We're guessing the folks at the Hawaiian Hut will require you wear rubber slippers to get in the door. But it's likely Barefoot Natives, Willie K and Eric Gilliom, would appreciate the pleasure of your company at their shows at 8:30 tonight and tomorrow at the Hut ... footwear or no footwear.

Willie and Eric's self-titled debut disc of Island contemporary tunes as Barefoot Natives cracked the top 10 of Billboard magazine's world music album chart a couple of weeks back and remains in the top 15. Just a guess here: The songs are likely as pleasurable live, too.

Tickets are $28 advance, $35 day of show. www.barefootnatives.com or www.hulatickets.com.

— Derek Paiva

MEET FIVE WINEMAKERS FROM GERMANY

For the past few years, local wine experts have been preaching the gospel of riesling and other German wines that go well with food from our haute kitchens.

Next Thursday, you can get the info from the horse's mouth, when five of Germany's top winemakers are in town for "World Class Wines of Germany," a class held by wine distributor Alan Jahns (he owns JMD Beverages) and the University of Hawai'i Outreach College, 7 to 9 p.m. at the JMD Educational Center, 99-1269 Iwaena St.

On the roster: Robert Eymael of Weingut Monchoff, Hanno Zilliken of Weingut Zilliken, Fritz Hasselbach of Weingut Gunderloch, Felix Burklein of Weingut Franz Kunstler and Christoph Graf of Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl.

Cost is $55. Advance registration is required: 956-8400.

FINAL WORD

"I'm a recovering politician. ... But you always have to worry about a relapse."

Al Gore | the former vice president and star of "An Inconvenient Truth," in New York magazine