Girl About Town 1/23

January 23, 2008 8:31 PM
by chipi [email]

While the proverbial 24 hour party people have hardly taken notice, this Girl about Town is beginning to recognize a shift in gears in this beast of a city of ours. It's reached a point where anyone not hitting two to three clubs a night is truly missing out on what our cultural mecca has to offer.

This weekend was a shining example of this phenomenon and I have the club-head raccoon eyes to show for it.

Now, when I say that Fashion Friday's at Prive with Marques Wyatt was a slow start to a literal nightlife marathon, don't take that as a comment on the West Coast masters performance. It's actually much to the contrary. While I'll admit I was a bit skeptical of this choice for Prive's upscale and hot-to-trot Friday scene, the atmosphere was charged with a sense of fascination. It was clear that most of these Friday night regulars were experiencing Wyatt's signature sound for the first time. I wouldn't be surprised if they hunted him down online the moment they got home.

Saturday morning was the beginning of my Junkie sprint. I spent most of the day at the Art Deco Festival on Ocean Drive, meeting and greeting with local and International artists. This festival sported everything from Stilt Walkers to Classic Cars to Costumed Comic Characters. While most of you were probably frustrated by the added traffic caused by the event all weekend, if you didn't stop and take a peek around, you were certainly wailing in vain.

After a quick disco nap, I drove myself down to Parkwest for the New Times anniversary party, Artopia. In attendance were some of my favorite local characters in journalism, including Miami Herald legend Jim DeFede, who created an outlandish impromptu background story for club reveler Chartreuse when she declined to introduce herself to those in attendance.

After a few hours at Parkwest, I popped over to Studio A to catch some of my favorite local acts like Als Not Well and Astarinite. While the joint wasn't exactly packed, the vibe still carried the characteristic laid-back attitude a rock-n-roll disco should always have.

My brief stint at Studio A led me back to Parkwest where The Spam Allstars were already rocking the crowd. I had forgotten how much stage presence this group brings and it was a real wake up call for me to mosey my way back to them some time.

After a lazy Sunday lying around and regaining some semblance of control, I finally forced myself out of bed and partnered up with my new squeeze for a night at Dream for Wildlife. As promised, this venue delivered with energetic sets from Mazi and DJ Punisher. This club is obviously putting in the effort to make all in attendance feel at home. If you haven't checked it out yet, I highly recommend you drop in this week.

I capped off my weekend with a relaxing Monday night at Churchill's for their weekly Jazz jam. The house band swayed the crowd with its ever-impressive rhythmic poetics and I for one appreciated the no-pretense atmosphere. You get the feeling that anyone can feel comfortable at this pub style bar and the diversity of those in attendance stands as evidence of that.

Rather than overextend myself with a visit to Ammendment XXI for Jesse Jackson, I had a reclusive Tuesday night and got more sleep than I probably will for at least another six months. Don't get me wrong, it's great being addicted to cool, but every once and a while you've just got to stop and take a break (so you can do it all over again next weekend).

Weekly Picks

Thursday 1.24 - Tu Madre Thursdays @ Cameo
The return of this weekly party is big news for my junkies out there with some Latin vibe in their soul. With an open bar from 10 to 12, arrive early and plan to stay late. With Lazardi on the decks it won't be an easy night to walk away from.

Friday 1.25 - Otto Von Schirach @ Churchill's
While Rza flaked on the Wu-Tang tour, our Miami native's continue to bring it in the realm of theatrical performances. With live acts including full costume, masks and props, Otto is the ringleader of Miami's live electronic bands. His dance tracks are the perfect compliment to his outlandish stage antics and you're sure to be hooked after this show.

Saturday 1.26 - Miami Style Battle @ The Stoli Hotel AND Mauro Picotto @ Mansion
The formerly coined Miami Style Wars returns as Miami Style Battle. Sporting an open Stoli Bar all night, it's design or die and I assure you, this party is not for the faint of fashion. With the House of Diehl's +8 rising stars or Fashion and art, it's gonna get real fierce in there. Doors open at 10pm and close at 1am. Once the dust has settled, make sure you head over to Mansion to catch Italian import Mauro Picotto commanding the dance floor. This trance act turned techno legend has remixed and produced for the likes of Freddie Mercury, Pet Shop Boys and U2. With name drops like those, how could you miss out?

Sunday 1.27 - The Sleaze Show @ Space
Saturdays may belong to Space but Sunday sure can hold a candle to it. With Cedric Gervais and Chicco Secci spinning, Sunday morning after hours is an energy driven event with Miami's true party people pounding it out on the dance floor from 4am into the late morning hours. Be sure to come with a group that can really hang, not everyone can last through this party and after hours takes no prisoners.

Monday 1.28 - LoveHate
This bar is quickly becoming a staple beach hang out. Opened by those two guys from MiamiInk, this venue sports an intimate atmosphere and a DJ booth that's just the right size for a CoolJunkie party. I've caught wind that on slammed nights, the doormen can get pretty selective about who they let in. While sexy always works as a ticket through the velvet rope, exposing your tattoo's will get you into this bar before everyone else in line.

Tuesday 1.29 - Feneiva @ Jazid
One of the few live act bars left on the beach, Jazid sports a diverse array of performers from practically every musical genre. This Tuesday, catch Feneiva rocking the show with an hour long open mic jam starting at 11:45. This group was voted Best Latin Rock Band by local newspapers in 2007 and will get you grooving and shaking in no time.

I just can't stop spinning...

In my iPod: Radiohead - Ceremony (New Order cover). So I'll admit, I'm a little obsessed with the remnants of Joy Division. One of the last two singles written before Curtis' death, Radiohead covers this track with the energy, precision and reverence it deserves.

If you're on that local tip: Raffa and Rainer - Preventative Heartache. This low-key sweet lullaby by local indie darlings Raffa Jo Harris and Rainer Davies will bring a smile to your face with its melancholy melody. Check out their myspace for some free listening.

On Celluloid...
The big buzz around the nation (even before Oscar nominations were announced), has been Paul Thomas Anderson's new epic There Will Be Blood. Check out the preview for this flick, it's visually stunning. Anderson hasn't released a film since 2002's Punch-Drunk Love and the word is this may be his masterpiece.

If you catch me around town Junkies, make sure you come up and introduce yourself. Tell me where YOU think I should be hanging out. If you love Miami even half as much as I do, we're practically best friends already.

peace love and music,

chipi

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