We had heard a rumor that Eddie Kamae, the phenomenal Hawaiian musician who was a sidekick of Gabby Pahinui, was playing a semi-regular guest gig at the Honolulu Elks Lodge in Waikiki. It was true. So we went down yesterday to see him play. This was probably my fourth or fifth time seeing Eddie play. It's quite amazing. Kamae has a soulful, deep voice and a unique two-fingered ukulele picking technique that produces an waterfull of sounds far more complex than the usual chang-a-lang strumming style and more natural than the machine-gun picking style of modern uke masters like Jake Shimabukuro.

I guess the best way to explain what its like watching Eddie after watching most other Hawaiian musicians is its akin to watching B.B. King play the blues after watching a bunch of very talented lounge acts. He's simply the real deal and he elevates the level of music of everyone playing with him. It helps, of course, that the people he plays with -- Mike Ka'awa and Ocean -- are excellent musicians in their own right. Kamae's schedule at the Elk's is irregular and its kinda loud -- the bar there is not really a family place (its not bawdy but there are certainly some serious tipplers hanging out). That said, seeing Kamae anywhere -- he rarely performs -- is a worthy effort. There's no cover charge although you have to pay $2 for guest parking and sign in at the front. Drinks are quite reasonable too.

Elks Lodge of Honolulu
2933 Kalakaua Ave /Honolulu, HI 96815 (Map)
(808) 923-5722

—Alex, 01/02/07