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Brew Moon, located in Ward Centre, is a
great venue. The dining room over looks a 25 foot elevated
stage, one of the most unusual in Honolulu. On the other side
is Ala Moana Park. Tuesdays is called Sweet and Lowdown, put
together by local guitarist Sonny Silva. It features jazz
guitar friends of Sonny, which is nearly everybody. Other
nights might feature Bruce Hamada, one of Hawaii's best jazz bass
players and vocal stylists. Bruce is found at a number of
places around town. Music nightly. 593-0088
Chai's
Bistro has claimed a place as the home of some of the
best local talent today. Chai’s signed Jake Shimabukuro on for
Thursdays after two of this earlier bands, Pure Heart and Colon,
folded. Chai’s signed the legendary Brothers Cazimero for Wednesdays.
Also Hapa with Barry Flanagan & Nathan Aweau on Friday,
Azure McCall on Saturday, Keli‘i Kanaiali‘i & Bobby Ingano
on Sunday, and Robert Cazimero on Monday. At Aloha Tower Marketplace,
7-9 p.m. 585-0011
Chuck's
Cellar, Ohana East Hotel, started looking for small, low key
jazz players when it realized the jazz scene in Honolulu was
lacking. It now features jazz on weekends. Their
group is called Black Sand on Friday, Saturday and
Sunday. It features guitar, sax and drums. 923-4488
Elegant
Dive, on the third floor pool level of the Hyatt Regency
Waikiki, is an intimate setting for sunset and early evening.
The chairs are big, heavy wooden platforms, a few
listeners lounge in the Jacuzzi, and the sky is clear overhead.
The performers are all proven crowd pleasers in a lounge
setting. Rubber Soul
is a very credible Beatles band that will take you back, if you
go back that far.
Nightly 923-1234
Esprit
Nightclub at the Sheraton Waikiki is the only hot spot dancing
venue with a live big band in Waikiki
.
Plus it’s on the beach, and locals go to it.
The place is alive 9:30 p.m. –
1:30 a.m.
Friday and Saturday and 8:30 p.m. –
12 a.m.
Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.
Tino and the Rhythm Klub is the house band except Sunday
when Son Caribe takes over.
922-4422.
Honolulu
Club opens its doors to non-members on Wednesdays when jazz
is usually the featured item. This has become a home of
sorts for the Honolulu Jazz Quartet but other top jazz people in
town are scheduled or drop in. A variety of music is
offered Tuesday through Friday. 543-3900
House Without a Key, in one of Waikiki’s most
romantic locations, on the beach fronting the Halekulani Hotel,
is primarily an outdoor venue with traditional Hawaiian music
5-8:30 p.m. Four groups and hula from two of Hawaii’s best dancers,
Kanoe Miller and Debbie Nakanelua, are featured. The Islanders
with Hawaii’s best steel guitarist Alan Akaka is one of the
longest running bands in Waikiki. 923-2311
Jazz Anyone? The Old Hipster has
created a weekly
online calendar of live jazz in the Honolulu area at
http://www.honolulujazzscene.net
Check it out! All the venues we carry and more.
Kapiolani Park Friday
Bandstand Concert, FREE, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. featuring some of
the best local entertainers with Hawaiian music every other
week. Free parking, great music, bring a picnic dinner! Bench
or lawn seating. Outdoors and casual. Presented by the City
Office of Economic/Waikiki Development. 843-8002. July 4, no
concert; July 11, Hawaii International Jazz Festival All Stars
from the Hawaii International Jazz Festival; to be held July
18 and 19 at the Hawaii Theatre; July 18 Kaumakaiwa "Lopaka"
Kanaka'ole
Previewing his new CD; July 25 no concert.
Kapono’s at
the Aloha Tower Marketplace is one of
Hawaii
’s
biggest outdoor bars with great views of the harbor.
Live music six nights a week, except Sunday, various
hours. Henry Kapono
will drop in often and play gigs or mingle.
All kinds of musicians drop in.
Concerts are held occasionally. It’s a happening.
Call first, 536-2161
Kuhio Beach Hula Mound, near Duke Kahanamoku
statue, Uluniu & Kalakaua Avenues, orch lighting & conch
shell ceremony, authentic Hawaiian music and hula shows by Hawaii's
finest hula halau (troupes) and Hawaiian performers. NIGHTLY
during the summer, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Lawn seating; beach chairs
okay. Presented by City Office of Economic/Waikiki Development.
843-8002.
Lewers Lounge at the Halekulani, features easy
listening jazz and contemporary music nightly 8:30 p.m. to midnight
with some of the finest musicians in Honolulu. Long-time Halekulani
stalwart Bruce Hamada continues Tuesday and Wednesday with Jim
Howard on piano, David Swanson is a must listen with a huge
list of credentials Thursday through Saturday, and Noly Paa
holds the fort Sunday and Monday. 923-2311
Mai
Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
Sheraton has a lock on the beach bars at
Waikiki ,
and the Mai Tai Bar is the second oldest on the beach.
Music runs from 4:15
to
10:30 p.m.
, generally, with
a wide variety of Waikiki
old-timers.
Leon Siu of Leon & Malia fame is still there early
Saturday, Augie Rey who has at least 35 years in
Waikiki
plays late Friday
and Saturday. Zanuck
Lindsey is a regular along with Ells Simeona and Dwight Kanae.
Keoki Johnson holds down a late Monday slot and has been
there for years. Kelly
Boy DeLima holds down most Wednesdays late.
Ben Vegas and Quintinn Holi drop by.
923-7311
Moana
Terrace
at the Waikiki Marriott has built upon the presence of Auntie
Genoa, one of
Hawaii
’s most famous and
loved Hawaiian musicians, to become a Hawaiian music showcase.
The Terrace is located on the third floor above
Kuhio
Beach
overlooking sublime
sunsets and adding to the streets sounds of Kalakaua.
Auntie Genoa has played there Thursdays
5:30-8:30 p.m.
for years.
Not far behind in fame is the trio of George Kuo, Martin
Pahinui and Royal Hawaiian Band leader Aaron Mahi on slack key
guitar on Sundays. Soul
Bucket plays the other nights, except Monday when a Polynesian
revue takes the stage. 922-6611
ONE –
Hawaii
’s Ultimate Variety Dinner Show is
Waikiki
’s
newest show. Waikiki Marriott in their Leahi Showroom, located
on the second floor of the
Kealohilani
Tower
. Includes juggling, dance, Polynesian revue.
5:30 p.m.
–
Doors open,
6:00 p.m.
–
Dinner,
7:00 p.m.
–
Show, 921-5000 or 921-2014.
Orchids at the Halekulani, just for Sunday
Brunch, 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., features Carol Miyamoto on harp
and Aileen Kawakami on flute. This is one of Hawaii’s finest
restaurants and a wonderful treat for special occasions. 923-2311
Princess
Kaiulani Pikake Lounge and poolside.
Actually, this is a great venue, though offbeach.
It has an extensive buffet, a stage with views from pool
chaise lounges and tables, and a tiny spot for a single musician
to turn down the volume and relax.
The poolside stage show runs from
6:15-9:30 p.m. and features headliner acts like Kapena, Ka’ala Boys, and A’lea.
The groups seem to take turns so it may be wise to call
first if you care. Later
on, the singles 9:30-11:30
p.m.
include Johnny Kamai, Sam Kapu and Tangi Tully.
922-5811
Sheraton Moana Surfrider Banyan Court
.
This is my favorite venue on the beach.
It is the oldest and features an amazing spreading banyan
tree that somehow has been keep free from a huge colony of mynah
birds that once called it home.
Music runs from 5:30
to
10:30 p.m.
in two shifts,
except Sunday when a brunch
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
group is thrown
in. The musicians
change through the years, but some of the oldtimers include
prodigy pianist Ginny Tiu, Keoki Johnson, Ryan Tang and Pu’uhonua.
922-3111
Sheraton
Waikiki pool features sunset entertainment nightly
6-8:30 p.m.
.
It’s a great venue on the beach at
Waikiki
, one of the few
places on the beach, really.
There are only 9 places on the beach with live music.
Call if you really care who’s playing because the groups
occasionally change, but usually there’s Kanilau with Noelani
Chang’s Halau Na Mamo O Ka’ala Wednesday, Zanuck Lindsey and
Sky Perkins on Tuesday, Melehuna Trio on Monday, Kahale Richardson’s
halau on Sunday, and Karla Akiona’s halau on Friday.
922-4422
Stardust
Lounge at the top of the Sheraton Waikiki in the Hanohano
Room. This venue
is soon to change with renovations.
It boasts fantastic views of the Waikiki
coastline at night,
the kind of place that makes you feel you’re in the movies.
But doesn’t that hold true for most
Waikiki
beach spots?
Stardust has been the nightly house band for years.
Most music ends by midnight
.
Rocky Brown, who once starred in Broadway, is back from
New
York
to sing with the band Thursday through Saturday.
922-4422
Surf
Room at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
This is a great place for Sunday brunch on the beach.
The waves are just beyond your reach.
Diamond
Head
basks under the eaves of the lanai just as they did for Elvis.
Sundays usually features a guitar player, often Mel Amina
11 a.m . – 2 p.m.
923-7311
Tiki’s
Grill & Bar, features daily, contemporary island
entertainment starting at 5 p.m. on weekdays and 1 p.m. on
weekends. The 10,000-square-foot, 380-seat Tiki’s Grill &
Bar, featuring a South Pacific ambiance with a casual island
theme, opened in October 2002. It is located on the second floor
of the ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel at 2570 Kalakaua Avenue.
Tiki’s Grill & Bar, open from 10:30 a.m. to midnight, serves
lunch and dinner under the direction of Executive Chef Ronald
Viloria, and is a popular venue for island entertainment. Free
validated valet parking is available. For reservations or more
information, call 923-TIKI (8454) or visit www.tikisgrill.com.
And get ready for Tiki’s sister restaurant, Holokai Grill,
opening in late 2006 at the Waikiki Beachwalk!
Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, Moana Terrace,
on the third floor next to the pool, a great sunset spot and
home of Auntie Genoa Keawe, Hawaii’s grand mistress of traditional
Hawaiian falsetto. Music nightly 6-9 p.m. during the summer.
At other times of the year, the venue moves downstairs to the
lobby lounge. 922-6611. Mondays, Hot Lava Polynesian Revue;
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Soulbucket ; Thursdays,
Auntie Genoa Keawe; Sundays, George Kuo, Martin Pahinui &
Aaron Mahi - classic Hawaiian slack key music.
Ward
Warehouse amphitheater, free Sunday afternoon concerts
2-4 p.m.
called Na Mele Nei. Features
island headliners and groups with new CD’s.
Nice open air atmosphere with nearby food kiosks.
Great for families or lazy dates.
Sponsored by Native Books.
Call 596-8885. |
