Post #617916 by swizzle on Tue, Dec 20, 2011 1:48 AM

On 2011-12-19 19:05, Potato. wrote:
Is a slowing-down of posts, etc. on TC indicative of an end of tiki fandom? I don't think so at all. Not only for the reasons people said that winter is typically a stay indoors, not so tropical time of year where we have to focus on other things, but let's think of how quickly Tiki Central has grown. There are so many educated people in here posting all the time and the history to this point of tiki is only so long. We were going to run out of (or slow down in) history eventually, and maybe this is the beginning. There's just not much new left for us to learn?

I can't speak for events and people going out to the bars because, where I am, the nearest tiki bar is 50 miles away and in another town. It's hard to visit. But, if the posting of history and asking of questions on Tiki Central has slowed, don't think of it as reduced interest. Think of it as a rousing success. We've (you've) put so much info into this one place that everyone knows where to go to get all they need.

I don't post much because I have nothing new or interesting to say. Someone else has said it better elsewhere. So, is this evidence of a reduced interest in tiki. Oh hell no. I just read and learn from those who came before me. And I assume THAT is more of a reason than any scary downfall in interest.

I personally have to say that this post is probably the most accurate description of what is going on. Sven covered as much as he could/had knowledge of at the time of the BOT's release, and since then, he, and others have contributed various bits and pieces to fill out gaps that were missing. No doubt there will be more information to come, but as Potato said, "the history to this point of tiki is only so long".

It is the history of Tiki culture and what it means/represents that has drawn me to it, however i certainly do not consider myself as a 'purist'. I do not 'need' or 'want' to know absoultely everything that happened in the past. Quite the opposite actually. I am far more interested in what is going on now in regards to bars, drinks, art, collecting, etc. As it has been raised several times on this site, what 'Tiki' is, is different to different people and the 'coming to an end of the revival', is something that really doesn't concern me too much. It will continue to hold my interest for as long as i want it to. As Lucas said "I don't really want to see tiki become mainstream...I like the niche group it's in. BUT, I also don't want to see tiki bars close down due to lack of interest"*. The die-hards, or purists, will band together regardless of whether or not tiki becomes mainstream and accepted as nothing more than a passing fad.

*I'm sure there would be at least a few of you who are a aware that a few months ago a new tiki bar opened here in Melbourne, Australia. Josh Collins, owner of the Hula Bula bar and Devilles Pad in Perth, opened The LuWOW in Fitzroy, a hip, bohemian inner city suburb of Melbourne. The venue is amazing and looks like, what i can only imagine from pictures i've seen because of the BOT, what a tiki bar during it's heyday would have looked like.
Tiki culture, and knowledge has seen a huge increase of interest recently here in Australia, mostly through the cocktail scene and also Brown Foreman/Appletons rums mug releases and history with the Mai Tai. However the amount of people that are truly passionate about tiki, including those that have an interest in it via the hotrod/kustom kulture scene ( a whole other topic) is very small, due to the size of our population in relation to you in the U.S.
From what 'I' think and can see, the majority of people that do go to the LuWOW are those that are only attending because it's a "cool" new place to be seen and really have no knowledge or understanding of what Tiki is about. Unfortunately it is on the other side of the city to me so i have only been a few times since its opening. There is the bar room itself and another room that only opens on Friday/Saturday nights that has acts/bands playing. I've yet to attend one of those events but heard that a couple of weeks ago somebody threw a beer bottle at the singer on stage. Now correct me if i'm wrong, but that's not good aloha.
I wish Josh all the best (i met him at Hula Bula bar and he was very nice and looked after me) and hope the place does well (which so far it appears to be), and not only thrives, but also encourages those that go there to learn more about what Tiki is and represents, however i have a feeling that the majority that have been there and those that will go, are only there to because it's the 'in' thing to do.