The Tiki Times – October 2017 Events Calendar: Historic art show in L.A., world’s biggest rumfest in London, Circa Caliente in Palm Springs, Halloween happenings

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OCTOBER 2017 TIKI EVENTS CALENDAR
Spotlight events: UK RumFest (Oct. 14-15) | Circa Caliente (Oct. 20-23)
Ongoing events | Upcoming events

Oct. 1 – Tiki Day at Disneyland. The sixth annual gathering that celebrates the love of Tiki includes meet-ups in the park, group rides and meet-and-greet at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar.
Tiki Day at Disneyland


Oct. 1 – Tiki Safari in Australia, a celebration of Tiki culture featuring live music, DJs, merchandise, food and carver Tiki Bob plying his trade.
Tiki Safari

Oct. 3-7 – El Floridita’s 200th anniversary celebration in Havana, Cuba. Tales of the Cocktail presents a once-in-a-lifetime excursion to celebrate the bicentennial of the legendary cocktail bar with special events, tours, tastings, competitions and more.
El Floridita's 200th anniversary celebration

Oct. 5 – Tiki bar launch at Death or Glory in Delray Beach, Fla. A party celebrating the opening of the South Florida restaurant and craft cocktail den’s new Tiki bar, featuring live performances by Skinny Jimmy Stingray and Polynesian Proud Productions. Proprietor Ayme Harrison (formerly of Kreepy Tiki Lounge in Fort Lauderdale) will also be launching a new Tiki mug designed by Tiki Diablo.
Death or Glory's Tiki bar launch

 

Oct. 6 – The Art of Tiki: Exhibition opening party and book release at La Luz De Jesus Gallery in Hollywood, Calif. The launch of the 21st anniversary Art of Tiki show (curated by Otto von Stroheim), which runs through Oct. 29, along with the accompanying book by author Sven Kirsten (Tiki Pop, The Book of Tiki). The original Art of Tiki exhibition in 1996 ushered in the postmodern Tiki era, introducing new art by such acclaimed artists as Mark Ryden, Shag, Mitch O’Connell and The Pizz. The new exhibit brings back some artists from the original show (Shag, O’Connell, Von Franco, Crazy Al Evans, Jeffrey Vallance, Mary Fleener) plus artists from around the world – Bai (France), Danielle (Australia), Mookie Sato (Japan), and Dr. Alderete (Mexico). The show includes 30 of today’s top Tiki artists, including Bosko, Brad “Tiki Shark” Parker, Thor, Kevin and Jody, Tiki Diablo, Tiki Tony, Doug Horne, Big Toe, Ken Ruzic, Gecko, Michael Uhlenkott, Joe Vitale, Donella Vitale, Derek Yaniger, Scott Scheidly, and Eric October. If you can’t make it to the show, you can order the book online. As a special bonus, the exhibit includes “The Art of Tiki: No False Idols,” billed as “the world’s first and most comprehensive public offering of original, mid-century Tiki decor.” It will feature commercial carvings, fixtures, furniture and lighting from some of the most famous and obscure mid-century Tiki temples. Items for sale include those from such notable establishments as Trader Vic’s, Kona Kai and Kon Tiki culled from the private collection of Jordan Reichek. Artists represented include LeRoy Schmaltz of Oceanic Arts, Barney West, William Westenhaver, Jim Casey, Milan Guanko, Richard Ellis and Andres Bumatay.
More from Critiki News: Interview with Otto von Stroheim
Jordan Reichek’s collection of rare mid-century Polynesian Pop
A sneak peek at Sven Kirstens latest book
Press coverage
* You can own a piece of mid-century Tiki history at this gallery show
The Art of Tiki: Exhibition opening party and book release
The Art of Tiki: Exhibition opening party and book release




Oct. 7 – Voices of the Xtabay: A Tribute to Yma Sumac at the Hammer Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles. A free event featuring Latinx vocalists and musicians reimagining the songs of legendary Peruvian singer Yma Sumac, whose vocal range was said to be well over five octaves. The concert honoring the queen of exotica was inspired by the Hammer exhibition “Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960–1985” and features a band led by Alberto López of Jungle Fire.
Voices of the Xtabay: A Tribute to Yma Sumac

Continue reading “The Tiki Times – October 2017 Events Calendar: Historic art show in L.A., world’s biggest rumfest in London, Circa Caliente in Palm Springs, Halloween happenings”

Minimalist Tiki

The Week in Tiki (Feb. 1-15, 2016): Aloha to 5 new Tiki bars across the U.S., Shag at Modernism Week, Plantation Pineapple rum, plus more!

Host Shag enjoys a cocktail during the poolside Modernism Week party held Feb. 12 at the Caliente Tropics Resort Hotel. (Photo by Kari Hendler from Poly Hai)

The Week in Tiki Catching up on news from the first half of February, we have reports on the debut of Tiki-themed bars in Texas, Maine, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Miami Beach, plus a recap and photos from two of Shag’s parties at Modernism Week in Palm Springs. Quick sips include The Wreck Bar, the Polynesian Village Resort, the Rapa Nui Reef, and Tiki Month on the Pegu Blog. Regular features spotlight California artist Michelle Bickford; Milwaukee surf band The Exotics; New York City craft cocktail bars The Happiest Hour and Slowly Shirley; and Tiki mug collecting website Ooga-Mooga. The Rum of the Week, Plantation Pineapple Stiggins’ Fancy, is featured in an original Atomic Grog cocktail, Kilauea Iki.
* Keep up with The Week in Tiki: Facebook page | RSS feed | See past weeks | Archive
* Weekly features: Artist | Band/music | Bar | Website | Rum | Cocktail | Events

New Tiki bars open in Texas, Maine, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Miami Beach

It was a banner year for Tiki in 2015 with an unprecedented number of high-profile bars opening across the country. [Year in Tiki recap] It’s too early to know if 2016 will come close to the quality level of new establishments such as Lost Lake, Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto and The Golden Tiki , but the number of openings could easily top last year. [Previous: See our 2016 preview] And the variety is astounding, from a classic rum den in frigid Maine to the world’s first vegan Tiki bar in Seattle. Already open as of mid-February:

Howie’s Tiki in Spring, Texas. (Facebook photo)
Howie’s Tiki in Spring, Texas. (Facebook photo)

Howie’s Tiki in Spring, Texas: North of Houston, owner Mark “Howie” Voros is aiming for classic Tiki, including lamps from Oceanic Arts, exotic music, and a selection of classic tropical and modern cocktails, according to a Critiki News story. Artwork by California artist Ken Ruzic adorns the walls, with a Big Toe piece coming soon. Communal drinks include the Scorpion Bowl and Blood of the Kapu Tiki.
* Facebook page | Instagram | Critiki

Rhum in Portland, Maine

Rhum in Portland, Maine: A tribute to classic Tiki bars as well as the craft and romance of rum, this full-service restaurant has already made a splash in the heart of winter. “It’s about escapism,” co-owner Jason Loring, who owns several other Portland hotspots, told a Portland area blog. The food is an inventive, modern take on Polynesian-themed cuisine. The cocktails show off the bar’s massive rum collection, running the gamut from the Mai Tai to the Painkiller to the Fogcutter served in unique mugs made by a local artist. Another blogger raved: “It’s what Portland has been missing – a lounge full of escapism with an air of mystery.”
* Official site | Facebook page | Instagram | Critiki

Hidden Harbor's Tropic Thunder. (Facebook photo)
Hidden Harbor’s Tropic Thunder. (Facebook photo)

Hidden Harbor in Pittsburgh: This small “modern Tiki spot” opened Jan. 19 in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood under the guidance of co-owner and cocktail director Adam Henry. There’s a small menu of creative tapas (Deconstructed Tuna Tacos, Lamb Curry, etc.) and some unique takes on tropical cocktails. Ishmael includes clove-infused Jamaican rum, Tropic Thunder features a house five-rum blend, and Josie’s Faraway Vacation employs Arrack (Indonesian rum). You can also find drinks with sake, gin, rye and coconut-washed vodka. But purists shouldn’t fret: Every Tuesday is the Tiki Time Machine, featuring classics such as Don the Beachcomber’s Pearl Diver and Missionary’s Downfall. “It’s clear that the team at Hidden Harbor respects the classic tiki playbook,” according to the Pittsburgh City Paper. “But it isn’t afraid to add some notes in the margins.” The decor is described as minimalist by Tiki standards, with a few distinctive carvings and nautical knick-knacks.
* Official site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

No Bones Beach Club in Seattle

No Bones Beach Club in Seattle: Easily the most distinctive of the new offerings is the world’s first vegan Tiki bar and restaurant. This former award-winning food truck and pop-up tent now serves Southern California-meets-Asian tropical treats in the city’s Ballard neighborhood. Highlights of the 100 percent plant-based menu include Sweet Pineapple and Soy Curl Sizzling Lettuce Wraps, tomatillo-avocado salsa-topped Jackfruit Flautas, and Smoked Golden Beet Poke, VegNews Magazine reports. Owner MacKenzie DeVito told Seattle Met’s Nosh Pit that the goal is to make guests in the sometimes dreary city “feel like they’re on a little vacation.” The drinks are made with local spirits and served in Tiki and tropical mugs. The decor includes a large Tiki, bamboo and thatch accents, plus colorful lanterns.
* Official site | Facebook | Twitter | Critiki

The Coconut Daiquiri from Naked Tiki. (Facebook photo)
The Coconut Daiquiri from Naked Tiki. (Facebook photo)

Naked Tiki in Miami Beach: The new restaurant/bar/lounge from celebrity chef Ralph Pagano (Hell’s Kitchen, Pressure Cook) held its soft opening on Feb. 11, with a grand opening Feb. 20. Located in the recently re-branded Stiles Hotel, a historic property in the heart of the Art Deco District on South Beach that dates back to 1936, Naked Tiki is a multi-level space that must blend in with the upscale property, so don’t expect over-the-top decor. But the food is outstanding, from the wings, ribs and bacon-wrapped shrimp rumaki to the handmade dumplings, decadent crab rangoon, inventive buns and signature Bang! Bang! Rice. Pagano obviously knows his way around a kitchen (watch him battle Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America). The cocktail menu is less ambitious but very solid, featuring a nice assortment of classics (Mai Tai, Scorpion, Painkiller, Singapore Sling, Aku Aku). “I have a borderline obsession with rum and tropical drinks,” Pagano told Miami New Times. “I’ve taken basically all that I love and put it under one roof.” The decor and music is more South Beach than South Pacific, but it makes sense in this neighborhood. It will be interesting to see how this space evolves.
* Official site | Facebook page

Continue reading “The Week in Tiki (Feb. 1-15, 2016): Aloha to 5 new Tiki bars across the U.S., Shag at Modernism Week, Plantation Pineapple rum, plus more!”