Rockabilly?

I find it interesting that I've heard plenty of criticism about other scenes from tiki scenesters (for example how rockabillies are elitist and aloof), but rarely hear criticism about other scenes from rockabilly, mod, punk, or garage scenesters. I also have heard more flag waving about how great the tiki people are from themselves than I've heard from other scenes. Granted, all of the people I have met from Tiki Central are very friendly so we have a right to congratulate ourselves but don't be so quick to judge other scenes before you try them yourself.

Scenes are all the same anyway:

Tiki scenester / Rockabilly scenster
"Did you go to the last Tiki Oasis?" / "Did you go to the last Viva Las Vegas?"
"Look at my new gabardine jacket!" / "Look at my new aloha shirt!"
"Check out the new tiki mug I just got." / "Check out the new cocktail shaker I found!"
"Martin Denny rules - Jimmy Buffet sucks!" / "Big Sandy rules - the Stray Cats suck!"

On 2004-01-07 13:15, thejab wrote:
scenes...scenesters...scenes...scenesters...scenes..Scenes...scenester..scenster

Language is a funny thing. I never heard "scene" used in a non-theatrical sense until I moved to Los Angeles a few years ago. Granted there are a lot of folks in NYC overly obsessed with image and appearance but I don't remember such a preoccupation with clothing as it relates to musical tastes (even back in the punk days.)

Maybe I've just forgotten too much but I'd think it would stick as it was my job as a designer to take note of such things.

I'll just chalk it up to regional differences and dialect.

Hey!!! Been a while since I've been on the list, but I'll give it a shot here.

Rockabilly:

music - combines hillbilly with early black rock n' roll and blues. Good examples would be Elvis on Sun, the Johnny Burnette Trio, Charlie Feathers, etc.

lifestyle - varies from town to town, state to state, country to country. The predominate style in the United States would be neo-rockabilly (listens to harder edge music, wears boots-jeans-t-shirts), but the traditionalist style (wears vintage clothing, listens to 50's rockabilly and music that emulates that period) seems to becoming more and more popular on the west coast and other spotted areas.

I would have to say that the majority of people into rockabilly music are record collectors who are probably unaware that the lifestyle people/scene even exists in this country....check out your local record show!

Personally, I'm into the more traditional music and vintage clothing. There is some antagonism between the traditional group and the neo-group..resulting in nothing more than bruised egos. It's a really fun style of music and the show's can be a lot of fun.

Forgive me for forgetting the Psychobilly scene, but I don't really know enough about it to make mention.

*On 2004-01-07 14:08, mattfink wrote:*the traditionalist style (wears vintage clothing, listens to 50's rockabilly and music that emulates that period) seems to becoming more and more popular on the west coast and other spotted areas.

And is huge in Europe and Japan.

Jab and Matt,
you boys make me proud.
I'm glad to know ya both.
Pea
wipes tears of happiness away

Thanks Pea!!!! The feeling is mutual!!!

Matt

On 2004-01-07 14:20, sweetpea wrote:
Jab and Matt,
you boys make me proud.
I'm glad to know ya both.
Pea
wipes tears of happiness away

You are correct sir!!! I've actually got a large number of friends on the continent over there.

Matt

On 2004-01-07 14:12, thejab wrote:

*On 2004-01-07 14:08, mattfink wrote:*the traditionalist style (wears vintage clothing, listens to 50's rockabilly and music that emulates that period) seems to becoming more and more popular on the west coast and other spotted areas.

And is huge in Europe and Japan.

I love it when people put down the Stray Cats. If it weren't for them, most rockabillies probably wouldn't have even been introduced to the genre. The old 'biting the hand that feeds you situation'.

On 2004-01-07 14:20, sweetpea wrote:
you boys make me proud.
I'm glad to know ya both.

Aw shucks sweepea you're makin' me weapy.

On 2004-01-07 14:44, Luckydesigns wrote:
I love it when people put down the Stray Cats. If it weren't for them, most rockabillies probably wouldn't have even been introduced to the genre. The old 'biting the hand that feeds you situation'.

You're right that they broadened rockabilly's fan base, but that doesn't mean one has to like their music. I knew about Rockabilly before I heard them. And I credit the Blasters, the Paladins, and other California groups for getting me into the music, not the Stray Cats.

But I'll admit that at the time it sure was refreshing hearing them on the radio instead of Hall and Oates.

On 2004-01-06 21:02, emspace wrote:
I'm a Blade-Runner-Tiki-musician-screwball-elitist-Taoist.

Hey me too!

Let's start a clique and exclude everyone else!

On 2004-01-07 13:15, thejab wrote:
I find it interesting that I've heard plenty of criticism about other scenes from tiki scenesters (for example how rockabillies are elitist and aloof), but rarely hear criticism about other scenes from rockabilly, mod, punk, or garage scenesters.

That is becasue these people are completely unaware of the universe outside of their scenes!

:)

On 2004-01-07 13:15, thejab wrote:
I find it interesting that I've heard plenty of criticism about other scenes from tiki scenesters (for example how rockabillies are elitist and aloof), but rarely hear criticism about other scenes from rockabilly, mod, punk, or garage scenesters. I also have heard more flag waving about how great the tiki people are from themselves than I've heard from other scenes. Granted, all of the people I have met from Tiki Central are very friendly so we have a right to congratulate ourselves but don't be so quick to judge other scenes before you try them yourself

We could talk about them if we hadn't tried them. But what you said made me realize something, for most of us, there is no tiki scene. There are clubs around dedicated to various subcultures like Goth, Rockabilly and Fetish. We can go to those places as a new person or as a person not wearing the proper costume and see how we are treated. Most of us can't do that with Tiki. There aren't tiki bars in our towns where the local Wahines dis the new girl who isn't in Shaheen or the Kanes dis the new guy not in Beau Tiki. We get together at events. Rare events. So we are insulated and lucky. Other than the faux Hoiti-Toits vs. everyone else, there's no cliques or anything. We're all just damn glad to get to be in a tiki bar with other people who enjoy it the way we do. If it were otherwise, it might change, but I doubt it.

Some cultures in some places are open to new people, others shun them. That's all. Some sub-groups are more likely to shun than others. Player hatin' and people hatin' in general is the rule in some groups.

Maybe we're lucky our gathering places are few and far between.

But tiki is also at the crossroads of many other groups. The 'billies like tiki too! Everyone likes tiki. Some are just way into it.

True Jab. I'm way more into the Blasters than the Stray Cats too but you gotta respect Setzer's guitar slinging.

*On 2004-01-07 16:40, Swanky wrote:*for most of us, there is no tiki scene.

I'll have to disagree with that. Webster defines the slang term scene as "a sphere of activity", which is the way I was using the term. A big part of tiki central is getting together with other members for activities (drinking tropical drinks, seeing bands, buying stuff, etc.) at events. Merely being an active member on this forum doesn't necessarily mean you're in the tiki scene, but I would say if you attend meetings or events with others who share an interest in tiki than you are part of a tiki scene.

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Mig used to be scared of RAB's. hehehehe
heheheheheheheeheheheheehehe
PEa
MIG WHERE ARE YOU?
ANd is the Crawl still planned for the 3rd?
or has it been moved, havent seen any goodies about it.
Sweet( I love Billy, and I love Buffet)Pea
Howdya like them pineapples? hehehehehehehehehehehheheehehhehehe

On 2004-01-07 16:40, Luckydesigns wrote:
True Jab. I'm way more into the Blasters than the Stray Cats too but you gotta respect Setzer's guitar slinging.

I do. I think he has a helluva lot of talent and he has always played beautiful vintage guitars. I also credit him for blending 1950s and 1980s music and style - he did more than just copy. But I read somewhere that he got most of his ideas from Levi Dexter after seeing him in L.A. in the late 1970s.

Another band that deserves major credit for playing rockabilly way back in the 70s, and making it sound a bit different, was the Cramps.

On 2004-01-07 15:37, tikibars wrote:

Hey me too!

Let's start a clique and exclude everyone else!

I'm all for it. A clique of two. We'll open a club called "Shag and LaoTze's Atomic Replicant Juke Joint". People who wander in not wearing the requisite PKD pistol replica and vintage aloha shirt worn over a Taoist Tai Chi Society t-shirt can take flying f***!

:), em.

I'm getting the impression that there are some types who will just never have respect for someone who actually able to (or honest enough to) identify with a particular culture. I don't see how insulting and dismissing those in a scene just out of principle is any better than people in a scene insulting and dismissing those not in the scene, also just out of principle.

Swanky, I appreciate what you said and take it to heart, but I think you were only speaking for yourself. There are others who are quite obviously insulting people just for the sheer heck of it. I guess if I want to be an inclusive and mature individual, I have to dress according to mainstream fashion and not have any friends who share similar tastes and interests.

Cory

On 2004-01-07 18:00, EnchantedTikiGoth wrote:
I guess if I want to be an inclusive and mature individual, I have to dress according to mainstream fashion and not have any friends who share similar tastes and interests.

Cory

Ain't nuthin' but a party, Cory. Don't take the teasing to heart, this is a highly irreverent bunch. It's like a rite of passage.

aloha,
em.

On 2004-01-07 16:57, thejab wrote:

active member on this forum doesn't necessarily mean you're in the tiki scene, but I would say if you attend meetings or events with others who share an interest in tiki than you are part of a tiki scene.

For some of us, this forum is all we got! Not all of us are lucky enough to live withing driving distance of other tiki people. It would take me 7 days drive just to drop over to emspace's for a Mai Tai.

On 2004-01-04 00:17, RentAHero wrote:
Hey everyone, can someone explain to me the term "Rockabilly". I know it means a type of music and I know what it sounds like it. But when they use the term Rockabilly as in a style, or to describe an art, car, or clothes, what does it mean? What makes Rockabilly, Rockabilly? Hah. Thanks in advance!

OUTHOUSE MOAN!
http://www.outhousemoan.com

• nuff said

On 2004-01-07 18:44, Unkle John wrote:
OUTHOUSE MOAN!
http://www.outhousemoan.com

• nuff said

Almost afraid to ask what would the moanettes be wearing?
:wink:

B.T.W...
I enjoy being everything and nothing at once. One day hot, one day cold, no commitments. I'm not putting anyone down because they like one thing over another long term. I just have an insatiable life.

SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE...
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

On 2004-01-07 19:39, Atomic Cocktail wrote:
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE...
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

"Since we are no longer the knights who say NI! You shall bring me another
shrubery. (Quietly)You shall brace it upon the other one to give it a two
level effect with a liitle pathway going down the middle."

ah path! ah path! ni!

shhh...

Pomade, now that's rockabilly. Great definition. I have to chip in and and say that here in the UK being into the 'rockin scene' is fantastic due to it's diversity. Most people here who are into rockin 50's music appreciate and get to hear, rockabilly, rhythm and blues, rock n roll, rocking blues, western swing, hillbilly, swing. If you check out some of the rockin weekenders (Viva Las Vegas, Hemsby, Rhythm Riot), you will see a good mix of original and new bands and various musical styles. Have a look at the website http://www.rhythmriot.com for details for the weekender, monthly gigs and jiving classes.

[ Edited by: Kon-Hemsby on 2004-01-08 05:08 ]

On 2004-01-07 17:59, emspace wrote:

On 2004-01-07 15:37, tikibars wrote:

Hey me too!

Let's start a clique and exclude everyone else!

I'm all for it. A clique of two. We'll open a club called "Shag and LaoTze's Atomic Replicant Juke Joint". People who wander in not wearing the requisite PKD pistol replica and vintage aloha shirt worn over a Taoist Tai Chi Society t-shirt can take flying f***!

:), em.

straying (pun) from rockabilly to blade runner, but you could argue that the bar scene in blade runner had some subtextual exotica imagery. the film noir (duh) club atmosphere, the asian themes, the brightly-colo(u)red drinks, the moody lighting... i haven't seen the movie for several years but this conversation connected that synapse for me.

sidebar, the streets of blade runner's l.a. are full of scenesters, notably punks, swingers, cyberpunks, (hare krishnas?)... &c. &c.

j$

i start a blade runner thread in this forum...

[ Edited by: Johnny Dollar on 2004-01-08 06:33 ]

Spoken like a true fan!!! I'd give Elvis and Johnny Cash most of the credit for making rockabilly more widely known and popular.

On 2004-01-07 14:44, Luckydesigns wrote:
I love it when people put down the Stray Cats. If it weren't for them, most rockabillies probably wouldn't have even been introduced to the genre. The old 'biting the hand that feeds you situation'.

The best of both worlds...

Thank you, thank you very much.
:tiki:

[ Edited by: Tiki Royale on 2004-01-08 10:45 ]

Somewhat related, somewhat not...I caught the Reverend Horton Heat show last week & in my humble opinion, those guys put on one heck of a good time.

On 2004-01-07 19:39, Atomic Cocktail wrote:
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,
SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE,SCENE...
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Sheesh, I touched a nerve.

You can push my button with the word "retro".

The new Rev DVD is pretty cool too. There's a big commentary in the special features section about how lame modern music is today. They really get worked up about it. I felt they were singing my song.

Sheesh, I touched a nerve.
You can push my button with the word "retro".

I have "scene" the error of my ways! Thanks for the warning on the "S" word. I'll try not to set you off... :D

" Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!"

-RevBambooBen-

[ Edited by: Atomic Cocktail on 2004-01-08 13:09 ]

On 2004-01-06 18:23, Frenchy Polynesia wrote:
Personally, I'm a tik-a-goth-a-mod-a-billy. :wink:

Frenchy Polynesiabilly
http://www.compulsiveobsessive.com

Goth-a-delic-Mod meself...

Along with Chicagoblues-Nolofunk... oh crap there are to many...

TG

On 2004-01-07 13:37, Atomic Cocktail wrote:

On 2004-01-07 13:15, thejab wrote:
scenes...scenesters...scenes...scenesters...scenes..Scenes...scenester..scenster

Language is a funny thing. I never heard "scene" used in a non-theatrical sense until I moved to Los Angeles a few years ago. Granted there are a lot of folks in NYC overly obsessed with image and appearance but I don't remember such a preoccupation with clothing as it relates to musical tastes (even back in the punk days.)

Maybe I've just forgotten too much but I'd think it would stick as it was my job as a designer to take note of such things.

I'll just chalk it up to regional differences and dialect.

I remember the "scene" being the thing way back in me "MUD" days. Oh how I loved jumping up and down with my cynical friends screaming "We are the muds! We are the muds! We are, We are, We are the MUDS!!!"
While the Smart Dress Only Mods were pontificating.

The New York scene of the 90'S had me listening big time to "I'm So Bored With You" by Agent Orange. The "scene" was ( in my experience ) just as judgemental as those uber mods. I pissed of the Bass player of the band I was in at the time when she ran on dropping scenester names, by interjecting something along the lines of; "I don't give a shit about these people. Or whether they "grace" us with their presence at our shows. If 5 people show up and have a fucking great time, I'll be elated. It's not about names, or image, it's about having a fucking good time!"

Can a person be "tiki" without mugs, tikis, Hawaiian shirts, or Martin Denny records???

If it's not about the right clothes or music, or items, the Buffetheads ARE just as tiki as you...

Long Live Mock!
TG

Edited to change my 13 hour day mis-recollection of the Agent Orange songs titled... Its that or senility...

[ Edited by: TikiGardener on 2004-01-08 23:39 ]

[ Edited by: TikiGardener on 2004-01-08 23:42 ]

On 2004-01-07 15:37, tikibars wrote:

On 2004-01-06 21:02, emspace wrote:
I'm a Blade-Runner-Tiki-musician-screwball-elitist-Taoist.

Hey me too!

Let's start a clique and exclude everyone else!

Can I join?!? But promise to snicker behind my back, and make sure I'm the first one kicked out of the club!

TG

On 2004-01-07 20:31, Unkle John wrote:
ah path! ah path! ni!

shhh...

Ecky! Ecky! Pa-Tang! And NuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuWhom!
TG

I just remembered a funny...I had just moved to Vancouver (1990) and joined a Brazilian band. I was hanging with some excellent Cuban musicians too, and going to Santeria ceremonies. A friend of my brother's commented, "Oh yeah, that scene".

What's funny? This butthead had no idea what she was talking about, had never even imagined there was any such "scene" in her city... People want to diminish you by pigeonholing you, even when it's impossible. She had spent her life here, and if you weren't in a scene, it was beyond her ability to comprehend. Pfft!

em.

Bongism: 'Better to make a big scene than to be in one'

just a tip o the hat to the paladins,who i saw mentioned a while back.criss crossing the country for the past 25 years, theyve been making some great american music and just rip it up live.check em out------------------ http://www.thepaladins.com/

----dave from jersey

Last time I caught the Paladins they gave a nod & dedicated a song to to the late Dan Mclain (aka Country Dick Montana) of the Beatfarmers. He died onstage in Vancouver, Canada of an anurism while performing at a club there. That's the way Dan would have wanted it. He was also a big Paladins fan, as am I.

[ Edited by: Shipwreckjoey on 2004-01-11 01:16 ]

Gotta love the Beat Farmers, and their alter ego + John Doe and Mojo,
The Pleasure Barons. We got a phone call the night of Dick's ( if it aint country, it aint DICK) death, cause me roomie was a good buddy of his back in SD.
Pretty lame, but no better way to go, than on stage!
Any Seattle folks that wanna see some good RAB, come out Sunday night to the Sunset for Pep Torres...

[ Edited by: sweetpea on 2004-01-11 03:23 ]

On 2004-01-11 03:22, sweetpea wrote:
Gotta love the Beat Farmers, and their alter ego + John Doe and Mojo,
The Pleasure Barons. We got a phone call the night of Dick's ( if it aint country, it aint DICK) death, cause me roomie was a good buddy of his back in SD.
Pretty lame, but no better way to go, than on stage!
Any Seattle folks that wanna see some good RAB, come out Sunday night to the Sunset for Pep Torres...

[ Edited by: sweetpea on 2004-01-11 03:23 ]

He used to come into the record shop I worked at in San Diego. The manager wanted his autograph. And Dick signed it "Thanks DICK!" No comma, so it read beautifully!

Everybody sing "HAPPY BOY!"

TG

Off topic? Heck this is beyond tiki ain't it?

He, yeah, he was a nice guy, funny as all git out. Hmmm, now I gotta go find my official Happy Boy Kazooo! hehehehehehehe
"my little dog spot got hit by a car, hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba, put his guts in a box and threw it in a drawer.... heeheehee

Dan "Country Dick Montana" McClain also was the drummer for the Crawdaddys for a while - the BEST band from San Diego, period! On a good night when they clicked they were amazing. Their 5x4 EP is one of the greatest 60s R&B/punk records ever.

I saw the Crawdaddys several times. They were great. I'd descibe them as very sincere, unpretenious and true to the roots. Dan was a good drummer for them...he understood and loved their music and complimented it well. He also played with a San Diego punk band called the Penetrators. He played good solid drums with them, but I think his heart was always in the rockabilly, country swing & blues/R&B stuff that inhabited most of his record collection and led to projects like the Pleasure Barons & the Beat Farmers.

On 2004-01-12 12:50, thejab wrote:
Dan "Country Dick Montana" McClain also was the drummer for the Crawdaddys for a while - the BEST band from San Diego, period! On a good night when they clicked they were amazing. Their 5x4 EP is one of the greatest 60s R&B/punk records ever.

5x4... Are you sure you don't mean the Tell Tale Hearts? Crawdaddies were the catalyst for the whole San Diego Mod scene.

If I'm wrong on the 5x4 ep, forgive me. I just know I own an ep by the Tell Tale Hearts, and I'm sure it is titled the same. "I Can Never Tell" is a great song!
TG
http://www.exotic-tiki-gardens.com

I stand corrected!

[ Edited by: TikiGardener on 2004-01-13 00:42 ]