Tongo Hiti at Trader Vic's
255 Courtland St NE
404-221-6339
www.tradervicsatlanta.com
Although we've been fans of post-modern Big Band Kingsized and hipster burlesque troupe Dames Aflame (which are produced and directed by the husband and wife team of Big Mike Geier and Shannon Newton) for years, it wasn't until New Year's Eve that we finally made our way to the basement of the downtown Atlanta Hilton to check out their tropically-themed Tongo Hiti show. The night hadn't even ended before we were planning a return visit.
For those who've never been to Trader Vic's (where the Mai Tai was originally created), the bar/restaurant plays like a luau as interpreted by a '50s flick starring Elvis Presley and Ann Margaret. Tikis, bamboo and Polynesian artwork abound; food is served by waitstaff in Hawaiian shirts; and drinks are delivered in massive receptacles designed to leave you drunker than a sorority girl at her first kegger. It all seems superficial at first glance, but a particularly potent Mai Tai or two will kick your snarky self to the curb in favor of a full-on embrace of the retro-cheezy silliness.
Kingsized/Tongo Hiti frontman Big Mike is undoubtedly the ringleader of this campy circus, his massive physique belying the cheeky impishness of a playful teen. The man is clearly having fun, commanding the evening's mood and driving the backing band's energy from mellow to downright manic. Sure, he'll serenade the ladies with all the schmoozy schmaltz of a younger Wayne Newton, but he'll also slow dance with a big, burly dude (that would be me) without dropping his suave persona for even a second.
The music ranges from Don Ho lounge shtick to classic rock and pop, but it's all delivered with a sly, knowing wink, occasionally incorporating clever mash-ups into the mix. Through it all, the lovely Dames Aflame prove provocative eye candy, at times taking center stage to strut their stuff in rehearsed dance numbers (some of which echo surprisingly traditional Indian and Polynesian influences) and at other times merely shaking their tailfeathers beside the band. Which is good, because Big Mike and company have a way with whipping the crowded dance floor into a sweaty frenzy.
It's a masterfully orchestrated party, loose enough to kick back and go with the flow but never once letting the energy lag. So if you go, make sure you bring your dancing shoes, and be sure to buy Big Mike a drink. A man who works that hard to put on a show in bound to be unbearably thirsty. –BRET LOVE
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