Taupo boutique lodge hosts Irish band Grada

Taupo boutique lodge Tauhara Sunrise this week hosted the Irish folk band Grada, who are on an extended tour of New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Rob McEwen, who along with his wife Becky owns Tauhara Sunrise boutique lodge has a real passion for music and considers music to be a real differentiator for Tauhara Sunrise. "Music is such a fabulous vehicle for setting a tone - a mood - and one of our favorite things to do is identify guest music preferences and cater to those preferences," says Rob. "Of course, it's not too often that we can put on a live music event for guests, but we have a diverse collection of CD's, and I also spend lots of time scouring internet music sites for new music and by connecting my laptop to the lodge sound system, I can play virtually anything a guest desires," says Rob.

Grada played to a crowd of 60 people at Tauhara Sunrise. A marquee was erected to host the crowd. "Everyone brings $20, a plate of food, a folding chair and whatever they want to drink. We provide the venue and promote the event," says Rob. "The audience loves it because they're up close and personal with the band. The band loves it because they have an attentive crowd in an intimate atmosphere. And we love it because we feel we're doing our part to enrich the cultural scene in Taupo," Rob said.