My First Ukulele Show: The Squirrels Nutty gig at Maui Tacos

My First Ukulele Show: The Squirrels Nutty gig at Maui Tacos



I arrived at Maui Tacos for my first ukulele show. The only thing I really knew about ukulele music came from Eddie Vedder’s spring 2011 album, Ukulele Songs. Unfortunately, I was unable to get tickets for his tour.

So, I was clueless about what to expect. But pretty excited about what I was going to hear. I was greeted at the door by my friend Yuval, one of the lead ukulele players for the Squirrels.

This Avant-garde band was one of the show’s headliners. The room was packed full of Squirrels fans. I was lucky to get seat right opposite the stage. I only hope I can GET a similar seat when the Squirrels need to upgrade their venue to the Garden.

First to take the stage were two men, who bantered around and played a few holiday songs. In their own hilarious fashion, they did their best to resemble Cheech and Chong.

Ken, the show host and Brooklyn native, played a few songs. One was a witty tune about Brooklyn in the old days. Well before it cost a million dollars to buy an apartment the size of a shoebox. A few other people played some great tunes. Some covers of 30s and 40s singers / bandleaders and some original material. One of the songs spoke about the singer's upbringing in a trailer park in Arizona.

Then came the moment we were waiting for -- the Squirrels took the stage. And took the stage they did. Audience members got that Vedderesque feeling that this was going to be rockin’ show. They played several songs. But they did so much more than just play. David, Rebecca, Shira and Yuval created a Warholesque musical and dramatic artistic stage performance. Yuval shined on his vocals, clarinet and of course, his real pleasure, the ukulele. After acting out a few songs as they played along, the Squirrels did an amazing sing along encore of Simon & Garfunkel’s Cecilia. All of Maui Tacos was singing.

The Squirrels were followed by some other performers, including Esther Koo, who performed her own version of Croce’s Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. She added some humorous lyrics that prompted the audience to burst out into laughter, while singing along.

The night ended with a free form with several of the evening’s stars, including Yuval, all taking the stage to jam. I know I’m hooked and can’t wait for the next show.