‘some elements of Disney characters.’”




Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts says, “Disney acquired 21 acres for the resort a year ago and has since been learning more about Hawai'i, planning and researching…This project is very true and authentic to who we are.”
You can probably see where I am going with this; I am deeply troubled with the idea of Hawai`i becoming “Disneyfied.” The Hawai`ian imagery and culture has been co-opted for hundreds of years. Hawai`i was reported to be an island of friendly savages by Captain Cook. Currently it is seen as a idyllic, laid-back culture where the employees of the resorts will bend over backwards in order to please their guests. At a current meet the candidates forum for the Hawai`ian chamber of commerce, I heard Maui County Councilwoman Gladys Baisa, wish that she was just a “little bit Hawai`ian,” so she could relax. Earlier, I wrote about the imagery used in lounge music to promote the idea of a relaxed jungle culture.

Tahiti women painted by Paul Gauguin



I believe that Disney will use a lot of the imagery found in lounge music in their resorts. Mai Tais and rum and cokes will be served along the piped in sounds of Martin Denny. Tourists will pull their overly-stuffed suitcases through lounges with palm fronds stapled to the wall. Disney characters will run through the resort; will the chuckling Goofy character work in the fake Lo`i? Will Minnie Mouse join the hula shows? I don’t believe that this is unfair; in the news report on KGMB News, the characters, “Lilo and Stitch” made an appearance while the Governor smiled and clapped. KGMB




The attacks on Hawai`ian culture have been consistent and incessant. If the resort is built, I’m sure that many jobs will be created, and local people need jobs and of course, Disney isn’t exactly known for their fair wages (Signon). However, the Disneyfication of Hawai`i is potentially dangerous and another example of the commodification of a proud people and culture.

Disneyland Enchanted Tiki Room




Signon

Disney is Hell in Haiti

This oil painting by Johann Zoffany depicts
Cook's death at Kealakekua Bay.


Richard Cooksey.
"Ode to the Memory of Captain Cooke." Written at the Desire of Mr. Dunster. October 14, 1780."
In: Miscellaneous Poems.
London, 1796
Too soon, alas, it struck thy heart,
Thou child of science and of art!
Too soon thy scene was clos'd.
While waving (pity-mov'd) thy hand,
Fair Mercy's sign, the savage band
To mercy--death oppos'd!


Captain Cook Made a Good Dinner © Stephen Hart

They came for the coconut
They came for the trees
They took what they could
They took what they pleased

Then they brought disease
And made the islands sick
They sell what they could
And burned every tree

Captain Cook made a good dinner
he thought he was a god
(but it) turns out he was a sinner
so, with a pinch of salt and a bit of poi
chop him up ‘cause
He makes a good stew

Traveling on the public's dime while Keiki get sick

The right-wing blogosphere is buzzing with excitement when the headline, “Hawaii ends universal child health care program just months after adopting it” popped up on the Associated Press (AP) wire. Since Hillary Clinton brought up universal healthcare as her project while she was First-Lady, the right-wing (often backed by the multi-billion dollar insurance companies) have been attacking her and the idea of health-care for all. Dennis Smith of The Foundry, a blogging website connected to the Heritage Foundation, writes, “Hawaii has learned what some have known all along–that the cost of free care is unaffordable.” However, with close inspection of the AP article, 2,000 children enrolled in the program will have their health care coverage dropped. Dr Kenny Fink, the administrator for Med-QUEST at the Department of Human Services, offers this as a reason for the discontinuation of the program, "People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free… I don't believe that was the intent of the program.” In other words, since some people abused the program, everyone in the program will be punished.
The child care program was initially designed “to cover every child from birth to 18 years old who didn't already have health insurance - mostly immigrants and members of lower-income families (AP).” It has been fairly commonplace for immigrants to be demonized in the American political arena –the current financial crisis involving home mortgages has been blamed on poor immigrants. Michelle Malkin, the self-loathing conservative talk show guest states, “There's one giant paternal elephant in the room that has slipped notice… illegal immigration and open-border policies fueled the mortgage crisis… [The California Central Valley] also happen[s] to be some of the nation's largest illegal alien sanctuaries. Half of the mortgages to Hispanics are sub prime…” According to Ms. Malkin, the poor are to blame. They forced the banks to give them sub prime loans, they forced speculators and paper-shufflers to wage bets on the value of the mortgages. In Malkin World, the poor are always to blame. Never mind that the poor are the ones foreclosed upon and evicted. Nevertheless, I’m not surprised that the Keiki Care Package is being shut down. This is just another example of a government program being shut down because of so-called “abuse.”


If funding is such a big problem for the Keiki Care program to continue, may I suggest a few budget cuts that Governor Lingle could implement. First, let’s end Lingle’s free health care. Surely, she can afford it. It wasn’t that long ago that she attended the Republican National Convention. Who paid for that trip? Secondly, the people of Hawai`i State employees are not allowed to endorse political candidates. For instance, a professor at University of Hawaii cannot endorse Obama or Nader, because they are paid by the State of Hawaii. So, why is Lingle allowed to stump for her Republican presidential candidates? Isn’t she the top State employee? Isn’t Hawai`i having a current financial crisis of its own? Yet, our top employee is using our money to travel around the Continental US, stumping for a candidate who has no chance of winning the State of Hawaii electoral votes. Lets rescind her travel and campaigning allowance and use the money we saved in order to save the Keiki Care program.
The abuse of the Keiki Care program is no reason to discontinue the entire program. Certainly, some provision could amend the program and make sure that it works for the people it is intended to help. Linda Lingle has sold out the people of Hawai`i again and it is time for her to go.

Linda Lingle lives in Public Housing



These people don't:

Business and Media. Org
Heritage/No Free Lunch
Abercrombie Criticizes Lingle
Impeach Lingle
Lingle travels during budget crisis

Imperialism, Rock Music and the Kaho`olawe Nine

We were recently interviewed for Maui Time Weekly and I brought up Colonialism and Imperialism as one of the subjects White Rose speaks and sings about. I’m currently enrolled in a Hawaiian Studies class (for which I write this particular blog-posting for) which is directly involved in studying the history of Colonialism in Hawai`i. One of the few comments posted on the Maui Time Weekly website brought up an interesting point. What exactly is the solution to Colonialism and Imperialism in Hawai`i? Is de-colonizing the Islands possible? Maui Time Weekly Cover Story

Kaho`olawe Bombed

Imperialism is defined in the Mac Dictionary as “a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.” Certainly, it is not difficult to see the US Military’s influence on and in Hawai`i. Hawai`i is a strategic outpost for the US Military for the entire Pacific Ocean. Therefore, if imperialism is a policy extending a country’s influence through… military force, then we can only conclude that the US is actively participating in imperialism in Hawai`i.



It’s a well known fact that the Military “owns” (I put that it quotes in order to question the legitimacy of ownership) countless thousands of acreage in Hawai`i. There are beautifully landscaped military bases all over Oahu. However, one example of the abuse of power by the military is Koho`olawe island. The entire island of Kaho`olawe was used as target practice by the US military until 2003. If you are not familiar with Kaho’olawe, it is an island that is 11 miles long by 6 miles wide. It is not a tiny little island, in fact, it is roughly the same size as Spring Lake Township in Michigan, where I grew up. In 1965, “Operation Sailor Hat” was a series of three explosives tests conducted by the US Navy which were used to simulate the effects of a nuclear bomb on ships. Over 500 tons of TNT were used to conduct these tests. The bombing continued for years. My friends who lived in Kihei told me that they could see and hear explosions from their homes until early 2000.



In 1976, nine people attempted to occupy Kaho`olawe and were subsequently arrested by the US Coast Guard after landing. (Two of the occupiers, Walter Ritte and Emmett Aluli headed for cover and spent nearly two days hiking around the island before they were tracked down, put in shackles on a chopper and flown off the island. In April, 2006, the Maui News had an article entitled, “The Kaho'olawe Nine 30 Years Later.” According to the article, the attempt to occupy Kaho`olawe was … “an extraordinary example of what looked like a lost cause," [Ian Lind] said. "How can you possibly challenge… government policy? Officials said if they stopped bombing Kahoolawe they would have to close down Pearl Harbor; the nation's defense will collapse. They gave one reason after another why it couldn't happen…People made it happen… So [the attempt at occupation is] an example of people acting together and not giving up and showing that in the long run you can make it work. You can make a difference…”
Unexploded bombs found on Kaho`olawe


Our critic on the Maui Time Weekly website thought that our lyrical matter discussing imperialism in Hawai`i is something to be mocked and derided. In fact, I’m sure that the interview comes across as rather earnest, and I don’t have a problem with that. But, the “Kaho`olawe Nine” have shown that US imperialism can be challenged in Hawai`i. White Rose can be mocked for addressing these issues in our music, but we still believe that we should be singing about something and doing more than just being another dumb rock band.


US NAVY/Sailor Hat
Military Presence in Hawaii
Maui News
Ian Lind's Landing Photos

Flow, for the love of Water

If you'd like to know more about our water supply, there is a movie at the MACC, I'll see you there!


Wednesday, October 29, Castle Theater, MACC, Kahului
FLOW: FOR THE LOVE OF WATER


While there are many contenders for the title of the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century, The World Water Crisis-and ultimately, "Who Controls the Water"-has got to be near or at the top on any list. This eye-opening documentary looks beyond the "problem" (one we even face right here on Maui) to provide a blueprint for a sweeping and successful turnaround. "Smartly done" wrote the LA Times and the NY Times added "Astonishingly wide-ranging, galvanizing and heartfelt". Unrated. 93 min.

Anthems

Nate Robertson, drummer

Before White Rose was ever a band, Nate and I talked about what kind of music we wanted to play for over a year. One half of what we talked about was a variety of ska and reggae bands and musicians, the other half is what is featured on this podcast. Nate was the Stiff Little Fingers fan, while I was the Red Rockers fan. Somewhere in the middle, we were able to figure it out. Enjoy!
Anthem Podcast

More Nate! Pictures by Brendan Smith




This week, (Oct. 9th) we were featured in Maui Time Weekly

Maui Weekly and White Rose

All-Ages Performance Spaces and the Next Generation of Maui Musicians:

A picture of me (By Murray Bowles) playing at Gilman Street in 1991


If the County of Maui wants to hold onto a natural resource, one that is conceivably renewable, then it needs to invest in the youth of Maui and create an all-ages performance space. We need to do this in order to foster creativity and art, along with teaching the youth of Maui the business aspects of professional musicianship. As a musician on Maui, and a father of four children, I am deeply concerned for Maui's future, especially in the performing arts. Our children are a natural resource, and music not only provides a vehicle for expression, it will also foster a sense of community and a pride in oneself.

A few years ago, a young lady from Maui was featured on the television show, "American Idol." When Camile Velasco reached the "top ten," people from all walks of life rooted for her, because she is a "Maui girl." However, the American Idol television show is not going to create long-lasting careers in music, unless the contestant is a top three finalists, and even this has proved to be difficult for many of the finalists. For every Kelly Clarkson, there are scores of people in the "where are they now?" refuse bin. The nature of a pop music television show is predicated on an influx of the "new," or whatever is happening on the show right now. Artists such as Ms. Velasco will tour with other finalists in an American Idol revue, but once the tour is over, the time in the spotlight is over. In fact, the music industry is becoming increasingly difficult for all new artists to flourish, not just American Idol contestants. One of the reasons the Recording Industry Association of America gives for the downfall of the music industry is the loss of income from illegal downloading. According to the RIAA website, "Global music piracy causes $12.5 billion of economic losses every year." Even though this loss of revenue is certainly devastating, this is not the only reason that the music industry is failing. I believe that the reason the music industry, and music in general, is failing is because communities such as ours are not providing community support for young, budding musicians.

As a musician on Maui, I am in close contact with a variety of young people through social networking sites such as MySpace and its various imitators. Many of the kids that I correspond with often complain that there is no place for them to perform. Some organize shows at community centers or at a county park, but these are, by law, free shows. An organizer cannot charge money at the door for admission. Therefore, the band cannot make any money to further a career. As rudimentary as it sounds, it does require money to buy professional equipment and to maintain it. However, if an artist is able to charge a small admission fee, they are able to save their money and buy better equipment or possibly fund a small tour to places like Oahu or the Big Island. Music promoters would also be able to invest money into their equipment and promotion. Presently, promoting a show consists of a few flyers being created and taped up on doors at Requests music or at the counter at Bounty Music. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to get a permit to play at a community center, and because it is not a dedicated performance space, usually bands have to play with the house lights on, or in the dark. The quality of the sound is usually terrible and the people who are in attendance for the performance are often disappointed. This does not foster creativity or community. Instead, these shows are often very stressful and the youth in attendance are often pitted against the police, or similar authority figures that worry that the building or surrounding property will be damaged.

However, I believe there is a way to foster creativity and a sense of community for the young people of Maui, and that is by designing and maintaining a building dedicated to all-ages performances of all types. In 1986, Tim Yohannon from the magazine, Maximum Rock N Roll, pulled together a few people to create an all-ages club in Berkeley. Before they could open the club up to the public, they invested over $40,000 for rent and construction. They also navigated the city's bureaucracy, and filed for permits and had the building inspected by the health, fire and police departments. After 8 months of hard work, they opened the club doors on December 31st, 1986 (Edge). I was in contact with Tim at this time and from my small town in Michigan, I was able to send two dollars to what was known as the "Gilman Street Project" and become a member. Brian Edge, who wrote the book, 924 Gilman quotes Tim as saying, "the membership policy was created primarily as a way to try and control violence that was happening at shows at the time. It also turned out that the additional revenue created by the membership feeds [helped with] the club surviving (Edge). After a few years, Tim's interest in the club waned, and he turned the club over to an organization called the "Alternative Music Foundation," who have run the club ever since.

There are a few very unique aspects to 924 Gilman, (which is what it is called now) which are worth implementing here on Maui. One of these is having a volunteer-run staff. By this, I mean that teenagers and young adults can volunteer to help run the club at all levels of management. This by no means eliminates adult interaction. In fact, 924 Gilman has staff ranging in ages from 16 through 64 years old. However, I do believe that by having the youth involved in the business meetings and operational aspects of running the space will breed a sense of ownership. This ownership will help protect the building and the surrounding area. When teenagers have their own club and their own space, they are less prone to violence or destruction because it is theirs. Adults can train the volunteers how to run a successful security force, and teach them critical crisis-management skills. When I was visiting Gilman in August, 2007, the security people, who are paid 10 percent of the gross profit for each night worked, roamed through the neighborhood, not only watching out for vehicle break-ins, illegal parking, underage drinking and graffiti, but they also made sure that the women in attendance were safe from predators and would-be attackers (Gilman). Many of the 924 Gilman volunteers that I have known for over 20 years have gone on to be successful students, writers, nurses and doctors and many of them credit their time spent volunteering at 924 Gilman as their training ground, which taught them their needed life skills. According to 924 Gilman's website, nightly volunteers are needed to running the front door, to clean up after the show (Gilman). I don't know of any other business that would allow a first-time volunteer to collect money, with a minimal supervision. However, this does underscore the point that volunteers often are responsible because it is often their first time being trusted by anyone in authority. Although there have been cases of theft, for the most part, this method has worked remarkably well.

Having an all-ages club in a Californian urban center such as the Bay Area has certain elements that Maui cannot recreate. The population is much greater in California than on Maui and due to its proximity to San Francisco, attracting touring rock bands has not been a problem for 924 Gilman. On Maui, the situation is very different in this aspect. However, this challenge is also our greatest opportunity. One of the aspects that we can separate ourselves from the Gilman Street model is by diversifying the use of the space. Instead of using the space for one or two genres of music, if we open the club up to all varieties of music, which Maui has in abundance, the space will be better utilized. In fact, we could use the space for hula, AA and NA meetings, dance recitals, and poetry readings. Another aspect of having a performance space is teaching young adults how to operate and maintain the peripherals of music, such as lighting and sound system operations. 924 Gilman is one of the few places where young adults can learn how to run a mixing board. Many of the people trained at Gilman are now well-paid touring "front of house" engineers. The opportunities provided by 924 Gilman have proved to be very valuable.

Educating the youth on Maui to have control over their music careers is fundamental to keeping our best and brightest musicians on Maui. Like many small towns and islands, Maui is often a victim of what is commonly called, "brain drain." In the past five years that I have lived on Maui, I have seen at least ten highly intelligent and creative musicians leave Maui to seek their fortunes elsewhere. By leaving Maui, they often leave a vacuum in their wake because the people left behind are not able to draw from the departed band's experiences. Oftentimes, a music scene will grow and flourish until the main bands leave, and then the scene has to start all over again. Having a system in place that teaches the next generation of interested musicians how to navigate and survive, and have a semblance of control in their music career can alleviate this brain drain. Instead of participating in television contests, which are often seen as the only choice for young musicians, the youth on Maui can grow at their own pace and not have to suffer the judgment and criticism of a national audience. Thus, providing a space for our children to learn is fundamental to maintaining our musical traditions.

White Rose at Gilman Street 2006 (Picture by Larry Wolfley)

There are many concerns raised with a project like this, but many of them can be addressed. With any teenage hang out, drugs and alcohol abuse are a big concern. 924 Gilman does not allow alcohol on the property, nor does it allow drinking in the neighborhood. As I have pointed out earlier, paid security roam the streets and asks anyone who is breaking this rule to leave the area. It is also necessary to point out that drug and alcohol abuse occurs in many other facets in teenage lives. Drug and alcohol abuse can occur at high-school football games, the beach or the mall. And many of these places are unsupervised by adults. By offering a safe environment for teenagers and young adults to participate in their entertainment, adults have a better chance of reaching the at-risk children. That being said, by no means do I suggest that an all-ages club become second parents or drug counselors. By doing so, this would bring many rules and laws into the space and thereby separating the youth from being able to participate in the managerial aspects of the space. However, a sober and safe place can lead by example, without forcing anyone to conform.

By having an all-ages space, by definition, people of all-ages can attend. This leads to a problem of adults mixing with teenagers, and the possibility of sexual contact. Again, this is also possible at the mall or the beach; however, the confines of a club could accelerate the problem. Nevertheless, at all of the all-ages concerts I have performed on Maui, I have observed the interaction between over-21 adults and teenagers. For the most part, they do not mix. The adults congregate with people their own age and the teenagers with other teenagers. Even at 924 Gilman, the adults rarely interact with the teenagers in attendance. I don't believe that there is a solution to sexual predator behavior. Perhaps the club can host workshops to educate young men to view women in a respectful manner, a manner which is quite different from what is shown on TV or repeated as "Rock and Roll behavior."

Finally, funding and operating an all-ages club will demand wide community support. It will need the support of the local police and fire departments, in order to alleviate an "us versus them" environment. Perhaps the county could provide seed money in order to build or create the space. However, having the government continue to be involved beyond providing funds could lead to censorship or a crackdown on what could be deemed as an undesirable element. It is very important to stress that this space is to be operated and run by the youth, with minimal adult supervision.

Local musicians and sound engineers will need to be recruited to create a good sounding space and train the volunteers how to run the equipment. Many musical instrument manufacturers could be approached to donate equipment for the club. In Japan, a drum set and backline (a backline consists of bass and guitar amplifiers and speaker cabinets) is provided at many of the live music bars. Musicians are required only to bring their guitars and drum cymbals and whatever exotic equipment needed, such as percussion instruments (Griffin). This alleviates the need for bands to buy expensive gear before they can afford it.

The insurance liability is another problematic concern. Finding an insurance company to insure an all-ages space could be very difficult, but not implausible. Having all the permits and fire codes up to date, and the county's permission and cooperation, we could find a friendly insurance company to work with.

Despite having many unanswered questions regarding drugs and alcohol, sexual assault and insurance liabilities, opening up a performance space for young people is an investment into Maui's future. Millions of dollars are spent on enticing tourists every year to come to Maui and spend their money. However many of the musical entertainers in the hotel/tourism industry have reached their economic peak. The days of Martin Denny playing for thousands of tourists at the Hilton on Oahu are over. In fact, many would argue that musical development in Hawaii has stagnated. If local musicians stray from the reggae or slack-key traditions, they are often marginalized or not appreciated by radio or print media. In order for musical talent to progress, new ideas need to be injected into the process. By providing a space for young people to experiment creatively and be exposed to a variety of music genres, the music of Hawaii can again capture the imagination of the world. An all-ages space will allow the youth of Maui to feel as though they too are wanted on Maui and that they have other options than working in a hotel or leaving the island. An all-ages space is not the only solution to alleviating boredom in youth, but it does show a commitment to our resources and our children. And, as a parent, that is the kind of community I want to be a part of.
Gilman Street 2007 (Phobia Show!)



Works Cited

Edge, Brian. 924 Gilman; The Story So Far. 1st. Oakland: Maximum Rock N

Roll, 2002.

Gilman. "Booking Info." 924 Gilman. 01 Jan 2008. 924 Gilman. 11 Apr 2008

Griffin, Jeff. Personal interview. 11 Apr 2008.

RIAA. "For Students Doing Reports." RIAA. 01 Jan 2008. Recording

Industry Association of America. 11 Apr 2008

More Information:
GILMAN STREET WEBSITE

Scarred Films


From The SF CHRONICLE:
'924 Gilman Street' Documentary maker
hoped to inspire copycat do-it-yourself clubs
Reyhan Harmanci

Jack Curran got the idea to make a documentary about well-known Berkeley all-ages cooperative venue 924 Gilman Street (commonly referred to as Gilman Street) from two sources: his College of San Mateo film Professor Jay Rosenblatt and the skateboarding documentary "Dogtown and Z-Boys."
"One of the first things he taught me was to film what you know," Curran says, "so you don't fake it and it's not so much homework. It'll come across as sincere. I wanted to film something, and I thought Gilman Street would be a great thing to document."
Although Curran is resolute that discussing his film is not tantamount to discussing himself, he does allow that he was in a band that played Gilman Street. It's hard to imagine any young Bay Area punk musician in the '90s not playing there. The list of iconic rockers Curran interviews includes Jello Biafra, Ian MacKaye, Lars Frederiksen, Matt Freeman, Dave Scattered and Sweettooth. The film includes performances by Operation Ivy, Pansy Division, Fleshies, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Against Me, Jason Webley, Panty Raid, Screeching Weasel, Pinhead Gunpowder, Dominatrix, D.S.B. , and Atom and His Package.
One of the first decisions Curran made was to veto any voice-from-God documentary narration. The story is told through interviews and concert footage. "It's important for me to have volunteers and musicians tell the story," he says, "because I don't think one person should speak for the place."
Curran didn't want to speak for Gilman in an interview either, but he did say he could attribute the venue's success (it's been around since 1987) to the things that haven't changed. It is totally volunteer run. It's members only (although membership dues will run you just $2 a year). It is all-ages and no alcohol is served. Through twice-monthly meetings, issues are raised and duties are divvied up. It's an idealistic operation that has lasted.
For touring musicians, it offers the rare opportunity to play outside the usual club scene. "It's so much better than what they normally have to deal with. Shows are usually about money and alcohol sales -- and there aren't that many all-ages shows, because you barely make any money off of kids," Curran says.
For those who believed in the ethics behind Gilman Street, it was a great place to play. "You'd barely make gas money but that wouldn't matter," he says.
Gilman Street has been the model for other venues -- such as New York's ABC No Rio in lower Manhattan -- but Curran hopes that his documentary can further encourage young people who are sick of being shut out of rock shows because they aren't a source for alcohol revenue.
"I had this idealistic dream -- we were hoping to inspire kids in other towns to do something similar. By laying it out, showing how each aspect of running the club goes and how simple it is, we could show it was possible," he says. "So touring bands next summer would have an easier time."

Reyhan Harmanci, rharmanci@sfchronicle.com