808’s Point Panic Music Festival

808’s Point Panic Music Festival

When national touring acts map out their journey through the states, often times Hawai’i is not included as a destination on tour. Yet, the major names in the reggae-rock community never forget the love and devotion the islands posses for the reggae sound. This rings true for Sublime w/Rome, Pepper and Iration

This upcoming weekend, the love that the Hawaiian fans show for music will be mutually felt on stage by three of the best-known names in the music scene. Hawaiian natives Pepper and Iration will be returning to the 808-state for one of the biggest festivals to date. If homegrown talent is not enough to peak interest, Sublime With Rome will be gracing the ears of fans for two dates in Honolulu and Kahului. General Admissions for this timeless weekend will be $45 a ticket with VIP available for $120.

All three bands have been hard at work touring coast to coast and hitting the international market, as well. Pepper recently finished off a headlining tour with The Expendables and Ballyhoo! The same goes for Iration, who teamed up with Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds and Through The Roots on the second annual Lei’d Back Tour.

Sublime With Rome made their debut in Hawai’i nearly a year ago, but they are returning to share their new album Yours Truly with longtime fans and new patrons, alike.

Yesod Williams from Pepper shared his sentiments about returning to his home state with the big name acts, and you can feel the excitement through his words:

“A homecoming like this with our brothers in arms, Iration, makes us a two-headed monster hell bent on a good time. Add to that our supporting the legacy of a band like Sublime…AMAZING! I can honestly say that Pepper and Iration would not be where we are today if it wasn’t for Sublime and we are psyching on the upcoming shows!”

The anticipation for this event has been building since the announcement of the Hawaiian showcase this past summer. Also on the bill is Matisyahu’s backing band Dub Trio.

Without question, fans in attendance will be thankful for all of the acts returning to the islands, but the performers share the same positivity about spreading their easy-going vibes with their brothers and sisters from Hawai’i.

Pepper is not the only act coming to the islands “hell bent on a good time”. Iration and Sublime With Rome can’t wait to get to Hawai’i to once again share their art form with the masses.

Adam Taylor, the bassist for Iration, expressed his desire to return home and share the stage with the other reggae-rock torchbearers:

“We played with Sublime With Rome at the Santa Barbara Bowl last year for a hometown show, but we are stoked to get back to Hawai’i and play another show with them. It’s been a year since we returned to the islands, so it will be fun to see all of our fans after a big year of touring stateside. We couldn’t be more stoked for the shows! Especially to play in Oahu, which is where I am from, I have a lot of family there and friends coming out to the show, and I have been a really big Sublime fan, so it’s going to be huge!”

Adam continued to explain that “The Sublime album was one of the first albums I really got into. Then Pepper and Slightly Stoopid came up, and they carried the torch and paved the way for us. I think it’s really cool that all three bands are sharing the bill together. You have Sublime who is like the Godfather, Pepper who brought us up and were our mentors…In a way you are seeing three different generations of the torch being carried. It’s going to be a good party for sure!”

If the bands on the bill are this amped for the shows in Hawai’i, it is sure to be a fun spectacle in the crowd during the shows on Oahu, and a can’t miss experience for all the islanders.

The opening night of the two-day showcase kicks off in Honolulu on November 19th at Kaka’ako Waterfront Park Amphitheater, followed by a performance at the Maui Music Arts & Cultural Center staged at the A&B Amphitheater.

The two-day event is dubbed the “Point Panic Music festival”, but none of the concertgoers will feel a sense of panic, at least until Sublime With Rome whips out their new track “Panic”, with just the right amount of island flavor.

For ticket information, you can go to PointPanicFestival.com


Article By: Kris Siuta
Photos By: David Norris


Here’s a video of Iration pumping the weekends 808 shows!



Here’s a Video promoting the Point Panic Music Festial…

Point Panic Music Festival from Sharks & Rays on Vimeo.