Damon's

I hope they agree to update the logo with Super Trooper's Johnny Chimpo :) http://www.streetfx.com.au/product_images/miscellaneous/johnny_chimpo_set.jpg

The term tiki used here is a fairly general term. In the USA pre and post war its been an amalgam of Caribbean, South Seas and generally tropical infuences then post war actual Tiki and ancestor images/carvings came into vogue. I'm sure you all know this. As far as monkeys there is a tropical, Philippines, Indonesian (South Seas) connection. Monkeys in fezzes? German and American tin toys of the 1930's had monkeys in fezzes and organ grinders and their monkeys showed them in caps, including fezzes, in 20-30's photos. This one has a 1893 German patent.

Parrots out of place in Polynesia? That might be disagreed with in New Zealand (4 different parrots) or French Polynesia (3 different parrots).

Don't limit tiki style to Hawaiian polynesia when so much of the imagery isn't Polynesian, much of the post war carvings/illustrations were Papua New Guinean.

I don’t like contention, contention is not in my nature nor in my culture (ironically Hawaiians were once a partly fierce warrior society but always respected visitors) so I’m trying to keep this conversation as a learning experience not one of debate. I personally have learned a lot by reading TC for years. I have learned here and in life and in school that, like many aspects of American culture, things evolve. Here, the evolution or devolution from mid-century popular Polynesian / tiki culture and to the new Poly Pop / tiki revival is taking place right before our eyes on this website. This is the new computer age where this can happen. A lot of dialog about the appropriateness of the limbo, parrots, fez hats, rockabilly, and leopard prints have had healthy and constructive debates here in these forums. I believe the mid-century tiki movement was an historical fact and happily there are some members in TC that lived through it and many of us has experienced that movement indirectly. I also know there was a pre-tiki movement in America, definitely since 1915. In all these cases and time periods it has been documented that these movements were based on the love and respect of the Polynesian and other Oceanic cultures. From the early experiences from prolific American popular novelist, early silent classic filmmakers, fortunate travelers, and later WWII returning soldiers and jet-age tourist, generally have admired the peoples and cultures of the Pacific and it’s known hospitality towards them. For many, as soon as these various visitors returned home, they wanted in some way to keep these memories going, even with their limited resources, means and knowledge. This is the innocent naivety one refers to in mid-century tiki. But good intentions were there as well as the shared love and respect for each other. No one should make the mistake that the Western tiki culture does not have anything to do with respecting cultures especially the cultures it emulates.

I would also say that politics of any kind should not have anything to do with tiki. This is, as we say in Hawaii, a “hang loose” movement, a true escape to paradise experience. Leaving the 9 to 5 western rat race behind and there is no better place to do it but in a Pacific Island atmosphere. Some have experienced it first-hand and other want to, but all can experience it in their nearby bar, restaurant or even bowling alley. With a unique mix of Latin/Polynesian/African music in the background, fair hosts and hostesses in sexy sarongs and lava lavas, drinks based on Caribbean rums, no windows to keep the outside out, Cantonese food, colorfully lit tiki images, palm fronds, small trickling waters features and an Oceanic cultural mix décor, no one mixes the exotic and erotic better than Polynesia. I get it, as a Pacific Island native, I respect it as a true American mid-century pop culture experience and history and as stated earlier I am flattered. The newer and current generation is trying to revive this American movement (which of course has spread across the world) and I am still flattered. It tickles me that currently tiki bars and restaurants are a huge hit in the conservative mid-east. Unfortunately the younger island generation are confused, they a border on anger and being insulted but they don’t know the history and the original intentions of these movements. The new generation westerners need to know this background also, there IS respect to these Oceanic cultures but at the same time the naivety and innocence is not an excuse any more. Enjoy yourselves but evolve, make your quasi Polynesian experience memorable, correct past mistakes and don’t make new ones. You have the resources you have the knowledge. Political correctness has nothing to do with politics but has everything to do with mutual respect for each other.

As for me, I’m planning to be sitting in Damon’s mid-October with some Hawaiian cousins from L.A. and New York City and I can’t wait to be there to absorb in all its tiki atmosphere...despite the damn little monkeys. Sorry for the dissertation.

[ Edited by: creativenative 2015-09-24 23:40 ]

You da Kine Braddah! Have a great time at Damon's

Wow lots of posts while writing the above off and on in Word. Right on AceExplorer, lots of similar remarks in our posts. Sorry ken-j you are right, the Philippines and other islands closer to the Asian continent are literally still in the Pacific but in current academic studies Pacific Islanders are defined as indigenous people of Oceania which does not include the Philippines nor other islands off Southeast Asia or Northern Asia only islands that are technically in Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. Papua New Guinea is part of Melanesia and therefore part of Oceania and part of tiki. Tikicoma I also stand corrected there are rare parrots in Aotearoa or New Zealand (good catch) and French Polynesia, some are near extinction or extinct, but as you know we are referring to parrots that are native to Central and South America, these are the common parrots that are stereotypically associated with Oceanic cultures, checkout your nearest Party City décor or the streets of Waikiki who's mainland vendors are peddling these American birds off to naïve tourist for $10 dollar photos. Indonesia is not part of the South Seas but it borders west of it. You are also correct tiki culture is more then Hawaii and Polynesia, it is about all of Oceania and other eccentricities found in my previous post.

Tiki Movies & Tiki TV @ southseascinema.org

[ Edited by: creativenative 2015-09-24 23:45 ]

CN. I agree with what you've said though I ended my post a little abruptly, I got tired of typing. And yea I'm a bit older than many here and remember "tiki" from the late 50's and 60's and how wondrous it all seemed. I've also seen younger people who seem to be easily insulted by images that weren't meant to insult anyone, but were naive appropriations from many cultures to represent an idea not the reality. Then again now I've seen people complain that the local tiki bar isn't a tiki bar but a hawaiian bar who are part of the new generation of tiki "fans" though their comments seem ego driven and ignorant of the context and complicated history of this style, just a rambling observation. :)

aloha, tikicoma

Aloha Tikicoma

Thanks for the nice words. I am also in my late 50s. And also I want everyone to know that I love and respect DC dearly, he is one of the great ones on TC as well as you Tikicoma. I am looking carefully at the current monkeys and I found one of the middle ones wearing a lei. This is exactly what I was going to suggest, more of this for the monkey's. With Damon's name it already suffers from an identity crisis, (and I will not suggest changing that) but monkeys as a part of the logo is also a non identifier as a tiki hangout. The interior is great and I can't wait to see it first-hand, but if the monkeys could wear more leis, dance the hula in a hula outfit or do the see hear or speak no evil to static authentic looking tiki's than I not only associate Danon's with tiki but it now relates the monkeys with us, as humans/primates, enjoying a good tiki time at Damon's and not relating them to Oceanic cultures. I guess my frustration is also trapped inside of me as a retired veteran of the film and commercial advertising business where identification is crucial to your market.

Tikicoma and creativenative - thank you for the excellent and thoughtful follow-up. Your posts -- and those of many others -- underscore how beneficial it is to have Tiki Central as a searchable repository from which we can learn. So glad we're not a "social media" system where thoughts and research disappear quickly.

I really enjoyed the new info on monkeys with fezzes. I recall there was an organ grinder with a monkey at Knott's Berry Farm in California when I was a kid, but the only photos I found online show the monkey wearing a small western-style hat. But I did not know that the fez monkey went back into the late 19th and early 20th century, great tin-toy photos, thanks for taking the time to find and post those.

[edited to insert "late 19th century" to my last sentence.]

[ Edited by: AceExplorer 2015-09-25 04:48 ]

I totally appreciate the debate. Nothing I said was intended as absolutist of attacking. I think that the cultural appropriation of tiki in the 50s and 60s was only meant in fun. Not that those who enjoyed it didn't respect those island cultures, it just wasn't thought about at all. It was a theming thing. Escapist decor... Not much more than that. I'd bet that Sven would back me up on this.

And I too stand corrected on the parrot thing. Of course there are tropical birds in oceana... Maybe I was thinking macaws. I believe those are mostly South American.

My Tiki & Food weekend
Went to Redlands for my cousin's daughter's wedding, Low and behold the caterer was Tiki Burgers

Next day ate lunch at Damon's, of course, in Glendale -LOVED IT!!!- My new LA hangout

On the way home had a stop in Maui where I found in an airport restaurant this

[ Edited by: creativenative 2015-10-20 06:14 ]

Stinger Rays!

On 2015-09-20 18:35, TongaT wrote:
Just wondering if there has been any progress on the refresh....keep thinking about going to check it out. Did it already happen? Is it still happening? Have only went to Damon's a few times since moving to the area and enjoyed it but think a refresh is well deserved.

Hey -

The interior has been refreshed with new carpeting & lighting... new upholstery is in progress, I believe. The design work (new logo, menus, etc.) is done and approved by the owners... we're just buttoning up a few last items before we make the reveal.

Mahalo!

On 2015-10-20 21:24, tikicoma wrote:
Stinger Rays!

I wish it was still in the HNL airport. I used to eat there everytime :(

On 2015-10-27 12:38, davestolte wrote:

On 2015-09-20 18:35, TongaT wrote:
Just wondering if there has been any progress on the refresh....keep thinking about going to check it out. Did it already happen? Is it still happening? Have only went to Damon's a few times since moving to the area and enjoyed it but think a refresh is well deserved.

Hey -

The interior has been refreshed with new carpeting & lighting... new upholstery is in progress, I believe. The design work (new logo, menus, etc.) is done and approved by the owners... we're just buttoning up a few last items before we make the reveal.

Mahalo!

Awesome! I guess I'll wait a bit and venture back to check to check out the refreshed space....looking forward to it!

bump

Hey all --

Phase One of the Damon's brand refresh rolled out yesterday: the new logo, T-shirts, Mai Tai glass, matchbooks, and business card. The new website and social media accounts will follow next week.

Phase Two (new menu designs & napkins) should be onsite late January / early February.

For this "design makeover," we researched Damon's old designs from the '30s and '40s and brought a lot of stuff forward that we found inspiring. Hope you all like it.

The monkeys are Glen & Dale, BTW. :)

[ Edited by: davestolte 2015-12-12 10:51 ]

Wow! Matchbooks too. Very cool.

Yeah, suddenly have a need for a match book or two. :)

lawdy knows this couldda easily gone in the wrong direction.

very tasteful...great job!

Thanks all!

I like it. And the monkeys stayed!

Yes, I'm surprised you bothered with matchbooks -- seeing as how they can't be used inside the place. They're completely a take-home article now I guess. They look great though. Love the monkey with his tail on fire advising, "Safety first!"

On 2015-12-15 18:27, kenbo-jitsu wrote:
Yes, I'm surprised you bothered with matchbooks --

The monkeys stayed for sure! We love doing matchbooks - it's kind of an old-fashioned item many places don't bother with anymore. People love matchbooks!

Happy to say I snagged the last matchbook - at least the last one that was out in sight. The mai tai glasses are $3.50 and the shirts are plentiful and a wider variety than what Dave shared with us. Brown, green, blue, red...different designs too. The food's still great and the drinks are still bad but the place is slowly shaping up.

Follow me on Instagram
http://www.instagram.com/keithkocka

[ Edited by: kkocka 2015-12-17 14:33 ]

Link to their "shop" page:

http://www.damonsglendale.com/shop/

Looked, but cannot find a way to order online....guess you have to go there in person. Too bad, as I was lusting for a set of Mai Tai glasses and I don't see a trip to Glendale in my foreseeable future.

howlinowl

Howl, if we speak after the holidays I might be willing to work with you. :)