Blue Hawaii

Blue Hawaii kicked off the Arbutus Records showcase at the Rialto, a grandiose and opulent theatre built in 1924, so it's no wonder some acts got the jitters playing there. A mural behind the stage showed two cherubic angel babies holding a glorious red ribbon with the word "asbestos" written on it. Apparently asbestos actually means "longevity," which is something that Arbutus Records will certainly have, especially with bands like Blue Hawaii. In spite of some glitches during which one of the singers asked the crowd to jump up and down to buy some time, Blue Hawaii finally settled into their whimsical set of lilting, breezy tunes. They're so ethereal and dreamy that you almost thought the duo would vanish into rainbow vapours, but luckily that sort of thing is scientifically impossible.