The 70's Nightclub Reunion in retrospect..Part I

Here's a bit of the history behind the successful 70's Nightclub Reunion series as written by Greenwood bandleader Robin Kimura, which he graciously let me include as a part of my blog. Because of the length of this piece, it will be posted in sections. Good read, cool stuff!!!

History and Moving Forward - Part 1

Candy Au and I go back some thirty years. She is like a "sista" to me, so when she was the Catering Manager at the Ilikai Hotel and invited me over one day in 2004 to "talk story" over lunch, I was all ears. She asked if we could get Greenwood back together and if so, would we be interested in "doing something" at the Ilikai. Although at the time it was unclear what "something" meant, we both began to see the potential, that something big could come out of this. Candy would provide the location for the venue and the expertise of setting up the room for an event but would leave it up to me to put together a committee to move forward with the idea. I assumed the responsibility of finding a theme for the event and then securing the necessary entertainment and the related support services (sound, lights, etc.) associated with implementing such an event. We had a $ 0.00 budget when we started and no promotional help. Everything we were eventually able to secure (feature article in the Star Bulletin by John Berger, an old friend and tremendous supporter), Tiny TV spot, Tiny radio promotional interview, Honolulu Advertiser TGIF inclusion, to name a few) came by utilizing our "ole time" contacts and "kokua" from those who believed in the concept. Along the way, we were so fortunate to gain some awesome supporters and integral committee members such as Irwin "Supes" Santos to join in, enhance and strengthen our cause.

Reunion I became a reality in 2005 and drew some 600 people. Before the night was done, calls for an encore performance echoed throughout the room. Because of this overwhelming response, Reunion II came a year later with 800 strong in attendance. As we planned for Reunion III, the Ilikai Hotel was abruptly sold, Candy was unsure of her future, and all of a sudden everything was in limbo and the event was now without a place to call home.

-posted by Cool Tropical Jazz LLC @