Girl About Town 4.15.2008

April 15, 2008 10:36 PM
by chipi [email]

It seems like the post-conference lull hasn't completely lifted. Maybe the drizzles had something to do with it, but a few rainy nights shouldn't be any excuse for the well-weathered night owls of the Beach and Downtown. Regardless of these thinner crowds, things seem to be looking up for a lot of my favorite weekly hang outs.

Apt. 423 in particular has taken an interesting turn from its Abraxas days. After giving it a week or two to marinate with its new home, I visited the tenants last Thursday. With the venue switch over to Love Hate, the Downtown crowd that was making its way over to 407 is now mixing it up with the Love Hate regulars on Thursday nights. This includes the tourists who are dying to hang at the Miami Ink bar and the last of the straggling spring breakers. I think this touch of the college crowd adds a pretty interesting energy to the mix and Matt Cash at the helm was at the very least educational for patrons who unwittingly walked into a great party.

Tapping out of APT at around 2am, I made my way over to Money $hot for a second go around. What I found was the same fun crowd, great music and chill atmosphere that's made this party a favorite to many for some time now. DJ Danny Daze made things a little more popping than usual, he does have a certain something that keeps the party going at a casually cool speed. The crowd could've been a little thicker to make for more of a house party atmosphere but other than that, few complaints can be made. Hopefully we can rely on this kind of consistency every week.

After an unfortunate incident at Dek23 on Friday, rather than idle on the Beach waiting for things to pick up, I tried my hand at the Vagabond for my second Friday night Sweat party. I rushed over the bridge and nearly gave the parking attendant a stroke but I managed to catch the last few minutes of Lolo's set. Considering how early it was, word of Lolo hitting the decks and a "special outdoor performance" had drawn a few heads more than I would've expected. Blocking off the main room turned out to be brilliant in the early hours of the night, creating a build up and more of a lounge atmosphere in the club.

Highlights of the night included but were not limited to: Mike Deuce dropping "Bombs over Baghdad" at around 4 a.m., Rachel Goodrich laughing her way through the last few lines of "Lightbulb" and Ray Milian's sets by the bar and in the main room. He's been on the scene for a minute and think of him what you will, but it felt like he was in the proverbial zone on Friday. He kept everything slick and inviting, nothing too obscure or overindulgent and it was silky, like butta. The party had no trouble grooving with him and his unpretentious attitude slips him easily into a crowd favorite. This party may have gotten off to a rough start, but last Friday has definitely solidified it as a regular hang out.

Saturday turned out to be more of a personal day for me. Not that I'd intended it that way in the slightest but, sleep deprivation being what it is, I inadvertently turned a disco nap after catching Margaret Cho at the Fillmore into a straight up knock out. In the process I managed to miss out on Gen Art's crown jewel of the year: Fresh Faces. This year Miami's favorite ladies outdid themselves with a couture show that everyone, even the bitchiest of fashion columnists, has been raving about.

I made up for my lazy ways on Sunday with a visit to Sundance at Set. While not my typical scene, almost everything in life merits at least three tries before being completely written off. As you can imagine, the room was packed with the beach crowd. The beautiful people comfortable enough with the thought of not getting up on a Monday morning to spring for a few bottles at the weeks end. The mood in the room is light, dance-type house, lots of peppy vocals and pop culture references in the mixing. I think "Show Me Love" was playing at one point. In any case, I was impressed by the caliber of the crowd. Typically, I'd expect a little sleaze out of a Sunday night house party but there was none to be found, with the exception of the arrival of the sleaze master himself, Cedric Gervais.

I ended up calling it a night too early to make a cameo at Chocolate Sunday, so I saved up my fuel and recharged my batteries on Monday night at Churchill's. After a brief lull brought on by Ricky Jackson's absence, Jazz night really picked up steam this week with a few poignant jam moments and a respectable crowd. Hopefully the word will get around of the sax masters return soon enough for next weeks gig to be an all out slam.

Make your way out there and earn your Junkie stripes, kids. These parties don't last forever you know.

Weekly Picks

Tuesday 4.15 - Damn Son! @ Jazid
Upstairs at Jazid gets a revamp this Tuesday with the arrival of Damn Son! DJ's Mike Deuce, DS363 and Obi will be spinning the best in dance music at what hopes to be the jump off.

Wednesday 4.16 - Rokbar
No Cover and no drama at the door makes this a great mid-week hang out. Be open to any genre at this venue, people tend to be musically indulgent when they've had a little too much here.

Thursday 4.17 - Chromeo @ the Fifth
Bonafide Lovin' makes its way to the beach with a special live show by Chromeo and Louis XIV at the Fifth this week. If these boys haven't been on your musical radar, their infectious electro dance tunes will get you moving and shaking in no time.

Friday 4.18 - Exxxotica Opening Night Party @ Mansion AND Lee Iturbe @ Gallery 138
Lee Iturbe makes his return to Miami with a special show at Gallery 138, a home for the low brow and under appreciated of the underground art world, but if exxxcess is more your bag, check out the opening night party for Exxxotica at Mansion. This three day long erotic convention kicks off with an opening bash hosted by pornadult film star Stormy Daniels.

Saturday 4.19 - 3rd Anniversary of Sweat!
Block off your whole Saturday night for this bad boy, Sweat Records is officially turning three and doing it to the fullest. The party starts at Sweat proper, with a live performance by Nil Lara, DJ sets by Induce, Hottpants, Mike Deuce, Otto Von Schirach + wine and birthday cake. At 10pm make your way into Churchill's for performances by Artofificial, Jesse Jackson, Modernage and more with special musical MC, the papi himself, Jose el Rey. The back patio will also feature Dino Felipe, Ramburglar and The Creature Tweaker Council. The party keeps pumping until 5 a.m. if you keep your wristband on and head to PS14 for a live performance by Awesome New Republic and DJ sets by Kemaplastik, Danny Ashe and Countess Cucha.

Sunday 4.20 - Super High Me @ Sweat AND Rachel Goodrich @ Churchill's
It comes but once a year so enjoy it to the fullest. After recovering from Sweat's big b-day, start your holiday off right with a screening of Super High Me. Think Supersize Me except the protagonist is comedian Doug Benson and it's Mary Jane instead of Micky D's. Afterwards, check out Rachel Goodrich for a special 4.20 performance at Churchill's, because there's nothing like a little shakeabilly before, during and after a good session.

For Live Music Junkies - Thursday 4.17 - Florida Grammy Showcase @ Mansion ft. Jesse Jackson, Like the TV Show, MAYDAY!, Jacob Jeffries Band and many more.
The Florida Chapter of the Recording Academy is bringing some of the best and brightest in Miami music to Mansion for a special live showcase. At the end a Winner will be selected. What they're winning exactly, I'm not sure. Does it matter? Probably not to anyone except for the person that ends up winning it. The point is, get your ass out to Mansion by 7:00 p.m. to support your local music scene.

I can't stop spinning...

In my iPod: Estelle - American Boy
This London songstress has managed what's soon to be a radio hit stateside with the help of Kanye West. Cash in and pump it in your stereo now before it stops being cool.

On Celluloid: Lars and the Real Girl
This is one of those films that Ryan Gosling has been making as redemption for the sap fest that was The Notebook. In this flick he plays Lars, a young man with some emotional issues that decides to order himself a life size doll and treat her as if she were a real person. While this may be common practice for a lot of porn enthusiasts out there, Lars brings his glorified blow up doll around his family and friends rather than folded up under his mattress. A doctor advises them to entertain his delusions to see where it leads him and brief cinematic brilliance ensues.

Hopefully I'll catch each of you at some point this week, just pray that it's not in the back of a squad car on Sunday.

peace love and music,

chipi

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