NOLA ARTISTS IN HAWAI‘I
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STORIES | IMAGES
Sights and sounds of New Orleans artists in Hawai’i. All shows presented by Mark Tarone.
ALLEN TOUSSAINT
2013 Maui and O'ahu performances
On Maui, Toussaint performed with James "Hutch" Hutchinson and Ricky Fataar and on O'ahu with Hutch, Ricky, Hawaiian legend John Cruz and Cruz’s star brother-in-law Imua Garza.
The only performances by Toussaint in Hawai'i during his life.
After Toussaint's O'ahu show, he told Hutch that he would like to record with the Hallowbaloo ensemble. While this recording never happened, Toussaint's statement shows how much he enjoyed his Hawai'i visit and overall experience.
Hallowbaloo 2013 - Chinatown, O'ahu
BIG FREEDIA
2014 O'ahu
Freedia's only performance in Hawai'i to date.
Noteworthy item not shown in the photo below. Before Big Freedia took the stage, David Lindley played a solo set on the same stage. David Lindley solo > Big Freedia, and the crowd loved them both. And Lindley loved Big Freedia. He watched almost all of Freedia's set and commented multiple times how much he enjoyed Freedia's performance.
Hallowbaloo 2014 - Chinatown, O'ahu
ANDERS OSBORNE
2009 O'ahu with Kirk Joseph and Eric Bolivar at the Hallowbaloo festival
Anders first ever Hawai'i performance
ANDERS OSBORNE
& LUTHER DICKINSON
2016 Maui and O'ahu
The only Hawai'i performances ever by Luther Dickinson. Anders has performed in Hawai'i three times - all shows were presented by Mark Tarone.
Surfer The Bar - 2016 - Turtle Bay Resort, O'ahu
REBIRTH BRASS BAND
2003 Maui and O'ahu
Rebirth Brass Band's first-ever Hawai'i performances and the first-ever national act Tarone presented in Hawai'i
Sold out 4 out of 4 shows (greater than 1,500 tickets sold)
Illustration commissioned for tour
Few people in Hawai’i had heard of Rebirth Brass Band in 2003 (before Rebirth’s Grammy win and before Treme), and this tour needed to sell 1,500+ tickets. Illustration created to convey the energy of the Rebirth concert experience.
2003 Maui Poster
2003 O'ahu Poster
JON CLEARY
2012 Maui and O'ahu (the latter featured Cleary with Reggie McBride, Steve Ferrone and Joe Caro)
2018 New Orleans (college reunion private gig at 2647 Desoto St with Nick Spitzer bartending - Tarone, Nick and this group all went to the same college)
2024 Maui
Five minutes after Cleary ended his set at the 2012 Hallowbaloo festival (8:05pm), the onsite Honolulu Police Department Lieutenant grabbed Tarone and stated, "There is a tsunami warning. You are ordered to evacuate. Now." Cleary brought the house down.
2024 Full Circle: Tarone pitched Cleary on doing an in-person interview at Maui's Mana'o Radio during a show hosted by a New Orleans native, DJ Muse (Isabelle Schneidau). Cleary graciously took the interview and was well rewarded. DJ Muse dedicated her entire 4-hour show to Cleary - spinning artists who inspired Cleary, along with some Cleary recordings. She also hosted an outstanding 40-minute interview with Cleary (the first time Isabelle had ever hosted an interview). Here's the full circle moment that no one saw going into this interview. DJ Muse's brother, Sonny Schneidau, booked Cleary for Cleary's first-ever gig in New Orleans!
June 3, 2024 - ProArts Playhouse - Kihei, Maui
EDDIE BO
2006 O'ahu - Two Shows: Sunday Jazz Show | Tuesday Halloween Show
The only performances by Eddie Bo in Hawai'i during his life
Two stories:
First, a note of recognition: I was introduced to Eddie Bo at the Blues Tent at Jazzfest in 2005.
Story #1:
Eddie was 76 when he performed these Hawai'i shows. At Eddie's Sunday night jazz show, he was on stage for barely an hour. So, Tarone brought in an extra DJ last minute for the Tuesday Halloween party in case Eddie played a short set. The Halloween show was packed - over 600 people in costume raging in a club at the Hyatt in Waikīkī. Eddie played for over two hours - non-stop high octane. There wasn't much of a green room; so, when Eddie got off stage, Tarone sat him at a booth in the back with some young, attractive women who were frothing for some time with the person who just lit the party on fire. Before he sat down, Tarone looked him in the eye and stated, "Eddie - that was amazing. You electrified the room for over two hours straight. How'd ya' do it?" Eddie smiled back at him with a big grin, "Mark, I didn't have a choice."
Eddie was born entertainer. It was in his blood. He saw that crowd and had to bring it.
Story #2:
Tarone brought Eddie into KTUH 90.3FM for a live radio interview on a popular show. KTUH is a non-commercial radio station run by Univ of Hawai'i students. Here's a recount of the story Tarone shared with Jan Ramsey (Offbeat) a few weeks after Eddie's Hawai'i shows. Prior to Eddie’s shows, Tarone reached out to Jan. She sent me multiple, Offbeat Eddie Bo stories that Tarone used for promo and to secure Hawai'i media stories.
Email from Tarone to Jan after Eddie Bo's Hawai'i shows: "I also was treated to being a side-man at an interview with Dj Macadangdang (filipino for Big Little Inspiration - or something like that) from KTUH 90.3 fm (Univ. of Hawaii radio). Eddie was super quiet when we entered the studio - answering MacaD's off-air questions with short responses. As soon as we got On-Air, MacaD welcomed him and thanked him for coming. Eddie replied to her: "My pleasure. It's clear that you just fell from heaven." Everything soared from there. I left with full chicken skin, and when we departed, Dj MacaD literally had tears in her eyes."
Eddie and MacaD had an instant soul-to-soul connection - beautiful to behold and powerful for all to experience including radio listeners, and Eddie and MacaD themselves. Tarone still gets chicken skin and emotional when he thinks about Eddie and these experiences.
Here are some classic quotes used in the Eddie Bo Hawai’i promo.
"A One-Man Orchestra."
- The New York Times
"The High Priest of Funk."
- offBeat Magazine, New Orleans
"Eddie Bo embodies the very best of New Orleans musical culture, its funkiness and unbridled spirituality, its virtuosity and inventiveness, its generosity and humility; its persistence and staying power."
- offBeat Magazine, New Orleans
"Bo Knows Music: He was there when the beat began in the early days of New Orleans funk, and he's still pounding it out today."
- Times Picayune, New Orleans
BIG CHIEF MONK BOUDREAUX
2008 O'ahu
Special guest with Papa Mali and his band (see below)
The only Hawai'i performance by Monk to date
Hallowbaloo 2008 - Chinatown, O'ahu
Monk brought this suit all the way to Hawai'i for one show!
PAPA MALI
with Bill Kreutzmann,
Ron Johnson,
Matt Hubbard
and
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
2008 Maui and O'ahu
Papa Mali's first-ever performances in Hawai'i.
These were the second and third shows ever with Papa Mali and Bill Kreutzmann performing together. They did a warm-up gig on Kaua'i. Then, they played Tarone’s Hallowbaloo festival and his Maui show. These shows led to the formation of 7 Walkers band featuring Malcolm, Billy, George Porter Jr. and Matt Hubbard..
Hallowbaloo 2008 - Chinatown, O'ahu
Backstory:
Tarone booked Malcolm and Monk in ~April 2008. That summer, Malcolm met Billy at a festival, and they hit it off (literally and figuratively). Malcolm then recruited Billy for Tarone’s shows. They had a blast on Tarone’s Hawai'i gigs and went on to record a wonderful album and toured for several years as 7 Walkers.
"MY NEW ORLEANS STORY"
Big Chief Bo Dollis
and
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
Bury the Hatchet
Oral Recounting:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7uKYtGqzcP/
The above is Tarone’s retelling of the Big Chief Bo Dollis and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux reunion at Tipitina's during Jazzfest after Bo Dollis' stroke. This oral recounting of this night includes Tarone’s calling out that Quint was in the front row, something that Tarone will always remember (Quint running the largest festival in America and making it to this show - a testament to Quint’s commitment to the artists, music and culture of New Orleans).