What music at the tiki bar?

[Eric Sedletzky]

Every year I put on a huge campout and dive party out on our coast and we live it up for about four days. It's coming up in a few weeks.
I built a whole portable tiki bar that I taking up complete with a blender, lighting, signs, decor, the whole shot.
It's cool as hell. The campground we go to has water and power in each site, and they don't care what we do.
We dive our butts off all day then drink at the tiki bar at night and watch Sea Hunt and other movies from a computer run projector on the side of a trailer with a sheet hung down like a drive-in movie.

I'm trying to figure out what would be good tunes to play to theme it. I've thought of 60's surf guitar classics, maybe some hawaiian steel guitar, but I'm looking for that extra punch, maybe a little off beat, something I'm not thinking of.
Any suggestions?

 

[Bratface]

Jimmy Buffet always has a few that address the ocean and island lifestyle.

 

[fire_diver]

Buffett, steel drum music, look up "soca" it's island music. Classic surfer music like the soundtrack from Endless Summer is always good.

 

[gstrek]

Couldn't agree more with the music selection already mentioned and would add some Bob Marley in the mix as well.

Would you mind posting some photos of your portable Tiki bar, perhaps with some idea how to create our own?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Jimmy Buffett and Bob Marley are great!
I didn't think of those. I'm going to look into the soca.
Thanks Guys.

The tiki bar has been a work in progress for 3 years now.
I have designed it so that it can be dismantled and it all stacks flat in sections so it can go up on my lumber rack.
The counter top is laminated 1x4's trimmed out around the edges with 1x3"s. There's a frame it sits on that has a front frame panel and two separate side panels and it all screww guns together. There's three luan panels that have reed fencing attached onto the outsides and those panels make up the verticle facade below the counter and sides. I have some split bamboo trimming out the front panels to give it that look.
Everything I bought for this was from Home Depot and the idea was it had to be built on the cheap. All the wood is economy which also adds to the rustic funky quality.
This year I have added 4x4 uprights that come up through the counter top on each side Lag bolted into the counter frame, and across the top of those uprights is a header that spans across 10 feet. There is a hinged folding roof that is made out of 2x2's and 1x2's tat will support thatched panels. I have several tiki bar signs I made like the 6' cut out surf board tiki bar sign that will go across the header. I have lights that shine down on the counter.
There is also a shelf behind the counter for cups and booze and and enough room below that to put a few ice chests.
I'm looking for some tiki statue speakers that will go at the top of the uprights

I can have this thing up in less than an hour and tear down is about the same.
I'll post up some photos for whoever is interested.

 

[DMDavid]

I tend to go with individual songs versus groups.
My top ten songs would be:

1) Kokomo - Beach Boys
2) Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett
3) Guitars & Tiki Bars - Kenny Chesney
4) Cheese Burger In Paradise - Jimmy Buffett
5) Well Euipped Diver - Barefoot Man
6) It's A Moray - Barefoot Man
7) Key Lime Pie - Kenny Chesney
8) Nitrogen Narcosis - Barefoot Man
9) Changes In Lattitudes - Jimmy Buffett
10) Back To The Island - Baha Men


There's many more but that's a start.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Hey, I may have just found a new gig.

Having a dive party?
Have Tiki Bar - will travel.

I almost forgot. I have an old Healthways double hose reg and a vintage spear gun that I'm going to hang up somewhere on it as decor.


This year I'm going to try and behave myself. Last year we had an over abundance of fire wood and on the last night a few of us hard cores were up till 5 am partying around a huge fire (8' flames!) like a burning man event. Generally by Saturday we're dived out and Saturday night is all out. Sunday is sleep in, clean up, break camp and split. This year I'm going to try and save myself enough to maybe dive Sunday, ha ha ha.

 

[fire_diver]

The only problem with individual songs is that it doesn't take long to go through the song set, then it becomes repetative as the same songs get played over and over.

Another option is to look for one of the I-phone or smart-phone speaker docks. Then you can put your phone on a radio app and set it to the jimmy buffet station (they play more than just buffett, but its the same theme of music). I just did this for a cookout.

---------- Post Merged at 08:48 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 08:46 AM ----------

Hey, I may have just found a new gig.

Having a dive party?
Have Tiki Bar - will travel.

I almost forgot. I have an old Healthways double hose reg and a vintage spear gun that I'm going to hang up somewhere on it as decor.

Combine your tiki bar with a big selection of themed music and you just became a mobile party for hire! Of course, you might have to invest in a liquor license, but you might have just found a nice side job.

Oh, and ziptie the regs and spear or people will be playing with them / breaking them.

 

[Lemna]

Les Baxter
Yma Sumac
Combustible Edison

 

[KBeck]

I'm a Buffett fan, but I know a lot of water lovers who love Jack Johnson:
Jack Johnson Music - Music