Post #135395 by johntiki on Thu, Jan 13, 2005 5:25 PM

I for one could care less if tiki goes mainstream or stays underground - I'll continue doing what I've been doing. I'll continue collecting and buying what I like and ignoring the merchandise that holds no interest for me. My love of tiki stems from my long standing appreciation for mid-century Americana and those changing tides of what is "in" and what is "out" has no influence on what makes me happy. Sure going mainstream would potentially provide more tiki places to visit but...will these newer interpretations cater to those interested in recapturing a taste of the exotic aura of the past? I doubt it. Personally, I have little desire to visit a new tiki bar that doesn't owe a great deal to the tiki bars of the past. I'm not interested in modern reinterpretations of the classic tiki bar with a hip-hop soundtrack, a slimy meat market ambiance, bad drinks and weekly frat parties! I tend to believe that's the path that mainstream tiki is heading and I want no part of it! What I'm looking for in my tiki experience can be found in my own basement, amongst my own meager mug collection, in the exotica playing on the CD changer and most importantly at the bottom of a precision crafted tiki drink. Whether the tiki world outside "my blue heaven" falls flat or become bigger than Jesus (or the Beatles)...I don't give a damn!