Tiki till Dawn at LACMA!!!!!

Just came across this on the SHAG site:

"Shag will be doing a booksigning at the LA County Museum of Art on June 17 at 9:30pm as
part of an all-night party called Tiki 'Til Dawn. The free event is to introduce the Museum to people who might not
otherwise visit it, and will include music, films and fashion shows. Admission is free. The booksigning will be held in the
museum's Central Court. Other authors and artists scheduled to sign include Sven Kirsten (Book of Tiki), Gary Baseman,
Robbie Conal and Graham Nash. This will be Shag's only booksigning in the LA area in 2004."

It's on a Thursday night when they usually have live music. Surely, someone has the inside scoop on this event? C'mon give!

I saw this posted on the net:

[email protected]

"The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) will open to party-goers beginning at 7PM and continue all though the night until 7AM the following morning for its Tiki Till Dawn Party!.

In addition to FREE admission to the entire museum and the latest Beyond Geometry and Inventing Race exhibitions, Tiki Till Dawn offers live music from DJ Diabetic; a sneak preview of the new Sony Pictures Classics surf film Riding Giants; and appearances by L.A. authors including Gary Baseman signing Dumb Luck, Robbie Conal signing Art Burn, Sandow Birk signing Dante’s Inferno, and Shag signing Tiki Drinks, Shag’s Around the World in 80 Drinks, and Shag Party.

Insiders will also enjoy films, interactive graffiti murals, live improv, no-host barbecue and Tiki bar.

Plus, party-goers can enter a random drawing to win two free plane tickets to anywhere in the world that Air France flies!

LACMA is even giving away a custom-painted motor scooter created by artist Shepard Fairey as the featured prize in a summer-long silent auction (proceeds will benefit LACMA art education programs for at-risk youth).

So, make your plans for Tiki Till Dawn now -- especially after the raving success of LACMA’s first FREE "all-nighter" - Cabaret LACMA, which drew nearly 9,000 party insiders!!!"

I work across the street - maybe I should pull an all-nighter.

[ Edited by: christiki295 on 2004-05-28 18:46 ]

For more information, you should check out LACMA's website http://www.lacma.org. Don't forget to RSVP (you can do it at the website) or you will have to suffer very, very long lines. The party goes all night - 7pm to 7 am. The word I heard was that over 9,000 people attended last year so it should be fun. The party is free. The BBQ costs.

BettyBleu, thanks for the tip.

Come & say hello if you attend, I'll be the guy hanging out at the Tiki Bar all night.

I'll be there, and was trying to set up a live carving demo for this, but...

ok - i don't get it???

here's the webpage: http://www.lacma.org/summer04/tikisemi.htm

Shag is a tiki artist, I mean I am a fan of Baseman's work, but what do Gary Baseman, Sandow Birk, Robbie Conol and Babar the elephant have to do with tiki??? huh???

Where are our other major tiki players at this event? There are plenty of other gallery level tiki artists that should be represented: Just off the top of my head: Miles Thompson, Tim Biskup, Mark Ryden, The Pizz... LACMA is just another group that wants to jump on the tiki bandwagon with no true concept of tiki...

SOOOO... write to them and ask them (make that demand...) if the Smokin' Menehuenes or the Mai Kai Gents will playing? Ask them if Cherry Capri or King Kukuelele will be making an appearance? Ask them if there will be any live tiki carving demonstrations?

here's the email
[email protected]

[ Edited by: Futura Girl on 2004-06-09 01:37 ]

p.s.
i know the p.r. and most of the arrangements have already been set, but i'm still working on getting king and cherry and c.b. a gig and gonna put in a good word for chikitiki - so if anybody else has leads or insider trading info - lemme know.

okay, not that I can go or anything, but I just wanted to say that they sure aren't trying very hard to git folks to go.
their webpage for that is
LAME... SUper Lame, sucky, ya'd think, hmmmmmmmmmmm
ART museum, hmmmm, maybe they'd have
ARTY type of webpages.
hmmmm
LAME.
okay, sorry that's all,
and yes, I think the King and Cherry
should be there for SURE!

On 2004-05-27 20:28, spy-tiki wrote:

"Shag will be doing a booksigning at the LA County Museum of Art on June 17 at 9:30pm as
part of an all-night party called Tiki 'Til Dawn. The free event is to introduce the Museum to people who might not
otherwise visit it, and will include music, films and fashion shows. Admission is free. The booksigning will be held in the
museum's Central Court. Other authors and artists scheduled to sign include Sven Kirsten (Book of Tiki), Gary Baseman,
Robbie Conal and Graham Nash. This will be Shag's only booksigning in the LA area in 2004."

'Tis true, I will be in town briefly, (could not stay away that long..) and gladly got roped in fort his, I am thrilled to be in an official academic environment.

As to the "Tiki-ness" of the event...I am more under the impression of it being "Exotica" in the broadest sense (Salsa music?, belly-dancing!?), so if Tiki-political incorrectness is upsetting to you, don't go, if you believe Tiki is the god of ALL artists, it sounds like a mighty party. But don't expect epicurean sensations at the "Tiki Bar".

I know I know, I am Mr."If it says Tiki on it, it should have Tiki in it", but I am in it, Josh is, and we ARE Tiki. I also got Andy Cruz on the bill, he will be signing
The Book", a beautiful tome celebrating 10 years of the House Industries' eyecandy work this type foundry is so famous for http://www.houseindustries.com
Their Tiki fonts and dingbats furthered the Tiki revival even before the BoT.
So here's another PR text:

"LACMA's second all-night party will be held June 17/18 beginning at 7pm
on the 17th and ending at 7am on the 18th and will have a Tiki theme.
Plans for the event include live (salsa) music, films an improv troupe,
give aways, a silent auction for a Sheperd Fairey decorated Vespa and
tickets to anywhere in the world Air France flies. Book-signings with
Gary Baseman, Shag, Sandow Birk, Shag and Robbie Conal will be held
throughout the evening &Babar make a personal appearance from 9pm to
midnight. There will be belly dancers and acrobats on Wilshire Blvd. to
entertain people waiting in line beginning at 7pm and lasting until 2
am.

Last summer's all-night party drew more than 8,000 people and the
attendance projection for this year's is even higher. Media interest
has already started; print ads will be placed in the LA Weekly, college
newspapers and Los Angeles magazine and there are plans for PSA radio
announcements."

I responded to the RSVP but I'm curious if the invite is an e-mail or a snail mail. If snail mail, I fear I've responded too late. Thanks for any help.

it's email...I got mine shortly after inputting my information.

that RSVP page is totally nonresponsive to my information....it just loads up the same F*CKING page over and over after i hit send....i may be too late to get a free pass i guess...bad enough i was totally overlooked as a tiki artist...all i can say is that when i get into that half ass tiki party i am going to have some oil sticks and some spray cans on me to shoot trough some frisket that i have pre-cut TAPA STYLE!!!...that interactive graffiti mural better WATCH out because i won't leave until it's filled in and the sun is UP!

much as i am a fan of baseman's work...he's got no place at a tiki party...NONE WHAT SO EVER!

Futura Girl...i love you!!!

[ Edited by: kooche on 2004-06-14 17:39 ]

i am SO ireful,choleric, and just plain peeved!!!

now i have exactly 14 emailed passes for the LACMA evening event...i guess the form works after all only it doesn't let you KNOW that it has your info...anyone want to join me at the tiki ti thursday at 6 for a chichi before we hit a fake tiki party at a real art museum?

see you there!

Kooche, do we need passes to get in if so how do I get it? Also where are you having chichis?

oh yeh - definitely we'll need some REAL tiki ti b4 we go to the FAKESTERS gathering!!! (shag and big bro not included in that comment of course) :)

i'm down - and i'll even do a body block - so they won't see the spray paint misting away...

i think cherry and king - should just show up and start singing the tiki room at the tops of their lungs in spite of it all.

let's start some tiki mayhem!

we'll straighten this out...i'm going to call someone over there this morning...someone must be shown that they have overlooked a SERIOUS opportunity to to capitalize on some freaking serious local kids...and so LACMA...prepare to BE FRAKED!

how lazy can an event planner be?

Wow, Miles..! Tiki militant! Awright! Easy boy, easy...Tiki is a burning LOVE, yet bringing the people around gently, patiently, and eventually they will see the light.

My take on this shindig is that the whole Tiki theme was an afterthought, that they had those artists already, but at some point Steve Goff (the organizer) felt that the party needed a theme, and that Tiki was happening AND very LA at the same time, so let it be Tiki. And that's probably all they know about the scene.

Don't worry kids, eventually we will have our OWN museum, and Tiki will be represented in the museums all over the country.

As far as I understand, the event is FREE, you do not need to RSVP to get in, but the RSVP supposedly helps to shortcut the long lines to get in (don't know how that works).

I wonder though how they are going to get 8000 people this year, I have not seen any flyers, and no ad in the LA Weekly.

the characters involved in this fund raising event are not tiki... (aside from yourself and you know who agle...100% celebritiki )

...here comes a rant...

...latin tunes? how about a gary baseman style pinata? view a vespa by shepard "OBEY" ferry? why not hold a tricycle race around the museum where each rider downs a mai tai for every lap he runs? or a beatbox contest tahitian drum style???

please...

a HUGE drum circle? some guitar or uke? fire dancing? a pig burned in the ground? carving or tapa demo? a virgin sacrifice ritual? facial or tribal henna tattoos? shrunken heads? fish recipes? anything that suggest that the museum had considered what "TIKI" is, has been, and always will be

what SADDENS most ...EVERYONE - LA's BIGGEST museum gives first man the atrophied end of the stick because tiki is widely considered "EASY"... the largest part of tiki is respecting the ancestry history and hertage that is our own blood and in doing so showing ourselves the self repect that we all deserve...what is EASY about that???

we should be more serious about the authenticity of our daily tribal activity as well as our annual ceremonial customs... the first men to walk upright demonstrated tiki style for their youth's sake and somehow managed to NOT look like a gang of BOOZATHONERS... can we?

i feel SO much better...(sigh)

I like Kooche. He's real good.

I'm seriously thinking about going, which is CRAZY because I have to work that day and the next day, and I'm flying out for a work conference Saturday morning. I think, though, that--even though this event is not the tiki event it could have been with different planning--the artists involved do cool stuff, and I haven't been to LACMA yet, and I could always use more Sventime, and if all us tikiphiles show up, it'll be more tiki than it otherwise would be, and that's a good thing, right?

So look for me there, I'll be the one in my gaudiest aloha wear, falling asleep, propped up against someone, and probably holding my shoes in my hands.

Kooche - talk to Gantry jackson - director of marketing.
ext 6103

:wink:

On 2004-06-15 12:21, Humuhumu wrote:
I'm seriously thinking about going, which is CRAZY because I have to work that day and the next day, and I'm flying out for a work conference Saturday morning. . . . So look for me there, I'll be the one in my gaudiest aloha wear, falling asleep, propped up against someone, and probably holding my shoes in my hands.

Humuhumu, your continued pursuit of perfect attendance at all tiki events is an inspiration to us all.

On 2004-06-14 17:47, kooche wrote:
i am SO ireful,choleric, and just plain peeved!!!

now i have exactly 14 emailed passes for the LACMA evening event...

Kooche, try & try as I may, I have not received one pass. Could you forward me one of your extras? ([email protected])

Mahalo.

The passes have your name on them and say they're not transferrable, they say to be prepared with picture ID. I also didn't get my pass at my normal email address, so I signed up again using my work email address and got one right away. You may wish to try the same.

Re: my willingness to attend the opening of a bottle of rum, I think I'm still trying (in vain, of course) to make up for all the things I've missed. I simply feel like I MUST make full use of my time, after having wasted so much time sitting on my duff in front of the television, eating bad delivered chinese food, wondering why my life wasn't what I wanted. I suppose I developed a mid-life crisis at 28. Which would peg my ETA for the dustbin at 56, or thereabouts. :)

It's actually surprisingly easy to fit in all the things I do. I'm sure people with children can relate -- their schedules are similarly jam-packed, just with different things.

so that's what i've been missing with my tv watching experience - some bad chinese food...

There was an ad in last the last L.A. Weekly.....

Looks like they are downplaying the Tiki aspect of the event

Thanks Ron. Well, like I said, I believe it was an afterthought, and as such it is not even a badly done Tiki party, just not a Tiki party after all.

Maybe if Josh and I "channel" all of our combined Tiki mana, the crowd will be magically garbed in Aloha gear, Tikis will form on the buildings, Exotica will echo through the halls, and the gallery walls will be covered with Shags, Kooches, Rydens and other Tiki art.

that sounds relaxing SVENTIKI

let it happen...i wish the population were naturally like trees and clouds...but hey...this is LA...

On 2004-06-16 09:01, bigbrotiki wrote:
Thanks Ron. Well, like I said, I believe it was an afterthought, and as such it is not even a badly done Tiki party, just not a Tiki party after all.

While I remain aghast that LACMA would use the tiki mana for advertising and then not even place a tiki on the add, I do have hopes that their party planners can create a tiki mecca.

This all seems quite strange. The e-mail announcement they sent is quite tiki, the print ads not tiki at all. "Tiki 'til Dawn" yet it seems that there's barely any tiki involved. Sven, I'm glad you'll be there to spread the spirit. I absolutely love the concept of an all night tiki party at the museum and perhaps this can happen again next year with more emphasis on the tiki. Kooche, I like your style,man! Let's convene the planning committe at Tiki Ti and then get the museum folk on the horn to let 'em know how it should be done! I'm sure the museum would love to display an exotic and provocative culture that is artistic, alive and thriving right in its own hometown. Gee!

-I. Grogg

Iuka,
I like your idea! Why the heck don't we all ban together and do a real honest to goodnes "tiki culture" exhibit in LA complete with vintage and new tiki art, mugs, home bars, photos of extinct tiki watering holes, carved art from the islands and mainland, as well as carving demonstrations...and an occasional cocktail thrown in for good measure!!!

[ Edited by: mriddle on 2004-06-16 15:58 ]

Does anyone know the schedule of activities for this event? Nothing on the LACMA site. They are showing vintage jazz films at 7:30. I guess that means that the surf film (Riding Giants) which I'd like to see won't be till 9 or 10. This sounds like kind of a not-very-tiki tiki event and I just don't want to have too much down time.

And come to think of it...Did anyone decide whether or not they were hitting Tiki Ti first? The more I think about this thing the more annoyed I get. I'll actually be rushing to Disneyland first to pick u[p a gift for someone. Think I'll hit the Tiki room too. Then maybe Tiki Ti, the museum, say hi to Sven, see the surf film and then hit the sack. Can't stay up too late...Friday I take off for Australia after work)

On 2004-06-16 15:57, mriddle wrote:
Iuka,
I like your idea! Why the heck don't we all ban together and do a real honest to goodnes "tiki culture" exhibit in LA complete with vintage and new tiki art, mugs, home bars, photos of extinct tiki watering holes, carved art from the islands and mainland, as well as carving demonstrations...and an occasional cocktail thrown in for good measure!!!

[ Edited by: mriddle on 2004-06-16 15:58 ]

Actually a long time ago Sven participated as a speaker in such an exhibition on Tiki Culture that appeared at the Anaheim California Museum. It was the first real tiki event i attended and where I first met Sven (who turned out to be a our neighbor, living up the street from us). anyway it was a very well done exhibit. Also many years back (perhaps Floratina who is also a Cacophony Society enthusiast will remember) there was a Cacophony event that was well publicized that was basically a tiki event; they took over a trendy L.A. coffee house called the Onyx, and totally converted it into a 1940s WWII era - Hawaii-based Tiki Bar and the event included then lounge performer Joe Sehee (Wonderful World of Joey) and Agent Orange's surf band and some others... been too long for me to remember the names; anyway there were lines around the block to get into this as it was a pick of the week in the L.A. Weekly. No one could get in unless they were appropriately attired because they didn't want the ambiance ruined. If you didn't have a tiki shirt - one was provided at the door. I think it opened alot of unknowing eyes to tiki, even though the event was not specifically a celebration of tiki but was more about creating the ambience of a WWII era tiki bar.... Anyway, with the amount of tiki people we have now in this Tiki Central community I don't see why not something like this couldn't be planned again, done right, and celebrate the cultural history of tiki. Then again, yearly events like Tiki Oasis already do that so.... Still an exhibit at a museum would be pretty cool. LACMA should put their efforts into an serios exhibit of the influence of tiki on culture. Sven could be curator....

I plan to be at the tiki bar for this event. However, if anyone wants a "prop" from my yard DON'T pm me (I never get those right) just e-mail me and you will tote the tiki from Burbank to the event on good mana (meaning you'll bring it back to me unharmed). A little palm carved ambiance could add to the event. How you get it through the door without an RSVP is your problem. Humu- I'll be in bright red retro Hawaiian dress. We'll find each other. I say all Tiki Centralites wear their most loud attire. The black turtleneck crowd won't know what to do.

So who all went to this? This only one I ran into was King Kukulele (mahalos for the assist, King - waiting in line was a lot more fun!).

It was a strange event. Not really any tiki except for the two bars. I didn't stay long, maybe about an hour or so and then left and went on to Tiki-Ti. No line there. Yeah!

Shoot, there were actually quite a few of us! It's a shame we didn't run into you.

It definitely was a weird event, but I had a great time. Huge turnout--even with my RSVP, I still had to stand in a line that went all the way to the end of the block & around the corner (it moved pretty quickly, though). I was the only one in aloha wear in the line, but once I got inside, there were quite a few folks wearing aloha shirts. Not a ton, mind you--most of the people there were attracted to it because it was a cool all-night museum event, not just because of the tiki angle (which is probably as it should be).

It was all pretty hodge-podgy, while standing in line, we were "entertained" by men & women swinging around glowy lights & hula hoops -- your basic raver/burningman-type setup, but the crowd seemed even less into that than into tiki. Once inside, the only tiki elements where the bars, which were actually pretty nicely decorated (probably rentals from Oceanic Arts). The drink I had was beyond terrible -- a "Tiki Colada", which tasted like a pina colada jelly belly with a splash of rum. Or like coconut frosting. Anyway, not tasty, but my expectations were low, so I wasn't disappointed or anything. I'm sounding whiny about it--it was a strange event, but I had a good time. One of the odd but ultimately enjoyable elements was that they were giving away jars of fancy peanut butter in different flavors, like cinnamon currant, smokehouse, deep chocolate... I opted for the onion parsley flavor, and was roundly mocked.

First I ran into Tikifille, then I saw Dale Sizer & Jim Cherry (they don't post here, but they lurk, they're Tiki-Ti semi-regulars, and Dale's tiki apartment is in the book PAD). Christiki then joined us, and then we went over to visit with Sven & Naomi, and found King Kukulele, Johnny Velour, Sven's roomie Daniel, the mmoderntikis, and DJLee. Futura Girl was making her way in just as we were all leaving. We also got to meet a new-to-TC tikiphile who hasn't started posting yet. I said it in reference to the Chicago tiki events -- who gives a rat's ass if the event isn't suitably tiki?? I could meet up with a bunch of tikiphiles at a rodeo, and I'd be happy.

I must admit, I actually didn't make my way into see the exhibits or watch any of the movies. I did get to see the new House Industries book, and OH MY GOD I HAVE TO HAVE IT.

Dale, Jim & Chris

One of the two tiki bars

Johnny Velour & King Kukulele

It's tiki, 'cause it SAYS SO!

Sven & Futura Girl

More pics here: http://public.fotki.com/Humuhumu/lacma/

Well, I'm not much for lines around the block so I snuck in an unguarded side entrance. I wanted to see the film, but it wasn't being shown till 1 am. So... I saw the exhibits, got my peanut butter, flashed a smile at Sven and King Kuke and hit the road. Catching a plane to Australia today.

Aloha and G'day!

Well my friend and I never made it passed TikiTi the drinks were great and we did not have the pass. But later we went by the museum, seem like the lines were beyond long. Wish we waited, maybe??

you didn't miss nothin'

think you made the wise choice hanging at the ti.

A wonderful event with a good tiki vibe. It was very satisfying to see portions of LACMA's patio transformed into tiki bars and being there to experience the creation of tiki where there was none before.

Also, always very good to see fellow TCers.

True, the experience was not without sacrifice. The lines to enter remained long, even when I left at approximately midnight. I also waited approximately an hour before entering. Luckily, I saw Steve who waited with me.