Outside on the patio, there was soulful music playing. And though a dance version of Mary J. Blige's "Not Gon' Cry" is kind of a great idea, it didn't get people out of their chairs. On a nice night like this one, the Vagabond's patio is the perfect club place to be in Miami. Even at 5 a.m., it never stopped attracting a crowd.
There was also fancy food being sold to a long line of hungry Europeans and New Yorkers. The samosas with raspberry sauce for six bucks were the perfect WMC international soul food. The cook sipped red wine, roasted, and deep-fried chow with personality. A $6 bottle of water was necessary to wash it down. But six dollars ... WTF?!
The music inspired a diverse group of Jersey Shore knockoffs to pump fist and dance about. Once the main room opened, all the fist pumpers spilled into it and comingled with gays and girls. There were quite a few white guys in polos, questionably queer. Everyone took the opportunity to show off their awkward -- and sometimes impressive -- dance moves.
DJ Lucho played a dance mix which was sprinkled with bits of Faithless' "Insomnia" -- a club classic. He ended up playing the majority of the night to a not huge, but definitely enthusiastic crowd. A crowd member told us that DJ Sneak rarely shows for WMC events, but he showed last night - a good sign. And then Todd Terry closed it out with a short set, while Junior Sanchez never even made it to the DJ booth.
We ran into Todd Terry for a second outside of the Vag and thought we'd ask a few compelling questions.
Crossfade: You've been making music for a long time. Anything different happening nowadays than before?
Todd Terry: It's interesting to see that this conference is kind of separate this time. You've got a house conference now. You've got a techno and trance conference coming up. It's interesting to see how the crowds are reacting.
How do you feel about the future of house music?
I think house music is going to be fine. Just gotta make songs and keep it pumping. We're still there. We ain't going nowhere.
Come to Miami often?
Yeah, I'm here a lot, I'm sneaking in and out.
A set by this guy would do well any regular Saturday night at the Vagabond. Let's cheers with our $6 water in hopes of his return.
Critic's Notebook
The Crowd: It was raining men -- Europeans, New Yorkers, and a decent segment of the gay population.
Overheard in the Crowd: "There's sort a bisexual vibe in here?" "What do you mean?"
Random Detail: Lots of helpful chatty Cathys out last night. Mostly single men.
Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.