Mahi Live

There’s a certain kind of person you meet in Las Vegas who doesn’t just live there—they move through it. Like they’re built for long miles, late nights, and big dreams that don’t fit in one lane.

That’s Mahi Crabbe in a nutshell.

To the island community, he’s been “Mahi Live” for years: the singer with the smooth tone, the local-boy charisma, and the kind of stage presence that makes a lounge feel like a concert. But there’s another side to his story that makes him extra “9th Island” at heart—because while he’s chasing the music, he’s also chasing the road. Mahi isn’t just an artist; he’s a working man. A truck driver. A businessman. The kind of person who knows what it means to grind when the spotlight turns off.

From island songs to mainland highways

If you’ve followed Mahi’s journey for a minute, you’ll hear a pattern: island roots, mainland hustle.

One booking bio traces his rise back to 2011, when he surfaced with original music that caught people fast—songs like “Tell Me You Do,” “Dear Babe,” and “Light Switch.” That’s the thing about island artists who really connect: they don’t need a giant machine behind them—people share the music because it feels like home.

And even as his life shifted to the desert, the island didn’t leave him. A podcast interview notes that he’s a local singer-songwriter from Hawaiʻi who now resides in Las Vegas, and that his name gained national recognition through American Idol. That “local-to-national” leap is rare—but what’s even rarer is someone who doesn’t let that moment define their whole identity.

Because Mahi’s story isn’t just “artist.” It’s “artist and operator.”

The trucking lane: building something real

Here’s the part people outside the community might not realize: Mahi also runs a trucking operation based in Las Vegas.

Public carrier listings show a legal entity named MAHI LIVE LLC with a DBA of HI9 TRUCKING in Las Vegas. And if you check his Instagram bio, he’s very open about what he’s on these days—telling people to DM him to start a car-hauling business, and building a big audience around that hustle. 

That combination—music and trucking—actually makes perfect sense for someone living the “9th Island” reality.

Because a lot of Hawaiʻi people out here are doing the same thing in their own way:

• Working hard (often in industries that don’t get glamour)
• Building a name (sometimes from scratch, far from home)
• Keeping culture alive through music, food, family, and community

Mahi just happens to do it loud enough that everybody notices.

Still performing, still connecting

Even with the road work, Mahi hasn’t dropped the music. You’ll find performances and sessions floating around online—including acoustic-style appearances like his HI*Sessions recordings, where the vocals are front and center and the island soul is impossible to miss. 

And in Las Vegas, he’s also been promoted for live sets through talent and event circles—like a featured post from Beyer Entertainment highlighting a brunch performance at Freedom Beat. 

That’s the vibe: Mahi can slide from “local Hawaii favorite” to “Vegas entertainer” without switching up who he is.

Why his story fits Ninth Island Hawaii

At da9thisland.com/, we’re always looking for people who represent the bridge—Hawaiʻi to Las Vegas, and back again. And Mahi’s path is basically that bridge in motion.

He’s proof that:

• You can take the island sound with you.
• You can chase music without pretending life is easy.
• You can build a business, handle responsibilities, and still show up with heart when it’s time to sing.

That’s not just talent—that’s identity.

Where to find him

If you want to tap in with Mahi directly, he’s active on social media:

• Instagram: @mahilive 
• Facebook: “Mahi Live” 

Whether you found him through the songs, the Vegas scene, or the trucking world, the message is the same: this is what a modern Ninth Island story looks like—work ethic, island roots, and a voice that still carries Hawaiʻi even under the neon lights.