×

Sharing Mana‘o

The setting sun every day

Is like a picture parade

With clouds that dance in the sky . . .

–From “My Hometown” by Willie K

Willie K’s musical tribute to Lahaina town has been echoing in my head, alternating with childhood memories of the west side. I’m looking forward to emceeing — and dancing along with the clouds and crowds — as Willie brings the blues to his hometown this week. The fifth annual Willie K BBQ Blues Fest will be held over the next three days and will benefit the Lahainaluna High School PTSA.

Growing up on this side of the pali in the 1960s and ’70s, Lahaina seemed exotic, almost foreign, to my friends and me. A few of my Makawao School classmates had never even been to Lahaina until our 5th-grade excursion to the historic sites of Hawaii’s former capital. Unless you had family over there, Lahaina was for special occasions only.

The first special occasion I remember was spending the day at the brand new Lahaina Shopping Center, now called Old Lahaina Center. I was 7 or 8 years old, and my uncle, a manager for MDG (Maui Dry Goods) Supply, took his son and me with him to the just-opened Lahaina branch. While Uncle Masa was at work, my cousin Mark and I roamed the mall. We bought candy at Nagasako Store and admired the black coral in the DeAnko Jewelry window. The pretty lady inside the store invited us in and told us we were welcome to stay as long as we wanted. I think she even gave us cold drinks. Perhaps she was just bored and grateful for any kind of company, but I never forgot her gracious hospitality.

Not long after that, another uncle and aunt took me to Ed & Don’s, the fancy new ice cream parlor on Front Street. Uncle Minoru remarked that the ice cream must have come from really special cows, because a double-scoop cost a whopping 50 cents. Auntie Sachan admonished him for complaining and said her mint chocolate cone was worth every penny plus the gas money.

After I got my driver’s license, my parents would worry whenever my friends and I headed for the west side. They’d remind me to drive defensively and keep my eyes on the road.

Once, my mother shared a story told to her by a co-worker about his teenage son’s frightening encounter on the pali. After spending the day in Lahaina, the boy and his friends bought some snacks for the ride home. As they entered the pali tunnel, the giant face of a cat suddenly appeared before them, angrily baring its teeth. All five teens saw the ghostly feline through the windshield, just before the car engine died. In a panic, one of the boys threw his half-pint carton of milk out the window. The instant the milk hit the pavement, the specter disappeared and the engine started back up.

I’ve never heard of anyone else meeting a giant cat on Honoapiilani Highway, but every local knows someone who knows someone else who suffered car trouble — or worse — while transporting pork over the pali.

Willie K’s fifth annual BBQ Blues Fest begins Thursday with a free concert from 6 to 8 p.m. under the banyan tree. Friday night, a VIP event at Fleetwood’s on Front Street will feature the next day’s headliners and special guests. Saturday’s main event will be held at Lahaina Civic Center from 4 to 10 p.m. with Willie and his Warehouse Blues Band, Tommy Castro & the Painkillers, Eric Sardinas & Big Motor, and many more national and local stars. If you missed Jon Woodhouse’s detailed article in last Thursday’s Maui Scene, you can find the complete lineup and ticket info at williekbluesfest.com.

As the event name suggests, we’ll feast on great barbecue Saturday evening. Other food and beverage, including the adult kind, will be available as well. Just be sure to consume it all at the venue. Don’t let me catch you taking leftover BBQ pork over the pali. Better leave the milk in Lahaina too.

* Kathy Collins is a storyteller, actress and freelance writer whose “Sharing Mana’o” column appears every Wednesday. Her email address is kcmaui913@gmail.com.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper?
     
Support Local Journalism on Maui

Only $99/year

Subscribe Today