Miami Music Blog

​Oooooohhh! This is the ghost of nightlife past coming to haunt your dreams of weekend debauchery. It's been a while since I've recapped all there is to do across the Magic City, but let's hope I can revive the column from the dead for what's left of 2009.

If you've been vigilant you know that I've already written previews for The Other Hollywood at Awarehouse, Tera-Ween at Cameo, The Cat's Meow at the Raleigh, Playboy Halloween Party at the Shore Club, and "Devil's Disciple" After-party with Busy P at Electric Pickle, so no need to rehash those. But there plenty more Miami scares to be had all weekend long:

Brooklyn's Tommie Sunshine is back to haunt us with sounds of electro past. The DJ/producer takes over the decks at Louis at the Gansevoort (2325 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach) Friday night. If you want a real scare, Louis' door policy will take care of that.

Last time we posted it was in May. Why? Because you're boring us Miami! Same shit every weekend over and over again. We thought the economic crisis would force clubs and promoters to get creative -- obviously, they don't care they are hemorrhaging money. Whatever, Miami can use one or ten less "ultra lounges."

But in case you are looking to party all weekend long, here is what you don't want to miss:

Let's hope she didn't inherit his smoking habit because Alexandra Richards, daughter of Keith Richards, is going to need plenty of endurance when she spins at Misfit Fridays tonight at Louis at the Gansevoort. The model/DJ might not have the skills of say, Erol Alkan, but she's pretty to look at.

Parkwest has been rechristened as Fame, despite our previous reports (which we still stand by). The party officially starts tonight with DJ Nikolas, but the real fun seems to happen Saturday morning, with its premiere of Discosh*t. The party starts at 4 a.m. with DJ Cocodrills. We haven't been to Fame yet, but we are hoping it brought back Twilo's old lighting system that could only have been described as Daft Punk-esque and better than LIV's current light effects.

Memorial Day in Miami is like the elephant in the room. Nobody admits they don't want to party in South Beach this weekend for fear of coming off as racist. Well, you are. You aren't going to get shanked, stabbed, cut, mugged or shot at if you cross the causeway. Then there are those who just plainly don't like hip-hop heavy parties because it's just not their thing, and that's fine, we all have our different musical tastes.

I'm not going to do a run through all the Memorial Day parties because we already did so in this week's issue. However, you are looking for Urban Beach Week alternatives, here is what is in store for you this weekend:

Tonight, bands Young Love and Paper Route perform live at the Vagabond along with resident DJs Lolo, Ray Milian, Mike Duece, Danny Ashe, Carmel Ophir, UVS and Chris Graham.

Talk about a T&A weekend! Exxxotica is in town and so is Aqua Girl, making this a great weekend to see plenty of lovely ladies around the beach. So get ready, because here is what you might want to check out this weekend:

For seven days, 120 cars have travel 3,000 miles from Los Angeles to Miami for the Gumball 3000 Rally. To celebrate the conclusion of the event, Misfit Fridays at Louis will be hosting the official wrap-up party with DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill taking over the decks.

Also tonight, Ghostly International DJ Ryan Elliot will be spinning at White Room. Check out our Q&A with Elliot.

For the ladies who love ladies, Aqua Girl is holding its annual pool party at the Surfcomber Saturday. In case you forget how crazy this party gets, here is a visual refresher (NSFW).

We are finally back! We know, it's been too long since our last post, but we had more important things on our agenda like WMC and a subsequent vacation. But now that we're all settled in we are ready to get back to the nightlife grind.

So here are the things you aren't going to want to miss this weekend:

Tonight, Misfit Fridays makes its return at Louis in hopes to resurrect the weekend. Door can be a bitch, but then again with tastemakers Alexis Mincolla and Sam Baum at the helm and Damaged Goods on the decks it might be worth the trouble.

Over the causeway, Flamingo Fridays at PS14 is putting the bass back in "Miami bass." Crossfade columnist José El Rey plays song selector along with Debbie D (of Avenue D). Also invited to the party this week, former Nightdrive DJs R3K and DJPJ along with a live performance by Dorks Morons & Geeks.

Next door, The Vagabond hosts experimental pop trio Gliss. Hailing from the City of Angels, they have been compared to Velvet Underground, so make sure to check out what all the fuss is about.

And in case you can't get enough of the place, the Saturday night The Vagabond's Back Door Bamby party hosts the godfather of house, Frankie Knuckles.

But in order to get your weekend started properly -- and in honor of Debbie D -- we leave you with Avenue D's "Do I Look Like a Slut?" because, natch, you're going to end up taking it off anyway.

Er, so last night we were suppose to go see Diplo at LIV, but our disco nap turned into a deep slumber. Oh well, no worries, Diplo will be back for WMC, and we are excited about Mad Decent's party at O.H.W.O.W. during the week.

Anyway, we suppose we've got some catching up to do, so here's what you are going to want to check out this weekend:

Tonight, IHEARTCOMIX founder Frankie Chan is taking over the decks at Rokbar for some Good Clean Fun. Party is definitely worthwhile, plus one of our favorite DJs, Danny Daze, is always there to get us in the party mood.

Saturday night, after a bit of drinking in Wynwood, Poplife at White Room will have Heartsrevolution drummer Prince Terrence spinning. He'll be joining resident DJs Mike Deuce, Aramis and Induce.

Can you believe it? Winter Music Conference is only five weeks away! We are already putting together our WMC Guide, which at this point seems a little, er, overwhelming to say the least. So many parties that we are having a hard time deciding what to do when the week finally arrives.

So while we plan our Conference schedule, here is what you should check out this weekend:

First up, electroclash trio Freezepop stops by The Vagabond Friday. If you don't know what electroclash is you obviously never went to SoHo Lounge back in the early part of this decade when Revolver, Spiderpussy and Vice were the parties to go to. But for those who were there, the Boston band will be ready to provide a nostalgic trip back to synthpop past.

A few blocks north, Spank Rock's DJs Delvin and Darko will help the guys of Overthrow (Alexis Mincolla and Sam Baum) take over The King is Dead. Doors open at 11 p.m. and is free with RSVP to overthrowmiami@yahoo.com, otherwise expect to pay a $10 cover. Also, there will be complimentary Red Stripe until its all gone.

With the economy going way south, it seems like the nightlife industry is starting to implement new business tactics. Bottle service is surely going the way of the dinosaur, and the industry knows if it's going to survive its got to find untapped market.

Enter in the downtown hipster promoters.

Often relegated to the seedy downtown/Overtown nightclub scene, it seems they are now in vogue with South Beach's nightlife impresarios. Poplife hosts now at Louis on Tuesdays and Rokbar on Thursdays, while Lolo Reskin and Co. of Sweat Records get the Delano's Florida Room moving on Thursdays with its new Under Cover night. Let's not forget the quick rise Bella Rose's Black Sunday which is essential a downtown party in South Beach, and Off The Radar's stint every Wednesday at The Standard.

So are downtown hipster promoters the new black? Well, while you ponder the answer to that, here is what you can plan to do this weekend:

We're two months away from the monstrosity known as Winter Music Conference. While we're hearing of plenty of parties being scale back this year, we still know it's going to be amazing. But again, that's still two months away, so for now we are going to get excited about what this weekend has in store for us.

Tonight, Brooklyn DJ/producer Drop the Lime returns to the Magic City for a bass-heavy set at The Vagabond's Thursday night party, Shake. Local turntablist DJ Craze will also be on hand to really make this a party.

Frequent CrossFade/New Times contributor John Hood will be playing Thug Sinatra Friday night at Provocateur. The new club is just the latest addition to the increasingly crowded Collins Park area.

Also Friday, local web site REV Miami is having its launch party at PS14 featuring Afrobeta, Araka, Furious Dudes and more.

We're hoping the current cold snap disappears this weekend. We don't know if we can handle another night of freezing temperatures. Why? Because Miami's nightlife scene isn't equipped to handle cold patrons. Clubs lack coat checks, so if you bundle up to keep warm outside, you're most likely going to have to throw it in a dark corner and pray it doesn't get stolen.

So let's hope the coats can stay home, because here is what you want to check out this weekend:

Famed New York house DJ Roger Sanchez stops by the opulent Set tonight. Sanchez is set to release a new compilation next week called Roger Sanchez 3D. To celebrate, he's offering a little taste with his mix of A Tribe Called Es' "Dancin'."

Seems like the guys at Dirtybird can't get enough of Miami because San Francisco DJ Justin Martin is back. You'll have two opportunities to catch Martin, first at White Room tonight and later at Parkwest for afterhours.

Finally, Saturday, Le Tigre's JD Samson will be spinning at White Room for Poplife Saturday night. The P-life crew is celebrating founder's Aramis Lorie's birthday, who is turning -- well, we aren't sure, but does it really matter?

Should we be worrying, ya'll? Economy is going to shit. Let's hope Obama fixes things soon after he gives Bush the boot from the White House next week. Until then, there shall be more drinking and partying to forget we are on the verge of going broke.

Here is what you'll want to check out this weekend:

Spank Rock DJ XXXChange will be spinning at PS14 for its Happy House party tonight. As we said yesterday, XXXChange is the man largely responsible for the hipster-hop sound that's quickly becoming popular.

Friday night, VNDLSM/VND & LSM/AutoErotique/whatever-they-are-calling-themselves-theses-days will be spinning at Heathrow Lounge, where -- get this -- Red Stripe will be doling out free beer. They are often compared to another voweless DJ duo, but their sounds tends to be a bit more pop oriented.

Happy New Year, ya'll! It's 2009 and with the economy going south, everyone seems to be looking for answers at the bottom of a bottle -- and that means more parties! And January is already gearing up to be spectacular. But let us not get ahead of ourselves, because here is what you definitely want to check out this weekend:

Reading Panic Bomber's treatise on why he does what he does, one could easily suspect that Richard Haig is bitter that live music doesn't get as much respect as DJs do in Miami. But from listening to his tracks, we beg you Haig, don't ever move from behind the DJ booth, because you're everything we love about electronic music. Catch Haig's alter-ego Friday at The Vagabond.

Also on Friday, White Room's Pl0t party hosts Brooklyn techno master Tony Rohr.

They say distance makes the heart grown fonder, but we sort of dropped the ball with On the List; its being almost three weeks since our last compilation. Don't fret children, we're back! And we promise we will never leave you -- er, again.

We aren't sure how many of you actually want to go out this week, because we ourselves are still recovering from the Baselmania of last week. No more Grolsch, please! We're sticking to our fav from now on -- vodka and tonic with a twist of lime. Free drinks for everybody, because here is what you're going to want to do this weekend:

Is it WMC yet? Nope, but Dieselboy is in town anyway, stopping by Laundry Bar 305 Music Lounge Black Sheep Bar tonight for a drum-and-bass of a good time. While some of us consider the D 'n' B genre to be a little passé, we definitely have respect for the Florida-born DJ. Also on the bill are Danny Bled, Juan Basshead, George Young, Narcotica and Mad MC.

Earlier this week, we wrote how Opium Group's newest lounge Louis is opening this weekend. Well according to our sources, it's a maybe. Why? Not sure, but the anticipation is killing us. Work faster Opium Group!

Still, there is plenty to check out this weekend and look for our special On the List "Turkey with Gravy Edition" coming out on Tuesday, telling you what to do Wednesday night because there is no work on Thursday! Woo!

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, here is what you want to check out this weekend:

Heir To The Throne makes is debut tonight at the brand new The King Is Dead. Roxy Cottontail and Contra will be hitting the decks, while the free cocktails from 11 to midnight will make you extra happy.

Last weekend was a busy one, but there is still plenty of momentum going in the nightlife scene to keep things going. The highlight this weekend of course being the reopening of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. In case you've been hiding under a rock, the hotel is celebrating its reopening with a party to end all party and the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, starring the VS Angels. Buzz is invitations are harder to come by than a hill in Miami.

No worries though, plenty of other things to do if an invitation escapes you:

The Vagabond has introduced a new Thursday night party called Shake. We held off writing about this because we wanted to see if it actually had some longevity, but word on the street is that the party is not to be missed. Jose El Rey plays host as old school hip-hop and Miami classics blast from the speakers. And this weekend, it's going to be extra special as El Rey celebrate his birthday Miami-style with plenty of Miami booty bass and Cuban food to go around.

Tomorrow night, perennial progressive house party Aquabooty turns 9. The party has seen many homes -- most recently Nocturnal, Glass and Pawn Shop -- but it still keeps putting on some of the city's best events. To celebrate this milestone, they've book DJ Marques Wyatt along DHM at The King Is Dead.

ZOMG, ya'll! It's Tuesday, so what the hell is On the List doing up so early in the week? Well, in case you didn't know, today is Election Day, and whether your candidate of choice wins or loses, there will be plenty of alcohol flowing and music pumping in the name of democracy. So get ready, cause here is what you might want to check out tonight:

Grass is hosting an election viewing party for supporters of Barack Obama. The shindig starts at 7 p.m. and it's complimentary admission all night long.

On the outskirts of downtown Miami, both The Vagabond and PS14 will be open, welcoming those who want to drink while watching the election results. The Vagabond's jazz night the Stone Groove will give you plenty of reason to celebrate the results with a live jazz band and stiff drinks, while PS14 will have Black Jesus on the decks.

Want something a little swankier? The Ganesvoort Hotel is hosting a bi-partisan election night party with complimentary Ketel One from 9 to 10 p.m. Projection screens will keep patrons informed on who is winning the race.

SushiSamba dromo hosting an Election Day cocktail battle, with candidate-inspired cocktails. You can cast your vote by choosing between the Obamarama or the Maverick, while watching the real election results on TV.

-- Jose D. Duran

Boo ya'll! It's Halloween. Time of year when girls dress like total sluts by wearing lingerie and some kind of animal ears. "Look at me! I'm a sexy mouse." Sure you are. While we appreciate a bit of sexiness during Halloween, we also appreciate a bit of creativity too. But everyone's inner skank isn't going to damper our mood. Here is our super-spectacular Halloween edition of On the List:

Two step, two step to Heathrow Lounge where you'll be able to catch Chromeo. The Canadian duo will be bring its signature funky electro sound while South Beach cool kid Alexis Mincolla of Black Sunday fame will be bringing the scares.

If anyone is going to do Halloween justice its Otto Von Schirach, who is bringing his dirty beats to 305 Music Lounge. Also on the bill is Dino Felipe and the Ghost Band, so it's sure to be one scary night.

We feel it. It's going to to be one of those weekends -- you know, the ones where you see the sunrise every night. Why? Because there is so much to do this weekend that we had a hard time condensing it to this list.

Tonight, all the way from London comes Rory Phillips. Phillips, who has spun at the legendary Trash alongside Erol Alkan, will get the hipsters dancing at The Vagabond with his blend of electro-house and indie staples.

We think Set easily takes the prize as the city's most gorgeous venue, so when put deep house DJ Miguel Migs in the mix you've got the makings of an unforgettable night. The San Francisco DJ's music has a soulful appeal that is sure to get the crowds moving.

We apologize for not bringing you your weekly dose of On the List last week, but we've got life to you know. But we're back, so you can get your panties out of a twist and relish in the fact that you won't be clueless as to what is going on this weekend.

Is there plenty to do? Yes. Is most of it worth mentioning? Hell nah! Here is what what passed our crap-tacular meter:

We're exhausted just thinking about the packed weekend schedule ahead of us that we aren't sure if we'll survive come Monday. But that's the fall season for you. Things are finally in full swing and there are so many things to do that we're sure we are leaving out plenty of other amazing things to do around town. But let's try to sift through all the bullshit and because here is what you'll want to check out this weekend:

Atlanta DJ Klever will be back in town tonight. Last time the man was here, he played at a semi-empty White Room (for shame), but we are sure The Vagabond's (30 NE 14th Street, Miami) Money Shot party will attract a sizable crowd. But Klever is definitely reason enough to go out tonight -- trust us. Also, we are hearing around this will be the last weekly Money Shot party, as it turns into a monthly special event party after tonight.

The fall season is here! Yay!

"Why 'yay?'" you ask. Well in addition to bringing cooler temperatures and hurricane season coming to an end soon, it seems like nightclubs and promoters are waking up from their summer hibernation. The only thing that might rain on this nightlife parade is the state of our economy, but lets hope we can all weather the storm.

So drink to your shrinking 401(k), because here is what the weekend has in store for you:

Nine years ago Blue (222 Espanola Way, Miami Beach) opened to cater to South Beach locals who were quickly seeing relic dance institutions being replaced by a European-imported craze called "bottle service." However, Blue insisted keeping drink prices low and kept fostering local house DJs by giving them a place to spin. So celebrate nine years of go against the "norm" with DJs Strickly B, Will Renuart, Major, Way, Baby Sean and Inbal on the decks and open bar from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

We are seriously sorry for the previously omitted "On the List," but last weekend in our book qualified as a bust -- there was absolutely nothing worth doing. If you were smart, you picked up a book or something of educational value. There was also that darn Ike. Everyone was freaking out but it missed us by a long shot, which is great because instead of partying this weekend, we'd be crying for ice and water. However, our neighbors in the Caribbean weren't so lucky. If you are looking to help, how about donating to the American Red Cross? Imagine how much better you'll feel helping those in desperate need for aid than dropping $300 a $40 bottle of Grey Goose. It warms our icy cold hearts just thinking about it.

Did you donate? Good! Now here is what you have to look forward to this weekend:

You already know how excited we are that L.A. Riots is coming to the Vagabond (30 NE 11th Street, Miami) tomorrow night. So we don't need to tell you to get your asses there. Can't make it to the Miami apperance? No problem. The duo will be at Respectable Street (518 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach) on Saturday.

We are hearing around town that Miami is in store for a busy fall and winter seasons. Big names are being tossed around and events are in the works -- too bad we can't tell you just yet, but you can rest assured we'll be the first to let you know.

But looking ahead at this long Labor Day weekend, there is so much to do that we couldn't possibly list every single event happening, so here are the highlights this weekend you may want to check out.

Laundry Bar (721 Lincoln Lane, Miami Beach) is closing y'all! But don't worry, it will remain under the same management, but just a different look and feel. But before that happens, the sudsy venue is going out with a bang -- or a permanent press wash. Tonight, Laundry Bar is giving itself a roast courtesy of a bunch of drag queens, bringing back the glory days of the venue it catered to the gay set. Shelley Novak hosts and will feature plenty of other prominent South Beach players.

Skip to Sunday for the venue's truly final farewell, when San Francisco's Nikola Baytala and Michael Louis give the venue's speakers one final workout.

ZOMG!!! Have you heard the news? Karu & Y and Bricks are being resurrected!

Sorry, I got needlessly excited. The real question is why? They stood for everything that was so very wrong with Miami's nightlife scene, and worse of all, they were so boring. Those are places I consider better off dead. Now, if someone told me they were bringing back Studio A -- and actually doing it right this time, with a proper marketing and promotion -- I'd be eternally grateful.

But until that day happens, I'm going to have to settle for what's being offered this weekend:

Tonight, it boils down to two options: Guilty Pleasures at Aero Bar (247 23rd Street, Miami Beach) or Money Shot at The Vagabond (30 NE 14th Street, Miami) -- fail-safe nights that are guaranteed to start off your weekend right. Ross One, as always, will be on the decks in the main lounge at Aero Bar, while Money Shot starts its Subway Series with New York DJs Morsy and Cobra Krames.

Want to try something sort-of new? Tonight, White Room (1306 N Miami Avenue, Miami) hosts Apt, Ray Milian's weekly Thursday night party. The night finally moves off South Beach to Downtown where it seems better suited.

It's a busy weekend in Miami's club land, so get ready to party all weekend long. This comes as a relief, seeing how the past few weekends, the choices out there have been less than stellar. So it's a bit of a surprise that at the height of the summer season, there is this sudden spurt of things to do.

If you are looking for something that involved free booze, head over to Aero Bar (247 23rd Street, Miami Beach) tonight where Absolut Vodka will be promoting its newest limited-edition flavor Absolut Los Angeles (I wonder if it tastes like silicone and smog) with free drinks from 10 p.m. to midnight. "Celebrity" DJ Cheapshot will be providing the background noise, along with Mark Leventhal in the lounge.

There is only one word that could describe last weekend: Boring. It was so boring, personally I went to bed most nights by 1 a.m. Come on Miami! I know we are at the height of the low season, but that doesn't mean we have to get lazy. Unfortunately, things don't seem to be picking up this weekend either, except for a few gems here and there.

Last weekend was a rough one for The Vagabond (30 NE 14th Street, Miami). After a ceiling tile fell and hit a patron, the fire department closed the venue for the weekend until repairs could be made and a building inspector could examine the work. But leave to the owners to make lemonade out of lemons. Its Thursday night party Money Shot will be happening tonight with special DJ Tommy Ryk (Rokbar). And to celebrate the reopening there will be a Skyy is Falling drink special (Get it? Got it? Good!), with free Skyy vodka from 10 to 11 p.m. In addition, last week's canceled Mid-Summer's Night Fairy Tale will happen this Saturday.

Miami's nightlife landscape in filled with many characters who make going out that much more interesting. They are always larger than life and are always shrouded in mystery. Perfect example is Miami's latest anomaly, the Unicorn King, a man who frequents the 14th Street area in Downtown Miami, yet no one knows anything about him -- but that's sort of half the fun.

If you are going to look of the single-horned creature, stop by the Vagabond (30 NE 14th Street, Miami) for Money Shot. Tonight, DJ Elle (Turntable Lab/NYC) will be spinning her signature blend of hip-hop and pop with an indie sound sensibility. DJs Induce and Mike Deuce, along with special guest DJ DS, will also be there to keep the music going.

Bertha, the first hurricane of the season formed in the Atlantic this week, and while its no threat to South Florida, it definitely brought with it the summer slowdown we've been expecting for a while. Nightlife pickings are slim this week and probably won't pick up until the fall. Such is life, but there are still a few things worth checking out this weekend.

Klever has virtually overnight risen to become one of the most respected electro-house DJs. He is no stranger to the Miami scene, so he should feel comfortable when he takes over the decks at White Room (1306 N Miami Ave., Miami) Friday night for its Home Bass party. Local DJs Contra, Keen One, Jessica Who? and more are on the bill as well.