Kapono's at The Lounge / The Velvet Monkey Speakeasy — Restaurant in Honolulu

I had the pleasure of attending The Henry Kapono Foundations “On the Rise Musicians" at The Lounge; it was an unforgettable evening of music and community. The intimate setting of the lounge provided the perfect backdrop for the talented lineup of artists that included Payton Sullivan and Conner Johnson - reality TV Stars. Both of which sang mainstream songs as well as shared their own original pieces. The duo's harmonies and instrumentation were nothing short of captivating, it was clear that they have a special chemistry on stage. Payton Sullivan, in good ole Country fashion, shared the stage with a long time friend named Ragan Hoffman, 2023 Hawai'i Songwriting Festivals 1st place winner. Regan Hoffman won in 2023 with a song titled "Thicker Than Blood,” co-written with Payton Sullivan. Being able to experience Hoffman's voice and poignant lyrics along with Payton and Connor’s Soulful Voices was nothing short of inspiring. They all brought the house down, and it was clear that Hawaii was winning in this room as we all got to enjoy these Rising Stars in the Hawaii music scene.

What made this event truly special was the sense of community that filled the room. The crowd was comprised of music lovers and fans of the artists, all coming together to support local talent. The relaxed and intimate setting of The Lounge made it feel like a private concert, and the energy in the room was electric. Overall, "The Henry Kapono Foundation: On the Rise Musicians" was an unforgettable evening of music and community, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and inspiring experience. Christopher...

Four of us came to listen to music and have some drinks. Once at the table, you have to scan a qr code to order, but there is no way to split the check. The server offered to take a card of one of the group and he had to order from her. He had 2 drinks and paid $75 for these. However, I had to hunt down someone to even pay as the server was moved upstairs, so they had no idea. I closed out our tab on the QR code and all food and drinks showed as expected. So I paid and settled my tab. After about an hour, I have 2 more charges from them totaling over $80 that even the credit card company asked if fraud. To prevent my card from being shut off, I would verify the other parties' drinks were not on there as well. Once back we compared and the were different, I again looked at my receipt and all food and drinks showed. I attempted to contact them and finally found a number on my emailed invoice that they have yet to call me back as you can leave a voicemail, but they really just want you to reserve tables online. So now I have to dispute random charges added to my bill. This place is nice. I expect to pay $20 for most drinks. I would change my review if they even attempted to call or explain the charges, but they never did. After review, the charges did drop after a week. It was great they responded so fast on here! We even got lucky enough to see the same artist when we went to...

It was a date night out for us to see what this place was all about. Unfortunately we did not eat because we just came from dinner. I did see people getting their food & it looked okay. Our drinks came really fast. These are the things I noticed that could use improvement - more selection of Beers to drink. It was a nice venue & very cozy but there is a bar seating & not sure if its like this all the time but that night people were just hanging around the bar not seated & was talking loud which happens at a bar especially as you continue to drink more, these people need to be mindful of the others around who are trying to listen to the entertainment that they paid for & not trying to hear a conversation that should not be happening. Yes this happens even at venues like the Waikiki Shell but you are in an open outside setting & much bigger area where you may not be bothering others listening to the music. In my opinion even Henry Kapono looked a little upset as their voices got louder while he was talking or performing. There was Brian the manager of the Lounge there & either he knew these people or it did not matter that they were talking so loud which was disturbing others who was there to enjoy the evening with Henry Kapono & Guest. Hopefully this can be controlled a little better for the next...