There are plenty of opportunities to have fun in Downtown Nashville, but Maoli begs the question, "are you trying to have a good time?" The country and reggae trio from Maui, Hawaii, brought their island vibes to Nashville as a part of the "Last Sip of Summer Tour." The tour supports the titular single, which Maoli released in January, and features music from their 2023 albums, "Maoli Music Overload" and "MMOII." TJ Fevella, another fellow musician from Maui, opened the show with his original music and Hawaiian takes on modern country hits like Zach Bryan's "Something in the Orange," plus Ella Langley and Riley Green's "you look like you love me." Maoli's set came nothing short of bombastic and magnetic. Starting the set with "Country Boy," Cannery Hall went from a concert hall to a club in seconds with their use of strobe lighting and an LED screen swirling with neon visuals.
The audience was loaded with drinks and excitement since doors opened two hours prior, making for the perfect segue into "Little More Tequila." Considering how acoustically driven most of Maoli's music is, having such an electronic presentation of their work captivated the audience with the music and the performance value. But this wasn't a first impression for most; the audience knew every word to every song in the set, supporting lead singer Glenn Awong like a choir throughout the whole night. They kept up even as the band turned down their guitars and brought up synthesizer pads on tracks like "Whiskey Doesn't Work" and their cover of Jimmie Allen's "Make Me Want To." The word "Maoli" means native in Hawaiian, and the band always strives to highlight their roots in covers and original music. Whether they knew it or not, Maoli brought Music City into their "ohana" for the night. The band left as a part of Nashville's family as well.
- Ria Skyer
Photos Courtesy of Cheyanne Parkans (For Bell Music Magazine)
