Öof Tatatá – Powerstation: October 25, 2024

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Öof Tatatá come to the Powerstation with Jason Momoa holding it all down on bass.

It’s rare to find a rock cover band that doesn’t involve a bit of eye-rolling. I think that Jason Momoa’s pet project, aside from his work as an actor, is proving to have some pretty tight merits, and The Powerstation was an excellent choice as a starting point for his Aotearoa tour, covering 5 cities.

Wise moves were made, choosing the Powerstation to begin with. There were about 150 people on the main floor, a diverse audience that was wholly supportive in a venue that allowed a spacious yet intimate dance floor. Momoa’s posse commanded the upper floor, about 30 very supportive folks.

Another smart move was the opening act, our very own Tito Tafa. Tafa, who owns the local Ponsonby clothing store with a rad vinyl collection, Rebel Soul, got his Search and Destroy vibes on, running the decks with some old school R&B, funk, and classic rock. He was all class, as usual.

Jason Momoa came out to a very excited audience to announce his band, Öof Tatatá, meaning “The Good Good”, and introduced his band mates, guitarist Mike Hayes and drummer Kenny Dale. He gave us the caveat that they were there to “Dust it off.” Now, I gotta say, this is probably the first rock band I’ve ever seen with about a 67% female audience, but this does not surprise. Momoa is known worldwide as a heartthrob, a very talented guy, and a pretty stellar individual; a rarity in Hollywood circles. One thing I noticed was that for the first half of the show, Momoa had his back turned to the audience; his full attention on his bandmates. There may have been some nervousness in that, but I can’t see anyone really having a problem with viewing him from the back. It read to me like he cared more about concentration and being tight with the band than showing his face, so kudos to that. It was tight.

Mike Hayes has a lovely, growly tenor that bounced from Red Hot Chili Peppers to Led Zeppelin to Pearl Jam, fully covering them all and giving them justice while also laying down his own voice as completely original. I’m impressed with his work here and look forward to seeing what else he can put forward.

Kenny Dale on the drums did an excellent job keeping the band tight; it was easy to see that his wild arms were holding everything together; I’m not surprised that Momoa on bass was taking his leads from him.

I have a feeling that the rest of this Aotearoa Tour will only get better and that this venture will eventually become a cult classic that will bring these talented musicians to the forefront, perhaps bringing out some original work for the next tour.

Diana Phillips

The 13th Floor
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