JOHN-O's Las Vegas (& Honolulu pg 8) Thread

Here's a mind-boggling bit of Poly-Pop history related to this thread...

102-year old Bill Tapia, "The Duke of Uke", often sits in with the Smokin' Menehunes. (Maybe we'll see him at their upcoming Bahooka show on Dec 4th).

Bill actually played at the opening of Waikiki's Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1927 !!

On 2010-11-26 20:54, JOHN-O wrote:

Wow, you could probably spend a majority of your drinking vacation just at this bar. But FYI, the cocktails ain't cheap.

When you say "the cocktails ain't cheap" in my mind I would guess more than $12.00 for an average tropical drink and when you put that drink in Hawaii it goes up to $16.00 - $18.00 which isn't cheap but isn't impossible either but are you talking in the $20.00 to $25.00 four drinks for $100.00 * " Jeez! I hope someone I'm with can expense this"* range? :o

That would definitely make a person choosy about where and what they're drinking and the hotel bars I've checked don't list the prices on their websites.

What would be an average price for an average "Just ok" hotel bar cocktail in Waikiki?

Here's the weird part. Actually the booze was cheaper in Honolulu when compared to a lot of the Santa Monica/Venice bars that I drink in. Other than the higher-end hotels, you could get mixed cocktails or straight bourbon/scotch for $5-$7 dollars in and around Waikiki. And that's the good stuff, well cocktails were around $3.50-$4.00. A lot of the tourist bars were heavily competing with each other with their expanded Happy Hours.

The higher-end Hawaii Tropical cocktails were priced about the same as their LA counterparts, about $11-$13 per drink. My comment "ain't cheap" was based more on the inexpensive drunk fests we were enjoying on Kuhio Ave and Hotel St. We got spoiled and it was too easy to say "I'll pick up the tab." That back-fired on me at the Halekulani. :(

Ahhh ok, thank you!

This unassuming waterfront stage has seen most every great Hawaiian music talent of the exceptional post WW2 era, a fact that barely touches on half the history of this iconic spot...

Here's some additional commentary on drinking in Waikiki...

I saw no better deal than the Hideaway's 6-7pm "Power Hour".

$1 beers and $1 well drinks !! :)

And I'm only posting on the good Tropical drinks here, which in Waikiki is the exception rather than the rule. You're more likely to encounter the following :(...

"Honolulu Confidential" Part 7 of 10

Curious to sample the Mai Tai at Jimmy Buffett's place, I walked over to the Beachcomber Hotel adjacent to the International Market Place.

I spotted the 2nd floor restaurant from the street but couldn't figure out where the entrance was. I asked in the downstairs gift shop and they directed me towards the escalator. Vaguely remembering my Tiki history, I asked if this hotel was where the old Don the Beachcomber's used to be (can anyone here confirm this?). The sales lady said it didn't ring a bell, but upstairs was where Don Ho's old showroom used to be.

Don Ho's old space is now occupied by Jimmy Buffett ?? !! :evil:

Now to me, Don Ho is one of Poly-Pop’s biggest icons and deserves our Tiki respect. If anything, he validates Tiki’s lounge roots even if he bookends its last golden days. I sometimes get the feeling however, he’s only remembered for “Tiny Bubbles” and his final “Fat Elvis” period. Even on the Tiki Music forum, you’ll find very few threads that cover his career.

It’s always been one of my biggest Tiki regrets that I never saw him perform in Waikiki, even though I had many opportunities. Now it’s too late.

As I stood outside Jimmy B.’s restaurant, I just couldn’t bring myself to step inside. Out of respect for Poly-pop’s other great “Don”, I just turned around and walked away.

As I headed back towards the escalators, this place caught my eye...

Cool !! Could this place have a connection to the Huntington Beach Surfing Museum? Maybe they’ve heard of BigTikiDude (who’s a board member there and is internationally known in the Surf Music community).

As I entered through the door, I was puzzled to see what was essentially a bar with a few display cases of surf boards. The bartender asked “Can I get you a drink?” I responded “Oh sorry, I thought this was a museum.” She said “It is. It’s owned by Jimmy Buffett and those display cases are filled with his collection of vintage surf boards.”

A Jimmy Buffett Surfing Museum ?? !! :evil:

Sorry BigTikiDude. :( :( :(

This was really turning out to be a disappointing day !!

To try to salvage things, I decided to continue with my Mai Tai research and check out another Honolulu haven of high-end mixology, the Waikiki Edition Hotel.

This new hotel was originally one of the Ilikai’s towers. Wow, the stark modern design made me feel like I was in a West Hollywood boutique hotel. I wanted to try their “deconstructed” take on the Mai Tai…

It was a subtle and sophisticated drink, topped with an almond-tasting foam. Interesting but frankly I like my cocktails with more punch. Next I had the Japanese Julep which was unique as well.

I also tried one of their bar sandwiches which was a take on a Cuban sandwich. It was good but so small I could have eaten two.

This place was a little too "hip" for my tastes, I felt like I needed to get back to my mid-century comfort zone. I wasn’t too far from the old-school Wailana Cocktail Lounge, so I walked the few blocks there and enjoyed a bourbon on the rocks in their unique octagonal room.

Good enough for 1958. Good enough for 2010. :)

John-O, I stopped off in waikiki years ago after a trip to Maui. I stopped there with reservations to see Don Ho.... When we went to be seated forthe show, the hostess said, "Oh, my, I'm sorry, Mr. Ho is in.......Orange County, Ca right now." What the hell?? I will never forget that... And I never did get to see Don Ho live.... WAH Wah wahhh.....

Spike, I think that would make a great Hula Girls Song. :) "Where's Don Ho? (He's at the Big Luau in the Sky)"

Don Ho is so beloved in Hawaii. I was talking to a vendor in the International Market Place whose family business has been there since the early 1970's. He said everyone called him "Uncle Don" and he would always reply "How ya doin'? How's da family been?" even if that was the first time he met you.

The IMP guy said whenever he traveled out of the U.S. and mentioned he was from Hawaii, he would always be greeted with "Hawaii ?" "Don Ho !!". That always made him proud that Don Ho was so universally known especially when Don was a Hawaii local from a poor neighorhood who went on to become famous.

So is Don Ho really Tiki ?? I say YES !!

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-11-29 09:26 ]

If Don Ho ain't tiki, then I don't know WTF is!

By the way, Pat Enos knew Don Ho personally! (but as we know, Smokin' menehunes are not Tiki, so who gives a rat's ass, right?)

That would make a great song! Thanks, John-O.

Well the Bigbro validates him (sort of).

Liner notes from "The Sound of Tiki"..."Don Ho is often mentioned in conjunction with Tiki style, a fact which calls for some differentiation. Although Hawaii and Hawaiian tourism were the inspiration for Tiki culture, it was the American mainland where Tiki was turned into an art form. And though Ho clearly is the master of Hawaiian schmaltz, his career did not take off until the second half of the '60s, after the Tiki trend had peaked. Stylistically Don Ho is to Tiki style what the '70s Elvis is to Rock 'n' Roll: Part of the phenomena, yet a sign of its end being near."

From the magazine "Surfer's Journal" a couple years ago....

"Since this article, half of the Santa Barbara Surf Museum has moved to a location at the old Don The Beachcomber in Waikiki and is scheduled to open spring 2009, as a self-contained exhibit as part of a new Jimmy Buffett restaurant project."

A beautiful magazine that featured the SBSM with some great photos of their collection.

John-O, great stuff! I can't think of The House Without a Key without thinking of Charlie Chan (the first Chan novel was called that, and was apparently named after the bar where some of it takes place). Essentially the House Without a Key is to Charlie Chan as John's Grill in San Francisco is to Sam Spade.

Sorry to hear Buffett has infiltrated Don Ho's spot at the Beachcomber. I saw Don there in December 1996, and will always remember it. I went to Oahu with my hot rod band Del Noah and the Mt. Ararat Finks to play a surf industry-related gig with the Ziggens (this was when Eric Wilson of Sublime was playing bass with us in Del Noah).

We got into Waikiki on late Friday afternoon, and I was bummed because Arthur Lyman played the New Otani during lunch every Friday, so we missed him by about 3 hours. Miguel of Skunk Records (who set up the show we were playing) had arranged/schmoozed us into the Don show on the guest list. This was at the time Don was trying to promote his daughter Hoku, who was about 15 at the time, into a show biz career (she did indeed become a brief Britney Spears-type pop star about 3 years later), and he knew (or his managers told him) that Skunk was a hot label with Sublime's success, so before the show (at the meet-and-greet in the outdoor entry to the theater, where Don did his photo-ops in his white chair) he had Hoku introduced to Miguel. A little later I saw the protective father in Don come out a little bit, when it seemed to him that Miguel was getting a little too "friendly" with his daughter!

We got our picture taken with Don as a band. I got to sit in Don's chair (I thought we'd have time to change clothes between getting off the plane and going to Don's, otherwise I would have dressed more nicely than a t-shirt)--Vince is next to me, and Eric, Blair and Mudd are at top surrounding Don.

Then--showtime! Don Ho's show operated like clockwork. Don sat in front of his piano with an earpiece, and his director talked to him through it the whole time, telling him what dedications were coming up, what guests, etc. His typical crowd, as you'd expect were retirees, some on 50th anniversaries, having birthdays and other special occasions which were all relayed to Don via his earpiece (names, places, dates, etc.). And it was obvious how tired Don Ho was of being "Don Ho," and doing the same songs and the same greetings and dedications for several shows a night. However, he also realized long before that it was impossible for him to f#@$ up his career: he was DON HO, and no matter what he said or did, any retirees coming to Waikiki HAD to see Don Ho, so he was in that golden place for entertainers where his career was virtually un f#$%-uppable.

He had enjoyed a few cocktails before and during the show, was just ripping on the retirees he was saluting with anniversaries and birthdays (tons of death and can't-get-it-up jokes), in what would almost be mean-spirited ways if he didn't have a smile on his face. When it came time to introduce "Tiny Bubbles," he said "God how I hate this song!" and we all felt his pain. But it was a fun show. Eric, and Jon from the Ziggens, got to go up and jam with Don on bass and percussion for a couple of songs. Don put on a great show, even though it was stage-managed within an inch of its life. Definitely an experience I'll always remember, especially now realizing that not only is Don gone, his former home has been Buffetized.

Caltiki Brent

Great story!

On 2010-11-27 15:38, JOHN-O wrote:
Here's a mind-boggling bit of Poly-Pop history related to this thread...

102-year old Bill Tapia, "The Duke of Uke", often sits in with the Smokin' Menehunes. (Maybe we'll see him at their upcoming Bahooka show on Dec 4th).

Bill actually played at the opening of Waikiki's Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1927 !!

The most mind-blowing of all of Bill Tapia's life stories and the people he worked with (from Louis Armstrong on down) is the fact that when he was 10 he played a World War I USO show with John Philip Souza himself!

Caltiki Brent

You should see his wall of pictures in his house....he knew EVERYONE!

On 2010-11-27 19:01, msteeln wrote:
This unassuming waterfront stage has seen most every great Hawaiian music talent of the exceptional post WW2 era, a fact that barely touches on half the history of this iconic spot...

Fun stuff to follow JOHN-O. Wanted to add a little life to the House Without a Key stage!

[ Edited by: A frame 2011-08-30 15:20 ]

Sad 'the Key' no longer continues their decades long tradition of steel guitar every night on their stage.

Is that the Hiram Olsen Trio?

According to James Teitelbaum,

"Hiram has been playing locally since 1957, and his trio is the only act in Waikiki (that we know of - and we looked) performing classic hapa haole tunes."

Also here's the recipe for the Halekulani Mai Tai that I found on their web site:

1/3 Ounce Orgeat Syrup
1/3 Ounce Orange Curaçao
1/3 Ounce Rock Candy Syrup
3/4 Ounce Bacardi Gold Rum
1/2 Ounce Bacardi 151 Rum
1 1/4 Ounce Fresh Lime Juice
3/4 Ounce Bacardi Select (float)

As I thought, no pineapple juice in that one !! :)

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-11-30 19:19 ]

"the only act in waikiki playing hapa haole music"

Isn't that f-ing sad??

Is that the Hiram Olsen Trio?
"Hiram has been playing locally since 1957, and his trio is the only act in Waikiki (that we know of - and we looked) performing classic hapa haole tunes."
Nope, that's Kaipo Kahuhiko's trio. I don't think Hiram has a steady gig now. The Halekulani mgt. has seen fit to destroy the history and Aloha the great musicians helped make famous. These guys now get a whopping $75 a night, and are treated like dirt. That attitude is what killed off the once abundant good times in Waikiki. You gotta really know where to find the good-ol'-times remnants.

One of the bright Hawaiian lights that graced the Key's stage for many years, Harold Hakuole - steel/rhythm/vocals/nice guy, passed away yesterday morning.

[ Edited by: msteeln 2010-12-01 12:17 ]

"Honolulu Confidential" Part 8 of 10

Let's go dive bar hopping again.

This time we'll start with a dive bar that's really not a dive bar (but used to be)…

The Side Street Inn

The Side Street Inn is actually one of Honolulu's most popular "in the know" restaurants. They serve up an interesting mix of Pan Asian and island comfort food covering simple dishes like fried pork chops, Kim Chee fried rice, yakisoba, kalbi, smoked pork, etc. The place really became well known when it became an after work gathering spot for some of Honolulu's top chefs. I highly recommend it when you want to go somewhere where you can feel like you're in on a local secret.

For a non-touristy experience, the fact that it's located on a seedy industrial street doesn't hurt matters either. It's also in proximity to some other businesses fairly unique to Honolulu (that also appeal to my Noir sensibilities).

I'm talking about "Korean Bars". This place is right next door...

At Korean Bars (aka hostess bars aka Lucas Vigor's "buy me drinkee" bars), girls who might be Korean but who could also be from Vietnam or China will come sit with you to engage in casual conversation. Drinks for you and your buddies will be cheap, we were paying $5 each for bottles of beer, mixed cocktails, and straight whiskey (not well stuff either). Drinks for your hostess(es) however will be much more expensive.

The hustling of these girls seemed to be relational to their age. At one place a group of twenty-something Taiwanese girls sat down with us, requested Crown shots ($20 each !!), downed them within seconds and then immediately asked for another round. When we declined to order, they promptly got up and left the table. Some of the older hostesses (forties +) will stay and chat longer, often times discussing how their teenage children are doing in high school. It's a surreal scene to say the least. How (seemingly) unemployed local guys can afford to spend money in these places is beyond me.

Keep in mind some of these places might house illegal activity. If the girl tries to get you to join her in the back room or in one of the high-backed booths in a dark corner, you should probably decline. Still for an "exotic" experience where you can live out your Korean or Vietnam war R&R fantasies, it is unique. Just make sure you ask how much the drinks are BEFORE you order for her. If you want to dispute your bill, I'm sure the 300-pound Samoan doorman will provide the appropriate mediation.

I think the iconography of these places is really cool. They have a timeless quality to them that suggests both seediness and exotic secrets (kind of like a devolving Tiki bar). On a future trip I may have to put together more comprehensive photographic documentation.

This nearby place isn't a Korean Bar, but it did have a super cool mid-century neon sign that I wanted to capture…

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-12-03 22:45 ]

What you do is walk in wearing shorts w/no underwear and loudly announce that you've just gotten off the boat and are going to spend everything right here right now. You'll immediately be mobbed by every hostess in the place, have a drink or not, depart after 5 min. of mutual groping for the next bar and repeat. Use them before they use you, just do it in a deft manner that allows you to quickly survive out the door. You'll have fun and stories to tell.

Most of these jive joints change names regularly and do have their risks, my fave was Club Ugly, no lie. But even scarier was the short lived strip joint Club Micronesian... the place was torn down after that.

There used to be plenty of cool old Like Like (lee-kay lee-kay) style eateries and bars, lots of neon, real 40s/50s local ambience, cheap eats/drinks w/free pupu and good times. That's real scarce today.

Well at least these women will listen politely when I try to explain Tiki culture to them, smiling and shaking their heads in agreement. :)

Your average non-Tikiphile will look at you like you're crazy. :(

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-12-04 13:10 ]

On 2010-12-04 12:26, msteeln wrote:

There used to be plenty of cool old Like Like (lee-kay lee-kay) style eateries and bars, lots of neon, real 40s/50s local ambience, cheap eats/drinks w/free pupu and good times. That's real scarce today.

What's the scoops on this place?...

I was hoping this would be as you described above, but it was closed that night. It's right around the corner from the Side Street Inn.

Any recommendations on places you just described that are still around?

On 2010-12-04 14:14, JOHN-O wrote:
What's the scoops on this place?...

Quite a good little local bar. Good pupu's, drinks, and occasional live blues music...

Waikiki Tiki; Art, History, and Photographs.
Available now from Bess Press Hawaii.

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2010-12-04 16:18 ]

The Bone is one of the few places I'll bother with these days as I'm no longer into the common stupidity bars can be, it's very mellow and kind of an open secret, it should be packed but never is. My friends play good Hawaiian w/Bobby Ingano on steel Tuesdays and usually to just me... Phillip, a little help! Closed Sun., mix bag the rest of the week, a band most nights but no junk music (WARNING - they can karaoke) and those nights they have a bit more crowd. The drinks are ok/standard but stiff, generous, and cheap-ish = $6 for a decent B-tea. Be a nice regular and they're real friendly with them, before 7pm get free pupu, so rare now! Nice local style, good sound system that they keep at a sensible level (thank you), TVs, with a rough but pretty cool decor and mini stage that Mark, the rhythm player designed/built as an old plantation lanai/front porch. Food can be good, with an interesting selection, the chop steak or fried salmon belly are ono. Management care and try, uncommon these days and it's much appreciated, kind of a Hawaiian Cheers, and they will pull a NORM! on you.

Imua Lounge (google map it) is notable for the rowdy but nice/fun crowd and high quality old style Hawaiian music on Wed. night til 10pm, played by Nani, a truly surreal spectacle of large mahus and friends that really hits high gear if Jeff Ah Hoy sits in on steel, but always superb non-the-less. Not to be missed (I hope they are still there...).

The flip-side is Waikiki's Outrigger hotel's Kani Kapila Grille http://www.alohaupdate.com/hawaii-directory/kani-ka-pila-grille/ with their new and beautiful outdoor dining area where slack key giant Cyril Pahinui w/Jeff Au Hoy and Jeff Teves play on Wed. evening, great stuff, with other quality performers thruout the week. The corporate Waikiki attitude is tempered here, fortunately. It's sweet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqVPJI29u54 Giving 'Aloha Bruce' credit for including the entire song in his mini Grille tour.

Great intel !! Thank you. I will definitely check out those places on my next visit. Let's recap some of the places I did get to...

"Honolulu Confidential" Part 9 of 10

Several of these places have already been documented here on TC, but let me include them here for the sake of trip report completeness.

One major street just outside of Waikiki with lots of local flavor is Kapahulu Ave. Let's start with...

Rainbow Drive-in

Anyone I know who grew up in the Honolulu area has nostalgic memories of this place (since 1961). The shoyu chicken appears to be the cult item. It's Honolulu's version of Original Tommy's or Pink's Hot Dogs (i.e. it's old-school and Teflon-proof). It's as good a place as any to experience the classic Hawaiian plate lunch (i.e. 1 entree + 2 scoops rice + 1 scoop macaroni).

I like that it's right next door to...

Bailey's Antiques

This is the mecca of Aloha shirts. They have an inventory of over 15,000 shirts !!

I remember my first visit several years ago, I saw a super cool vintage shirt hanging from the ceiling whose price I inquired on. I was ready to spend $200 on it. They told me the price was $5000 !! I had to pass but they did point me towards a $60 reproduction that I bought instead. I figured if the start-up company I was working for at the time hit it big (it didn't), I'd go back and buy that shirt. On subsequent trips I would always pay a visit to see "my shirt". On the last trip however I was disappointed to see the shirt was gone. They told me a TV celebrity, Anthony Bourdain (???), bought it. They display a picture of him wearing the shirt in the store which mocks me to this day. :(

The owner (who could be a double for Lakers coach Phil Jackson) knows his inventory and it's priced accordingly. So if you're the type of person who likes the "thrill of the hunt" and wants to score a vintage shirt for just $2, this ain't the place. Me, I like "the ease of the purchase" with all my preferences arranged by decade, type, and size. I bought of bunch of shirts from the 1970's neon rack. :)

The nice thing about this place is they carry some local brands which I've haven't seen anywhere else. The Kalakaua label does some great vintage reproductions. Keep in mind however that some of the brands are sold cheaper in the International Market Place (along with the Chinese knock-offs). Some of friends thought I was stupid for paying $30-$60 for a shirt at Baileys when IMP had much better deals. I insisted these labels were "special" and probably not available there. They had the last laugh when they spotted the same shirt I bought at Baileys for $10 cheaper at IMP. Just remember though to always look for the tag "Made in Hawaii"."Designed in Hawaii" is code word for Chinese made (and those Commies have no Aloha :evil:).

There used to be a really cool Shave Ice place down the street but now it's a taco joint :(

Further down Kapahulu (0.3 mi) however is...

Ono Hawaiian Food

This is the "go to" place whenever you want to sample local grinds like kalua pork, lau lau, haupia, chicken long rice, lomi salmon, and poi. (FYI, real Tikiphiles eat poi.)

Want to piss them off when it's crowded? Don't wait outside like you're supposed to, just barge right through the front door. Damn tourists !!

Moving along we get to...

Leonard's Bakery

I like this place for it's cool mid-century signage (1952). They're famous for their malasadas which is a Portuguese doughnut or cream puff. They're fun to look at but don't eat them. Those things are bad for you !!

Let's return to Waikiki proper and visit a place that Phillip Roberts clued me in on...

So when you think of mid-century kitsch architecture, what comes to mind? Well Tiki of course and Googie, but what else?

How about a UFO-shaped bar/restaurant that actually rotates? !!! These places are a vanishing breed (only about 7 left in the U.S.) but Waikiki plays host to one. It's the Top of Waikiki, spinning since 1965.

Even the circular bar looks like the command center for invading aliens. I have to imagine this was a pretty posh place back in the day, when people dressed to the nines (even on a tropical vacation). That's not the case these days, but still I could appreciate its mid-60's cocktail culture coolness.

Oh no, only one chapter left to go. I don't want to leave Hawaii, but I do need to get back to Sin City to check out Mr. Smiley's recent Frank Bowers find.

TOP Of Waikiki is FABULOUS..we ate there about 4 years ago after being DRENCHED on the streets of Waikiki on a particularly rainy night..the wait was long but got window side seating and the food and view were TOP NOTCH

There used to be a really cool Shave Ice place down the street but now it's a taco joint :(

That place is actually really good. They have a day of the dead / mexican lucha libre mask spraypaint mural on the building now.

Let's return to Waikiki proper and visit a place that Phillip Roberts clued me in on...

It's the Top of Waikiki, spinning since 1965.

I guess you didn't get a chance to speak to the man with the BIG gold ring. Too bad. He has got wild stories about this town you would love.

Waikiki Tiki; Art, History, and Photographs.
Available now from Bess Press Hawaii.

[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2010-12-07 21:34 ]

"Honolulu Confidential" Part 10 of 10

Last night at the Tonga Hut...

Bora Boris: "So where's Part 10 ?"

John O: "Actually I ran out of stuff to write about. There is no Part 10."

:(

And remember just because it's Hawaiiana-related, that don't make it Tiki !!

Tha.. tha.. tha.. that's all folks !!

Thanks for the great series John-O! Part 10 will hopefully be all the people who've been inspired by your work and add their own contributions.

Caltiki Brent

Back to Sin City...

I have some good news and bad news. First the bad news.

Atomic Liquor, one of Las Vegas's last remaining links to its Rat Pack Mondo Atomic past, has been closed since the beginning of the year !!

Stella Sobchick who ran the bar with her husband Joseph, passed away on Jan 15th at the age of 91. Joe passed away 3 months earlier also at 91 years. They had run the business for 55 years. I was glad to have met them one of the times they were both in the bar.

My understanding from talking to one of the bartenders at the El Cortez, is the Sobchick's son has no interest in running the place. Hopefully, he can lease out the bar to someone who understands its historic significance and will continue its legacy. In the meantime this is really really depressing news. I liked to think of the Atomic as the mid-century mirror image to Frankie's Tiki Room (much like the Aku Aku existed in primitive juxtaposition to the Stardust's original futuristic "cosmic ray" signage).

Now for the good news. I was finally able to pay a visit to the Hard Hat Lounge. A thousand mahalos to Mr Smiley for scouting out this mid-century dive bar and making a significant urban archeology discovery. They have a Frank Bowers mural !!

So for those of you asking "What does Frank Bowers have to do with Tiki?", please do your homework here…

In Search of Frank Bowers...

Now the Hard Hat meets several of my requirements for a great dive bar:

1. Opened in 1964 (maybe 1962), it has definite mid-century roots. (Although its concrete bunker appearance really doesn't vibe any particular decade).

2. It's an oasis of 24x7 alcoholic pleasure in an otherwise barren industrial neighborhood.

3. You have to be buzzed inside. This suggests an element of danger as it borders the notorious "Naked City".

4. The drinks are stiff and cheap. I was enjoying $5 Wild Turkey Sours.

And the Bowers mural puts the place in a class above. Here's some snaps of my own in addition to the ones that Mr Smiley posted…

Note the wood paneling where the TV is mounted. That actually covers part of the mural depicting a kitchen. This adds hope that the Bowers Zamboanga murals (now a VFW hall) might exist in the same state.

I also like how the Hard Hat sits in the shadow of the Stratosphere (much like the nearby "Golden Triangle" of Dino's Lounge, Olympic Garden, and White Cross Drugs).

Talking to the bartender, Shannon, they are really proud of their mural but had no idea of its background.

Now I hope they do. :)

Thanks John-O for furthering the exploration and publication of Frank Bowers' work
.
Pretty interesting, the concept: No exotic fairy tale lands, but the world of the actual customers: The after 9-5er blue and white collar workers, doing what they came here for.

I have been to the Stratosphere and Olympic Garden, but now I more places to visit.

On 2011-01-17 20:43, JOHN-O wrote:
Back to Sin City...

First the bad news.

Atomic Liquor, one of Las Vegas's last remaining links to its Rat Pack Mondo Atomic past, has been closed since the beginning of the year !!

Stella Sobchick who ran the bar with her husband Joseph, passed away on Jan 15th at the age of 91. Joe passed away 3 months earlier also at 91 years. They had run the business for 55 years. I was glad to have met them one of the times they were both in the bar.

My understanding from talking to one of the bartenders at the El Cortez, is the Sobchick's son has no interest in running the place. Hopefully, he can lease out the bar to someone who understands its historic significance and will continue its legacy. In the meantime this is really really depressing news. I liked to think of the Atomic as the mid-century mirror image to Frankie's Tiki Room (much like the Aku Aku existed in primitive juxtaposition to the Stardust's original futuristic "cosmic ray" signage).

I AM VERY sad to hear this! The bar has such great possibilities. I'm going to have to take some pictures of the outside. I wonder who did the western themed mural inside?!?!

Let's hope SOMEONE preserves this piece of Vegas (bar) history! Anyone dream of running a cool old Vegas joint? Now's your chance! (If the lease is for sale, that is.)

Sorry to hear about the Atomic Liquors owners. I guess in a positive sense it sounds like they beat the life expectancy odds for that part of town pretty handily. FWIW, here's a night photo from 2004.

-Randy

Maybe P Moss might be interested in either buying or leasing the place. He would be perfect.

That would be a great Las Vegas triple: The Double Down Saloon, Frankie's Tiki Room, AND Atomic Liquors.

And on another note, please keep the Hard Hat Lounge on the Q.T. I was talking to Laura Herbert who is the curator of the Burlesque Hall of Fame at Emergency Arts. I mentioned I was going to drop by the Hard Hat, when one of the managers at "The Beat" coffee house overheard and said "I don't ever want to hear that bar mentioned out loud !!". Apparently an onslaught of ironic hipsters has invaded the down and dirty Huntridge Tavern (!!) and she wants to keep the Hard Hat a local secret.

Shhhh... let's keep it in the TC family. :) (Mr. Smiley, maybe you should take down your Yelp review)

On 2011-01-21 12:42, JOHN-O wrote:
Maybe P Moss might be interested in either buying or leasing the place. He would be perfect.

That would be a great Las Vegas triple: The Double Down Saloon, Frankie's Tiki Room, AND Atomic Liquors.

And on another note, please keep the Hard Hat Lounge on the Q.T. I was talking to Laura Herbert who is the curator of the Burlesque Hall of Fame at Emergency Arts. I mentioned I was going to drop by the Hard Hat, when one of the managers at "The Beat" coffee house overheard and said "I don't ever want to hear that bar mentioned out loud !!". Apparently an onslaught of ironic hipsters has invaded the down and dirty Huntridge Tavern (!!) and she wants to keep the Hard Hat a local secret.

Shhhh... let's keep it in the TC family. :) (Mr. Smiley, maybe you should take down your Yelp review)

There is a fine line between keeping something a local secret, and keeping it sooooo secret, that nobody goes and the place goes out of business.

I agree. If "hipsters" frequented the Atomic, it may not have been as charming (or gritty), but at the same time it would have made a good amount of money. I would assume, if the Atomic was a great money maker, the son would hire a manager to run it.
I hope he still does...

On 2011-01-21 12:42, JOHN-O wrote:

And on another note, please keep the Hard Hat Lounge on the Q.T. Apparently an onslaught of ironic hipsters has invaded the down and dirty Huntridge Tavern (!!) and she wants to keep the Hard Hat a local secret.

Shhhh... let's keep it in the TC family. :)

The Huntridge is starting to have some theme nights-often with DJ's playing vintage music so that could be the reason the "Hipsters" have been showing up. Las Vegas has a much smaller Hipster community than say NYC, San Francisco or Los Angeles. So any invasion of hipsters would probable equate to no more than 15 people a night. Those hipster's haven't ruined Frankies, either. Our hipsters are not that bad! :)

On 2011-01-28 18:38, mrsmiley wrote:

...Our hipsters are not that bad! :)

"Sometimes hipness is what it ain't!"

Tower of Power

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQE5vwlRYHA

:D

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-01-28 19:47 ]

Check out the latest addition to Frankie's Tiki Room...

It's a Benzart Tiki.

It's one of the haunted Tikis from the Tropicana !!

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-02-24 00:45 ]

Actually I think it's the very "mask" mentioned in these videos...

http://www.spookhunters.com/spookhunt/vegas/Tropicana/Videos/Tropicana1.htm

http://www.spookhunters.com/spookhunt/vegas/Tropicana/Videos/tikigirl.htm

Although tempting, don't touch it !! You might wind up with purple haze (or a rash).

Hi Ben, we were just at Forbidden Island. We were staring at a beautiful tiki and upon closer examination be found Benzart carved at the base. We got to to say,
"we know one when we see one" always perfection. Thank you Ben for all the beautiful art you bring to this world. Wendy

I watched the Las Vegas video and somehow ended up here. I'm so glad to see Ben's Frankies tiki.

[ Edited by: danlovestikis 2011-05-05 15:29 ]

On 2011-01-21 12:11, aquarj wrote:
Sorry to hear about the Atomic Liquors owners. I guess in a positive sense it sounds like they beat the life expectancy odds for that part of town pretty handily. FWIW, here's a night photo from 2004.

-Randy

Did some miracle happen to reopen Atomic Liquors?