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Have We Just Experienced the Latest Wave of a Tiki Resurgence, and resulting Devolution? |
christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
|  Posted: 2011-04-23 10:58 am Permalink
With BigBroTiki's indulgence, albeit without his permission, I will use his iconic Tiki - polynesian pop chronology to raise the question as to whether the new millennium heralded a resurgence of Tiki, which quickly, and predictably, resulting in a devolution of Tiki.
TIKI ASCENDANCY WITH THE NEW MILLINNIUM
2000 - Venetian Las Vegas invests in & opens Taboo Cove and Venus
http://www.tikibosko.com/taboo_cove_story.html
2000 - Book of Tiki is published
2002 - The Purple Orchid in El Segundo Opens
2002 - 2nd printing of the Book of Tiki
2002 - Tiki's in Waikiki opens
TIKI PEAKS AND DEVOLUTION BEGINS - A MERE 4 YEARS LATER
2004 - Tiki @ Target Watered down Tiki for the masses
2004 - More watered down Tiki @ Big Lots
2005 - Taboo Cove closes
2009 - A bad year for Waikiki. The neoTiki "Holokai Grill" in the new Waikiki Beach Walk development, the Hawiiana Hotel, and the last Spencecliff showroom, the amazing Hawaiian Hut,all close. Except for La Mariana, and the scattered Tikis in the gardens at the Royal Hawaiian and the IMP, the link to the 50s is severed.
Hawaiiana Hotel (temporarily escaping the wrecking ball - possibly a dorm)
Hawaiian Hut:
2010 - Mr. Tiki Mai Tai Lounge in San Diego closes
2010 - Drift in Scottsdale closes
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little lost tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 12, 2006
Posts: 7457
From: Orange,CA-right near the Circle!
| Posted: 2011-04-23 11:04 am Permalink
i blame BigToe.....
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bigtikidude
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 8252
From: Anaheim,Ca.
| Posted: 2011-04-23 11:14 am Permalink
time line seems kinda off to me.
the resurgence of tiki started in early 1990's
but most didn't know about it till much later.
I caught wind of it around 1996.
Jeff(btd)
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JOHN-O
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: May 16, 2008
Posts: 2453
From: Dogtown, USA
| Posted: 2011-04-23 11:21 am Permalink
Tiki peaked in 2004 ?? !! I disagree, since then we've had...
1. Forbidden Island
2. Don the Beachcomber in Sunset Beach
3. The revitalized Tonga Hut playing in the Tiki big leagues
4. Trader Vic's Downtown LA
5. Smuggler's Cove
6. Frankie's Tiki Room
7. Tiki-No
8. Tiki Caliente
9. Mojave Oasis !!
10. Upcoming Tiki bars at Clifton's Cafeteria and a Bamboo Ben project in Hollywood
[ This Message was edited by: JOHN-O 2011-04-23 11:23 ]
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Hakalugi
Site Administrator
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 2802
From: Redondo Beach, CA
| Posted: 2011-04-23 11:24 am Permalink
When I got married in 1989 the reception was at the Don the Beachcomber in Marina del Rey. I like to think that that helped to kick off the early 90's revival. Well at least for me it did.
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thePorpoise
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 23, 2011
Posts: 700
From: Tampa Bay
| Posted: 2011-04-23 11:35 am Permalink
I'd say bars and restaurants of all stripes have been dropping like flies during the recession.
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Kenike
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 24, 2003
Posts: 1201
From: McKinney, TX
| Posted: 2011-04-23 12:14 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2011-04-23 11:21, JOHN-O wrote:
Tiki peaked in 2004 ?? !! I disagree, since then we've had...
1. Forbidden Island
2. Don the Beachcomber in Sunset Beach
3. The revitalized Tonga Hut playing in the Tiki big leagues
4. Trader Vic's Downtown LA
5. Smuggler's Cove
6. Frankie's Tiki Room
7. Tiki-No
8. Tiki Caliente
9. Mojave Oasis !!
10. Upcoming Tiki bars at Clifton's Cafeteria and a Bamboo Ben project in Hollywood
[ This Message was edited by: JOHN-O 2011-04-23 11:23 ]
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And don't forget the scores of Trader Vic's that came & went in the last 6 or 7 years.
Not to mention all of the events that now take place, more artists now making a living selling and producing tiki influenced art and mugs, mugs and more mugs, vintage items have skyrocketed in price and are much harder to find..I'm no expert at what these trends indicate but I'm not convinced the tiki resurgence has officially "peaked." Good discussion.
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christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
| Posted: 2011-04-23 12:51 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2011-04-23 11:21, JOHN-O wrote:
Tiki peaked in 2004 ?? !! I disagree, since then we've had...
1. Forbidden Island
2. Don the Beachcomber in Sunset Beach
3. The revitalized Tonga Hut playing in the Tiki big leagues
4. Trader Vic's Downtown LA
5. Smuggler's Cove
6. Frankie's Tiki Room
7. Tiki-No
8. Tiki Caliente
9. Mojave Oasis !!
10. Upcoming Tiki bars at Clifton's Cafeteria and a Bamboo Ben project in Hollywood
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Good points, but I don't think they carry the day.
True, I love that we now have had Forbidden Island and Trader Vic's Emeryville, Smmugler's Cove, the Conga Room, and the Kona Club - and wish they were around when I went to Cal! (although I did hit the Tonga Room on occasion) However, the collective mana of all of these was not strong enough to save Trader Vics SF which returned from the ashes, only to be shuttered, once again. Similarly, the Grand Dame Tonga Room has barely escaped the chopping block with the assistance of union support, thank god, but one has to wonder about its long term viability. And, if the Tonga Room even would be considered for demolition, nothing is sacred.
Certainly, TCers have done there best to keep the Tiki torch burning bright, with Caliente, etc., but, again, the very hotel where it was initially held, the Hanalei Red Lion in Airport Circle became de-Tikified in 2004, despite TC's best efforts. Again, the mana was not strong enough.
Red Lion before 2004:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFXHwMEBxFM
The renovated, i.e, de-Tikified Red Lion (now Crowne) after 2004:
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GROG
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Jun 21, 2006
Posts: 6171
From: Tujunga
| Posted: 2011-04-23 12:52 pm Permalink
GROG think we're still riding the Tiki resurgence wave. GROG tried to start the devolution of tiki by having the Tiki Bob art show. Let's desecrate oneof tikis icons. But, everybody loved the idea, and artists produced some nice stuff, so GROG plan backfire. But, GROG not finished yet.
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telescopes
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 06, 2007
Posts: 554
From: Palm Springs
| Posted: 2011-04-23 1:22 pm Permalink
What's missing is Donn. Seriously. Where is he?
He was the party man who thought like my father....Damn it to Hell, I am going to buy a Harley, ride to California, sell it and make my way to Tahiti and dance with the natives.
It's the South Pacific. It's "Some Enchanted Evening". It's Bloody Mary.
Tiki is a statue. The islands he guarded were Paradise!
That's what is still missing.
And it isn't found under a dashboard light.
It's found in places like Don the Beachcombers in Sunset Beach.
It's found in places like Trader Vics in Scottsdale of all places.
It's found oddly enough, in the tikiless Tommy Bahamas on the balcony overlooking the Coachella Valley. (Unless you've been there under our blue skies and seen the blanket of palm trees that is the valley, your criticisms will fall on deaf ears - this isn't the crappy Newport Beach establishment).
I like my puffer fish, my tikis, my Japanese fishing globes, etc, as much as the next person. But what I really like is a place that for me is an island amongst the storm of life.
That's what tiki protects and offers to me.
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GROG
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Jun 21, 2006
Posts: 6171
From: Tujunga
| Posted: 2011-04-23 2:07 pm Permalink
So, anyway, back to GROG bringing on the devolution of Tiki.
For instance, GROG has the "WANGAROAN" mug series planned.
Thanks to Squid for suggesting making the head a lid with a straw hole.
All of these drawings were drawn on the computer with a mouse which is why they are so rough, but GROG was just getting the idea down, not the final design.
Most of these were drawn several years ago.
P.S. Copyright Ernie Keen you bastards, so don't steal GROG' ideas.
[ This Message was edited by: GROG 2011-04-23 14:13 ]
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Okolehao
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 03, 2006
Posts: 234
From: Monterey, CA
| Posted: 2011-04-23 2:31 pm Permalink
I think you bring up some good examples of Tiki retreating , but I believe there has been more than enough new growth to say Tiki has not peaked. It's just at a more mature and sustainable incline of growth. There are two ways of measuring the 'movement'. Either by commercial expansion of bars and restaurants or by grass roots interest measured by events, small business projects, and artist involvement. Right now the economy is not so good for all bars and restaurants. Even when times are good, establishments come and go like clockwork. Old places, regardless of die hard fans, only survive with a steady flow of customers that may or may not come just because it's a cool Tiki place. New places, unless they really know what they're doing, keep it simple, and have a laser focus on their market(Forbidden Island?), are taking the risk of any themed establishment trying to break out of the pack. And the figure I've always heard was that 50% or more of all independent restaurants/bars don't last a year. Seems to me there have been more new places making it rather than not making it. And there's no such thing as a new old place so just staying open is it's own success. It's then a matter of judging whether old places are closing faster than normal and if new places are opening, and staying open, to see if there's a net gain. And I think there has been.
My view is that this Tiki stuff has gotten past the initial fast run up fad with the hipsters, is minimally cruising with the pop market selling cheap swag, and is now in a more mature phase where important restaurants and bars have settled in for the long haul. Public recognition of Tiki is solid and a demographic is now reliably set. More serious commercial expansion will take place because of it. If events like Tiki Oasis are any indicator, the now average Tiki head is white, middle-class, around 40, and has disposable income that they spend regularly on their Tiki hobby. This demographic is settled and very loyal to their interests and I fully expect to see them, and Tiki, age together for longer than 30 years. The interest isn't tightly tied to a specific time and place the way Tiki initially was for post war vets and for people experiencing new air travel adventures to a new exotic 50th state.
Tiki is continuing to grow in popularity (Tiki Oasis, Hukilau, Ohana, Tiki Calente, Tiki Mojave, The Detroit Home and Tiki Show, etc.) has more serious fans("Ummm,I forgot dude. What is everyone else piercing this week that I have to do too??"), and has people with more money to spend. And as the economy picks up you'll see a lot more restaurant and bar growth.
It's here to stay for a long time and hasn't seen it's best days yet.
Now I'm just waiting for TIKI-CON to get it's slot on the Las Vegas convention calendar by 2015.
_________________
Classic Velvets
by Song Shen
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10558
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-04-23 2:32 pm Permalink
Grog, those are GREAT! I have been baffled that for all these years, despite the fact that the Book of Tiki defined the Tiki as a phallus symbol, NOBODY has done much with that concept! Likewise, I got close to NO reaction to my recent concept that the TIKI REVIVER cocktail contained an aphrodisiac to revive your own Tiki!
C'mon folks, it's not the prude 50s/60s anymore, these are great opportunities to PLAY! Tikiphiles are not exactly asexual, politically correct good-taste preservers, last time I looked. 
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Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 3691
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
| Posted: 2011-04-23 2:49 pm Permalink
I already carved a 4 foot penis and a 6 footer, how many more and how big do you want them?
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telescopes
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 06, 2007
Posts: 554
From: Palm Springs
| Posted: 2011-04-23 2:51 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2011-04-23 14:32, bigbrotiki wrote:
Grog, those are GREAT! I have been baffled that for all these years, despite the fact that the Book of Tiki defined the Tiki as a phallus symbol, NOBODY has done much with that concept! Likewise, I got close to NO reaction to my recent concept that the TIKI REVIVER cocktail contained an aphrodisiac to revive your own Tiki!
C'mon folks, it's not the prude 50s/60s anymore, these are great opportunities to PLAY! Tikiphiles are not exactly asexual, politically correct good-taste preservers, last time I looked.
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Not the 50s/60s anymore... For someone interested in the golden age of tiki that seems a bit odd to point out.
And were our tiki-hucksters anything near shy about their love of sexuality? If I remember correctly, didn't Trader Vic just now start covering up it's maidens on its menus?
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