Eyes on Miami: III Points, Steve Aoki, and Gloria Estefan

It's not easy having eyes all over the scene, being around to take in all the wild visuals at all the worthwhile places in the city. There are, however, those parties and gallery openings where a fortunate photographer can point and shoot. Every week, in collaboration with WorldRedEye, New Times brings you a solid recap of all the recent experiences you may have missed around Miami. It's impossible to be everywhere, but hey, we can try to keep our Eyes on Miami.

Wednesday, October 5

Botaniko Weston VIP Groundbreaking: Terra, one of South Florida’s most active development firms, hosted an official groundbreaking ceremony in honor of vertical construction beginning at Botaniko Weston. The project, a private enclave of 125 architecturally distinctive estate homes set on 121 acres, is the first master-planned, single-family residential community to be developed in Weston in more than a decade. Mayor Daniel J. Stermer and members of the city commission joined Terra president David Martin, along with other Terra executives and project reps onsite for the milestone occasion and ceremonious shoveling of the dirt. 


East, Miami x YoungArts x Art Lexïng Present Prajñaparamita: East, Miami hosted an exclusive unveiling of the new installation by artist Ye Hongxing in Domain, the hotel’s Zen café and lobby bar and temporary home of the masterpiece. For East, Miami’s first official exhibit, artist Ye Hongxing installed her critically acclaimed Prajñaparamita, which pays homage to the ancient pagodas and mandala symbols seen throughout Chinese culture, while commenting on the country’s rapidly advancing modern society. Composed of thousands of children’s stickers and action figures, Hongxing’s mandala and pagoda, which are typically representative of Buddhist relics and writings, use ephemera and tchotchke to portray a new focus on the disposable. 

Kurz Real Estate VIP Launch Celebration: Miami’s newest real-estate brokerage firm, Kurz Real Estate Corp., presented an official launch party at the firm’s first and only open-space office located outside the Business Improvement District (BID) in Coconut Grove. Kurz Real Estate hosted more than 100 of the industry's and community’s movers and shakers for a chic cocktail event featuring classical renditions of hip-hop and Top 40 songs from the South Beach Chamber Ensemble and a specialty cocktail called the Kloser. The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce performed a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially welcome Kurz Real Estate to the community. 


Friday, October 7

Steve Aoki at Story: Steve Aoki turned Story upside-down Friday night, not only with his epic sounds but also with his wild antics and party favors. The crowd got champagne showers and cakes to the face, and they were loving every minute of it.

III Points 2016, Day One: After chaos from a seemingly inevitable storm, III Points' first day ended up being nothing but blue skies, making for an epic day filled with spectacular performances. KiNK gave an unforgettable live performance in which he seemed to move the crowd with his remote controller, making people twist and shake on command. Haiiileen, performing in the Sunset @ Noon space, showcased the otherworldly vaporwave art and gave everyone a taste of the future. Chrome Sparks' live performance had people moving their feet to the unpredictable bass music that lets you lose yourself in the music. The day came to a climax when Dixon took the Main Frame stage for a three-hour set. It was sweet; it was sultry; it was dark, devious, and growling; and Miami couldn’t get enough.

Saturday, October 8

Kygo at LIV: Kygo stole the show Saturday night when he and his epic sounds graced the decks at LIV.

La Pachanga at Ball & Chain: Revelers came out for another hot night of dancing, drinks, and endless fun at Ball & Chain's weekly La Pachanga party.

Method Man & Redman at Rockwell Saturdays: It was another epic Saturday night at Rockwell as the hip-hop duo Method Man & Redman took over the stage and gave an insane performance for partygoers.

Adrienne Arsht Center’s 10th Birthday Celebration: The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County recently turned 10. To commemorate the milestone, Miami’s home for the performing arts invited the entire community for an all-day birthday party. Guests enjoyed ten hours of free performances, fun activities, and family-friendly programming, including the "Masterworks Print Collection" exhibit and an interactive kids' activity zone. WPLG-TV news anchor Calvin Hughes was also on hand as the guest host of the opening ceremony inside the Knight Concert Hall. Performances on the Arsht Center's numerous stages featured local talent such as Miami Music Project Leaders Orchestra, Miami Children’s Chorus, Cirque Dreams, Fushu Daiko, Ketchy Shuby, and Afrobeta.

III Points 2016, Day Two: Method Man and Redman took the stage and had festivalgoers lit, bringing back the old-school rap feel from the 90’s. The now fully operational outdoor festival stage Mind Melt was taken to the next level by headliner Thievery Corporation. Featuring different vocalists on nearly every song, the group brought emotions that were beyond words. The Isotropic stage turned into a dark, psychedelic wonderland as label head at Life and Death, DJ Tennis, took the decks. Incense wafted gently around the festival grounds, providing a dreamlike ambiance. Every little corner could be explored to find something different, from massage tables and to tea tastings to a makeshift contemporary art gallery. Headliner Maya Jane Coles, performing on the Main Frame stage, brought the seductive energy of her music and wooed concertgoers in riffs of deep house. From there it was nonstop grooves courtesy of the UK duo Dusky and South Africa’s Black Coffee.

Sunday, October 9

Rémy Martin Launches 2016 Circle of Centaurs Program With Jackie Cruz at East, Miami: The House of Rémy Martin and actress Jackie Cruz celebrated the launch of 2016 Circle of Centaurs mentorship program, an extension of the cognac brand's One Life/Live Them campaign, which recognizes and celebrates individuals’ many talents. The mentorship initiative with Jackie Cruz is one in a series of Rémy Martin Circle of Centaurs programs this year. Each initiative will give one individual the opportunity to be mentored by someone who has demonstrated an ability to explore his or her inner talents. Cruz is best known for her role on the hit Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, but she is also an exceptional singer, talented musician, and aspiring photographer. Recognizing that today’s consumer is not defined by one discipline, the Circle of Centaurs program seeks to inspire others who want to explore their own talents. Cruz is the newest mentor for Circle of Centaurs and encourages aspiring singers to showcase their vocal skills by uploading original songs to Instagram and Facebook.

The Booty Bass Bounce House x Freeze Dance Party at Kryogenifex: The Booty Bass Bounce House x Freeze Dance Party, a retro-style Miami house party hosted by Kryogenifex, Otto Von Schirach and Mokibaby, lured Miamians to the Kryolab in Wynwood. Local artists Von Schirach, Niko Javan, and Basside spun old-school Miami bass and other house-party jams while the Miami-famous Bermuda Triangle gang danced with partygoers. Back by popular demand and ending the party on the rowdiest of notes, Gio Profera, AKA Bass Funk Daddy, hosted a papaya-eating contest that had little to do with fruit. Now in its third year, the event has been without a doubt one of the most popular III Points activation events to attend. Generous support was provided by J. Wakefield Brewery, Wynwood’s Tropical Pizza, and Illegal Mezcal, while Kryogenifex supplied plenty of special effects.

III Points 2016, Day Three: III Points' third day was the icing on the cake. M83 began just as the sun set, and the crowd was feeling the love. With the LED screen removed from the Mind Melt stage, the backdrop for the night was the beautiful city of Miami. Exploring the festival even more, we found Door IV, which Sunday night was taken over by the Electric Pickle, led by a seasoned crew of residents dropping nonstop dance-floor bombs. Back on the Main Frame stage, Flying Lotus, performing a special birthday set, had the house moving and shaking like no other. Eventually, rapper Denzel Curry even joined him onstage for a special performance. Outside, Flight Facilities was just starting and sounded like a true thing of beauty. The crowd came alive for the headlining duo's soaring vocals and pounding dance-floor rhythms. Closing the festival was DJ, producer, and head of Pampa records, DJ Koze. Even the most exhausted of revelers lit up when he played his novel brand of melodic house and techno. After three long days and nights of amazing music, art, and technology, even we found ourselves wishing we had just one more day.