Come 6 a.m. tomorrow, Miamians will be pouring into LIV only shortly after other clubgoers have staggered out. The usual party favors and staples that come with a visit to LIV – champagne, discreet drug use, and the promise of celebrity cameos – will be eschewed in favor of açaí berry juice, coffee, and an assortment of healthy breakfast options. Instead of indulging in the warped sensations that come with drugs and alcohol, attendees will dance with clear heads, free of worrying about an ever-expanding bar tab. This is the culture that permeates Daybreaker, the world’s premier sober soiree.
After several years of disrupting the morning routines of the millennial workforce in metropolitan areas the world over, Daybreaker is making its Miami debut in the city’s iconic den of hedonistic excess. According to Daybreaker cofounder Radha Agrawal, the demand for a Magic City iteration of the event has been overwhelming.
“We have over 4,000 people who have emailed us about Daybreaker in Miami, so we are here in response to the enthusiasm,” Agrawal says. “LIV then approached us to partner, and we are excited to help tell a different story and define a new way to connect and self-express.”
Beyond offering the novelty of dancing without the omnipresent threat of blacking out, Daybreaker seems to have a solid bit of science behind it. The official website breaks down the Daybreaker "DOSE" of “happy chemicals” — dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins – that are generally released when exercising, or in this case, dancing. With Daybreaker, the goal is to get the body's own chemicals flowing without the necessity of external influences. It also helps that these chemicals tend to set a positive precedent for the rest of the day. According to Agrawal, Daybreaker’s aim is not to usurp the traditional clubbing routine, but to supplement the nightlife-dominated culture of clubbing with a sunnier and healthier alternative.
“We are definitely an alternative at the moment, with the goal of making morning life and sober dancing a new normal,” Agrawal says.
This brighter disposition carries over into the soundtrack. When Miami’s Alyx Ander takes the decks tomorrow morning, don’t expect to hear the kind of jams to which one can both shuffle and sulk.
“We play deep house, soul house, funk house, disco house — anything that is happy, nothing dark or angry,” Agrawal says. Those who enjoy a hint of menace in their electronic jams and club outings — here’s looking at you, Ministry and Front 242 fans — need not apply.
Given the popularity and frequency of Daybreaker events the world over, it seems unlikely that this Miami outing will wind up being a one-off. For those interested in going into work with sweat on their brow instead of alcohol on their breath, they could do far worse than Daybreaker.
Daybreaker
With Alyx Ander. 6 a.m. Wednesday, February 22, at LIV, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-674-4680; livnightclub.com. Tickets cost $20 plus fees via daybreaker.com.
