The MACC presents Jake Shimabukuro and Mac McAnally, Feb. 8 : Maui Now

The Maui Arts & Cultural Center presents Jake Shimabukuro & Mac McAnally, Celebrating Songs & Stories on Distant Shores at the MACC on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2024. This performance is in the MACC’s Castle Theater starting at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets go on sale, online only, 10 a.m. at MauiArts.org to MACC members Wednesday, Nov. 22 and to the general public Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Jake Shimabukuro and Mac McAnally Celebrating Songs & Stories on Distant Shores will be an intimate evening celebrating friendship through stories and songs. ‘Ukulele master, Jake Shimabukuro and renowned songwriter, singer, and instrumentalist, Mac McAnally are longtime kindred spirits and collaborators. In addition to their own formattable careers, Jake and Mac first performed together with the legendary Jimmy Buffett in the Coral Reefer Band. This special performance will include material and collaboration from both artists in addition to select songs you know by heart to honor their friend and mentor.

Jake Shimabukuro has captivated audiences around the world with his unique and dynamic style.

With his mother as his first teacher of the instrument, Jake embraced a deep love and respect for the ʻukulele and has explored new and unexpected ways to push the boundaries of what was possible on the humble four-strings. Each album has showcased his mastery of the instrument and his ability to weave together diverse genres to create a cohesive and captivating musical experience. He is undoubtedly one of the most innovative and exciting musicians of his generation, changing the perception of the instrument itself and breaking barriers of what kind of music it is capable of.

In addition to his impeccable musicianship, Jake is also a gifted storyteller, weaving together musical narratives that draw listeners in and leave them spellbound. He wanted to bring the power of each artist’s stories to his newest album “Grateful”.

Over the past two decades, Shimabukuro has proved that there isn’t a style of music that he can’t play. While versatility for any musician is impressive, what’s remarkable about Shimabukuro’s transcendent skills is how he explores his seemingly limitless vocabulary – whether it’s jazz, rock, blues, bluegrass, folk or even classical – on perhaps the unlikeliest of instruments: the ‘ukulele.

Responding to the urgent calls of his fervent imagination, Shimabukuro has taken the ‘ukulele to points previously thought impossible, and in the process he’s reinvented the applications for this tiny, heretofore underappreciated four-string instrument, causing many to call him “the Jimi Hendrix of the ‘ukulele.”

Mac McAnally notes that he typically sees three kinds of people at his shows: Those who have followed his career since his 1977 debut album; those who recognize him as the guitarist in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band; and those who remember his notable credits in country music. The latter category is particularly impressive, with songs cut by Alabama (Old Flame), Kenny Chesney (Back Where I Come From), Sawyer Brown (All These Years), Shenandoah (Two Dozen Roses) and many others.

“I’m interested in all kinds of music,” he says. “There’s obviously some Buffett influence on a few of the things and I’ve been playing country music and gospel music all my life, so there’s that influence, too.”

For his new album, Once in a Lifetime, Mac McAnally is indeed doing something he’s never done before. To reflect the intimacy of his concerts, he arranged most of the material around guitar and percussion.

McAnally has the ability to see the silver lining; a perspective he’s carried on his journey from being a shy, small-town kid from Mississippi, to working as a teenage studio musician in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to becoming one of Nashville’s most respected (and self-effacing) singer-songwriters.

Tickets are $25, $45, $65, $85, and a limited number of $125 premium seats, plus applicable fees. MACC members receive a 10% discount. Children tickets are 50% off. All ticket sales are online only at MauiArts.org. Ticket buyers not already MACC members may join at the MACC website (http://mauiarts.org/membership) and immediately receive advance presale ticket purchase benefits.