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 A Hukilau is a traditional Hawaiian festival held in the fishing villages of old. A large net is cast into the sea to herd fish then the villagers slowly pull the net to the shore. The feast that follows is meant to emphasize the spirit of family and community, or 'ohana. Our mainland Hukilau is a metaphorical net thrown out to the entire world, bringing lovers of "Polynesian Pop" or "Tiki" culture together for our own special celebration. Our Hukilau began when a few people on the Tiki Central message board discussed gathering at Trader Vic’s in Atlanta. Tiki Kiliki (Co-founder and Producer) and Swanky (Co-Founder & former Organizer -- click here to read his bio) began planning what is now "The Hukilau" -- an annual event celebrating Hawaiian and Polynesian Pop culture while honoring a historic Tiki bar and location. The reaction and excitement was phenomenal! The first event held in 2002, honoring Trader Vic’s in Atlanta, GA (est. 1976), was three days packed full of entertainment and events. The crowds poured in and all venues sold out. We were also shocked and amazed that Sven Kirsten, King Kukulele and others from California were willing to make the trip and attend the weekend, making it so special with their performances and participation. The experience sparked a fire to do more, thus an annual Tiki gala was born! Hukilau saw a change of location in 2003 when we were encouraged by friends to honor the amazing Mai-Kai in Ft. Lauderdale, FL (est. 1956). The response was overwhelming with attendees from all over the world and once again the event was extremely successful. The Hukilau also invited the Italian band I Belli Di Waikiki for their first U.S. performance – the event has never been the same! In 2004, despite Hurricane Jeanne, the event hosted more than 800 guests. With yet another successful year under its belt, along with support from the Mai-Kai family, Hukilau had found a permanent home. The appearance of Billy Mure was a stand out from 2004 – at age 86 he entertained everyone with his amazing guitar strings. Hukilau made history in 2005 as we assembled a 16-piece orchestra to play one of the greatest compositions of Exotica music ever recorded by the incomparable Robert Drasnin. The live performance of his LP, Voodoo, marked the first time the material had been played in its entirety since 1959. Attendees have described the experience as if they were transported back in time to the 1950s and were watching a live performance in one of the many Tiki palaces that used to grace almost every major city in America. 2005 also produced our largest attendance ever of more than 900 guests. Hukilau 2006 not only brought us the event’s fifth anniversary but also celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Mai Kai. The amazing celebration not only attracted exceptional entertainment but for the first time at any Tiki event  incredible seminars were offered to emphasize the importance of the evergrowing Tiki culture and history behind it. Jeff "Beachbum" Berry educated attendees about the art of the Polynesian cocktail, Sven Kirsten presented a slideshow on his book Tiki Modern, Florida Tiki Historian Geoff Sundstrom presented a slideshow of colorful images from Tiki palaces past and present in the Sunshine State and Jeff Chenault took everyone on a visual & musical tour of the greats in Exotica music. Charles Phoenix also charmed attendees with a historic and humorous journey through his vintage slideshow images - one of the highlights of the weekend!! Hundreds of historic photos and memorabilia from the Mai Kai’s archives were also on display throughout the entire weekend of the event at the Yankee Clipper hotel. The Hukilau saw the largest attendance yet with more than 1300 Tikiphiles as everyone came to celebrate event’s fifth anniversary and the Mai Kai's “50th” together!
Because of the notorious Florida hurricane season, Hukilau 2007 saw a change of season as the event moved to June. We invited Robert Drasnin back to our stage as he performed live Voodoo II - again, the first time the album was played in its entirety. The Hukilau audience was memorized with each piece of music. This was also another year of exotic seminars with the return of Jeff "Beachbum" Berry and the debut of his book Sippin' Safari, James Teitelbaum took us on a visual tour with sites from his debut book Tiki Road Trip 2nd Edition, Jeff Chenault was again on hand to educate attendees about the history and sounds past & present of musicians keeping the island magic alive. Disney historian and artist Kevin Kidney presented his seminar on the history of Tiki through Disney's eyes and gave us a look into the Florida Orange Bird's history. 2007 also saw the very first "Sarong-O-Rama!" - a fashion show and revue of Tiki fashion evolution from the 1940's through today - a huge hit!! Hukilau 2008 garnered even more success as the event took place once again in June, its now permanent month of year. The Hukilau stage saw many new performers such as the Tikiyaki Orchestra from Los Angeles, The Martini Kings from Los Angeles and The Fisherman from NYC. Jeff "Beachbum" Berry returned for another amazing seminar featuring cocktail recipes of the Caribbean, historic Tiki carver and artist Bosko gave a seminar on the early days of Tiki in California and his journey through Polynesian Pop history and beyond. Bre-elle Ishtar returned with an encore year of Sarong-O-Rama -- a fashion show of vintage and current Hawaiiana and Kevin Kidney presented lots of eye candy with his "Tiki TV" seminar, highlighting some of the greatest vintage Tiki moments on the small screen. The addition of a Tiki Art Show curated by Harold Golen Gallery of Miami was a main destination for shoppers and art enthusisats – many featured artists had never shown on the East Coast before. One of the most anticipated moments was the event finale of Mike Skinner’s presentation on Tiki Architecture, full of several “eye-toxicating” images. Attendees had a hands-on lesson at the Mai-Kai looking at architectural drawings, renderings and plans for Tiki palaces now part of history. The Mai-Kai also shared some of their scrapbooks and Hukilau reproduced one of the Mai-Kai’s  classic newsletters "Happy Talk" for everyone who attended the event finale. Closing out yet another wonderful year was the vintage Florida slide show from Charles Phoenix -- another incredibly successful and wonderful Hukilau!
Hukilau 2009 was a non-stop good time with a first ever performance by Los Straitjackets. We also revisited a big hit from 2004 and sold tickets to sail the intracoastal waterways of Ft. Lauderdale aboard the Tikki Beach Boat. Jeff Berry was with us to tell us all about the history of the Mai Tai, Harold Golen Gallery hosted yet another Tiki Art Show, the Intoxicators!/Marina the Mermaid/Haole Kats/The Bikini Beachcombers gave amazing performances along with newcomers The Stolen Idols who stole the show with their incredible performance at the Mai-Kai. Duda Leite debuted his film “Tikimentary” to The Hukilau audiences with great enthusiasm – the first installment of his amazing documentary focused on and profiling Hukilau 2007 and other highlights from the Tiki community. The swingin’ hips of Candy Del Rio and Sable Syn Cyr captivated audiences as they never stopped go-going until after the event! DJ’s Lounge Laura Taylor and Laura of Miami played to crowds and for the very first time in The Hukilau history several rooms played host for The Room Crawl – a party and cocktails were literally taking place in rooms all over the host hotel – it was, by far, the highlight of the weekend. Despite the recession our numbers stayed strong and many agreed – this was the best Hukilau ever!! We have been so honored to have worked with such amazing entertainers and presenters over the years, some listed above and others mentioned here: Robert Drasnin, Waitiki, Denny Moynahan, Billy Mure, Haole Kats, King Kukulele, The Intoxicators, The Crazed Mugs, Laramie Dean, Marina the Mermaid, Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey, Polynesian Proud, Italy's I Belli Di Waikiki, Yma Sumac, The Fisherman, Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, Bosko, The Martini Kings, Tikiyaki Orchestra, Mike Skinner, Kevin Kidney, Sven Kirsten, James Teitelbaum, Charles Phoenix, filmmaker Duda Leite, The Bikini Beachcombers, Stolen Idols, Candy Del Rio, Billy Mure, Jeff Berry, Mike Skinner, The Disasternauts, Big Pineapple, UberEasy, Johnny Knox and Hi-Test, Slip and the Spinouts, the Penetrators, Torchy Taboo, the He'e Amakuas, the Delusionaires, Tongo-hiti and Dames A’Flame and the Vodkanauts. Hukilau continues to grow and spread the Aloha spirit. There are so many people that assist in making it happen that it’s impossible to name all of them. We would very much like to thank our extended family at the Mai-Kai for welcoming us with open arms year after year: owners Dave Levy and Mrs. Kulani Thornton-Gelardi, and the beautiful and amazing choreographer Mireille Thornton who stated while looking at Hukilau guests enjoying themselves at the Mai-Kai during the event, "This is the way it used to be" – the single most proud moment of my life. Also, a special thanks to incredible support of Pia Dahlquist, Kern Mattei and each and every employee of the Mai Kai, without whom the magic wouldn’t be the same. Special mention to my friend and amazing talent King Kukulele aka Denny Moynahan. He has been The Hukilau’s MC each and every year since the beginning. Thank you for your Aloha spirit and for keeping us in stitches!!
2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 Note: the above links will open in a new window and may have their own music. |
Tiki Kiliki Tiki Kiliki, aka Christie J. White, felt the call of the islands as early as 6 years old as her time spent after school was in an antique store where the owner had vintage Hawaiian LPs on heavy rotation. She then became mesmerized with Polynesian Pop at the bright age of 13 when she purchased her first Tiki mug at a Salvation Army Thrift Store. Her need to surround herself with idols & relics from the past could only be shared one way -- the creation of The Hukilau, an annual event celebrating the classic era and resurgence of Polynesian Pop. |
Orchid Wahine Amy Eggers (aka Orchid Wahine) is delighted to return to Hukilau '10 and help continue the revelry and tradition of this mainstay subculture event. Traveling from the outskirts of Washington, DC, where she produces and performs in a monthly burlesque show, she's honored to re-join the national ohana and celebrate all-things Hukilau, exotica and Polynesian Pop. |
Our vendor coordinator, Dave "Basement Kahuna" Wolfe, is arguably one of the best kept secrets in the Tiki world as we know it. Born and raised in Georgia in relative isolation from the Tiki/Hawaiiana world, he discovered and fell in love with the style quite on his own in the early '90s and created a visionary Tiki world through sheer interest and obsession in his home before discovering kindred spirits in Tiki Central and in the pages of Sven Kirsten's Book Of Tiki. Far beyond his extraordinary devotion and passion for everything in the Tiki genre, his legendary acumen for uncovering bits of Tiki's glorious past in the form of artifacts of every description, his uncanny feel for the aesthetic of Tiki style, and his prowess for mixology, he is a highly accomplished Tiki carver and creator of all things Polynesian Pop. Once referred to by Sven Kirsten as "A one man Oceanic Arts," his Tikis, Polynesian war club reproductions, shields, masks, and light fixtures can be seen in personal Tiki bars from L.A. to Paris and everywhere in between, and in modern-era Tiki bars as well as legendary Tiki temples such as the beloved Mai Kai. As always, we are thrilled to have him as a part of the Hukilau celebration.
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 A. Pants Hukilau Staff Designer |
Bill has been attending and volunteering at Hukilau since 2004. 2010 will be his 5th year as the Official Hukilau Photography Sponsor. Along with the help of talented volunteers and his crew at go11media, he has coordinated the coverage of all of the Hukilau events and produced 1000's of stunning images that have captured the Aloha Spirit of Hukilau and serve as treasured keepsakes for attendees and more than a few Avatars. "I am honored to be invited back as a sponsor again this year. Each year we try and ad something new to the mix, Portraits in the Mai-Kai Gardens, greenscreening peeps onto the cover of Tiki Magazine, Slideshows, Room Crawl Hosting with partners like SPAM and VooDooTiki Tequila, etc.. This year will be no exception and we have some exciting multi-media plans in store for folks." Bill is a partner in go11media, a multimedia group, that in addition to photography and Videography offers Web and Graphic Design. go11media has created several Tiki-centric websites including the Mai-Kai and is currently working on a new site for VooDooTiki Tequila and BOHtiki. |
Brian Crum loves everything about The Hukilau and is proud to be returning to help bring this amazing event to the world. On stage he’s a member of The Intoxicators! and The Disasternauts. Behind the scenes he’s just a regular guy sipping on some rum and getting the job done. |
Shelley Knepper enjoys each and every aspect of the tiki lifestyle. She has attended every Tiki Oasis since its debut in 2001 in Palm Springs. Shelley has frequented Hukilau in years past and she served as the Volunteer Coordinator for Hukilau in 2008. Shelley is a special education teacher and she resides in Oceanside, CA. |
While he's relatively new to the Hukilau team, Jim is no stranger to the South Florida music scene. He's been one of the area's top independent promoters since the early 1990s and has produced hundreds of concerts by a wide range of top local and national punk, metal and alternative rock bands (Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, Fugazi, Iron Maiden, Korn, My Chemical Romance, NOFX, Slayer and Sum 41, to name a few). His company, Slammie Productions, also specializes in cool niche artists (Agent Orange, Dick Dale, Nekromantix, Exene Cervenka, The HorrorPops, The Phenomenauts) and has been a trailblazer in the local music scene, nurturing most of the area's breakout artists such as Marilyn Manson, Dashboard Confessional, New Found Glory and Nonpoint. Jim is a child of mid-century pop culture and grew up in the Northeast and Midwest in the 1960s and '70s amid his father's custom car show business. He has fond first-hand memories of the many George Barris-designed classics such as the Batmobile and Munsters cars plus the original monster shirt painters and artwork of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. Around this time he also got his first taste of tiki culture at some of the era's vintage restaurants before moving with his family to Florida in the mid '70s. A University of Florida grad and professional journalist for 25 years, Jim has worked at South Florida's top newspapers, covered the rock 'n' roll scene and for the past 15 years has specialized in Web production and editing. The tropical weather site he has managed through the past 10 hurricane seasons has earned him his nickname, "Hurricane." He has always been a student of modern pop culture and has recently dived enthusiastically into the tiki scene with his sights set on several major projects. We're delighted to have him on board. |
Mike Jones was born and raised in NYC, where he was influenced at an early age by the 1964-65 NY World's Fair, 'The Space Age World's Fair', dedicated to 'Peace through Understanding'. It was here that he had his first 'Tiki experience' at the Fair's Polynesian Pavilion, in addition to the spectacular visions of the future also incredibly presented at the the Fair. An early childhood visit to the sensational new Eero Saarinen TWA Terminal at JFK Airport was another indelible experience that introduced him to the dawning of the Jet Age, further enforcing the World's Fair vision of "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe". A child of the Space Age, NASA's Apollo missions were yet another influence, as was the burgeoning Pop Culture which included television's Batman, Man From U.N.C.L.E. and other memorable series, the early James Bond films (and subsequent parody films), the Planet of The Apes Series, the films of Stanley Kubrick,and the explosion of Pop Art. Modern design and fashion were also extremely influential, not to mention the profound effect of the exploding music scene. These experiences contributed to a desire for creative expression, which materialized over the course of a career that spans illustration and design, events promotion, consulting services, and over 25 years in the retail/hospitality industries. Jones conceived and developed the world-renowned Jetsetter Lounge, a 'temple' that paid homage to his early Space Age, Polynesian and Pop Cultural influences. The Jetsetter Lounge hosted the 2006 and 2007 Hukilau Grand Finales culminating the festivities in true Jetset style, and co-hosted the Kickoff Party at Hukilau 2009. |
Brian Crum
