The Boombox Reopens With the Same Underground Soul

The Bird Road Art District is the last place you would think is home to a burgeoning nightlife scene in Miami-Dade. Better known as a home to gated communities and strip malls, la saguesera is not, by any degree, a late-night mecca.

That didn't stop Miguel Cala, Ricardo "Mango" Cano, and Laszlo Kristaly from opening the Boombox in 2021. The trio had honed its skills hosting events around the county before finally deciding to leap into owning and operating a venue. Barely 20 years old when they became business owners, the guys pushed forward in fostering a space that put locals on a pedestal.

While the partners' DIY ethos was to be commended — think graffiti-bombed industrial space where bottle service is nonexistent and the dance floor is king — Miami-Dade code enforcement thought otherwise. That meant the venue quietly closed on January 27, 2023, to bring the space up to code.

The Boombox finally reopened on July 4, 2025, with three days of parties. Unfortunately, getting to that point wasn't exactly straightforward.

"We learned how hard it is to open a legitimate business in Miami, especially in this industry. It's not easy at all," Kristaly says about the venue's forced hiatus.


"Local nightlife has changed a lot, too," Cano adds. "We've seen it evolve and stuff to where it's at right now. That's also cool, coming back into it at a point where dance music and the underground scene are popular now. We're just trying to make sure that we keep it as underground as possible, while still reaching a broader audience."

Bureaucracy kept the Box closed for longer than the partners had hoped for. During the downtime, the building was outfitted with additional plumbing, grease traps, fire sprinklers, fire alarms, and an additional HVAC system in order for the Boombox to acquire proper permitting. It's a lot of upgrades that the average patron will probably not notice, but that make a real difference.

The biggest change attendees will encounter will be a space everyone has to visit at some point throughout the night. "There are two more bathrooms now," Cala says.

"Yeah, which was a requirement, but we did add two more bathrooms," Kristaly adds. "The whole floor has been redone. It's completely epoxied with black glitter epoxy — it looks really pretty when it's clean. The stage is in a new location as well."

Kristaly also points out that the venue has received help from DAS Audio to make sure its four-point sound system is up to par. "It's practically the same kind of sound system you would hear at E11even," he adds. It's a far cry from the partner's first sound system acquired via OfferUp. Despite the surface-level changes, the trio remains committed to the Box's for-the-locals mission.

"We cater to the locals," Cala says succinctly. However, they are not entirely opposed to booking outside talent as long as it makes sense for the Box.

"Outside talent is really cool — we have a lot of friends from out of town who are in similar DIY scenes," Cano explains. "Buidling relationships with artists to let them know that they can come through and have a lot of fun with us is very different than hitting up a booking agent. You start getting more into booking based on people's metrics instead of the talent themselves."

The Box has long positioned itself as a breeding ground for the city's burgeoning underground talent. According to Cano, recognizable names like Winter Wrong, Coffintexts, and Mauricio, the Invisible, all played early shows at the venue.

They've also inspired many of Miami's underground promoters and party collectives after their members attended their first rave at the Box. "The 4Resonance girls and Lava City — really good parties and we are super tight with their organizers," Cano says.

Upcoming events at the events at the venue include a set by Estonian-American producer, former PC Music member, and hyperpop pioneer Umru, who has worked with the likes of Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek, on August 2; Miami Bass'd with the 2 Live Crew cofounder Mr. Mixx on August 8; and 619! 's Calavera party featuring Black Rave Culture's Amal and the debut of Tyra. The Box will also host Let's Get Together's OurMarket event, featuring vendors and live music, on August 9.

Cala, Cano, and Kristaly are only 25 years old, an age when most are all about enjoying the party, not necessarily throwing them. So what could be driving the trio to want to put up with the stress of operating a venue?

"I don't think Miguel, Laz, or I love partying at all," Cano says. "It was definitely born out of a love of partying, but being behind the scenes has changed that," Cala clarifies. "I used to joke that we did this instead of going to college because we didn't want to stop partying."

The Boombox. 4447 SW 75th Ave., Miami; theboomboxmiami.com.