Zak Bagans, ‘Ghost Adventures’ crew investigate ‘very haunted’ Las Vegas tiki bar
It was destiny that Zak Bagans and Branden Powers, a pair of pop-culture magnets in Las Vegas, would eventually be drawn to each other.
It has happened at The Golden Tiki, the Polynesian nightspot on 3939 Spring Mountain Road, where Powers serves as managing partner. Bagans’ “Ghost Adventures” crew recorded on-site in mid-October, with plan to air the episode on the hit Travel Channel series in February.
Expect that Bagans discovered some spirits at this tavern. As the famously spectacled host says, “It’s a very haunted bar.”
It really is. The spirit of Dean Martin — as revived by Tony Felicetta — is a Golden Tiki headliner.
During the filming, Bagans was honored with his own shrunken head. It’s No. 75, with a second skull to be displayed at Bagans’ The Haunted Museum attraction at 600 E. Charleston Blvd.
As is common among shrunken honorees, Bagans found the experience a little unsettling. “It’s too perfect,” he says.
Bagans’ head joins UFC legend and action-film actor Randy Couture, and members of Blondie’s band including Debbie Harry (represented at the ceremony by drumming great Clem Burke) as most recent shrunken-head recipients.
There are plans, too, to honor Holly Madison at the bar. She and Bagans are an item, as we say (the two attended the premiere of the David Arquette film “Mob Town” at the Mob Museum on Saturday night).
Powers is on an unending hunt for shrunken-head subjects. For instance, when he catches a celebrity’s name, such as David Lee Roth or Lady Gaga, he posts, “I want to shrink their heads.”
Penn & Teller, Wayne Newton, Siegfried & Roy and Steve Wynn are on Powers’ wish list. The miniature heads of Criss Angel, Rob Zombie and Tim Burton are all ready and waiting to be revealed.
Las Vegas’ mayoral twin towers — Oscar and Carolyn Goodman — are also “on ice,” as Powers says.
Powers is teasing that the next star to be honored will be Cher, who headlines at Park Theater, which as far as we know is not haunted.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram
