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How to meet Jason Momoa before he plays at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg
Utah

How to meet Jason Momoa before he plays at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg

Jason Momoa said he was ready to rock out with the people of Tampa Bay. But before his concert at Jannus Live, the movie star also revealed a secret.

Even Aquaman gets nervous.

“It’s pretty scary. For me, that’s a beautiful thing,” Momoa said in a phone call from Boston. “You know, I’m 45. I’m not afraid of acting anymore. I’ve been doing it for over 20 years. So getting on stage and acting with my friends is really fun.”

Momoa and his business partner Blaine Halvorson are in Tampa Bay this weekend to promote their new company, Meili Vodka. The party kicks off Saturday morning with a bottle signing at a Tampa liquor store and continues later in St. Petersburg when Momoa’s band headlines Jannus Live. Momoa strums bass in his three-piece band ÖOF TATATÁ.

Halvorson had a lot of fun watching his friend develop on stage.

“Some people might run away from it,” Halvorson said. “But it’s really nice and genuine to feel that feeling again.”

Related: What is it like to live in the condos overlooking Jannus Live?

Momoa’s musical renaissance and his new business go hand in hand. A decade ago, neither Halvorson nor Momoa would have described themselves as vodka lovers. But the long-time collaborators wanted to create something special together.

They both live on the same street in Montana, where their children go to school together. Between parenting and other projects, they have spent the last nine years making a “drinkable vodka.”

Together, the two traveled the world in search of the right water source, tasting samples from Greenland to Antarctica. They finally found their “unicorn source” in Halvorson’s home state of Montana, where his 80-year-old father had given them a tip.

Every party needs a great soundtrack. Luckily, Momoa plays a number of instruments, including guitar, mandolin, ukulele, bass guitar and drums. ÖOF TATATÁ – or “Uff, almost” in Māori – is made up of his musical mentors.

Momoa featured guitarist and singer Mike Hayes in “On the Roam,” his travel documentary series for Max.

“He’s such a wonderful blues player that I just wanted the world to hear about it,” Momoa said. “He taught me and then my kids. I learned to play bottleneck slide, kind of like Delta blues. At the same time, I love hitting the bass, like (Red Hot) Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine.”

Drummer Kenny Dale completes the line-up. He also gave the Momoa clan instrumental lessons.

“I always saw them as a kid growing up in Hollywood. Now we all have families and two or three different kids,” Momoa said. “And as we’re out here meeting all these wonderful people and traveling around the country, I wonder, ‘What’s it like hanging out with people?'”

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ÖOF TATATÁ was formed in early spring. Dale and Hayes were eager to get back to making music and making money. Momoa wanted to improve his bass skills. He invited the two to accompany him to New Zealand, where they spent a month learning songs to perform at a crew-ending party with his “Minecraft” co-star Jack Black.

ÖOF TATATÁ have decided to keep the momentum going by playing on the Mailel promotional tour. Their concert at Jannus Live will last about an hour and a half and will include cover versions of their favorite songs.

“I really enjoy playing songs that you don’t hear that often,” Momoa said. “Some of them are really obscure.”

Hayes enjoys playing Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Momoa is a big fan of Les Claypool, Tom Waits and Primus. Dale is a fan of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.

“I don’t have a lot of time to study… It takes time. I’m sure people say, ‘That note was wrong,’ but that’s always on me,” Momoa laughed.

Momoa enjoys signing 1,800 bottles of vodka for his fans, as he did the morning of our interview in Boston, and he hopes the concert will provide an intimate opportunity to spend time with fans.

“I can’t imagine anything other than giving my whole heart to a crowd that wants to meet me,” he said. “How am I supposed to do that other than through a photo? But it goes so fast and you don’t have time to take your time. I’m up there really giving it my all with the people I love and I think it’s a great experience.”

Actor Jason Momoa signs bottles of Meili Vodka, a new project with his longtime collaborator Blaine Halvorson.
Actor Jason Momoa signs bottles of Meili Vodka, a new project with his longtime collaborator Blaine Halvorson. (MAINEI KINIMAKA | Courtesy of Expedition Studios)

See Jason Momoa and Blaine Halvorson in Tampa and St. Pete

Momoa and Halvorson will be signing bottles from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Luekens Liquors, 236 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. Admission is free.

Later in the day, the two will be working behind the bar at Tequila Daisy, 120 1st Ave N, St. Petersburg, from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

To close out the evening, hear Momoa’s band ÖOF TATATÁ rock out Saturday at 7 p.m. at Jannus Live, 200 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg. Tickets are available for $30 at jannuslive.com.

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