Bamboo Ben - Episode Thirty

Bamboo Ben - Episode Thirty

Welcome back to another episode of The Tiki Talk Show. Ryley and Ellie sat down with the tiki revival’s most renowned bar builder, Bamboo Ben.  As the grandson of the Original Beachcomber, Eli Hedley, tiki was in Ben’s blood. Having always been artistic, Ben took his experience building custom furniture and started building tiki bars for backyard parties in the 90s. Living in Southern California, these front yard leftovers after last night’s ragers were quickly procured by interested passersby. Ben realized there was a market for the faux Polynesian and fell back in love with the tiki memories of his childhood. These party bars slowly turned into custom requests throughout Southern California and eventually beyond, thanks to Tiki Central. Slowly, Bamboo Ben became known as the tiki bar guy and was hired to refurbish or renovate run-down tiki bars of old. These efforts culminated in the first Tiki Oasis and the rescue and revival of the Caliente Tropics. Restoration wasn’t the only business Ben was in. As the tiki fever started ramping up, there was a market for opening new tiki bars, and a need for someone to design and decorate them. Ben has had a widely successful career of commercial and private home bars, and in 2017, he brought his son, Blake, into the family business, officially making it Bamboo Ben & Son.  You can find Bamboo Ben on Instagram @bamboo_ben_ or on Facebook at Bamboo Ben. If you’re interested in having this legend design your home or commercial bar space, reach out on social media or on his email at bambooben@aol.com [bambooben@aol.com] Thank you for joining us on this episode. We have a few more episodes planned for this summer series leading up to Tiki Oasis. Ryley will be giving a seminar at Tiki Oasis all about the history of the tiki revival. Tickets are still available at tikioasis.com/friday-seminars-26 [http://tikioasis.com/friday-seminars-26] for his Friday seminar from 1:30-2:30. We raffled off 2 standard tickets for Tiki Oasis over on Instagram, and the winner is announced at the end of this video. It’ll be announced on Instagram tomorrow. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com [thetikitalkshow@gmail.com]. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.  It’s been good talking to you, and until next time… Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow [http://Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow] -Ryley and Ellie

Jeff "Beachbum" Berry - Episode Twenty-Nine

Welcome back to The Tiki Talk Show! Following our brief hiatus, Ryley and Ellie sat down with a true member of the Mount Rushmore of the Tiki Revival, Jeff, Beachbum, Berry. Jeff first discovered Polynesian Pop as a child in the fleeting glimpses he caught of Ah Fong’s restaurant bar in the San Fernando Valley. The intricate escapism always lingered in the back of Jeff’s mind, but it wasn’t until he reached drinking age that Tiki began to creep back into his life. Berry was searching Los Angeles for a decent drink at a time when he recalls even the Old Fashioned’s came blended. He found respite in the small, Hollywood staple, The Tiki Ti. These tropical cocktails served by one of Donn the Beachcomber’s original bartenders was a welcome change, but when he asked Mr. Buhen what he was putting in his drinks, Berry was met with a generic answer preserving closely guarded secrets. That moment hurtled Berry into the world of tropical cocktails and rum rhapsodies that were being lost to time. Decades of research, interviews, writing, and storytelling later, Beachbum Berry has saved these drinks from extinction and made them widely available to tiki lovers and craft cocktail aficionados the world over. The Bum has published seven books containing not only cocktail and food recipes but the history of their creation, the places that served them, and the people who created and served beverages that captured the public’s attention for decades. Now, Jeff and wife Annene own Latitude 29, their own cocktail bar in New Orleans, Louisiana, where locals and travelers alike and quench their thirst for a quality tiki cocktail and revel in the gorgeous theming and decor.  Go to https://beachbumberry.com [https://beachbumberry.com] to find Jeff’s books, the link to purchase his Total Tiki cocktail app, information on his restaurant, rums, syrups, and so much more. You can also find him on Instagram @official_beachbumberry and @latitude29nola. Thank you for joining us for this episode. It’s so good to be back talking to revival heroes and sharing that information with all of you. We are looking forward to a few more episodes coming out this summer, Tiki Oasis in August, and our move overseas at the end of summer. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com [thetikitalkshow@gmail.com]. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.  It’s been good talking to you, and until next time… Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow [http://Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow] -Ryley and Ellie

Episode Twenty-Eight - It's Been a Pleasure but Until Then...

It's been a great year for Ellie and Ryley! Not just in tiki, but in so many amazing experiences. This episodes serves as a great transition note for us all. We hate to tell you, but The Tiki Talk Show you've known, is over. But fear not! This is the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for all of us. We are moving to the United Kingdom! Yes, you read that right, England! This was as unexpected for us as it is for you all, but it's something that we are looking forward to. We want to be clear though, other than scheduling, nothing will change! We will always bring stories from the revival but scheduling is a real consideration. Listen on to hear how The Tiki Talk Show will be moving forward! Thank you all for all you've done over the last year! -Ryley and Ellie Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date when new episodes are released.

Episode Twenty-Seven - First Wave Tiki

This week on The Tiki Talk Show, Ryley sits down with William and Kelly of First Wave Tiki. This husband and wife, artistic duo take first-wave tiki treasures and reimagine them into works of art for the modern tiki-phile. They first got into tiki around 2020 in Los Angeles. An antiquities dealer by trade, Will ran into tiki artifacts naturally; the first wave treasures were coming up for sale in auctions and estate sales where their uniqueness, exoticism, and beauty piqued his interest. Getting started into selling tiki antiques, Kelly lent her creativity to the business by refreshing worn down pieces and repurposing older treasures into modern works of art. Besides refreshing older "antikis" as they call them, First Wave Tiki also offers custom carving and building decor. They love working with individuals to help their tiki visions come to life. Stepping into an established tiki community can be intimidating, but as Will and Kelly have continued vending over time, they have shaken off feeling shackled to their booth and been able to express their true love and enthusiasm for this hobby and all of the people who make it so great. Check out their website to see their current showpieces and let them know if they can help purvey that item that's been on your wishlist for far too long. Keep up with them on social media to see where they'll be vending next so you can meet these lovely people and take home an "antiki" treasure of your own. You can find Will and Kelly at their website firstwavetiki.com [http://firstwavetiki.com/] or on Instagram or Facebook @firstwavetiki. Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of The Tiki Talk Show. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, 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 [http://linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow] -Ryley and Ellie

Episode Twenty-Six - The Donn of Tiki

This week, Ryley and Ellie get back to the interviews by welcoming Max Well, co-producer of The Donn of Tiki, to the show. Max and fellow co-producer Alex Lamb got interested in tiki in 2020. As filmmakers, they were interested in highlighting L.A.’s tiki bar culture before they fell down the rabbit hole of tiki history and the legend that is Donn the Beachcomber. The Donn of Tiki tells the story of Donn, born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gant, as he formed the legendary character and bar brand that brought rum-based cocktails and exotic escapism to the forefront of American culture. Listen to Max explain the creative process behind the project, the fun diving into the differences between the Donn Beach the man and the myth, and what’s coming up next for wider distribution. Several of our previous guests were contributors for this film including Tim Glazner, Adrian Eustaquio, Marie King, Sven Kirsten, Otto, and Baby Doe von Stroheim. For more about Donn the Beachcomber listen to our interviews with Tim Glazner and Marie King linked below. Follow along with The Donn of Tiki team on their website thedonnoftiki.com and on Instagram @thedonnoftiki to stay tuned about physical and streaming releases. https://youtu.be/iE1bs4YU0Vs?si=1lgf8vUwicDKTRN4 Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of The Tiki Talk Show. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at thetikitalkshow@gmail.com. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, 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