You’ve probably been wondering where I scampered off to this time… well, I’ve been hard at work on the new website for Hukilau 2007! With the launch of the website comes the announcement of this year’s lineup, and yet again, the selection of things to do and see and hear is outstanding. Of course, the main night is once again at tiki mecca, the Mai-Kai. Here’s just a sampling:

• Robert Drasnin, returning to Hukilau to perform his new album Voodoo II live (his 2005 performance was awe-inspiring)
• Beachbum Berry, with the premiere of his new book, Sippin’ Safari
• Kevin Kidney & Jody Daily, celebrated artists with a talk on tiki history, especially where it concerns Disney
• Clouseaux, jet-set Exotica from Houston
• Jeff Chenault, with a talk on Exotica music
• Hula Punk, all the way from Hamburg, Germany
• High Noon, rockabilly from Ausin

There’s a ton more (including a Tiki Treasures Bazaar, a Tiki Fashion Show, the return of the Wreck Bar Mermaid, and tons more music), but the best way to see it all is to go hit the website. Scratch that — the best way to see it all is to go to Hukilau in Fort Lauderdale, June 14-17. Tickets are on sale now!

• The Hukilau 2007
• New Robert Drasnin Album: Voodoo 2 [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Hukilau 2007 Dates Announced [Humu Kon Tiki]

About a thousand tikiphiles gathered to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Mai-Kai this past October, as part of the annual Hukilau event. However, the real, actual date of the 50th Anniversary is coming up on December 28th, and a special, more intimate celebration is planned. Tiki Kiliki is organizing a group reservation for Tiki Centralites for the prime seats of the house — right in front of the stage. Every evening at the Mai-Kai is a really special experience, and about the only way it can be improved upon is by sharing the experience with other people who share your love of tiki and of the Mai-Kai. If you’re interested in joining the group, chime in on this thread on Tiki Central.

Those of us who are inconveniently located across the country may have to miss out on the dinner, but Tiki Kiliki has something special for us, too: every day between now and December 28, she’s sharing an image from the Mai-Kai archives, or from the archives of the family of Mariano Licudine (the Mai-Kai’s original genius mixologist). The image here comes from the Mai-Kai archives, and is an advertisement for the Mai-Kai’s opening day, on December 28, 1956.

Happy Anniversary, Mai-Kai!

• Mai Kai Dinner Dec. 28th 50th Anniversary [Tiki Central]
• Mai Kai 50th Anniv. – a look back in pictures! [Tiki Central]
• Mai-Kai, Ft. Lauderdale [Critiki]
• Ft. Lauderdale: The Hukilau 2006 [Humu Kon Tiki]

After an extended hiatus, the Mai-Kai calendar is returning in 2007, as part of the Mai-Kai’s celebration of 50 years in business. The Mai-Kai’s 50th anniversary is on December 28, 2006. I haven’t seen any images from this new calendar yet, but it’s advertised as featuring “never before released photos from the Mai-Kai’s private archives.” The photos from the private archive that were on display at the Hukilau included some really fun shots. If this calendar does well, hopefully the Mai-Kai will be inspired to continue the tradition in 2008 and beyond.

The calendar costs $17, which includes tax and shipping, and is a natural gift choice for the Mai-Kai lover in your life. To order, use this old school form at the Mai-Kai website.

[Via the Tiki News mailing list]

• Mai-Kai 2007 Commemorative Calendar [Mai-Kai]

This post about our trip to Hukilau has been sitting here, taunting me in its mid-drafted state, for weeks now. Just the details from the first day were already too long to be a reasonable post — a full account of the whole weekend was looking like it would be a bloated whale of a thing. I could have put it up, but who would have read such a gangly monstrosity? I just need to clear the blockage and just get going with the blog posting, fercrissakes. So to get a sense of the fantastic time we had, just check out my photos, and read the threads of Hukilau memories and pictures on Tiki Central. The only thing missing from the pictures is the afterparties — they happened out in the Atlantic ocean, under the stars, a few dozen of us in our underthings and thankfully cameraless (that includes no webcams).

On with the show, already!

• Hukilau 2006 [Humuhumu's Life in Photos]
• Hukilau Pictures [Tiki Central]
• Hukilau memories [Tiki Central]

Well, with Hukilau 2006 having drifted off into the sunset, I can’t help but think, “when can I do it all again!?” The wait won’t be as long this time, as Hukilau is moving to early Summer — June 14-17, 2007, to be exact. Kiliki has been wanting to move out of Florida’s hurricane season for some time, and Otto wanted to move his annual Tiki Oasis event to later in the summer to take better advantage of San Diego weather, so this schedule switcheroo works great all around. Some of the musical performances for Hukilau 2007 have already been announced: Clouseaux from Houston, Hula Punk all the way from Hamburg, Germany, and High Noon, a rockabilly trio from Austin. DJ Del Villareal will be spinning hulabilly tunes all weekend. For more details, get on the Hukilau mailing list, and stay tuned to the Hukilau website!

• The Hukilau 2007

• The Hukilau 2006
• **Updated 9/12** Polynesiacs (aka volunteers) Still Needed for Hukilau ’06 [Tiki Central]

Hukilau is fast approaching, and I’m already mentally packing my bags (much easier, now that the War Against Shampoo has been reduced to a Firm Grudge Against Shampoo). I’m planning on bringing a webcam to some of the late-nite room parties, assuming I can get Internet access. I’ve set up a chat room on Userplane that supports streaming webcams, feel free to dive in and join me! If you have your own webcam that you’re bringing to Hukilau, you can use my Userplane chat room to stream it to the folks back home, too. Here’s how to use it:

- Go to this link: Humu Kon Tiki Webcam

- You’ll need to log in, but you don’t need to create an account if you don’t want to; you can log in as a guest.

- Once you’re logged in, Click “Chat!” to launch the chat window.

- You’ll see a list of users in the room in a list on the left side, under “The Molokai Bar.” If my webcam is currently broadcasting, you’ll see “Humuhumu” in the list; click my name, and you’ll get my webcam video in the lower left corner. There’s a “+” button you can click to enlarge the video window.

You can log in now, if you’d like, but there won’t be anything to see until I start broadcasting. When I find myself ready to start broadcasting, I’ll send up a flare at Tiki Central in this thread (and in Tiki Central’s Shout! chat window, too).

Oh, we’re going… to a Hukilau…

• Humu Kon Tiki Webcam [Userplane]
• Hukilau webcam(s)! [Tiki Central]
• Ft. Lauderdale: The Hukilau 2006 [Humu Kon Tiki]

One of my favorite bands, Waitiki, will be broadcasting a live performance straight to your computer this coming Wednesday, September 27, at 9pm Eastern (6pm Pacific). Waitiki has a lineup of über-talented, classically trained musicians, and they can do Exotica like nobody’s business. They performed a set of Martin Denny songs at the Mai Kai during last year’s Hukilau that was positively transcendent. They will be performing at the offices of Eons.com in Charlestown, MA, and everybody’s invited, thanks to the magic of streaming video. There will also likely be a chat session, hosted by Brother Cleve.

But this will just whet your whistle for the really great news: Waitiki is coming back to the Mai Kai for this year’s Hukilau! Details have not yet been revealed, but the boys report that they just couldn’t stay away after the great time they had last year, so they’re coming down on their own shiny nickel to participate. I can’t wait to get drunk with them again… er, I mean, I can’t wait to hear them again.

For details on the webcast and chat session, keep an eye on Waitiki’s website. Okonkulukú!

• Waitiki
• Ahhhh… Waitiki! [Humu Kon Tiki]

Swanky has shared scans of many Mai-Kai postcards from his collection on his Swank Blather blog. These include interior shots, exterior shots, and artists’ renderings of this most beautiful and archetypical of Polynesian palaces. As can be seen in some of the postcards, the exterior of the Mai-Kai has changed dramatically over the years — not just due to expansion, but also because of the encroachment of the city (when it was new, the Mai-Kai was quite isolated), and the growth of the lush jungle-like foliage around it. Swanky will be bringing his postcard collection with him to the Hukilau next month. Via MrBaliHai’s Eye of the Goof.

• Mai Kai – The Postcards [Swank Blather]
• Mai Kai Madness [Eye of the Goof]
• Ft. Lauderdale: The Hukilau 2006 [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Mai-Kai, Ft. Lauderdale [Critiki]

Detail of McVicker art

The above art was posted by someone on Tiki Central who is looking to learn more about it. It’s lovely — I’d love to know more about it, myself. According to the poster, thegreenman, this lithograph was acquired via his aunt, who is in a south Florida retirement village. His aunt got it from a woman “who knew the artist” (the work is signed “McVicker”). This woman said it was created as a promotion for a “Polynesian gardens fire dance,” and it is from 1959. I don’t know how accurate any of that is, but I do know it’s a great scene — complete with fire dancers, hula dancers, a band, well-dressed patrons, a serving wahine, a bartender, a mysterious shady figure at the back, even a full-on decorated a-frame. It’s almost too perfect… I would have guessed that it was a modern piece, the way it so perfectly nails every Poly Pop cliche. Regardless, it’s gorgeous.

McVicker signature

I did a quick search on “McVicker” and turned up an artist, J. Jay McVicker; he created some pieces of a similar tone, and which date from a similar age, but his style was more abstract, and a close comparison of the signatures looks like a mis-match. Thegreenman hails from Ft. Lauderdale, and a piece of framing tape on the back says “Schwarms Photo Center Bahia Mar Commercial Photography – Illustrative- Architectural-Marine” (today, there is a Bahia Mar hotel near the water in Ft. Lauderdale). The mind, of course, leaps to the Mai-Kai, which opened in 1956, but in those days the Mai-Kai wasn’t the only game in town — or at least, wasn’t the only game in south Florida. There are many folks more knowledgable than I am about Florida tiki history (Kailuageoff’s presentation at the Hukilau should be a treat), hopefully someone out there can clear up the mystery.

UPDATE: thegreenman has left a comment, stating that he learned from his aunt that this was a promotion for the Polynesian Room at the Yankee Clipper — the official hotel for this year’s Hukilau!

• 1959 Lithograph McVicker Polynesian fire dance [Tiki Central]