Jake Shimabukuro takes the stage next Friday at Palace Theater in Hilo.
Shimabukuro, one of Hawaii’s most exciting musicians, is known for his energetic strumming on the ukulele that incorporates elements of thoughtful, sophisticated arrangements with spontaneous, improvised passages. In addition to his original compositions, his repertoire for the Aug. 5 show includes Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Schubert’s Ave Maria and Cohen’s Hallelujah.
Hawaii-born Shimabukuro began his music career in the mid-1990s, performing at local coffee shops as a sideman with his first band, Pure Heart. But his solo career began in 2002 when he signed with Epic Records, becoming the first ukulele player to sign with Sony Music.
While his well-received solo releases positioned Jake as an established musician in Hawaii and Japan, his career skyrocketed when a cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” went viral on YouTube with more than 13 million views, opening the rest of the world’s eyes to Jake and his unique playing style.
In the years since the YouTube clip aired, he has collaborated with an array of artists that include Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffet, Bette Midler, Cindy Lauper, Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley, Dave Koz, Michael McDonald, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Tommy Emmanuel, and Lyle Lovett, as well as orchestras around the world. He’s sold out world-class venues, played at Bonnaroo, SXSW, the Playboy Jazz Festival, Fuji Rock Festival, the influential TED conference, and even performed for Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Variety Performance in Blackpool, England.
In addition to live performances, Shimabukuro wowed audiences on national television with his appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Good Morning America,” and “The Today Show.”
Doors open at 6 p.m.; show starts at 7.
Advance-purchase tickets range in price from $30-$45 and can be bought at the theater box office or by calling 934-7010 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ticket prices increase by $5 on the day of the show.