Bill Smitrovich plays Don Dubrow, proprietor of a junk shop. Freddy Rodriguez plays Bob, a puppy dog of a friend to Don and Teach (played by Ron Eldard). The trio moves hazily in and out of a plot revolving around the titular nickel, each amazed that a five cent piece may be worth $90 or more. Greed and distrust flow into the relationship, such that the characters begin to lose the confidence in carrying out their plan to rescue the nickel from its owner for greater riches.

Ron Eldard, Freddy Rodriguez and Bill Smitrovich in American Buffalo, directed by Randall Arney at Geffen Playhouse (photo by Michael Lamont)

The suitably claustrophobic set by Takeshi Kata is well-utilized by the actors. They weave in, around and through the endless junk hanging and stored in Don’s shop. Poker, the classic game of male bonding, is an ideal platform for Mamet to establish the characters’ personalities early in the play.  Mamet’s humor pops up at all the right moments, revealing insights and providing the occasional steam valve of tension release. Perhaps the best such line of the evening is “God forbid something inevitable happens.” Buffalo, the city rather than the nickel, is occasionally referenced, as are other subtle touchstones from the rust belt Great Lakes area stretching between Chicago and Albany. Explosions of violence are jarring; Ned Mochel is credited as “Violence Designer.”

As the trio begins trying to plan the execution of their heist, it is referred to as “the thing.” The characters somehow believe that not giving their plot any specificity it is somehow immune to failure or to discovery.  These foibles are brought to the surface as allegiances and loyalties ebb and flow. A Mamet play can be counted on for witty dialogue, uncomfortable probes into the human psyche and at least several hearty guffaws. American Buffalo is no exception, and it set the stage for Mamet’s prodigious work thereafter. The Geffen’s revival of this seminal play reminds us why it generated so much discussion when the play first appeared nearly four decades ago.

-         By all accounts Weekend 2 was easier to digest weather-wise than Weekend 1. There were no sandstorms greeting Sunday’s headliner Red Hot Chili Peppers. That said, on Weekend 2 the days seemed hotter and the nights colder than in years past. Not even Paul Tollett, the main brain at promoter Goldenvoice and sole talent buyer, could organize the temperatures.

-         Duplicating the line-up over successive weekends gave diehards the opportunity to attend both weekends, thereby alleviating the happy problems of choosing equally compelling acts performing simultaneously. I had several such happy problems: Local Natives or Modest Mouse? Stars or Policia or Jake Bugg? Sigur Ros or Phoenix? Father John Misty or Vampire Weekend?

-         A few subtle time changes were made, most notably switching Blur to follow Stone Roses on the Weekend 2’s Saturday. I preferred the guitar-heavy explorations of Stone Roses, but Blur certainly gave the fans a workout. I believe Tollett when he says the switch was planned all along, but I’d be curious if it was a coin toss that determined the order.

Of all the cool art, the seemingly endless strings of balloons was the most mesmerizing

Also cool was the slow roving mammoth snail

Three of the many hipsters in attendance

-         Johnny Marr was in great form. The former Smiths’ guitarist and the Stone Roses gave punters a clue where Oasis got a fair amount of inspiration.

-         The curiosity remains about where bands would prefer to be: earlier on the main stage or later on one of the other smaller four stages? As always, some happy discoveries were made early each day. Who knew Little Green Cars would be so intriguing?

-         Macca once headlined Coachella. His only son had a mid-day set on Friday, and Dad did not appear [although he did join his son onstage with Ronnie Wood a few weeks earlier].

-         Lee Scratch Perry and The Selecter provided some old school reggae/ska/two-tone vibes to very good effect.

-         New Order closed the Saturday night Mojave tent, but they seemed to have a chip on their shoulder. Their video backdrop was more an infomercial about the band and its members, perhaps as an instructional tool for folks unaware of their seminal Joy Division roots.

-         Speaking of elder British statesmen, OMD [formerly more often known as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark] gave the Pretty in Pink crowd reason for joy. But lead singer Andrew McCluskey freely admitted his dorky dance moves, which prompted my question: if Tollett was able to reunite Midnight Oil with their supremely dorky dancing but hugely compelling lead singer, where would they appear on the schedule? I don’t care, but count me in.

-         Ben Harper enjoyed the coveted sunset slot on the Outdoor stage, but he spent a lot of time fiddling about between songs. Once underway, his songs were the perfect vibe as the shadows grew longer in the late afternoon. Harper is helping to raise money for the family of Australian pro skateboarder Lewis Marnell, whose untimely death in January at the age of 30 left his family in dire financial straits. A lifelong skateboarding enthusiast and friend to skaters around the world, Harper has reunited with the Innocent Criminals for the first time since 2007 to re-record the song “Jah Work” from his 1997 album, “The Will to Live.” The song is available on iTunes, with all proceeds going to the family memorial fund.

-         Rodriguez was the oldest performer at Coachella [but for Rastaman Perry], and his performance was well-attended by a full house of folks who had never heard of him a year ago. Thanks to the Academy Award winning documentary “Searching For Sugarman” millions of folks now know Rodriguez’s impossibly wonderful story. On a recent trip to South Africa I was able to test the reality, was he in that country more important than the Beatles, the Stones or Elvis? “Yes indeed,” was the uniform response I received, the most valid of which came from the lead singer of a band which recently opened for U2 in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Rodriguez is now leveraging decades of no musical revenue, but he apparently is giving away most of the fees from his myriad global gigs. At Coachella the audience gave him the lengthiest ovation I saw all weekend, probably more for his legacy than performance. He adroitly told a few jokes between songs, but for my taste he relied too often on vintage cover songs in lieu of his rich but brief catalog.

-         For those with corporate connections [or sufficient dollars], the two VIP areas offered respite from the heat and crowds. The smaller VIP area was far more beautiful, as it was situated in a large rose garden. But that bliss was fully offset by proximity to the Yuma tent, which had painful auditory bleeding of DJs ‘creating’ electronic dance music. EDM is the only new genre of music in decades, so I acknowledge its novelty but I also sound like an oldster when I admit I can’t see or hear the musicality or the talent. Give me strings to be plucked, strings to be hammered, skins to be beat and I am happy. And that was the bulk of what Tollett had on offer at Goldenvoice’s 13th Coachella.

-         Last item: Coachella lost money on more than a few of their first few years. Now they are so successful Coachella sells out before the line-up is announced. That is brand quality that other festival promoters dream about.

Lori produced her first film, Bopha! In 1992, and Morgan made his first time directorial debut in this critically acclaimed flick.  Since then, among their many successful ventures, including Along Came A Spider and Invictus, they have become partners and friends, and currently Lori is Exec Producer of Discovery Science’s Emmy nominated Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman.

Morgan Freeman presented Monitoring Award to Lori McCreary

As busy as Lori’s world is, one of her most gratifying experiences is serving as Mentor to young Cinthia Gonzalez.  They have a special bond, and it is obvious that they both realize immeasurable gain.

Barbara Lazaroff, creator of the Wolfgang Puck brand, and partner in fine dining establishments around the world, received the Innovator Award.  Barbara is a well-known humanitarian and among her many causes are Aviva Family and Children’s Center, Israel Cancer Research Fund and ShebaHospital in Israel.  She is a huge supporter of the Future Fund, which awards college scholarships to graduating Little Sisters who are matched with mentors through Big Brothers Big Sisters of L.A.

Rachel MacFarlane performed at Odyssey Ball

Celebrated actress and model Amber Valleta emceed the event, which included an unusual fashion show by Neiman Marcus. As Tiffany Siart, President and CEO of the organization stated: “BBBSLA are fortunate to have such an extraordinary and dedicated family of donors and volunteers.”

John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary President, Anita Swift, granddaughter of John Wayne, welcomed more than 400 guests at the 28^th Annual Odyssey Ball at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.  Michael Sitrick, CEO of Sitrick and Company, joined such former honorees as Kirk Douglas, Jack Lemmon, and Larry Hagman in receiving the Duke Award.  This special service award is presented to recipients who made extraordinary and lasting contributions toward the fight against cancer.  Sitrick, who is an internationally recognized expert in the use of communications, is called the “Wizard of Spin” and has provided counseling and advice to more than 1,000 companies.

Anita Swift (Grand-daughter of John Wayne) with Patrick Wayne at Odyssey Ball

Patrick Wayne, Chairman of the Board of JWCI provided updates on the exciting progress being made the Institute.  The entire Wayne family was there to support this cause, which was established in 1981, in honor of The Duke himself, the legendary John Wayne.  Proceeds of this year’s event support their surgical oncology Fellowship founded by Donald L. Morton, M.D.  The Wayne Family has pledged $500,0000 to this program.

Frank Mottek, News Anchor CBS/KNX News was Master of Ceremonies for the show, which featured a vocal performance by singer and voice actress, Rachel MacFarlane.  If the last name sounds familiar, she is the sister of Seth MacFarlane, (Family Guy) and provides the voices of numerous animated characters on this show, as well as American Dad.  Obviously her love of music is a family tradition, as Seth, a fan of The Great American Songbook, demonstrated recently when he hosted the Academy Awards.

Michael Sitrick accepting Duke Award at John Wayne Cancer Clinic event

Who can forget his rendition of “We Saw Your Boobs” at the last Oscar Show? We wonder what he will have in store if asked to host it again next year!

Kudos to Co-Chairs Susan Veerman and Cynde Wilen and all the hard working members of the Auxiliary, for planning and executing an evening of beauty, good taste, and a sense of well being that cancer is on its way to becoming eradicated!

The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea (photo by Carly Auerbach)

Couples massage – very wonderful

As Maui’s only five star resort, it was a pleasant surprise to find that most activities were gratis at the Four Seasons, from internet to the outrigger canoes to snorkel rentals. This happy policy is in juxtaposition to many other resorts, where the add-on charges quickly erode any sense of value. At the Four Seasons, no one is charged extra for footballs, frisbees, iPods, beach volleyballs, boogie boards, golf green putting or tennis. Our girls quickly attracted a pack of beach volleyball players, but I lacked the energy to join the fray. Instead I happily dozed on a hammock, hoping I was not looking too much like Homer Simpson.

Customized itineraries can be arranged by the Four Seasons’ concierge for children, teens and parents to experience age-appropriate Maui activities. We had the happy problem of deciding between snorkel trips to Molokini, ziplining “upcountry,” biking down the volcano or relaxing by the pool. We chose a bit of each, and the Four Seasons’ concierge staff was knowledgeable and efficient.

The beach is in a well-protected bay, so there is no fear of kids being buffeted by large waves. We saw snorkelers for most of the morning, but our seemingly thorough search for turtles was fruitless. Others apparently have more luck. The staff was cheerful and helpful in setting up our umbrellas on the beach, and circulating periodically with ice water.

The glorious beach

Our daughters loved to snorkel at the Four Seasons

The ocean water was clear and warm as we searched for turtles

We kidded our teenage girls about signing them up for the Kids for All Seasons program, which is for ages 5-12.  Had we been visiting several years ago, we would have signed them up. This complimentary recreational and educational program lets kids attend for a few hours or all day (9:00 am to 5:00 pm). They can take part in indoor and outdoor activities including games, sports, music, treasure hunts, swimming, arts and crafts, cultural education and lots more. I noticed that in order to keep the main pool calm from the auditory squeals of delight by kids, Marco Polo gameplay is limited to the kids’ pool. This is a subtle and clever way to reinforce “We Time / Me Time.”

Our kids are now a long way from the days we parents remember sometimes dimly, hauling around strollers, diapers and the like. Four Seasons have figured out a way to eliminate all that travel stress: provide it on-site. The Resort provides baby baskets to young families when they check in, with swimming diapers and many of the other products with which a family needs to travel. All parents eventually enjoy traveling light as their kids evolve. We pondered wistfully that we no longer needed any of the equipment the Four Seasons is happy to supply young families: car seats, baby strollers, baby monitors, Pack ‘n Plays, high chairs, baby bathtubs, bottle warmers, singing baby swings, and bed rails. My memory is suitably foggy about the endless preparation of our earlier family trips, but I do recall that many of these items were necessary fixtures on our voyages.

One of the Resort’s facilities that our teenage daughters could not enjoy was the adults-only Serenity Pool. Recently renovated (to the tune of nine million dollars), the pool is perched above the property affording it an unobstructed view to the beach and ocean beyond.  My wife and I smugly strolled to the Serenity Pool and agreed we will need to return to try the three golf courses and complimentary tennis courts. Indeed, the Resort is planning several memorable events before the end of the year, including a windsurfing clinic in November taught by two champions, a tennis fantasy camp with champions, a vintage wine tasting weekend and several other similar events.

The Serenity Pool – belly up to the bar, no kids and no Marco Polo

Our usual post-dinner activities at the Resort revolved around family games. On offer in the Games Room we enjoyed table shuffleboard, billiards, ping-pong and foosball. Other folks enjoyed video games.

The family-centric approach of the Resort is not compromised at the two restaurants we visited. Both had superb cuisine, and at both restaurants children five years and under eat free when accompanied by a paying adult.

DUO
Restaurant Manager Kevin Miao described how they attained a 70% local produce proportion in their menu. As superb examples he directed us to the Hamakua mushrooms (delicately sautéed in olive oil and garlic after being grown in jars and flown in from the Big Island) and the Kula corn. The latter was poached in water with butter and was as crisp and sweet as anything found right off the cob in Nebraska. The flat iron steak was excellent; it is cross-bred on the Big Island with Kobe stock. The most amazing starter was the Keahole lobster bisque. Blended with tarragon cream, the lobster is raised on a Big Island farm which pumps in deep seawater. The result is the closest thing to the crustaceans drawn from Maine’s waters.  The several other lobster bisques we tried elsewhere on Maui were no match.

DUO’s theme is seafood and meat, and they have clearly struck a delicious balance. We deferred to Bradley our waiter on the wine selection, and he proffered the Patz & Hall 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, which had a satisfying finish. For dessert, we were unsure where to start. Bradley guided us to two winners: Tahitian crème brulee with pineapple chutney and a green tea crouton, and banana bread with rum raisin ice cream and a salted caramel sauce. DUO’s signature move is to bring a plate of cotton candy with the check; we grinned over our Granny Apple treat.

By morning, DUO offers an eclectic buffet breakfast. Kids are encouraged to their own buffet, overseen by stuffed animals and bright fixtures.

The kids have their buffet for breakfast and we adults have ours

Ferraro’s Bar & Restaurant
The most delightful meals in our family have been while enjoying Italian cuisine. Ferraro’s raised the bar for us. The gentle ocean breeze at sunset certainly helped, as did the acoustic guitar and violin duo playing arrangements of current and classic songs. But our senses were working overtime by the time the food began to arrive.

A pair of island beverages at Ferraro’s – one for an adult and another for a teenager (photo by Carly Auerbach)

The burrata cheese in the caprese salad was as soft and delicious as any we have tasted outside Italy. The polenta fried calamari turned our daughters into believers of this dish; the sweet cherry pepper and lime aioli did the trick. For the primi piatti, my frutti di mare was comprised of a bold tomato sauce in which basked mussels, clams, shrimp, calamari and white fish over a bed of linguine. Our daughters were unsure of which gnocchi to select, so our waiter helpfully offered to have the chef split between the ricotta and potato gnocchi, each with red wine braised short rib ragout and fresh mint.

The sun fell below the horizon as our dessert arrived, but was it only the delicate lighting that had my family glowing? I realize now it was the wonderful experience of all five senses being nearly overwhelmed with the artisanal craft at Ferraro’s.

                    San Francisco: Napa :: Cape Town : _____?______.

The Tasting Room is part of Le Quartier Francais, a boutique collection of hotel rooms and several restaurants overseen by its wonderfully eclectic proprietor Susan Huxter. Susan has been developing Le Quartier Francais for 25 years. She gave us a tour, and we were delighted with the surprise around each corner. In several hotel rooms the juxtaposition of fabrics, colors and furniture was partly audacious but completely successful. In a wise bid to cater to all tastes and pocketbooks, she has opened Delicious Hotel rooms in three sizes: Itsy Bitsy, Teeny Weeny and Bigger Than a Bikini. In each you can get the ‘”4B” rate comprising bed, breakfast, bottle and bike.  Although we did not stay in any of Susan’s hotel rooms, we have seen more than enough to plan a return visit for at least a weekend.

The Tasting Room – delightfully eclectic style for each of the senses

The Tasting Room has the ambitious goal of telling the story of Africa through the food. Susan has fully empowered the multi-cultured staff, and diners justifiably revel in the result. Each server had a bubbly personality, with the right amount of enthusiasm and discretion.  We learned from Susan that when hired, “the servers did not know the difference between fried, scrambled or poached eggs.”

The staff worked together to deliver a fantastic meal

The five courses in our meal were unlike anything we had ever seen or tasted.  Had we been served in a bland room, we still would have been amazed. But like the delightful décor of the hotel rooms, The Tasting Room is a treat for the eyes. Our table looked out over a small courtyard and lawn, tastefully lit in the amber twilight.

Every evening is different, as there is no menu. Each of our courses arrived with an understated flourish. We often asked for the description to be repeated, as our initial visual curiosity seemed to impair our sense of hearing. Our starter that evening was comprised of beetroot, buttermilk labne, dill and cucumber granita. Each course was accompanied by a paired wine flight, and we had no complaints about the selections.

In time the next course arrived, which was a visually delightful concoction of curry dusted silver cobm yellow dahl, kale, braised spices and confit tomato.  The middle course was based on tender karoo springbok loin with accompaniments of wild grains, sorghum, rainbow carrots and celeriac. The wine shifted to red, in this case the local pinotage. Pinotage is a well-balanced red, with solid, earthy tones making it a signature taste of South Africa.

Our final two courses had us nearly swimming in delight. A half decade old port was paired with klein rivier gruyere, rusks. Mebos custard and currants.  The chef finished us off with baobab, coconut, honeybush and caramel.

Margot Janse has been named Chef of the Year and The Tasting Room has understandably been rated as one of the top restaurants for many years. At a prestigious awards ceremony in London recently The Tasting Room moved up the gourmet ladder from 57 to 53 on San Pellegrino World’s Top 100 Restaurants. Only one of two African restaurants on the list (Cape Town’s The Test Kitchen came in at position 61) makes this a remarkable achievement. On our visit, the culinary surprises with each course were savored. Indeed, the restaurant suggests at least 3 ½ hours and reservations can be understandably difficult.

After our delightfully long evening wound to a close, we had indeed taken a culinary tour of Africa. Our guides for the journey were Susan and her talented staff. The Tasting Room is not to be missed.

The Tasting Room and Le Quartier Francais

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Where do you start when you arrive on this luxurious island? You probably want a set of wheels so that you can explore all the options. You can spend a lot and get a current model or you can save some serious dollars by booking with Kihei Rent A Car. As instructed, we called them as we deplaned in Maui and by the time we grabbed our luggage (yes, we needed to check our snorkel equipment even though everything else was contained in our carry-on bags) their shuttle driver was waiting for us curbside. The drive to their shop was not real far. Soon we were packed into our Jeep Wrangler. The ragtop was a bit frayed, the front seats did not move smoothly for back seat access, but we felt like long term natives tooling around the island. Our daughters’ hair was flying in the breeze, and we toggled the 4 way sound system between the island’s two beach stations: 92.5 and 107.5. Equal measures of reggae and hip local music was our perfect playlist. The vehicle was otherwise well-maintained, as evidenced by its 107k mileage. Even though we had some trepidation about the lack of storage space, we found that most of our island roadtrips were only with snorkel gear.

Forget the other vehicles….this family wants a Jeep Wrangler for our Maui excursions.

Kihei Rent A Car has been in business for nearly a quarter of a century, and they have developed a reputation for friendly service with very competitive rental prices. The hassle of wrestling with the passenger seat to let my daughters get in the back seat soon became a family joke. Indeed, my wife became the seat wrangler, befitting the name of the Jeep model we enjoyed.

ZIPLINE

The vast bulk of visitors flock to the Maui shore, but there is at least one great activity ‘upcountry’ in the mountains. The growth of ziplining is evidenced by the several operators on Maui. Seek out Piiholo Ranch Zipline for a great experience. Their staff had exactly the right blend of humor and confidence to make us comfortable and adventuresome. We weighed in at the office and then headed a few miles further upcountry for our treeline tour across six lines. We were fitted into our harnesses and helmets by our sender guide and receiving guide. The latter is “the only thing between you and the tree, so be friendly with him.” Both Ben and Jon were easy to like, and once prepped we set out into the forest. A hundred yards later we climbed up to our first perch, and then traversed a slat and rope bridge, Indiana Jones style.  Our first zipline served to get us accustomed to stepping off the ledge. We eased into our confidence about the double locking harness system, so much so that Ben soon had us leaning backward over the perch prior to launch. Within the next few lines we were spinning and even launching ourselves blindly backward. Those brave enough to also choose the ‘no peeky’ option were guided into their landing by Jon. Our daughters quickly became flying squirrels, whereas my wife and I took a bit longer to get the hang of it, pun intended. Jon and Ben pointed out some of the local flora and fauna, and its use in the local culture. By the sixth line we were sad to have our ziplining come to an end.

Young daughters playing Indiana Jones

Swinging in the breeze

PIZZA

There are dozens of restaurants from which to choose after a day of island activity on Maui, but head for Lahaina to get a taste of Pizza Paradiso. Featuring Italian, Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine, there is plenty from which to choose. With most ingredients sourced locally, you will get a real taste of Maui. We had a few slices of their signature pizzas, and we can understand why they were voted “Best Pizza” in Maui three times by readers of The Maui News. We also tried the chicken shawarma, which was tender and flavorful. We finished with some homemade tiramisu and locally created gelato. We were certainly fortified for our next adventure.

SNORKEL

Certainly it is the water that attracts visitors from all over the world. Maui is blessed with a variety of places and ways to enjoy the water, from waterfalls off the Hana Highway to offshore snorkeling havens. We signed on with Paragon Sailing Charters for a cruise to Molokini, an extinct volcano whose upper crater forms a crescent above the water. Parking was easy at Maalea Harbor, where we boarded our catamaran helmed by Captain Greg. He and first mate Ron got us squared away with continental breakfast and soon we were heading to Molokini, an hour offshore. The trampoline front of the boat was the optimal place to watch Molokini growing larger on the horizon. Some of the other tour operators boast first arrival, but Captain Greg pointed out that our trip was more leisurely and “the other swimmers will warm the water up for us.” The most dramatic aspect of the snorkeling at Molokini was swimming toward the rim of the submerged crater’s top edge. The depth was about 15 feet as we approached the submerged top edge of the rim, and as we swam over it the opposite side dropped off 200 feet below. It was a remarkable experience. All sorts of fish were visible, and the current that pulls you to the backside of Molokini was noticeable but not dangerous. Captain Greg called it the “Aloha Current, as in not the hello part of aloha.”

Molokini

Not a mermaid, but my daughter at Molokini

First mate Ron had been in the Coast Guard, and came to know intimately the rigging on sailing schooners. Captain Greg started working with the family that owns Paragon in a non-nautical role, but when they decided to explore the business of sailing he was the logical man to steer that ship. He now spends the morning sailing charters and the afternoons windsurfing. He admits he never has any real plans beyond the next two weeks. These Jimmy Buffet types exist the world over, and are an inspiration for the rest of us who spend most of the time flying desks.

SNUBA®

As the perfect stepping stone from snorkel to scuba, SNUBA® is viable for any swimmer from about eight years old. Our teenage daughters have grown comfortable in the water with snorkel equipment, so we were pleased to give SNUBA® a go. There are about half a dozen SNUBA® locations on Maui (and over 90 across the globe). We found our location on Ka’anapaali, where Royce was our instructor. He is transplanted from the Pacific Northwest, where he was a professional diver doing welding and the like. As such, he is very comfortable with scuba and SNUBA®. He competently guided us through our pre-dive preparation. In that my wife and I have been certified as scuba divers, we were familiar with the concept of underwater breathing apparatus. The 20 foot SNUBA® tube is attached to an oxygen tank secured in an inflatable raft, from which two tubes dangle. Royce had two rafts ready for us on the beach. He hooked us in, and we all backed into the water. As he predicted, the entry was the most difficult due to the slightly higher surf coupled with the weight belts around our waist.

But soon we were through the surge and ready to use the regulators. One of us had a bit of trouble descending, but Royce was gently firm that we all entered and left the water together. Soon he had us all under the surface, tooling around with ease. His hand signal instruction was effective, as we were all delivering the island “OK” greeting with thumbs and little fingers extended. His next hand signal was the best: turtle sighting. We had yet to see a turtle on our island trip, so this sighting was huge. The turtle moved through the water more like a bird in flight, its huge shell gliding seemingly weightless under the power of its flippers.  These were moments of magic with my family I will remember always.

Our daughters getting acclimated to Snuba

Priceless

Royce led the way underwater; he was untethered and using scuba equipment. We saw a bounty of fish amid the coral. We swam along for 47 minutes (“two minutes longer than expected!” Royce said later), our four tubes happily intertwining. When we finally resurfaced, we were down the shore quite far from our entry point. But we emerged from the Pacific exhilarated, finally able to communicate with words. Our girls took to SNUBA® like, well….fish to water. SNUBA® is a tremendously simple way to explore the world beneath the waves.

Jewel (June 3): On a solo acoustic greatest hits tour, this Alaskan (actually she was born in Utah) will build her setlist across her varied career, undoubtedly leaning toward the earlier years. She will be working without a net, as her crack touring band is working elsewhere, so this will be an intriguing evening.

Cyndi Lauper (6/12): With her musical opening on Broadway imminently, the diminutive powerhouse will take to the road with a clutch of new songs and a treasure trove of classics. No word yet on whether she will road test any of the songs from her production on the Great White Way, but with a title like “Kinky Boots” and a book by Tony winner Harvey Fierstein, the musical undoubtedly has some songs that she could weave into her set list.

Michael McDonald/Boz Scaggs (6/18): These crooners hit their stride in the 70s and have had more success on the road than in the studio lately. They toured last year with Donald Fagen as The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue, but Fagen is going out this summer with his original partner (see below).  Scaggs forever captured the sound of suave with Silk Degrees  and no word if McDonald will stick around another day to see his former band mates the next night….

Doobie Brothers (6/19): These guys shifted a lot of units back in the day (to the tune of 40 million albums), and with core members Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons and John McFee they have maintained their stalwart road chops.  Expect many early FM radio hits and a few mid-period ballads if McDonald hangs around San Diego.

Yes – Pictured, from left Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Alan White, Chris Squire

Yes (July 14): Like pretty much every band that started in the 60s, this band has gone through personnel changes. On this tour they will have one of their stronger lineups in years (Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Alan White, Chris Squire). Davison takes over vocals from Jon Anderson, and by all accounts he hits all the right notes. Downes was in and out of the band after Rick Wakeman departed in order to stage ice skating arena versions of his solo albums. More intriguingly, at Humphrey’s Yes will play back to back renditions of three albums, the first two of which are sterling examples of progressive rock: The Yes Album, Close to the Edge and Going For The One. Although I had fallen away from the band by the time of the latter’s 1977 release, it has withstood the test of time. The band has an otherwise improbable but brief appearance in the new book by Prince Rupert Lowenstein as one of the bands he hired for a party after he necame the financial advisor to the Rolling Stones in the 1960s. The party occurred the night Brian Jones drowned in a pool across town.

Chris Isaak is slampy

Chris Isaak (August 3): Appearing a year and a day after his last Humphrey’s appearance, Isaak will start the show with three or four songs and then deliver the first of his hilarious between-song patter. Isaak has built a solid fanbase through impressive album recordings and polished stagework.  He never disappoints.  Expect a few choice words for the sailors crowding the water outside the venue; last year he admitted he might like being there as well. Don’t wait to get your tickets to this show.

Los Lonely Boys/Los Lobos/Alejandro Escovedo (August 8): Definitely one of the shows to which I am looking forward. Los Lobos barely needs an introduction; their infectious blend of East LA roots rock is always a treat. Escovedo is the criminally underrated troubadour from Austin, whose praises (and songs) have been sung by artists like Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, John Cale, Jennifer Warnes, Ian Hunter, The Jayhawks, and Little Steven Van Zandt. Expect the tequila to be flowing.

 The Monkees (August 11): After a surprisingly successful mini-tour the three surviving members added a host of dates for this summer. Backed by a solid band, the three will also perform several songs by themselves, reminiscent of their unapologetic “Justus” album. Mike Nesmith, always the most intriguing member will probably not make mention of the fact that he was an early the progenitor of the music video. Indeed, he funded that effort as benefactor of his mother’s estate, which was rather large as she invented White-Out. If you don’t know what that is, your first album purchase was probably not by the Monkees. Nesmith won the first Grammy awarded for a music video, by the way.

Lyle Lovett & His Large Band (August 14): One of the more erudite Texan musicians you will encounter, Lovett is a gentleman and raconteur. I first saw him in his LA debut, at the tiny Roxy Theatre, and he filled the stage with his semi-large band. Over the course of many years his band grew and Lovett recorded a steady output of tasty music; this show is a very solid bet.

The dapper Donald Fagen and Walter Becker

Steely Dan (August 21): This is not the first band to be named after a literary character, but STeely Dan is probably the first to be named after a sex toy. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker fortunately never had to rely on their looks for success. They hired a revolving cast of studio musicians (including Jeff “Skunk” Baxter from the aforementioned Doobie Brothers) to record some sparkling albums with jazz inflections. They were one of the first bands to tap into the clever idea of performing an album back to front onstage. They recently welcomed to the stage Steve Winwood, another Humphrey’s veteran.

The luxurious grand villa was our accommodation, and it is perched high enough between two valleys to afford a spectacular view to the ocean.

Aromatherapy Foundation of Maui and its garden

Greeted by our host Tom, we were given a brief and informative tour. The spacious two level grand villa has several bedrooms on the top floor, including the spacious master suite. The beds throughout the villa are all perched high, so that the twinkling lights of the island towns below and the sparkling stars above are the views at night. By the next morning, the path of the rising sun was tracking across the valley beyond. We sipped coffee on the master bedroom porch and watched in silent wonder.

The spectacular view from the Grand Villa across the valley to the shores of Maui

Downstairs can be reached via either staircase. The center stair case was hand carved by a local artisan from koa wood, and it took him a year. We were especially gentle in traversing this work of art. Once we descended the staircase we were afforded a full living room, with a grand kitchen and separate sitting area. The lower level opened up to a wrap-around patio, with the same valley view. A winding outdoor stairway brought us to the Jacuzzi and the pool, overseen by a placid Buddha statue.

Palm trees and over 900 plant species surround the area, which are the focus of the distillation process.  Tom walked us through the garden, where he directed us to squeeze several species of plants and savor the fragrance.  We packed a bucket of rose geranium, and he instructed us in the ancient process of distillation. Far from ending up with moonshine, we were each rewarded with a small spritzer of hydrosol. Given the Proustian nature of the often underappreciated sense of smell, I look forward to recalling our visit to the Aromatherapy Foundation whenever I use the spray.

A placid Buddha watches over the 900 plant species

I admit a sense of suspended disbelief about aromatherapy before our visit to the Aromatherapy Foundation of Maui, but now I am thoroughly intrigued with the study and practice of this ancient art.