GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Henry Kapono celebrates his first anniversary at Aloha Tower Marketplace tonight. He performs at his club every Wednesday.
Opening a nightclub -- make that, opening the RIGHT nightclub -- was a dream come true that had been a long time coming when Henry Kapono opened Kapono's at the Aloha Tower Marketplace last June. No one could have anticipated the terrorist attacks of September, or the winter rains that seemed heavier than usual, but the club has survived -- thrived, even -- to reach its first anniversary. 1 year of
‘good times together’By John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.comAnd that's cause enough to celebrate.
"It's been a lot, that's for sure, but it's been developing into what I expected," Kapono said on Tuesday as the final arrangements for the party -- a "First Year Birthday Jam" -- were falling into place.
"It's been a tough year for everybody, but it's also been a big learning year. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter, and I feel really good about it. We're getting some bands that are passionate about their music and some great artists."
Kapono has opened his club's stage to different types of music -- jazz on Mondays, Hawaiian on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Kapono followed by Makana on Wednesdays and a new band, Jook Joint (featuring Darren Porlas, formerly of Chant), on Fridays. He's been going for a younger crowd on Saturdays with Guy Cruz as the headliner, while offering live music for a slightly older audience the rest of the week.
Kapono and his partners -- wife Lezlee Kaaihue and John Bilgrave -- gave the public a preview of the open-air club as part of a three-clubs-for-one "Hoku Block Party" on June 1, 2001, took a few days off and then opened full time with a multimedia Hawaiian Digital Jam a week later. They'd designed Kapono's as a concert venue where musicians could perform on a spacious stage with quality sound equipment and concert lighting. The Digital Jam showed what the club could deliver, and big events since then have included the Dennis Pavao Memorial Concert, a two-day jazz festival, Johnny Kai's Fifth Annual Hawaii Music Awards show and Kata Maduli's 50th-birthday party.
Kapono's has also become a popular venue for local artists' CD-release parties.
"My dream was to build someplace where a musician wants to play," he said. "The word around town is that it works for them. Guys love the stage, they love the sound. We have a great sound man in Billy Kam, and he makes everybody sound good."
Kapono says that he and his partners approached the other aspects of running a successful club in the same way.
"WE WERE, LIKE, real green as owners. We'd never done food before, but we knew service is really important to people. We went through a lot of employees, but now we have a staff that's a great bunch of people -- glad to be there and helping every way they can. It's really turning into something more than I imagined.
"We never had a grand opening, so this is kind of like a combination grand opening/birthday party. It's real exciting for us."
Adding to the anticipated air of excitement at Kapono's tonight is the summer's first live telecast of "Hot Hawaiian Nights" on KFVE, featuring Kapono and his band in concert. The KCCN/FM 100 morning crew of Billy V, Charly Espina and Pipi will co-host the show.
(The "Hot Hawaiian Nights" telecasts will continue through Aug. 16 from other venues, such as Chai's Island Bistro and the Waterfront Cafe.)
Kapono is looking forward to a great summer.
"I've played in some of the greatest places in the world, and I always wanted to have a place like here where local artists could get that same vibe. And this is it -- we've been getting some great bands, and I feel really good about the club's future."
Featuring Ike Pono, Ledward Ka'apana, Henry Kapono, Ko'u Mana'o, Makana, Inoa'ole, Jook Joint and Guy Cruz 'Kapono's First Year Jam'
Where: Kapono's at Aloha Tower Marketplace
When: 5 p.m. until closing today
Admission: Free
Call: 536-2161
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