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BAHOOKA MEMORIES - a photo love story |
surfluver626
Member
Joined: Mar 02, 2013
Posts: 3 |  Posted: 2013-03-02 11:44 pm Permalink
03/01/13
Will this be our last Bahooka Bowl before they close,
or will we be able to get in one more
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TikiVato
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 03, 2009
Posts: 266
From: Whittier, CA
| Posted: 2013-03-03 12:07 am Permalink
Here's a few recent memories when Swizzle visited California from down under.
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Mahalo,
TikiVato
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2013-03-03 09:04 am Permalink
I dig that carrot smile that Rufus is cracking 
I know this is supposed to be a VISUAL thread, but for those who would want to HEAR me talk about Bahooka, there is an interview with me on location there with Rico Gagliano on KPCC on his "Dinner Party Download" show today, Sunday at 3:00 pm:
http://www.scpr.org/programs/dinner-party-download/
At minute 33:00 to minute 39:00 I get to talk some about Bahooka, and also Polynesian pop in general. You can also listen to it as a download now here:
http://www.publicradio.org/columns/dinnerpartydownload/2013/02/episode-190.html
To the aficionado it might not contain that much unknown info (other than the Dali anecdote maybe), but I hope some here will enjoy it
As another fond memory, last summer I got to take a bus load of mid-century fans on a Bahooka tour...
...during Chris Nichols' San Gabriel Valley bus tour
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forgotten tikiman
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 18, 2011
Posts: 346
From: Forgotten Tiki Room. Pismo Beach, CA
| Posted: 2013-03-03 10:04 am Permalink
Once again. Thanks for posting that history Sven. Sadly, I Had no pics to share because I have never been to the Bahooka. I'm trying my very best to get down there this weekend to see it before it goes. Its just funny out of all my times going to visit friends down in the O.C area, I just never made it here. So I am really going to push myself to get there this weekend.
[ This Message was edited by: forgotten tikiman 2013-03-03 10:06 ]
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WestADad
Grand Member (2 years) 
Joined: Mar 31, 2009
Posts: 731
From: Tornado Alley
| Posted: 2013-03-03 2:35 pm Permalink
I enjoyed your segment Sven. Sitting here out on the Great Plains tying a fish net float, sipping a Tiki Pukka Pukka, I'm even more sad I won't see Bahooka in person.
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Hakalugi
Site Administrator
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 2804
From: Redondo Beach, CA
| Posted: 2013-03-03 3:34 pm Permalink
Okay, here are some more from my Flickr set, actually a lot more. A few of these have already been posted in other threads.
But first a brief history on my visits to Bahooka.
My first visit to Bahooka was sometime in the early 80's. It was a late evening and a friend and I were returning home from the Hollywood Record Swap Meet held in a parking lot across from the Capital Records building. My friend said "Hey, you want to check out this amazing restaurant?". Of course. When we arrived it was just closing up. It was too late for any service but I was able to briefly see inside. The impression was melded into my head. Over the years since then I have paid Bahooka many visits. This was always my birthday/special celebration dinner destination of choice. One notable visit was a Halloween costume party put on by the L.A. Cacophony Society. I think this was in 1994 or '95. They had the banquet room and the whole place was filled with crazy intense energy in a way only the Cacophony Society could provide. The music was a mix of voodoo drums and alien chants, the only illumination was from the aquariums and a film projected onto a screen. They were showing Carnival of Souls. In one corner of the room was somebody very well costumed as Hunter Thompson, he had a fly swatter and was swinging at imaginary bats. Bowl after bowl of flaming concoctions were delivered to the room. My wife Kim and I had the Honey Bowl. We were dressed as zombie beachcombers.
I'm going to miss this place.
A somber walk-through...
An anti-aircraft gun stands guard:
Bahooka greets us. An island of allure and mystery:
Let's venture inside:
Entry room:
And to our immediate right, the peaceful bubbling of a huge aquarium. Many of the aquarium shots you'll see in this post may look empty but they are not. They are teaming with life. Huge fish that might follow your every move. These fish are so active that they disappear with a long exposure.
And immediately above our heads, a not so active fish...
Just past the entry room. The sign from the Bali Hai Dock. Is this sign really from the Bali Hai in San Diego?
I'd say yes.
To our left is the mail room wall protected by two Marquesan style Tiki posts.
A closer look:
Let's venture further:
We arrive to the banquet room, surrounded by more aquariums:
Banquet room ceiling:
It's very easy to lose your sense of direction while walking around the Bahooka labyrinth. The bubbling sounds add to the relaxing and dizzying atmosphere. Dizzying as in sometimes it might feel like you are on a rocking boat. Is this from the cocktails? While, yes and no. Part of it may come from walking around while looking up at the ceiling but another thing adding to this strange sensation felt while navigating the Bahooka is the fact that the floors may not be entirely flat. While, maybe the entire Bahooka is not like that but here in the banquet room you can definitely feel this. Whether by design or not, it works wonderfully in enhancing this place. If you look at the table against the wall to the left, you can see that the floor is noticeably sloped.
Upon leaving the banquet room there are boats on the ceiling:
Approaching the cashiers desk and trophy walls:
Heading toward the bar:
There are creatures swimming around under the bar top.
Ceiling view from the bar area:
Another angle of the same ceiling area:
A little past the bar is the popular brig/jail cell:
The booths in the brig can each seat a party of ten:
From here there is another corridor of booths. Here's a view from the end of that corridor looking back at the brig where there appears to be some sort of apparition.
END TOUR
If you want to see additional shots there are more on my Flickr account
Slideshow: http://www.flickr.com//photos/akahaka/sets/72157632894444816/show/
If you want to peruse full size images, you may want to start from here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akahaka/sets/72157632894444816/
With the full size images you can drill down into the details. For instance, there are a number of photos from their trophy wall where posting them here would look like this:
But on Flickr you can see the original resolution and actually read the article. Here's a zoom in of the above photo on Flickr:
Mahalo
Long Live Bahooka
-Haka
[ This Message was edited by: Hakalugi 2013-03-03 16:14 ]
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VampiressRN
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Nov 23, 2006
Posts: 5086
From: Sin City Lincoln Hills (NorCal)
| Posted: 2013-03-03 3:50 pm Permalink
Unfortunately I do not have anything to add to this thread except my deep appreciation to everyone for posting great stories and the awesome pictures for those of us who have never and may never experience the Bahooka in real life. What a gorgeous place.
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 "Oh waiter, another cocktail please!!!"
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2013-03-03 4:10 pm Permalink
Haka - what a beautiful series of photos! I feel like I can breathe easier because I can consider the place well documented now! If there ever was a "Bahooka - A Tropical Island in the Asphalt Sea" photo, this is the one:
Aaaaaah!
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RevBambooBen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 12, 2002
Posts: 7197
From: Huntikington Beach
| Posted: 2013-03-04 06:29 am Permalink
The first minute of this video shot back then by our very own Unga Bunga has nice shots of the BahOOka Tribute Bar I did for the Von Franco and Friends
art Show at the BahOOka a while back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxG4ESK_fLU
Maybe it's time to make another one......
One stick out memory of the BahOOka for me was when I ate there as the guest of Barry Weiss in 2000.
He's just as nutty in real life as he is on Storage Wars.
They were closing for the night so he said will you stay open for my friend and I if we order one of everything
on the menu. It was a crazy night.
Aloha BahOOka!!! We had some good times together!
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Custom Tropical Decor
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chrisandsarahb
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 22, 2009
Posts: 510
From: Cucamonga, CA
| Posted: 2013-03-04 11:49 am Permalink
Beautiful images Hakalugi!
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2013-03-04 1:34 pm Permalink
Chris, have you done a complete, slow, non-stop VIDEO walk-thru of the place yet!
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Atomic Tiki Punk
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 19, 2009
Posts: 4021
From: Costa Misery
| Posted: 2013-03-04 2:12 pm Permalink
Ben, Seeing those old videos, just makes me miss your old shop that much more!
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chrisandsarahb
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 22, 2009
Posts: 510
From: Cucamonga, CA
| Posted: 2013-03-04 3:04 pm Permalink
BigBroTiki, I don't have a steady cam rig, so not sure I can pull something like that off remotely clean. I'm planning to get out there to shoot some b-roll before the 10th (they are going to be closed this Wednesday, does anyone have a hookup to get me in while its empty???) so I'll give it a couple tries/passes.
P.S. there has to be more photo memories out there than just 2 pages???
[ This Message was edited by: chrisandsarahb 2013-03-04 15:05 ]
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creativenative
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Feb 17, 2012
Posts: 73
From: Island of O'ahu
| Posted: 2013-03-04 5:17 pm Permalink
Here are some Bahooka movie memories:
BARRY MUNDAY with Patrick Wilson & Judy Greer:
FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS with Johnny Deep (pictured) and Benicio Del Toro in car behind aloha shirts I believe:
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tikiyaki
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: May 18, 2004
Posts: 2677
From: The Exotic Port of REDONDO BEACH, CA
| Posted: 2013-03-04 5:27 pm Permalink
We shot out one video there...Directed by Joe Banks
http://tikiyakiorchestra.com/video.htm
New Year's Eve 2010....Great time.
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=38040&forum=17&start=0&hilite=tikiyaki%20bahooka
Tonga Tom....can you repost the pics from the Tikiyaki New Year's Eve show ? They're all gone from the thread.
I'm very Sad that we wont have old Faithful Bahooka to escape to anymore. So many good times there.
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