We spent the end of February 2022 in Las Vegas. We own a timeshare week at Tahiti Village which is located on the south end of The Strip near the airport. We usually try to use our week every year. On our way there this time, we stayed in St. George overnight. The drive to Vegas takes about seven hours so it is good to break it up. We met up with Brett and Sunie Thomas and headed to one of our favorite restaurants, The Red Fort. They serve yummy curry and garlic naan bread and my favorite, mango yogurt drink!
We had a great visit and good rest before finishing our trip to Las Vegas. The first night at Tahiti Village was a nightmare. The last time we stayed in Tahiti Village, the fridge would not close. This time, our fridge did not work. Not only that but there was a leak somewhere and the carpet was very wet. We had just gotten everything unpacked and then noticed the leak and very soggy carpet. We called maintenance and when they came, the only resolution they came up with was that we needed to move to another room. By that time, I was totally
exhausted and not ready to move anywhere. Isi talked to the front desk and they said they would move us the next day to a larger room and credit our account $100. That made us feel a bit better for the inconvenience.
The next day we had lunch with Isi’s nephew and our former missionary, Clarence Naeata. He also was a guest on our Podcast “Pacific Tales”. https://open.spotify.com/episode/7IxWffGPgOsWMF7N1tm2mM?si=5b189c0d6e4141e3
We always love being around him and his family. Unfortunately, Sui was not feeling well this time.
Isi had been in touch with LeRoy Wolfgramm who is the oldest member of The Jets prior to our trip. A bit of history: When we were serving our mission in Tonga (1989-1992) and Isi was the mission president, The Jets came to Tonga on a musical tour. They were quite new and since their parents came from Tonga, it was a very big deal! I can still remember how nearly the whole country turned out to attend their concerts. They traveled to different island groups. We had previously met their parents, Maikeli “Mike” and Vaké Wolfgramm in Salt Lake City, and knew their grandparents, Iohani and Salote Wolfgramm.
Isi had contacted LeRoy who was very helpful and kind in getting us tickets for The Jets show in Las Vegas. He and his wife Ana and son also took us out to dinner before the show. He is married to my friend Mary Fa’s sister, Ana who we knew very well when we lived near Mesa, Arizona. We cannot thank them enough for all they did for us while we were in Vegas!
he Jets are a Tongan-American family band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who originally were composed of brothers and sisters LeRoy, Eddie, Eugene, Haine, Rudy, Kathi, Elizabeth, and Moana Wolfgramm.
They started performing as a family band in 1977. They enjoyed worldwide success from 1985 to 1990, performing three world tours and producing five top-10 hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The family has 17 children: 15 by birth and two
Eddie and Eugene, by adoption. They are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The five songs that became Billboard Hot 100 hits included: Crush on You, Cross My Broken Heart, Rocket 2 U, Make It Real, and Sendin’ All My Love.
The current Jets are composed of the three oldest sons, one of the youngest original daughters, a grandson, and a classy recruit who rounds out the group.
Although the three oldest sons are getting up there in age, I thought perhaps they wouldn’t be able to move around as much or play their guitars as well, but I was wrong. The whole show was high-energy, well-choreographed, and thrilling. The audience was singing along and almost jumping out of their seats including myself. They went through songs from the 80s and 90s and included some from others artists and of course their own. They changed costumes from time to time and even dressed up as different characters. They invited the audience to take pictures as long as there was no flash photography. Here are a few of the pictures I took:
Yet again, when the show was over, we were invited to take pictures with the stars and I have to admit I was a bit “star-struck”. After all, I had been listening to their music on the radio for so many years and knew most of the words to their songs. We were there when they came to Tonga and now we were with them in Vegas!!
So, if you get the chance to go to Las Vegas, make sure you include The Jets on your agenda! They perform in the V-Theater on the Strip.
