South Florida’s Skinny Jimmy Stingray and his band rocked The Molokai bar during a special Retro Rekindled monthly community gathering at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 15. The live set followed a presentation with The Atomic Grog’s Hurricane Hayward about the guitarist’s musical journey from punk to instrumental surf.
Atomic Grog photo
UPDATE: Below you’ll find a video of the entire presenation, followed by four multi-camera videos of songs performed by Jimmy and his band. Mahalo to Sergio Figuera of Prime Photo & Video for the great job with the videography.
During the 34-minute talk, Skinny Jimmy spoke about his early days in Michigan playing in rock ‘n’ roll cover bands, his introduction to punk rock, and his eventual move to Florida. After many years in punk bands, he reinvented himself as a surf guitarist.
Jimmy recalls this transformation, along with meeting his idol and legend Dick Dale. He talks about other surf icons he’s shared the stage with, including The Surfaris and Los Straitjackets. We learn about his influences, his introduction to The Hukilau and the global surf scene, plus many fun anecdotes.
Following the interview, Skinny Jimmy and his band – Frenchy on bass and Kevin on drums – played a full set for an appreciative Retro Rekindled audience. Four of the songs have been released on YouTube, the first proper videos featuring the current band lineup.
The first song released was an original that has been part of Skinny Jimmy’s repertoire for years …
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of special features on instro surf music by Skinny Jimmy Stingray, a guitarist and longtime fan of vintage instrumental rock. His past and future columns can be found here on The Atomic Grog. Catch Jimmy in a special Retro Rekindled event on Dec. 15 at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale. He’ll discuss the history of surf music with The Atomic Grog, followed by a live performance with his band.
Skinny Jimmy Stingray’s band shared the stage with Dick Dale three times in 2012-2013 in South Florida.
Skinny Jimmy’s Picks: The all-time top 5 Dick Dale songs
Dick Dale, the King of the Surf Guitar, was a rock ‘n’ roll legend for more than 60 years until he sadly passed away in March at age 81. He has been a major influence on the music I have played and written for the past 15 years. Of all the music he created, I have chosen these five songs that stand out as my favorites.
1. Miserlou
Undisputedly THE Dick Dale song of all time. Upon its release it was uncommon, ground-breaking, and some serious wild-ass aggressive guitar for 1962. Miserlou turned heads all over the country and became an inspiration to every rock ‘n’ roll guitarist, then and now. Its musical impact has not diminished with time. Miserlou will always live on as the legacy of Dick Dale.
We knew him as the “King of the Surf Guitar,” the 1960s rocker whose version of Miserlou in the film Pulp Fiction revived both his career and the entire instrumental surf genre in the 1990s. But he was so much more than that.
He was an American music icon, the originator of a style and sound that has endured for more than a half-century, and a true hero for fighting medical hardships that kept him on stage and performing into his eighth decade on Earth. Dick Dale left this world on March 16, 2019, at age 81. More below: Dick Dale in South Florida
* Check out our tribute featuring South Florida remembrances and photos
Dick was still performing right up until his death, though the circumstances were less than ideal due to extensive medical bills. His website still lists the dates he would have played had he not succumbed to the diseases that wrecked his seemingly indestructible body. The final show that was posted would have been just this month (Nov. 9), ironically in one of the world’s surfing capitals: Malibu, Calif.
Dick Dale at Respectable Street in West Palm Beach, June 13, 2011. (Atomic Grog photo)
He had survived several bouts with cancer and related diseases, including a near-fatal incident in the 1960s that inspired Jimi Hendrix to pen the lyric “we’ll never hear surf music again” in Third Stone from the Sun (1968). But Dick’s final battle was not one he could win.
Heart and kidney failure finally did him in after a lifetime of battling – and overcoming – every physical obstacle that came before him.
Born Richard Monsour in Boston on May 4, 1937, he first learned the ukulele and absorbed the traditions of his Lebanese father and Eastern European mother. He has said that he also learned the trumpet, banjo, piano, organ, harpsichord, trombone, saxophone, harmonica, xylophone and accordion. But once he heard big-band drummer Gene Krupa, it was all over and his course was set. Not on drums, an instrument he also mastered, but as a guitar pioneer.
When his family moved to Los Angeles in the 1954, he dove head-first into Hollywood. His first on-screen role was an uncredited bit as an Elvis Presley impersonator in the Marilyn Monroe movie Let’s Make Love. He started in the music biz in 1955 as a DJ, then played alongside Johnny Cash, Ernest Tubb and Gene Autry on a country music TV show. The stage name Dick Dale was reportedly given to him by radio/TV host Texas Tiny Cherry.
Dick Dale performs at Grand Central in Miami on April 25, 2013. (Atomic Grog photo)
But surf music became Dick Dale’s claim to fame, a sound he invented to emulate the surge of the ocean. He developed a guitar style featuring melodies that crisscrossed the beat like a surfer on a wave. His intense staccato picking style, combined with Eastern scales from his childhood influences, made for a sonic experience like no other.
To match his sonic fury, he needed equipment that didn’t even exist at the time. Electric guitar pioneer Leo Fender joined forces with Dick to build a new instrument – dubbed “the Beast” – that could withstand the onslaught. To complete the package, they developed the first 100-watt amplifier, loud enough to fill any venue Dick Dale played.
In the late ’50s and early ’60s, Dick Dale and the Del-Tones rode the wave of instrumental rock to the top of the charts. In 1963, he performed Misirlou, an adaptation of a traditional Arabic song, on The Ed Sullivan Show, one of the most influential TV variety shows of the day. He was the first rock guitarist invited to perform on that national stage, though he was later eclipsed by The Beatles, who famously made their U.S. debut on that same show.
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of special features on instro surf music by Skinny Jimmy Stingray, a guitarist and longtime fan of vintage instrumental rock. This and all of his future columns can be found here.
When the moon is bright and the shadows grow long, sounds that echo send a chill through the night. Nothing echoes quite as ghoulishly as the sound of a reverb-soaked electric guitar.
Let me strike a chord to remind you, the surf guitar world is full of sinister sounding musical creations. The nature of this music lends itself to a foreboding intensity. This has always been a part of my intrigue with instrumental surf guitar. The five songs featured here are only a sampling of a much larger banquet of spine-tingling offerings surf music provides.
1. Peter Lorre by Satan’s Pilgrims
As surf bands go, Satan’s Pilgrims is definitely one of the best out there and has been going strong since the early ’90s. It’s clear that the band is heavily into horror and sci-fi. Peter Lorre is one of my personal favorites. The riffs are ominous, but the music never gets too loud. The lovely, creepy Hammond organ provides the lifeblood that courses through the song. Give it a listen and you will feel what I mean.
2. Unknown by the Vy-Dels
Not much is known about the band but this 1965 song is awesome! Their use of reverb is vital, and the interplay between the lead and rhythm guitars is impeccable. I liked this song so much when I discovered it, I insisted on playing it with my band back in 2013 at The Mai-Kai for Hulaween. It turned out to be a good idea. The band’s obscurity does not undermine the impact of Unknown.
The 18th annual Tiki weekender known as The Hukilau will not invade Fort Lauderdale until June, but local Tikiphiles will get an early taste of the rum-fueled festivities this weekend when two special events kick off the 2019 countdown at The Mai-Kai.
The Surfrajettes will make an exclusive South Florida appearance at The Mai-Kai on Saturday, March 2.
Both events will take place in The Molokai lounge at The Mai-Kai, the historic Polynesian restaurant that opened in 1956 and continues to enthrall Tikiphiles from around the world. Both events are free, but there’s a limited capacity of around 150 for each event, so be sure to get there early. Here are the details:
Sunday, March 3: Retro Rekindled community gathering featuring early happy hour, giveaways and meet-and-mingle with The Hukilau organizers. Richard Oneslager, The Hukilau’s owner and organizer, will speak and answer questions. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. The event is free but reservations are encouraged.
* Facebook event
The Surfrajettes perform in The Molokai bar at The Mai-Kai during The Hukilau on June 10, 2017.
The Mai-Kai is at 3599 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale, on the west side between Commercial and Oakland Park boulevards. Call (954) 563-3272 for more information or to make dinner reservations. Valet and paid self-parking.
Guests at both events can enjoy the regular daily happy hour in The Molokai until 7 p.m., when most signature cocktails are half-priced. There are also nightly specials that feature two drinks at 50 percent off all evening: K.O. Cooler and Tahitian Breeze on Saturday; and the Zombie and Piña Colada on Sunday.
The Molokai also features a full appetizer menu (half-priced during happy hour) that includes Tiki bar classics (Pupu Platter, Crab Rangoon, et al.) along with sushi, salads and modern tapas (sliders, fish tacos, etc.). The expansive restaurant also has a beautiful outdoor Tiki garden that can be explored, along with plenty of exotic and elaborately themed dining rooms if you’d like to stay for dinner.
The Hukilau’s villagers enjoy Mai-Kai’s Polynesian Islander Revue in June 2018. (Photo by Heather McKean)
You can also make reservations in the main showroom to see The Mai-Kai’s Polynesian Islander Revue, the longest-running authentic South Seas stage show in the United States, including Hawaii. The restaurant was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Just as historic are the bar’s tropical drinks, which have achieved cult status among Tiki, rum and cocktail devotees. Related:The Atomic Grog’s Mai-Kai Cocktail Guide
The Hukilau is one of the world’s biggest and longest running Polynesian Pop and Tiki cocktail events. Established in 2002 in Atlanta, it moved to Fort Lauderdale and The Mai-Kai in 2003 with live music, symposiums, classes and an ever-expanding schedule of events over a five day weekend. The Hukilau 2019 will take place June 5-9, headquartered at the Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina near Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Sunday’s Retro Rekindled gathering is designed to give attendees and potential villagers a chance to learn more about the bands, bars, room parties, and all the other facets of the event, such as the signature Tiki Tower Takeover. In 2019, The Hukilau is spotlighting female mixologists in the festive tower cocktail party, plus special presentations on “Women of The Mai-Kai” and “Women Who Tiki.”
The Hukilau in June will feature a special symposium on the Women of The Mai-Kai by author Tim “Swanky” Glazner.
Oneslager took an ownership role in The Hukilau in 2015. He has been the driving force since 2017, when co-creator and longtime organizer Christie “Tiki Kiliki” White stepped down. Rather than make wholesale changes, Oneslager has kept The Hukilau true to White’s vision while enhancing and adding features such as the Okole Maluna Cocktail Academy. Villagers can learn from the pros as bartenders and mixology experts from around the country teach intimate classes on the finer points of the craft.
Oneslager took a leap of faith across the pond in October 2018, taking The Hukilau and The Mai-Kai to London as part of the annual UK RumFest. Oneslager has said he expects another Hukilau London in 2019. The Hukilau also teamed up with the rum fest’s founder, global rum ambassador Ian Burrell, to sponsor the Tiki bartending competition at last month’s inaugural Miami Rum Congress.
* Recap and photos: VIPs, connoisseurs of fine spirits flock to first Miami Rum Congress
What city best exemplifies the recent explosive growth of Tiki bars and Polynesian Pop culture? A strong argument could be made for Atlanta, which has been blessed with at least three new exotic cocktail destinations since 2015. Now, in just its second year, the Tiki weekender known as Inuhele has greatly expanded to include three days of bar-hopping, panels, vendors, bands, demos and more geared to the area’s burgeoning scene.
Tim “Swanky” Glasner, who will be presenting a symposium at Inuhele 2019, was one of the co-creators of The Hukilau in Atlanta in 2002.
The vibrant multicultural city has long had a connection with modern Tiki and its surrounding subcultures. After all, the Atlanta Hilton hosts the country’s longest operating Trader Vic’s location, circa 1976. The Hukilau started there in 2002 before moving to Fort Lauderdale the next year. Atlanta is home to talented lowbrow artists such as Derek Yaniger and Jonathan M. Chaffin of Horror in Clay. And there’s a longtime instrumental surf scene celebrated at the annual Southern Surf StompFest, along with a history of events (such as the late, great Drive Invasion) spotlighting other retro music styles.
But things really got interesting when the Tiki and craft cocktail revivals merged, creating a hot trend among bartenders and owners worldwide. Atlanta caught the bug, resulting in the opening of The S.O.S. in Decatur, just northeast of Atlanta, in 2015. In 2018, the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta saw the opening of Tiki Iniki, the first stateside franchise location of the concept created by Todd and Michele Rundgren in Hawaii. And while not truly traditional, Match Bamboo Lounge offers spirited aloha in the Castleberry Hill neighborhood.
All this activity spurred Horror in Clay’s Jonathan and Allison Chaffin to organize the first Atlanta Tiki Homebar Tour, dubbed Inuhele (for “cocktail journey”) on Feb. 24, 2018. It was a small affair with 50+ people taking a bus tour of local home bars for a day, then concluding the night at Trader Vic’s.
For 2019, the Chaffins are taking Inuhele to the next level as a full-blown weekender on the same scale as other mid-sized Tiki events such as the pioneering Tiki Kon in the Pacific Northwest, which also started as a home bar tour nearly two decades ago. The Marriott Century Center has been secured as the host hotel, and the Chaffins promise “a weekend of bar hopping, panels, bands, demos, sharing of ideas, and most importantly community building.”
The community definitely came together to help make such an ambitious undertaking possible. Among the more than a dozen sponsors are:
* Tiki Tango, host of the “Tiki Hop-on Hop off Shuttle” and Friday night party.
* Spiribam rum specialists, presenting sponsor of the home bar bus.
* BG Reynolds, the premium bar syrups purveyor and man behind the “Iron TikiTender On Tour” event that will take place on Saturday at the Marriott.
* Royer Corp., the popular swizzle stick manufacturer known for its cutting-edge designs.
>>> See all the sponsors here
Inuhele highlights
Friday kickoff and bar crawl: Events at the Marriott Century Center include classes and meet-ups, the trading post, a DJ dance party with Brother Cleve, plus more. Meanwhile, a bus will shuttle guests to Trader Vic’s, Tiki Tango, and Tiki Iniki all evening.
Updated Feb. 8, 2018
The Hukilau gave its loyal fans a New Year’s treat by announcing an expanded lineup for the East Coast’s largest Tiki-themed event, giving its regular “villagers” early access and discounts on tickets. The general public can now join the party at the 17th annual mash-up of Polynesian Pop and cocktail culture.
Here are the highlights of the announcement, sent via email and posted on the official website. I also spoke directly with the event’s owner and co-organizer, Richard Oneslager, to get all the scoop on 2018. NEW: As of Feb. 8, this preview is now updated with the late January announcement.
Party like it’s 2009: Los Straitjackets (left) will headline The Hukilau for a second time, while The Intoxicators will make their 13th appearance at the Tiki party in Fort Lauderdale. (Photos from The Hukilau 2009)
PREVIEW: The Hukilau 2018 highlights
* MUSIC: More headlining bands. The 2018 event will include some of the world’s top surf and exotica bands, including Los Straitjackets, The Madeira, Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica Quintet and The Martian Denny Orchestra. Villagers will also be thrilled to see the return of The Intoxicators, who missed 2017 after 12 straight appearances. Other performers include The Exotics, Black Flamingos, Czarna Wolgastar, The Royal Pacifics, Skinny Jimmy Stingray, and The Hukilau’s one and only emcee during its previous 16 years, the ubiquitous King Kukulele. Look for more bands to be announced, along with special guest DJs. Bands will perform on all five days in various venues. [More details below]
* BARS: 12 Tiki pop-ups. Seven of last year’s 10 acclaimed bar teams are returning, joined by five new Tiki-themed pop-ups from around the world setting up shop all over Pier 66 at special events, tastings, and classes. Due to popular demand, a second afternoon pool party with complimentary cocktails has been added to the schedule. Back for more more rum and cocktails are bartenders from Dirty Dick (Paris), Flask & Cannon (Jacksonville), Hidden Harbor (Pittsburgh), Nu Lounge Bar (Italy), Three Dots and a Dash (Chicago), Pagan Idol (San Francisco), and S.O.S. Tiki Bar (Atlanta). Coming on board for 2018 are Death Or Glory (Delray Beach), Foundation Bar (Milwaukee), Frankie’s Tiki Room (Las Vegas), Tonga Hut (Los Angeles), and Trailer Happiness (London). [More details below]
Rum ambassador Ian Burrell presents a symposium at The Hukilau 2017 (Atomic Grog photo). He’ll be joined in 2018 by cocktail pioneer and influential musician/DJ Brother Cleve (Photo by Audrey Harrer).
* INDUSTRY VIPS: Cocktail influencer makes debut. Boston’s Brother Cleve will bring his vast knowledge of cocktails and music to The Hukilau for the first time. This prime mover of the craft cocktail scene in the 1990s and former member of the groundbreaking band Combustible Edison will present a symposium, make a special DJ appearance, and also have his own bar in the Tiki Tower Takeover event. In addition, rum ambassador Ian Burrell returns from London for a second straight year to host a symposium, two cocktail classes and a special rum tasting. [More details below]
* TIKI TOWER TAKEOVER: Signature cocktail party expands, returns for Round 4. Held on Thursday night in the hotel’s revolving Pier Top Lounge, the fourth edition of one of Tiki’s most exclusive events is likely to sell out just as fast as the previous three. Tickets are limited to passholders, so act now. The lineup will grow from four to five pop-ups (featuring six different bar teams), including returning participants Three Dots and a Dash and Daniele Dalla Pola of Nu Lounge Bar. Scotty Schuder of Dirty Dick also returns, teaming up with Pagan Idol for a special two-bar mash-up. The final two pop-ups will feature the craft cocktail stylings of Brother Cleve and the crew from the U.K.’s Trailer Happiness. [More details below]
* MERCHANDISE: Works of top Tiki artists on display. The official artists for The Hukilau 2018 are Joe Vitale and Donella Vitale, whose work can already been seen on the website and promo artwork. The couple is based in Orlando, where they both work for Disney in addition to being among the most recognizable artists of the Tiki revival. Fun fact: The Vitales are among a select few who have attended The Hukilau all 16 years, along with emcee King Kukulele and co-founder Tim “Swanky” Glazner. Villagers will get first shot at the event merchandise, including the 17th annual mug produced by Eekum Bookum. There will also be special items for some villagers, including a South Seas passholder pendant by Crazy Al Evans.
Bar teams from Pittsburgh’s Hidden Harbor (left) and Atlanta’s S.O.S. Tiki Bar will return for this year’s expanded Rum Island Pool Party at The Hukilau 2018. (Atomic Grog photos)
* ENHANCEMENTS: Feedback from villagers. The Hukilau listened to its attendees and will implement quite a few changes: Extended hours and a second pool party on Saturday (in addition to Friday) including live music, more bars and bands (see above), a “Villager’s Lounge” tent to “meet and hang with old friends and new,” a party featuring all exotica music, and more food trucks.
* MORE SPECIAL EVENTS: Symposiums, Medusirena Marina swimshows. Symposiums, craft workshops, Okole Maluna cocktail classes, hula lessons, plus more new additions were announced in late January. These include three swimshows featuring Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid in her home at the nearby Wreck Bar in the B Ocean Resort, plus symposiums on Disney’s Trader Sam’s Tiki bar concept and the heyday of Tiki on television. Craft workshops will feature a trio of noted Tiki artists, while cocktail classes will include bartenders and experts from across the country. UPDATE:The Hukilau 2018 symposiums to include Disney imagineer, Tiki on TV
Oct. 1 – Tiki Safari in Australia, a celebration of Tiki culture featuring live music, DJs, merchandise, food and carver Tiki Bob plying his trade.
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.
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.
The Art of the Tiki panel at Dragon Con (from left): Robert Jimenez, Jonathan Chaffin, Shag, Derek Yaniger, and Michael Gordon
Sept. 8-9 – California Rum Festival in San Francisco showcasing rums from large, micro and boutique distilleries. The Rum Lab hosts the third annual brand showcase at the SOMArts Cultural Center with industry VIPs such as Roberto Serralles (Don Q Rum, Puerto Rico), Richard Seale (Foursquare Distillery, Barbados), and Bryan Davis (Lost Spirits Distillery, Los Angeles) presenting seminars.
Sept 11-17 – Texas Tiki Week, a celebration of Tiki cocktails and culture in Austin hosted by the local chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild. Launched in 2012, the gathering brings together bars, restaurants and brands for an exotic mix of educational, social and philanthropic events. While Texas Tiki Week is centered in Austin, there are satellite events in other cities across the state.
* Press coverage: Austin’s turning into a tropical paradise for Texas Tiki Week
From the ashes of the Week in Tiki (and, later, the Month in Tiki) rises The Tiki Times. Still ambitious, but more practical, this monthly guide to what’s going on across the world of Tiki culture will hopefully be a definitive resource of where to find special events that touch on topics of interest to many Tikiphiles. You’ll find all the major Tiki festivals, plus smaller gatherings along with events that scratch our itch for rum and cocktails, surf and rockabilly music, mid-century modern design, even Disney. And don’t forget authentic Polynesian culture, the well from which Tiki springs. The biggest will get extended coverage as “spotlight events.” Social media:Follow our Facebook page for daily news updates Pinterest | Coming soon: Twitter and Instagram
Aug. 4-6 – Surf Guitar 101 Convention at the Alpine Village in
Torrance, Calif., and Surf Dogs Sports Grill in Huntington Beach. The 10th annual event draws the best instrumental bands from around the world dedicated to preserving the ’60s surf sound. Headlining bands include the Huntington Cads (California), El Caminos (Japan) and The Kilaueas (Germany). Fostered by the Surf Guitar 101 website and organized by Jeff “Big Tiki Dude” Hanson, this is one of the premiere surf music events of the year. The convention has expanded from one to three days in 2017. Saturday remains the main event with all the heavy hitters hitting the stage from noon to midnight, along with vendors raffles for vintage guitars and other gear. Friday’s opening night features all current California bands from 8 p.m. to midnight. Sunday’s closing party spotlights a second venue and bands playing alternate sets of songs not played on Saturday.
2017 performing bands Friday, Aug. 4 (Alpine Village) – The Surf Rockers, Outerwave, Par Avion, Tequila Worms, The Volcanics, Insect Surfers. Saturday, Aug. 5 (Alpine Village) – The Mystery Men?, Atomic Mosquitos, Tribute to Jim Fuller and The Surfaris, Lively Ones reunion, The Dynotones, The Exotics, The Kilaueas, Tribute to the Astronauts, The Madeira, The El Caminos, Venturesmania, The Huntington Cads reunion. Sunday Aug. 6 (Surf Dog’s Sports Grill) – SG101 Members Jam, The Exotics, The El Caminos, The Madeira, Atomic Mosquitos, The Mystery Men, The Kilaueas, Special Secret All Star Band.
Surf Guitar 101 Convention highlights
* Huntington Cads reunion. The instrumental surf band that was a mainstay in the Los Angeles scene in the 1990s will reunite for a rare appearance. The band released several cult classic albums (Go Exotic! in 1996 and Introduce the New Sound in 1998), but is perhaps better known for featuring budding artist Josh Agle (aka Shag) on guitar.
* Lively Ones reunion. This first-wave instrumental surf rock band from the 1960s Southern California scene is perhaps most well known for their 1963 song Surf Rider (written by Nokie Edwards from The Ventures), which was featured in the final sequence as well as the end credits of the seminal 1994 film Pulp Fiction.
* Tribute to Jim Fuller and The Surfaris John Blair (of Jon and the Nightriders) will join an all-star cast of musicians playing vintage, early Surfaris songs from the influential band’s early 1960s catalog. Fuller, a co-founding member of the band whose lead guitar work is featured on the signature hit Wipe Out, died in March at age 69.
* Pre- and post-convention shows. Many of the bands performing over the three-day weekend, plus others not featured at the main event, have scheduled shows throughout Northern and Southern California before and after the convention. Check this thread on the Surf Guitar 101 website for all the dates.
