Hawaiian ukulele player rocks B-town

Although the weather was less-than-desirable, Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro played to a packed house at the Admiral Theatre Wednesday, having braved a snowstorm and one flight cancellation to be there.
The show was Shimabukuro’s fourth in Bremerton, but his first during a winter storm.
“When (Shimabukuro) plays in Hawaii and it snows they always cancel,” said the theater’s manager, Brian Johnson, while introducing the show.
Shimabukuro, an unassuming, young Japanese-American man, took the stage at 7 p.m. dressed in blue jeans and a white T-shirt, cradling his tenor ukulele, which is slightly larger and more resonant than the ukulele most people are familiar with, the soprano.
After greeting the crowd with “a hearty aloha,” Shimabukuro launched into the first number of his entirely instrumental set, “143,” a song he said was inspired by pre-cell phone dating, when 143 was the pager code for “I love you.”
If you looked away from Shimabukuro while he played, you’d swear he was using an oddly tuned guitar or mandolin, something with more than four strings and two octaves to work with. His music was a mixture of jazz, rock and traditional Hawaiian melodies, expertly blended.
His songs ranged from the quiet acoustic strains of “Blue Roses Falling,” a song Shimabukuro said was inspired by his friend’s grandmother, who was in the hospital, hallucinating blue rose petals falling on her, to the more rollicking “Ukulele 5-0,” written for a compilation album for the television show “Hawaii Five-0.”
Shimabukuro, who gained popularity on YouTube a few years ago for covering the Beatles tune “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” showed off his huge range of musical styles at the Admiral, playing not only the Beatles cover he’s known for, but also Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and Leonard Cohen’s oft-remade “Hallelujah.”
“Covering the song of another artist is like wearing your favorite basketball player’s jersey,” said Shimabukuro. “It’s a way of showing your love and admiration.”
The originals were every bit as exciting and complex as the covers, if not more so. From the jazz-fusion piece, “Wes on Four,” to the fun, acoustic, “Five Dollars Unleaded,” to the flamenco ukulele “Let’s Dance,” Shimabukuro is a unique and talented songwriter.
It was easy to forget that there was only one person on the stage, and just as easy to forget that the only instrument showcased all night was the humble ukulele, the instrument of luaus and hula dancers. It seemed more like there were banjos, mandolins, guitars and drums hidden in the wings, adding depth to the music, but it was all ukulele, all Shimabukuro’s talent.
While watching Shimabukuro play, it paid to focus on his hands. They moved over the neck and body of the ukulele with amazing speed; it was akin to watching Yo-Yo Ma play cello, or Jimmy Page play guitar. This was demonstrated exceptionally in the song “Sakura, Sakura,” a new arrangement of a traditional Japanese folk song, normally played on the koto, a thirteen-stringed Japanese instrument. The song was full of atmospheric, exotic chords, evoking Asian drumming and tranquil gardens.
Shimabukuro had fun with some of his originals, too, as heard in his song “Less Cowbell, More Ukulele,” which was, of course, inspired by the Saturday Night Live skit, “More Cowbell.” Shimabukuro definitely appeared to be having a blast playing the more upbeat tunes, dancing around and grinning. He’s a little reminiscent of a goofy band geek who magically got to make his living playing songs he likes onstage.
As ukulele has been growing in mainstream popularity over the past few years, with artists from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder to the Dresden Dolls’ Amanda Palmer releasing ukulele albums, artists like Shimabukuro are finally receiving more recognition for doing what they love to do, and are able to promote the ukulele as a serious instrument.
Shimabukuro said, “I believe the ukulele is the instrument of peace.  If everyone played the ukulele, the world would be a better place.”