“Your just desserts.”
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying.
Tiki Lifestyle
Beach Bars vs. Tiki Bars
It’s all about the beach, right?
A Tiki bar is about creating the illusion that you are sipping a Mai Tai on some Polynesian beach in the South Pacific. This was what I thought I was going for when I started going to Tiki bars, but over time, I’ve started to question that.
Tiki Apartments Tacoma, WA
Back in the ’50s and ’60s, Tiki was big, I mean really big! Large Tiki establishments like the Mai Kai and Trader Vic’s were in every town. Many of the Mid-Century homes had bars and tons of those were being converted into home Tiki bars.
Polynesian pop was so popular that Tiki-themed hotels and motels started popping up. Taking things one step further, Tiki apartment complexes were built! Imagine walking out your front door and having a large Tiki to greet you every morning as you go off to work. Many Tiki apartments were built across the country, but by the ’70s, most of those apartments were torn down or converted to some other theme. I did find one survivor in Tacoma, WA. It’s named—yep, you guessed it—the Tiki Apartments.
Comparing Tiki Bars To KISS
“You wanted the best and you got them! The hottest band in the land: KISS!”
Back in the ’70s, KISS ruled the school. They were huge! There were KISS toys, KISS comic books, KISS, well, pretty much anything Gene Simmons could think of! KISS was so big that the band even had it’s own army, the KISS Army!
Why was KISS so big and why were they so successful? One reason: seeing KISS live was a breathtaking, rocking spectacle that couldn’t be duplicated!
Why?
BossaNova Life (Duke And Lola) Rockabilly, Hot Rod, Burlesque, Tiki Vlog
Rockabilly.
Hot rods.
Burlesque.
And Tiki.
All these subcultures go hand-in-hand and sometimes overlap. Is the connection a love of the Mid-Century culture? Maybe, but I dig it all because I love eye candy and it’s just so damn cool!
Duke and Lola feel the same way! To show the “squares” what they’re missing, Duke and Lola created their own Vlog called “BossaNova Life.” I’ll let them tell you what it’s all about…
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Janu-waii Luau 1/28/17 Washougal, WA
This has been a very cold winter up here in the Pacific Northwest. In Seattle, it’s been fifteen degrees colder than it normal and if it isn’t cold, it’s been grey and raining.
Portland, OR just got over a blizzard that left the city with over ten inches of the white stuff! The city isn’t prepared to deal with that kind of accumulation, so Portland has been snowed in!
What is one to do when the weather is terrible? Curl up with a good book and a cup of coco? Pop some popcorn and binge watch something on Netflix? Nah! If your Jamie Lutz and Daren Ford, you throw a Luau! A Janu-waii Luau to be exact!
The Golden Age Of Tiki…Now?
It’s been said that many people consider right now to be the golden age of television. Reason being is that television programs have never been as great as they are now. This would have started with The Sopranos, then Mad Men, then Breaking Bad. The list goes on and on. I have to agree with this statement. Hill Street Blues was cool, but it doesn’t come close to The Wire.
I may be going out on a limb, but I think that we are in the golden age of Tiki right now, and here’s why…
A Pop-Up Tiki Bar! The Low Tide Lounge Seattle, WA
You should start a Tiki bar!
If I had a nickel for every time someone said this to me, I would be rich! Okay, well maybe I would have enough to buy a cup of coffee, but I digress.
Yes, starting a Tiki bar is a dream of mine, but it’s not easy and it’s not cheap. You need to find a place that’s in a good location and somewhere you can afford the rent. You also need a license to serve alcohol AND a license to sell it. I haven’t even talked about the money needed for décor.
One idea I thought of was doing a “pop-up” bar. I was down in Los Angeles and they got pop-ups for everything including food, clothing, music, and of course, booze. The idea is to rent a space out for a week, a month, or even a day. I thought a Tiki pop-up bar would be a great idea. Well, great minds think alike. Duffy De Armas made my a dream a reality! He opened the Tiki pop-up bar: the Low Tide Lounge.
Here is his story…
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The Polynesian Islander Revue At The Mai Kai Fort Lauderdale, FL
Head on down to the Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale, FL and for less than $15, you can be entertained by the Polynesian Islander Revue. The show is almost two hours of non-stop music, dancing, fire dancing and more! The coolest thing is you get to learn about Polynesian culture as you enjoy the show, eat, and drink. It doesn’t get much better than this. My buddy Dave Gittleman is a professional photographer and he got a ton of great shots of the show. Here’s a little taste of the action on stage at the Mai Kai!
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Kreepy Tiki Tattoos And Boutique Fort Lauderdale, FL
“Looking for a dime and found a quarter…”
This line is from the song “Something From Nothing” by the Foo Fighters and I keep thinking about the line as I write this post.
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