John T

John T. – Thrifting for Tunes – Saturdays 11AM-Noon PT/2PM-3PM ET

Montreal-based writer John Trivisonno ain't no DJ… His LuxuriaMusic gig is a happy accident stemming from a life-long fascination with mid-20th century Polynesian Pop/Tiki culture (a recently unearthed Super 8mm film showing him goofin' around at a luau at the Miami Beach Hawaiian Isle Hotel in the mid-60s proves it!).

John has written and published a number of chapbooks that got some notice both locally and abroad. These include Dollar Days (a somewhat surreal account of John’s days as a retail ad copywriter), Mental Notes (a sometimes poignant, sometimes funny collection of anecdotes and memories), and the Montreal underground classic The Official St. Leonard Dictionary (a satirical dictionary and phrasebook of Italian-Canadian slang spoken in the Montreal borough of St. Leonard). First published in 1994, the Dictionary continues to be a cult item and was nominated for an Expozine (small press) Award in 2005.

In 1998, John finally decided to do something to express his interest in Polynesian Pop: he founded The Montreal Tiki Appreciation Society and its official newsletter, Mai Tai, which he published and distributed in Tiki hot spots worldwide from 1998 to 2005 (Mai Tai continues to exist in cyberspace at www.maitaionline.com). Since no one else was really covering the subject in Canada at the time, John and his fellow Tiki Society members became the authorities on Tiki in the Great White North, contributing information about Montreal-area Tiki culture (as well as their extensive research on such lesser-known subjects as New Jersey’s mid-century Tiki heritage) to such publications as James Teitelbaum’s essential guidebook Tiki Road Trip.

These activities eventually led John to a few guest appearances spinning vintage exotica on a Montreal radio show that also happened to be carried by LuxuriaMusic. John was first offered a weekly 15-minute “filler” show on LuxuriaMusic in early 2006, and this was eventually expanded to a one-hour program showcasing John’s tastes in vintage exotica and other musical obsessions… as well as his taste for exotic cocktails.

John’s other radio work includes scripts, features, and segments for CBC Radio (La Suite Royale, Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, etc.) and Sound Source Networks (The World of Nat King Cole, The Lounge King Show, etc.).

Though by no means a graphic designer, John has also created CD artwork for a couple of releases, including Stan Ridgway’s limited edition live recording The Ancient Town of Frankfurt.

• Philosophy of my radio show: Fuelled by the sounds of the Mauna Loa Islanders and a thirst for exotic cocktails, Thrifting for Tunes — recorded behind the bar in the Mauna Loa Lounge — was born out of sheer necessity… At least a third of each show is devoted to exotica and other forms of Tiki music. We also spin non-exotica theme-based sets, and commemorate the birthdays (and death days!) of beloved and not-so-beloved artists…
• Five artists LuxuriaMusic listeners will hear on my show: Everything and anything from the exotica greats (like Martin Denny) to the not-so-greats (like The Waikikis), Italian-American novelty acts (like Lou Monte) to mavericks (like Lee Hazlewood), to other obsessions (like The Three Suns)…
• To derive maximum pleasure from my radio show: Mix up a couple of Mai Tais, sit yourself down, and bask in the warm glow of a blowfish lamp.
• When I’m not DJing I can be found: Mopping up spilled orgeat syrup behind the bar…
• Secret superpowers I possess: The ability to survive winters in Montreal.