Skip the high-priced pupu (appetizers), but the local jazz musicians are well worth the price of drinks (martinis, ranging from $7 to $9, are your best bet).Īround town, watch for Sandy Tsukiyama, a gifted singer (Brazilian, Latin, jazz) and one of Honolulu's great assets, as well as for jazz singers Rachel Gonzales and Loretta Ables. The cover is $10 and the crowd, often from the surrounding offices, generally ranges from people in their mid-20s to 50s. Music begins at 7pm (and lasts until 11:30pm), but the tables start filling up at 6pm.
#Hawaii music scene windows
808/543-3900), where the seventh-floor lounge of this ultra-upscale fitness center turns into a jazz nightclub with a wall of windows overlooking the Honolulu skyline.
In Honolulu, jazz fans will love Jazz Wednesdays at the Honolulu Club, 932 Ward Ave. 808/739-8888 is a popular spot for the over-40 crowd, with nightly jazz music and a dance floor. Outside of Waikiki, the Veranda, at the Kahala Resort, 5000 Kahala Ave. Be sure to try the "Hpnotiq" liqueur, a blend of premium vodka, cognac, and fruit juices from France, served over ice or in various concoctions. 808/923-2311 Recently renovated (with a higher ceiling, a contemporary color scheme, and comfy intimate seating around the pillars), this is a great spot for contemporary jazz nightly from 7:30pm to 1am. In Waikiki, tops in taste and ambience is the perennially alluring Lewers Lounge, in the Halekulani, 2199 Kalia Rd. 808/531-6325), downtown, presents live jazz on Saturday nights. To find out what's happening in the jazz scene while you're in town, check out Duc's Bistro (tel.
#Hawaii music scene plus
808/946-5190), still rocking after 30 years in the business with reggae, blues, and rock - plus video games and darts.
Beretania St., between University Avenue and Isenberg Street (tel. The best-loved Oahu venue is Anna Bannanas, 2440 S. Junior Wells, Willie & Lobo, War, and surprise appearances by the likes of Bonnie Raitt are among the past successes of this genre of big-time licks. The blues are alive and well in Hawaii, with quality acts both local and from the mainland drawing enthusiastic crowds. Our best advice for Hawaiian music lovers is to scan the local dailies (especially Friday's pull-out TGIF section in the Honolulu Star Advertiser or the Honolulu Weekly (to see if and where the following Hawaiian entertainers are appearing: Kekuhi Kanahele, an accomplished, award-winning chanter and kahiko (ancient hula) dancer Hookena, a symphonically rich quintet featuring Manu Boyd, one of the most prolific songwriters and chanters in Hawaii Kealii Reichel, premier chanter, dancer, and award-winning recording artist Robbie Kahakalau, another award-winning musician Kapena, for contemporary Hawaiian music Na Leo Pilimehana, a trio of angelic Hawaiian singers the Makaha Sons of Niihau, pioneers in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance Fiji, a performer whose music is classified as Hawaiian soul and slack-key guitar master Raymond Kane. The Veranda serves afternoon tea and cocktails. 808/922-3111), which surrounds an islet-size canopy of banyan tree and roots where Robert Louis Stevenson loved to linger. Nearby, the Moana Surfrider offers a regular nightly program of live Hawaiian music and piano in its Beach House (tel. 808/923-0711), it's always three deep at the beachside bar as the sun sets extra-special entertainment is a given here, from 4 to 6pm and again from 9:30pm to midnight every night. The Royal Hawaiian also has its own form of luau.Īt Duke's Canoe Club at the Outrigger Waikiki (tel. Its Waikiki Style Luau features Hawaiian entertainment with dinner five nights a week (Sun-Thurs) for $120. Plus every Friday night is the Rocking Hawaiian Rainbow Review with fireworks starting at 7pm. 808/949-4321), which has live music nightly at the Tapa Bar and at the Tropics Bar and Grill. Impromptu hula and spirited music from the family and friends of the performers are an island tradition at places such as the Hilton Hawaiian Village (tel. Also at Chai's: Robert Cazimero plays by himself on the piano on Tuesdays at 7pm and Jerry Santos and Hula performs on Mondays at 7pm. You'll find her here from 5:30 to 8:30pm every Thursday the rest of the week, except Monday, other contemporary Hawaiian musicians fill in.īrothers Cazimero remains one of Hawaii's most gifted duos (Robert on bass, Roland on 12-string guitar), appearing every Wednesday at 7pm at Chai's Island Bistro (tel. A delightful (and powerful) addition to the Waikiki music scene is Hawaii's queen of falsetto, Genoa Keawe, who fills the Lobby Bar of the Hawaiian Regent Hotel (tel. Oahu has several key spots for Hawaiian music.