What Did You Guys Do For Father’s Day?

Aloha everyone, thank you again for reading my little blog! I really appreciate everyone’s comments here and on our Facebook page, so keep them coming

First off, we begin our tale from the HI*Sessions studio! Last week, we filmed another episode out at the beautiful Ko’olau Ballrooms and welcomed Holunape to the stage! The group are “old” friends of ours, because we both started around the same time and both began our professional careers under Roy Sakuma. It was really good to talk with those guys again, as I haven’t seen them in a while. Of course, as always, they sounded awesome, so I hope you tune in to watch!

Nick's side project, HI*Sessions, recently featured Holunape on the beatiful Ko'olau set!
Nick’s side project, HI*Sessions, recently featured Holunape on the beatiful Ko’olau set!

Next, Alex and I visited Justin Young’s CD release party at Aloha Tower! It was amazing to see how many local musicians came out to support Justin. From the big names that performed with him, to the equally impressive guest list in the crowd and behind the scenes, it was a little overwhelming for me to be around all these local all-stars. Luckily, Jon Yamasato (fellow HI*Session-er) asked me to shoot photos while I was there, so I didn’t have to rub too many elbows. It’s not that I don’t like to talk to fellow musicians, I just feel much more comfortable behind the camera, shooting these local celebs rather than trying to keep up with them. I couldn’t help smiling though, when we were offered a chance to meet Colbie Caillat, a very famous musician from the mainland. We are working with her Dad, so it was almost like we knew each other before we met!

While attending Justin Young's release party, Nick & Alex were lucky to meet Colbie Caillat!
While attending Justin Young’s release party, Nick & Alex were lucky to meet Colbie Caillat!

Last week, we were offered the opportunity to showcase our cooking skills for a Japanese magazine! Not really being the “Food Network” types, we had no idea what that meant and dumped the responsibility on Alex’s shoulders! Luckily, Alex is very comfortable behind the stove and was able to put together a quick menu for the shooting. He cooked up miso chicken and broccolini, and impressed the writers with his skills! As you can tell from the picture, I’m unimpressed…hahaha!

Displaying his skills in the kitchen, Alex showcases his cooking talent for a Japanese magazine!
Displaying his skills in the kitchen, Alex showcases his cooking talent for a Japanese magazine!

Finally, a VERY happy father’s day goes out to all the fathers out there! Alex and I are very lucky to have our Dad performing with us, and so to thank him, we made dinner on Sunday night in celebration! Alex made filet mignon steaks, wrapped in puff pastry and stuffed with blue cheese, while I made my “super potatoes” and Mom stuffed shrimp! The entire meal was awesome, and worth all the effort! What did you guys do to celebrate?

Alex admires his Father's Day creation, Filet Mignon wrapped in puff pastry!
Alex admires his Father’s Day creation, Filet Mignon wrapped in puff pastry!

Hopefully you guys have a great weekend! ManoaDNA is performing tonight at Lulus, then tomorrow at Kani Ka Pila, so hopefully you can make it down to one of those!
ALOHA!
Nick