TikiTronic makes songs from the 80’s sound even more like the 80’s! –Ray Wyland
Author: Ray
Tiki VIP #27 Brandon Giraldez – Geeki Tikis and Beeline Creative (Star Wars Tiki Mugs and More!)
Star Wars Tiki mugs!
I couldn’t believe that two of my biggest loves have been merged. I didn’t have to think about which mug I was going to get: I was getting them all! Who thought of this awesome idea? Brandon Giraldez…
And he isn’t stopping with Star Wars. He’s only just begun…
Tiki Bar Review #40 Three Dots and a Dash Chicago, IL
Imagine if Studio 54 had a Tiki bar…
“Canned Heat” from Jamiroquai is pumping through the speakers at Three Dots and a Dash as I sip my 1944 Mai-Tai. I love Jamiroquai, but as a punk rocker I’ve always considered them to be a “guilty pleasure.” But I digress. My Mai-Tai is top-notch, but am I cool with dance music at a Tiki bar? Let’ see…
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Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #31 The Turkeymingo Club Portland, OR
The Turkeymingo Club.
What a mysterious name for a Tiki bar, right? But the mystery doesn’t end there! There are hidden ducks and other treasures to be found in Kristy and Miguel’s Tiki escape. How did the Turkeymingo Club came to be? It started with a man learning how to make cocktails…
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Tiki VIP #26 Brandon Kleyla (The Man Behind Trader Sam’s)
The man behind the curtain.
I know it’s a Wizard Of Oz reference, but it’s fitting with Brandon Kleyla. He literally was the man behind making both Trader Sam’s locations what they are. Everything you see was hand picked by Brandon. You’d like to think that Walt Disney himself is somehow still pulling the strings making Disney the magical place that it is. Well, sadly old Walt is no longer with us, but his spirit is alive and well with people like Brandon Kleyla. Here is his story… Continue reading “Tiki VIP #26 Brandon Kleyla (The Man Behind Trader Sam’s)”
Tiki Bar Review #39 Lost Lake Chicago, IL
A Tiki bar without any Tikis?
That’s correct. If you look around Lost Lake, there is not a Tiki to be found! Is this important? Let’s find out…
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Sven Kirsten: The Man Who Wrote The Book Of Tiki
You don’t realize how small the Tiki subculture is until you start looking at how little there is written about the subject. I can count the number of books written about Tiki culture on one hand and most of these books were written by Sven Kirsten.
Sven wrote The Book Of Tiki and it’s the blueprint on what Tiki was, what Tiki is, and what Tiki should be. Sven’s The Book Of Tiki, Tiki Modern, and Tiki Pop are all standard reading if you want to learn about Tiki. Continue reading to learn about the man himself…
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The Starella Sisters!
If there’s anything I miss, it’s the glitz and glamour of the good old days. Imagine going back in time and seeing a full production with a big band, singers, and last but not least, dancers!
The Starella Sisters are here to bring you a glimmer of that glorious past. I’ll let Sanjna Starella take it from here…
Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #30 Mai Tiki Bar Indianapolis, IN
The Tiki scene in Indianapolis is alive and well in Bob Cripe’s basement. Hidden downstairs in Bob’s home is the Mai Tiki Bar and it’s truly impressive. Bob has been in construction for over twenty years and his skills are shown in the craftsmanship of this hidden Tiki escape. I’ll let Bob tell you his story…
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West Winds Motel Mount Vernon, WA
You sometimes forget that there was a time before highways…
I drove Route 66 from Chicago to L.A. (just like the song) and it was bittersweet to see all these cool stores, gas stations, and restaurants that where left behind. Once the new freeway was built, traffic wasn’t going to pass by again.
It was around the ’60s when freeways started to crisscross America. When it comes to searching for cool Mid-Century establishments, you have to go where cars used to travel. Tiki was at its height in popularity in the ’50s and ’60s so it didn’t surprise me to learn that a cool Tiki motel was located on the main road that used to go right through the center of Mount Vernon, Washington.