Here's a glimpse at what our city has to offer this holiday weekend, so get up and get ready for another memorable, Miami-style weekend.
Friday:
- Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Arena: Miami is 12-5 at home, the fourth-best home-court record behind San Antonio, Golden State, and Cleveland. It should be a close contest and a fun alternative to ring in the new year.
- Eight-Course Omakase Dinner at Blade Sushi: The reborn purveyor of raw fish inside the Fontainebleau Miami Beach now offers an eight-course omakase dinner, created new each day by master sushi chef Deden "Benny" Bandi. What eight courses? Well, that's the thing. "Omakase" means "to entrust." And that means you have to trust chef Benny to knock the socks off your taste buds with an array of the day's best fish, shellfish, and veggies, both raw and cooked. A couple of hints, though: Among the eight courses could be some menu favorites, such as the Blade roll (marinated salmon, fresh mozzarella, spicy mayo, and fried garlic) or the Vida roll (chopped hamachi, asparagus, ooba leaf, wasabi tobiko, and serrano chili).
- Skrillex at Story: Take Skrillex's advice. And say, "Imma try it out." The EDM superstar with the world-famous haircut is gonna be bringing the boom and unloading the drop at South Beach's Story Nightclub during day one of 2016.
- Genesis Re-imagined at Shore Club Hotel: This year's event is Re-imagined and will be the ultimate start for the New Year as the party transforms into what South Florida is all about: fun, sun, sand, water, and lots and lots of hot bodies.
- Ben Katzman's DeGreaser at Gramps: For those seeking a heady dose of fist-pumping garage jams, look no further than this fuzzed-out ode to stickin' to your guns, soulfully delivered by South Florida native Katzman himself.
- El Tropicana de Cuba at El Túcan: After more than three decades, the dancers of Cuba's most famous (and oldest) nightclub, el Tropicana de Cuba, are putting on their first stateside performance. And of course, it's all happening in the 305. Take a look into the island's past and experience el verdadero ritmo Cubano this New Year's Eve at El Tucán. ¡Feliz año nuevo, Miami!
- On the Radio at Aventura Arts and Cultural Center: Led by Miami-raised singer Mimi J and Fort Lauderdale-based director-choreographer Kevin Black, On the Radio traces the history of one of the greatest decades in music. While one part of the 1970s bloomed with psychedelic rock, punk, and the early stages of hip-hop, the mainstream brimmed with disco and funk. Mimi J performs nearly four dozen songs from the era, manipulating her versatile voice to work everything from Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” to Abba’s “Dancing Queen” to Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia.”
- Mr. Pauer at Vagabond Hotel: It may be a new year, but there’s still room for old favorites, especially when that favorite is Latin Grammy nominee and Miami music mainstay Mr. Pauer. The Venezuelan-born transplant has turned heads around the globe for spearheading the Latin-electronica fusion movement, but to us locals, he’s the guy with the thick glasses who lays down the funk.
- Salute to Vienna New Year's Concert at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts: Celebrate the ageless beauty of uplifting Viennese music at Miami's tenth-annual New Year's concert. Strauss waltzes and sweeping melodies from operettas including Die Fledermaus and Merry Widow will be performed by hand-picked European singers and full orchestra. Beautifully costumed ballet and ballroom dancers featuring the Kiev-Aniko Ballet of Ukraine and International Champion Ballroom Dancers will present romantic vignettes, whisking you off to a place of nostalgia and pleasure at the threshold of 2016. Fall in love with the Blue Danube Waltz for the first time or all over again.
- Holy Ship! Official Pre-Party at Space: With the recent release of the phase one Ultra 2016 lineup, more than a few people in Miami, and indeed around the world, will be beset with visions of lollipops, and more neon than downtown Tokyo and Times Square combined. One thing almost none of those potential ravers imagines is ending the party early with a trip to the hospital, or worse, the morgue. However, some people are sick of hearing about all the deaths at EDM events. One of them is Gary Richards, the man behind the popular EDM cruise, Holy Ship! — which will set sail January 3 through 6 and February 10 through 13 from Miami to Coco Cay, Bahamas, on the MSC Divina.
- Kaskade at LIV: Kaskade doesn’t just believe in Miami’s music scene. The West Coast dance music superstar has bought into it. Super Music Group is a 305-based management company that started as a means to represent DJ, producer, and former Miami resident Amtrac.
- Just the Tip Comedy Show at Yo Space: Short on cash but long on funny. That’s perhaps the best way to describe the comics populating the lineup of Just the Tip Comedy Show at Yo Space in Wynwood. Hosted by comedian Paul Julmeus, the monthly event tries to do right both by the audience and the performers. It’s the brainchild of Yo Space owner Yuval Ofir, a Miami native and a major proponent of the local arts scene. In addition to supporting standup, Yo Space houses permanent resident visual artists as well as showcasing visiting artists.
- Oliver Heldens at Story: The funky house revival lives on, and the latest fresh-faced producer taking the scene by storm is coming to show why he should be named Rookie of the Year. Oliver Heldens was signed to Spinnin Records when he was just 17. Two years later, his song "Gecko (Overdrive)" featuring Becky Hill is everywhere. His set at Story Nightclub this Sunday is your chance to find out what the hype's all about.
