Customer Reviews

Live at the Lava Lounge

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Los Angeles based Blue Hawaiians melt your worries away with soothing sounds of 90s Exotica. Like those beofre them, legends like Dick Dale and Martin Denny, the Blue Hawaiians give the term "live" great justice. The bass and vocals by Mark Fontana, mixed together with Tom Maxwell (Drums), Bron Tieman (Guitar/Lap Steel), and Mark Sproull (Guitar) are so cool and smooth like the cocktail that is their name. Listening to them on this CD is one thing, but if you are in LA for the weekend, the hip place to go is the Lava Lounge....part Dunes hotel, part Don the Beachcomber. This is must for any fan of surf music, space age bachelor pad music, or just something to take away some of the pressure of stress. Their play list is a great mix of classics like Apache, Tom Waits' Jockey Full of Bourbon,Jack the Ripper. Mixed in are originals from their new album, SWAY. Grab yourself a cocktail and dig on the beat that is the Blue Hawaiians.

This is as good a surf band as there ever was, right here in our midst. The musicianship is impeccable, and they are charismatic performers with a genuine love and respect for the genre. They bring an original touch and a lot of wit to their music without any sign of the ever-present Gen-X smirk. In this show they have the guts to play a lot of dark and mid-tempo stuff like "Endless Sleep", which is genuinely scary (check it out!). They bring an original touch to the covers- "Dick Tracy" is a masterpiece- and the original stuff is every bit as good. The cheerful "Surfin' Tragedy" is a huge favorite with me.

Guys, if you're still out there- give us another one!

This is one of the best "new" surf music CD's even if it isn't the Blue Hawaiins most current. Putting words to the classic "Pipeline" that was originally played by the Chantays is great. The live atmosphere and the smooth music flow are outstanding. OUTSIDE!!!!!

If you love surf-noir-lounge music, this is a great live album. Close your eyes and you're there. They know their stuff. Always brings a smile to my face. Great mix of mood.

Incredible! Never heard such a great CD! This is the best surf-rock music availabe.

This album is great! As already mentioned, the Blue Hawaiians are a great surf band, but what makes them stand out from the pack is their laid-back lounge twist, mellow vocals, and clever lyrics. Most surf-music is instrumental, which is okay, but Chris Fontana's singing (a little Chris Isaak?) is what brings you back to this album over and over where other surf discs may fall short. BTW- The Blue Hawaiians also do a lot of the music for the Spongebob Squarepants cartoons, giving them an extra shot of street cred in my opinion.

The Blue Hawaiians are a great band; and for a live version it sounds very close to studio quality. They pound on Caravan, and I love Baja, because they name all these cool places to ride waves. When I first checked out Amazon.com's sampler I liked this group because of originality.A great listen for any encounter on your planet wave.Aside, from this groups' great promise,there is a whole genre of groups that bend the pitch of the song and Voila! Surf and/or Film Noir. The Blue Hawaiians prove their craft.Hey! It's 2003
and this is a cool, 1995 recording. Buy this now---Listen to it anywhere!!!

The Blue Hawaiians hit home with this awesome live recording at the ambience-filled Lava Lounge! It's a must-have for any party you throw. The selections flow from one great song to the next - surf music extraordinaire. It will appeal to anyone and everyone you know, they'll just want to get up and dance!

Having bought my first Ventures record in 1960 at age 12, have always been into good "surf" guitar, heard this CD on Pandora, clicked to Amazon and within 3 days it was in my mailbox...

I used to see these guys at the Lava Lounge regularly on Sunday nights before they started touring. This album captures their musical prowess and stage presence. It doesn't have the extended play they can get into, which drives the crowd crazy but it's enough to show what you're missing from a live show. This album has some of their best work and makes me miss those nights in Hollywood mixing with the Hollywood club types in their black and leather to the surfer's from Santa Monica in Hawaiian shirts, shorts, and flops. I only wish they would get Gary out from behind the bar to record Viva Las Vegas and Secret Agent Man on another live album. They have a sense of humor and most of all they know how to play. Keep up the good work guys.