HAWAIIAN HOLIDAY
Shake your hips to the Endless Summer Luau.
If your summer vacation has only taken you as far as the "exotic food" aisle at Ukrop's, get your taste of a Hawaiian holiday with Carbon Leaf's Endless Summer Luau.
That's right, it's time to get lei-d at the annual island-inspired music fest at Brown's Island this Saturday.
For the fourth year in a row, the boys of summer are throwing the Endless Summer Luau as a "thank-you" to their loyal Richmond fan base.
Last year, more than 1500 people made it to the Endless Summer Luau. And 300 to 400 stayed for the camp-out sleepover.
This year, however, campers will need to leave their pup tents at home because the campout portion of this fest has been canceled. Why? Mainly because the Luau is being held in a new location -- Brown's Island instead of Mayo -- and also due to time constraints for the band who are currently logging major studio time to working their next album, due out in January.
Instead of camping out overnight, Carbon Leaf says they concentrated on booking strong bands to help share the stage. Punk blues rockers North Mississippi All Stars and blue-eyed soul man Marc Broussard will be joining Carbon Leaf for plenty of fresh music at the Endless Summer Luau.
The Endless Summer Luau caps off a strong year for Carbon Leaf.
Just last year, in 2002, the home-grown talents shook Dick Clark's hand when they won the Coca-Cola New Music Award at the American Music Awards for their catchy hit "The Boxer."
And more recently, the Celtic-inspired rockers swept Richmond.com's Reader's Choice Awards and were voted by you, loyal Richmond.com readers, as Best Band in Richmond, Best Live Show, and Best Rock Band.
"We wouldn't be able to keep playing if we didn't have the supportive fan base in Richmond," Carbon Leaf's lead singer, Barry Privett, says.
The Floyd Avenue-based rock band have been touring all summer in support of their April release "Five Alive" and are wrapping up a two-week stint of side shows alongside the likes of John Mayer and Counting Crowes.
"It's the perfect time to come back to Richmond and have a big bang [at the Endless Summer Luau]," he adds.
Brown's Island will be dressed up as a tropical paradise this Saturday with more leis, tiki torches and hula girls than you've seen since "Hawaii Five-O."
Polynesian dancers will be shimmin' their hips, along with fire jugglers tossing flaming pins into the air. And island-hoppers will even be asked to get on their feet for the annual no-holds-barred limbo contest.
Proceeds from the music fest will also benefit SCAN, the Stop Child Abuse Now non-profit.
Shake your hips, Richmond. It's time to shimmy over to the Endless Summer Luau.
Endless Summer Luau IV
Saturday, Aug. 2
Brown's Island
$15 in advance, $20 at the gate
4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Colleen Curran/July 30, 2003
Richmond.com