When was the last time you got down on your knees and kissed Miami? What, never? Well, get down and start kissing, because this town loves you.
Do you understand how lucky you are to be here? Supreme talent comes through this place every day. It's just not natural for a music-lover to have to pick and choose which concerts they can attend and which ones will get lost in the mayhem of beautiful noise. But that's your mission this week, because there are tons of great concerts from start to finish.
We here at Crossfade have compiled the best. Now you just have to pick!
See also:
-Murs's Road to Paid Dues Tour Coming to Miami
-Interview: Fishbone's Norwood Fisher on Brainwashing, Breakups, Ska-Punk, and Loving Life
-Grace Potter on Women in Music: "We're in This Weird Separate Category, Doesn't Make Sense"
Emancipator. With Random Rab, Tor, and Afro Monk. 8 p.m. Tuesday, February 12, The Stage, 170 NE 38th St., Miami; 813-283-8995; thestagemiami.com. Tickets cost $15 plus fees via brownpapertickets.com. Ages 18 and up. If you've never heard of Emancipator, don't worry, your favorite producers have. The Portland party pro played his first show opening for Bonobo, and he's toured with Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, and STS9. There's an earthiness to his funky sound, lending an organic richness that just makes you want to dance. Check him out with Random Rab, a signee to his new label, Loki Records.
Vagabond Swing. With Raw Dogg and A-Train. 10 p.m. Friday, February 15, Bardot, 3456 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-576-5570; bardotmiami.com. Ages 21 and up. Cover costs $10. Do you like gyspys, tramps, and thieves? No, it's not a Cher cover band, it's a spicy Louisiana crew, blending jazz, bluegrass, swing, Afro-beat, Roma jams, and tons more. These five guys will bring the heat and cast a spell. Maybe even do a little howling at the moon. Howl along with them, won't you?
Murs. With Prof, Fashawn, Black Cloud Music, DJs Foundation and Fundo, and DJ Jared Cole. 10 p.m. Friday, February 15, The Stage, 170 NE 38 St., Miami; 305-567-9577; thestagemiami.com. Tickets cost $15 plus fees via completeticketsolutions.com. Ages 21 and up. Murs for president, y'all. This rapper has paid his dues. He's got attitude, but he's not a gun-toting go-dumb kind of guy. He wants to enlighten the people, but not at the expense of drowning out the fun. This is real hip-hop to make you think and move your feet.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. With The Futurebirds. 8 :30 p.m. Saturday, February 16, the Fillmore, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-673-7300; fillmoremb.com. Tickets cost $38.50 via livenation.com. All ages. This Vermont-based folky rock five-piece is led by enigmatic lead singer Grace Potter ... And they don't make girl music, they make good music. Renowned for gripping live performances, go get down to Grace and crew's mix of blues, roots, country and good-old rock 'n' roll this weekend.
The American Revelation Tour. With PlanetRAWK, Signal Down, Casting Stones, Drawing Bored, Blaine The Mono, 7 Seas, Notice, The Von and WyldFly. 9 p.m. Saturday, February 16, Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-757-1807; churchillspub.com. Holy mother of music! This is a ten-band invasion from all over the Southeast region. Atlanta's PlanetRAWK is heading the whole shebang, and this foursome of young rockers are kicking off their two-month tour across the nation with us! They just finished recording their debut album, Kids With Black Faces, a marriage of rock chords and hip-hop undercurrents. Come find out who you're fucking with, and then some.
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