“Twelve Dusty Diamonds” by The Tiki Men is one of my favorite records of all time. It is wall to wall gems, mostly instrumentals, recorded roughly. It is raw and exuberant in a way unlike anything else I’ve ever heard, like a gang of friends partying hearty in 100-degree Sacramento backyard heat. You can still get it from Hillsdale Records.
Most of the songs are covers, but the originals are credited to one “Micah K.” Last week, I read Micah Kennedy’s obituary in Sacramento’s Midtown Monthly. Read it here, and be sure to stick around for the comments. There are links to mp3s of some of Micah’s stuff, and the flood of memories and corny jokes warms the heart.
The other day I made a crack about not having hometown pride. But I do. I grew up in Sacramento, home of the Tiki Men.
After the jump is a Q&A I did with Micah’s band mate Tim for a fanzine called Noises From The Garage 10 years ago:
by Allan Hough Jan. 1999 Sacramento, Cal
The Tiki Men pioneered the great West Coast surf explosion of the early ’90s, influenced by and playing alongside the likes of the world-famous Phantom Surfers at such world-famous venues as San Francisco’s The Purple Onion. The Tiki Men embraced surf music years before its nation wide comeback on concert circuits, soda ads, and latenight talkshows; and they embraced the Pacific island tiki culture long before tiki masks and coconuts became a staple of the Capitol Records lounge exotica revival. They did all this, played tons of shows, recorded a historic LP, and got out before anyone had a chance to analyze them. Now that I’ve disgraced their memory by analyzing their history, here’s my interview, conducted by electronic-mail, with Tiki Man Young Tim:
AH: Wanna describe life as a Sacramento teenager way back when, and how starting a hip surf band changed your life?
YT: Truth is, we weren’t teenagers when we started; we were old guys. Even I, Young Tim, was a crusty 23 or so when we started playing that, as you say, “hip surf music.” Another truth: we never thought surf music was hip when we began. We liked it, thought it would be fun to play at backyard BBQ’s, but never thought anyone really gave a rat’s ass about it. When we realized people liked it, we stopped. Success on any level frightened the hell out of us. We are small town hicks, no good at being hip.
AH: Any long-forgotten Tiki Men adventures to re-live?
YT: All of the trips were adventures. Pete’s wagon broke down on the way back from San Francisco. Some of us made it back to Sacramento and when we came back the next day to get Pete, he was passed out in the back with the equipment, shitty drunk, sweating like crazy in the 100+ degrees of Fairfield heat. One night at the Purple Onion playing with The Hentchmen, we went to bid them fairwell after the show, but their car was locked in the parking garage. The drunken club owner said that we could all spend the night at the club. He passed out and, well, at some point, one of the Hentchmen had his head upside down drinking straight from the tap.
AH: Most unforgettable performances?
YT: One at the Bottom of the Hill in S.F., knowing it was a good line-up, and trying, really trying, for the first time to play well, and doing it. Our first show at a backyard BBQ, Tim and Stan from the Troublemakers’ impromptu 4th of July party, a couple of weddings, a birthday party, a warehouse party, the punk house in Santa Cruz, all of the shows at a small pizza parlor in Stockton, those were all more fun than most club shows.
AH: Any famous names to drop?
YT: Nah. We didn’t really get big enough to meet any famous people. Through that band though, we did get to know some really great people, like: Johnny Bartlett from the Phantom Surfers, Deke Dickerson–both really nice. We hung out with the Hentchmen a few times and that was super fun. Saw Dave Crider from Estrus pull up to the drive-thru espresso joint in Bellingham with his hair slicked back and driving a fancy-ass convertable. He looked famous.
AH: You were obviously influenced by great surf rock and garage of the ’60s, who were some of your more contemporary influences?
YT: We started the band because we all liked the Phantom Surfers, but I think it ends there. All of our influences were pretty much all over the board. Even with the older stuff, we were more into stuff like John Fahey and Davie Allan and the Arrows than, say, Dick Dale.
AH: What caused the break-up, and was it a pleasant one?
YT: We honestly never expected people to really like us. So when labels wanted to put out records and clubs wanted to book us on bigger shows with other surf bands, well, it just got old. Like I said before: we had more fun playing parties. We didn’t want to play rock stars. It just ended–no big fights or blow ups. We are all still great friends and hang out on a regular basis–sometimes even do music thingies together.
AH: I’ve heard rumors that Dave Crider wants to put out some unreleased Tiki Men recordings, what’s the story?
YT: We did a couple of songs for this guy in S.F. who wanted to put out a single. They turned out really good. We sent them to him with the cover art and never heard a thing after that. I heard rumors that his label went belly up. Don’t know. Were all too lazy now to hunt him down. Maybe we should though, they were good songs. If Dave hunts em down, he can have em.
AH: What are your impressions of the surge in popularity of surf music? And the tiki-toting lounge culture?
YT: I am no barometer of trends; I couldn’t care less. I like surf music, but as with any style that gets big, there are bands that do it well and others that follow a formula. The surf bands that don’t know what they are doing always seem to be the best. It’s the ones that have it down that always seem dull and uninteresting, but then, they also seem to be the bands that get the crowds.
AH: What are you all doing now? New Bands? Careers? Hobbies?
YT: Gettin’ old and fat. Always in new bands. Dodging careers. Drinking beer.
AH: Last words to remember the Tiki Men by?
YT: Buy our records and make Hillsdale and Estrus rich.
TIKI MEN DISCOGRAPHY
Twelve Dusty Diamonds LP (Hillsdale)
Cattle Prod 2 song 7 (Hillsdale)
HILLSDALE, P.O. BOX 641592, SAN FRANCISCO CA, 94164
http://www.sirius.com/~orbit/hillsdale.html
Sneak-A-Drink 4 song 7 EP (Secret Center)
$3.oo PPD: TIKI MAN SCOTT, 1519 U STREET, SACRAMENTO CA, 95814
Trailin Volume 1 split 7 w/Troublemakers
Gone, out of print… but I’ll sell you my extra copy for a sizeable sum
The Good Life 4 song 7 EP (Estrus)
cover by Art Chantry & liner notes by Johnny Bartlett
ESTRUS, P.O. BOX 2125, BELLINGHAM WA, 98227 http://www.estrus.com
Not only are The Tiki Men one of my favorite California bands of all time, Hillside records is home to a few of the best records and cds i own.
If anybody is around this weekend, go see Deke Dickerson live, he’s playing all over the place.. Santa Cruz, San Jose, San Francisco, and Sacramento.
http://www.dekedickerson.com
I’ll be at a couple of the shows.
My favorite Hillsdale release has always been the hard to find Cecilia et ses Ennuis “Avec de Garcons” e.p. Oui!
I have this record. Micah gave it to me when we worked together. He also lived across the street from me, above Old I, for years. R.I.P. I will remember Micah well!
Well damn, BJ, what a bittersweet pleasure that post was. If there is a theme here, its our appreciation of the powerhouse eccentrics who built the California *of the mind* that we know now, as much as Leland Stanford’s and Randolph Hearst’s built the one others knew long before us. Reminds me of our old friend Adam Block. Rock Critic for the Village Voice, the Advocate, Rolling Stone, et al. A force of intellectual detachment colliding with an “in the moment” enthusiasm that no countervailing event (you know, overdue rent, illness or ennui) stood a chance against. Bravo, dude.
Thanks for posting Allan – very cool. Every time I hear the Tiki Men I remember all those times I saw them, especially at Old I – great days. I’ll make sure Micah’s family sees it.
Allan – nicely done. I’d forgotten about this…
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Was looking through my vinyl and found this album. Not heard it in about 13 years or so plus 3 7″ singles….need to dust off my record player me thinks!!!!
being the world’s second largest french speaking city (second only to paris) some would compare it to france. in a dusty patch crowded with pots and pans, and buckets and bowls, and plates i offered my arm and gus strapped the belt to it.