Coconuts
Sonny Maguire, front center, is the master of
ceremonies at the newly open Coconuts Nightclub,
which allows audience members to sing with
the house band.
Club takes
karaoke to the
next level
Live musicans back up
By John Berger
members of the audience
Special to the Star-BulletinA nightclub with audience members singing to live music. That's the concept as Tom Moffatt takes over Coconuts in the Ilikai.
Sonny Maguire presides as Coconuts' singing host and master of ceremonies with support from Alwin Eruba's Coconuts Band trio. Maguire has become a favorite at Moffatt's "Let's Dance" big-band shows in the Monarch Room. He's a handsome leading-man type who favors pop standards ("Who Can I Turn To") and mainstream '70s oldies ("Bad Bad Leroy Brown").
Coconuts isn't intended to be a karaoke venue where any drunk with delusions of talent can get up and murder "My Way" or "My Heart Will Go On," but there are more than enough talented amateurs out there who deserve the opportunity to graduate from karaoke to singing with live musicians.
The question is whether the format is going to take off fast enough to survive at the Ilikai. A guest-driven show was a huge success back when Don Ho presided over weekend late shows in the International Market Place in 1981. Are there enough entertainers floating around these days?
Guests are the key ingredient in the concept. Many of those who performed on opening night -- Kala'i Stern, Moke Boy, Ken Makuakane and George Chun -- are members of Moffatt's Paradise Records/Bluewater Records ohana. Others are tied in through the "Let's Dance" events.
Other opening night participants included Alfredo Romero, Ken Makuakane, Tim Couch, Alfredo Romero, Cyndi Mayo Souza, Rene Mansho, George Chun and Rhonda.
Black-clad Danny Couch evoked memories of years past when he sang "Akaka Falls." He was known for his rendition of the Hawaiian falsetto classic even before his stint with the Aliis in the early '80s. Shari Lynn displayed the difference between simply singing song lyrics and interpreting them with her entertaining rendition of "Makin' Whoopie" -- "And I don't mean Goldberg," she ad-libbed.
Nelda Alvarez and Erin Kim teamed up to give the crowd a taste of the future with a mini-set featuring songs from Alvarez's debut album, "Dreams in a Box."
Jeff Apaka, Edgy Lee, Kimo Wilder McVay, Willie Barton and record producer Scott Horiuchi were among the non-singers in the audience.
If all of Moffatt's friends and business associates came for a weekend or two, Maguire would have a full calendar through the middle of next year!
Getting the word out to the public on a day-in, day-out basis, advertising the fact that Coconuts validates parking in the multi-level hotel parking structure, and attracting talented amateurs who are ready to sit in with live musicians -- those are the challenges to be met.
If Moffatt pulls this off, Waikiki will have new hot spot. If not, we'll still be looking back to Don Ho's weekend late shows.
Goin' Coconuts
New club: Coconuts at the Ilikai/Hotel Nikko Waikiki Hotel, 1777 Ala Moana Blvd.
