Dragon Upstairs

Dragon Upstairs opened in July 2006 on Nuʻuanu Avenue in Honolulu, on the second floor above Hank’s Café. The room had previously been used by Sharky’s Tattoo, and a painted dragon on its wall gave the club its name. Hank Taufaasau, who owned the café and club, envisaged a venue for Hawaiian jazz fusion and required performers to play jazz. It became known as a Chinatown jazz club. The venue has about 80 places, with dim lighting and plush seating.

Live music was presented there on Tuesdays and Thursdays in 2009, alongside performances on other nights. The venue’s music has also included funk and soul, with DJs playing there. Dragon Upstairs hosted the recurring drum-and-bass night Abyss, where THD and Sejika served as hosts and residents, running every second Friday in 2025. Artists who have played there include DJ Strife, Whiney, Jr Waikiki and Submorphics.