The Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" and John Travolta in flared pants -- that's what comes to mind when you hear the word disco.
But even though platform shoes and sequined one-piece jumpsuits were the craze in the '70s, Basement Miami's got a different take on discotheque culture.
"Disco equals dancing and having fun," says Joshua Wagner, one of the creative masterminds behind Basement Miami and the Miami Beach Edition. "The modern-day definition is antiquated. Disco isn't the music your dad listened to. Disco is about getting involved and contributing to the party."
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Owned by Ian Schrager, the co-founder of quintessential disco club Studio 54, and Mariott International, Basement opened during Art Basel Miami Beach, hosting some of the season's best arty parties with the likes of James Murphy, Horse Meat Disco, and Louie Vega.
Located on the ground floor of the newly reincarnated 1955 Seville Hotel, now known as the Miami Beach Edition, you won't find any velvet ropes or VIP areas here. Just a simple nightclub and lounge area.
Well, a bowling alley and ice skating rink too. Oh, and flashy lights designed by Patrick Woodroffe, the genius who's illuminated concerts for Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga, as well as the closing and opening ceremonies for the London Olympics in 2012.
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"It's all about coming, having fun, and bringing your energy to the party," Wagner says. "We'll never yuck anyone else's yum. It's like the 2014 version of Studio 54 -- once you get in, it's a matter of how you're going to contribute to the party."
And with a 14-foot-wide space just beyond the dance floor (which Wagner says "allows you to see and be seen, but not be in the high energy of it all"), a four-lane bowling alley with custom-painted balls, and a 2,000-square-foot ice skating rink with floor-to-ceiling windows, there will never be a shortage of ways to "contribute to the party."
"In Miami, we are kings of bouncing around," Wagner says about our city's party people. "There's room for that at Basement."
On top of packing the club with fun and games, Wagner and crew's mission is to provide the Magic City with a place where everyone can party on Miami Beach without breaking the bank.
Most nights' no-cover charge serve as perfect proof. Then $12 cocktail selections and $7 Tropicale Edition Lager (which was exclusively handcrafted for the Edition by the Miami Brewing Company) aren't bad either.
With its focus on simple fun and this affordable pricing, Basement hopes to upend SoBe's pretentious rep and bring the 305's party people together.
"We need to look at the city and embrace it as a whole, and stop bringing down neighborhoods. The days of pointing fingers need to come to an end. Stop hating on the beach!"
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Basement Miami (located inside the Miami Beach Edition), 2901 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. The club is open Friday and Saturday from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. The bowling alley is open Sunday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 a.m. The skating rink is open Monday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. Ages 21 and up. Call 786-257-4548 or visit basementmiami.com.
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