Come Home for the Holidays With Audrey's Enchanted Forest

Years back, Rick Diaz found Zelda and Jackie in a dumpster outside his apartment. He took them home with him, and they became his daughters. They're cats, by the way. And as you do with your cats, he sings to them constantly. One particular song he dedicated to his felines became "Favorite Person," the perfect tune to kick off The Holiday EP, a Christmas and Halloween album he put out last winter solstice along with Audrey Horny bandmate Frank Guzman.

The two are taking the holiday spirit they introduced with that album to Kendall this Saturday when they host Audrey's Enchanted Forest Holiday Spectacular, a DIY Christmas extravaganza down the street from Tropical Park at Flow-State Yoga studio.

The concert has a Miami's greatest hit sort of bill guaranteed to bring the color, drama, and energy of your family's nochebuena festivities. Miami IDM legend Otto Von Schirach and energetic goths Donzii will coheadline with Audrey Horny. Rick Guerre, Wojtek, Chili Guys, and DJ John Jolt of Jolt Radio will also perform.

"It's a perfect representation of the Miami scene because it's like a sampler pack. We've got our punks, we've got our goths, we've got Otto with freestyle, we're sort of a wild card, Chili Guys are reggae. It's an extremely diverse yet succinct lineup." Von Schirach just hosted his own holiday-themed party on December 21, A Bermuda Triangle Christmas, and will likely bring some of that tropical Yuletide aesthetic to the stage. Donzii, Von Schirach, and Wojtek have all been on tours this year, and the latter two usually bring whole dance squads to their shows. "Everyone is going to be like well-oiled machines," Diaz assures.

Audrey Horny will perform off The Holiday EP, including the band's first blues song, "(Waiting On) Santa Blues," and "Next Christmas," sequel to Wham's popular "Last Christmas." They also released two other albums this year, a Valentine's Day EP and a moody album, Tan Lines. "Starts out kind of dark but gets much brighter. Kind of like in Miami, you don't want to go outside during the summer, so you're like stuck in a cave most of the time," he says of the full-length. It includes a Mexican corrido or ballad, which they'll play to open their set at Audrey's Enchanted Forest. This will be the band's first live show since February.
Diaz says he feels optimistic about the future of Miami music, which has seen tough days with the closing of familiar venues like Churchill's Pub and Las Rosas. "I think punks have been making good on DIY stuff," he says. "Punk is definitely on an upswing." The Club, the noisy DIY venue, is back up and running, and he's heard rumors about other spots reopening.

But with this event, Diaz and Guzman want to introduce or reintroduce out-of-towners to some of the city's beloved acts. "We're trying to do something special for the holiday season since lots of people will be in from out of town visiting family, celebrating the accomplishments of the Miami independent music scene, with whom they may or may not already be familiar with," Diaz explains. He calls it, "a reeling in, a regrouping, and a celebration of the Miami scene because it's so disparate. To bring it all together for one nice big holiday event, it felt very wholesome."

With, of course, wholesome being a relative term when applied to coming home to Miami for the holidays. The ticket price includes Christmas-themed cocktails, wine, and beer to keep grouchiness and the Krampuses at bay. Guests are invited to dress festively and lean into the theme, so bring your mistletoe, ugliest Santa sweater, and tinsel tree hat. To honor their surroundings and namesake, they'll screen footage from the now-closed Santa's Enchanted Forest.

Diaz says, "It's sort of like a family affair." Audrey's Enchanted Forest is a chance for folks to really come home for the holidays to the supportive, imperfect arms of the South Florida music community. Like a family, we may not always like each other, but we appreciate and love each other all the same.

Audrey's Enchanted Forest Holiday Spectacular. 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, December 28, Flow-State Studios and Fantastic Worldwide, 4422 SW 73rd Ave., Miami. Tickets cost $15 to $20 via tixfox.com.