THE NIGHT STUFF
Busy holidays call for evening chillin'
By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
| |||
 |
|
||
| |||
|
|
||
Ah, the holiday season. A time of year when this part-time night-life writer actually prefers keeping his nightlife — much like the weather — as chill as possible.
Christmas parties at friends' homes? Sweet! Nights at home with my partner in Night Stuff catching up on Netflix? Sweeter! Last-minute shopping? Well, as Meat Loaf once said succinctly, two out of three ain't bad.
With limited evening time — and this year, at least, a seemingly all-U2-all-the-time work weekend tossed in — I've been keeping holiday season after-dark outings mostly restricted to our town's selection of mellow lounges.
The appeal? Cocktails, pupu and conversations not drowned out by the subwoofer hell of an umpteenth nightclub spin of "Fergalicious."
So until next Friday's listing of my five favorite venues and events of 2006, here's where you might find me out this week. Perhaps you'll be inspired. Perhaps not.
Ending a weeknight of last-minute Christmas shopping with a pineapple mojito, mini kobe burgers and downtempo world beats ... before the dance crowd arrives, of course.
Pau hana on Wednesday — passing time before a bottle of Rogue Dead Guy Ale at Bar 35, and The Smiths and New Order tunes at NextDoor's Acid Wash later in the evening — enjoying a couple of glasses of tasty secret-family-recipe sangria. Bring on those memories of summer!
Asking head bartender Eileen Harrington to whip up "something Christmasy," following that up with a glass of her always amazing Irish coffee and absorbing stellar jazz from Bruce Hamada and Jim Howard.
Mostly to drop off a present the guys in the band have promised to deliver to the good folks at Toys For Tots. They'll say, "Want some chronic?" I'll say, "No, man." But feel free to catch the Vibes' rootsy reggae without me anyway.
OK, so the warm sonics here do tend to drown out conversation. But the Soundbar is flying in UK turntablist Paolo Mojo for a late-night gig tonight. And everyone knows tribal house goes down so well with a Bombay Sapphire gin martini during the holidays.
Not a club event, per se. But after the sunset parade of holiday decked-out and illuminated boats has cruised by, parties at marina-front homes along the parade route continue to rock into the wee hours.
Didn't score an invitation to one? Post-parade, join the crowds moving on to evening partying at Kona Brewing Co. at Koko Marina Center, or The Shack at Hawai'i Kai Towne Center.
Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.
