I wanted to voice a new opinion that I had not heard on the boards before about Jimmy Buffett and his influences. First off, MANY of the youth(people born after the 60's) are not starting with Mr Denny, or Mr. Baxter, most are starting with Mr. Buffett. Why? Because most of them have heard of JB. Many have went to his concerts in college and had a great time and got hooked on the islands. Few have heard of the aformentioned gentlemen. To say that Jimmy Buffett doesn't contribute to the "tiki" culture is absurd. I have given this some thought as I am building my tiki room and what theme I was looking for and I may have hit upon something.

Tiki Bar Vs a Tiki Lounge

A Tiki inspired bar is very much a place to have drinks (maybe get drunk...)and party. Jimmy Buffett goes well in that arena This is the place for all the parrothead kitch stuff you can stomach.

A Tiki Lounge is a more refined and relaxing place. A lounge is a place to sit and unwind with a drink and calming ambient or "conversation" music. This is a place where getting drunk would be frowned on by other guests.

Another distinction could be made between these two very cool things, by how much money is put in one vs the other. A lounge is much more expensive to produce as the materials normally cost more and the furniture is usually nicer. A tiki lounge would frown upon anything that seemed cheap. A themed bar is built on economy in materials as well as furniture so they can easily be replaced, because you never know when someone will end up "falling down drunk" and land on a bar stool and break it.

As a former bartender, I can also say a main difference in a lounge vs. a bar is presentation. At a lounge the bartender knows that how the drink looks makes a difference (the right garnish for a drink as well as a swizzle stick). Where a bar the best presentation is the body shots you do off the hot chick next to you. (both presentations are equally cool, but don't go together.)

The "tiki" culture must have room for both of these places. A lounge lizard would only rarely go to a bar of any type, and a bar fly would be uncomfortable lounging sipping drinks while talking about how smooth the rum is.

Those are my thoughts? Anyone care to intelligently discuss the hypothesis?

On 2006-06-23 14:47, Lingam wrote:
...I am building my tiki room

So based on your terminology, are you building a Tiki Bar or a Tiki Lounge as part of your tiki room.

I am personally building a tiki lounge. I have had tiki bars before. Now I want something more upscale.

Sounds good to me. My tiki lounge is almost complete. Pictures will appear soon.

On 2006-06-23 16:03, Lingam wrote:
I am personally building a tiki lounge. I have had tiki bars before. Now I want something more upscale.

Where do you reside?

Actually "tiki bars" as you put it were built cheaply. But the cheap stuff they used is expensive now. Godfather rattan, Is not for the sun porch any more! Plus have you ever priced 4 inch bamboo in ohio? If you use the real old stuff like they used. It would cost alot more to do a Tiki bar vs tiki lounge. Both are cool in my book. My house is a mix of both.

Where do you reside?

I live in TN, a few minutes away from the "world famous Omni Hut restaurant," If you are familiar with it.

[ Edited by: Lingam 2006-06-24 04:54 ]

On 2006-06-23 21:18, tikiskip wrote:
Actually "tiki bars" as you put it were built cheaply. But the cheap stuff they used is expensive now. Godfather rattan, Is not for the sun porch any more! Plus have you ever priced 4 inch bamboo in ohio? If you use the real old stuff like they used. It would cost alot more to do a Tiki bar vs tiki lounge. Both are cool in my book. My house is a mix of both.

I agree with you that both are cool. I have been inside of both types. As to your comments about the price of materials for a bar. Most that I have seen and been to do not use the really nice rattan and bamboo. They use the cheapest they can find. This is the type of bar that the total cost of the "decor" is less than $500. It is a place where the high contrast parrothead memorabilia is at. It is also a place where blow up beach balls, and beer signs have a place. It is usually a fun atmosphere that I occasionally like to go. This is a bar where plastic dominates from the glasses to the lights. You normally see a lot of driftwood items and corona merchandise.

I don't find the same things in a lounge. I normally see a total "immersion" in the decor. There is nothing disharmonious in the decorations. It is a place where you are impressed with the decor immediately, but no one thing overpowers you. It is a place of subtlety where the longer you are there the more you notice.

On 2006-06-24 04:34, Lingam wrote:
Where do you reside?

I live in TN, a few minutes away from the "world famous Omni Hut restaurant," If you are familiar with it.

Good to meet you. Pablus was at the Omni Hut just the other night. I'm over the Plateau in Knoxville. I helped with an Omni Hut story for the Nashville Tennessean a bit ago. And the Blue Ribbon show featuring them.