New memories for Hard Rock

Giovanni Taliaferro, the natty young designer who selected the worn guitars, posters, paraphernalia, photos, evocative suits, surfboards and, yes, spandex unitard for the new Hard Rock Cafe Honolulu has a "dream job," he says.

And he has a term for the feeling music lovers get when they gaze upon an item that unleashes a flood of admiration, hero worship or nostalgia for music they love:

Rockgasm.

"It’s when you see something you really, really like, and just say, ‘Oh,’" Taliaferro said without a shred of embarrassment.

The rock shrine, restaurant and watering hole has a new location in Waikiki, and a new look and collection of music memorabilia to go along with it. Taliaferro examined or selected just about every piece of rock history you’ll see hanging there.

"We’re trying to tell a story," he said. Each piece of memorabilia has a Hawaii connection, even if it’s only that the band or musician who owned it performed in the islands.

If you love rock ‘n’ roll and feel affection for Hawaii, something in the Hard Rock Cafe Honolulu’s new collection might just give you a rockgasm. Maybe it will be the poster, hand-written lyrics or bass guitar that give big ups to Pepper, the fresh, Kona-born reggae-rock band that has made it nationwide.

Or the Ramirez classical guitar given to Elvis Presley by Jack Lord, the original McGarrett in "Hawaii Five-0." (The plaque enclosed with the guitar describes Lord as "’Hawaii Five-0′ star and possessor of a tremendous pompadour." And Elvis — you know who that is, right?)

Or a red, white and blue guitar that once belonged to the Ventures, who played the "Hawaii Five-0" theme all over the world.

Tina Turner’s wig. Ziggy Marley’s army jacket. Eddie Vedder’s jean jacket. Pearl Jam’s autographed band photo.

North Shore resident Jack Johnson’s guitar strings, set list and surfboard are here. Ben Harper, who jammed with Taj Mahal in Hawaii when just a grommet, is represented with a beautiful red Hawaiian lap steel guitar. Hard Rock sales and marketing manager Jill Gilboy says Ziggy Marley handed his "One Love" green army jacket directly over to her when visiting the restaurant’s former location on Kapiolani Boulevard while in town for a show.

Only a few exhibits came over from the old Hard Rock, Taliaferro said. The irreplaceable items are Jack Lord’s badge from "Hawaii Five-0," a Beatles guitar and photo from the band’s Hawaii concert, surfboards and an autographed poster of Duke Kahanamoku.

THE HARD ROCK Cafe Honolulu opened at its new location, 280 Beach Walk, on the corner of Kalakaua Avenue, last week. The phones weren’t working yet, but the crew was in a hurry to give people a taste of the new, two-story location, with a gift shop and multimedia display below, and a bar, dining room, stage and lanai above.

Guitar-lovers cannot fail to be wowed by a "wave" of about 250 guitars, stretching up behind the stairs to the second-level restaurant and across the ceiling all the way out to the lanai. It’s visible from the street, like a beacon.

Aside from the memorabilia, the overall design and setup of the new Hard Rock is impressive. The wave metaphor is repeated in the decorative glass that shapes the bar area. The flooring, furniture and ceilings are in shades of slate and dark wood.

On a walk-through two weeks ago, while some fixtures, wiring and memorabilia were still being installed, Gilboy explained that the restaurant was built to specifications for Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification — meaning it was constructed with sustainable and renewable materials and designed to save energy.

The 13,000-square-foot cafe seats 250, assuming there is not a band onstage.

One of the first things visitors will see upon entering on the ground floor is a 52-inch "Rock Wall" — a touch-sensitive computer screen — that allows visitors to pull up images of memorabilia from Hard Rock’s 169 venues worldwide.

Visitors at the Hard Rock Honolulu can dial a toll-free number, plug in an extension and hear stories about select items. Pepper’s members recorded their voice-overs personally, Taliaferro said.

After more than 20 years at its former location, the restaurant was in need of a makeover. But there will be rock ‘n’ roll memories from Hard Rock shows past to go around, from an opening 1987 concert starring the Bangles, Crowded House and, er, Rob Lowe (go to the Facebook page for a photo), to final shows in the old location with the Throwdowns and Makana.

The venue is still working out plans for live music at the Beach Walk spot, including a "grand opening" celebration early next year.