Post #550114 by JOHN-O on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 5:28 PM

OK, I knew I read about this somewhere. This whole Surf/Burlesque/(Tiki) connection does have history PRIOR to the Tiki Revival. Writers Brian Chidester and Domenic Priore document it in their amazing book "Pop Surf Culture". (2008, Santa Monica Press)

The L.A. (post-punk) Rockabilly scene of the late 80's and early 90's spawned a great interest not only in mid-century pin-ups like Bettie Page but also the classic burlesque goddesses like Blaze Starr, Lili St. Cyr, and Tempest Storm. This lead to a whole burlesque revival which is still with us today. (This all flew low and under the radar for me. During that time in LA, I was holed up in "punk rock" ghettos like Al's Bar and Raji's.)

This whole new burlesque scene required a soundtrack and so the "Third Wave of Surf Music" was it.

"It was in these surroundings that surf music became the primary vehicle anchoring these many diverse genres, from jazz to punk rock, all essential to the rediscovery of burlesque costuming (and de-costuming). This was a style that had not been seen, or heard, in over 30 years."

One of the seminal compilations that tied this all together was "Las Vegas Grind". (Jeff, do you have this ??)

So in other words, this mid-century cross-cultural stew had its start before the Tiki Revival. It was fueled from the burning embers of LA's post-punk scene, Tiki was absorbed (or included) after the fact. Or at least that's the way it seems to me.