Photo by Max Reed

It seems strange, but in almost ten years of record releases and world tours, Bloc Party had never played Miami until last night.

A celebration was in order, so Absolut vodka teamed up with artist Agustina Woodgate to transform Soho Studios into an interactive wonderland of booze, rainbows and great tunes. It was called Absolut X, and much hashtagging was encouraged.

It was a great party, apparently so great you had to show up an hour and a half early just to make it in.

See also:
-Bloc Party's Russell Lissack: "Whatever Type of Music Tends to Be Popular Is Irrelevant"
-Absolut X Miami with Bloc Party at Soho Studios: The 70-Photo Slideshow

Via statigr.am/strictly_q

Walking up the stark stairwell toward the Garret's dance floor, we asked the legendary DJ Craze just where in the hell he got the idea to make a pig his label's mascot. He said it all comes back to something Klever once said.

"I don't play that fast food music," he said. "My tunes are slow roasted."

That's the credo of the whole Slow Roast label family, and it's definitely the calling card of Miami's newest monthly for real music lovers.

See also:
-DJ Craze on Slow Roast Thursdays: "Fresh New Music Instead of the Same Old"

Photo by Luz Elena Silva

Alejandro Sanz
La música no se toca Tour
With Carlos Varela
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Thursday, May 9, 2013

Last night, thousands of Latin music fans had an amazing night at the American Airlines Arena, leaving rapt and satisfied, thanks to Alejandro Sanz and his conquering desire.

See also:
-Alejandro Sanz: "I Always Wake Up Thinking, One More Day to Conquer"

Photo by Liliana Mora

Face it, you have no idea what Cinco de Mayo is about. No, it's not Mexican Independence. But you know what? It doesn't really matter. We're just happy to have an excuse to drink all the tequila, Corona, and Dos Equis we want, and get the chance to shake our asses to some moombahton.

For everyone who wasn't slayed by day drinking, Grand Central was the get-down. This party was so big, it was Cinco de Massive. We had moombah coming out of our eyeballs, and there was a fat dude in a Santa hat.

Like, what more could you want out of a holiday?

See also:
-Cinco de Massive at Grand Central: The 46-Photo Slideshow
-Pepe Billete on Cinco de Mayo and Immigration: "Pobre Mexicanos, Se La Clavan Sin Vaselina"

Photo by Laurie Charles

Meet Bob Beck, the 88-year-old Sexy Old Buzzard.

Bearded brewski lovers, former college frat boys, tatted ex-military men, girls walking around in red Tootsie's t-shirts promoting the strip club, and an 88-year old man cruising around on a walker ... Welcome to Miami New Times' Brew at the Zoo.

Over the weekend, the booze fest attracted an unlikely group of people to Zoo Miami for a night of beer, food, music, and debauchery.

See also:
-Brew at the Zoo 2013 at Zoo Miami: The 74-Photo Slideshow
-Girl Flashes Boobs for Uncle Luke, Naughty by Nature, and Brew at the Zoo!

Photo by Liliana Mora

Naughty by Nature's Treach taming the wild beasts of Brew at the Zoo.

Big-booty girls backing that ass up onstage with Uncle Luke and bros wearing shorts, screen T's, and neon orange, green, and yellow sunglasses while dancing to Naughty by Nature were the kind of animals that filled the grounds of Zoo Miami for Miami New Times' Brew at the Zoo.

Luke, Naughty, and Pangea Tribe provided the soundtrack as beer-fed party people took a break from all that Sam Adams and brewskies from the Homebrew Alley to jam to some old-school tracks.

See also:
-Uncle Luke's Top Ten Booty Jams of All Time
-Brew at the Zoo 2013 at Zoo Miami: The 74-Photo Slideshow
-Naughty by Nature Talks Partying With Uncle Luke and Drinking Brew at the Zoo

Photo by Claire Nelson

Star Wars. It's not really a sexy movie, but try telling that to a bunch of geeks.

Alright, alright. We'll concede Leia's slave outfit produced a lot of first boners, and every woman wishes she could look so regal in bondage. But Darth Maul with boobs? That's just terrifying.

At least Yoda's a master of amazing Jedi party tricks. Like undoing a sexy stormtrooper's bra with one flick of his lightsaber.

See also:
-Star Wars Cosplay at Spazio Nightclub

Photo by Ian Witlen

Better than: Dalis Car live.

It was nice seeing Peter Murphy channel some of the primal strangeness of Bauhaus, even though all his original cohorts were probably somewhere in England, sipping their tea and not giving a shit.

The music will exist, and it came quite alive on the Grand Central stage last night, thanks to a self-deprecating and enthusiastic performance by Murphy and his longtime backing trio.

See also:
-Peter Murphy at Grand Central: The 42-Photo Slideshow
-Peter Murphy Talks Meth Arrest and 35 Years of Bauhaus: "I Was Never a Punk"
-Peter Murphy: "Bauhaus Was the Seminal Moment in That Time; Joy Division Was Not"

Photo by Luz Elena Silva

Jarabe de Palo's A piano y voz
With Ulises Hadjis and Mr. Pauer
Grand Central, Miami
Saturday, April 27, 2013

In a very intimate setting at Grand Central in downtown Miami, Spanish rock band Jarabe de Palo kicked off its latest tour around the United States, called A piano y voz.

The idea: Perform classic Jarabe love songs in a pure and simple way. Just as they were created -- with a voice and one instrument.

See also:
-Sergent Garcia Talks Salsamuffin and Change: "The World Is In a Global Crisis"

Photo by Sayre Berman

Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell.

Alice in Chains
Fillmore Miami Beach
Thursday, April 25, 2013

Better Than: Well, The Essential Alice in Chains.

"C'mon, it's the first gig ..." Alice in Chains axe man Jerry Cantrell deadpanned when he and his band screwed up the opening bars of "Down in a Hole," a 20-year-old top ten hit. "Fuck."

Last night, Cantrell and crew kicked off their latest U.S. road trip at the Fillmore Miami Beach after a few years away from the rock circuit, following the release (and subsequent tour) of 2008's Black Gives Way to Blue. And aside from the "Hole" miscue, there weren't any "big mistakes."

See also:
-Alice in Chains at Fillmore Miami Beach: The 28-Photo Slideshow
-Alice in Chains Talks Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, a "Jab at Ultra-Right Religious Conservatives"