Four friends form a band, play consistently in their own back yard, record a disc independently, and sell several hundred copies, all the while building a strong following. Then they take the next step toward the big time and play the big city. Despite their ultra-tight, energetic performances, the dancing…
thursday october 3 Designed for Consumption: Giant doughnuts, ten-foot-long hot dogs, streamlined diners, and bun-topped burger joints: The larger-than-life design of America’s roadside restaurants and food stands will be the subject of a lecture by Dr. Cynthia Elyce Rubin tonight at 6:30 at the Wolfsonian (1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach)…
thursday september 26 Curdled: Miramax Films’ most recent flick, Curdled, is one of a number of films shot in Miami and set against the backdrop of our various and vibrant cultures (The Birdcage and Miami Rhapsody come to mind). So what better town in which to present the national premiere…
thursday september 19 Jon Stewart: New Jersey native, actor, and comedian Jon Stewart honed his skills in the shark-filled-water-like atmosphere of New York City’s comedy clubs, moving through the ranks to score appearances on HBO’s Young Comedians Special and Late Night with David Letterman. Those appearances led to a brief…
thursday september 12 Meat Beat Manifesto: Hip-hop, noise, house, techno, industrial elements, and human voice snippets form an amalgam of information, social criticism, and utterly danceable rhythms in the music of Meat Beat Manifesto. With former MBM vocalist and core member Jonny Stephens, programmer and musical conceptualist Jack Dangers created…
“Toodaaay is gonna be the day that they throw all back ta yewwww …” “Wonderwall,” the latest hit from Britain’s Oasis, appears to be spewing out of every radio on just about every rock, Top 40, and adult contemporary station in the known universe. The band is seemingly everywhere: Liam…
Mana has all the makings of a traditional rock and roll band: four serious guys with a sound, a look, and a message that’s accessible, likable, and genuine. The only difference is that Mana’s lyrics are in Spanish. Among the most popular purveyors of rock en espanol, these musicians don’t…
thursday september 5 Boukman Eksperyans: Get ready to sweat. Haitian roots supergroup Boukman Eksperyans brings its revolutionary spirit to Rezurrection Hall at Club Nu (245 22nd St., Miami Beach) tonight at 9:00. Boukman, Vodou music’s answer to the Rolling Stones, is currently on a world tour in support of its…
A member of the local alternative band the Honeysticks is passing out flyers advertising the band’s self-titled CD after a recent show at Cheers. The slip of green paper features the recipe for a Honeysticks drink: a quarter-ounce each of vodka, Midori, Chambord, and amaretto, with equal parts sour mix…
thursday august 29 Steve Gunderson: Among the many, many fascinating headlines and sound bites that came out of this month’s Republican National Convention were interviews with Congressman Steve Gunderson, the only openly gay Republican congressman in U.S. history. His partner, architect Rob Morris, not only shares his life but has…
Nostradamus issued the prediction in his legendary 1555 book Centuries that “in the year 1999 and seven months, from the sky shall come the great king of terror.” If that doom is indeed inevitable, its dark harbinger is Christian Death. Christian Death is considered one of goth music’s top acts,…
thursday august 22 Sweet Mickey: The Haitian sounds of compas ring through Rezurrection Hall at Club Nu (245 22nd St., Miami Beach) tonight as Sweet Mickey and King Posse take the stage. Sweet Mickey swings compas from nice to naughty and back again on the group’s most recent disc, Toutse…
thursday august 15 Dawn to Dusk: Director Larry Miller and choreographer Grace Campbell present France Luce Benson’s play about affirmation through culture and knowledge, Dawn to Dusk. The protagonist Aduska explores her personal history, as well as the history of her African and American ancestors, in order to improve her…
thursday august 8 Self: The songs on the Tennessee-based band Self’s debut album Subliminal Plastic Motives (Zoo) move with the groove of one marvelously mutant mind, that of 22-year-old singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer Matt Mahaffey. In this collection of a dozen tunes that Mahaffey wrote, performed, and produced, grungy, crunchy guitars meet liquidy,…
thursday august 1 Naturalist Lectures: Summer is the time to look out over your yard (if you happen to have one), survey your domain, and realize that a crappy little mower and some hedge clippers aren’t going to cut it, so to speak. With this idea in mind, some local…
thursday july 25 Fito Paez: The music of classic rocker Fito Paez, like that of his mentor Charly Garcia, embodies the quintessential sound of rock argentino: a mix of emotional melodic vocals, literary lyrics, tango rhythms, Beatles-esque psychedelia, and the occasional funk beat. The 33-year-old singer, songwriter, and occasional actor…
Futuristic glam-rock unit Psychotica is always one step ahead of itself. They signed a recording contract — with Rick Rubin’s American Records, no less — before playing their first public gig. They are touring — on the bill of Lollapalooza, no less — before the actual release of their debut…
thursday july 18 Art Hour Concerts: Meza Fine Arts (275 Giralda Ave., Coral Gables), a gallery devoted to works by Latin American and local and national American artists, becomes a music venue six nights a week, with regular weeknight concerts and special Saturday dinner concerts. Every Thursday singer Malena Burke…
Kembra Pfahler is a self-proclaimed rock goddess. And why not grant her the title? As the cofounder of the arty glam-punk New York City ensemble the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, the subversive singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, and weirdness guru has paved the way for a strange new aesthetic, created…
thursday july 11 Miccosukee Freedom Festival: Once fervent enemies, cowboys and Indians appear to have made amends, at least for commercial purposes. Accordingly, the Miccosukee Tribe hosts Randy Travis as the headliner for its fourth annual Freedom Festival. Travis gained considerable attention with his 1986 major-label debut Storms of Life,…
Love and Rockets has achieved an almost unheard-of feat with its new album Sweet F.A.: The three-man band has created a near-perfect alternative makeout record. Sweet F.A. boasts sensual, shimmery soundscapes punctuated by twangy, languid guitar lines and ultra-sultry rhythms. Listening to the hourlong set is like taking a swim…
Veteran punk group Antiseen has been described as ugly, revolting, and obscene. (Hey, thanks for the compliments!) Since 1983 the North Carolina quartet has been performing what they call destructo rock: straight-ahead punk loaded with chain-saw guitars that’s delivered with a woolly sense of humor in a Southern twang. During…
