A group of Windward Oʻahu teenagers who've already seen their music videos flash across a Times Square billboard in New York City are about to add another milestone to the list: a headlining night at one of Waikīkī's premier live music venues. Kailua Music School's Icon Academy bands will perform at Blue Note Hawaiʻi on September 10, giving the young musicians a shot at the same stage that hosts touring national acts.
According to KHON2, the Icon Academy band has already shared stages with Hawaiʻi music legend Henry Kapono, as well as with Anuhea and The Green, and has even opened for Silversun Pickups. The band has also appeared on television, and the upcoming Blue Note show is being billed as a chance to showcase the next generation of local musicians while inspiring other young people to pursue creative dreams of their own.
Blue Note Hawaiʻi itself is a 326-seat live music venue and restaurant tucked inside the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort, running two shows nightly, according to the OUTRIGGER Waikiki Beach Resort. The showroom opened in 2016 after a multi-million dollar renovation, and it's become a regular stop for Kailua Music School students — they previously took the same stage in December 2025 during Henry Kapono's “Merry Christmas To You” concert series, sharing the bill with island artists including Lopaka Colón, per Blue Note Hawaii.
From Classroom Bands to Commercial Credits
The school, based on Oʻahu's Windward side, oversees 15 to 20 active youth bands across its keiki and teen ensemble programs, and also offers instruction in theater, filmmaking, and audio engineering, according to the Henry Kapono Foundation. Co-director Erin Smith brings professional pedigree to the operation: she's a three-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award nominee and former lead singer of Maui alternative rock band The Throwdowns, having relocated to Oʻahu after fronting groups that opened for national acts like Train and Panic! At The Disco, per the same foundation.
That professional track record appears to be rubbing off on the students. Icon Academy vocalists recorded parts for a feature film soundtrack that was later picked up for streaming on Apple TV, Blue Note Hawaii notes. The upcoming September 10 lineup also includes The Raspberries, an all-girl Icon Academy youth band that has previously opened for Henry Kapono and Tavana, according to Kailua Music School, and the group is set to perform alongside guest vocalists Valentina Harms, Leila Trefny, and Zoe Hahn.
A Debut Album and a Sold-Out Local Premiere
The Icon Academy band released its debut album this year, titled *Landslide Volume One*, which hit major streaming platforms on April 11 following a premiere at Hard Rock Cafe Honolulu, as reported by Hawaiʻi Public Radio. The record features original alternative and rock tracks performed entirely by local youth bands. Kailua Music School plans to send student bands back into the studio for a second compilation, slated for release in 2027.
Momentum has been building steadily toward the Waikīkī date. A local premiere for the album's music videos filled all four auditoriums at Kailua Cinemas for a sold-out community screening, per Blue Note Hawaii, with the same videos also landing on that Times Square billboard in New York City. Before graduating to venues like Blue Note, the school's youth bands cut their teeth gigging around Oʻahu at spots including Manifest in Honolulu's Chinatown, Capitol Modern, and Ala Moana Centerstage, giving keiki practical stagecraft experience along the way.
Show Details for September 10
Doors for the Blue Note Hawaiʻi show open at 5 p.m., with the concert beginning at 6:30 p.m. on September 10, per KHON2. Seating options include premium seats for $35, along with loge and bar-area seating priced at $25. Tickets and additional information are available through Blue Note Hawaiʻi's website, and organizers say the night is meant to give the students real stage experience while showing other young people in the community what's possible with a guitar, a mic, and a good mentor.
