Image Courtesy Complex Magazine

Here’s an odd couple: Will Ferrell and Andre Benjamin sat down for an interview with Complex Magazine to promote the movie “Semi-Pro.”

I just love this commercial Ferrell did for Bud Light, by the way.

Back to the article. It’s an interesting read; you can tell the two have become friends, and Ferrell even displays a bit of Outkast knowledge at one point.

(via Nah Right)

Local boy Jack Johnson scored his first Rolling Stone cover last week. The issue should be in stores now, and the RS website has an excerpt of the full story posted online.

Additional pictures of Johnson are posted as well.

One interesting note: Rolling Stone also reports that Johnson sold 179,545 copies of “Sleep Through the Static” during its second week of release, enough to keep him on top of the sales charts despite an assault by winners from this year’s Grammy Awards.

It looks like Kokua Fest tickets are going to be even harder to come by this year.

Link:
“The New Issue of Rolling Stone: Jack Johnson” (Rock Daily)

I haven’t heard much from the folks at Hart and Huntington Tattoo Company since I covered their grand opening in January 2007.

According to owner (and freestyle motocross legend) Carey Hart, however, business at the tattoo shop on the fringe of the International Marketplace has never been better.

“Hawaii has turned out to be an extremely good location for Hart and Huntington Tattoo,” Hart said in a statement. “Our upscale atmosphere draws in the tourists as well as the locals.”

Hart will return to the islands next month for a pair of public appearances. He’ll sign autographs at the shop on March 1 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. before heading to an anniversary party at Lotus Soundbar later the same evening.

But I don’t think his wife, national recording artist Pink (pictured above with Hart), will be making the trip. News broke today that she plans to file for divorce, after Hart was seen in public with another woman.

This really hasn’t been a good year for Pink – her bulldog drowned in January, and now she’s getting divorced?

I wonder what will happen to her in March.

Just in case you need some inspiration to get off the couch and check out Questlove at Pipeline on Saturday, take a look at the above video of the drummer from the Roots during a freestyle jam session with Travis Barker.

More details about Saturday’s concert in my column, “In the Mix,” which appears in HiLife this afternoon for subscribers as well as tomorrow’s print and online editions.

Link:
“Video: ?uestlove vs. Travis Barker Drum-Off” (Nah Right)

What a finish. Even if you’re not a Giants (or Patriots) fan, Super Bowl XLII was definitely a game worth watching.

Also worth watching – not surprisingly – were the commercials.

Who would have ever thought MySpace.com would partner with advertisers to make every single commercial available online?

Check out my favorites after the jump.

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Big Island MMA fighter BJ Penn has the opportunity to become just the second person to hold UFC titles in two different weight classes when he faces Joe Stevenson tomorrow.

The first person to do it? Randy Couture.

Tomorrow’s pay-per-view will be broadcast from the United Kingdom, which poses a unique problem for fight fans that live in Hawaii. Starting time is scheduled for 10 a.m. and a lot of people head to local bars to watch the action.

But what if your favorite watering hole is closed at 10 a.m. tomorrow? Robbie Acoba has got you covered at Eastside Grill.

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A couple of months ago, I was stuck in traffic on the freeway near Bishop Museum and started to think about the last time I visited the local landmark.

I’m almost embarrassed to admit it might have been intermediate school when I last roamed the grounds, or maybe even elementary. There are vague memories of the big whale skeleton in Hawaiian Hall, and I think I remember spending some time in the planetarium there.

So I got pretty excited when I received an e-mail about the Museum’s “Research Seminar Series,” a monthly forum held every second Thursday. January’s speaker was Dr. Patrick Moser, a professor at Drury University and the author of the upcoming surf anthology “Pacific Passages.”

Moser’s presentation, “Surfing: Alive and Well in the Islands, 1840-1907,” sounded like an intriguing exploration into a time period that appears to have been misrepresented by some historians.

While conducting research for a college course he teaches about the history of surfing, Moser discovered a “continuing tradition of (Hawaii residents) riding waves despite declining native populations and profound social changes.”

Check out the video to find out more about this surfing professor (yes, he does rush ‘em every once in a while) and his upcoming book, along with a sampling of first-hand accounts from the late 19th and early 20th centuries he uncovered while researching the project.

Video:
Low-Res Version (YouTube)
High-Res Version (Vimeo)

One of the things I’ve learned watching “Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels” is there are a LOT of products that carry his band’s logo.

At one point during his keynote speech at the annual Small Business Hawaii conference last week, Simmons pulled out his wallet to show the audience his Kiss platinum Visa. Besides the credit card, I’ve heard about official “Kiss Kasket,” and even Kiss-branded condoms.

Rolling Stone posted a list of the 15 best “Kiss Kollectibles” on their website today. The “Kiss Kasket” is at the top, followed by a couple of other items you wouldn’t believe people actually pay money for.

Links:
“Rock List: Fifteen Best Kiss Kollectibles” (Rolling Stone)
“Gene Simmons in Honolulu [VIDEO]” (So Necessary…)

Here’s something for all you enterprising, unsigned musicians out there…

No, an actual Grammy Award isn’t up for grabs. Instead, for the second year in a row, producers are giving one lucky person the chance to perform on stage during the TV broadcast of the awards.

It’s called the “My Grammy Moment” contest, and this year’s winner will play with Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters. If you missed the show in 2007, Robyn Troup performed with Justin Timberlake.

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Tiki’s Grill and Bar will provide a unique service on New Year’s Eve for those with friends and family on the mainland.

Tiki Drop 2008 is a partnership between the Waikiki establishment and EarthCam.com, an online collection of webcams from various locations around the world.

New Year’s Eve is always a popular time for this kind of stuff. Evidently, there are a lot of closet voyeurs out there who like to watch watch others are doing.

This year, Tiki’s agreed to participate and will have a rotating, high-quality video camera set up to capture footage throughout the evening. Customers who show up to help ring in 2008 will be seen online by an estimated one million viewers on the EarthCam-hosted site.

According to a press release, cameras will film parties in Times Square along with 14 other locations around the world. They include Washington DC, Las Vegas and Seattle, as well as London, Prague and Malta.

Both live and archived views of national and international celebrations will be available for viewing.

Back in Waikiki, Tiki’s will celebrate with three live bands and menu specials.

Kaleokahia will start the night off at 5 p.m. with a mix of traditional and contemporary island tunes. Johnny’s Hawaiian Experience will keep the night rolling, followed by FreeSound and a champagne toast just before the fireworks at midnight.

The best part about this party?

NO COVER CHARGE, although reservations are strongly recommended. Call 923-8454.