If you haven’t heard Hawaiian slack key guitar, here’s your chance to listen to legendary Maui musician George Kahumoku Jr., his son Keoki Kahumoku with Richard Ho’opi’i play at the lovely Fox Theater on February 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Hawaii’s Renaissance Man, George Kahumoku Jr, is a multiple Grammy & Hoku Award winning master slack key guitar and vocalist, songwriter, performer, teacher, artist and sculptor, story-teller and writer, farmer and entrepreneur.George is known for playing slack key on a jumbo12-string guitar because he loves the full sound and the lower bass tones of this guitar.

Go to the Fox website (click here) for tickets, starting at $20. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

George Kahumoku Junior’s website: http://www.slackkeyshow.com/

Fox Tucson Theater is at 17 W. Congress St. (between Stone Ave. and Church Ave.)

And if you want to hear Hawaiian music (and George’s) tune in tomorrow to the Mele O Hawai’i radio show by John Putnam on KXCI Community Radio 91.3 FM, Saturday mornings from 6 to 8 a.m. John’s a “local haole” from Honolulu who loves Hawaiian music and plays a wide variety of “all kine stuff” on his show. I’ve called a few times to request my favorite songs, 520-622-5924.

If you really want to get in the Hawaiian mood, eat authentic “grinds”/dinner first at Lani’s Luau, 2532 S. Harrison Rd. (NW Corner of Golf Links and Harrison) out east. They’re open till 8 p.m. Tuesday to Thursdays, 9 p.m. on Friday & Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. Lani is from Kona on the Big Island and cooks food that is indeed “some ono” (delicious). Both the owners Zane and Leilani (Lani) know George and have a photo of him with them during his last visit to Tucson.

Here are some photos of last night’s 2nd Saturdays Downtown urban street fest, along and around E. Congress Street, compliments of Donovan Dean Durband (Ward 6 Council aide and former Executive Director of the Downtown Tucson Alliance), and Tucson Birthday’s photographer Jon Scanlon.

human statue, courtesy of Donovan Durband

A Son y Sol at Ronstadt Transit Center, courtesy of Donovan Durband

Roll Acosta on the Scott Avenue Stage, courtesy of Donovan Durband

A couple of art receptions were going on as well at Arts Marketplace (featuring artist Mel Dominguez), teen art at The Drawing Studio, and “The Art of Functional Fashion” mixed in with bike training (with drums!) at the newly opened 02 Modern Fitness center at 186 E. Broadway (corner of 5th Avenue). Over on Congress, Daniel Martin Diaz was showing his art in Sacred Machine (photo below). There was definitely diverse community art to choose from last night.

Daniel Martin Diaz's Sacred Machine gallery, courtesy of Donovan Durband

Also here are some photos by Jon Scanlon for Tucson’s Birthday at the Fox Tucson Theatre.

standing room only at the Fox Theater, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

We spent almost our entire time at the free Fox Tucson Theater concert, featuring first The Seven Pipers Scottish bagpipe troupe, then the Gospel Music Workshop of America, followed by former Tucson Citizen staffer Daniel Buckley‘s video of Cele Peterson, and a short talk by “Big Jim” Griffith (of Tucson Meet Yourself fame), then lots of great music.

Gabriel Ayala at the Fox, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Gabriel Ayala (Native American guitarist) was followed by STICKSnFINGERS Caribbean band with 5 calypso like dancers, Chinese Lion dancers of the Tucson Chinese School, then guitarist Salvador Duran (with Chili Willie on bongos), Los Gallegos (4 talented brothers), and finally Mariachi Sonido de Mexico with singer Olga Flores. Wow, it was a multi-cultural fest of terrific local music & dance, for over two hours.

Sticks & Fingers with dancers, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Chili Willie with Salvador Duran, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Los Gallegos at the Fox, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Mariachi Sonido de Mexico, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

“Big Jim” on stage said it all “This is our community, and ain’t it great?” This event was a tribute to Tucson’s “First Lady of Fashion”, Cele Peterson, who passed away at age 101 in May of this year. For more photos of this Fox Birthday event, go to the Tucson Birthday website (Flickr) for Jon Scanlon’s photo file (click here).

If you haven’t been to a 2nd Saturdays Downtown event yet, mark your calendars for the next one on September 11. It’s a family-friendly event as well, as shown by this photo last night of these joyful little boys playing with bubbles:

boys playing with bubbles, courtesy of Donovan Durband

Sad to say, I missed this huge downtown urban fest last night, but here are Donovan Dean Durband’s photos of all the fun. Thousands of people attended as usual, and had another fantastic urban fest downtown. Next one is scheduled for Saturday August 14, and we’ll be sure to attend then. Enjoy the photos below, more great photos on their website, www.2ndsaturdaysdowntown.com.

Kids Unlimited at Ronstadt Transit Center

Flying Tortillas performer actually flying

Human statue on Congress Street

Day of the Dead crafts on sale

Seashell Radio on Scott Avenue stage

Human statue

Flam Chen & Daniel Martin Diaz at Sacred Machine gallery

Kate Becker & the Zodiacs

Flam Chen friends on stilts

Large crowd outside of the Fox Theater

Large crowd at Scott Avenue stage