The Mermaids Swim Again…Wreck Bar, Yankee Clipper, Fort Lauderdale

After an extensive remodeling, the Sheraton Yankee Clipper in Fort Lauderdale is open and the Wreck Bar is in full swing! (I haven’t been there yet, but I hear it’s been preserved as original). Well I’ll know for sure tonight, because a bunch of Tiki friends and I will be swinging by tonight to watch the Mermaids swim again!

When Sheraton announced plans to remodel the old Yankee Clipper (and give it the dumb, dull, corporate, generic name “Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel”) everyone thought that would be the end of the historic Wreck Bar. Well, from what I hear someone had enough brains to keep it intact.

The Wreck Bar at the Yankee Clipper

The Wreck Bar features windows that look out into the pool, giving patrons a view of the swimmers. Underwater dancing Mermaids have been a popular attraction for years, and our favorite Mermaid, Medusirena, will be headlining the swim tonight.

If you’re in the Fort Lauderdale area come on by and join us for a Mai Tai. Show starts at 6:30!

-Mermaids at the Wreck Bar, Tiki Chris @ Tiki Lounge Talk, the Tiki Blog for hip swingers and Tikiphiles.

Hukilau 2010! June 11-13 - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Well kids, there’s not much to say about the most intimate Tiki event in the world that they don’t do a great job of saying on their website:

http://www.thehukilau.com/2010

So I’ll just tell you if you’re into the Tiki Lifestyle, dig Tiki Art, swing to Exotica music, love Tiki drinks and have a thing for hot chicks doing Polynesian dances, you’ve got to hop a rail and get yourself down to Fort Liquordale, Florida this June.

If you’ve ever been to a Tiki event, you know how much fun this can be.

For those of you who are saying “what the hell is a Huki-whatsis?”: The Hukilau is a weekend of crazy people celebrating all things Tiki. There are Tiki idols, Tiki music, Tiki art, Tiki mugs, Tiki Ti-shirts, and of course Tiki Bars. Have I said “Tiki” enough yet? You catch my drift, right?

Colleen at the Hukilau 2009. That's not me next to her.

There will be tons of great performers like  The Bikini Beachcombers and King Kukulele. And of course, South Florida’s favorite underwater bombshell, Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid will be showing of her fabulous dancing and aquatic skills.

But one of the things that really sets this Tiki Life event apart from all the others is the inclusion of the world-famous Mai Kai Tiki Bar & Restaurant, a Fort Lauderdale landmark since 1956. It’s one of the few remaining original Tiki bars from the golden era of Poly Pop, and has stood the tests of time, hurricanes and changing fads to take its place as one of, if not the top, Tiki bars in the world. When you go, make sure you take a stroll through the tropical garden.

If all goes well (and the banking industry doesn’t turn America into a desert) we’ll be attending all three days. Hopefully we’ll see some of you retro-kats and swingin-kittens there! Come up and say hello to us…I’ll be the guy in the Hawaiian shirt.

For more info on the event, to book tickets online and to arrange for a motel click the Hukilau link above. You can also join their facebook fanpage by clicking the words in the pretty color.

Mahalos! See you in June!

Count Basie, Corner Pocket

A while ago I came across this video of the Count Basie Orchestra playing Corner Pocket back in 1962. If there is such thing as big band jazz perfection, this is it. Basie’s band was known for it’s exceptional combination of virtuosity and soul. This version of Corner Pocket illuminates both.

I had the pleasure of playing lead tenor sax + solo on this arrangement in my college big band. Although nowhere near as swingin’ as Basie’s band, I’ll always be happy and proud to have swung this number in that college band.

Sit back, pour a Manhattan, and take five to enjoy this: The Count Basie Orchestra swinging Corner Pocket (Until I Met You)

Our Fingers are Crossed!

The deadline for the Tiki Brand Dance Your Grass Off Contest was last Friday…and the judges now must score the entries to come up with a winner! We’re on pins and needles here at the Tiki Bar, hoping that we’ll win the grand prize. Our fingers are crossed, our toes are crossed, even our eyes are crossed (although that may be from too many Zombies).

There’s some stiff competition we’re up against, but no one else has a bobble-head Tiki, a cat, a parrot and a safety message (lighting the tiki torch in a welder’s mask!), not to mention the cutest girl in a grass skirt this side of the Hawaiian Islands. So we’re hoping our score will be high. Thanks to everyone who showed your support by logging into YouTube and rating our video. We have 24 ratings of FIVE STARS! Very exciting.

If you want to check out the contest entries on YouTube, click HERE.

To go right to our video, click HERE.

To go to the Tiki Contest website (and see who the grand prize winner is, hopefully soon) click HERE.

Don’t Miss Tiki Oasis 9, Aug. 13-16, San Diego!

Time to take off, kats and kittens, hop in the jalopy and motor down to San Diego for the West Coast’s best party ever! According to their website, “Tiki Oasis is the largest and longest running Tiki Event on planet earth”. Well, if you’re into the Tiki scene, and can get to the west coast, you absolutely can’t miss Tiki Oasis, baby! There’s so much entertainment and events packed into this three-day Poly Carnivále that I can’t possibly list them all here. Here’s a splatter of just a few of the entertainers, to give you an idea of the diversity:

(For a full listing of Swingin’ Entertainment on the TO-9 Site click here)

The Blue Hawaiians

Event the Tiki Oasis website is kookie kool and fun. This is some of the original art by Derek Yaniger featured throughout.

The Martini Kings

King Kukulele in the Friki Tikis

Tana the Tattooed Lady

The Swank Bastards

Sultry Savage Burlesque

The SHOCKWAVES

and about a dozen more! Holy Toledo what a line-up! Plus guest speakers, Exotic Cocktail experts, and the Tiki Oasis Marketplace featuring some of the hottest retro and Poly-Pop stuff you can find, from Tommy Bahama and Tiki Farm to Tiki tOny, Vintage Roadside and Fez-O-Rama!

(For a full listing of kool vendors on the TO-9 Site, click here)

Unfortunately yours truly won’t be able to jet-set over to Cali for this primo party, but I’ve got it on the calendar for next year, without a doubt! Friday & Saturday Tickets are still available, and so are tickets for some of the symposiums so check out the Tiki Oasis website before it’s too late!

http://www.tikioasis.com/