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Freestyle: Bring on New Year’s Eve

BY ELIZABETH KIESZKOWSKI / ekieszkowski@staradvertiser.com

I got a note from a hip, professional and married friend this week, asking for entertainment recommendations. He and his wife may start a family next year, so they were looking to do something fabulous and festive as a couple on New Year’s Eve, celebrating their life so far. How sweet!

By the time I’d answered him, I thought, “Gee, I think I have my blog started.” Thanks, Eric. Feels good to have someone ask your opinion, and it didn’t hurt to get a jump on my deadline, either.

These are sophisticated possibilities, and there are many others. For a full rundown, check back with the Pulse the weekend before New Year’s Eve.

‘LUX at the Trump’

Here’s your chance to mingle with people who want to “be somebody,” dressed to the nines and not averse to working hard (or having “a little work done”) to reach for top billing.

The night will include live music and DJs, a “Wishing Tree” to honor guests’ hopes for the future, a time-shifted broadcast of the Times Square midnight countdown, a champagne toast and several party spaces. There’s also an optional buffet available.

The Trump is certainly luxurious. It’s a gorgeous setting, with dark woods and stainless steel, the kind of place you might expect to serve as a scene from a James Bond film. Strolling the deck in front of the cocktail bar, with its unique ocean view, or gawking at the infinity pool will likely put you in a Gatsby-like mood, and by that I mean you’ll feel high above and far away from the mundane.

Special entertainment includes music from charming duo Jason Allen and Tahiti Rey; DJ Stiles will spin on the Infinity Deck and a “Casino Club” is planned for the terrace outside InYo. Get tickets and reserve VIP spots here.

The Modern Honolulu

For flash, class and a bigger measure of wild, youthful abandon, I recommend the Modern Honolulu and its chic nightclub, Addiction, which are hosting a blowout with the club, hotel ballroom and on the pool deck. From the deck, guests will have a marvelous view of the Waikiki fireworks. In the club, you’ll feel transported to an exclusive New York location. And in the ballroom, you’ll be swanky.

The folks throwing this party have credibility, and the setting is fab. The hotel was designed to evoke a New York-style urban experience, with a blank-canvas sheen that seemed tailor-made for chic, jet-setter types. Put yourself in that orbit at “The Modern Experience 2013: A Touch of Red.”

When I say the event has flash, I mean that literally: Flash Hansen, who created a buzz and attracted a sexy clientele at Apartment3 is one of the hosts, along with Blaise Sato. DJ Jessica Who of Miami and DJ Bee Fowl of Los Angeles headline, along with Hawaii DJs Anit, Compose, Delve and XL — cream of the party crop. You’ll be expected to dress to impress. Get tickets here and check out a MTV-produced video interview and spotlight on DJ Jessica Who below.

New Year’s Eve in Chinatown

My third suggestion goes for the nitty-gritty. Not quite so “fancy,” but with the ultimate integrity.

First stop on this itinerary: Bill Maher at Hawaii Theatre. If you believe that the way you end up a year will influence how you spend the next, what better pursuit than to hear from a fiercely outspoken commentator on burning issues in these United States — one who’s not afraid to offend dogmatists on all sides of the political spectrum? Maher may not have all the answers – who does? – but once you factor in his biting sense of humor, checking out his arguments proves worthwhile.

Sometimes the truth hurts, but it’s noble and ultimately uplifting to seek it out. Get tickets for Maher’s appearance here.

Then: thirtyninehotel for a fresh mix of nu-disco, soulful psychedelia and electro music from Brit DJ Thomas. Thomas aka Thomas Bullock is an influential expert with a deep catalog who’s headlined trendsetting parties in San Francisco, L.A., New York and Europe. He’s known for his association with “Rub ‘n’ Tug,” a New York warehouse-style party housed in the former home of a Chinese massage parlor.

In addition, thirtyninehotel’s hideaway setting, upstairs on Hotel Street in the heart of historic Chinatown, lends the feel of illicit romance to this event. And the venue’s outdoor courtyard allows for a partial view of the fireworks. This is an up-from-the-underground event with promised panache, including oysters (raw and deep-fried), an ice luge for shots and a balloon drop.

The music promises to be delirious, from a DJ who has been exciting listeners since the ’80s. DJ Thomas is now again home-based in England, where he’s taken on the alias Tom of England and started yet another record label, STD. Get a feel for his eclectic musical taste — you’ll hear soul, funk, psychedelia, techno, and hear fresh STD mixes — in this streaming Beats in Space radio show, hosted by another DJ in the thirtyninehotel orbit, Tim Sweeney. Get tickets here.

Cheers, and let me know what you decide!
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Elizabeth Kieszkowski is editor of TGIF, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s weekly arts and entertainment section. Reach her via email at ekieszkowski@staradvertiser.com or follow her on Twitter.

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