Hot Lava (a.k.a "How Bowers") plays baritone ukulele and sings with America's best tiki music band, The Crazed Mugs. He lives in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida with his wife and son. Contact
You are currently browsing the Tiki Talk weblog archives for June, 2008.
Jeffrey, a web designer who moonlights creating products with New Zealand’s instant manufacturing company Ponoko, created some lovely pendants that cross Maori tiki and turtles.
Acrylic, in a variety of color.
$45-$60 USD.
See the necklaces at Ponoko | Visit Jeffrey’s blog
Hawaii Five-O, the now classic police drama set in Hawaii, can now be watched anytime for free on CBS.com. The series, which ran from 1968 to 1980(!), starred Jack Lord and his immovable hair curl as Steve McGarrett and James MacArthur as his second-in-command, Danno.
19 episodes in total from seasons 1 and 2 can be streamed from the site. The Flash-based player can play full-screen or can be embedded in web applications, similar to YouTube videos. Downloading does not seem to be supported.
Here’s an example: episode 33, “King Kamehameha Blues,” which revolves around hippies stealing an artifact from the Bishop Museum.
Hawaii meets Mexico with this clever remix of two great tropical clothing styles for men. Each shirt is 100% cotton and has mother-of-pearl buttons, full-length pleating, and four pockets. Sizes range from M to XXL.
$79.99
Apparently it’s not only a tree that grows in Brooklyn — Brooklyn’s Tiki Bar celebrates its grand opening tonight in New York City.
There isn’t much information about the drinks on their website (”exotic frozen drinks” is all that’s mentioned), nor are there any interior photos, but the site does have a somewhat controversal “Door Policy” posted. Patrons must have “casual, but neat” attire: no hats, no sneakers, no work boots, athletic gear, or jerseys. They will also be scanned with a metal detector.
Some find the policys outrageous for a “tiki bar,” but it just may be that people’s expectations about how classy a tiki bar should be are unrealistly low. The Trader Vic’s I visited in Washington was very high-end.
885 B Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232 | (718) 768-2797
Hapa, award winning recording artists from Hawaii, will bring Island spirit to San Francisco for a benefit concert in support of Japantown’s 35th Annual Nihonmachi Street Fair. Featuring Barry Flanagan and Nathan Aweau, Hapa will headline a special concert titled “Bringing Our Communities Together,” on July 5 at the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts with special appearance by Na Mamo No`eau.
Like the Hawaiian Islands themselves, Hapa’s Pan-Polynesian music is an amalgam of influences ranging from ancient genealogical chants to the strummed ballads of Portuguese fisherman, Spanish cowboys, and the inspired melodies and harmonies of the traditional church choirs of the early missionaries. Add to this a dose of American acoustic folk/rock, and you have what the Maui Times has described as the “most exciting and beautiful contemporary Hawaiian music the worldknows!”
Often encapsulated as the “Sound of Maui”, Hapa’s music evokes a place that many critics have referred to as heavenly. The overriding quality of their music is one of beauty and serenity, found in the majestic tones of the oli (chant), mele (song), the elegant movements of the sacred dance known as hula, and the exhilarating innovative sounds of virtuoso slack key guitar. Hapa’s self entitled debut CD released in 1993, swept the 1994 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (Hawaii’s equivalent of the Grammy’s), becoming the biggest selling CD by a group or duo in the history of recorded Hawaiian music. In 2006 the group’s recording, Hula, won the best album award and in 2007 Nathan Aweau won as best male vocalist of the year. Hapa’s ground breaking music has established them as the most recognized name in Hawaiian music internationally since their debut release, with sold-out shows from Tokyo to New York.
Tickets On Sale Now!
Concert tickets are on sale now through the City Box Office
(www.cityboxoffice.com) 415-392-4400.
The Nihonmachi Street Fair is set for August 9 and 10 in Japantown at Post and Buchanan Sts., in San Francisco. More information about the concert and the fair is available at the Nihonmachi Street Fair website at www.nihonmachistreetfair.org or by calling 415-771-9861.)
Hukilau 2008 will be held in Ft. Lauderdale, June 12-15. The annual gathering of tiki fans has grown more elaborate and entertaining each year, and the 2008 event promises once again not to disappoint. Sadly, this will be its last year, so make plans to go!
Events include:
Travel and ticket information, along with the full schedule of vendors, speakers, and events have now been posted at the Hukilau website: www.thehukilau.com
The Tiki Terrace bills itself as “an Intimate Hawaiian Hideaway” and by the looks of its website, it succeeds brilliantly as being a modern incarnation of a classic tiki bar/restaurant.
Besides the extensive menu, the bar offers a wide variety of classic tiki drinks (available in a souvenir mug!). Saturday nights feature a dance review and other entertainment is offered during the week, such as the Chicagaiian band “The Windy City Islanders,” which we blogged about in 2005.
UPDATE:The restaurant is now open in its new location at 1591 Lee Street, Des Plaines, IL.
