Out ofthe Anonymous

One of the better things happening in town right now is the emergence of Wynwood’s Stop Miami bar. Stop offers a solid array of delicious and not-so-easy-to-find wines/beers at relatively affordable prices, as well as Asian, Spanish, and Middle Eastern gourmet finger foods. This coincides with the resurfacing of one of South Florida’s better acts: Out ofthe Anonymous (OOTA). Ulysses Perez has slaved for his art for more than twenty years, associating himself with the finest local instrumentalists and yielding some of the best avant-garde, free-experimentation music. With two full-lengths under his belt (2001’s self-titled and 2004’s Masked Media) and a phalanx of ready-to-download MP3s on his Website, Perez along with partners in crime Henry Rajan and Buffalo Brown is now tackling something DJs largely killed for musicians: a weekly residency.

So can this be possible? Two good things meeting in the middle for one larger, better thing? Stop is the perfect place to take in the blend of organic/digital soundscapes, and only OOTA could provide a soundtrack of Eurasian/Middle Eastern/trip-hop/acid jazz/Caribbean/indie improvisational music while patrons munch on Haitian roast nuts, sip litchi-scented Chilean Gewürztraminer, and watch Bollywood flicks on a large screen. In the heyday of Miami’s jazz scene, residencies were the norm — good bars too. Let’s not jinx anything, but dynamic Wynwood and Design District neighbors should note this move away from the shit circus that Miami Beach has become. This pairing is a step in the right direction. Overall OOTA is music for relaxation — and what better way to chill than with the light berry scents of Garnacha and pepperiness of Syrah in a bottle of Spanish Unio Perlat and the Montadito Especial (ten dollars to taste all) while Perez and crew take their music to the limits of experimentation and actually make us want to dance.