Tag Archives: Tiki

DVD of Tiki Vol. 1: Paradise Lost – Tiki Night at The Egyptian

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Events and tagged with , , ,

IMG_1240

This weekend was the annual Tiki Night at Grauman’s Eygptian Theatre in Hollywood, a historic venue celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. There was barely more than a week’s notice to the public for this event, but it still had quite a good turnout.

IMG_1238

Neighboring restaurant Maui and Sons apparently catered the meal that included a skewer of teriyaki chicken that had a weird, powdery texture, bland mini pulled pork sandwich, potato salad, mandarin orange green salad with a tasty sesame vinaigrette, and half a brownie square. For $20 a plate, it paled in comparison to what they served a few years ago. Meanwhile, Maui and Sons was also offering $5 mai tais and pina coladas in little cups — not much of a deal considering the serving size.

IMG_1257

But it was easy to overlook those minor issues thanks to the festive atmosphere and tiki tunes provided again by King Kukulele and the Polynesian Paradise dancers (and impromptu little soloists). On a few numbers they were joined by Judd Finkelstein of The Maikai Gents on ukulele and Crazy Al contributing coconut percussion and exotica-style animal sounds.

IMG_1249

A number of tiki artists and authorities had been interviewed for the film being screened that night, and some of them were there to support the event and see the final product. Tiki tOny and Crazy Al were also among the vendors that set up their wares in the courtyard. (I tweeted a photo of the purple tiki mask I picked up from Tiki tOny.)

IMG_1267

A documentary project several years in the making, “The DVD of Tiki Volume 1: Paradise Lost” is an impressive and entertaining exploration of all things tiki. Filmmaker Jochen Hirschfeld traveled around the world to illustrate the origins of tiki in Polynesia, how the fantasy of a tropical paradise turned into the tiki bar craze in mid-century America, and why it fell out of favor not long afterward. (The last scene of the film is just gutwrenching — you’ll understand when you see it.)

IMG_1269

There will be another screening in San Diego at Tiki Oasis, but for the next few days you can purchase the DVD through PayPal. (Ordering info can be found at the bottom of this Tiki Central thread.) It really is a must-buy for anyone that’s into tiki. Plus if they raise enough funds, we’ll hopefully be able to look forward to the release of “Tiki Volume 2: Paradise Reloaded,” which will focus on today’s tiki scene with interviews from Shag, Sven Kirsten, Beachbum Berry, Kevin Kidney and many more.

Related Posts:
Tiki Night at The Egyptian 2011: Bird of Paradise
Tiki Night at The Egyptian 2010: The Mighty Uke

Tiki Carver at The Westin Princeville – Kauai

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Objets de Tiki and tagged with , , , ,

IMG_0058

Blame my sporadic posting on an especially jet-setting July. We just got back from New York, but earlier this month we were lucky enough to spend a week in Hawaii on the island of Kaua’i.

IMG_0451

Even looking back at my own photos I can hardly believe how beautiful it was. From the Kalalau Valley (above) and the Na Pali Coast to Waimea Canyon to Hanalei Bay, the landscape was so varied and breathtaking.

IMG_0026

I knew there would be some tiki sightings on the trip, but I hadn’t expected them to start with the resort we were staying at. Everyday a couple local vendors would set up by the plantation-style main building of The Westin Princeville, and on our first day there happened to be a tiki carver.

IMG_0212

He was mostly whittling away, much to the fascination of passing children, but I thought it was an interesting juxtaposition when he started working on his iPad. In addition to tikis in many sizes, he also had carvings of turtles, whales, an octopus and other sea creatures.

IMG_0211

An intricately detailed (and heavy!) war club with rope and feathers caught my eye, but I decided to think about it instead of purchasing it on the spot. Of course, when I came back the next day he had already sold it. I later saw some of his carvings for sale at Havaiki Oceanic and Tribal Art, but more on that soon.

IMG_0704

Tiki Art at WonderGround Gallery at Downtown Disney

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Other Tiki Topics and tagged with , , , , ,

Hipster Mickey by Jerrod Maruyama

Last month a new art and retail concept made its debut at Downtown Disney at Disneyland. WonderGround Gallery seems to give their artists a fair amount of freedom in representing the classic characters, like this “Hipster Mickey” designed by Jerrod Maruyama. (His portfolio shows he can even make a can of Spam look super cute, and there are also more photos of WonderGround on his blog).

Nemo and the Tank Gang by Calef Brown

Of course, one of the main pieces that caught my eye from Disney’s announcement was “Nemo and the Tank Gang.” In it, Calef Brown depicts the aquarium setting, complete with one of the tikis, from “Finding Nemo.” (That film is another instance of Pixar sneaking tikis into scenes.)

Tiki Fest by Calef Brown

While browsing Brown’s web site, I also found more tiki-inspired art, like Tiki Fest, an original illustration commissioned by Los Angeles magazine.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to checking out the WonderGround Gallery for myself. Between the Art Deco-style stores on Buena Vista Street and the new tiki mugs for sale at Trader Sam’s, it seems like Disneyland just keeps getting better and better at taking my money!

For more information, and to see much more of the art, visit WonderGroundGallery.com.

Previous Posts about Tiki Art

The Contemporary Idol Art Show at Modernism Week
Tiki Bob Art Show at the Tonga Hut