JAKE SHIMABUKURO "Christmas In Hawaii" Kirkland, WA 12/1/2025 and Edmonds, WA 12/2/2025 Review with Video Interviews and Photos!
JAKE SHIMABUKURO
Christmas In Hawaii
December 1, 2025
Kirkland Performance Center
Kirkland, WA
JAKE SHIMABUKURO
Christmas In Hawaii
December 2, 2025
Edmonds Center For The Arts
Edmonds, WA
The holiday season is upon us once again. And the Pacific Northwest is very fortunate to get not just one, but two, holiday themed shows from Jake Shimabukuro. The Kirkland Performance Center was up first on Monday evening. The Edmonds Center For The Arts was the very next evening on Tuesday the 2nd.
Jake Shimabukuro was accompanied by longtime bassist Jackson Waldhoff and singer/songwriter/guitarist Justin Kawika Young. The trio have been performing at these holiday shows since 2022 (where I reviewed them at the Moore Theatre locally here in Seattle, WA that year).
The show started off with Jake solo performing two songs - one being, “Ave Maria” and the other being, “Golden” from the very popular film, “K Pop Hunters”.
Jackson Waldhoff then joined Jake for two songs - the viral sensation track that really launched Jake’s career, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and that was followed up with, “Kula Blues”.
Justin Kawika Young then joined the stage for one of his original tunes, “One Foot On Sand” as well as, “This Christmas” and “Many Feathers”. The first act was rounded out with the holiday classic, “O Holy Night”.
After the intermission, Jake and Jackson returned to the stage and ran through favorites, “Orange World”, the Bruce Lee inspired, “Dragon”, as well as Jimmy Buffett’s, "Margaritaville" and the Grateful Dead’s, “Friend Of The Devil” - with Justin returning on the latter tune.
Jake then played a few tunes utilizing the slide on his ukulele. The fans were treated to a Pink Floyd cover, “Breathe” as well as my favorite of the evening, “Sleepwalk” by Santo & Johnny.
“Grateful” was up next before Jake and Jackson launched into the perennial favorite (and now singalong), “Bohemian Rhapsody”. “We Will Rock You” with a few bars of other classic rock tunes kept the energy up before the main set ended with, “Legend Of Joseph Kekuku”. Joseph was the inventor of the lap steel guitar.
The trio stayed on stage to end the evening with the holiday classic (depending on your taste), “All I Want For Christmas Is You”.
If you’ve seen Jake before, either solo or with Jackson, seeing him as a trio just expands the musicality of the setlist. Justin has an amazing soul/R&B vocal style that is sure to please that really compliments the music coming from the stage.
If you’ve never seen Jake before, the holiday themed shows are a great way to get a bit of everything from the setlist. Originals, covers, holiday covers, and the joy of the season.
Jake is, and will always be, a ukulele phenom. I’ve seen him perform since 2014 and I’ve covered him as a media member since 2018. He never ceases to amaze me with his command of the instrument. He makes everything look effortless. He is always looking to expand the instrument (such as playing with the slide at these shows).
His personality, along with the other two guys Jackson and Justin, is endearing in every way. He is humble, grateful, and he makes you that much more of a fan when you see him perform. He typically comes out after every show to meet any fans that want to for no charge. He will sign autographs, he will take photos, and he will chat with you in the most present of ways. He values each and every interaction with his fan base and that is one of the reasons why his fans come back to see him year after year.
For those wondering, the setlist was the same at both shows mainly due to them being the holiday themed shows. They have the setlist well rehearsed for these shows. If you see Jake back to back for other shows, the setlist may include a different song or two, especially if he’s doing a residency (multiple shows in the same city such as in Hawaii or when he played Jazz Alley here in Seattle for six shows over four days).
For locals, the Kirkland Performance Center and the Edmonds Center for the Arts are both great venues. KPC is smaller in comparison to the Edmonds Center for the Arts (if that matters to you). Both venues offer great sightlines, supportive staff, ample parking nearby, etc., so you really can’t go wrong with either location. If you’re a big fan, seeing Jake back to back is definitely worth it as each show is unique to itself from the execution standpoint as well as the audience. Anyone that goes to shows knows that the audience can really make an impact on how the overall vibe is at a concert.
I’ll lastly leave everyone with this thought. It’s so easy to take shows and performances for granted. I encourage everyone to get out and see one of Jake’s shows in 2025 and beyond. Don’t fall into the mentality of, “oh, I can just see him next year”. As we all were reminded of in 2020, the future isn’t guaranteed. Please support live music and performances. I'll see you at the next event!
Happy Holidays,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media and Email Links
Christmas In Hawaii
December 1, 2025
Kirkland Performance Center
Kirkland, WA
JAKE SHIMABUKURO
Christmas In Hawaii
December 2, 2025
Edmonds Center For The Arts
Edmonds, WA
(All Photos by Mark Sugiyama for Eclectic Arts Media (c) 2025)
The holiday season is upon us once again. And the Pacific Northwest is very fortunate to get not just one, but two, holiday themed shows from Jake Shimabukuro. The Kirkland Performance Center was up first on Monday evening. The Edmonds Center For The Arts was the very next evening on Tuesday the 2nd.
Jake Shimabukuro was accompanied by longtime bassist Jackson Waldhoff and singer/songwriter/guitarist Justin Kawika Young. The trio have been performing at these holiday shows since 2022 (where I reviewed them at the Moore Theatre locally here in Seattle, WA that year).
The show started off with Jake solo performing two songs - one being, “Ave Maria” and the other being, “Golden” from the very popular film, “K Pop Hunters”.
Jackson Waldhoff then joined Jake for two songs - the viral sensation track that really launched Jake’s career, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and that was followed up with, “Kula Blues”.
Justin Kawika Young then joined the stage for one of his original tunes, “One Foot On Sand” as well as, “This Christmas” and “Many Feathers”. The first act was rounded out with the holiday classic, “O Holy Night”.
After the intermission, Jake and Jackson returned to the stage and ran through favorites, “Orange World”, the Bruce Lee inspired, “Dragon”, as well as Jimmy Buffett’s, "Margaritaville" and the Grateful Dead’s, “Friend Of The Devil” - with Justin returning on the latter tune.
Jake then played a few tunes utilizing the slide on his ukulele. The fans were treated to a Pink Floyd cover, “Breathe” as well as my favorite of the evening, “Sleepwalk” by Santo & Johnny.
“Grateful” was up next before Jake and Jackson launched into the perennial favorite (and now singalong), “Bohemian Rhapsody”. “We Will Rock You” with a few bars of other classic rock tunes kept the energy up before the main set ended with, “Legend Of Joseph Kekuku”. Joseph was the inventor of the lap steel guitar.
The trio stayed on stage to end the evening with the holiday classic (depending on your taste), “All I Want For Christmas Is You”.
If you’ve seen Jake before, either solo or with Jackson, seeing him as a trio just expands the musicality of the setlist. Justin has an amazing soul/R&B vocal style that is sure to please that really compliments the music coming from the stage.
If you’ve never seen Jake before, the holiday themed shows are a great way to get a bit of everything from the setlist. Originals, covers, holiday covers, and the joy of the season.
Jake is, and will always be, a ukulele phenom. I’ve seen him perform since 2014 and I’ve covered him as a media member since 2018. He never ceases to amaze me with his command of the instrument. He makes everything look effortless. He is always looking to expand the instrument (such as playing with the slide at these shows).
His personality, along with the other two guys Jackson and Justin, is endearing in every way. He is humble, grateful, and he makes you that much more of a fan when you see him perform. He typically comes out after every show to meet any fans that want to for no charge. He will sign autographs, he will take photos, and he will chat with you in the most present of ways. He values each and every interaction with his fan base and that is one of the reasons why his fans come back to see him year after year.
For those wondering, the setlist was the same at both shows mainly due to them being the holiday themed shows. They have the setlist well rehearsed for these shows. If you see Jake back to back for other shows, the setlist may include a different song or two, especially if he’s doing a residency (multiple shows in the same city such as in Hawaii or when he played Jazz Alley here in Seattle for six shows over four days).
For locals, the Kirkland Performance Center and the Edmonds Center for the Arts are both great venues. KPC is smaller in comparison to the Edmonds Center for the Arts (if that matters to you). Both venues offer great sightlines, supportive staff, ample parking nearby, etc., so you really can’t go wrong with either location. If you’re a big fan, seeing Jake back to back is definitely worth it as each show is unique to itself from the execution standpoint as well as the audience. Anyone that goes to shows knows that the audience can really make an impact on how the overall vibe is at a concert.
I’ll lastly leave everyone with this thought. It’s so easy to take shows and performances for granted. I encourage everyone to get out and see one of Jake’s shows in 2025 and beyond. Don’t fall into the mentality of, “oh, I can just see him next year”. As we all were reminded of in 2020, the future isn’t guaranteed. Please support live music and performances. I'll see you at the next event!
Happy Holidays,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media and Email Links
***Many thanks to Jake Shimabukuro and his entire team: Jackson Waldhoff and Justin Kawika Young. "Junebug" Shelton and Brett Lind. This is becoming a tradition every year and I hope it continues for seasons to come. Thank you all for always being so gracious with your time and hospitality. It is something that I will never take for granted.***
Thank you also to the entire staff at both the Kirkland Performance Center and the Edmonds Center for the Arts. I am always impressed by how both organizations run their businesses and have always felt welcome as a fan and as a media member. I look forward to returning to cover more events in 2026 at both venues.
Last but not least - thank you to all the family, friends, and fans I saw at one or both shows. I enjoyed talking with all of you and if you ever see me at another event, don't be shy - please stop by and say hello.
Jake and Jackson Video Interview!
Jake Video Interview About His Touring Ukulele!
(All Photos by Mark Sugiyama for Eclectic Arts Media (c) 2025)
Kirkland Performance Center
December 1,2025
(All Photos by Mark Sugiyama for Eclectic Arts Media (c) 2025)
Edmonds Center For The Arts
December 2, 2025
(All Photos by Mark Sugiyama for Eclectic Arts Media (c) 2025)
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