Girl About Town 5.6.2008

May 6, 2008 3:11 PM
by chipi [email]

A great week away and oh, the stories I could tell. Coachella stands as the cleanest, most efficient and most beautiful music festival I've ever seen. On a polo field - in the middle of the desert - surrounded by mountain ranges - I witnessed some of the best live music I ever have and probably ever will see for the rest of my days. Obvious headliners were highlights to the weekend including Portishead, Prince and The Verve, but it was the Roger Waters show that took the crowd by storm. Hanging out back stage with Modeselektor, Boys Noize and Erol Alkan wasn't so bad either. That being said, all of nightlife closing up shop around 2am definitely made me jones for home.

After touching down in Miami last week, I took a few days to recover before revisiting downtowns budding weekly parties. These seedlings are now in full bloom, slamming left and right and pumping with the new blood of college kids returning home from far away crap towns. It seems the end of the season might not strangle us after all.

This was more than evident Friday night at the Vagabond. The Postmarks concert in the main room filled things up nicely. Once these local heroes wrapped things up on stage, some timing issues had the room cleared out and patrons wandering outside and to the bar room. When Ray got on the decks and warmed things up again, it was safe to assume that maybe all these people needed was a little fresh air.

In the midst of the mayhem, I found time to hop over to PS-14 and check things out with the Poplife people. Things were very much popping inside and out. Especially around the painted mural in the back, complete with heads cut out for photo ops. I chatted it up with DS363 while he was spinning on that conscious hip-hop tip and did battle with Lebo and Monica Glass on the terrace.

The crowd was molasses thick when I got back to the Vagabond main room. Mike Deuce kept the energy level high and the room packed until it was time to shut it down again, moving us all into the bar room for quality time with Rodney. Where in the past there may have been complaints on my part, the bar was proper all weekend long. After sweating it out in the main room, it was ideal to cool off with James "Laid" and close the night with Portishead "Glorybox".

After some awkward rest, I returned to the Vag with CoolJunkie pride, camera in hand for the arrival of Louie Vega. The smell of hot house music brought the Aquabooty crowd out of the woodwork and I have to say, the party was a huge success. How can I be so sure, you might ask? Was it the parade of shirtless boys inside, singing and grooving along to the music? Was it the break-er circles that started popping up in every room? No dear friends, by simple definition, any party where I can hear "I'll House You", "I Feel Love" and " Erotic City" within minutes of each other, is the mad note.

Over at Poplife, things were at their usual bouncy status. The White Room can most definitely be credited for it's consistency on any given Saturday and musically I've never found much to complain about. Quite often I'm the one on the floor at 5am, begging Induce for a few more songs.

Back on 14th, the Vagabond was closing up shop and a few of us were out on the floor living up to it's name, refusing to go home. It's the mark of a great night when you've got enough people to fill a short bus standing around, waiting for the boot.

Too exhausted to fathom any after hours action, I went dormant and resurfaced at around 4pm on Sunday afternoon. Being nocturnal has its perks and its downfalls, while I get the benefit of a somewhat more colorful life than most, my biological clock feels like it just got kicked in the shins more often than not. As a result, it's difficult to find appropriate place to fuel up before another night on the town. Picking up a meal thats quick, nourishing and won't encroach on your bar tab allocation too harshly can be a serious bother. Uva on Biscayne hit the spot just right. Less she-she than the Coral Gables locale, I chowed down on the plantain and mozzarella empanadas and left guilt free with a happy tummy. Definitely check out their happy hour on Friday nights, a great place to meet people if you're from the midtown area.

I stopped by Sweat after dinner to grab some soy hot chocolate and an amazing vegan cookies and cream cupcake, capping off the list of reasons why my Sunday was awesome. I eventually made my way to Purdy, missing the drunken spelling bee but basking in it's aftermath. After running into Danny Ashe all weekend, it was nice to see him behind the decks doing his thing.

The vibe was right but the days prior had taken a toll. Cutting out a little earlier than usual proved to be the best plan when I found myself driving to BFE West Palm Beach for Radiohead. The Turnpike was a clusterfuck, adding 30 minutes to what would've been our ETA. Once there, parking was a snap and after finding a comfortable spot on the lawn all traffic trouble was forgotten. Yorke was wigging out on stage, doing his usual "i'm probably schizophrenic but I write the best music in the history of the world" dance on the mic. The stage set up was ridiculous They left out a few of my favorites but you can't please all of the people all the time.

After the disaster that was attempting to get back on I-95, I took a detour to the White Room to check out their Cinco de Mayo celebration. Johnny the Boy was in the Red Room spinning his usual deal. His selection of music is pretty much on point - his rapid fire mixing style on the other hand goes over a whole lot better if you're a few drinks deep or have massive ADD. As either or both was the case for everyone else in the room, the atmosphere was just sloppy enough for Cinco de Mayo. I slipped out in time to catch Mike Deuce on my way out and consider calling the cops on a couple of crackies that were threatening to slit his tires. Just another day in the neighborhood.

All in all a great week to come home to. Stick to my game plan and the next few days will be a repeat.

Weekly Picks

Tuesday 5.06 - Lupe Fiasco Glow in the Dark tour Afterparty @ Mansion
After the Kanye West suckfest, check out Mansion for a special afterparty hosted by Lupe Fiasco. Will Kanye stop making out with his own reflection for long enough to make an appearance? It remains to be seen.

Wednesday 5.07 - Finger Lick'n @ PS-14
DJs Hugo and Stravinsky throw down as I am Your Villian gets to grillin on the BBQ. The perfect summertime kick off.

Thursday 5.08 - Barcrawling @ Greenstreet OR APT @ Love/Hate
If you're in the mood to get regrettably hammered, check out Greenstreet this Thursday night. With a bunch of horny 20-somethings graduating from UM on Friday, the Grove will be crawling with Canes looking for their last hurrah. If you'd rather not get sucked into this glorious clusterfuck, make your way down to the beach for APT at Love/Hate with special guest DJ Carlos LLanes of Peaches and Prunes.

Friday 5.09 - Flash Fridays ft. Cheap$hot @ Cameo
Traveling as DJ for Fort Minor, Cheap$hot makes a special solo appearance at Cameo this week to cater to your hip-hop needs.

Saturday 5.10 - Wynwood Gallery Art Walk
It's the second Saturday of the month so all the hipsters will be coming out of the woodwork to rub elbows with the artsy and those pretending to be at the Wynwood Gallery Art Walk this week. Do the rounds at your favorite galleries and stop by Circa afterwards to grab a drink or three. Make sure to head to the Bas Fisher Invitational for their farewell show "Museum Quality" and the Hexagon show at Miami Art Space. Don't forget the White Room after party either.

Sunday 5.11 - Rockstar Sundayz @ Club Nikki
The beautiful people gather at Nikki every week for Rockstar Sundayz, jamming to the sounds of DJ Snezana and her troupe of performing artists complete with bodypainters, gogo dancers and acrobats. It's a little rough to get into so bring your velvet rope A-game.

For Live Music Junkies - 5.10 - Uh Huh Her @ Studio A
With people making noise about Studio A closing down last week, it turns out this music haven is getting a few last spins around the dance floor before officially shutting its doors. This Saturday, catch Uh Huh Her- a self-described indie electro-pop group that recall early Cocteau Twins and perform in pencil skirts and heels. Comprised of Camila Grey formerly of Mellowdrone and L Word actress Leisha Hailey of the Murmurs (and subsequently GUSH), these girls have generated a great deal of buzz mostly based on the latters cable success, but a listen to their soon to be released CD Common Reaction more than satisfies the initial intrigue.

I can't stop spinning...

In my iPod: Bats for Lashes - What's a Girl to Do
Traveling as an opening act for Radiohead in 2008, Natasha Khan a.k.a Bats for Lashes has been generating some much deserved buzz both in the UK and stateside. Last summers single "What's a Girl to Do?" is a haunting and whimsical track, showcasing the songstress' vocal and lyrical talents. Check out the video for some fancy visuals to go with your new favorite song.

If you're on that local tip: Lula vs. Alan T - There's Only One
Local superstar Alan T has done another ferocious job with the release of "There's Only One" pairing him with the incomparable Lula, pitting them playfully against each other for control of the speaker. Check the video for a peak at the battle.

For Literary Letharios: Augusten Burroughs - A Wolf at the Table
With the release of his hilariously disturbing memoir "Running with Scissors", Augusten Burroughs became an instant darling of the literary world. With a colorful cast of characters in his childhood and adolescence to draw from, Burroughs has revisited his account with A Wolf at the Table, this time reflecting specifically on his father. An alcoholic who abused his family both physically and emotionally, Burroughs' father was referred to casually in the authors second effort Dry in which he painstakingly describes every detail of his bout with alcohol addiction. Even with such serious subject matter, Dry retains a great deal more humor than A Wolf at the Table, in which Burroughs has stepped back from his usual humorous outlook and takes a grimmer tone. That being said, Burroughs remains the biggest thing in literary family dysfunction since Anna Karenina and impresses with his usual elaborate candor.

On Celluloid: I'm Not There
After half a decade of music, Bob Dylan remains one of the most enigmatic and elusive characters in popular culture. As a reflection or perhaps a result of this mystery, director Todd Haynes crafted one of, if not the most creative bio-pics I've yet to see on the big screen. Casting six different actors to play Dylan at various stages in his life or at times facets of his personality, Haynes' paints a picture of this revered and despised troubadour that is so near complete, it hurts to think about. The cinematography incorporates genres of film and visual tricks that have long since been forgotten, drawing from the work of Fellini, Melville, Godard and other cinematic geniuses. Stand-out performances by Cate Blanchett and the late Heath Ledger have been on everyone's lips since before the films release and will not disappoint.

See you around town junkies.

peace love and music,

chipi

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