Post #148677 by bigbrotiki on Wed, Mar 23, 2005 9:45 AM

Bobby, that's truly great that you made that change, my kudos. When I read these reports, I thought tough!, but a small bar is dependant on the neighbourhood regulars, and has to cater to their tastes. The few afficionados that show will not keep it afloat...but of course alienating them is not good either.

This is a problem in many otherwise cool Tiki lounges, the owners give in to the fear that Exotica music is too slow and dated to appeal to the general customer, and play generic world music or Salsa or Reggae or ...White Snake. It is the same motivation that started that wave of painting your Tikis with garish colors in the 80s.

I believe if more proprietors would show staying power and not give customers an alternative, more members of this Exotica-ignorant public would get EDUCATED and eventually realize that to a Tiki Bar, Exotica music is the fourth dimension, the GLUE that (with the help of strong Polynesian Potions!) FUSES all the elements of the decor (the tropical wall textures, the lighting, the carvings) into one dreamy illusion. And some might learn to like Exotica and listen to it somewhere else to conjure up that experience.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki on 2005-03-23 09:49 ]