Category: South Florida

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The Hukilau changes hotels, plans major announcement

The Hukilau: June 11-15, 2014, at the Bahia Mar Beach Resort and The Mai-Kai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Latest updates: TheHukilau.com | Facebook or Twitter
UPDATES: See all of The Atomic Grog’s coverage

The Hukilau

The East Coast’s largest annual festival dedicated to Polynesian Pop culture is returning in 2014 to the hotel that hosted some of the largest gatherings in the 13-year history of the event. In addition, a big announcement is planned for tomorrow (Wednesday, Nov. 18) by co-founder and organizer Christie “Tiki Kiliki” White that you won’t want to miss.

It will be announced tomorrow that The Hukilau is expanding to five days (June 11-15) with additional Wednesday events in addition to the usual Thursday through Sunday happenings such as the Tiki marketplace, retro-themed bands, rum-fueled parties, informative symposiums and much more. And, as usual, there will be events centered around the historic Mai-Kai Polynesian restaurant, the Fort Lauderdale treasure (est. 1956) that dates back to the original mid-century Tiki craze.

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Photos: Halloween partygoers, band raise hell at The Mai-Kai’s fifth annual Hulaween

The Mai-Kai’s Molokai bar was filled with costume-clad revelers on Friday, Oct. 25, for the historic Polynesian restaurant’s frighteningly festive Halloween bash known as Hulaween. South Florida surf band Skinny Jimmy & the Stingrays performed three sets of retro classics and choice originals, there were many creative entries in the costume contest, and a good time was had by all at the fifth annual event.
See below: Browse 20 photos from the event

Skinny Satan (Jimmy) & the Stingrays get the crowed revved up at the fifth annual Hulaween at The Mai-Kai
Skinny Satan (Jimmy) & the Stingrays get the crowed revved up at the fifth annual Hulaween at The Mai-Kai. (Atomic Grog photo)

The bar opened at 5 p.m. for happy hour and exotic Halloween tunes programmed by The Atomic Grog. The band hit the stage after 7, cranking up the energy as Skinny Jimmy channeled Satan himself. The rest of the band took on the personas of famous Halloween characters as they ripped through instrumental surf hits from the past 50 years, including such appropriate songs Moonlight Surf, Dark Eyes, Jack the Ripper, Ghost Riders, and the Munsters TV show theme.

A Mexican wrestler and a pirate, better known as Mai-Kai manager Kern Mattei and marketing director Pia Dahlquist, once again hosted the costume contest and awarded the grand prize to a creative couple who came to the party as a pair of Tikis. Runners-up included several artistic Day of the Dead couples, the scary Sleestak and a confused Rastafarian Scotsman.

The band kept the party rockin’ until midnight as attendees enjoyed The Mai-Kai’s legendary tropical drinks in the nautical-themed lounge. Sponsor Captain Morgan also presented rum and cocktail samples featuring its tasty Captain Morgan Black.

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Video clips guaranteed to get you in the Hulaween spirit

Updated Nov. 1, 2013
RECAP: See photos from Hulaween 2013

*** Friday, Oct. 25 – Hulaween 2013: The Horror of Party Beach featuring Skinny Jimmy & the Stingrays at The Mai-Kai, 3599 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale. (954) 563-3272. Free admission. Valet and paid self-parking. Happy hour 5 to 7 p.m. Live music and costume contest in The Molokai bar, 7 p.m.-midnight. [MaiKai.com | Facebook event]
* Event history: Oct. 25 marks five years of frightening fun at Mai-Kai’s Hulaween party
* Full preview: Beware the ‘Horror of Party Beach’ at The Mai-Kai’s Hulaween

Hulaween 2013

The fifth annual Hulaween at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale will feature a lot of classic elements, from the surf music of Skinny Jimmy & the Stingrays to the cocktails, food and decor at the 56-year-old Polynesian palace. One additional classic element for 2013 is a theme centered around a classically bad B-movie.

The Horror of Party Beach is a 1964 horror film intended to be “a take-off on beach parties and musicals.” What it ended up being is one of the 10 worst films of all time, according to The Book of Lists. It was also among the films in the 1978 book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time.

Shot in black & white on a miniscule budget in Connecticut, the film stars laughable creatures that are said to be derived from water plants and dead human tissue mutated from radioactive waste. The monsters become humanoid by attaching themselves to skeletons in a shipwreck, then proceed to hunt down and kill a series of comely young women. The official trailer:

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Oct. 25 marks five years of frightening fun at The Mai-Kai’s Hulaween party

Updated Nov. 1, 2013
RECAP: See photos from Hulaween 2013

*** Friday, Oct. 25 – Hulaween 2013 featuring Skinny Jimmy & the Stingrays at The Mai-Kai, 3599 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale. (954) 563-3272. Free admission. Valet and paid self-parking. Happy hour 5 to 7 p.m. Live music and costume contest in The Molokai bar, 7 p.m.-midnight. [Official website | Facebook event]
* Full preview: Beware the ‘Horror of Party Beach’ at The Mai-Kai’s Hulaween
* Video: Clips guaranteed to get you in the Hulaween spirit

Hulaween 2013

The 56-year-old Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale hosts many signature events throughout the year, such as The Hukilau in June and the legendary Polynesian restaurant’s anniversary party in December. But perhaps the most distinctive (and frighteningly festive) is Hulaween every October.

Marking its fifth anniversary on Oct. 25, Hulaween has become one of South Florida’s most authentically fun Halloween bashes. No fancy gimmicks or wacky concepts, just a good old-fashioned costume party in The Mai-Kai’s nautical-themed Molokai bar featuring some of South Florida’s best retro-themed bands.

Deerfield Beach surf band Skinny Jimmy & the Stingrays will be making its Hulaween debut this year, providing the perfect soundtrack of classic instrumental tunes from the ’50s and ’60s, plus their exceptional originals. Once again, The Atomic Grog will dig up 50+ years of rockin’ Halloween tunes to play between sets. Expect the dance floor to again be filled with zombies and monsters of every persuasion.

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Gold Dust Lounge kick starts new album with online fund-raising campaign

Updated Tuesday, Oct. 1

Miami’s Russell Mofsky decided to take a seemingly unorthodox approach to funding the upcoming album from his retro-inspired band, Gold Dust Lounge. With a goal of raising $15,000, he turned to Kickstarter, the crowd-funding Web site.

Russell Mofsky of Gold Dust Lounge shows off a limited-edition print by Q. Cassettiat
Russell Mofsky of Gold Dust Lounge shows off a limited-edition print by Q. Cassettiat that some donors will receive. The band was performing at Sweat Records in Miami on Sunday, Sept. 29, during a final push for donations.

The gutsy move by this former DIY punk-rocker was a rousing success. When the 33-day campaign ended at 11:59 p.m. on Monday (Sept. 30), he blasted past his goal and finished with a grand total of $16,012. This came from 174 backers pledging an average of $92.
* Kickstarter.com: See the final totals and details on the project
* See updates on the campaign at GoldDustLounge.com and Facebook

“Thanks to your amazing support,” Mofsky wrote to supporters on the Kickstarter page. “We have surpassed our goal of $15K and Lost Sunset will be fully realized.” He added that the goal is a January release, pending any unforseen delays. On GoldDustLounge.com, he wrote: “This Kickstarter campaign was as much about community as it was about art. You guys ROCK! Can’t wait to share the album with you.”

Check out the Kickstarter page for samples of four of the songs (Bunny Yeager, Hidden Lake (Broken Glass), Humble Hill Rain and Lost Sunset) as well as the album, T-shirt and print artwork. The front and back cover of the LP feature original artwork by Miami artist Robert Jimenez (see below).

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Beware the ‘Horror of Party Beach’ at The Mai-Kai’s fifth annual Hulaween party on Oct. 25

Updated Nov. 1, 2013
RECAP: See photos from Hulaween 2013

The Mai-Kai’s Hulaween, one of South Florida’s most distinctive and festive Halloween parties, celebrates its fifth anniversary on Friday, Oct. 25, with a retro surf-themed bash dubbed “The Horror of Party Beach.” The event is free and runs from 5 p.m. until the witching hour in the legendary Fort Lauderdale Polynesian restaurant’s Molokai bar.
* Join the Facebook event
* Video: Clips guaranteed to get you in the Hulaween spirit
* Event history: Oct. 25 marks five years of frightening fun at Mai-Kai’s Hulaween party

Hulaween 2013

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Photos: Laramie Dean and Jimmy Dale in South Florida

The summer tour featuring surf guitarist Laramie Dean and drummer Jimmy Dale made three stops in South Florida last weekend. The Southern California-based band made the cross-country trek to Dean’s former stomping grounds for two full shows plus a special acoutistic set.

Dean & Dale
Laramie Dean (left) and Jimmy Dale play a rare acoustic set in The Mai-Kai’s Molokai bar on Saturday, July 20.

On Friday, they hit Churchill’s Pub in Miami for a “surf-punk party” with local favorites Pool Party, Skinny Jimmy & the Stingrays, and Sandrats. Also performing was touring opener Hardship Anchors, the rockin’ SoCal punk band featuring bassist Trevor Lucca, who also plays with Dean & Dale. Laramie looked and sounded great, obviously fully recovered from recent health problems that kept him off the road for the past few years.

Before Saturday night’s concert in Pompano Beach, Dean and Dale donned acoustic guitars and played their first unplugged set ever, along with the band’s sax player Alex Lewis. Opening with the classic Miserlou (popularized by Jimmy’s dad, the legendary Dick Dale), they rocked the packed Molokai bar in the famous Fort Lauderdale Polynesian restaurant.

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Surf guitarst Laramie Dean, inspired by mentor Dick Dale, overcomes similar hurdles

Updated July 25, 2013
Photos: Laramie Dean and Jimmy Dale in South Florida

Laramie Dean with Jimmy Dale: Friday, July 19, at Churchill’s Pub; and Saturday, July 20, at The Mai-Kai and Mickey’s Bar. Click here for full info
Previous story: Laramie Dean returns to South Florida for surf-punk party

Laramie Dean, who cut his teeth as a surf guitarist in the South Florida music scene for five years before settling in Los Angeles, returns this weekend for his first area shows in more than two years. When we last saw him, he was opening for his idol, the legendary Dick Dale, in June 2011. Why the extended absence?

Laramie Dean at Churchill's

Like Dale, who has battled cancer for the past five years, Dean has had his own health issues. Luckily, both are back on the road this summer. While Dale tours the Northeast, Dean has hooked up with Dick’s son, Jimmy, for a July jaunt from California to Florida and back.

While Dean likes to emulate the 75-year-old “king of the surf guitar,” his illness was an eerie and unintended direction. “I had a staph infection, not cancer,” Dean said by phone just before hitting the road. “It’s like a blood infection. It just kills your body.” And it put a serious crimp in his musical ambitions for the better part of the past two years.

Dean, 32, first came down with an infection in Europe while on tour with Agent Orange in 2009. He thought it was gone when he embarked on his lifelong dream, a summer tour with Dick Dale in 2011. [Story | Review/photos] But the infection came back, and it got worse during a subsequent two-week stint opening for roots-rock guitarist Deke Dickerson.

“I was in the hospital for 42 days, and it was pretty bad,” Dean said. “I was paralyzed on the right side of my body. I had seven surgeries just to clean up the infection. But it’s been about eight months with no infection now.” Dean’s last operation was one year ago, in July 2012, and he recently got an MRI that gave him a clean bill of health. “Everything looks good now,” he said.

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A Tiki Top 10: Photos and memories from The Hukilau 2013

The Hukilau was held June 6-9, 2013, at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel (aka the Yankee Clipper) and The Mai-Kai restaurant.
See below: Gallery of 40 photos

The Intoxicators from Tallahassee unleash a surf-rock fury in The Molokai lounge during Thursday's late-night bash.
The Intoxicators from Tallahassee unleash a surf-rock fury in The Molokai lounge during Thursday’s late-night bash. (Atomic Grog photo; click for gallery)

More than 800 devotees of Polynesian Pop culture and classic mid-century style assembled for the 12th annual gathering of the tribe known as The Hukilau in Fort Lauderdale. Despite inclement weather that forced some venue and schedule changes, the colorfully-clad attendees didn’t seem to mind, flocking to a wide assortment of events showcasing eclectic music, rum-filled cocktails, expert speakers and lots more.

Below are the highlights of The Atomic Grog’s whirlwind weekend, which began early in the week with organizational efforts and didn’t end until Sunday’s post-event party at The Mai-Kai. I missed one band and a couple symposiums, but I tried to hit all the major happenings and photographed the revelry for posterity (see photos below). For extensive photo coverage, click on the Go11Media link below the gallery.

The following is highly subjective but should give a fair snapshot of the wide array of festivities, along with a few tasty cocktail recipes. I apologize to any bands and participants I may have neglected to mention, but all did a great job. It was tough narrowing this list down to 10. In roughly chronological order …

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Take 5: Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Tiki cocktail author and historian extraordinaire

Jeff “Beachbum” Berry is extremely passionate about Tiki, tropical drinks and The Mai-Kai. In April, we caught up with the author of such essential Tiki cocktail bibles as Grog Log and Sippin’ Safari in his natural habitat (The Mai-Kai gardens) and posed the following questions.

Jeff "Beachbum" Berry (right) and Hurricane Hayward enjoy their classic Mutiny cocktails in The Mai-Kai gardens
Jeff “Beachbum” Berry (right) and Hurricane Hayward enjoy their classic Mutiny cocktails in The Mai-Kai gardens. (Photo by Susan Hayward, April 2013)

Interview by Jim “Hurricane” Hayward

1. If you could transport yourself for one night back in time to any Tiki bar or restaurant, what would it be and when?

That would be Don the Beachcomber’s in 1934: Ground zero, the big bang, the creation of the Tiki bar as we know it – by Donn, right after Prohibition. I would have loved to have seen what that was like.

2. If Food Network or the Travel Channel came to you and said, “Pitch us a show about tropical drinks,” what would you suggest?

I would suggest that they just take their suggestion and shove it. Because none of those channels, none of those hosts, none of that garbage is about what these places are about. What these places are about is “aloha,” it’s about the spirit of true hospitality, of welcoming, of making you feel important, of making you feel good. All of these TV channels traffic in all of this competition bullshit, where restaurants are not places to go to relax and unwind. Where you get stressed out and compete against your fellow chefs or bartenders. I hate all that. That’s the antithesis of the true spirit of hospitality, of genteel camaraderie, of going to a place to exchange confidences and emotions, and happy experiences with people that you either know or you’ve met at these places. It’s not about competition, it’s not about who’s the best, it’s not about some guy with spiked hair telling you about the awesomeness of the food. That’s just artificial garbage. … All these people are self-appointed experts. They don’t know anything about anything.

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