Making Tiki Drink Ice Shells SwankPad 2020-12-08 | The ice shell was a lost art of Tiki bars when I went to the Mai-Kai in 2003 and asked about it. I shared how to do it on Tiki Central and it started to come back here and there now in the modern Tiki movement.Thanks to Surf Monkey Films for editing this. Their Don the Beachcomber documentary site: Don the Beachcomber Documentary site: thedonnoftiki.comOster Snoflakes on eBay: ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=oster+snoflake&_sacat=0Snow Ice machine: amzn.to/2W3cpH7Grogalizer online Tiki drink app: grogalizer.comMy sites: swankpad.org/sitemaikaihistory.comdonn-beach.comDon the Beachcomber Documentary site: thedonnoftiki.com
Opals Lounge and Hawkeyes Corner in Knoxville, TN in 1998 SwankPad 2022-07-23 | Part of this was my girlfriend's 21st birthday. She wanted to get her first legal beer from Opal and so at a little after midnight she did. Opal paid. Then to Hawkeye's for the next. There is other footage here for a daytime trip to Hawkeye's.
UT Vols National Championship Night on the Strip SwankPad 2022-07-19 | The night the University of Tennessee Volunteer football team won the NCAA National Championship in 1998, we went down the the Cumberland Avenue Strip to join the party. Beers were drunk, cigars were smoked (Cuban for me) and a guy got arrested (not us). Stopped at the Long Branch and Last Lap (I think).
Baby Lu Lu Side 2 SwankPad 2022-01-17 | This is Baby Lu-Lu. Don't be fooled, she's only 3 1/2 years old. This record is hard to listen to. You should get a patch for your jacket for making it through. I should get something besides your scorn for bringing it to you!
Baby Lu Lu Side 1 SwankPad 2022-01-17 | This is Baby Lu-Lu. Don't be fooled, she's only 3 1/2 years old. This record is hard to listen to. You should get a patch for your jacket for making it through. I should get something besides your scorn for bringing it to you!
Arnie and Chise Rotsa Ruck LP Side 2 SwankPad 2022-01-17 | I picked up this record on my trip to Tiki Eyeball in 2007. The cover is just classic. I am not sure where this Sheraton is in Fort Lauderdale. I thought it was where the Hukilau is hosted, but, that's definitely a different building. But she does mention the Yankee Clipper on the record. Is this the building across from the ocean?
Arnie and Chise Rotsa Ruck LP Side 1 SwankPad 2022-01-17 | I picked up this record on my trip to Tiki Eyeball in 2007. The cover is just classic. I am not sure where this Sheraton is in Fort Lauderdale. I thought it was where the Hukilau is hosted, but, that’s definitely a different building. But she does mention the Yankee Clipper on the record. Is this the building across from the ocean?
Kahiki - The Legend SwankPad 2021-09-07 | Video from the Kahiki and the Kahiki Closing Party and the destruction. Video courtesy of John Holt. Edited by me.
Donnie Rudder Live at Cancun Chapman Hwy Knoxville SwankPad 2019-05-02 | Donnie plays standards and classics on Tuesdays in summer at Cancun Mexican Restaurant on Chapman Hwy in Knoxville.Here are a few snippets:King of The RoadFunny How Time Slips AwayM*A*S*H Theme Song (Suicide Is Painless)Suspicious MindsBlue HawaiiDesperadoCan't Help Falling In Love With YouAmerican PieHotel CaliforniaI'm So Lonesome I Could CryI Saw Her Standing There
Atlanta 2019 History of the Mystery Drink SwankPad 2019-01-18 | Join me February 16th at Inuhele, the Atlanta Tiki Weekender. I'll be telling the history of the iconic Mai-Kai Mystery Drink featuring rare, video, interviews and images from my archives.
Butt Hut Augusta GA radio commercial SwankPad 2018-07-20 | Drop it, pop it and lock it! All night long! Ladies night! 2 for 1! All night long!
My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua SwankPad 2018-02-20 | When I pass this place in Hawaii, this is the song I hear in my head.LP: Ports of ParadiseAlfred Newman and Ken Darby featuring Mavis Rivers
Akaka Falls by Ray Kinney SwankPad 2018-02-14 | Songs about Hawaiian Places. Preparing for our first trip to Hawaii and looking at the map, I realized how many place names I knew from old songs. I am adding the songs that will play in my head as I visit these spots.
Sven Kirsten Hukilau 2003 Greeting from Germany SwankPad 2017-12-05 | The first year the Hukilau was held at the Mai-Kai, Sven couldn't be there, so he sent this video.
Mai-Kai History West Coast Tour 2017 SwankPad 2017-06-23 | It's happening again...August 5th - 14th Seattle/Tacoma; San Francisco; Los Angeles; San Diego/Tiki Oasis; Palm SpringsJoin me for presentations and book signings.
Hummingbird Fight SwankPad 2016-09-01 | Three hummingbirds have a turf war over our feeder. We found one dead recently and this is the likely cause.
Solamente Una Vez - Playa Del Carmen 5th Ave SwankPad 2016-06-05 | Street musicians on 5th Avenue in Playa Del Carmen Mexico. Some good guitar playing by this guy, which I have found to be rare in Playa and all over Q Roo.
Folly Beach - Washout Dual Surfers SwankPad 2016-06-05 | Folly Beach, SC Dual surfers at the Washout.
Big Sandy - Tequila Calling - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC SwankPad 2016-06-05 | Big Sandy & The Fly-Rite Boys live at the Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC playing Tequila Calling. September 2013
Elvis Royale - Big Mike Geier - Dames Aflame - Atlanta January 2015 SwankPad 2016-05-30 | Various clips from Elvis Royale with Dames Aflame in Atlanta. Great show, great mash-ups, always fantastic. Songs: Little Sister; Kentucky Rain; If I Can Dream; Lonely Boy; Jailhouse Rock; How Great Thou Art; Where Could I Go But To The Lord; Saved; Radar Love; Long Legged Girl; Lovin', Touchin' and Squeazin'
Preview for book and event presentations SwankPad 2016-05-22 | A collection of images from my archives set to the soundtrack of Toti, the founder of the Mai-Kai show.
Funny Cat Montage SwankPad 2016-04-01 | Cats in Xmas tree, playing with string, confused by computer monitor, etc.
Fun With a Cat and a Piece of String SwankPad 2016-04-01 | He's big, dumb and cute. Frank with a piece of string on his tail.
Frank and Sammy Cat Fight Playing SwankPad 2016-04-01 | Back when they were just small and didn't hurt each other too much.
Blue Ribbon Southern Tiki - Mai-Kai, Hale Tiki, Omni Hut, Trader Vics ATL SwankPad 2016-03-24 | 2005 Turner South Blue Ribbon series turns to Tiki and spotlights 4 places in the South. Some Mai-Kai scenes shot during my Hukilau event with James Teitelbaum and others. Hale Tiki in Augusta I helped build with Crazy Al, Bamboo Ben and a lot of Basement Kahuna's work. The majority of the pieces were from a PNG collector in Indiana we visited. The Omni Hut section was great as it gave me history of the Mahi Mahi in Nashville as well as the Omni Hut. Nice to see Big Mike Geier at TV ATL with Tongohiti.
Hukilau Tiki Party 2003 SwankPad 2014-04-11 | From Hukilau 2003 in Fort Lauderdale Florida featuring "I Belli di Waikiki" and the Mai Kai. The first year we brought Hukilau to the Mai-Kai with the help of Bre-elle and Tristan.Mireille Thornton is seen dancing with us at the end. She was the owner of the Mai-Kai and choreographer since 1963. She is still involved with the show to this day.Swank Pad Productionseditor, cameraman: Tim "Swanky" Glazner
1961/62 Vespa VNB by Cushman Fully Restored SwankPad 2014-03-08 | 125cc upgraded to 177 by White Lion of Atlanta. Now 4 speed. About 600 miles on rebuilt engine with 500 mile break-in maintenance done by Scenic City Scooters in Chattanooga.In 1961 Vespa sent a batch of scooters to Cushman and they built them and badged them "Cushman". This one was sold in1962, and the VIN makes it a 1962, but it is in fact a 1961 build.Scooter came out of a mid-west barn here in the US. Restored by a local doctor here in Knoxville.Everything is either new or restored.
1961 Vespa VNB Scooter Hard to Kick Start Cold SwankPad 2014-03-08 | UPDATE: I finally figured out to LEAVE IT ALONE! Just turn the tank switch and kick it and it started fine. All that other stuff was the problem. Maybe 2-3 kicks and it starts right up.Fully restored with about 600 miles on the rebuilt engine. Engine work done by White Lion in ATL. 500 mile maintenance after break in period done by Scenic City in Chattanooga. Has some performance upgrades done by White Lion including exhaust.When it has been sitting overnight or a week, whatever, it is hard to start. I have tried no throttle and choke, full throttle and full choke. Half throttle, no choke. All combinations for at least 4-5 kicks. Nothing seems to be the magic trick. I end up about half throttle and just kick it as fast as possible in a row and it gets it, but, at that point I may have kicked it 20-30 times. It is exhausting.In the video I show this a bit in case anything here is enlightening.Once I start it I turned the camera on. It smoked a little at first, which is hard to see. The engine idles fine. You can't see that I am working the throttle and that's why it is up and down. I pull the choke a but and it slows the RPMs.Shut it off, put on the cowl and when I tried to start it, it kicked back at me so hard it nearly knocked the phone out of my hand. Put it down and it starts on one kick. Rode it a little and all fine.I cannot spray starter fluid down the carb every time I want to get it going. And I can't sell it very well with it like this. It has been looked over by professionals and those with lots of experience restoring scooters. Seems all okay.
Tahitian-Aires - Maui Girl with Lundy Nelson SwankPad 2013-11-28 | Lundy Nelson performed at the Yankee Clipper Polynesian Room and eventually came to be the band leader at the Mai-Kai for the Islanders Revue. He played guitar and sang. He was born of Hawaiian parents. This record, "South Seas Island Holiday" includes him in the band.He is the more haole looking man in the images.
Billy Mure Promos for the Swank Pad at Hukilau 2004 SwankPad 2013-09-28 | I asked Billy to do a promo for my online station the Swank Pad, and he had a tough time saying it. Great memory of a great man.
Trader Vics Drink Recipe Contest Entry SwankPad 2010-10-02 | My entry into the contest in which I mix a Head Shrinker cocktail in the Hapa Haole Hideaway Tiki Bar in East, TN. The original recipe is available elsewhere on the web and is a tribute to the Mariano Licudine recipe the Black Magic.
Basement Kahuna Sings SwankPad 2007-06-09 | We all know he carves great tiki art, but did you know he is a lounge singer?
Pablus Lagoon Lounge SwankPad 2007-06-03 | Pablus home tiki bar in Tampa, FL, with the Haole Kats playing.
Tiki Eyeball 1959 Caddy Torch Flame Thrower Tiki Carving SwankPad 2007-06-03 | When Tiki Culture meets Kustom Car Culture, this is what you get, a novel way to torch a carving... With a 1959 Cadillac flame thrower!
Hukilau 2002 Atlanta Tiki Event SwankPad 2007-06-03 | A small video from the first year I organized Hukilau in Atlanta. Can you spot Sven Kirsten?
