Photo: Instagram, Supplied
Review: Very little can get me out of the house on a cold Wednesday night, but I'd do it for Jason Momoa. And apparently, I'm not the only one.
About 200 patrons huddled up outside the Tuning Fork in Auckland to see Momoa's band, Oof Tatata, kick off their Meili tour with a one-off show.
For the unacquainted, the Tuning Fork is an intimate venue, with about a 400 person capacity. A quick glance at tickets showed a very reasonable entry fee, with general admission priced at just $70. It seemed like a small price to pay to see an A-list celebrity in action, so hey, why not head down?
Momoa advertised the show on Instagram last week to his 16.8 million followers: "Can't wait to show u what we've been playing let's celebrate with some @meilivodka. All my aloha."
The show was partially a promotional event for Momoa's spirit brand Meili Vodka, and the band had only officially formed earlier this year. I wasn't sure what kind of crowd would show up - would it be DC fans wanting to see Aquaman? Metalheads just there for the music? Or excitable aunties, just hoping for a glimpse of a certified dreamboat?
In truth, it was an endearing blend of all three.
The Tuning Fork opened its doors at 7pm and a wide range of patrons settled in. Some were clad in Harley Davidson leather jackets, others in Guns n Roses shirts, and a couple in cardigans.
The venue bar sold Meili vodka cocktails all night, among other drinks, and a merch stall was set up selling Oof Tatata t-shirts and posters.
Jason Momoa performs with his band Oof Tatatata at the Tuning Fork in Auckland. Photo: Instagram, Supplied
Momoa, wearing a vintage All Blacks shirt and pounamu, made his way through the crowd a few times before taking the stage. His star power was undeniable. Momoa was calm and charismatic, greeting his celebrity mates Cliff Curtis, Tana Umaga and Troy Kingi along the way. Eyes followed him around the room but in classic Kiwi fashion, not one person hounded him.
Around 8:30pm, Oof Tatata took the stage. Momoa was on bass, Mike Hayes was on lead guitar and vocals, and Kenny Dale was on drums. And this is where the real magic happened.
The trio have been friends for more than 20 years and their chemistry on stage is palpable.
Hayes' showmanship shined, even playing the guitar with his tongue at one point, while Dale brought the aggression with heavy drum patterns.
Momoa was in the zone, headbanging and using the neck of his guitar to slam down cymbals.
"I'll give you $20 to yell 'take off your shirt'," the woman standing behind me said to her friend. "I'll do it for free," her friend replied.
Momoa must've heard the message - the All Blacks jersey came off, the rocking continued, and the aunties went wild.
"I need to find out what Jason Momoa's drinking so I can buy him a drink ... and deliver it personally", "It's hot as hell in here and I'm not talking temperature", and an enthusiastic shout of "Baby daddyyyy" could be heard around me.
Part way through the show, Momoa introduced a special guest - Baywatch Hawaii co-star and old time friend, Charles Brumbley, who brought a harmonica into the mix.
Oof Tatata played to a captivated crowd for almost 90 minutes, and after the show, Momoa took photos and greeted every fan that waited around to see him.
He admitted he's been trying to get all his future movies filmed down here because he loves Aotearoa that much. And after the cheers at Oof Tatata's Tuning Fork show, it's clear Aotearoa loves him back.