On with the Show: Vic Malo Live

Just as it did 30 years ago, Hawaii's economy thrives largely on tourism, so it's no surprise that many of the musicians I've mentioned were/are also entertainers. It's hard work entertaining people 7 nights a week (see: Phase 7), because for vacationers in paradise every night's a Friday night, right? Vic Malo is no exception here. His handsome voice filled the now-closed Golden Dragon Lounge at the Hilton Hawaiian Village almost every night of the week (I'm guessing) for several years—during the mid/late 1970s through the mid 1980s. Those lucky enough to hear him in person were no doubt captivated by his performances. For those like me who weren't around (or alive) back then, we have a live performance captured on cassette, circa 1985 (as evidenced by his cover of Lionel Richie's "Hello"). This cassette was probably distributed by Vic himself to the fans and friends he made at the Golden Dragon. I don't think this was for sale in stores, though I could be wrong. Unlike his studio album, which was professionally recorded, this minimally designed, 25 year old cassette suffers from poor audio quality. But despite the setbacks, Vic's gorgeous voice still shines with each song. "Turtle Bay"