Our three-stop tour: Part 2

The road from Laughlin to Palm Springs was another long one... especially since we had to keep it under 55mph because of pulling the trailer. But we were on our way to Tiki Caliente! 

The Hula Girls have played several Caliente's over the years, starting with Tiki Caliente II in 2010. That was also the first show that our own Miss Judy Luck performed with us! 

This was a particularly exciting Caliente because the event was returning to the amazing 1964-built tiki hotel, The Caliente Tropics! AND... the new owners have re-invested into the theming of the place, adding 5 new shields carved by the legendary Bosko!

The road from Laughlin to Palm Springs felt like a rollercoaster at times. The girls had fun with it. I (Spike) tried to sleep in the back of the van with all of their commotion.  

While the event was at the Caliente Tropics, the band stayed next door at the Curve hotel. I've developed a slight obsession with these architectural blocks. They are commonly referred to as 'breeze blocks'. These might be some of my favorite ever!

More rare breezeblocks, just behind the Caliente Tropics hotel. The midcentury-modern architecture in Palm Springs is just amazing. It's like time stood still right at 1965. Though some ignorant people keep remodeling the cool stuff.

The amazing Caliente Tropics Hotel! I've been coming here since I played the second or third Tiki Oasis, back when this was the host hotel. Good times. Tiki was brand new to our little community back then. Hell, if you searched 'tiki' on the web back then, almost nothing would show up! This view is looking from the parking lot out to the street.

The main tiki on the grounds. This guy is about 8' feet tall... BUT he used to have a full torso and legs! It must have been gigantic!! Hard to say when the head was cut off and relocated to where it is now. Certainly not in the last decade...

Another vintage 1960s tiki on the grounds... All of these tikis are really starting to waste away from the weather... the new owners have already shown interest in revitalizing the theme though! Maybe they'll take precautions to preserve these rotting pieces of art.

This Bosko wall shield has been hanging at the Caliente Tropics for years now... 

I was ecstatic to find out that the new hotel owners had commissioned Bosko to finish the job that he started, years ago!

What's more amazing is that the new owners didn't ask for standard Hawaiian islands or something... They really kept the place 'exotic' by using the names of little-known pacific islands!

One of the vintage tikis in the foreground with a new Bosko carving in the back. 

...And then it was show time. Most of the guests had been locked in their rooms while it rained all day.
When we got there, the tiki gods smiled upon us and parted the clouds...

Absolutely the BEST Tiki Caliente crowd that we have EVER had before! Wild dancing, all night long...!
I can't help but think that having the event back at the Tropics was a part of the magic. 

While we primarily play Hawaiian/ tiki themed rockabilly, we also do traditional surf and 1950s  rock n' roll instrumentals as well! I can tell that that's what's going on here by Shorty leaving the steel for his electric guitar. 

Christian on his super fancy, super surfy Fender Jaguar bass

Shorty has been playing roots music for a long, long time... But usually on upright bass! He's the house bass player for the Viva Las Vegas band, as well as longtime bassist for the Dave and Deke Combo. The Hula Girls has been his first opportunity to play electric guitar on stage! It's been a blast for all of us!

Mr 'Jungle' Doug Sanborn

Miss Judy Luck

We really did have a blast playing Tiki Caliente. Thanks a bunch to Rory Snyder for having us!!

After the show, the girls found some room parties to enjoy.

Neva Moore, Judy Luck, and Audrie Loraine

They also went and saw our buddy, Jason Lee, perform at the Tonga Hut with his RIP Tides.

The next day, it was a quick walk through of Caliente before we had to get back on the road... I got to see my buddies, The Smokin' Menehunes, perform some traditional hapa-haole music by the pool. I played the third or fourth Tiki Oasis at the Caliente Tropics with Kevin (steel guitar) and Lucas Vigor (bass guitar), back in 2003-ish.

Miss Judy with the Menehunes

Say bye to the tiki, Judy. Time to hit the road for Tahoe... Stay tuned for part III!