Greg Hammer Band

I rarely go out of my way to see live music. Last weekend I did not go out of my way to see the Greg Hammer Band. They were however performing at the free Honolulu Family Festival carnival that was held on Magic Island, Ala Moana Park from July 30 to August 2. I was there on Saturday night, August 1, mainly to test out a new lens I got for one of my old Minolta 35mm SLR film cameras.

After taking photos of the sights at the carnival, I settled down in the large show tent where a kids performance was taking place at one end while I ate. I was at the far end from that show but very close to the other performance stage where the band was setting up.

The Greg Hammer Band took stage right after the kids parade was over. They are a cover band and that played some great top 40 and rock n roll hits from mainly the late 1960s and early to mid 1970s. Nearly all of the songs were radio gems that I grew up with. "Vehicle," "No Time," "Play That Funky Music," "You Made Me So Very Happy", "Get Ready," "I Just Want to Celebrate," and many more. They did a great set of hits popularized by Chicago which included "Make Me Smile," "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" and "Beginnings".

The band's vocals are handled by Greg Hammer, who bills himself as "Hawaii's premiere singer/impressionist". Impress he does as he handles the vocals with nearly perfect recreation of the artists he covers including Elvis Presley, The Commodores, Chicago, Rare Earth and more. He is backed by a tight band that keep the vibes and rhythm going. I totally enjoyed the night's show. It was great to hear all of those old hits in a live setting.

The Greg Hammer Band has a regular gig at Dave & Buster's in Honolulu.


MEL'S OLDIES OF THE WEEK
As submitted to Plannine's Classic Top 30 site

1. Pretty Lady - Lighthouse
2. Who's Lovin' You - Jackson 5
3. Summer Sand - Dawn
4. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
5. Revolution - The Beatles
6. Feelings - The Grass Roots
7. Long Time to Be Alone - New Colony Six
8. Tiny Bubbles - Don Ho
9. Convoy - C.W. McCall
10. Birds of a Feather - The Raiders