Author Archives: Hurricane Hayward

About Hurricane Hayward

Inspired equally by historic Polynesian Pop and the modern Tiki renaissance, Jim "Hurricane" Hayward aims to use his acumen from 20-plus years of independent concert promotion and 30-plus years in journalism to bring a greater awareness and appreciation to the vast ocean of Tiki culture and its many tributaries. Since the early '90s, his Slammie Productions has presented live shows featuring hundreds of indie artists: Agent Orange, Dick Dale, The Nekromantix, Exene Cervenka, The HorrorPops, The Phenomenauts and many more. Now, he's launching The Atomic Grog as a vehicle to promote Tiki culture and its music, art and cocktail scenes. A lifelong student of mid-century pop culture, Jim solidified his appreciation for the Atomic Era in his childhood in the 1960s. His father promoted custom car shows featuring George Barris classics such as the Batmobile and "Munsters" cars and his earliest memories of Tiki come from visits to some of the era's vintage restaurants. In the mid '70s, his family settled in the Sunshine State, where he graduated from the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. He has spent more than 30 years toiling at several of the state's major daily newspapers as a writer, editor and for the past 15 years as a Web producer.