Lost Paradise, Vancouver's Waldorf, July 21

Yes! Thanks, Pepe! Here's some of my own pix:

Just after the presentations in the Polynesian Room -

(one day I'll make it thru the camera's instruction manual)

Shaboobie in the Tahitian Lounge -

Talee von Tiki & friend -

The Kon Tikis -

one of the Leeteg's -

...crowd dancing during K.T's sets -

And, if you want another chance for a great get-together at the Waldorf (although the ads don't mention if the Polynesian & Tahitian rooms will be open), check out the BIG IRON CAR SHOW happening on Saturday Aug. 11 starting @ noon & going probably past midnight!

[ Edited by: twitch 2007-07-25 21:05 ]

First Tiki event and I made it into the picture(sort of). I was glad to see the Waldorff and the rooms. Was upset that the Menehune(spelling?) room was not open. I enjoyed the talks for the most part but the buffet left a little to be desired. I think we should look at making sure this stays an annual event but with more tiki flare next time. What are the chances of seeing some polynesian dancers or even some music? I am new to the tiki scene and not sure what to expect. Maybe we should plan a Don Ho memorial.

[ Edited by: humuhumunukunukuapuaa 2007-07-27 05:27 ]

Can't help but notice Humuhumunukunukuapuaa posted his thoughts at 5 in the morning. He must've had a sleepless night thinking over the events of last weekend. Here's my two cents worth(albeit unsolicited):

Maybe next time there'll be a bit more tiki culture. Waiting 5 hours for the entertainment (whilst sipping overpriced Pina Coladas that had more soap than rum in them) was a bit too much. Nice effort, but my $50.00 could've been better spent elsewhere.

Pepe, Mr. Luxton must've changed his tune after his presentation because he didn't sound too positive about the Waldorf's status when he gave the speech. In fact he commented on how Heritage Vancouver doesn't care much for Post War architecture. An odd statement I thought considering the circumstances of why he was there and how much we had all paid to hear him. In fact the event did not measure up to Heritage Vancouver's website ad:

"Lost Paradise is an opportunity to step back in time and experience 50s nostalgia and Polynesian Pop-culture. Get into the spirit of the era, slip into your Hawaiian shirt, sip on a Mai Tai, gaze at original velvet paintings by Edgar Leeteg, attend a variety of lectures focused on the Vancouver Tiki scene, take guided tours, chat with like minded people and listen to exotica music. The ticket price includes an afternoon of talks and demonstrations, followed by an outdoor barbeque and guided tours of the three rooms and finally an evening of entertainment, lounging and socializing in the amazing surroundings of the Waldorf. The event is a fundraiser for Heritage Vancouver, a non-profit organization with a focus on celebrating Vancouver’s built heritage. All three Polynesian rooms will be open for this "First Annual Lost Paradise at the Waldorf". Book early as this event will sell out."

I'm glad most of you seemed to have a good time. That's the benefit of having something like tikicentral, you're able to connect up with familiar names in person. But I felt a bit sorry for anyone who had to travel any distance to get here in hopes of experiencing some real tiki culture. Ending on a positive note, there was plenty of free parking.

That's my rant, for what it's worth.

E ke kuene, ua milimili 'e 'ia neia mikana!

[ Edited by: tomanikitiki 2007-07-27 19:02 ]

[ Edited by: tomanikitiki 2007-07-27 20:07 ]

holy crap,

I was so excited just to have an event in Canada, AND be able to view the Waldorf's amazing rooms (might be the last time it's ever seen in person again) I didn't even think twice about spending the cash on 4 tickets.

Tiki Culture? You were smack dab in the middle of it. A classic tiki joint, some great music and some wonderful people. The drinks and the content are just a smidgin of what makes tiki culture 'tiki'.

But then again maybe I missed all the other great tiki events that happened in Vancouver this year.

Sure the price was a little steep, but I look at it as a cheritable, worthwhile cause. If the Waldorf is closed forever, it will still go to preserving some of Vancouver's rich history.

Maybe you need to organize the next event in Vancouver; though I don't remember seeing you at the very first one two years ago.

Jeebus! Kids today.

Hmmm...
Well, tomanikitiki, 98% of events never own up to their full advertising claims; someone doesn't show up, the weather turns foul, some guy from some official board checks in & doesn't like a certain aspect so something gets cancelled, etc. (Personally, I shave off about 20% of my expectations for any event that I'm going to & then I always have a good time!) And it's always jazzed up at least a little bit to get more bodies through the door.
It was a bummer that the Menehune Room was closed by management (something to do with the fire marshall I believe but I could be wrong) just prior to the event, alright, but things like that have to be taken in stride - don't let it dampen the rest of the evening for you.
Remember, the event was put on by others, but we're all a part of it once we get that ticket - if it isn't fun enough for you, join in & ramp it up a little. If it didn't meet up with expectations, figure out why, & help plan another event. Contact past organizers & work with them for a new one, find some people who are willing to do some Polynesian dancing (relatives, perhaps? I wouldn't want many of mine dancing publicly, but...:)) & offer hula moves for the audience to participate in. Make something, bring it to sell.
Design & make a special mug for the event (I know where you can get free use of a kiln, so I'm thinking of doing that myself, if the need comes up).
If the drinks are weak, get the bartender to make you one from scratch. May cost a little more, but... (my drinking companion ordered a... ah, forget the name, but it's Southern Comfort & dry vermouth w/a cherry, and had to tell them how to do it, and it was great. Well, I thought so anyway...)
Or plan a more home-grown event like a tiki-crawl, where everyone gets to show off their home-bars (and drink-mixing skills).
The event was pricey, but the dough went to a good thing & with luck and more attention paid to it the Waldorf will live a little longer, which is what we need, as it's the tiki-est thing in Vancouver, if not all of B.C. and even a few provinces down the line.

Speaking of which, here's the ad for the next Waldorf event, Aug. 11 (I woulda started a new thread for it but it didn't feel right as I'm not one of the promoters...):

im late with my THANK YOU note to Pepe le Tiki and Atomic Al ~ they were the driving force behind the the weekend's festivities. Reido and Dan from Taboo Tiki were super helpful too. wow a surfband from Vancouver BC..who'da thought? and the shaking from Shaboobie Boobarella was eyeboggling (oh and now i cant get the name Shaboobie Boobarella out of my head.) luckily the soothing melodies played by our Selector Lopaka will override the Shaboobie Boobarella sounds...

and whoa ~ i dont know if they're on TC, but.. "HI" to Lushy and the Buttersprites, who stopped into Waldorf looking like a million bux in their vintage fashions.

we had a GREAT TIME, yeah. we couldnt get into all of Waldorf by order of the Fire Marshall, and yeah the drinks were odd at best.. but its the people who make the evening memorable.

peter: thanks for planning brunch and having Mai Tais for us at Funhauser on Sunday.

twitch.. shoulda said "HI" to us .. now that i see pix of your gf, i remember you were sitting right next to us on the dancefloor. i'm really bad at names n faces.. so just barge in and introduce yourself at the next event.

which i hope is soon.

I wasn't going to respond but I think I need to 'vent' a little too. I'm sorry that some people were disappointed with the event. I personally agree, some things could have been done differently and probably better. A lot was learned from this experience. It was a nightmarish challenge from beginning to end.

The reality is that alot went on behind the scenes that nearly cancelled this event right up to the week before, mostly because of the Waldorf. Sadly, this place is in decline and may not be around much longer. The closure of the Menehune Room and adjacent bar downstairs days before the event, due to daily inspections by the BC Fire Marshal, are a clear sign of this. This constantly changing playing field created some serious logistical problems for us organizers. We also dealt with the turn-over of three general managers and two main chefs leaving during the organizing, which helps explain the food. (But seriously, was the food & drink ever good there??)

Heritage Vancouver set the price for the event and the entertainment budget. I would have loved to bring in Polynesian Dancers and other entertainment, but their mandate was to raise funds. I will say though, having just returned from Portland's fantastic Tiki Kon 07, that I think the entertainment at Lost Paradise was great and on par with any event that I've attended elsewhere in the past. The entertainers also plugged LP and were really happy to perform in such a great venue.

It wasn't easy putting this together as I have a business to run, it's my livelihood and it demands my time. As a person that loves Tiki and it's culture, I opened a store because I couldn't find any retailers that 'got it' in Vancouver. For the same reason, I helped Heritage Vancouver out with this fundraiser event because no-one ever puts a Tiki event together in Vancouver. Sadly, the Tiki scene here is fragmented at best but I'm very fortunate to have befriended people here that share this love, several who helped out with Lost Paradise just for the passion of Poly-pop.

I'm grateful to everyone that came out for this rare event, I know many of you personally and you're the best!!!
So in hind sight, I think I'll stick to attending events over organizing them and I guess, sadly, that means I'll probably have to leave town.

...but please don't ever ask me; "Why is there never anything 'Tiki' going on in Vancouver?"
Just make it happen! I'll definitely go.

Pepe! Once again I must tell you that Lost Paradise was great! everyone I spoke to the next week had nothing but good things to say about the night! Aside from a few critics we know everyone had a great time! With the criticism aside... all involved know what it took to put on an event like this and should feel proud! Tiki is alive and well in Vancouver! lets do it again!

Gary and I drove more than 1,200 km to be at the event and we're not sorry we did - we had a blast. I'm grateful for any chance to see the incredible rooms of the Waldorf (and I'm glad I got to see the Menehune Room two years ago). Yes, it's too bad Heritage Vancouver cheaped out on the entertainment and catering - I would gladly have paid a higher ticket price for a Polynesian floor show and a luau-style meal.

Thanks again, Peter. I hope you forget how bitter and spent you are right now and do it again soon 'cuz I'd come back :)

Donald Luxton of Heritage Vancouver delivering his lecture in the Polynesian Room. To the left is a portion of the huge mural by Hopkinson. Bottom right, some of Dawn Fraser's (Sophistatiki) 40 for 40 paintings. (All my pics from the Waldorf are on Flickr).

-Sweet Daddy T.
Because crap doesn't buy itself.

My new blog

[ Edited by: Sweet Daddy Tiki 2007-08-12 21:11 ]

On 2007-06-16 01:32, TabooDan wrote:

The rarely seen Leeteg velvet painting tucked away in the Menehune Room. This one is also hard to see because it is recessed in the wall and the bulbs that give it a light glow have been burnt out for quite some time. This room is also one of the rooms that is only open for special events. Nows your chance!!

TabooDan, please upload the picture again! That wahine looks beautiful!

[ Edited by: Zeta 2009-03-24 01:39 ]