Hawaii Trip Revisited

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

Well, I'll be leaving Saturday (if we can get out of Denver...) for Oahu and Kauai. I've got my notes from the thread on No Peddlers from a few month ago. Looking forward to meeting some of you and hearing Hawaiian Steel Guitar Music!

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

I'm in Honolulu! Where's the music? Who want's to connect?

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

With the entertainers at the following spots you should be able to make some connections:

This Thursday for sure go see Genoa Keawe at the Waikiki Beach Marriott, 6th floor or poolside, 5:30-8:30pm. Lots of local people go and always entertaining.

Halekulani, House Without a Key, 5:00-8:30 pm every evening.
Moana Hotel, Banyan Veranda, 5:30-8:30 pm every evening.

Call before going to see what's cooking:
Chiko's Tavern on McCully Street
Willows Restaurant 11:00am-1:00pm

Aloha, Smile

Don

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Head on down to Fort Street Mall in the heart of downtown Honolulu, off Hotel St. to see Derrick Mau possibly playing steel with
'The Son's of the Mall' from 11am to 1:30.
If you miss them today, try again Thursday.

The best steel happening on Oahu is Sunday @ 6:30pm, Pacific Beach Marriot (same as Genoa) for Bobby Ingano sitting in with Martin Pahinui.
Call or go to Tamashiro Market in the morning this week and ask him if he's going to be there.

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

We'll be having dinner at the Marriott on Saturday. Anything going on then? I'll try to get down there on Thursday as well.
Thanks for the tips!

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

There is most likely nightly entertainment at the Marriott, but Th. & Sun. evenings are the best.

Good luck, and enjoy!

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

Paul,

You gotta get to the Marriott to see Genoa on Thursday. Get there around 5:00 p.m. and you will get a good pick of seats in front where you can really see things and of course hear.

Then give us a review afterwards, so we can vicariously enjoy it with you.

Aloha, Smile

Don

Derrick Mau · From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Paul,

One of our group members will have to do some test at the hospital so we'll be cancelling this Thursday. Won't be back at the mall till Tuesday the 23rd.

Derrick

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

I hope your band mate is OK. We'll still be here on the 23ed, so I hope to get over to see you.

Derrick Mau · From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Hi Paul,

We'll most likely be down at the Waikiki Marriot (3rd floor) this Sunday to watch Martin Pahinui. I believe the show starts at 6:00p.m.

Bobby Ingano said he's pretty sure he'll make it down there too and sit in with the group.

See you there if you can make it. Aloha

Derrick Mau · From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

Hi Paul,

Did you ever get over to see Genoa on Thursday at the Waikiki Marriott? Give us a mini report on what you are hearing.

The latest information that I have is that the shows starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Waikiki Marriot. Also it is a good idea to get there 30 minutes early if you are wanting a good seat.

Aloha, Smile

Don

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

I didn't get there, Don. But I'm keeping this Thursday open for music.

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

We'll be going down to see Auntie Genoa this Thursday, the 25th. Sorry I missed the Sunday stuff, but our party includes a pregnant woman with a two year old, so plans can change quickly.

I won't have internet access after this post until I get home to Colorado, so I hope to connect in person with some of you on Thursday.

I need about a month in the islands just to get in all the music!

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

Back home in Colorado going from shorts and shirts to coats and hats and gloves and boots and... Well, you get the idea.

I had a great time, though I didn't get to all the gigs I'd hoped to. I did make it to see Auntie Geona on Thursday. Now it's time to do a lot of listening, restring the National, practice, practice, practice and get ready for another trip hopefully before too much time passes. Hawaii is a special place and the music has been running in my head since I got on the plane to go home. I'm sorry I didn't get to connect with everyone I'd hoped to, but at least we got to be there and do as much as we did.

Thanks to everyone who made suggestions and helped us hear the music, especially Jeff Au Hoy.

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

One more and I'll shut up...

On Friday I went out to the Ward Warehouse to find some souvineers for the folks back home. Well, that's what I told the family anyway. My real destination was Island Music on the second floor. I was hoping to play a Fuchs amplifier, but they had none in stock. Besides all the six string fretted eye-candy, they had a few steels that I thought some of the folks here might be interested in. One was a Rickenbacker "Jerry Byrd model" a seven string single neck console with wooded legs. The front had some colorful grillcloth-like material. In the display case were several bakelte Rickenbackers including a ten-string (!) model. No double neck consoles, though.

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

Paul,

Why don't you elaborate on your experience when you visited the Auntie Genoa concert on Thursday. Describe your experience there, what was it like for you. Was it your first time?

Did you have any other musical adventures? or stories? Cool

Aloha,

Don

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

Seeing Auntie Genoa was like seeing Bill Monroe or B.B. King. Someone who has spent their lives creating a unique style of music. At one point my friend Patty leaned over to me and referring to Auntie Genoa and her guitarist, also an older woman, and said, "God bless their arthritic hands!"

While I was there mostly for the steel guitar, the singing was captivating as well. It's music I've heard in one form or another all my life in movies and cartoons, and there I was across the street from Waikiki hearing it in person. It's hard to discribe my feelings and my experience.

We also saw the end of forum member Jeff Au Hoy's gig on the Saturday before. It's great to see the younger generation carrying on the tradition. As most folks here know, he's an excellent player.

I picked up a few CD's but it was hard to choose. There was so much to choose from. One thing I'm looking for is Hawaiian Reggae using traditional instruments. Any leads?

Most of my time was spent traveling or helping my family members get ready to move back to the mainland so I wasn't able to get out to hear all the music I'd hoped to. We did get some beach days in, visited the North Shore and Kauai and ate way too much good food. If I can afford it, I'm going to try to make the HSGA gathering this spring. I think that would be a perfect event for learning more and meeting the players.

Does that answer your questions, Don? If you have any others, feel free to ask.

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

Paul,

Thanks for your response. I was just trying to get at what your experiences were like in visiting various performers. Thanks for sharing about your experience with Auntie Genoa. Sometimes questions are helpful in bringing out the color.

I had a friend that thought my questions might be a little "nosey". I told him that it was being inquisitive to help others enjoy your experiences vicariously. I bet him that you would answer my questions.

Glad you enjoyed your experience enough in Hawaii to want to come to the HSGA convention in late April. That is an experience you would not regret. Steel guitarists will be coming from various parts of the world so there is an international flair to it. Each has different styles, etc. Always an interesting experience, plus you get to hear alot of the professional steel players who live in Hawaii.

Aloha, Smile

Don

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

The other "older womon" mentioned playing along-side of Genoa Keawe is her niece, Momi Bee (maiden name), of the locally famous Bee family, whom had at least one radio hit in the 50/60s.
Her brother, Tony Bee, was also a stand-out on ukulele during Waikiki's glory day's, and was part of Don Ho's early group at Honey's in Kaneohe, along with Gary Aiko (Genoa's eldest son and superb bassist/vocalist/uke), and still sits in on rare occassions, always a show-stopper.

The Marriott's Thursday stage boasts a true Hawaiian music 'super group', of which few can be found these days.

Now, Hawaiian raggae..., that's a whole 'nuther bowl of poi.

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

Thanks for filling me in on the identity of the guitarist, Ron. She's quite the hula dancer as well. Do you know who the bass player is? A Hawaiian "Super Group" for sure! There was so much history and tradition on that stage. I'm glad I got to share it with friends and family and hope I can get back there again.

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

If Momi Bee who plays and sings along side Auntie Genoa was doing the hula that would be news to me. While most of these female performers can do the hula, I have never witnessed Momi doing the hula in the times that I have gone.

If Gary Aiko was there on the Thursday that you were there, it would be Gary Aiko playing bass. He also has a tremendous voice and talent. If not Gary, then the bass player is probably Auntie Genoa grandchild (name unknown?), she likes to keep a lot of her group in the family.

Of course Ron will be more up to date than I.

I do play to go the see Auntie Genoa when I arrive for the HSGA convention in late April.

Aloha, Smile

Don

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Don is correct on his thots that Momi never does hula during these shows.
So, there may be some confusion as to whom we are speaking of.
Momi sits next to Genoa's right and plays rythym guitar (on a nice big 2-tone burst Gretsch box), and sings.

I'll assume it was Gary on bass/vocals, and usually during breaks he busts out the uke to do his own thing.

Paul Honeycutt · From: Colorado, USA

The night I was there, during the second set, the lady who plays the big sunburst Gretsch guitar handed it off to a guy to play and danced. And very well as a matter of fact. Several other women in the audience danced during the show. I felt like I was a guest at a backyard family luau. So that doesn't happen every week?

Jeff Au Hoy · From: Honolulu, Hawai'i

I disagree... Aunty Momi will hula on occasion as well.

Paul, it was great meeting you. I do hope you will make it back to the islands again soon.

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals	Goto page 1, 2 Next	Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic