Pretending to be a hotshot on the chichi circuit is exhausting. Besides ... I need to be me (I'm singing this part). Now the me I speak of isn't like the in-your-face, smartass, wannabe man-about-town some people know. It's the real me: the in-your-face, smartass, wannabe intellectual. Of course intellectuals are inspired by all things artsy-fartsy and fresh, so they head over to I/O, where the music's worth listening to. To really appreciate I/O you need to understand the folks who run it -- the Poplife gang. They turned this place into a harbor for Beatcamp parties, Yerba Buena concerts, the Spam Allstars on Thursday nights, and my favorite, Miami Bass night with the lovable Le Spam on Saturdays at the end of every month.
On the night I dropped in, Culture Productions, who are breathing life back into the breakbeat scene, put on the first of what might be a monthly party with a name that says it all, Elektro Bass. Usual suspects like Salim Rafiq, Merlyn, Hydraulix, DBJ, and Bobi opened for Soul Oddity, a legendary cornerstone of Miami's old rave scene. They made me trip when I saw them at fifteen even though I hadn't dropped acid (yet). Of course they now call themselves Phoenecia, proprietors of the Schematic Music Company. Though they never compromise their artistic integrity for anybody, for the first time in what seems like forever they treated the crowd to a rendition of their electro classic "DJ Tokyo." Thanks Rom and Josh.
I/O is located at 30 NE 14th St. Call 305-358-8007.
