Where are the first TCers today?

So many of the original Tiki Central members don't post anymore
or show up at events these days, What happened to them?
What are they doing today & why have they forsaken Tiki?

I don't want to start listing names from the "Member List"
just to find out that some one died in in an "Industrial press accident, Under mysterious circumstances"
and no one talks about it anymore kinda thing, I hate it when that happens.......

Facebook,
private events,
kids popped up and tiki suffers,
hiding from the Tiki Newbies that spoiled it for them.

Jeff(btd)

I know I spoiled it for myself, does anyone see the ancient ones, still?

there were some at Tiki Oasis,
but in limited hours and hiding in private room parties.

Jeff(btd)

With a quick skim of the first 100 members on the Member List, it looks to me like about 17 are recent contributors on TC, as in, posting within the past month. 17% ain't TOO bad - I wonder what's the participation rate for the entire member list.

TC says there are 13,833 user accounts now, so I wonder if more than 17% have posted in the past month. That'd mean posts from 2350 different users in the past month. Maybe the oldtimers are keeping the average up, and it's the newcomers who're disappearing!

It also looks like 11 out of the first 100 are still grand members. In order for the member list at large to keep up with that rate, there would have to be 1521 current grand members in all. But there's only 245 grand members. So it looks like the oldtimers (first 100 anyway) are definitely keeping the average up! Oldtimers (from first 100) as grand members = 1 in 9. All users as grand members = 1 in 56!!!

Anyway, none of this has anything to do with who's showing up at events. But kinda interesting.

-Randy

Interesting Question,

what makes a scene?
having a forum and posting on it,
or going to events for said scene members.

I say both.

Jeff(btd)

On 2012-08-25 00:49, bigtikidude wrote:
Facebook,
private events,
kids popped up and tiki suffers,
hiding from the Tiki Newbies that spoiled it for them.

Jeff(btd)

How do we newbies spoil it? Not to derail ATP's original question, but I'm curious.
The economic collapse is probably the number 1 reason people have stopped attending events. Tiki drinks, tiki events and tiki collections cost a lot of money. There have been quite a few people on TC, Ebay and other sites that have admitted that they have to sell their collections to make ends meet because they lost their job or an expensive medical issue came up. It's sad.

Lori, Jeff is referring to an attitude that was prevalent
a few years ago,when some of the old school TCers
were voicing a dissatisfaction with the people who later joined the Tiki scene
and some might blame them (Unfairly) for the watering down of what they first established
as the ground work for the Tiki Revival.

They no longer participate on TC, voicing their frustration as the reason why.
I myself butted heads with a few as I see "Tiki" as a social phenomena & pastime
and not so much an academic one.

I can see where that would be disenchanting.

It seems like the high point of the tiki revival was somewhere around 2002-2003, long before we were active here (for shame) and at a time when there was still much work to be done -- but that's also probably why it was such a high point, simply because there was so much that needed doing. (At that point the tiki revival had already been going for a number of years, since at least the mid-90s, probably in step with the Cocktail Nation).

There still is work to be done. Although it seems that every last public estalishment that ever had a yard of bamboo, and maybe one little carved primitive of some sort on display in a corner, has been listed, linked, and cataloged on here, we know that it most definitely hasn't. We've certainly been lax with sharing info and pics, joining late and mostly lurking, and we can't be the only ones to have undocumented tiki in our collection.

But where is everybody? Facebook surely wins for just sharing event pics, and for people whose primary interest is that are probably not getting off their timeline to log in here anymore. But there must be more to it than Facebook. Or is there? Are we the only ones to notice how -- aside from a few stragglers and a couple of intermittent conversations -- this place has the feeling of a ghost town? It's like being down in the bar at 4am, after everyone has gone, when the neon's still flickering (it's open 24 hours, after all), and with a wide view of the dark surf from under the lanai you're just waiting for the sunrise...

Atomic Tiki Punk, do you have any links to relevant threads handy? Or has this ship left in the night?

Well we still have Dusty,Sven & a few others keeping up on the Archeology side
but you are right that there are far fewer Tiki Bars & restaurants to discover still,if any?
certainly all the important ones have been documented.

But we still have the social side of the Tiki revival to keep going, which for me is what it is all about anyway
I do go to most events (yes I am lucky to be in Calif. where alot goes on) and I don't see many of the old folks there

I can only think that they have "fallen out of love" with Tiki.

I am always WOW'ed by the the stuff Dusty digs up. Im always waiting to unearth something thats worth sharing on TC but its getting harder to find Tiki related things up here in my neck of the woods. I visit all my antique malls and thrift stores on a regular basis. I would love to be a real active contributer like some of the ol skool guys and gals on TC. I will just keep trying :D.

[ Edited by: forgotten tikiman 2012-10-04 22:28 ]

On 2012-10-04 22:26, forgotten tikiman wrote:
I will just keep trying :D.

Stuff's out there. Keep looking and never give up!

I was just told that many old timers had come in possession of "Cursed Tikis"
and are dead now, also I am not to talk about it......so.....

Lots are gone.
Some go to the FOM site more.
But I was surprised to see that there are
lots of old TC, Don't know what the cut off for
old timer is.
But lots of the 2002thru2005 are still here but
most of those that post are not from California.
Maybe the fact that you don't know them is why you don't miss them.
The meet and greet tiki game kinda F^#$ Tiki up for me, this group don't
like that group, this guy can't stand that guy.
Too many big egos really, me included.

TikiSkip, that's true Tiki people have more "personality"
and sometimes when they collide you get some sparks
but I don't know about that first hand? :lol:

Chiming in from Seattle. I can point to a few things. The attitude problem of " I did it first" has fractured any scene we might have had around here Seattle). So we dont have events where anyone can feel like they could attend. Its all about private parties that have selective invites to purposely keep the people that the "original Tcers" dont approve of out. As far as other events go if you're not in the thick of the socal scene then you dont seem to count for much. I still come to TC every day to see whats going on but as time goes by I see that when I do post something its like posting to a grave yard. So I spend alot more time over on facebook, I sell more art over there, I know what kind of an audience I have as opposed to here where EVERYONE is just "lurking" without bothering to say anything. I have a lot more interaction with tiki people there than on here. Its like TC and some of the "old timers" have set up an atmosphere of exclusion and made it uncomfortable for people to feel like they can be themselves.

All that being said, I try to behave myself here, I try to add content in the way of stuff I make, and I still have some good friends I've made from TC.
I've been doing tiki art since BEFORE TC, since before Tiki News even. and I still feel kinda like an outsider. ( not an attitude , a fact) I often find myself as the person who has the completely out in left field viewpoint from everyone else around me. Which I believe is still a valid wiewpoint.

[ Edited by: Sophista-tiki 2012-10-07 10:26 ]

" and I still feel kinda like an outsider. ( not an attitude , a fact) I often find myself as the person who has the completely out in left field viewpoint from everyone else around me. Which I believe is still a valid wiewpoint"

This is how I feel here as well, Heck I feel that way everywhere.
But when we have gone to events it's like sooo clicky, if you are not way in
you are left way out.
Myself I always liked to talk to the people that looked like they felt left out.
Have met some good people that way. Bill Sapp was one of them.
But then I have never been good at being in groups like to work alone, less witnesses.:)
So take the good with the bad.
Lots of my lights go to people who don't know about Tikicentral via ebay.

On 2012-10-07 09:42, Sophista-tiki wrote:
Chiming in from Seattle. I can point to a few things. The attitude problem of " I did it first" has fractured any scene we might have had around here Seattle). So we dont have events where anyone can feel like they could attend. Its all about private parties that have selective invites to purposely keep the people that the "original Tcers" dont approve of out. As far as other events go if you're not in the thick of the socal scene then you dont seem to count for much. I still come to TC every day to see whats going on but as time goes by I see that when I do post something its like posting to a grave yard. So I spend alot more time over on facebook, I sell more art over there, I know what kind of an audience I have as opposed to here where EVERYONE is just "lurking" without bothering to say anything. I have a lot more interaction with tiki people there than on here. Its like TC and some of the "old timers" have set up an atmosphere of exclusion and made it uncomfortable for people to feel like they can be themselves.

All that being said, I try to behave myself here, I try to add content in the way of stuff I make, and I still have some good friends I've made from TC.
I've been doing tiki art since BEFORE TC, since before Tiki News even. and I still feel kinda like an outsider. ( not an attitude , a fact) I often find myself as the person who has the completely out in left field viewpoint from everyone else around me. Which I believe is still a valid wiewpoint.

What I like most about events is meeting new people. When I was in charge of Hukilau, it was my intent to bring people together in ways that facilitated meeting and getting to know each other. When I had the idea for a seminar event that was more like a Con, I had in mind that there would be dozens of small "events" that every type of enthusiast could find fellows to talk with, peer-to-peer. Unfortunately, my idea was turned into a few events where a single person on stage talks to a group. Then I suggested that all such seminars be followed by a meet and greet where people can talk to the speaker and interact with them and each other. That got translated into a book signing... I think people don't get it. I quit trying to share ideas.

I hear it from all over. Events are getting bigger, but maybe not better when you can't really hang out and talk and meet all these people who are like-minded. It seems to end up being accidental.

Hukilau in the early days was great as a mixer. It got bigger and we knew less of the attendees and more stuff got scheduled. Coon Tiki was great because we had 25 people in a remote cabin who all hung out together and got to know each other. That was more of a success in many ways.

Events are a Catch-22. You want more people always, but you then need to plan small activities for them.

In the Tiki community, it really is about the people IMO.

As for old timers, life happens.

I posted as "tiki Mick" when I joined in 2003...(in 2004 I switched to Lucas)

Does that make me one of the ancient ones?

On 2012-10-09 08:28, Swanky wrote:

As for old timers, life happens.

This is a category on TC that i very, very rarely look at and tonight i did and this thread caught my eye. Like any 'scene', those that were there in the beginning, i think, always feel like they have a sense of entitlement because they were there first, and that is understandable. It's like listening to a band before they become popular and then when they do they have 'sold out'.

However, without new blood showing interest that 'scene' is going to get stale very quickly and die a slow death. It needs new blood to keep it interesting. A band is not going to survive playing to the same 10 people over and over again. Having said that it is like anything, once something becomes mainstream, or popular, it loses its uniqueness, and those that were there 'first' lose interest because it has become watered down.

I made my first pilgrimage to Tiki Oasis this year which was #12. I had an absolutely awesome time. Had i attended the first one, two, three or four, obvioulsy it would have been extremely different. Would i have enjoyed it more or less i cannot answer. Those that were there from the start no doubt have seen things change, and whether that is for good or bad, only they can say. If they are still here then you can only assume it's for the good. For me, having that many people attend only gave me the opportunity to meet more like-minded people. Everyone most likely had a different reason for being there but that is perfectly fine with me.

To me, Tiki and Tiki culture is what YOU want to take from it. Although i only became a member here in 2007 i also 'lurked' for a few years. So i have personally had an interest in Tiki for about 8 years now. Whilst i certainly haven't been around for as long as a lot of people here, 8 years is a reasonably long time (for anything), enough to 'think' that you have seen it all and maybe lose interest, or at least, not have the passion you once had.

So to go back to Swanky's quote, life happens. We all move on, and although i still enjoy the music i listened to in my youth it's not exactly what i play every day, but it's still nice to go back to every now and again, although the music that the kids listen to these days sucks compared to my day. :lol:

[ Edited by: swizzle 2012-10-14 03:11 ]

I think we should consider the possibility that the fault lies with people who are drawn to tiki/vintage for the wrong reasons. I think most of us who are interested for the right reasons will, sooner or later, have a moment where it becomes unavoidably clear that there are bums on the bandwagon. For me it was the Robert Drasnin performance at Hukilau 2005, where the music's quieter passages were drowned out by the chatter of the ill-mannered drunkards in attendance. (We don't know if they were ALL F.O.M. members, but chances are there were more than a few. It's a certainty that they were all yankees.)

It became obvious, then & there, that the tiki revival had attracted some number (we don't know the size of the number, but hopefully it's a minority) of people who were more interested in hearing themselves talk than in hearing the musical resurrection of rare genius. They were there for the party, not for the art. They were under the misguided opinion that what they had to say was more relevant than what Drasnin's talent and orchestra had to say. They were wrong, and should've been somewhere else.

Anyone who's seen the TLC show "Housewives with Beehives" has had a glimpse of the same phenomenon. The cattiness and utter commonality of the vintage lifestylers robs their good taste of whatever virtue it ever had. Just because someone has the same taste in decor as you, that doesn't mean they're someone you'd ever want inside your home. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth, but it's a good lesson to learn because it reflects the larger reality of human nature.

Drasnin was too much of a gentleman to stop his performance until the noise dissipated, but I'm not sure the drunken dolts learned anything from his courtesy. If we don't tell the louts to shut the fuck up, how else are they ever going to learn that they should? The important thing, of course, is not to cede the party to the tacky and misguided: that's probably what did in the original Tiki movement in the first place. We should all be grateful that Sven, Swank, et al still grace us with their company. If we can manage to keep our mouths shut long enough to learn something from those who came before, there's always hope for our little flagging campfire.

[ Edited by: White Devil 2012-12-28 08:07 ]

White Devil,

great post, I often am at Tiki events thinking,
why am I here?
do I like hanging around with some of these people?
are they into tiki for the right reasons?
or same reasons I am?

and more and more often the answer is no.
just a few months from my posts in this thread,
I am distancing myself from the "party" crowd.
and delving into what tiki is for me, at home.

Now I know the answer to the question, where have all the early tiki revivalists gone,
away from the modern one.

A similar situation to your Robert Drasnin story above.
a couple years ago, The Huntington Cads(with SHAG)had a reunion at Tiki Oasis.
I was really trying to listen to, and soak in this amazing performance.
But many attendees hanging out were just blabbering away.

I stopped them and said, hey look at the stage and see the guy with blonde hair
on the right. Do you recognize him? they said no. I said it's Shag, and this is a rare reunion of 1 of the 3 bands he was in, in the 90s.
They said, wow, we had no idea he played muisc.
and within' 2 min, were blabbering away again.
Somebody give me a gun, to shoot them, or myself.
:roll:

Jeff(btd)

I don't know what quantifies people as "Old School" or "Newbies" and I don't care. My level of involvement has dropped due to various reasons. Life, family activities, cost at Tiki events, egos, disrespect etc. I couldn't care less about how long someone has been into Tiki. I do care if they are kind, earnest, respectful, open-minded and willing to learn. Being "into Tiki" and being INVOLVED in Tiki are very different. Some of my favorite people I have ever become friends with are involved in this subculture. I am very grateful for that. I am NOT impressed by people (old school or new) who feel the need to put others down to pick themselves up.
Aside from personality issues, I would suggest that the shear repetition of certain arguments has gotten unbearable. How many times must this revival be defined and redefined? How many times will an argument erupt because a topic has already been covered in another post somewhere? How many times will we watch as a very simple and pure subculture will be directed and manipulated by peoples political or religious views?
I, for one, intend to stay involved in the Tiki scene. I intend to remain friends with the people I respect and love here. I am open to new friends and ideas. I also have learned to turn away from the people who treat this scene like a big high-five-date-rape-brotard-frat party. People have to realize that discovering this place can be nothing less than magical. But if you think everyone here has just been waiting around for your 'Oh So Impressive Arrival and All Of Your Amazing Talents', think again. I love new talent coming in. We were all there at some point. Many of the newer artists have really impressed and inspired me. Those who have withstood the test of Tiki time, in my opinion, have been humble, caring and joyous to be around.
I guess it comes down to figuring out WHY you are into Tiki and not Who you think you are. Does that make sense?
This whole rant may even be total b.s.
Maybe I've just stopped posting as much because I've gotten older and can't keep up anymore.
Peace with every step.

"I also have learned to turn away from the people who treat this scene like a big high-five-date-rape-brotard-frat party"

HA! You hit the nail on the head with this!
Funny thing is these people with be the first to
get all pissed about Jimmy buffet or frat boys.
Then yak all night about having sex with a goat.
True story.
I thought it was just an "Ohio thing"

I was laughing only because it is so true
I was talking with a couple of old school TCers this weekend
and the consensus was that many of the original members did fall into
a sense of entitlement and exclusivity, very much like the old Swing scene in the 90s

While I am fairly rigid on what Tiki is, I sure as hell don't think it should be closed to anyone
and we do our best to welcome anyone who shows up to any Tiki events we throw or attend
in our area, because for me Tiki is all about the social aspects of it anyway.

But I do get all crazy when I hear "Jimmy Buffett" in an old school Tiki Bar!
Don's has karaoke in the Dagger bar on the weekends, why do they do this during Tiki events, I can not fathom!
as it scares the Tiki crowd out of the bar, I will leave it at the "karaoke crowd" fears me.....and they should.

Member #60 here.

I just saw this thread because I don't check out the Ohana Forum very often (even though I invented the Ohana forum!) (I suggested the idea because I didn't like looking at all the Happy Birthday So-N-So-Tiki!!! posts in the main forum. Yes, as some of you have always thought...I'm a bastard!) (I also hate the word ohana unless it's being used in Hawaii for Hawaiian things!) (Again; I'm a bastard!)

"So many of the original Tiki Central members don't post anymore or show up at events these days, What happened to them?
What are they doing today & why have they forsaken Tiki?"

The former active members from Seattle that I know haven't "forsaken Tiki" they just lost interest in Tiki Central. That mostly seems to have been due to various spats and blowups.

Seattle way back when had a few public events the came about because of Tiki Central but they proved to be a real hassle to organize and sort of expensive. And some people had issues with others, that's part of being human. (Oh! I just got the double meaning of the title of the fun BBC series Being Human!) Fortunately for me I've managed to stay on decent terms with Seattle TCers (despite the fact that I'm a bastard). Or at least they all pretend we're on good terms. Pert near everyone I know and interact with (by which I mean drink with) in Seattle and Portland, and 97.3% of everyone I know on Facebook (where I have over 100,000 friends) I know directly or indirectly because of Tiki Central. Thanks, Hanford, wherever you are!

There are a lot of people who've stormed out of Tiki Central that I still don't miss. One I've actually got to know via Facebook and it turns out he/she/it is the really cool and funny guy/gal/thing everyone had always said he/she/it was even though I found him/her/it to be a complete jerk/ass/moron when he/she/it posted on Tiki Central. (No, I'm not talking about myself, I'm a complete bastard. Please pay attention.)

And I've spoke with other Tiki artists besides the incredibly talented Sophista-tiki and they agree with what she wrote above: They get far more interaction and delicious sales through Facebook than they ever did on Tiki Central. Why is that? Who the hell knows! Find your own answers. I have an episode of Sherlock Holmes to go watch.

Even though I got into Tiki in mid 90s.
I didn't sign up to TC until 2004

In the few months since I have posted in this thread.
I have cut way back on going to tiki events.

1. I was outta work for awhile, now I'm working but limited income.
2. My old truck died, and had to buy a new one,
   so my extra spending money is waaaay less that before.
   and the tiki scene costs money.
3. I have cut way back on my drinking for health reasons.
   I am getting pretty big, and the extra calories, dont help.
   and drinking booze(even 1 beer or tiki drink) makes me feel really crappy the
   next day.
4. Losing a friend to cancer and other internal issues.
   all brought on by drinking way to much has turned me off to drinking also.

Jeff(btd)

"But I do get all crazy when I hear "Jimmy Buffett" in an old school Tiki Bar!"

True, but I've heard worse things in a tiki bar.
I'm 52, so I'm 10 to 15 years older than lots of the tiki pepole
and this reads more mello I guess.
Had my wild years thats for sure.
But can we all agree that one, MAYBE two WooHoos yelled out per night, max.
Unless you won the lottery, Then WooHoo like a loon.
But tiki I thought was a kinda cool low key lounge thing.
There is / was talk of a Starwars night at the Tiki bar here put on by the
bar and a local group.
WTF? When the heck did Starwars become Tiki?
At least Jimmy Buffet is closer to tiki than Fn Legos, Starwars and pie.(PS I'm not a parrothead)
I would go for Rockford files night though, that would be cool.
But I don't collect Jim Rockford dolls though, that would be creepy.

‹(•¿•)›‹(•¿•)›‹(•¿•)›‹(•¿•)›•:TIKISKIP:•‹(•¿•)›‹(•¿•)›‹(•¿•)›‹(•¿•)›
LIGHTS

So many things to say:

Woofmut. Man, you're a bastard. :)

BTD: I didn't know all that about you, sorry to hear that. My condolences about the friend, and the health. I didn't realize the big in your name meant big. I understand though, as I've cut down a lot myself. When your liver looks 30 years old than you, maybe you're doing something wrong. And sometimes that means cutting certain people out of your life, who turns out weren't that good of friends in the first place. Here's to hoping your health improves, along with mine.

Skip: Further proof that Rockford is more tiki than Star Wars:

Though if you're a fan of the show, I'm guessing you saw that episode.

Swanky: Coon tiki!?!? Although a cabin in the woods is about the least "tiki" thing I can think of, I know from personal experience that a weekend in a cabin with a good group of friends, even a large one, can be one hell of a time. Sounds like it was a lot of fun.

White Devil: That sounds like a shitty experience. I'm glad I wasn't there. I can tell you that a lot was ruined for me at my first Tiki Oasis last year because of people who didn't give two shits about what was going on. Like being forced to leave on my first visit to the Bali Hai, while Tikiyaki was playing, and without having seen the second floor. But it was the random strangers who were really great people that I had never met before in my life that made it an awesome experience.

In defense of drunkards: Even the most reverent of tikiphiles can get a little too tipsy on occasion, when the drinks sneak up on you. So, if/when I meet any of you out there at an event, which I've traveled quite a distance to come to, as I'm the only one that hosts anything within 100 miles of me (with the exception of a few home parties), please excuse me if I'm a little tipsy. I'm loud when I'm sober, so it's not the booze, it's just me laughing and enjoying the moment. And feel free to say hi, I love making new friends, meeting new people, and just having a great time.

Whatever happened to thebaxdog? Dude was one of the original members and hasn't posted since 2006..

I was just looking at the members who joined about the same time I did. Man! Little to no comments at all. I think a clean up is do.

This old timer still visits TC often, just haven't been posting much myself. A number of reasons I've been a bit silent here:

• Tiki events are far too frequent and cost too many $$$ to attend very many.

• I used to collect Tiki mugs when they were 50 cents and plentiful at thrift stores, and I'd show off my fantastic score here.... when they soared in value, I chose to sell 'em all. Now I only pick up mugs from restaurants and bars I actually visited, exotic souvenirs the way mugs were originally meant to be.

• I built a spectacular home bar, but had to tear it all out after only a couple of years. That was very heart breaking and discouraged me from building again.

• I hate to say it, but I don't get the same general sense of family, friendship and passion from the newer Tiki folks as I do from the old-timers. In the earlier TC days, someone could post "I'm visiting such-and-such area, can anyone recommend the Tiki sites to see?" and the majority of the replies would be "come stay at our place!","we'll have a big party for you","we'll show you around ourselves" etc. I don't notice that as much now.

• A lot of the big events seem to focus more around gearheads, burlesque, silly non-Tiki themes, retro non-Tiki culture... and the Tiki element is just sort of a background decoration only. Sure, the events are fun and I've attended a fair share, but I'd be more happy with a retro "backyard luau" event.

• Times change, and I stay more socially connected with Facebook. I still view TC as a valuable resource... just not a big social media.

• It has just gotten too expensive to pursue vintage Tiki for me. For a long time, I refused to embrace all the new stuff that flooded the market... now I seek out only quality new stuff, from local artists, and even that gets expensive.

• I have already passed the "mad passion" phase of this hobby.... you know, when you went crazy buying and collecting, and now you are full to the rafters with stuff, and you slow the pace. I am still very much into it all, but it has settled into a hobby that doesn't possess every waking hour of my life.

With all that said, I am still working on creating a Tiki lounge, but in a more streamlined style. It is a personal retreat... so I am less likely to show it off and host parties in it. I have been attending more events, but the smaller ones. I love going to the International Tiki Marketplace, not just to shop, but to socialize with the community. When I have travel plans, I work in some Tiki stuff when possible.

I'm still out there, just a bit more quiet! :)

Terry, you're just gettin' sentimental cuz Bahooka is closing :wink:

I'm on a Mai Kai high, and got the Bahooka blues!

Excellent post Terry!

Thanks.

I would like to thank Terry for posting honest reasons for
Getting out of tiki, or not being as involved.

Jeff btd

Excellent post, Terry. The one thing I must disagree with is that the people are still warm & friendly & kind. I've visited SoCal 3 times in the past 2 years & have been welcomed into peoples' homes, shown around the sites, bought drinks & even baked wonderful cupcakes by a certain lovely lady married to a certain crotchedy old punk. I've absolutely made many life-long friends because of TC & even though I do use FB to keep in touch with them on a day-to-day basis, I don't think I will ever lose my love for TC. Maybe we can raise a glass the next time I visit.
Mahalo,
Rick

Whom are this people who were nice to you, Rick?

I will need to have a firm talking to these individuals
for soiling our Southern California reputation of vacuous self centeredness
and inhospitality!

I can assure you that your next visit here will be appropriately horrible
and I would apologize for the inappropriate kindness you received on your prior visit
here (But I am not allowed to) because that would go against our very nature :lol:

I don't check Tiki Central nearly as much as I used to, but just discovered this thread, and thought I would add my own two cents.

I'm still appreciative of tiki. My Polynesian/tiki room is still there, but I'm not buying as many mugs or tikis or artwork, partly because I have plenty already, and am much more selective. For the early Hukilau/tiki events, it seemed as if I was buying stuff from almost every vendor, and I felt like a kid in a candy store. Now the appeal has lessened a bit, and I am content with buying just one or two small quality items.

I've gotten quite used to my decor of my Polynesian Room, and don't notice it as much anymore. It is the first room I see when I enter my home. After a while it becomes just a regular background. It is when I have people over, and sense the wonder in their eyes, that I appreciate again how unique and wonderful my Polynesian Room is.

My taste in cocktails has changed - 10 years ago I would get excited anytime I saw a variation of a mai-tai or some other classic tiki drink on the menu - now I am more likely to get excited if I see a cocktail that features mezcal, or chartreuse, or campari, or rye, or whatever my latest cocktail kick is.

For so many years I focused on just the mai-tai and other variations of classic tiki drinks, and followed the discussions for the perfect recipe. I would get so excited when I saw a mai-tai listed on a bar menu. But at some point it seemed too narrowly focused.

An analogy another tiki friend gave is that tiki cocktails are kind of like a slice of pizza - there are many variations, many different sauces or toppings to try and they all may taste good, and there can be great discussions on what makes the perfect slice. But there are many more food items on the menu too, and completely different kitchens the next block over, and when you start exploring those other tastes, you find that you don't really want to eat as much pizza anymore. But you will know where to go for that perfect slice, when you get the craving for it.

I agree with the getting older/health/calorie issues. I'm preferring smaller portions, sipping versus sucking through straw, and part of it is the quality vs quantity thing, and part of it is so I won't have to run to the restroom as often.

Yeah, your body changes as you get older. I'm sure I would be healthier if I drank less/exercised more, and I hope I'm moving in that general direction, but its definitely not happening at the pace my doctor would prefer.

I no longer get upset if a bar doesn't have the perfect combination of quality drinks, decor, and music. I'm completely content with just the quality drink and a peaceful, friendly setting. I think it is good that rum cocktails are appearing in venues that don't necessarily rely on Martin Denny music, although I hope there is always a place to enjoy that type of exotica music and setting.

A friend of mine opened a bar recently, with a menu that included some good rum drinks, and he was complaining about some tiki folk coming in with their Hawaiian shirts and complaining about the music not being right, the decor not being right, perhaps the lighting not being perfect and making other suggestions, and he became a bit upset and wished he could have yelled to them 'Go and open your own damn bar'

And I found myself understanding him, and agreeing with him - which kind of surprised me. 10 years ago I would have been one of those who lit the tiki torches and marched in righteous anger yelling 'Damn those heretics who dare to play hip-hop in a tiki bar' Now I find myself sitting next to and sipping a good rum with my friend, and thinking 'Mmmm, this hip-hop song is pretty cool for this setting'

Those of us who got into tiki 10, 15, or 20 years ago got into it partly because it was so new and adventurous. We were curious people, and we continue to seek out new things, and new activities. For myself, it has been the live theatre scene in the D.C. area.

Others have likely discovered their own unique interests, that lie outside the general constraints of the Tiki central boards. It isn't necessarily that tiki suddenly became unattractive and repulsive to them, but that their focus is just venturing in some other direction, whether it be a minor tangental shift or a drastic change.

I do still appreciate tiki. But I no longer feel I need to have my life tuned to the 'Tiki All the Time' radio station like it used to. I will attend Hukilau this year, and will hopefully have a great time, but my emphasis will likely be less on the all-night partying scene, but more on the just hanging out with friends, and 'get renewed by relaxing in the Mai Kai gardens' mode of being.

Vern

Huh? What?

This subject is funny because it shows what happened to Tiki in the first place. From the time Don The Beachcomber started the craze until it died in the 70's, the same process happened. And it will happen again.

Then you will see all the tiki crap back in the thrift shops where it belongs and hardcore Tiki Freaks can once again buy and collect tiki for a song.

I personally have enjoyed the resurgence in Tiki, but not the high cost and fad it has become.

Tiki is for founded by bums who could take cheap rum and turn it into drinkable drinks. Build Tiki rooms from found and scavenged items. Now I'm seeing mugs selling like hotcakes for $300 a pop, please that's not tiki culture.

The appeal to me is escapism into my only little world and leaving the big world outside for a short period of time.

Tiki life is great for me. I enjoyed before the resurgence and I'll enjoy it after it dies again.

I just got done re-reading this thread. Geez I sound angry back there! It occurred to me that Tiki Oasis is quickly approaching and it is the one event that I am at, guaranteed. Although it is a general madhouse now, I think I'm going to try and treat it like an opportunity to reconnect to that old 'Tiki spirit". Maybe try and tap into the feelings I used to get when I was first around the whole Tiki scene. I look forward to seeing all the old friends and making some new ones as well. If all goes well I may find myself attending more events, posting more often and even checking out thrift stores again. Who knows? I do miss the way this scene used to affect me, and I don't think it'll take much to get a bit of that back. I guess, as always, it boils down to the people.

No matter what the year's theme is for Tiki Oasis, I like the straight up tiki stuff the best. I love seeing the friends I've made over the years. I love making new friends, The comfortable afternoon parties, the drinks, the awesome night scene. I dig helping Otto and the gang pull off the event and I love working with my old high school buddies to put on our room party for you all. Tiki Oasis is hundreds of creative people being creative and having fun! I'm just tickled pink they let in! :D

It's funny, because I feel like I came to so much of this so very late, finding the community just as the Kahiki was being torn down, and yet I remember TC's yahoo group days and ended up registering here just a little over the 'first 100 member' mark. It's all relative I suppose.

A decade plus on now, my home "Lounge of the Seven Pleasures and Kapu Gardens" is still an ongoing project, I tend to gather with local Tikiphiles here in the DC area roughly once every 2-3 months at House of Foong Lin or Shanghai Village, though some of us cross paths more often. OakTiki and I Try to make Hukilau or Ohana every couple of years, depending on our travel, and we still make a point of hitting Tiki odds and ends as we travel, sometimes connecting with other locals as we go, sometimes we're scheduled a bit too tightly to do so.

Tiki, and so many of the folks we've met through it and TC itself are still an important part of our lives. That said, we're in a relative desert here in Maryland, precious little by way of venues, so we make our own as best we're able. What little we do have, like the Tiki Bar at Solomon's Island, is well worth the visit, but isn't quite our Tiki "home" in the sense of Tiki we mean by the word.

I haven't been stopping by TC anywhere near as much as perhaps I should, but part of that is that I often get some of the Tiki related news I need more by word of mouth. But I do stop in and look around though I've often not much to contribute.

I suppose I am one of those folks still adapting from when Tiki mugs were three for a buck at tag sales and Arthur Lyman records were considered part of that great flotsam and jetsam stream of 'vinyl by the pound.' Some of us were Tiki long before target discovered slapping a "tiki" graphics on anything could make it sell, but then I'm not saying everything 'resurgent' is bad either. Just different. Our world has changed, but it's not just TC. Things like e-bay changed the dynamics of all of it profoundly.

TC has adapted from a time period when being 'into Tiki' or exotica was 'weird' and got you blank stares into a period when so many books have been published, websites, facebook groups, Television series, now college classes etc. taking the entire period seriously, in architecture, in ceramics, fashion, etc. Now when you say "a-frame' people don't necessarily envision an alpine style cabin in the Adirondacks.

So 'old-timers' and TC itself has had to adapt to those changes and the massive influx of new people.

Those who are in it for one form of 'the Tiki'- the history, the architecture, the art, the mixology, the exotica, the carving, etc. etc. etc. who draw together out of wanting to be near others with similar interests, I've always felt a kinship with and done what I can to share whatever I can with.

Those who see particularly some of the events as a 'hella-strong drink' excuse to get wasted and lose a weekend, well it's their 'Tiki' too, but probably not those I'm most likely to be spending my time around, though if those folks ever want to learn more, I'm more than happy to pass along whatever I can. I'm not trying to be condescending, just in that for some of us, there's more to it. That more is what brought us here in the first place.

As others on this thread have said, 'real life' gets in the middle of some of the doing, and as ikitnrev pointed out, curiosity was a common thread for many of us early folks. We came to Tiki with a lifetime's worth of exploration and wanderings between communities and cultures and so stopping, frozen in time at ANY given point just isn't exactly in our natures.

That doesn't mean a nice dim bar like Foundation in Milwaukee, when the music and the drinks are just right won't hold our hearts and our attention for a nice long spell, though.

Some of us are easy to find, you just need to know where to look.

Here is your very first post to this forum, and it's a good one!

(originally posted in 2002)

"Aloha, fellow Tiki-philes!

I've been quietly lurking along with you since before the demise of the yahoo Tiki-central- but Johntiki (and other MD/DC/VA area Tiki-philes) have finally pulled me out of lurk mode via his suggestion of a mid-Atlantic Tiki gathering, as I'm yet another Maryland Tiki addict! I don't keep up with reading TC as much as I'd like to, but here I've found a real community of people who have already taught me much! And I'm deeply grateful!

I grew up in Central Ohio- spending many a birthday or other special event at our beloved Kahiki. Even as a kid, they'd serve virgin drinks in coconut or skull or even headhunter mugs to take home, and the staff always treated us as island royalty.

In the Book of Tiki, you'll find a picture of the Kahiki in winter- which most closely matches my memories- driving through January cold and wind to pass through the fire capped Moai guarded doors, through the wonderful darkened cave passage with dripping glowing water, and then passing through the interior doors into paradise- a world unto itself where time, and the outside world seemed to fade. After an evening well spent with music drink, feasting and rainy thunderstorms, we would return back out into the cold landscape of Ohio only to find a fresh blanket of several inches of snow covering everything- (including the car)! Somehow, there's just nothing quite like island "artifacts" with fluffy white snow all around.

From those childhood memories- and interests in things like stage design, architectural preservation and good old fashioned Pagan debaucheries of various sorts came my adulthood love of all things Tiki- and my horror as the Kahiki was destroyed.
Unfortunately, I was only able to visit the Kahiki a few times as an adult (drinking age), but I do count it my good fortune, that I was able to take both my partner and close friend for a final Hoorah before the Kahiki closed. So I guess you can say I moved from being Tiki-positive to being actively Tiki participatory and preservationist around the time of the destruction of the Kahiki.

Naturally, the loss of such a temple, and my new home here in MD- (the land where the Tikis are almost forgot), led to a desire to create my only little corner of something Kahiki-esque or more generally Tiki preservationist, here at home, at least, to share in the wonder that was, and is, Tiki, and to pass along the knowledge to those few who seek it. The web being what it is, it was naturally, only a matter of time until I ran across Tiki central, the Tiki bar review page, the Tiki news, the book of Tiki, and thrift, garage sale, and e-bay treasures, and today's modern Tiki artisans.

By now I'm sure some of this is sounding pretty familiar, many people here probably could have written similar. In any case, I'm very glad to be among you, and hope to be a bit more active now that I'm no longer a TC lurker

-Sabina "

Awwww! (Blushing) Thanks!

(Yow!)

Now all these years later? I've actually come to own a couple Kahiki artifacts thanks to my Ohana here, (among other odds and ends) and now get to share them and those memories by way of my own little piece of paradise. So in a very weird sense, certain things have come full circle, all thanks to TC and the people who have made this place what it is.

My niece wasn't even born yet when the Kahiki was torn down. But the proverbial torches still burn hereabouts and she gets to touch that history because fellow Tikiphiles cared.

What a long, long way we've all come since 2002.

On 2012-10-01 18:11, aquarj wrote:
With a quick skim of the first 100 members on the Member List, it looks to me like about 17 are recent contributors on TC, as in, posting within the past month. 17% ain't TOO bad - I wonder what's the participation rate for the entire member list.

TC says there are 13,833 user accounts now, so I wonder if more than 17% have posted in the past month. That'd mean posts from 2350 different users in the past month. Maybe the oldtimers are keeping the average up, and it's the newcomers who're disappearing!

It also looks like 11 out of the first 100 are still grand members. In order for the member list at large to keep up with that rate, there would have to be 1521 current grand members in all. But there's only 245 grand members. So it looks like the oldtimers (first 100 anyway) are definitely keeping the average up! Oldtimers (from first 100) as grand members = 1 in 9. All users as grand members = 1 in 56!!!

Anyway, none of this has anything to do with who's showing up at events. But kinda interesting.

-Randy

Wow, crazy to see over 15,000 users! I already felt like I was late to the party back when I joined in 2006, although I had been lurking for over a year. To think membership tripled after that! It feels like - in Texas anyway - the Tiki fad of the mid-2000s has long been over. One would think this site would be realllly quite these days. But good to see it still going strong!