Exotikon 3: L.A. June 7&8 (feat…The Residents?!) - California Events

B BlackWater Tiki Socialite Pasadena, CA Joined: Apr 29, 2023 Posts: 159	B BlackWater Posted posted on Mon, Jun 9, 2025 9:01 AM I went both days. Summary: the event needs better organization and probably wouldn't go back again. Day 1 was entirely about performances, and was the most crowded. I got there late to catch the second half of the Residents performance, which was avant-garde but interesting. Great stage show, the music wasn't my favorite but entertaining overall. There were no vendors set up on day 1 except T-shirts for the performers and the Peekaboo booth selling some mugs and books. I bought my Day 1 ticket because it was offered at a discount once I bought day 2 and because there was a free pass to Cliftons Pacifica Seas, which I'd never seen. It was a little under a mile walk through sketchy downtown. Someone let me in but the club was dark and didn't look open. A few of us wandered around until someone knew the secret mirrored door to get to the tiki bar. (I'm getting tired of the speakeasy thing.) They asked if I had a reservation, I said no then they said you can sit at the bar. Then we found out they weren't serving drinks from the bar, only a table. I grabbed a table and ordered a drink. and got it about an hour later because there was only one bartender for ~500 guests. Cliftons looked cool, and the servers were great, but I guess no one told the bar that 500 tiki people would be showing up at 4:30. I got there on day 2 right at opening, hoping there wouldn't be tear gas from the ICE protests 1.5 miles away. It was concerning that the "national" exhibitors weren't listed anywhere, and thought they might all be at Hukilau. I was correct, the people that showed up were a dozen or so mug collectors/resellers and craft makers. Similar to what I'd find at the Bamboo Club Long Beach monthly lot sale, for example, but they don't charge $45 to get in. Nothing against the people who showed up, and I bought a few things, but it was underwhelming for an event like this. Seminars were mostly Powerpoint, though Sven's presentation on Spanish tiki was cool. Drinks were two bars: Tonga Hut had a drink for sale (nice) and Cabali* had a drink downstairs (grape punch with light rum, not so nice.) There were two food vendors, lumpia and vegetarian Mexican food. Were there any tikis at this tiki event? Tonga Hut brought a few, and someone was selling cement tikis, but otherwise no. The Mayan Theater venue itself is cool though. So yeah, mixed review at best. Maybe they could have done better if it wasn't at the same time as Hukilau, it felt a bit thin. There were two event presentation areas, but not enough material to have them both going simultaneously. Cabali is apparently a documentary about mug collecting. They had a looping video but no actual mugs. I think people come to these events to see STUFF. I can watch videos on my phone next to my cat.

I went both days. Summary: the event needs better organization and probably wouldn't go back again.

Day 1 was entirely about performances, and was the most crowded. I got there late to catch the second half of the Residents performance, which was avant-garde but interesting. Great stage show, the music wasn't my favorite but entertaining overall. There were no vendors set up on day 1 except T-shirts for the performers and the Peekaboo booth selling some mugs and books.

I bought my Day 1 ticket because it was offered at a discount once I bought day 2 and because there was a free pass to Cliftons Pacifica Seas, which I'd never seen. It was a little under a mile walk through sketchy downtown. Someone let me in but the club was dark and didn't look open. A few of us wandered around until someone knew the secret mirrored door to get to the tiki bar. (I'm getting tired of the speakeasy thing.) They asked if I had a reservation, I said no then they said you can sit at the bar. Then we found out they weren't serving drinks from the bar, only a table. I grabbed a table and ordered a drink. and got it about an hour later because there was only one bartender for ~500 guests. Cliftons looked cool, and the servers were great, but I guess no one told the bar that 500 tiki people would be showing up at 4:30.

I got there on day 2 right at opening, hoping there wouldn't be tear gas from the ICE protests 1.5 miles away. It was concerning that the "national" exhibitors weren't listed anywhere, and thought they might all be at Hukilau. I was correct, the people that showed up were a dozen or so mug collectors/resellers and craft makers. Similar to what I'd find at the Bamboo Club Long Beach monthly lot sale, for example, but they don't charge $45 to get in. Nothing against the people who showed up, and I bought a few things, but it was underwhelming for an event like this. Seminars were mostly Powerpoint, though Sven's presentation on Spanish tiki was cool. Drinks were two bars: Tonga Hut had a drink for sale (nice) and Cabali* had a drink downstairs (grape punch with light rum, not so nice.) There were two food vendors, lumpia and vegetarian Mexican food. Were there any tikis at this tiki event? Tonga Hut brought a few, and someone was selling cement tikis, but otherwise no. The Mayan Theater venue itself is cool though.

So yeah, mixed review at best. Maybe they could have done better if it wasn't at the same time as Hukilau, it felt a bit thin. There were two event presentation areas, but not enough material to have them both going simultaneously.

Cabali is apparently a documentary about mug collecting. They had a looping video but no actual mugs. I think people come to these events to see STUFF. I can watch videos on my phone next to my cat.

Post #815924 by BlackWater on Mon, Jun 9, 2025 9:01 AM