Maoli to headline again at Macc
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The last time Maoli performed at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's A&B Amphitheater, it became a historic event. Their June 2022 show sold out, marking the first time in the history of the MACC's outdoor concerts that a local artist headlined to a capacity crowd.
"It was amazing," Maoli's Glenn Awong recalls. "That was a dream of mine, so I was very grateful and thankful."
Set to return to the MACC on Saturday, this prolific Maui artist recently released the upbeat, exuberant "We Need Love in the Air" with guest vocalist Fiji, and in November, he released "MMO II," featuring his brilliant fusion of island reggae and country.
It included the sweet groove of "Rock My Boat," the irresistible "Country Boy" with Fiji, the moving "Father's Dream," and a cover of Lady Antebellum's "Dancing Away With My Heart" with country singer Payton Sullivan.
MMO stands for Maoli Music Overload. "It was something that we wanted to put together where we would release a bunch of songs every month," Awong explains the concept. "Sometimes, even twice a month. The fans loved it and it was just pretty much overloading them with music. That was the whole idea behind it. And it worked really good."
Mixing originals and covers on "MMO II," including Keith Urban's "Somebody Like You" and Mitchell Tenpenny's "Broken Up," he says he's attracted to "a mixture of the lyrics and the melodies. If the lyrics make me feel a certain way, I'll do it. If the melody sounds nice, I'll do it. I just have to listen and see if it fits me. If it fits me, I'll do my thing to it."
One of the catchy tracks "You Can Have It All," featured a Gregory Isaacs' sample. "It was written by Fiji," he says. "I asked him if I could redo it. I love the melody, the whole songwriting. I called my producer and said, I think this with a Gregory Isaacs' rhythm would be a really killer track."
To promote the albums and individual songs, he began releasing a series of videos to YouTube shot at various scenic Maui locations, including Makena's Big Beach, Maalaea, Twin Falls, and Upcountry. "I wanted to show all the fans the beauty of Maui," he says. "I wanted to showcase my home."
Maoli's first hit, "No One," released in 2007, came from their debut album, "Groovin.'" They repeated their success with the follow-up, "Rock Easy," featuring more hits, including "Breaking My Heart," "Whisper," and the title track. The band finally won a Hoku Award for Reggae Album of the Year for "Sense of Purpose" in 2020.
With fans around the world, their video for the feel good reggae of "Shoot Down" has so far amassed 13 million views, while a rousing cover of The Bellamy Brothers' "If I Said You Have A Beautiful Body" has 16 million views. Comments on YouTube have been posted from the U.K., Kenya, Australia, Jamaica, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and the Netherlands.
"I'm very grateful for that," he says. "It's a time right now where people can really relate to the music, they resonate with it. People ask me why they're so drawn to the music. And I tell them, it's really a reflection of yourself. If you can relate to this, it's really who you are. I'm just a vessel, and I can relate to you guys as well, because I've also been through these things and I need music to heal myself. I need music to keep me
going and motivated and inspired. So I'm just like everybody else, and I think people can relate to that."
Maoli performs at the MACC's A&B Amphitheater & Yokouchi Pavilion on June 22 as part of the band's Boots On The Ground Tour. DJ Western Conference will open along with TJ Fevella and Lahaina's Akoni Palomino. Show at 6 p.m. Gates open at 4:30. Tickets are general admission (no seats) and are $69 and $109 for VIP, plus applicable fees, available at mauiarts.org. Prices increase day of show. VIP tickets offer access to the front of stage viewing area and the Yokouchi Pavilion bars and restrooms.