Post #678648 by Tangaroa-Ru on Mon, May 20, 2013 11:11 AM

This was my fourth Caliente, and each year I continue to be amazed at all the work Wildsville Man does to make this such an entertaining, personal and joyful event. I thought the musicians he selected this year were especially diverse, which mixed things up really nicely. The mug (Doug Horne!) and signature pendant (Tiki Ray!) are works of art. And great vendors! (Dirk Yates, I loved your pirate theme tent!) I thought the adults-only, late-night music shows were perfect. Kitty Chow and Fisherman, we're so glad to have you finally join us here in Southern California! The intimate vibe allowed me to have some real conversations with old friends and make some new ones. This was the perfect mini-vacation I needed to soothe my senses.

But, most important (to me, anyway), was the atmosphere Rory created. I'm a great believer that the amount of fun one has, whether it's at your job or at an event, trickles down from the top person in charge. I watched, massively impressed, as Rory personally greeted every guest and made them feel at home and very welcome. That's not an act. That's a gift. And it's elegant and old-school class. Several of this year's attendees were not necessarily Tikiphiles like the rest of us. They were just local people that saw the ads and wanted to play. Rory made them feel as "much of the party" as everyone else.

Oh, and Deanna and Trevor... your "S***load of Rum" room crawl drink? I still am not sure what day it is. My guess is you don't either.