At the other end of the musical spectrum there's Moose McGillyCuddy's Pub and Café with some very loud bands, and, honest to God, Nashville Waikiki for country and western addicts.  The former is just as loud on other islands.

After bars start to close, the Blue Zebra Café starts to cook on Ala Moana Boulevard with a mix of live and recorded dance music on split levels and ear splitting volume until 4 a.m.  Rumors, in the nearby Ala Moana Hotel stays open until 4 a.m. on Saturday too.

Pier Bar in the Aloha Tower Marketplace offers outdoor loud live music that runs from 6:30 to 4 a.m. each and every day.

Gays will find Fusions Waikiki on Kuhio offers a wild mix of shows starting about 9:30 like the Gender Bender Lip Gloss or Paper Doll Revues; both are followed by the Men of Fusion Review and dancing with the DJs until 4 a. m Cover charge is $5 most days.  Another gay bar Angels Waikiki, is right next door and without a cover charge.

Straights in search of pickup bars might consider Nick's Fishmarket on Kalakua Ave. that's open from ten until 2 a.m. at the Waikiki Gateway Motel.  Think there's a connection here?

These are, of course, only a pupus before the feast of bars in Waikiki and Honolulu.

Dinner and Cocktail Cruises are an option if you pick a calm evening and don't mind usually mediocre food, fair entertainment, upwards of 1,600 other passengers, and no way to escape.  The best option here is the Tradewind Charter three-hour sunset cruise with extra cost pupus and Champagne for no more than six, and a later dinner ashore 808-973-0311. 

The best cruise with food is the Royal Hawaiian Cruises as it features a smaller crowd, a uniquely stable faster ship which goes further, faster and improves the chance of seeing whales or dolphins around the bow.  The singers are better than average as is the wonderful food.  You leave from next to the Maritime Museum at 5:30 and you're back by 8:00. (808-848-6360