Stories

Honolulu's 70s Nightclub Reunion is having one last celebration before bowing gracefully off stage! Don't miss this show! It's the final reunion, and it's gonna be a blast! But get this: Phase VII and Aura will be performing that night! Never mind me being the youngest guy there—even if everyone will be twice my age*—this is my first and last chance to ever see these bands play live. (*Local baby boomers are lucky they lived through Hawaii's nightclub era! I really missed out. Thanks to Robin Kimura for being the mastermind behind these reunions!)     Grand Ballroom tickets are...

I've been craving this culture for so long, it's a shock to be submersed in it again. Yup, I'm back in Hawaii and it's sun, sun, sun! And Hawaiian music, all kines. True, much of Hawaii's culture is wide out in the open: hula dancing, surfing, ukuleles, the shaka. But dig a little deeper and you'll find people willing to share a part of paradise that so many miss out on. I recently walked through the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center to take photos of people wearing Aloha Shirts. I came across were two men casually performing music outside of an...

The beginning notes and bird calls of "Lihue" quickly hook you into what becomes 3 full minutes of a seriously tropical groove. I played it last night and again today, and I swear the song gets better with each listen. But you don't have to be from Hawaii to enjoy "Lihue"—music lovers from Detroit to France praise this tune—and better yet, you don't have to spend a lot of time or money finding it. eMusic sells the LP, entitled "Around Again", at $5.99; iTunes, $9.99. (Note: the vinyl release is often referred to as her "Self-Titled" album). ...as Nohe was...

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...

Came across this today, it's pretty cool! The Aliis were Don Ho's backing group, although they also performed and recorded on their own.