Music Scene
New generation of Jets to take fans back in time

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Go back. Waaaay back.

The next generation of The Jets: from left, Tony Uesi (first cousin), 19, guitars/'ukulele/keyboards; Natalia Wolfgramm, 13, vocals/bass; Mariana Wolfgramm, 16, keyboards/choreographer; Leroy Wolfgramm, 35, music director/guitars; Donnie Wolfgramm, 14, drums; Etivise Wolfgramm, 15, vocals/drums; and Mika Wolfgramm, 16 (twin with Mariana), bass. The Jets • 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday • Gussie L'Amour's, 3251 N. Nimitz Highway • $23; $20 advance, good for all three shows • 836-7883 For 21 and older

You felt so grown up.

Until the DJ — meaning, your classmate manning the radio — played "You Got It All." And your heart melted.

That was the typical effect of any love song performed by The Jets, the eight-member band of brothers and sisters, originally from Tonga.

Play any of their hits now, from "Crush On You" to "Make It Real," at karaoke and, guaranteed, some Gen-Xer will shamelessly sing along.

The original members, now in their 30s and married, have handed the torch to the younger Wolfgramms, who have continued the family tradition for the past four years.

The new generation of Jets, from age 13 to 19, is in town to take Hawai'i fans back, way back on Sunday at Gussie L'Amour's, performing old-school hits and a slew of new songs that combine the pop sound with an island flavor. With one member on 'ukulele, the new generation of The Jets blends hip-hop and island, with the same high level of energy and enthusiasm as its older siblings.

"What'll set them apart in the mass pop market will be that island twist, the Polynesian twist," said the band's music director, Leroy Wolfgramm, who performed in the original group and continues to jam on guitar, during a phone interview from Los Angeles. "The new generation has island-ized the sound."

Leroy Wolfgramm, now 35 and married with kids, is the last remaining original member still performing with the group. The band's skyrocket to sudden fame in the '80s has whet his appetite to keep performing, keep striving for that kind of billboard success. The Jets hit the Top 10 with "Crush On You" in 1986, which launched the band to stardom. The Wolfgramms were even featured alongside then-teen sensations Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, Kirk Cameron, Alyssa Milano and Cory Haim in national teen magazines.

Now, they've got a greatest-hits album out and were recently featured on VH-1's "Where Are They Now?" A dramatic shift in status.

"I was walking in Kmart once and I heard 'Make It Real' in muzak," Leroy Wolfgramm said with a laugh. "It was weird. I was cracking up."

But hearing their hits on easy-listening stations hasn't squelched the Wolfgramms' desire to play music.

The new Jets perform three weeks in a month, playing shows in Texas, Las Vegas, Florida and throughout the Midwest. They rehearse about four to five hours a day, attend homeschool for five hours a day and play gigs at night.

And like their older siblings, these teens play their own instruments, choreograph their own shows and book their own appearances.

"The band is all over the place," Leroy Wolfgramm said. "What you see is what you get. We play everything. That's how we're set apart from other groups.

"That was our goal," he continued. "We wanted to have substance, to be for real, to be ourselves."

The family also continues its Polynesian act, under the name Polynesian Pearls. This is how the family-band got started, in the cold climates of Minnesota more than 20 years ago.

"We're proud of being Polynesian," Leroy Wolfgramm said. "Even though we're in the pop world, we need to introduce that."

The Wolfgramm parents still travel with the new Jets, as they did with the original band. Mom sews costumes and takes care of the wardrobe; Dad handles the merchandise.

After all, they're a family first, then a band.

"Life's a little different," Leroy Wolfgramm said. "But it's been a great blessing working as a family.

"It's a dynasty."