THE NIGHT STUFF
Good wishes, music go a long way at Reign

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

A mix of current Top-40 R&B and hip-hop, along with the occasional electronica and older hits, gets people off their stools and onto the wooden dance floor at Reign. Photos Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Megela, June Chung and Melba McKay were part of the crowd. Reign patrons are mostly in their 20s and 30s; attire ranges from dressy to casual.

DJ Sandman runs the show at Reign, which opened a few months ago on Kona Street.

But that's what not just one, but both cashiers at Reign did on a recent Friday night. A small, inconsequential thing? Perhaps to some. But on an evening when only three hours earlier we had forked over $16 to see "Matrix Reloaded" and got nary a greeting (or an apology) from our ticket taker for the monumentally disappointing film, it was little things that counted most.

Reign is tucked amid a row of shady-looking lounges on Kona Street. It hasn't been open long ... just a few months, actually. But in the weeks before our visit, people had been telling me that Reign was drawing sizable weekend crowds and causing parking nightmares in the area.

Parking wasn't a hassle when we showed, and the crowd wasn't wall-to-wall. But Reign did have a good-sized gathering of mostly well-dressed patrons keeping things on a nicely mellow and enjoyable tip.

Past the cashiers and part of the way down a stone-floored entry way leading to Reign's large quasi-dungeon-themed main room, a couple was parked, seemingly fascinated with the club's waterfall walls. Illuminated by faux flame lamps and dark lighting, the liquid cascaded down airbrushed fantasy-themed representations of semi-Amazonian women and medieval landscapes. I began pondering how long it had been since I went bar-hopping in L.A. Too long, I thought.

The roomy club had several spots for relaxing. There was a large L-shaped bar served by four bartenders, a billiard area with several tables, and a wood-floor dance space sided by booths, diner-style stools and high-top bar tables. After hitting the bar for a round of drinks, we settled into the black leather couches of a railed-in lounge area.

Our premium mixers were pricey but strong. My martini was served in a soup-bowl sized glass whose contents easily drowned three large olives. Tasty, well-mixed and well worth the price, I didn't think I could handle another and still wake up before noon. However, the bartender's suggestion of a Türi vodka cosmo in place of my partner in Night Stuff's usual choice of the always smooth Belvedere was a bit misguided.

"Tastes just as good," he promised. Sadly, it didn't. Still, Reign's bar and service staff were mostly cheerful and always attentive to a fault.

The sound mix, courtesy of DJ Sandman, was a danceable blend of current Top-40 R&B and hip-hop sprinkled on occasion with a welcome bit of electronica and older hits. Just what we were looking for that evening, actually. A remix of Monifah's "Touch It" and its spiritual parent, Laid Back's "White Horse," was a nice dance-floor touch that the crowd also appreciated.

Much of the crowd stuck around until 1:30 a.m., thinning out quickly after last call. As we left, a security guy at the door smiled and said, "Good night. Drive safe."

I didn't even feel like cursing the Wachowskis anymore.

Got a nightspot or club event we should check out? Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.

What: Reign.

Where: 1220 Kona St., 597-1996.

When: Open Tuesday-Saturday, 6 p.m.-2 a.m.

Our arrival/departure: Midnight/2 a.m., on a Friday.

Cover: $5.

Younger than 21 OK? No.

Age of crowd: 20s-30s.

Attire we saw: Dressy and casual. On men: dress shirts, solid tees, polos, sweaters, jeans. On women: camisoles, cocktail dresses, dress blouses, tube tops, tanks, jeans, skirts.

What we drank: Bombay Sapphire martini, Türi cosmopolitan ($14 total).

Peak crowd while there: About 300.

Queue?: No.

Dancing?: Yes.

Sample music: "You Can Do It" (Ice Cube), "Music" (Madonna), "My Neck, My Back" (Lil Kim).

Night notes ...

The Love Festival DJ tour has stopped in Honolulu for each of the last five years. 2003's West Coast tour pulls in this Saturday at Club Mist with DJs Richard "Humpty" Vission, Reza, Aztech Sol, and Josh David after Las Vegas and L.A. dates.

Providing local turntable support: DJs G-Spot, Neil K. PSI, Sovergn T, Big Daddy Dave, Lava, IKON, Technique and Kause & MC Enemy.

Crowds should be huge, so arrive early. From 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Pre-sale tickets are $20. Information: 591-3500.

Sick Dog Productions semi-secret, still-unnamed Friday weekly (we called it "Shh..." a couple of weeks back) has quietly moved to a larger location at Top of the Hill in Kaimuki.

This week's party hosts the live sounds of Microscopic Syllables and a side room with resident DJs Lava and Seba, plus guest DJs Kulchi and Leiloa.

At 3579 Wai'alae Ave., from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Entry is $5.

Be sure to give the original Sick Dog, himself, a pat on the head.