There's no doubt III Points' anchor will be the amazing lineup of artists performing throughout the weekend at the fest's Soho Studios headquarters. Lykke Li and Flying Lotus alone are worth the price of admission.
But if you want to get up close and personal with your favorite acts, you'll need to dig deeper into the festival's list of music events. And why wouldn't you? Often, the most surprising part of an all-encompassing affair like III Points is the satellite party scene that surrounds the main event.
In fact, last year's festival highlights included the Juan Maclean's late-night DJ set at Gramps and a Boiler Room bash starring local DJs Oscar G, Lazaro Casanova, Dude Skywalker, Pirate Stereo, and others. And this year promises to be no different, with a slew of after-hours parties and a series of Sunday label showcases.
See also: III Points 2014's Activation Schedule
Washed Out. 10 p.m. Thursday, October 9, at Bardot (3456 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-576-5570; bardotmiami.com; tickets cost $25 plus fees via showclix.com) and 4 p.m. Sunday, October 12, at Spinello Projects (2930 NW Seventh Ave., Miami; 786-271-4223; spinelloprojects.com; free). Ages 21 and up. Seems like Ernest Greene, AKA Washed Out, can't get enough of South Florida. After performing at Fort Lauderdale's Culture Room last month, the Georgia native returns to show Miami twice the love. Despite helping to popularize the flash-in-the-pan chillwave genre, Washed Out has remained relevant and interesting while most of his contemporaries once again faded into the background. Greene will hit the decks at Bardot for a pre-party to get festivalgoers warmed up for the weekend, and he'll pop up again during the Spinello Art BBQ Sunday.
Gorgon City's Sirens Album Tour. With Pirate Stereo and Santiago Caballero. Presented by Poplife and Slap & Tickle. 11 p.m. Thursday, October 9, at Grand Central, 697 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-377-2277; grandcentralmiami.com. Tickets cost $20 to $25 plus fees via ticketfly.com. Ages 18 and up. If you haven't heard, deep house and UK garage are back -- not that they actually went anywhere, though music critics are certainly acting like they did. In any case, English electronic dance music duo Gorgon City is riding the latest deep house and UK garage wave with exceptional cuts like "Ready for Your Love" and "Real." And to promote its upcoming debut, Sirens, the twosome will make its only III Points appearance at Grand Central.
Holy Ghost! 10 p.m. Friday, October 10, at Bardot, 3456 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-576-5570; bardotmiami.com. Tickets cost $20 plus fees via showclix.com. Ages 21 and up. We've got a lot of love for Holy Ghost! The duo's debut single, "Hold On," will always occupy a special place in the hearts of party people who spent their 20s in the club circa 2007. And though a lot of the acts we danced to around that time have all but disappeared, Holy Ghost!'s Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel continue to put out solid releases. Cuts like 2013's "Dumb Disco Ideas" prove they still know what gets people moving. At Bardot, the guys won't pick up any instruments, but a DJ set is enough to get you sweating.
Murk Reunion: Back-to-Back Sets by Oscar G and Ralph Falcon. 10 p.m. Friday, October 10, at Bizerq, 175 NE 36th St., Miami; 305-396-8550; bizerqmiami.com. Ages 21 and up. Murk is the stuff of Miami legend. You just cannot talk about the Magic City's contributions to dance music without mentioning Oscar G and Ralph Falcon's partnership. Over the years, they've released tracks under countless aliases (that's such a '90s thing), but Murk is still the moniker everyone remembers best. Somehow, III Points and the mainland's newest nightclub, Bizerq, have pulled off a reunion with the two dance titans, and we couldn't be more excited.
Roman Flügel x South London Ordnance Afterhours. 2 a.m. Saturday, October 11, at Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-456-5613; electricpicklemiami.com. Ages 21 and up. It would be a shameful mistake not to stop by Wynwood's bastion of underground dance music, Electric Pickle, during III Points. However, with German DJ-producer Roman Flügel slated to appear at the Pickle, you should know better than to miss the party. The techno and electro legend is a master of mixing deeply underground styles while still keeping the crowd engaged and entertained. And though South London Ordnance doesn't quite have Flügel's experience and cred, his rep has been rising since his 2012 debut, and there's no doubt he can hold his own.
Jacques Greene. Performing a DJ Set. 10 p.m. Saturday, October 11, at Bizerq, 175 NE 36th St., Miami; 305-396-8550; bizerqmiami.com. Admission costs $10 at the door. Ages 21 and up. It may be tempting to hold Montreal native Jacques Greene's youth against him. But in a short time, the 24-year-old has proven himself to be the real deal. Mixing R&B, electro, and house, his latest release, the Phantom Vibrate EP, is full of sticky synths and clanging beats, with the track "No Excuse" standing out as an early career highlight. If Greene continues on this trajectory, he'll certainly earn his own place among the demigods of dance music.
Jerome LOL and Samo Sound Boy. 2 a.m. Sunday, October 12, at Bardot (3456 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-576-5570; bardotmiami.com; tickets cost $15 to $20 plus fees via showclix.com) and 4 p.m. Sunday, October 12, at Cafeina (297 NW 23rd St., Miami; 305-438-0792; cafeinamiami.com; free). Ages 21 and up. If you're familiar with Los Angeles-based label Body High, you already know that, since its inception in 2011, the imprint has quickly emerged as one of the West Coast's best publishers of underground dance music. Pass along your thanks to Jerome LOL and Samo Sound Boy. They're also great producers in their own right. And recently, they've even collaborated under the name DJ Dodger Stadium, because, well, we aren't sure why they chose that alias, but it's campy and pretty LOL-worthy. Of course, that's exactly what we've come to expect from the Body High imprint -- dance music that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Questlove and Okayplayer BBQ. 4 p.m. Sunday, October 12, at Wood Tavern, 2531 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-748-2828; woodtavernmiami.com. Free. Ages 21 and up. Taking a break from playing with the Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Questlove is set to make his Wynwood debut with a showcase for his label and website, Okayplayer. Who will pop in to say "What's up?" at Wood Tavern? No one knows. But with Questo and Okayplayer championing progressive hip-hop and urban music, the possibilities seem endless.
The Juan Maclean DFA BBQ. 4 p.m. Sunday, October 12, at Gramps, 176 NW 24th St., Miami; 786-752-6693; grampsbar.com. Free. Ages 21 and up. If there was one party at last year's III Points that turned out to be an absolutely unmissable night, it was the Juan Maclean's DJ set at Gramps. Now, for 2014's fest, the DFA heavyweight will return to the Wynwood venue, but this time for a midday barbecue. Recently, Maclean released a new album, In a Dream, and we can't wait to hear it in a live setting while scarfing down a delicious meal.
Booty Bass and Bounce House BBQ. With Otto von Schirach, Afrobeta, and Basside. 4 p.m. Sunday, October 12, at Brisky Gallery, 130 NW 24th St. Miami; 786-409-3585; briskygallery.com. Free. Miami has a lot of love for local dance music madman Otto von Schirach. But how could it not? Otto plays up all of the 305's best attributes -- booty, babes, and bass. Combine it all with homeboy's singular talent for mind-fuckery, and the results are some pretty does-he-seriously-think-he-can-get-away-with-that moments. The answer is yes, he can.
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III Points Festival 2014. Friday to Sunday, October 10 to 12. Soho Studios, 136 NW First Ave., Miami, and various other locations. Three-day general admission tickets cost $99 to $120 plus fees. Single-day passes cost $55 to $66 plus fees. Visit iiipoints.com.
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