Episode 112: Tiki Culture and the Story of Post-War Polynesian Pop
Today we’re dressing up the bar with coconut mugs, gardenia flowers, surf boards and pu-pu platters because we’re diving into the first of a three episode series on Tiki culture. We’ll talk about the origins and influences — it’s not as simple as you think — and learn why this very Americanized look took off throughout the country and set sail across the globe.
Grab your tiki mugs, some fresh-cut pineapple and a chilled pitcher of Classic Mai Tais. We’re spinning some good ol’ exotic sailor yarns back here in the bar.
E X T R A S :
(Top to bottom): Donn the Beachcomber, Trader Vic
(Top to bottom): A postcard from Clifton’s “Pacific Seas” in Los Angeles, the 1953 exterior of the Kalua restaurant in Seattle.
(Top to bottom): Typical tiki drinks with mugs and fruit, a good example of an aloha shirt, one of the many albums inspired by the tiki craze
Donn the Beachcomber
Biography
Trader Vic
Biography
Additional Links
TikiCentral
Wikipedia article
Searching for Donn the Beachcomber book
“A Swingin’ Trip Through America’s Polynesian Obsession” (YouTube video)
“Tiki Bars and Their Hollywood Origins” (YouTube video)
Les Baxter’s Ritual of the Savage album (YouTube playlist)
