Post #404882 by tekoteko on Fri, Aug 29, 2008 9:37 AM

On 2008-08-29 02:04, DJ Terence Gunn wrote:

On 2008-08-28 19:20, tekoteko wrote:

Despite what many TC'ers who don't live in Seattle may think, there aren't many hardcore tikiphiles (at least, not the kind of ones most of us who take it seriously, but in a fun way, find agreeable) in this area. TC'ers like dogbytes, woofmutt, sweetpea, Dawn Fraiser (forgot your user handle, Dawn!), and tikiriviera are frequent -- perhaps daily, several times daily even? -- posters here, and can give the impression -- often through exaggerated praise and enthusiam -- that there is much more of a scene here, that there is much more going on here than there really is.

From your first post, there aren't many hardcore tikiphiles in Seattle.

Once again, it'd be unrealistic to base a business plan on a niche market this small. You already said that Seattle doesn't have much of a tiki scene. While I disagree, I don't think you could keep an entire business running on Seattle's thriving, vibrant, huge, pulsating, turgid tiki scene.

From my first post, I disagree, I think the tiki crowd in Seattle is vibrant, interesting, and quite a bit more active than in many other locations.

Oh, I beg your pardon, your majesty!

This is the first time anybody has ever called me 'your majesty." I kinda like it though, thanks!

It's no wonder so many new people dislike TC and so many of it's self-appointed 'tiki' snobs. Seattle's thriving, vibrant, huge, pulsating, turgid tiki scene? I suppose you'd know better than I, being from Texas and having received lots of invites to Seattle events.

All I said is I get invites to LOTS of Seattle tiki events. I used the words "huge,""pulsating," and "turgid" because they make me giggle. I didn't mean to imply that Seattles tiki scene is actually huge, pulsates, or is turgid.

As there are in all cities, there are different social cliques in Seattle that are interested in similar things, and dogbytes' clique I've never cliqued with -- save for the few folks who are cross cliquers (which is actually legal in this state). I've had (and have) my issues and differences with dogbytes (the hostess with the mostess, who really -- like myself -- gets off on seeing others have a good time), woofmutt (Oscar Wilde rebourne! with a pompadour), tikiriviera (dryly humourous, down-to-earth, and from, I believe, like monkeyskull, Idaho ((aren't they all that way there? -- it would seem so from all the Idaho-Ians I've met)), and the rest of the Jet City Mucky Mucks. But I'll say with all sincerity that they're good, friendly, caring, honest people, and wonderfully witty and irreverent (which I adore) -- despite our differences and views -- and I doubt -- despite our differences -- that they would agree with your ridiculous assessment of Seattle's 'thriving, vibrant, huge, pulsating, turgid, 'Tiki scene'. And as you are speaking to one of the primary organisers and supporters of such events, current and in the past (and many others that don't fall directly into the 'Tiki' category, but are still within the realm of said interest) in Seattle, and don't even know my contributions or past, you are blissfully and rudely ignorant to pass judgement.

I don't think I passed judgement. I'm not in the judicial field by any means. I also don't pretend to speak for them, as I am not a ventriloquist and the coordination would be too difficult.

Of course Trader Vic's doesn't cater to the 'tiki crowd'. Duh. There isn't any restaurant or bar anywhere that could solely devote its business on the 'tiki crowd' -- not even in the pampered regions of California. My point is that the Trader Vic's here could've had special events from time to time that did cater to the 'tiki crowd', to increase more interest and possibilities. And who mentioned anything about puking drunks and loud DJs? You're reading into my comments something that isn't there.

Hooray! We agree about something! But you missed my point. I don't think that Trader Vic's would WANT to have a 'special event' that would interrupt it's daily business, unless you could come up with the dough to book the whole place and cover the sales that they 'might possibly generate' on any given night.

And as far as Seattle not having a 'niche tiki' following, what the hell do you know? Are you a part of it? There's far more to Seattle's interest in Tiki and similar genres than dogbytes' clique of friends and the posts you read on tikicentral. Most of the folks I know who were involved in Tiki at one point or another, could care less about this website or being part of any kind of scene for it. Said people are still round, still interested, but don't devote all their time and interest to it, like it was a lifestyle and a culture.

Go back to the quote from your first post. You told me there wasn't a big tiki crowd in Seattle. In fact, I never said that Seattle didn't have one, I said that no business could survive by catering solely TO the tiki crowd. It's too much of a niche interest to base a business plan on.

Despite that, Seattle does not have a thriving tiki scene, or bars, or restaurants, or bands, people, or otherwise. There are some dedicated folks (and more not so), yes. But we're 'hurting' just like a lot places. The only difference is, WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE. We get out there (or on here -- TC), and we make it without the sole dependency of public places (particularly I and a couple of my close friends, with our private functions -- tiki-related or otherwise that aren't put on and announced to the general public). How many of THOSE have YOU been invited to or attended, being that you get invited to so many Seattle events?

So you said Seattle DOES have a thriving tiki 'scene' a minute ago, and now you're saying it doesn't. Which one is it? I'd venture to say that you're blessed to have a lot of people with common interest and who are most of all FUN around up there, and they tend to get together a lot and have a good time. I never said anything different than that. You seem to agree on this point sometimes.

If you want to play hardball with me (and I don't play softball), do your research on Seattle's past and current Lounge/Tiki scene first...... I had a very long, successful run as Seattle's premiere Lounge music DJ and general Lounge 'scene' impresario in many Seattle venues. And more often on the weekend, rather than on some off night, like most of the Lounge and Tiki events I've since gone to in public take place. And though there was a scene of loyal followers and hardcore 'Lounge Lizards' (if you will), without the other hundreds of non-scenester, non-clique folks, who paid admission and paid for drinks and showed up to patronise my events, it never would've happened.

I definitely don't want to play any kind of balls, hard or soft, with you. As for researching a Lounge/Tiki scene...honestly who has the time for that kind of thing? Lounge/Tiki isn't 'what i live for' and certainly isn't worth going to the library and looking up ads for events that happened in the late 80's and 90's on microfiche.

Stop relying on others to provide the fantasy and escapism you seek. Be pro-active. Create your own.

This made me giggle too.

Now, back to inactivity. As I've found, being the guy with the best qualifications on the internet is like being the smartest kid on the short bus.