After the “Bearded Wonders” entry, it’s only fair to give equal cyber time and space to the other facial hair: mustaches.
Turns out, most of the leading men in this year’s Oscar-nominated films were sporting ‘staches. Some pulled it off (like Ryan Gosling in “Lars and the Real Girl,” pictured) and some really didn’t. (Philip Seymour Hoffman: incredible actor, bad rep for hairy upper lips.)

From a reader:

Hi Kawehi,

I was wondering if you happen to know of any venue (if it exists) that features independent/unsigned artists of the acoustic/easy listening genre? I know you guys have your TGIF calendar of events but I don’t really know what type of music each band plays nor the mood of the place…

M***

While most of the acoustic music in this city tends to be Hawaiian or Hawaiian-inspired, there are a few places that showcase unsigned indie artists who play unplugged. There isn’t a single venue dedicated exclusively to the genre, but here’s a list of ongoing gigs that are worth checking out:

EVENT: Kaleidoscope Tuesdays, Next Door @ 9 p.m.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT: Most Tuesday nights at Next Door are devoted to indie rock bands, but about once a month, they take things down a few turns when acoustic artists get the stage. Local folk rock sweetheart Megum Pie (pictured) is a favorite at this event.
THE VIBE: Urban cool, crawling with this city’s indie rocker crowd. Plenty of space to sit and sip.

EVENT: Sessions, Wednesday nights, Du Vin @ 7 p.m.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT: A little of everything, but it’s all mellow. Some nights it’s acoustic guitar other nights it’s jazz. Troubadour Johnny Helm (think John Mayer and Jack Johnson) plays Du Vin Feb. 20.
THE VIBE: The chic wine bar is old-world cool with a crowd that’s a little older than the one Next Door attracts.

EVENT: The Rising Melody, Wednesday nights, 8 p.m. @ thirtyninehotel

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT: Weekly doses of local singers/songwriters who play their own music for an ultra mellow crowd.
THE VIBE: Calm and laid back — no attitude, no fashion show-offs, no drama.

There are other venues that tend to favor the acoustic set, like the rRed Elephant Café and Hawaii Public Radio’s Atherton Performing Arts Studio. Check their websites for event calendars and special performances.

If anyone knows of any other places to listen easy, let us know!

There appears to be a new buzzword (or buzz term, to be more accurate) on the tongues of an exclusive few — and they just might have enough pop culture pull to make the lingo go mainstream.

THE BIOGRAPHY OF A BUZZWORD

THE TERM: passion bucket

ORIGIN: UCLA’s new football coach Rick Neuheisel coined the term during an interview with ABC, when he said: “When you’re at UCLA, you have to have your passion bucket full.”

THE PROLIFERATION: After hearing the term, sports radio talk show host Dan Patrick threw it around on the air, causing a bit of a terminology trend among sports fans. It quickly became the discussion of the moment among sports-related blogs and online message boards.

CLAIM TO FAME: Kobe Bryant used the term in an interview following the Lakers’ Jan. 21 victory over the Denver Nuggets (119–99): “We were playing with a full passion bucket tonight. We really came out and played with a lot of energy, a lot of hustle.”

So it isn’t the most eloquent use of our fair tongue but neither is, say, “buttload,” which, by the way, is a legitimate word. According to the “Oxford English Dictionary,”a “butt-load” is a unit of measurement equal to “about six seams,” which is the equivalent of about 450 gallons.

Who knew, right?

The mustache is all the rage, but don’t write off the beard just yet. See the SF Weekly’s list of “The Top Ten Beards in Modern Music.”

Disclaimer: Beware of Devendra Banhart. And we thought Amy Winehouse looked bad.

IF YOU DO ONLY ONE THING
Here it is. The event pick of the week for those of us
who only have the time and energy for one night out

DISFunkshion Magazine launch party

Honolulu’s newest glossy officially joins the publication scene Saturday night at Next Door’s monthly fashion-and-music party “The Next Movement.”
Get the details here.