The Tiki Talk Show – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This week, Ryley and Ellie interview Jason Alexander, owner/operator of two bars in Tacoma, Devil’s Reef and Gilman House Room 428, about the process of opening a new commercial tiki bar, his unique original cocktails, and the trends he sees with tiki bars patrons over the last few years. This episode’s artist spotlight features Sam of Low Tiki, a ceramics sculptor who designs original tiki mugs and other functional art pieces. 

Jason Alexander was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, but is no stranger to the tropical allures from distant beaches much different than Washington’s craggy shores. Between visiting his father’s condo in Hawaii and the time spent in sunny California courtesy of the Marine Corps, Jason had his share of Polynesian influences early on. After getting out of the Marine Corps in 2001, Jason went to work in construction which catapulted him into another phase of life, one in the food and beverage industry. Jason’s time as a bar owner and operator has brought some much needed tiki love to the Tacoma, Washington, area. His bar, Devil’s Reef has elements of traditional classic tiki bars mixed with nautical, Lovecraftian, and adventure themes. No matter what draws your eye inside Devil’s Reef, it’s Jason’s menu chock full of original tiki drinks that keeps patrons coming back night after night. His talent for combining flavors is not limited to simply following the formulas of tiki days long past, but he has really let his imagination run wild with all of the original libations available. Jason and his wife Robyn expanded their bar/restaurant world beyond Devil’s Reef in 2020 with a new bar, Gilman House Room 428. This speakeasy in Tacoma provides an intimate setting to enjoy tasty bites and more of Jason’s creative cocktails. If you haven’t had a chance to visit Devil’s Reef or Gilman House yet, put them at the top of your list!

You can find Jason on Instagram @tikicommando and his bars Devil’s Reef on Instagram @devils_reef and Gilman House Room 428 on Instagram @gilmanhouseroom428. 

Sam comes from a long line of artistic women, so it was no surprise when she took an interest in the more creative side of life from an early age. While traditional art mediums ruled the early years of Sam’s art journey she soon found herself seeking out challenges within the art world. This first led her to black velvet paintings, a difficult medium of its own right. Eventually, 3D functional art captured Sam’s attention and she took to ceramics sculpting. Her tiki mugs are inspired by time she spent in Hawaii with her auntie as well as time in Japan with her mother. These international and inter-cultural influences have played a big role in the imagery Sam puts into her mugs. From tropical ghosts to animal oddities and even Japanese good-luck charms, there is no shortage of creative and beautiful mugs hand sculpted by Sam.

You can find Sam on Instagram @lowtiki and buy her mugs on her website at lowtiki.com. 

Thank you for joining us on The Tiki Talk Show. If you’re interested in being interviewed or highlighted as our artist spotlight, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com. 

We are now on all major streaming platforms, so find us wherever you listen to podcasts! You can also find us on Instagram @konacove_hometikibar.

-Ryley and Ellie

This week, Ryley and Ellie interview Christie White also known as Tiki Kiliki about her introduction into tiki, how the tiki revival evolved with the connection brought about by the internet, and her part in starting the Hulikau, as well as her current and future tiki endeavors. This episode’s artist spotlight features Zack and Mahalia from Zahiki Tiki and how their background in community theatre has lead to the creation of dramatic lamps and tiki carvings. 

Christie White was first exposed to the tiki world through music as a child. After-school childcare took the form of an antiques store and the treasures held within. To a little girl in rural Alabama, the colorful and exotic covers of Hawaiian and exotica records seemed enchanting and mesmerizing. As time went on, Christie slowly started her tiki collection. By the 90s and early 2000s she was a tiki fan bordering on fanatic. Tiki fanzines like Tiki News were her first clue that there were others out there who were interested in the same things. This initial connection only blossomed further when the internet lent its helping hand. Tiki Central was a message board that connected tiki fans across the world and allowed them to share their tiki knowledge and discoveries in real time. Eventually, Christie poured all this love for tiki culture into an event for other east coast devotees, the Hukilau. The Hukilau evolved into the second largest tiki weekender event behind Tiki Oasis. Over the years, Christie took a step back from the Hukilau but not from her love of tiki. It was time to bring tiki home. The Tapa Room, Christie and husband, Bill Langley’s, home tiki bar has erupted onto the tiki scene as a paragon for home bars everywhere. And they don’t keep the Aloha to themselves. Be sure to listen to Christie’s interview to hear about how she and her husband enjoy hosting members of their community and an exciting new announcement from Tiki Kiliki. You can find Christie at tikikiliki.com and on Instagram at @tikikiliki and @taparoombham.

Zack and Mahalia’s interest into tiki creation started with the spark of inspiration and developed out of necessity. With the closing of Oceanic Arts, the premier supplier for tiki decor, there was a void left in the tiki community. Many creators have stepped in to create carvings, lamps, and other decor items once easily accessible from one dealer. One such creator has been Zack and Mahalia, a couple from Texas. Armed with photos and the exact design specifications of many of Oceanic Art’s previous creations, the couple set to work making their first sets of lamps. Through much trial and error, they found success and went to a tiki marketplace to hock their wares. Unfortunately, their adherence to authenticity (more specifically the commercial grade sizes) proved to be a setback. Thankfully, they were able to adapt and continue growing their skills and honing their style. Today, they’ve expanded beyond just elaborate lamps to include wood carvings in their repertoire. Zahiki Tiki has seen their lamps and carvings featured in several of their local tiki bars. If you want to see their amazing creations, buy their decor, or commission them for a custom piece, you can find them on Instagram @Zahiki_tiki. 

Thank you for joining us on the tiki talk show. If you’re interested in being interviewed or highlighted as our artist spotlight, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com.

-Ryley and Ellie

This week, Ryley and Ellie interview Ray Wyland of Seattle about his introduction into tiki, how his involvement in the tiki world has changed over time, and where he sees tiki headed in the future. This episode’s artist spotlight features Stacy McClanahan of San Francisco about her Polynesian pop influences and the black velvet paintings they have inspired. 

Ray Wyland has been exposed to little bits and pieces of tiki and tiki-adjacent culture since adolescence, but it wasn’t until his move to Seattle from the east coast that Ray visited his first tiki bar and began putting all the pieces together. He started his blog Tiki with Ray in 2016 and transitioned it into a YouTube channel in 2017. He covers a wide range of topics in the tiki and tiki adjacent spaces as well as highlighting and reviewing home tiki bars from across the world. Ray combined his passion for tiki with all things creepy and punk to form the Tiki Goth Club, a bona fide membership club with membership cards, meetups, and a private Facebook group to share with other members. Ray has developed from someone who chronicles stories within the tiki space to being the subject of them, most recently being highlighted as Tiki Famous in the latest issue of Exotica Moderne. You can find Ray at tikiwithray.com, learn more about the Tiki Goth Club at tikigothclub.com, and visit Ray’s YouTube, Tiki with Ray, here https://www.tikiwithray.com/. You can also find Ray on Facebook and Instagram at the handles listed below. 

@tikiwithray - Instagram 

Tiki With Ray - Tiki Goth Club - Facebook

Stacy McClanahan has been exposed to Polynesian pop art since childhood and has been an artist even longer. Stacy’s path into art may have been somewhat traditional with two fine arts degrees and a love for traditional mediums, but her path forward has been nothing short of exceptional. Stacy’s art showcases two opposite ends of the art spectrum. At work, she takes her skills digital to design video games and popular digital media. However, her passion for tiki has led her to the lost art of black velvet paintings. Now, Stacy creates and sells her velvets at thefogden.com and even teaches others the art medium that was once at risk of going extinct. You can see Stacy’s artwork on her website and purchase some of her fabulous creations from her Etsy store http://thefogden.etsy.com. Be sure to keep an eye on her socials which are linked below for information on her upcoming events around the Bay Area and beyond. 

@fogdensf - Instagram 

Thank you for joining us on the tiki talk show. If you’re interested in being interviewed or highlighted as our artist spotlight, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com.

-Ryley and Ellie

Ryley and Ellie discuss the intent of the show, our background and next steps. The Tiki Talk Show will upload interviews every two weeks with a variety of people from the tiki scene.

What’s in a name? That which we call a Mai Tai by any other name tastes just as sweet. Or should it? These are the questions Ryley and Ellie get into with this week’s guest, Kevin Crossman, Mai Tai connoisseur and author of In Search of the Ultimate Mai Tai. This week’s artist spotlight features Will Fugate from Tiki Classics and Katiki Mugs.

Kevin Crossman’s interest in tiki spans nearly three decades beginning in the 90s when the music that sets the mood for our tiki backdrop was making a revival of its own. As he bridged the gap between exotic sounds and tiki bars, he did as the tikiphiles do and ordered himself a Mai Tai. While those first Mai Tais were lackluster, Trader Vic’s (home of the original Mai Tai) opened his eyes to a world of possibilities. With the rise of the internet, Kevin found himself dabbling in website creation and blog writing. This interest in the early days of the internet melded well with his thirst for a well made Mai Tai. UltimateMaiTai.com was born and Crossman began blogging about the his travels and Mai Tai taste-testing. As the site grew, so did the breadth of his writing. He expanded beyond simply Mai Tai reviews to tiki bar reviews, history of the Mai Tai, and even prose about other famous tiki cocktails and related subjects. With so much knowledge and passion, it’s easy to see why he’s earned the moniker, Mr. Mai Tai. 

You can find him on Facebook by his name and on Instagram @KevinCrossman and @ultimatemaitai. His website ultimatemaitai.com has all of his Mai Tai related adventures and rankings. 

Will Fugate is an artist who admits he can’t even draw a stick figure. Despite his proclaimed lack of artistic abilities, Will has made a line of amazing tiki mugs, lamps, carvings and more. And these are no mere amateur artworks. Will’s passion for classic tiki imagery, decor, style, and culture can be seen in each of his creations. With the push of a friend, Will jumped feet first into the artistic world of tiki and did what any rational person would do— he bought a kiln. Most of his mugs are handmade by Will with all the attention to detail and passion one could expect from a master artist. In an effort to bring more ideas to fruition than his two hands could sculpt, he started the Katiki mug line which maintain the love of classic tiki design while allowing factory produced mugs to bring them to the masses at a price point that can’t be beat. In all he does— mugs and beyond, Will is a tiki lover and artist through and through, despite any doubts he originally had. 

You can find Will on Instagram @tiki_classics, @katikimugs, and @jaytaolavalounge. Check out his website tikiclassics.com to buy his tiki mugs, lamps, and other great creations. 

Thank you for joining us on The Tiki Talk Show. If you are interested in being interviewed or highlighted as our artist spotlight, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com.

As always, you can find us on Instagram @konacove_hometikibar or our now show specific page @thetikitalkshow!

-Ryley and Ellie

This week on The Tiki Talk Show, Ryley and Ellie talk to Jayme Blaschke of Lagoon of Mystery, a Texan who took his desire to build an at-home tiki bar on a budget and created a video record to share with others. This week’s artist spotlight is Dawn Fraiser, one of the OG tiki artists who does a variety of mediums out of her home in west Seattle. 

Jayme Blaschke has had an appreciation for Hawaiiana and Polynesian Pop for a while, but it wasn’t until he found himself with an outdoor entertainment space to make his own that his tiki creativity spread its wings. What started as a stereotypical pool-side “tiki” bar has morphed into a fully themed tiki space that Jayme has mostly crafted with his own two hands. The Lagoon of Mystery as his backyard escape is also the namesake for Jayme’s YouTube channel. There he shares his experience crafting a home tiki bar and other DIY tiki projects. From homemade orgeat syrup to crafting and installing a bamboo grid on the ceiling, Jayme takes it all on and provides a good walkthrough along the way. While Jayme’s history with tiki may not be as long as some of our tiki OGs, he has left a permanent mark on tiki and shown others that they too can make tiki a part of their everyday life with their own two hands and an internet connection. 

You can find Jayme on Instagram @lagoonofmystery and on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@LagoonofMystery. 

Dawn Fraiser is one of the original artists of the tiki revival. While many agree that the tiki revival started in the mid 1990s, Dawn’s tiki art predates that. She has seen tiki rise from the grave and grow through the 21st century. She’s a versatile artist working in acrylic, watercolor, cardboard, fabric, and way more. She may be best known for her Lagoonscapes that entrance us with the serene feelings of escape that are so often associated with tiki. Beyond her tiki-tastic paintings, Dawn also creates her own fabric patterns, some of which are available for purchase on Spoonflower, and others are only available when you buy an aloha shirt or tea timer sewn by Dawn herself. She is truly a one-woman show determined to keep classic tiki imagery at the forefront of all our minds. In this episode, Dawn goes beyond talking about her art and tells a few stories of the early days of tiki. 

You can find Dawn on Instagram @Dawnfraiserartistofficial, and purchasing her art is as easy as commenting “dibs” under the post featuring the creation you want to purchase. 

Thank you for joining us on The Tiki Talk Show. If you are interested in being interviewed or highlighted as our artist spotlight, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com.

As always, you can find us on Instagram @thetikitalkshow and @konacove_hometikibar. We now have a Facebook group to discuss the episodes, guests, and all things tiki revival. Find us at The Tiki Talk Show on Facebook under groups.  

-Ryley and Ellie

This week, Ellie and Ryley talk to Sven Kirsten, the famed author, urban archeologist, and tiki fanatic. People rarely know they’re making history as they’re making it; Sven is no exception. Sven’s contributions to the tiki community can’t be contained in just one interview. Sven, along with a band of fellow tiki fans, brought this subculture back from being wrapped in midcentury kitsch to being the respected art form that it is today. Sven is a visual artist and has always been drawn to striking imagery. This was the first seed of his tiki obsession. The tip into the world of Polynesian pop came when Sven’s roommate brought home a Moai from a local swap meet. 

It was great to talk with Sven about the early days of the revival, his story, and where he sees the scene going from here. We are honored to have him on our show, and we hope you appreciate the interview. As the early days keep distancing themselves, we are always appreciative to hear what it was like back then. Sven is the man to listen to when it comes to the revival. If you ever have to wonder what books you need in your tiki library, start with The Book of Tiki, Tiki Pop, Tiki Modern, and all the rest of Sven’s work. 

Thank you for joining us on The Tiki Talk Show. If you are interested in being interviewed or highlighted as our artist spotlight, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com.

Head on over to our Instagram to see the new artwork that Sue, The 50s Vintage Dame, has made for our show. Stay tuned for some new merch opportunities coming soon. You can find us on Instagram @thetikitalkshow and @konacove_hometikibar. And check us out on Facebook at The Tiki Talk Show group to talk tiki with us.

-Ryley and Ellie

This week on The Tiki Talk Show, Ryley and Ellie talk to Ed Hamilton, Administer of Rum, the man who brought Rhum Agricole to the US palate, and the legend behind the famed Hamilton Rums. This week’s artist spotlight is Matt Strickland aka Tikis by Savage Matt. His tiki lamps, wood carvings, and jewelry creations are all handmade in his home in Michigan.

Ed Hamilton is a man for whom Adventure is a way of life. When life expected Ed to conform to the societal standards that go along with being an engineer, Ed had other plans. His willingness to chase that spirit of adventure took him from Taiwan to Florida, from oil rigs to Caribbean shores. Ed quit his job and never looked back. Armed with a sailboat and a general idea of what was next, he was off. He made land in Martinique where he was exposed to high quality Rhum and from then on, was hooked. Ed began importing rum to the U.S. through a series of circumstances that seem better placed in a movie than a business deal that actually took place in Chicago. Ed is a defender of the spirit and will only ever import high-quality rums that he feels proud to put his name on. Ed knows that rum takes an introduction; he tells the industry that rum is worth their time, and then, Ed listens to them when they ask for a new rum in the market. This is in part of how Hamilton Rum came to be, he listened to bar staff, industry friends, bars, and even YouTubers when deciding what next to blend. Listen to Ellie and Ryley talk with Ed about the industry, the impact tiki has had on rum and what trends he is seeing in the rum world. 

You can find Ed on Instagram @edrumguy where he’ll post details about his weekly zoom calls where you can get a chance to talk to the man himself and other rum nerds. And be sure to check out his website ministryofrum.com as soon as that’s back up and running. 

Matt Strickland started in Tiki with a slow trickle and then a full flood! He got started out in the punk scene and then the rockabilly scene before finally landing in the tiki scene. Matt has been “marked” by tiki since the mid-90s by getting a tiki tattoo. In the early-2000s he built his own home bar, a true sign that tiki has taken a firm hold in your life. Matt is a multi-discipline artist: lamps, tikis, jewelry and more, Matt has done it. His early creations were tiki lamps with a unique construction style. After taking a break from tiki, Matt returned to the tiki scene ready to take on new challenges. He found wood carving to be the perfect outlet. Now, he’s expanded his repertoire once again to include resin tiki jewelry. And we can say from first-hand experience that they are fantastic pieces. Be sure to catch Matt at his vending events in the midwest with Tiki Inferno being tomorrow (6/14/25) and the Makahiki coming up in September in Indianapolis. 

You can find Matt on Instagram @tikis_by_savage_matt to view his art and see where he’ll be vending next.

Thank you for joining us on The Tiki Talk Show. If you are interested in being interviewed or highlighted as our artist spotlight, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com. 

Click this link to fill out the Google Form and get on our postcard mailing list! You can see our new postcards and other fun swag on our Instagram @thetikitalkshow and see more of our tiki adventures @konacove_hometikibar. And check us out on Facebook at The Tiki Talk Show group to talk tiki with us.

-Ryley and Ellie

This week Ryley and Ellie are joined by The King— King Kukulele that is— famed musician, improv stand-up comedian, and the Emcee for a variety of notable tiki events. Our artist spotlight for the week is Furious Jim, an Arizona based creative that expresses himself through a variety of mediums.

Denny Moynahan aka King Kukulele is an L.A. native with a musical background. He started out playing the trumpet and other instruments in his childhood. He found tiki through a combo of karate and witco… when have you heard that combo? Denny was studying improv comedy when life changes took their toll and he found himself in Hawaii. That’s when he found the ukelele. Like a duck to water, Denny took to the instrument and eventually the King Kukulele character was formed. Funny, irreverent, entertaining, and energetic—a King Kukulele show will have the crowd laughing, participating, and surprised at every silly twist and turn. Whether it’s performing at festivals, emceeing tiki oasis and the Hukilau, or cutting the ribbon at a new Disneyland addition, he has done it all.

You can find him at @kingkukulele on instagram.

Furious Jim is a Phoenix, Arizona, artist with a passion and need to create. He paints acrylic on canvas and takes inspiration from other artists and his environment while always trying to add a bit of himself into the art. Jim’s creative passions have led him to create wearable art in the form of jewelry and hand-sewn punk rock battle vests. His jewelry takes inspiration from vintage pieces. He uses true vintage beads, bamboo beads, modern stones and beads to string beautiful yet sturdy necklaces and bracelets. His jewelry also takes the form of “vandalization” but using pendants from other tiki creators and stringing them into uniquely Jim works of art. His influence and dedication to the Arizona tiki scene makes him more than just a creator but also a proponent of the Aloha spirit in Arizona and beyond.

You can find him on Instagram @furious.jim or his website furiousjim.com. The best way to buy one of his pieces is the just shoot him a message on Instagram.

Thank you for joining us on The Tiki Talk Show. We’re looking forward to seeing you at Tiki Oasis in San Diego in a few short weeks. If you see us there, be sure to say hi!

If you are interested in being interviewed or highlighted as our artist spotlight, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also fill out our Google Form to get on our postcard mailing list. It’s been good talking to you.

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

-Ryley and Ellie

This week Ellie and Ryley are celebrating a small milestone by hitting episode 10! We celebrate this achievement by sitting down with Sheryl Schroeder, one of the original tiki artists. Sheryl was so much fun to talk to, and with her years of experience in the tiki scene, she’s done it all. Our Artist Spotlight this week is Johnny and Shanna Lowe of Rita’s Lost Weekend. Not only do they have one of the coolest home bars around, they also make lamps, candles, shirts and so much more. 

Sheryl Schroeder was raised in San Diego and was exposed to tiki at a young age by being around places like Shelter Island. Sheryl spent her time growing up surfing, being outside, and making art in any form she found interesting. Sheryl started out like many others— by getting into punk and slowly hearing the alluring call of tiki that harkened back to her childhood in San Diego. Inspiration struck one day when Sheryl was walking on the beach and she found pieces of a fallen palm tree on the ground and decided she needed to paint tikis on them. Here we are years later, those palm tree tiki paintings are still available but so much more has come along with it. Sheryl has done art for Tiki News back in the ‘90s, she has painted countless pieces of palm, done art for wine bottles, and even designed a tiki mug for Tikiland Trading. Sheryl also is a big cat lover, and we don’t mean big house cats. Sheryl is an avid conservationist and has travelled to South Africa to support lion sanctuaries. Sheryl also does work to support big cats native to Southern California. You can find Sheryl at her Instagram at @schroederville_art.

Johnny and Shanna are the proud owners of Rita’s Lost Weekend, an ode to the vessel that carried that fateful voyage into the Black Lagoon in the summer of ’54. They combine their love of horror and tiki into a unique blend that compliments each other so well. They are lamp builders, candle makers and some of the nicest people around. In this interview we talk about how they designed their bar, how they started building lamps, the illusive scent of their favorite candle that has lead them to attempt to replicate it, and so much more. They offer lamps you can buy on their Etsy but also offer the ability to order custom commissioned lamps too. They are the absolute best, and Ryley really had a great time talking with them. You can find them on Instagram at @ritaslostweekend. 

Thank you for joining us on The Tiki Talk Show. If you are interested in being interviewed or highlighted as our artist spotlight, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also fill out our Google Form to get on our postcard mailing list. It’s been good talking to you.

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

-Ryley and Ellie