THE LAUGHING SAMOANS

I love comedy. I love laughing. Comedy is like a drug to me. I love being able to put the hustle and bustle of the world in the backseat to simply have a good ole laughing session. With this comedy special though, I’ve never heard of these guys. I’ve never heard of Ete and Tofiga. Who are they? What are they called again? Huh? The Laughing Samoans? Okay, let’s give this a shot.

I had a semi rough week so I was looking forward to a good laugh. I looked them up on youtube to see if their brand of comedy was my cup of tea. When I did, there was a ton of background distractions so I wasn’t able to give them my undivided attention. In a way, it was working against my enthusiasm for their show. But I figured I give them the benefit of the doubt, which I’m glad I did.

Anabelle, myself, and some family made our annual trek across the island to Lahaina where the Laughing Samoans were performing. When getting to the venue, it was an abundance of Polynesians, Polynesians, and more Polynesians. It was every brand of Polynesian; Hawaiian, Tongan, Samoan, and Maori. In a supremely weird way, it was crazy to see all these people in the same place with absolutely no trouble or negativity in the air. The venue was packed and we had awesome seats.

When the show started I quickly realized that their brand of comedy wasn’t stand up, it was more skits with a Polynesian twist. They quickly had us jumping in our chairs. It was a mixture of what they said, how they were saying it, and the thick Maori accent they were using. The audience was going crazy. The Laughing Samoans had us kicking, screaming, and slamming each other’s chairs, yelling, standing up to applause, and everything in between. I’d hate to have written what their skits were about and have any one reader feel that they don’t need to see the show so I’ll keep that to myself and let you enjoy it if you’re able to. At the end of their show, there was not one ass in any chair; the entire crowd gave them a standing ovation and the packed house sent them back every ounce of love they showed us.

After the show, to everyone’s delight, both Ete and Tofiga had a meet and greet where they were giving autographs and taking pictures with their fans. This is always what I love most. I’ve been an autograph fiend from way back when. I also loved the fact that I’d be able to take a picture to possibly add it to my blog.

I highly recommend seeing this show. As a quick side note, the Laughing Samoans do Polynesian comedy, so you may not get the jokes. However, if you’re of Polynesian descent or understand what Polynesians are like, you’ll definitely enjoy this show. I went in never hearing of them to leaving their biggest fan. This was their first trip to Maui but I hope this won’t be their last. Considering the turnout they had, I don’t think it’ll be. Thanks Ete! Thanks Tofiga! Mahalo Laughing Samoans!