Miami Music Blog

photo by Ian Witlen

​The Ska Is Dead Tour

Photo by Ian Witlen

Miami, she goes hard. Santigold performing at the Paris Theatre in Miami Beach.

​Click here to view more photos from this show.

Diesel U:Music Tour with Santigold, Kid Cudi, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, Jemina Pearl and DJ Mom Jeans
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Paris Theatre, Miami Beach

Better Than: Well, some were better than others.

Free concert. Free booze. Awesome time, right? Well, for the most part it was. I hate to complain about a free event, but there were definitely some buzzkill moments.

If there is any bias that should be disclosed is that I was there to Santigold. After missing her performance entirely at Ultra Music Festival earlier this year, I saw this as an opportunity for redemption. The full open bar also helped to convinced me to go out on a Tuesday night.

Upon entering the Paris Theatre in Miami Beach, it is amazing that this venue isn't used more often. Stark white, the theatre is gorgeously understated and laid out very well. It includes a pit, as well as a main floor and balcony. The stage itself was expanded by a circular platform that allowed the audience to crowd around the performer.

The night started out with Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt. Part Sesame Street, part Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, I had never heard of the act before that night. Not sure if I ever want to again. Despite being garbed in loud colors and intricate costumes, their performance was uninteresting and forgettable.

Photo by Jipsy

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YACHT
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Electric Pickle, Miami

Better Than: Yachting on Biscayne Bay.

Hong Kong is a long way from Miami, but YACHT was somehow convinced to do a small, two-city Florida trek between the Chinese financial capital and subsequent Korean dates. Logistically it doesn't make sense, but we aren't going to argue with it. It was a rare treat seeing the Portland, Oregon, duo live. Their latest effort, See Mystery Lights, has enjoyed immense critical success--notoriously picky music site Pitchfork awarded it an 8.5 rating.

Saturday, YACHT delivered an energetic performance at Poplife. Confined to a cramped stage upstairs, the duo were a visual and audible yin and yang--Jona Bechtolt in a white and Claire Evans in black. Interestingly enough, the only "musical instrument" on stage was Bechtolt's MacBook that was programmed with the backing tracks and visuals that cued up to the beats. Other than pressing the play button, there was really no other interaction with the laptop, instead Bechtolt and Evans focus on singing and putting on a show.

Photo by Ian Witlen

Click here to view photos from this show.

The Get Up Kids

photo by Ian Witlen

Click here to view a full slideshow of photos from the show.Adult Swim Presents the Dethklok Tour 2009

Photo by Ian Witlen

​Click here to view photos from this event.

Peaches with MEN
Friday, November 7, 2009
Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale

Better than: Rockin' out with your cock out.

Peaches is anything but subtle. After the curtains parted, the audience was instantly led into her surreal, hypersexual world. Draped in a woolly coat, she and her band, Sweet Machine, kicked things off with "Mud" off her latest release I Feel Cream. The Simian Mobile Disco-produced track stands out as a bit of an oddity in Peaches catalog of songs. It really has nothing to do with sex and it's melodic.

Having seen Peaches twice before -- first in December 2006 when she performed at Art Loves Music during Art Basel, and four months later at Mansion during Winter Music Conference -- I believe the woman deserves credit for putting on her most ambitious stage performance to date. Though it's a small tour when compared to those by Madonna or Britney Spears, she managed to squeeze in multiple costume changes, projections, laser lights, glowing keytars and more. That's not to say her previous tours were shabby -- they weren't -- but four albums deep, Peaches has no shame taking what could have been a simple rock show to another level.

via livenation.com

​Jewel

Photo by Jipsy

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Busy P
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Electric Pickle, Miami

Better Than: The prefect pair of alt breast, y'all.

If websites like Hipster Runoff have taught us anything is that when the alt community comes together for a 'meaningful' experience, it can be a beautiful thing. It seemed like all of hipster-dom, both local and foreign, were at one of two places Halloween night: O.H.W.O.W. for NeckFace's premiere Miami exhibition, Devil's Disciple, or its after-party at Electric Pickle. If the hipster culture is anything it's creative--girls skipped the slutty-something staples and actually put some thought into their costumes and the guys, well, Halloween as brings out the juvenile in all of us.

But apart from NeckFace's exhibit--which featured coffins piled high to the ceiling, demented drawings that no description could do justice, and a haunted house--it was Ed Banger boss Busy P's set at Poplife that had everyone buzzing. Ultra appearances aside, it had been a while since Pedro Winter had spun at a local nightclub. Also, the tides have turned on the electrohouse genre. Once the soundtrack to everything hipster, it has fallen on the wayside replaced by dubstup and nu-disco (at least locally).

CC by 2.0, via stopnlook's Flickr

Bring plenty of bills to Pulp Live -- performing bands, this means you, too.

photo by Alex Rendon

The Alligator Alley Allstars played the bar's send-off party on Friday night.

​
Alligator Alley was one of the most distinctive venues we had in South Florida. Where else could you munch on savory gator ribs, sip on a crisp microbrew, and listen to funky New Orleans zydeco all at once?  Sadly, it is no more -- after a weekend-long send-off, Alligator Alley shuttered its doors last Sunday.

And although it looks like there'll be no more po' boys in proprietor and veteran bass player Carl "Kilmo" Pacillo's future, there is a silver lining. The charismatic owner promises a larger, music-only version of Alligator Alley will open next spring. "Food has never been the main part of my business, despite winning many accolades," Kilmo said. "It's two to three percent of the profits and ninety percent of the headaches."

The venue lasted seven-and-a-half years at its Commercial Boulevard location. But a new $2000 tax on alcohol sales after midnight, levied by the City of Oakland Park on October 1, was straw that broke the camel's back. "The city wanted the money right away and was not accommodating," Kilmo says. "I simply couldn't afford it."

Photo by Lex Hernandez

​Junior Boys with Woodhands
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The Vagabond, Miami

Better Than: Staying home, lighting some candles, putting So This Is Goodbye on blast and spending some quality bedroom time with someone special ...well maybe.

The Review:

The Junior Boys threw a Halloween party at the Vagabond and everyone showed up as a hipster. Ok, there was a guy in a banana costume and a rather detailed pirate walking around, but it didn't really matter what you wore because after the performance, it would have been soaked in massive amounts of sweat anyway.

The crowd stuffed inside the Vag that night rivaled that of the Glass Candy show a couple of weeks ago, and apparently things got a little too hot for the Canadian band's lead singer Jeremy Greenspan, who noted how warm it was. But even if last week's cold snap had stuck around, it probably still would have gotten sauna-like.

That's because the strange phenomenon of the Junior Boys is that without even trying, they make music that is undeniably sexy.

Marc Anthony

​Marc Anthony
Saturday, October 24, 2009
American Airlines Arena, Miami

Melodramatic Latin tenor extraordinaire Marc Anthony was personally handed the keys to Dwyane Wade's house Saturday night. Wade, NBA star player of the Miami Heat, surprised Anthony on stage midway through the the singer/songwriter's  performance to make sure he would feel right at home.

"You know Marc this is usually my house," said Wade. "Tonight though mi casa, tu casa."

Anthony didn't disappoint his 20,000 guests for the evening, offering another of his trademark fully-charged and emotional acts for a standing-room only crowd at the American Airlines Arena. Although the host for the night didn't show up until 9:20 p.m. he more than made up for his late arrival by delivering a well-balanced show that had everybody dancing in the aisles and Anthony interacting with all sides of the arena for close to two hours.

While his over-the-top facial expressions and stage act at times extend beyond the norm its all easy to ignore when the author is one of the most skilled vocalists and performers of all time. Backed by a full ensemble, including a full horn section, timbales, congas and bongos, Anthony took over the stage, entertaining the audience with gymnast-like moves while directing the band. He occasionally waved his arms to instruct others to turn it up or end a song.

Photo by Christina Mendenhall

​Click here to view more photos from this concert.

Kiss
Thursday, October 22, 2009
BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise

Better Than: Being 10 years-old all over again.

From the number of kids running around the BankAtlantic Center at Kiss's show last night, many replete with full make-up, it's apparent that one need not be of a certain age to appreciate the hard rock demigods -- you just have to feel it. Oh, I'm not talkin' about feeling 30 or 40 or 50 or more. I'm talkin' about feeling like a 10-year-old. And with Kiss, you could be bridging the century mark and still feel as if you were in fifth grade.

And I'll tell you right now: there is absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, I'd argue that it's a damn good thing indeed. And if more folks would let loose their inner child every once in awhile, this wild world would be a much better place.

Of course that would entail Kiss never coming off the road. But hey, if the recently-anointed Rock and Roll Hall of Famers can make it to "Alive 35" who's to say they can't keep it up in perpetuity? And so long as Kiss keeps knocking 'em outta the arena as they did at BankAtlantic last night, everybody's inner child will be running freely for some time to come.

Photo by Sayre Berman

​Click here to view photos from this event.

Leonard Cohen
Saturday, October 17, 2009
BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise

Better Than: Any singer you've ever heard before.

Why the hell Leonard Cohen appeared at BankAtlantic Center rather than, say, The Fillmore Gleason is anybody's guess. But if he had staged at a theater on the Beach instead of in an arena up in Broward, his show would've been even more remarkable than it was. That's not to say there's anything wrong with the BankAtlantic Center - Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC and Foo Fighters, to name but a few, all perfectly hit the hot spot, and it's a cinch Kiss will do likewise this Thursday. But like I said, it's an arena. And Leonard Cohen is no arena act.

Cohen does though happen to have a voice that could fill the Grand Canyon, even at a whisper, so he had no problem reaching the rafters here. Cohen also is one of the all-time great entertainers, though somewhat understated, so there was nothing to complain about on that end either. It's just that Cohen's music is best served up close and personal, just as it was written - and just as he sings it. So he being in a large venue, even one as well-appointed as BankAtlantic, does kind of take something away from the proceedings. Other than that though, the only thing taken away during Saturday night's concert was my breath.

Photo by Anthony Verrilli

​Click here to view photos from this event.

Bassnectar
Saturday, October 17, 2009
White Room, Miami

Better Than: A full-scale dance riot.

White Room shut down for a week and performed a few fan-friendly renovations, and when the joint reopened on Saturday night, it was just like opening night all over again, and then some. The line stretched around the block, the crowd came to go wild, and the whole venue blew up in some spontaneous celebration that lasted well into the proverbial wee small hours of the morning. And it made each and every one of those hours larger than life itself.

The occasion? Why the appearance of a cat called Bassnectar and the launch of a night known as Arcade. If you read this week's preview, you know that Bassnectar is the sonic equivalent of Adbusters, and that the Bay Area baddass is the turntablist's answer to Negativland. If you hit White Room on Saturday night, you'll know that the cat has turned breakbeat into a whole new phenomenon, one that rages at the angels as much as it howls at the moon. Mostly though you'll know that Bassnectar booms like a thousand ghetto jalopies, and drips like the fruit of the almighty gods of gone, baby, gone. Think face-melting heat, then add hot and you'll get a feel for what I'm getting at.

photo by Alex Rendon

Ben Prestage

photo by Arielle Castillo

Alice Cooper
Pompano Beach Amphitheater, Pompano Beach
Saturday, October 3, 2009

Better Than: Watching some new jacks noodle boringly in the name of authenticity.

The Review:

This past Saturday marked a strange, rare occasion in which fans of shlock-gore-obsessed hard rock were faced with a difficult choice. At Revolution, there was GWAR, but further up in Pompano, there was the grand originator of it all: Alice Cooper. I opted for the latter, which, while stain-free, was still an entertaining, good-time bang for the buck. But an Alice Cooper show is not really just about the fake blood. Cooper plays music that, while still hard, is instantly recognized and liked by almost any average rock fan.

That was evidence in the age spread of the crowd. While most there seemed like they were probably teenage Cooper fans when he first appeared, there were plenty of under-21s as well. I saw Cooper-style face paint on more than audience members of both age groups, male and female alike. The general vibe of the show was thus egalitarian and good-natured (if, occasionally, very beer-drunk and weirdly loud in the bathrooms).

Photo by Rene Rigau

​Third Eye Blind
Friday, October 2, 2009
Revolution, Fort Lauderdale

Better Than: Reading your BFF's diary. If you're of a mind to do such a thing.

The Review:

Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins truly has no shame. Not that he has anything to be really shameful about, mind you; not that I know of, anyway. But the Oakland-born alt-crooner sure is qualm-free when it comes to baring his innermost thoughts and hopes and dreams, especially as they concern the women in his life. Then again, had I spent three years alongside Charlize Theron and then subsequently shacked up with Vanessa Carlton, I might be continually telling the whole world about it too.

Actually, I wouldn't be doing any such thing. See I'm from the school that believes diaries are meant for the person writing them and nobody else, unless perhaps they're unveiled posthumously, when no one is around to suffer their embarrassments. That's probably part of the reason why I wasn't an alterna-pop star in the '90s, and why scores of young women aren't gathering at my feet -- I just wasn't prepared to kiss and tell all.

Photo by Sayre Berman

​Click here to view the full slideshow from this event.

The Killers with Chairlift
Saturday, October 3, 2009
American Airlines Arena, Miami

Better Than: Most Vegas lounge acts.

When the Killers performed at Ultra Music Festival in 2006, they easily won me over with a confident stage presence and high-energy performance that was delivered in a sexy and glamorous package. The synth-laden performance was sleek, danceable, and, most importantly, fun.

Wish I could say Saturday's performance at the American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami was equally as fun. It's not exactly news that the band has shunned the dance-rock sound that made it famous for a more straightforward approach rock that is somewhat reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and U2 -- two artists I don't necessarily consider fun. While Brandon Flowers had a full set of synth keyboards at his disposal, they were rarely used. The band even turned its more danceable material from the breakthrough album Hot Fuss into a limp mess. "Somebody Told Me," "Mr. Brightside," "Smile Like You Mean It," "All These Things That I've Done," and "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" didn't carry the same wallop as they did at that Ultra performance.

photo by Bernard Hacker

photo by Sayre Berman

To view a full slideshow of photos from this show, click here.

Metallica
With Gojira and Lamb of God
BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise
Thursday, October 1

Better Than: Pretty much every other big metal show I've seen this year including, possibly, Iron Maiden at the same venue. (Heresy, maybe, but I felt much more connected to the band this time. See below.)

The Review:

Well, I showed up to the BankAtlantic Center last night a Metallica show virgin and left..... Um, I'll skip the grossest metaphors but today I am feeling used and abused -- in a good way. I am now convinced that Metallica is one of the top five live acts currently touring, hands down. The show was technically flawless and ingenious in its production, seemingly designed purely for the pleasure of fans, and providing nearly two hours of fast, furious fun from the headliners.

While the guys in Metallica may have suffered a little image-wise with Some Kind of Monster, thoughts of group therapy and fine art auctions are quickly wiped away as soon as they take the stage. These are clearly some of the biggest badasses in rock and roll, and they clearly enjoy every minute of being onstage. Oh yeah, and although he gets upstaged in the press by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett is absolutely a guitar god who should be worshipped more properly.

Is that enough fan girl-ism in one paragraph? What's more remarkable is that I entered teh show as a Metallica fan, but not really an obsessive one. But I even left impressed by openers Lamb of God, whose sort of groove-oriented sound usually fails to do much for me on record. This is a band that is unabashedly populist -- they have a song called "Redneck" and dedicate songs to the military -- but as such, they deliver.

Frontman Randy Blythe boasts some of the most impressive vocal control in the genre, with all his various registers of screams booming equally powerfully. In fact, if the metal thing ever gets boring, he could probably have a pretty good run as a pro-wrestling announcer. It even sounds evil when he sings "Happy Birthday," as he did for his bassist John Campbell, who was celebrating his 37th last night -- and who also boasts an incredible wizard-style beard.

photo by Jipsy / Nefariousgirl.com

​Tim Sweeney
Saturday, September 26
Electric Pickle
Miami

Better than: your garden variety house music set.

It was business as usual for the Poplifers on Saturday night with DFA's Tim Sweeney throwing down at the Electric Pickle, the only exception being the turnout, which was somewhat lacking. Where were the hordes of colorful t-shirt-clad hipsters that give Poplife's parties their exceptional tongue-in-chic merriment? This time it was mostly the usual crowd of Pickle die-hards with hardly the volume of people you expect at Poplife's Saturday night soirées. But the joint was certainly not dead and the floor got populated enough by midnight to do the occasion justice.

Poplife resident DJs Aramis, Induce, and Mike Deuce took turns on the decks, warming up the ersatz dancefloor downstairs with their signature collective blend of electro, disco house, assorted funky oldies and miscellaneous bass-heavy bangers. Same deal upstairs where the dance quotient was substantially higher, given the additional floor space.

Photo by Ian Witlen

Click here to view the slideshow from this event.

Juliette Lewis and the New Romantiques
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale

Better Than: Any ten faux new wave bands.

Three times now, Juliette Lewis has brought her roaring rock circus to our market, and three times now we've shown up in numbers that are almost embarrassing -- not to her, but to us. I mean, I can't count the number of times I've heard folks complain about a national rock act not swinging through South Florida; then when one of the best does come charging in, we barely let it register. Maybe it's just that folks still don't consider Juliette to be a bona fide rock singer. Or perhaps some people just need their beauty sleep. Whatever the reasons, showing up at half strength is shameful.

Thank Zeus Juliette doesn't let a little thing like no-sell-out affect her. And thank Zeus's wife, Hera, that those who did show last night were keen enough to let the lass take control. Because once again Juliette Lewis gave us one of the best shows of the year and those who arrived were rewarded nicely.

photo by Logan Fazio

Way Out West 

via myspace.com/lazerbeastband

Lazer Beast

Help! Featuring Sloane Peterson, Lazer Beast, Flees, Dooms de Pop, Alex Nelson, and Sweet Bronco
The Bubble, Fort Lauderdale
Saturday, September 19, 2009

Better Than: Later that night at the Poor House, where the Bubble crowd usually gathers and where the lead singer of some unnamed cover band - gasp! - danced on the bar and surely disturbed the gentle sensibilites of the bar's uber-hip patrons.

The Review:

It's hard not to gush over the Fort Lauderdale venue/gallery/space-for-all-things-DIY known as the Bubble. Kick-ass art by various local creative types litters the walls. Impressive local, eclectic musical lineups help pass the time. And the space's owners, Garo Gallo and Yvonne Colon, never charge more than $10, which gets you two beers and usually about five or six bands.

This past Saturday at the venue marked another sundry musical cocktail that included metal, thrash punk, indie, alternative singer-songwriter stuff, and folk. Called "Help!," the occasion was promoted as a fundraiser -- though at the last event I attended, Gallo stressed that "every event [at the Bubble] is technically a fundraiser." 

I mused over these words and the importance of artists having access to such a space as I walked in around 9 p.m. My thoughts, however, were drowned out by loads of feedback, as Delray metal trio Lazer Beast started their soundcheck. The band -- made up of Matty Deathclamp, Tim Finamus, and Joe Sickness -- mixes doom metal, southern sludge, and bone-rattling bass for aconcoction that both embraces self-parody and befits descents into clammy dungeons. Lead singer/screecher/guitarist Deathclamp stole the show, earning best-dressed award for sporting a rockin' mullet (think Kenny Powers) and an ensemble complete with tight gray jeans, a jean vest, and white Reebok Pumps with a fluorescent orange lightning bolt along the side. 

Who stole this Rat Bastard photo cut-out?

Hearing Damage: The Rat Opera

Photo by Troy Kurtz

​Skream and Benga
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
White Room, Miami

Better Than: Staying home on a Wednesday night.

Dubstep has arrived. Sort of.

Wednesday, White Room hosted two of the genre's biggest icons, Skream and Benga. The British DJs have achieved almost cult status in the States. They aren't necessarily bringing the crowds Tiësto pulls (not that I consider that a bad thing), but there was definitely a sizable crowd at the downtown venue for a weeknight.

If you aren't familiar with dubstep, it's an offshoot of drum & bass. Except where drum & bass is characterized by fast breakbeats, dubstup slows things down to the point that it can test a person's patience. It shares more similarities to the beats found in Miami bass and southern hip-hop, so its success in the Magic City isn't at all surprising.

The night started with sets by local DJs Damaged Goods (Misfit Fridays) and Juan Basshead (Get Low). While it isn't a stretch for Basshead to spinning at this sort of event (you can catch him at every monthly Get Low event at the Vagabond -- seriously, don't miss it), Damaged Goods is usually confined to spinning your standard Top 40/hip-hop fare during his Misfit sets at Louis. It was nice to see him break out of it and show how much he really loves and embraces dubstep. He had the whole crowd nodding and awkwardly jerking their bodies (standard dubstep dance moves) during his entire set.

photo by David I. Muir

​Rootz Underground 

photo by Sarah Tyler

30 Years of Churchill's, 30 Years of Punk 

Churchill's Pub, Miami 

Saturday, September 12, 2009 

Photo by Michael Maryanoff

​Glass Candy
Friday, September 11, 2009
Vagabond, Miami

Better than:
Most live performers I've seen, when it comes to sheer energy, personality, and grit onstage.

Hot damn, did all the hipsters come out of the woodwork for the Glass Candy show on Friday night! I've never seen such a massive turnout for what is still a considerably obscure band (as far as the mainstream is concerned, anyways) and at a venue which normally caters to a smaller indie cognoscenti crowd. I mean, there aren't that many hipsters in downtown Miami, are there? Maybe the hype surrounding Glass Candy simply preceded them that night, or maybe I'm just underestimating the general musical savvy and good taste of Miami's nightlife set.

By midnight the line outside Vagabond had reached critical mass, stretching all the way down NE Miami Ct. The place was practically at wall-to-wall full capacity when I made it in, so I wouldn't be surprised if at least a handful of the additional hundred or so people outside got turned down at the door. Off The Radar's DJ Danny Ashe had the party bumpin' in the front room with a selection of classic and new funky favorites. You can't go wrong with the Vag's Friday night $1 beer specials, of which I partook copious amounts before heading into the main room where Glass Candy would take stage around 1 a.m.