Thursday, June 16
Sweat Records and O Cinema have collaborated to present some very cool music-related films over the past few years. Documentaries on David Bowie, Elliott Smith, Arcade Fire, Nas & Pulp, and others have screened at the art-house theater. This Thursday at 9 p.m., the two Miami staples will present a one-night-only screening of Iggy Pop: Live in Basel 2015. For $12 ($7.50 for O Cinema members), viewers will be treated to a screening of one of Iggy Pop's latest performances. In it, he sings at the Baloise Session in Basel, Switzerland, where he was honored with a 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award. As they say, there's a reason he's considered the godfather of punk music. The film features many of the musician's biggest hits, including "I Wanna Be Your Dog," "The Passenger," and "Lust for Life," and lasts a breezy eighty minutes. This might be the only chance to check out the film, playing in just a few theaters across the nation for one night as a limited experience. Visit o-cinema.org.
Remember when some media outlets were bursting to share the secret of how to fall in love? That magical method — silently staring into another's eyes for minutes on end — is coming to South Beach courtesy of the lifestyle community Sacred Soul Living. Although not necessarily targeted to matchmaking, Eye Gazing Miami hopes this experience will connect participants on a deeper, more human level. During this event, the second experience of its kind Sacred Soul Living has organized, participants look into one another's eyes for one full minute. Guests are encouraged to attend with a gazing partner, as well as meet new individuals with whom to connect during the process. Additionally, mats or small blankets are advised. Eye Gazing takes place on Lincoln Road in the grassy median near Pizza Rustica (667 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach) Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. The event is free. Visit sacredsoulliving.com.
Lace on your track shoes and stretch your muscles. We win competitions, climb podiums, and wear our medals while standing straight! And the biggest of them all is just ahead. No, not the Olympics. New Times is launching the winners of the best this city has to offer. The 29th-annual Best of Miami issue hits newsstands this week, and in celebration, New Times will host the Best of Miami Party. The event will reflect this year's theme, "Go for the Gold!" Attendees will enjoy culinary delights and sip specially crafted cocktails. The festivities begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at Rusty Pelican (3201 Rickenbacker Cswy., Key Biscayne). Tickets cost $60 at the door. Included in the price are food, entertainment, and select spirit samplings. Visit microapp.miaminewtimes.com/bestofparty/2016.
Friday, June 17
The 28th-annual Taste of the Nation returns this week, transforming Wynwood into a mecca for the best eats and drinks in town. One of South Florida's biggest gastronomy-centered events of the year, Taste of the Nation will feature an evening of gourmet samplings from some of the area's most sought-after chefs and mixologists. The event benefits Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign. The annual soiree, which was founded in 1988, brings together culinary experts and aficionados in an effort to fight and end childhood hunger in America. In addition to bites courtesy of Izzy's Fish & Oyster, Le Zoo, KYU, Quality Meats, the Forge, Zest, and more than 50 other eateries, there will be opportunities to sip a variety of local beers and spirits, as well as participate in a silent auction. Taste of the Nation takes place Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. at Soho Studios (2136 NW First Ave., Miami). General admission costs $125, and VIP runs $250, which includes early entrance. Visit ce.nokidhungry.org/events/south-florida-taste-nation.
The best goth music was made between 1979 and 1992. Don't listen to what anybody else tells you. They're obviously mistaken. Bauhaus changed the game in 1980 with In the Flat Field. The Cure set a new apex in 1982 with Pornography. Siouxsie and the Banshees released Tinderbox in 1986. Nine Inch Nails' Pretty Hate Machine ruled 1989. And, of course, you can't forget Depeche Mode's Violator, blessed upon us heathens in 1990. The Cocteau Twins, Alien Sex Fiend, the Sisters of Mercy — they reigned the darkest depths of souls and dance floors at a time when Day-Glo spandex was considered appropriate everyday attire. It's been the bane of many a moody high-schooler born after 1985 that time machines don't exist. Wouldn't it be awesome to get gussied up in your black lace best and wave your arms around in blackness while a warm needle screeched Echo and the Bunnymen into the night sky? Time travel is still philosophically dubious, but an all-vinyl goth night of cultish classics is just around the corner. Goth bless the Kitchen Club Vinyl Night (2845 Coral Way, Miami), because this Friday, any bat-loving monster 21 or older can get down for no cover to nothing but the best. DJ 16 Bit will spin, Notorious Nastie and Alejandro G will host, and by 4 a.m. closing time, the dead will rise. Doors open at 10 p.m. Call 786-391-3698.
Saturday, June 18
You know the Freedom Tower. You drive past it on your way to Heat games. In middle-school history class, you learned about its use as a hub for immigrants fleeing Cuba. You watched Marco Rubio launch his tragic presidential campaign within its walls. But how much do you really know about the local landmark? Hell, have you ever even been inside it? The tower has a rich history, from its Spanish-inspired architecture to its days housing a Miami newspaper, all the way up to the contemporary art it currently displays within its gallery. And this Saturday, you can get an exclusive look inside with Tour the Tower. The Freedom Tower (600 Biscayne Blvd., Miami) will be open to small-group tours beginning at 2 p.m., touching on all the things that qualify the building as a first-class historical landmark. Stroll through its ballroom, witness the "Exile Experience" exhibitions, and take in the current exhibit, "Childhood Memories From the Other Side of the Water," a series of photos by Eduardo del Valle chronicling what it's like growing up in Cuba. Admission is free, but RSVP is required. Call 305-237-7738 or visit junetourthetower.bpt.me.
Street art: It's not just for grownups anymore. The Wynwood mural explosion has made large-scale art accessible to everyone, including kids. Just ask the students at José de Diego Middle School, whose building was recently transformed into a museum of murals by some of Miami's best artists. Now kids with dreams of being the next Lebo can get some real-world experience. MDC Museum of Art's (600 Biscayne Blvd., Miami) GO GO MOAD! program pops up again this Saturday with Let's Make a Mural! Kids of all ages are invited to peruse works by Richard Haas, whose trompe l'oeil murals have graced the walls of cities all over the States, including the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach. After taking inspiration from Haas' works on paper, preparatory sketches, and models, the children will create their own community mural onsite. You might as well start 'em young. Before you know it, they'll be attacking warehouse walls with cans of spray paint. Ah, they grow up so fast. Let's Make a Mural is free and open to kids of all ages. The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Call 305-237-7700 or visit mdcmoad.org.
Sunday, June 19
Maybe your father taught you how to ride a bike. Maybe he wheeled you around town on his own two wheels, in a carseat bolted to the back of his own bicycle. Either way, you have lots to be thankful for when it comes to dear old dad. So this Father's Day, ditch the same old tie gift and take pops out for a real adventure. Coral Gables Museum (285 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables) will host a special Father's Day bike tour of its surrounding neighborhood, along a route mostly covered by shade (so the old man won't burn the top of his balding head). The tour lasts for two hours and covers ten miles. Father-offspring duos can bring their own bikes and helmets or rent them from the No Boundaries sport shop across from the museum. For added adorableness, rent a tandem bike — just don't be surprised if passersby assume the guy you're sharing it with is a different kind of "daddy." The tour runs from 10 a.m. to noon and begins at the museum. The cost is $10; museum members and children under 12 ride for $5, not including bike rental. Call 305-603-8067 to RSVP, or visit coralgablesmuseum.org.
Tuesday, June 21
Like most down-home, of-the-people bars, Gramps (176 NW 24th St, Miami) is usually full of strange faces. Come Tuesday, it'll be full of Strange Faces making sweet, sweet garage rock. That's because Strange Faces is the name of Chicago's lo-fi psychedelic trio, and these dudes are ready to blow your face off with what's actually a rather pop-forward, doo-wop sound through all of that delicious distortion. The band will share the stage with Miami's own alt foursome, Analog, along with the postpunk locals of the Bearings. It's sure to be an evening of loud, unoffensive guitar jams. It's presented by Cheap Miami, so you know it meets the cassette label's high standards of home-grown quality. It's absolutely the most rock 'n' roll thing this side of Wednesday happy hour. Tickets cost $5, and doors open at 9 p.m. Call 305-699-2669 or visit gramps.com.
Wednesday, June 22
People call her the "Cuban Adelle," but that's kind of stupid, right? That takes away from her sensual originality. That doesn't pay respect to her soulful depth or raw vocal honesty. Just because someone digs deep doesn't mean they're just like someone else. It means they're just like themselves, and when you're talking about Yoli Mayor, you're talking about one of Miami's most powerful and heart-wrenching young voices on the scene. If you've never heard Ms. Mayor belt it out at El Tucan or Kilma, you should strongly consider hitting up her Rooftop Unplugged session Wednesday at the Filling Station Lofts (1657 N. Miami Ave., Miami). You'll fall in love under the setting sun while sipping tasty cocktails, and it doesn't cost you anything to go. Doors open at 7 p.m., but an RSVP is required via eventbrite.com. Call 305-901-5900 or visit fillingstationlofts.com.
