Inside the Desert Oasis Room
Society & Culture
About
Fun conversations with artists, musicians, entertainers, historians and more in the tiki, cocktail, island, surf, lowbrow and alternative sub-cultures! Follow our adventures at YouTube.com/polynesianpop
Episodes
- 253 Erica Luera and Boris Hamilton
Today we chat with Erica Luera and Boris Hamilton. Erica is a lead bartender at Strongwater, a craft cocktail bar in Anaheim, Ca and we are joined by our friend Boris Hamilton to talk about cocktails, funny and sexy bar stories and more! T…
- 252 Josh Agle and Brandon McBurney
Today we are welcomed into The Shag House in Palm Springs, CA to visit with Josh Agle aka The Artist Shag and Brandon McBurney owner of The Shag House! Learn aboudt Shag's art background and how he and Brandon approached the design and bui…
- 251 Tiki Teddy Angeles
Today we stop by Tiki Teddy's LA Art Studio to chat with Alex Angeles aka "Tiki Teddy!" Teddy is a talented artist and sign painter who's work harkens back to the golden age of artistic hand painted signs. Hear about how he got started, wh…
- 250 One Year Anniversary of the LA Fires
Today we are joined by Nick Petty, Shaun Moffett and Nick Papadakis to reflect on the LA Fires that ravaged the Pacific Palisades and Alta Dena neighborhoods in January of 2025. Hear experiences from 3 different perspectives: An Alta Dena…
- 249 Cast and Director of the Movie "Namaka"
Today we are joined Ash Tsai, Jason Markoff and Frank Merle, the lead actors and director of the new movie Namaka! We chat about the making of the movie, our interpretations of the story and more! Warning: Spoilers ahead! From IMDb: "A mus…
- 248 The OC Bash 2025 Royal Court
On this episode we are joined by The Bash Royal Court including Lyric Reverie (Queen of the Bash), Sweet Darlin' Marie (Princess of the Bash), Siren (Lady of The Bash), along with the pageant producer and reigning Lady Layrite, Francesca P…
- 247 Disneyland Jungle Cruise Skippers
Today we chat with Mitchell Yee, Michael Gall and Eddie Agin, all of them former skippers from the Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California! Hear some fun behind the scenes stories of their time on the Jungle Cruise as…
- 246 Martin Tummino
On this episode we chat with author, bartender and cocktail historian, Martin Tummino! Learn about his path to cocktailing and becoming a multi-published author of cocktail books in Latin America! To follow our adventures, subscribe to our…
- 245 Susana Vestige
On this episode we chat with glamour photographer Susana Vestige about her new book, 20 Years of Modern Pinup! To follow our adventures, subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/polynesianpop For exclusive content subscribe…
- 244 Steve and Grace Ewald of Kavahol
Today we chat with Steve and Grace Ewald, the founders and proprietors of spirits brand, Kavahol! Kavahol is a zero proof kava based spirit that works equally well in any tropical cocktail as many of their spirited counterparts. Hear Steve…
- 243 Henrik Van Ryzin (Vantiki) from Tiki in Waikiki
Today we bring you Henrik Van Ryzin aka VanTiki from his "Made in Hawaii" symposium at this year's Tiki in Waikiki Weekender in Oahu, Hawaii. This is the audio piece from his fun and fascinating symposium, telling the story of his upbringi…
- 242 Elle Festin (Spiritual Journey Tattoo)
On this episode, we are joined by Elle Festin, tattoo artist, cultural revivalist and founder of Spiritual Journey Tattoo. We chat about traditional Filipino tattooing methods and hear stories from his journey to the village of Buscalan, h…
- 241 The Dirty Lowdown
Today we chat with Sweet Lou Montague and Harry Le Djangles of the iconic Southern California party band The Dirty Lowdown! Hear their origin story and learn about both of their platinum level award winning musical backgrounds, ranging fro…
- 240 Skull and Crown Pop-up from Donn's Tribute Treehouse
On this episode, we come to you live from Tiki in Waikiki during Skull and Crown's pop-up from Don the Beachcomber's Tribute Treehouse at the International Marketplace in Waikiki Beach for what may very well be the first full length podcas…
- 239 Francesca Po and Kristine Angeles
On this episode, we are joined by Francesca Po, PhD in Religious Studies and Kristine Angeles, apprentice at Spiritual Journey Tattoo to chat about traditional Filipino tattooing methods, history, practices and more! To follow our adventur…
- 238 Cocomama Tiki Room
On this episode, we chat with our friends Maria Cabrero and Israel Orellana from Cocomama Tiki Room in Cozumel, Mexico! And joining us is Kim Brandi owner and founder of Deadhead Rum! We talk about tiki culture in Mexico, the similarities…
- 237 Fini (Cabali Movie)
On this episode, we chat with our friend Fini! Fini is the producer of the upcoming documentary "Cabali and the Tiki Mug Obsession" a movie about tiki mugs, mug making and collecting. We chat about how the movie came to fruition and how he…
- 236 Skip Heller
On this episode, we chat with Skip Heller. Skip is an exotica musician and the front man of Skip Heller's Voodoo 5. We chat about his musical roots dating back to his youth in Philadelphia, his thoughts, origin and philosophy on exotica mu…
- 235 Mark Riddle (aka Marty Lush)
On this episode, we chat with Mark Riddle. You might better know Mark under his stage pseudonym, Marty Lush! On this episode we chat about his musical background, his journey into exotica music and how he got started playing the vibes, his…
- 234 David Gambale
On this episode, we chat with artist David Gambale. You might have seen David's work at Tiki Kon or other tiki events but his most prolific piece was the album cover for Licensed to Ill for the Beastie Boys. Learn about David's journey fro…
- 233 Jayme Lynn Blaschke
Today we chat with Jayme Lynn Blaschke! Jayme is a tiki enthusiast and YouTuber out of New Braunfels, Texas who makes instructional videos on lamp building, cocktails, tiki carving and more. We talk about how he got started in tiki and You…
- 232 Bossanova Life
Today we chat with Duke and Lola Bossanova of the YouTube Channel, Bossanova Life! If you've ever thought about getting started in content creation, this episode is for you! We talk about what it's like to start, develop and maintain a You…
- 231 Nick Petty (Echo Island Tiki)
Today we chat with Nick Petty aka Echo Island Tiki and talk about building home tiki bars, our favorite defunct watering holes, thrifting vintage glassware and barware, his approach to cocktails, and much, much more! To follow our adventur…
- 230 Inland Empire Tiki Crew
On this episode we record a podcast during our Inland Empire Home Tiki Bar Crawl right here Inside the Desert Oasis Room for the upcoming documentary film, Talking Tiki. Join us from an impromptu session with The River Kai, The Chi Chi Lou…
- 229 Fugu Lounge and Flashblend Tiki
Today we chat with the team behind the Fugu Lounge. Our friends Steve and Dana of the Fugu Lounge talk about their use of EVA foam to create south seas inspired works of art that mimic raw, natural materials. Learn about their motivation f…
- 228 Robert Miller Jr
Today we chat with tiki collector and craftsman, Robert Miller. Robert is the builder, owner and proprietor of The River Kai, a hidden, tropical paradise he built himself in the wilds of Riverside. We chat about what it took to build The R…
- 227 Victor Hernandez
Today we chat with artist and carver Vic Hernandez at his art ranch in Pinion Hills, California! Vic is most notably known for his large, detailed tiki carvings, having carved the tikis and moldings in the recently remodeled Royal Hawaiian…
- 226 Miss Spent Youth and Jessabelle Thunder
Today we chat with burlesque performers Miss Spent Youth and Jessabelle Thunder! Both of which, will be performing at this year's Hollywood Burlesque Festival! Get to know them on a deeper level as we play a round-robin game of questions a…
- 225 Talking Tiki Film Crew
Today we chat with Asali Echols, Casey Beck, Chris Wooten and Alex Nisnevich, the team behind the upcoming documentary film, "Talking Tiki!" Learn about what's in store with this exciting film, what they've learned about the tiki subcultur…
- 224 Bryan Inman
Today we chat with Bryan Inman. You might know Bryan by his pseudonym, The Rum Champion, a rum enthusiast and educator who runs The Rum Curious Club, a monthly meetup where he hosts rum tastings at various bars across Southern California!…
- 223 Jeremy Floyd and Alex Lamb
Today we chat with Jeremy Floyd and Alex Lamb. Jeremy is the voice, producer and historian behind Distinguished Spirits a channel that deep-dives into classic and obscure cocktails, and Alex is the co-director of The Donn of Tiki, a docume…
- 222 Chad Yoho
On this episode we chat with Chad Yoho! Chad is Southern California face of Kuleana Rumworks, makers of world class spirits from estate-grown heirloom sugarcane on the big island of Hawaii. Learn about Chad's path to Kuleana from working h…
- 221 David & Jessica Badgerow of ”Cocktail Fridays”
Today we welcome our friend David Badgerow for a return visit Inside the Desert Oasis Room, and with a cameo by his partner Jess! David is the host and producer of the fun and always entertaining "Cocktail Fridays" channel on YouTube so on…
- 220 Justin Peterson
On this episode we chat with Justin Peterson, Art Director of 23 Restaurants. Recorded on location from Tiki Oasis in San Diego, we sit down with Justin to recap our sold out Don the Beachcomber panel for those that couldn't attend. Get al…
- 219 Kent Thompson and Boris Hamilton
On this episode we chat with Kent Thompson! Kent has influenced and created cocktails for some of the best spots in the LA area, including Tasting Kitchen, Grain, Here's Looking at You and currently runs the bar program at Isla in Santa Mo…
- 218 Ken and Heather Pleasant
On this episode we are joined by Ken & Heather Pleasant. Heather is the granddaughter of the famous furniture manufacturer William Westenhaver of Witco fame and Ken, her husband, was trained by Wil himself and has been manufacturing and re…
- 217 Brandon & Kim Grilc (The Kazan Room)
Today we join our friends Brandon & Kim Grilc, owners of The Kazan Room, Kobe Japan's first and only tiki bar! Hear what brought them from Portland, Oregon to Kobe, Japan and what it took to open their bar, what the cocktail scene is like,…
- 216 Marie King
On this episode we chat with Marie King! Join us as we learn about her ecclectic background, her start as a hostess at Jolly Roger to the moment where she almost left hospitality altogether to join the medical industry and the full circle…
- 215 Tomas De Los Reyes & Ben Rojo
Today we welcome the boys from Don Papa Rum- Tomas De Los Reyes and Ben Rojo! Tomas is a bartender, artist and DJ, and one of the founders of Jeepney in New York City. And also from New York comes Ben Rojo, mixologist extraordinaire and fo…
- 214 Miss Spent Youth & Veronica Voss
Today we are joined by burlesque performers, Miss Spent Youth and Veronica Voss! Learn about the history of burlesque, their backgrouunds in burlesque, and get details on their upcoming Hollywood Burlesque Festival, coming March 17, 18 and…
- 212 Addie Alonzo & Crystal Mendoza
It's ladies night inside the Desert Oasis Room as we are joined by Addie Alonzo from Bamboo Club and Crystal Mendoza from Roxanne's and The Exhibition Room! On this episode we chat about their dynamic backgrounds in mixology, their creativ…
- 211 Sonny Esponda
Today we chat with bartender mixologist Sonny Esponda! Sonny is the winner of the first ever Tropical Shakedown cocktail competition which earned him a trip to this year's Tiki Oasis. On this episode we chat on all topics cocktails, mixolo…
- 210 Evan Reiner
Today we chat with Evan Reiner! Evan is the owner and founder of Droogies Ultra Dog, manufacturers of Southern California's newest gourmet hot dogs! As a 3rd generation butcher, Evan is a master at delicious meat blends and combinations. W…
- 209 Los Pakalolos
On this episode we chat with our friends Los Pakalolos! Los Pakalolos is a surf music band from right here in the inland empire that have just released their new album Lolo-a-Gogo! Hear about how they started during the pandemic, their son…
- 208 Noa Laporga (Live from Frogtown Brewery)
Today we come to you live from Frogtown Brewery, and chat with our friend Noa Laporga. Noa, along with his partner Angelina, are the founders of Skull & Crown Trading Company on the island of Oahu. They also produce and run the largest eve…
- 207 Stefan Immke
Today we chat with Stefan Immke, Executive Producer of Squeezed Up - Tales of Polynesian Pop and Kustom Kulture! Squeezed Up documents an unforgettable road trip across Southern California, combining Hot Rodding, Polynesian Pop, Tiki Cultu…
- 206 Sam Schwall of The Deep Sea Divers
Today we chat with Sam Schwall, founding member of the Hawaiian musical trio, The Deep Sea Divers! Hear about Sam's start in Tiki, how he formed his band, his musical influences and, listen to tracks from their live performance at the lege…
- 205 The Donn of Tiki & Frogtown Brewery Collab
Today we chat with our friends Alex Lamb and Gustavo Rojas! You might know Alex as co-director of the upcoming documentary film, "The Donn of Tiki," a biographical story of the life of Donn Beach aka Don the Beachcomber. And joining us is…
- 204 Joseph Corzo
On this episode we chat with actor, comedian Joe Corzo! You might know Joe from Acceleration, Burning Little Lies, Antidote or NCIS, or maybe you've caught one of his stand up comedy acts. Joe talks to us about his journey from Northern Ca…
- 203 The Trademark Brewing Dream Team
Today we chat with the crew from Trademark Brewing! Owner and founder Sterling Steffen and brewers Valerie Adee and Danny Jimenez join us to chat about the origins of Trademark Brewing, their backgrounds in beer and hospitality, what goes…