“I don’t know what it is, but I feel really connected to tiki. Maybe it’s where I’m from. Maybe it’s from my early experiences. Maybe it’s in my genes.”
For Adrian, I suspect the answer is (d) all of the above. Now a major influencer in the tiki revival movement known as Polynesian Pop, Adrian grew up on the beaches of Southern California surrounded by his parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles of Filipino heritage. His first experience with Tiki was a memorable night at Don the Beachcomber’s. It was back in the “decade of destruction,” the time when mid-century tiki palaces were falling into disrepair and being torn down. Destruction didn’t dissuade Adrian. In his college days, he was visiting thrift stores to look for vintage clothing but leaving with tiki artifacts.
Read the rest of the story in Polynesiacs: Tiki at Home, page 79.
The Desert Oasis Room, Corona, California
