What the heck is the relationship between Kareoke and TIKI?

Every other phone call, between "Can I bring my toddler" and "is Ernie working tonight?" is if Thatch has Kareoke.

Then my buddy David Katz calls from Otto's Shrunken Head in NYC how he is doing kareoke.

What is the connection?
Robert

On 2007-05-14 11:34, Robertiki wrote:
What the heck is the relationship between Kareoke and TIKI?

It's a very BAD relationship: They fight all the time, and throw things at each other. Not a pretty sight.

That's a Portland thing. For most folks there in town, Tiki = The Alibi, and The Alibi = Karaoke. It's definitely not a widespread plague (thank god).

Wow. Those wild and crazy Portlanders! I say... :roll:

I believe it to be a modern introduction.

We've gotten alot of that at FI, too. I've been told a couple of times, depending on the decent of the teller, "It's a Chinese (Korean, Thai, Vietnamese) thing. We like Karaoke."

We don't official have karaoke, but on more than one occasion, patrons en masse having sung along to jukebox selections, in particular Ring of Fire and almost any Tom Jones song.

what is the connection between karaoke, fezzes and sticking your tongue out? :P

I actually have a 6-10 set of Hawaiian karakoe CDs. Most are more Hawaiian tunes that I don't even know rather than Hapa Haole...

The Northeast has seen the Tiki (Chinese Restaurant)/ Karaoke combination virtually everywhere. The owners are looking to get more people into the place and Karaoke contests are one way of doing it. Around here we tiki people account for < 1 percent of the annual patronage so these things happen out of necessity. Am I thrilled? No, but it's just the way things are. Here's a picture from the New England groups last outing to New Tiki in MA:

Don't flame this please. Brian, the new owner of New Tiki, is just trying to stay alive. He's done some great things there like bring back some more traditional drink recipes and loading up some Exotica on the jukebox. These are huge leaps for us East Coasters.

Speaking of New Tiki - they're a stop on the 2007 Northeast Tiki Tour! Check it out here:

http://www.northeasttikitour.com

[ Edited by: johnman 2007-05-14 16:25 ]

In light of the last posts, I humbly must re-phrase my earlier "Tiki Snob" posts:

Tiki and Kareoke have a SUPPORTIVE relationship !
.....in places where there are not enough Tikiphiles to support a nouveaux Tiki joint...which unfortunately seems to be the case in 95% of the nation.

I failed. :(

Next book project :" How to apply the Starbucks concept to Tiki Bars"

Warren Zevon- Werewolf in London, is now on karaoke so I guess thats a good thing. Isn't it?

"I saw a weirdo drinking a Navy Grog at Trader Vic's late last night and his hair was F#*^& up"

[ Edited by: Ojaitimo 2007-05-16 08:55 ]