Visiting Oahu, Hawaii soon any suggestions

[Del Ray Grace]

My wife and I are visiting Hawaii soon and would like to experience some good steel guitar music. Do you have any suggestions.

[Michael Johnstone]

I went to Oahu for Christmas of 2021 and before I left, I messaged Alan Akaka who lives on Oahu (he's on Facebook) and asked him the same question. Mind you it was still kinda during the tail end of Covid so things were pretty slow all over. Anyhow he didn't have much info to offer regarding live steel music recommendations. A couple small clubs where you might normally see some, were still closed down for Covid. All I saw in some hotel lounges or bars were singles (one Hawaiian guy playing guitar or uke and singing Jimmy Buffett songs with little Hawaiian falsettos thrown in. I'd guess things are better by now. But if you can FB message Alan and introduce yourself, he would know. https://www.facebook.com/alan.akaka

[Del Ray Grace]

Thank you, Michael, I'll reach out to him on Facebook.

[Nic Neufeld]

There are great steel guitarists on O'ahu. But there's a ton of music, most of which is not including steel guitar, so finding it is tough. I've specifically gone, in the past, to try and catch the festivals from HIMELE, like the Waikiki steel guitar week. They have other festivals but just a few, so odds are, won't coincide with your travel plans. My usual recommendation is, if you want to hear steel guitar in Hawaii, pack the guitar and play it yourself. I did overhear when I was there this summer that Malie Lyman is playing at a luau, and she's a talented young steel player taught by Alan...I didn't hear which luau though. Other players I would be on the lookout for would be Bobby Ingano (not sure if he is fully retired and just doing special gigs now) and Jeff Au Hoy.

[Del Ray Grace]

Thank you Nic for that information.