Longtime Uke Club Booted from Waikiki Beach

An informal uke club that calls itself On the Beach and has been playing along the shore of Waikiki on-and-off for more than 20 years was given the boot by Honolulu officials who objected to their amplifier.

According to KITV in Honolulu, Hawaii, the 15-20 member club assembled at one of its usual spots, the Kuhio Beach Park pavilion, on March 20—only to be told it needed a permit to play with an amp.

The group of retired seniors—formed by snowbirds from Canada, Japan, Germany and the U.S. mainland—approached the Department of Parks and Recreation about obtaining a permit, but were told that actually all amplified music was banned at city parks per an ordinance. Local police have also cracked down on people playing tunes from a battery-powered stereo.

On the Beach member Wayne Dieffenbach tells KITV that the music means a lot to the club and its devotees: “A lot of fans follow us every year and come back and it’s the highlight of their trip.”

For now, it’s unplugged-only for these ukers.