Life is all about the what-ifs. What if we had married that person back in high school? What if we had gone to a different college? What if we had accepted that job in Seattle? Who knows how our lives might have changed and, in the process, if we would…
Miami may be known for many things, but history isn’t always foremost among them. Oh sure, there’s the ancient Tequesta ruins squeezed beneath a rare stretch of untilled land adjacent to downtown, and the Freedom Tower, which serves as our complement to Ellis Island. We can boast an array of…
Apart from the burning of books, there’s no greater affront to democracy than the banning of literature deemed provocative due to its content. Given the sordid history of repressive governments that have done exactly that in an attempt to suppress free thought, it ought to be interesting to hear what…
From the very beginning, Tori Amos established herself as a singular presence. By measure both tender and tenacious, her songs challenged and chided listeners through intimate observations and unapologetic narratives that frequently surveyed the darkest and direst circumstance. Her unbridled passion and brash delivery may have had their origins in…
San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge. St. Louis has the Arch. Las Vegas has its retro welcome sign. It seems like every city has an iconic structure to represent itself to the rest of the world. Every city but Miami, that is. The Magic City is full of architectural…
San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge. St. Louis has the Arch. Las Vegas has its retro welcome sign. It seems like every city has an iconic structure to represent itself to the rest of the world. Every city but Miami, that is. The Magic City is full of architectural…
The so-called cultural diversity that local politicos always seem so eager to trumpet can be a misnomer. Though some prefer to ignore it, that ugly cultural divide that pits “us” against “them” often still lingers. So thank Microtheater and artistic director Barbara Garofalo for helping to bridge that chasm by…
San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge. St. Louis has the Arch. Las Vegas has its retro welcome sign. It seems like every city has an iconic structure to represent itself to the rest of the world. Every city but Miami, that is. The Magic City is full of architectural…
There’s likely no nicer stage on which to present a play than the Balcony Theatre at the Actors’ Playhouse on Miracle Mile. It purveys a sense of both intimacy and expanse, thanks to ample seating and a stage that allows for any number of up-close possibilities. It’s also been home…
South Florida leads the world in many areas — most notably as a place to party. Sadly, though, it also takes the lead in a less-acknowledged area. Miami is an international destination for sex trafficking, a crime that is often confined to the shadows and brings shame and isolation to…
Ray LaMontagne and Jenny Lewis With Belle Brigade Fillmore Miami Beach Saturday, July 12, 2014 Better Than: A night with any of these great acts alone. On any other evening, the sweet strains of Belle Brigade’s sibling tandem, Barbara and Ethan Gruska, would’ve been show enough. But over the weekend,…
Hushed, earthy, soul-soaked. Those are the ways in which observers and critics have often spoken of Ray LaMontagne’s songwriting — ever since his recorded debut, Trouble, introduced him to the world’s music fans as a bearded Northeastern mountain man with an acoustic guitar. Not many would’ve described LaMontagne or his…
You gotta be wondering what this World Cup frenzy is all about. Sure, soccer is an international sport, and Miami is definitely an international city, but when was the last time you were able to find a seat in your favorite sports bar? Apparently it’s become the most-watched sporting event…
Jenny Lewis certainly knows a little something about the art of performance. A former child actress born to show-business parents, she’s been in the spotlight since she was a toddler, first as a child actor and later at the helm of indie-pop sensation Rilo Kiley with then-boyfriend Blake Sennett. Even…
The rest of the world may consider Bob Lind something of a legend. He’s the man who wrote and sang the top five worldwide hit “Elusive Butterfly” in 1966, and subsequently became somewhat elusive himself as he veered from the music business into a writing career that found him penning…
Jenny Lewis certainly knows a little something about the art of performance. A former child actress born to show business parents, she’s been in the spotlight since she was a toddler, first as a child actor and later at the helm of indie-pop sensations Rilo Kiley with then-boyfriend Blake Sennett…
Don’t try to pigeonhole Ray LaMontagne. While critics have been quick to compare him to any number of rarified and rootsy icons — the Band, Van Morrison, Tim Buckley, and Steven Stills among them — his only muse is the inspiration that strikes from within. “I always let the songs…
If recycling is the mantra for environmental awareness, then Gustavo Oviedo may be its best messenger. The Miami-based artist has made it his mission to repurpose found objects for the purpose of creating original works of art, breathing new life into disposable materials that otherwise outlived their purpose. Describing himself…
Miami’s reputation as a growing hub for artists and collectors may be most manifest in the form of Art Basel and the ever evolving renaissance of Wynwood as a fine arts destination. However, there’s another player behind the scenes, a Miami-based, not for profit organization called Cannonball that’s played an…
We’ve all felt like an outsider at one time or another. Society’s squabbles, class warfare, and the continuing conflict between the haves and have-nots make alienation practically an epidemic. And if you can’t — or won’t — conform, your only other option is to follow your own muse. But even…
Cultural encounters can seem intimidating. But there’s more to music than hip-hop, beats, and the outrageous antics of Miley Cyrus. Classical compositions may be highbrow in theory, but they can be quite remarkable in execution. This year’s highly anticipated season finale of the Mainly Mozart Festival XX, produced by the…
Here in Miami, more than in any other city in America, an encounter with Cuban culture is akin to a return to the roots. No matter whether it’s dance or art, music or theater, it’s the heritage itself that seems to matter most, with the artistic and entertainment elements often…
