Las Vegas Report

I just returned from a quick trip to Las Vegas and wanted to report what I found.

The Taboo Cove is alive and well. We stopped in there for a drink and were served by Mo, who was very informative about the decor and awesome tiki mug collection. Shag-o-philes need to visit the place just to see the huge painting (or reproduction?) gracing the entrance between Taboo Cove and Venus. We snagged some Taboo Cove and Venus swizzle sticks and Shag matches and napkins (no, I'm NOT going to put them up on eBay), and bought a drink in a mug. Taboo Cove is definitely a must for tikiphiles. (Others may complain that they weren't hearing Martin Denny and Les Baxter when they were there, but be honest here, do you really listen to that stuff when you're alone in your car??)

Shopping tips: The merchandise store at the Hard Rock Hotel had a fairly good selection of the aloha shirts that Shag did for Toes On The Nose. They also had BOT and a few other Tiki or Shag books. They also had an awesome tiki bar for sale for $1,000. It had a carved tiki on the bamboo front that looked like Bosko's work, and I think it came with 4 really cool barstools. They also had some Tiki Farm mugs for sale.
Gary's Island at the Rio Hotel had more of the Shag aloha shirts and another non-shag aloha with a lot of different mugs that was pretty cool. I couldn't justify buying both since I wear white dress shirts and ties to work every day of my damn chained-to-my-desk-forever-life and I already have a closet of aloha shirts, so I went with one of the Shag models. (Don't let the opportunists on eBay sucker you into paying $100 for these shirts-I paid $60 for mine I think. They're NOT limited edition and I think there will be plenty for everybody if you keep looking.) Gary's Island also had a Tiki Farms mug or two for sale.

I was at Taboo Cove and it rocks. Mo is great! She'll happily discuss Shag, Ryden, Bosko, etc.

The sad thing is, the new management has decided that they can make more money if they turn the place into a hip hop club. So at night they play hip hop very loudly and even have dj's in front of Bosko's wonderful tikis. Sacrilege!

Not only that, but they quit stocking the ingredients necessary to make the awesome tiki drinks they used to have on their menu! The old menus are highly collectible.

Although it's still worth visiting, especially in the day, it's like a holy shrine that has been defiled.

Actually, I do listen to Baxter and Denny etc. in my car.

After re-reading my original post, I've got to apologize if it sounded like I was slamming Exotica music. Lord knows, I've listened to just about everything alone in my car over the years, some of which I won't admit to at this point in my life.
I guess I was just trying to say that you can enjoy what ambience a place has to offer even if the sound system plays Alicia Bridges singing "I Love The Nightlife" (70's disco) three or four times in a row before the bartender realizes it and fixes the player (which actually happened when we were at Taboo Cove).
It's going to be hard to find the perfectly decorated tiki bar where everything is perfect, decor, drinks, mugs AND they play the sort of music you think fits, so enjoy what a place has to offer before it disappears completely.

Please excuse the rant, I feel much better now.

The sad thing is, the new management has decided that they can make more money if they turn the place into a hip hop club. So at night they play hip hop very loudly and even have dj's in front of Bosko's wonderful tikis. Sacrilege!

Although it's still worth visiting, especially in the day, it's like a holy shrine that has been defiled.

I just made plans to again visit Lost Wages in August. I will go to Taboo Cove, but not for long. It is just too much with the T.V. and the music, defile is a proper term.

Taboo Cove may join the ranks of lost Tiki Bars soon enough. I shall enjoy what I can while I am able. Talk about unfulfilled promise though. Oh well, bad location and the new management, I fear the clock is ticking on that establishment.

Walk across the bridge and Kahunaville is always packed. But it is a faux-tiki bar anyway. Drat...maybe I will go to Taboo and just bring a CD Walkman!

midnite