Swelter

Shattered, on the verge of doing something tasteless and terminal, but plunging on like a pro to the Boomerang party. Packed, fun, and full of homeboys: Joe Delaney of Disco Inferno, Garrick Edwards of Beyond Therapy, dancer Steve Love. A party overstayed, the lights coming on at 4:00 a.m., all of us scattering like so many drunken cockroaches. Not a pretty sight. A brief regrouping, and then more parties. Wednesday's opening of 3131 on Commodore Plaza, marred somewhat by an early, 12:30 a.m. closing - liquor license technicalities. Now straightened out, according to owner Stephen Kneapler. Thursday's reopening of the beleaguered Uncle Charlie's, now open until three a.m. A party the same night at The World in South Miami for Interview photographer Patrick McMullan. Avenue A at Egoiste. (And upcoming in the next few weeks, another night of "Pure," coming soon to a club near you. Apparently, Warsaw didn't want to risk alienating their gay clientele so close to the opening of mega-gay disco Paragon.) Big finish, the Miami Film Festival opening festivities at Gusman, International Place, and Havana Club, movie-star time with The Mambo Kings. Lots of famous people making flying wedge of glamour entrances: Mambo stars Armand Assante and Celia Cruz; art dealer/director Arne Glimcher; Desi Arnaz, Jr.; Bruce Weber. The commencement of nine happy days filled with glitz, intelligence, and culture, with just a hint of Day of the Locust. But then, there's always something keeping the darkness alive.