"Aloha shirt to Armani" is what we call the night scene in Honolulu -- mostly casual, but with ample opportunity to dress up if you dare to part with your flip-flops.
Hawaiian Music--Oahu has several key spots for Hawaiian music. 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. 808/922-6611) with her larger-than-life voice. 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.
Brothers 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. 808/585-0011) in the Aloha Tower Marketplace. Also at Chai's: Robert Cazimero plays by himself on the piano on Fridays at 7pm; and Jerry Santos and Olomana performs on Sundays and Mondays at 7pm. If you're here on May 1, Lei Day, the Brothers Caz give a special concert at the Waikiki Shell, as they do every year -- one of the loveliest events in Hawaii. Locals dress up in their leis and best aloha shirts, the air smells like pikake and pakalana, and the moon sometimes rises over Diamond Head.
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's Paradise Lounge (tel. 808/949-4321), which, despite its pillars, serves as a large living room for the full-bodied music of Olomana. The group plays Friday and Saturday from 8pm to midnight (no cover, 1 drink minimum). At Duke's Canoe Club at the Outrigger Waikiki (tel. 808/923-0711), it's always three deep at the beachside bar when the sun is setting; extra-special entertainment is a given here -- usually from 4 to 6pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and nightly from 10pm to midnight.
Nearby, the Sheraton Moana Surfrider offers a regular nightly program of live Hawaiian music and piano in its Banyan Veranda (tel. 808/922-3111), which surrounds an islet-size canopy of banyan trees and roots where Robert Louis Stevenson loved to linger. The Veranda serves afternoon tea, a sunset buffet, and cocktails.
Our best advice for lovers of Hawaiian music is to scan the local dailies, especially the TGIF section in Friday's Honolulu Advertiser, or the Honolulu Weekly to see if and where the following Hawaiian entertainers are appearing: Amy Hanaiali'i, one of Hawaii's top female vocalists, who sings a range of Hawaiian songs, from traditional to contemporary; Kekuhi Kanahele, accomplished chanter and kahiko (ancient hula) dancer, whose award-winning recordings have redefined Hawaiian music; Ho'okena, a symphonically rich quintet featuring Manu Boyd, one of the most prolific songwriters and chanters in Hawaii; Keali'i 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; and slack-key guitar master Raymond Kane.
Consider the gods beneficent if you happen to be here when the hula halau of Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett is holding its annual fund-raiser in Windward Oahu. It's a rousing, inspired, family effort for a good cause, and it always features the best in ancient and contemporary Hawaiian music. For the best in ancient and modern hula, check the dailies for halau fund-raisers, which are always authentic, enriching, and local to the core.
Live Blues, R&B, Jazz, Pop & World Music--The blues are alive and well in Hawaii, with quality acts both local and from the mainland drawing enthusiastic crowds in even the funkiest of surroundings. There isn't a regular blues club, however, so the best shows are usually at the Waikiki Shell, Hawaii Theatre, or Blaisdell Concert Hall, where artists like 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.
For more late-night schmoozing, with a theater complex nearby, Restaurant Row's Row Bar, 500 Ala Moana Blvd. (tel. 808/528-2345), always seems to be full, smoky, and somewhat convivial. Also in Restaurant Row, Sansei (tel. 808/536-6286) keeps busy with its late-night karaoke.
I also suggest that you call the Aloha Tower Marketplace hot line (tel. 808/566-2333) to find out what's playing, because, with Gordon Biersch, Don Ho's Island Grill, and Chai's Island Bistro in the same complex, there's a lot of music filling the harbor air.
Nick's Fishmarket, in the Waikiki Gateway Hotel, 2070 Kalakaua Ave. (tel. 808/955-6333), is known for its seafood but also features live entertainment in its cozy lounge -- with mild jazz or top-40 contemporary hits.
Jazz lovers should watch for the Great Hawaiian Jazz Blow-Out every March at Mid-Pacific Institute's Bakken Hall.
At the south end of Honolulu, near Diamond Head, the sleek and flashy Diamond Head Grill, in the W Honolulu, 2885 Kalakaua Ave. (tel. 808/922-3734), is Honolulu's hottest nightspot, with live music nightly.
Tops in taste and ambience is the perennially alluring Lewers Lounge in the Halekulani, 2199 Kalia Rd. (tel. 808/923-2311). Bruce Hamada and other local artists are a big draw, and when Diana Krall and other notables are in town for a concert, they often appear after the show and give impromptu performances in the intimate lounge.
In Moiliili, the grand dame of them all is Anna Bannanas, 2440 S. Beretania St. (tel. 808/946-5190), the aging but beloved diva after 30 years in the business. Anna's offers an intimate setting for reggae, blues, and rock. Most shows start at 9:30pm, and the cover charge depends on the show.
The under-30 set throngs The Wave Waikiki (tel. 808/941-0424), a small, dark, and edgy room that shakes with the rock and R&B groups that play there. Down the street, near the Hawaii Convention Center, decibels run amok at the Hard Rock Cafe, 1837 Kapiolani Blvd. (tel. 808/955-7383). Most Friday and Saturday nights, you'll find live alternative, reggae, and classic rock.
Watch for Sandy Tsukiyama, a gifted singer (Brazilian, Latin, jazz) and one of Honolulu's great assets. Other groups in jazz, blues, and R&B include Blue Budda, Bongo Tribe, Secondhand Smoke, Bluzilla, Piranha Brothers, and the Greg Pai Trio.
Dance Clubs--In the bowels of industrial Kakaako, the party never stops at Pipeline Café and Sports Bar, 805 Pohukaina St. (tel. 808/589-1999), the shrine of surfers and students and a magnet for revelers and the occasional visiting movie star. Pipeline's the place for cheap drinks, party grinds, and meeting people, whether it's to benefit surf movie premieres or Ladies Night with $2 drinks and pupus. (There's even a "Service Industry Night," where people in the business get discounts.) Open until 4am every night, Pipeline gets its gregarious crowd dancing to the loud DJ music in a nightlong party where fun is the mantra.
The nightlife buzz is all about Blue Tropix, complete with a jiggy weekend crowd and a live monkey contained in soundproof glass behind the bar. (Its grand opening was a benefit for the Honolulu Zoological Society.) The nightclub opened in early 2001 at 1700 Kapiolani Blvd. (tel. 808/944-0001) and features a 100-square-foot dance floor for the lively DJ jams of top-40, hip-hop, and R&B dance music. There's a $5 cover charge. Open daily from 10pm to 2am.
Aaron's Atop the Ala Moana, in the Ala Moana Hotel, 410 Atkinson Dr. (tel. 808/955-4466), has the best view in town. From the 36th floor of the hotel (take the express elevator), watch the Honolulu city lights wrap around the room and cha-cha-cha to the vertigo! There's live music and dancing nightly, a great dinner menu, and an appetizer menu nightly from 5pm.
At Restaurant Row, Ocean Club, 500 Ala Moana Blvd. (tel. 808/526-9888), is the Row's hottest and hippest spot. Good seafood appetizers, attractive happy-hour prices, a fabulous quirky interior, and passionate DJs in alternative garb make up a dizzyingly successful formula. The minimum age is 23, and the dress code calls for "smart-casual" -- no T-shirts, slippers, or beach wear.
Downstairs in the lobby of the Ala Moana Hotel, Rumours Nightclub (tel. 808/955-4811) is the disco of choice for those who remember Paul McCartney as something other than Stella's father. The theme changes by the month, but generally, it's the "Big Chill" '60s, '70s, and '80s music on Friday; the "Little Chill" on Saturday; ballroom dancing from 5 to 9pm on Sunday; top-40 on Tuesday; karaoke on Wednesday; and an "after-work office party" to midnight on Thursday. A spacious dance floor, good sound system, and top-40 music draw a mix of generations.
