Orlando, Flroida Members

On 2007-07-10 04:08, McTiki wrote:
It's out of control in Orlando.

Tell me about it. Yesterday was particularly bad. I was mugged walking to the mailbox by a few dozen out of control Brazilian tourists. On the way to my car, an ex-NASA astronaut wearing an adult diaper tried to spray mace in my face (I think she mistook me for someone else). And an alligator ate my dog.

I've now locked myself in my house. Just me and my 99 bottles of rum on the wall. I'm not coming out til Walt thaws out and cleans this place up.

Rob:

Geez, what part of town do you live in? I better be sure to steer clear....L

Seriously, thanks McTiki, but Orlando is where the work is. I'm sure we'll be fine. I'm not an idiot, lived there before (during the "kill the German Tourists" rampage, actually).

For real, though, GatorRob--what general area do you live in? How long, etc? Lived on South I-drive, LBV, Holden Heights (Yikes!) and SouthChase. We're considering Lee Vista area, Waterford Lakes, Wedgewood, Conway, and Winter Park. Depends a lot on my wife's job.

Mahalo!

Scott

Check out the thread on Waitiki which is in old downtown Orlando. That's a place with potential if enough real tiki ohana got behind it.

On 2007-07-10 14:11, rugbymatt wrote:
Check out the thread on Waitiki which is in old downtown Orlando. That's a place with potential if enough real tiki ohana got behind it.

We tried when it opened. (Except for the fabulous art from, Flounder, Joe and Donella Vitale and other contributers)The downtown scene is totally mainstream and oblivious to Polynesian pop culture. Watch out for the "bouncers" they are only too anxious to bounce anyone out the door!

Ah Waitiki.... We tried so hard with that one... Most of the bands that played Hukilau in 2004 played there on their tiny afterthought of a stage...
The first time we played there (in 2004) they were cranking Lynryd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama over the clubs sound system... The whole scene reminded me of the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail... with more surgically altered breasts and noses...

The last time we played there we were asked to leave after two sets... The manager apparently thought that Terence Trent D'Arby was more appropriate for a tiki bar than The Intoxicators!...

James Teitelbaum put it best in his Tiki Road Trip book... He says that he is hopeful that the squeaky clean corporate feel will dissipate after several layers of dust a few decades of being lived in...

Cheers!
Brian
The Intoxicators!/The Disasternauts

On 2007-07-10 17:33, Tiki Bree wrote:
Watch out for the "bouncers" they are only too anxious to bounce anyone out the door!

Gee, Bree, I just can't imagine you getting so rowdy you would get bounced! But if you have a story you'd like to share...

new2tiki - Waterford Lakes is about a 15 minute drive south from my house. It's a nice area, if a bit generic (a common new development plague here). But too large of a development for my tastes. I work in the Winter Park area and I'd dearly love to live there, but it's too expensive for my budget. If you do move to Winter Park, just watch out for the couple who live in the pink and blue house with the glitter on the garage door. I hear they're real troublemakers. :wink:

Strange?

When was the last time any of you guys stopped by there? Like I said in my paost last month the current manager seemed very enthused about the whole tiki concept when I told him about TC and Hukilau, etc. Maybe it is time for the local ohana to reach again and see what develops.

Last time for me was October 1st, 2005... So it has been some time... hope that the guy that you met is a new manager that actually has some clue... Waitiki is a beautiful place with amazing artwork... It was just lacking in every other department when we were there... but as I have said it has been some time... maybe there is hope for it...

Cheers!
Brian
The Intoxicators!/The Disasternauts

Anyone make it to the Space Coast? I am a 7th generation Florida and Brevard native here. You got good advice about FL tiki places you asked about. Hey glad to see you moved to the area there are lots of tiki collectors over here most of us are wood carve collectors only, but we have great mug collectors too. Where about at UCF if you don't mind me asking (alumni here)? A large FSU fan I retired as a professional UCF student there in '05 with my second masters and a close friend is working there now. Have you seen the local artists we have 7 here using different mediums among them but all very unique. I try to pick up one new piece carve per year they seem to change styles a lot more here. I rented 50 of them for my wedding reception location last May from one artist and bought three more for my own collection in the process and he gave us carved twin honus one green sea and one loggerhead for a gift and they are so treasured. If anyone says hit Port Canaveral's Tiki Bar go when there isn't an offshore tournament and it isn't busy its a name only not much tiki if any out there, but decent drink prices sometimes. Let us know if you want to meet and chat as a native I LOVE to meet folks from other areas it gives us locals a taste of something so different!

Anyone make it to the Space Coast? I am a 7th generation Florida and Brevard native here. You got good advice about FL tiki places you asked about. Hey glad to see you moved to the area there are lots of tiki collectors over here most of us are wood carve collectors only, but we have great mug collectors too. Where about at UCF if you don't mind me asking (alumni here)? A large FSU fan I retired as a professional UCF student there in '05 with my second masters and a close friend is working there now. Have you seen the local artists we have 7 here using different mediums among them but all very unique. I try to pick up one new piece carve per year they seem to change styles a lot more here. I rented 50 of them for my wedding reception location last May from one artist and bought three more for my own collection in the process and he gave us carved twin honus one green sea and one loggerhead for a gift and they are so treasured. If anyone says hit Port Canaveral's Tiki Bar go when there isn't an offshore tournament and it isn't busy its a name only not much tiki if any out there, but decent drink prices sometimes. Let us know if you want to meet and chat as a native I LOVE to meet folks from other areas it gives us locals a taste of something so different!

Gee, Bree, I just can't imagine you getting so rowdy you would get bounced! But if you have a story you'd like to share...

It wasn't me.......honestly(!) but it was someone completely undeserving of the abuse. Perhaps the injured party should tell the tale.......

And, yeah, I hear that couple in the pink glitter house in Winter Park are real strange.........can you believe it, an amoeba on the garage door!

On 2007-07-10 18:12, Tikigoob wrote:
Ah Waitiki.... We tried so hard with that one... Most of the bands that played Hukilau in 2004 played there on their tiny afterthought of a stage...
The first time we played there (in 2004) they were cranking Lynryd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama over the clubs sound system... The whole scene reminded me of the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail... with more surgically altered breasts and noses...

The last time we played there we were asked to leave after two sets... The manager apparently thought that Terence Trent D'Arby was more appropriate for a tiki bar than The Intoxicators!...

James Teitelbaum put it best in his Tiki Road Trip book... He says that he is hopeful that the squeaky clean corporate feel will dissipate after several layers of dust a few decades of being lived in...

Cheers!
Brian
The Intoxicators!/The Disasternauts

Haole Kats tried that place right when it opened that summer (2004). We had the same experience. GORGEOUS decor -- horrible music vibe and the patrons are even worse. Snot-nosed, impudent, obnoxious little rich yuppy kids with too much money, too many implants and not enough brains or manners. I had my steel out for some hapa-haole when I got there, but put it away before we started, because it was very obvious by the music over the sound system that it would have gone over like the proverbial lead balloon. By the end of the night, the place was PACKED like 50 pounds of flour in a 5 pound bag, and the load out was by far the worst I've ever experienced in 30 years of playing. Too bad, because it does have (or should I say 'had') the potential of being a really cool place. The upstairs is kind of the red version of Jetsetter lounge, too. Very nice.

That bar needs to be somewhere else, too. That area of downtown O is corporate central. And JT is absolutely correct. Maybe in about 10 years or so it might turn into something. I can't blame the management though. They're making a ton-O-money, so from their vantage point, why change?

It was Joe Vitale.
Some ape wouldn't let him go back in for his jacket and roughed him up.

I mean, on every wall is some of his artwork and Joe is a mellow guy anyway so it shouldn't have happened.
As I understand it the owner apologized and tried to make everything fine. Joe was cool with it and wouldn't say anything bad about it. I don't have those reservations.

The owner tried there at Waitiki and at least got it half right by getting the Coombs and Flounder and Vitale art in there.