The internet’s not entirely bad. Sure, it might have kicked off this final death spiral that humanity is currently speeding along on, but at least it helped us have some fun along the way. Look at how many hobbies and subcultures have thrived since the internet became a daily presence in our lives and made it easy for people with the same interests to find each other. Do you think pinball would’ve made a comeback without the internet? Or shoegaze? Or, most relevant to this conversation we’re having, tiki?
Yes, tiki’s been doing really well over the last several years. After collapsing in popularity in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the midcentury homage to Polynesian culture (and monument to kitsch) has been revived throughout the world by fans both old and new. Decades-old bars and restaurants have seen renewed interest, while new tiki spots have popped up in increasing numbers during the 21st century. Pretty much any self-respecting American city will have a tiki bar or two these days, and tiki’s influence can be found in a burgeoning scene of themed bars with other, non-tiki aesthetics. And like all thriving subcultures, there’s a network of conventions and events devoted to celebrating tiki throughout the calendar year.
Inuhele, which is being held at the Courtland Grand in Atlanta from January 19 to 21, is the next major show on the tiki circuit. What started as a tour of home tiki bars in the Atlanta area has grown into an annual celebration of Polynesian pop culture, with a weekend full of musical performances, tiki-themed activities and shopping, and panels covering such topics as mug collection, home bar design, and the history of tiki and the Polynesian customs that inspired it. Mostly though it’s about like-minded people communally enjoying a classic and often forgotten piece of American pop culture.
Jonathan and Allison Chaffin launched Inuhele as a way to bring the Atlanta tiki community together, and it’s grown into something much bigger than that. Over the last few years they have steered the show from a home bar crawl into what they call a weekend-long “deep dive into tiki culture.” Originally drawn to tiki by its sense of community, its colorful aesthetic, and tranquil atmosphere—as Jonathan tells us via email, for the Chaffins tiki is “all about the people, the hospitality, the escapism, and the art,” which is what I think pretty much every tiki fan would tell you—they’ve turned Inuhele into what Jonathan calls “a huge educational party.”
“We bring in artists and historians and passionate amateurs, bar owners and patrons, [people] who love the music, cultures, drinks, fashion and art that make up ‘tiki style’ or Polynesian pop art,” Chaffin says. “Expect deep dive panels on topics like lowbrow art, New England tiki bars, using cachaça in cocktails, and Moana through a culture lens. We also have meet and greets with popular artists, writers, and personalities from the scene, and a ticketed luau with performances from Vibexotica, Elvis Hart, and Mahealani’s Polynesian Entertainment.”
You can’t talk about tiki today without confronting thorny issues of appropriation and colonialism, of course. Even if the goal is to honor another culture, turning the culture of others into a cartoon is disrespectful and can be demeaning, and intentionally or not, there have been elements of that within tiki from the beginning. American tiki was such a pervasive and ubiquitous part of the culture after World War II, though, that it quickly became its own unique aesthetic and cultural movement, diverging from the legitimate Polynesian cultures that inspired it. Inuhele exists to celebrate both the original, authentic Asian and Polynesian cultures that tiki adapts, as well as the distinct culture that American tiki grew into during the middle part of the century.
“We love, appreciate, and respect the original cultures from the Oceanic and Caribbean regions whose arts, artifacts, and reflections of whose cultures (sometimes poor ones) were incorporated into the marketing and pop culture phenomenon that became American Polynesian pop art or tiki style,” Chaffin says. “We recognize that cultural appreciation can turn toxic when it edges into appropriation and strive to educate ourselves and move into a more educated place where needed. We welcome everyone and are particularly excited to incorporate scholars and representatives of the original cultures behind the pop art at every opportunity. We sincerely believe the mingling of cultural traditions, foods, and arts is a force for good and leads to a wider understanding and appreciation of the source components.”
Whether you’re a tiki lifer or a newcomer looking for a great new way to relax, Inuhele will show you why tiki is such a popular escape. Tickets are on sale until midnight on Saturday, January 13, and the show itself runs from January 19 through January 21. You can find more information and a full schedule at the Inuhele website. So slip on your best aloha shirt, fill your mug with a Mai Tai, and get ready to relax.
Senior editor Garrett Martin writes about videogames, comedy, travel, theme parks, and anything else that gets in his way. He’s on Twitter @grmartin.