The state and county are allowing restaurants to open for in-house dining, with COVID-19 measures in place, starting June 5. Sadly for some, it just won’t be the same, not at least without Willie K. The 59-year-old singer and guitar virtuoso, born William Awihilima Kahaiali‘i, died Monday at his Wailuku home with family present after a valiant battle with lung cancer.
For 14 years Mulligans on the Blue in Wailea hosted “The Willie K Dinner Show,” which packed in audiences Wednesday evenings. And Kimo’s in Lahaina featured the Lahaina-born musician most Fridays for decades.
“We’ll never see the likes of Willie K again,” said Mulligans owner Mike O’Dwyer, a native of Ireland who visited with the acclaimed musician on the day he died. “His heart was bigger than his music and bigger than the whole of the island. There are no words, no quotes, to express his loss.”
One fond memory is Willie K performing in the all-star New Year’s Eve benefit for the Maui Food Bank thrown by promoter Shep Gordon in Wailea. Willie brought the house down with a medley from the Who’s “Tommy” rock opera, with fellow performers Michael McDonald and Pat Simmons of the Doobie Brothers, shock-rocker Alice Cooper and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler among those astonished by his jaw-dropping showmanship.
Tributes in the wake of his death came from near and far from some of the biggest names in the music industry.
“The world was a happier place because of Willie K,” said Gordon. “I know I was. When I heard him sing and play, I always felt I was in the presence of a holy vessel. The music came through him from a higher place, a place I hope he is resting comfortably in with a big smile on his face.”
“God gave him the hands of Eric Clapton, the voice of Andrea Bocelli, and the heart and soul of the Hawaiian islands,” texted Cooper. “Willie was the patriarch of an incredible family, who I believe was always his first love. People tend to throw the phrase ‘He was one of a kind’ around loosely. In Willie’s case, there can be no dispute. He was truly one of a kind. Maui will certainly feel the absence of one of its native sons. Heaven will be in for one hell of a surprise — I can almost hear the thunderous applause.”
“Playing with Willie K was intense, exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time,” said Maui musician/actor Eric Gilliom, who performed with Willie as the Barefoot Natives and starred with him in their 2011 comedy film “Get a Job.” “I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity. I will miss my friend.”
“What a devastating loss for the world … the world of music, the world here in Hawaii and the world beyond these shores,” said Art Vento, president and CEO of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.
“There has never been such a unique combination of musical, comedic — yes, Willie K was hilarious! — and vocal talent. In the 25 years of the MACC, we have been fortunate to present an international array of artists. However, none could surpass the incredible ability of our local boy from Maui who could take any song that appeared in his head and then instantly and seamlessly make the notes appear via the tips of his fingers and through his wonderful resounding voice. He was just so talented that he made it seem effortless.”
Earlier this year Willie emailed me that he had signed up for Gordon’s annual fundraiser because it helped feed the hungry, a cause dear to his heart. “I, for one, know how it feels to go hungry. That is why I love being the ‘hope’ for the Maui Food Bank,” he said. “Being a volunteer to help is not a gimmick, it’s a passion of mine I hold dearly.”
Details for a celebration of Willie K’s life will be announced later, his family posted on social media.
DRIVE-IN MOVIE TIME
Getting back to Mulligans, it will not be opening for in-house dining June 5. The Wailea eatery will wait until Sept. 1 while continuing drive-thru pickup service, O’Dwyer said. But that’s not all he’s cooking up: “I’m working with Bruce Sandler from Village Audio, and we’re going to debut an outdoor drive-in movie theater at Mulligans on Memorial Day weekend. We’ll show fun movies. Buy a beer (closed containers) and our Irish and American fare, and sit in the car, dine and enjoy the show.” To order, call 874-1131 or use the drivethruondemand app.
While there is no admission charge, donations will be accepted for Willie K’s Stage 4 Inc. 501(c)(3) nonprofit for musicians in need. Movie nights will be held weekends through the summer. Fridays are for those 18 and older, Saturdays are family nights and Sundays will feature surf flicks.
In addition, the magnanimous O’Dwyer is offering free drive-thru breakfasts from 9 until about 11 a.m. or until supplies run out every Saturday until the end of the year — for everybody on Maui. You read it right, FREE breakfasts.
“Sponsors are always welcome,” he added. “We serve potatoes, sausage, eggs, bacon and pancakes. Donations have come in from Realtor Gina Duncan along with Susan Conway Keen, Powerhouse Gym and Phil Feliciano, and many more are in the pipeline. If you want to drop off fruits and vegetables, no questions asked. There are many hungry people out there and we want to help.”
FILMFEST ON PAUSE
While you may be able to enjoy the casual drive-in movies at Mulligans, the “jewel box” Maui Film Festival, which was set to sparkle June 17-21 with celebrities, galas and cutting-edge movies under the stars at the Celestial Cinema in Wailea and in the Castle Theater at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, has been postponed until later this year.
“I basically had it all planned out and was ready to go with a couple of big sponsors,” said founder and director Barry Rivers. “Then I thought, ‘Is this just wishful thinking?’ In the greater scheme of things, the Wailea hotels have got bigger fish to fry. They are not back up and running yet, and the agreement is that they’ll need a little time under their belts to come up with a time frame for the festival. Things change so rapidly. I’ve gotten very good at treading water. I’m hoping to soon have more clarity on the new dates than I do right now.”
Founded in 2000, the five-day Maui Film Festival was pegged “Hawaii’s answer to Sundance” by the L.A. Times. In Wailea, resident astronomer Harriett Witt usually kicks things off with a sky talk each evening, followed by celeb tributes that have feted such A-listers as Clint Eastwood, Viola Davis, Adam Driver, Olivia Wilde and Bryan Cranston, as attendees stretch out on blankets and low-back beach chairs to enjoy the spectacle.
For more details and updates, visit mauifilmfestival.com.
Speaking of Cranston, the actor best known for his Emmy-winning role as Walter White on “Breaking Bad” was set to appear at the Maui Wine & Food Classic at the Four Seasons Maui Resort in Wailea, which was supposed to be uncorked over Memorial Day weekend. He would have created chemistry with his new Dos Hombres mescal line, a real-life booze biz he started with “Bad” co-star Aaron Paul. Oh, well. The event appears to be postponed until further notice.
Veteran journalist Carla Tracy pops the cork on Maui’s dining and entertainment scene in her weekly column. Email her at carlatracy808@gmail.com.
