Party people old enough to remember Miami's roller disco days should be stoked to know that the 305 has a new party on wheels.
Roller Disco at Grand Central may be just a monthly party, but with some of disco music's most legendary DJs headlining, it might be the single best excuse to party all month if you do nothing else.
Nicky Siano of Studio 54 fame helped kick off the party during the summer, and October's installment presents none other than Danny Krivit, beloved veteran of the seminal NYC disco scene alongside Siano and other legends like Larry Levan and François Kevorkian.
Ahead of the party, we couldn't pass up a chance to peek into Krivit's DJ bag and five of his all-time favorite roller disco jams.
See also: Downtown Miami's Five Best Dance Clubs
"The more I thought about essential roller skating records, the more it turned into a top 500 or even 1000 -- a top five seemed impossible," Danny Krivit tells Crossfade. "What I have here is from among my original top 10 that I reported to Record World magazine on December 8, 1979, to coincide with the opening of Roxy in New York, where I was the main resident DJ."
Stephanie Mills' "Put Your Body In It"
"[These records] are such a small slice of essential roller skating music, that even as important and essential as all these songs are, all songs I still play 25 years later."
See also: EDM's Five Greatest Delusions
James Brown's "Make It Funky"
"[Roller disco] is not choppy, like freestyle or abstract jazz. It's not Latin, salsa or merengue, nor drum 'n' bass or dubstep. It's R&B-based, mostly written, arranged, and produced by bands and artists that can perform these songs live, as good or even better than the recording."
Aretha Franklin's "Jump To It"
"What I can say about these songs, and all the songs I consider essential roller skating music, is they are all an easy groove and rhythm to skate to. They're not that very straight disco beat -- the emphasis is on the groove, not just the beat."
Brass Construction's "Movin'"
"Songs people can relate to, follow. With few exceptions, there is very little darkness in roller skating music. It's very positive and uplifting."
Shalamar's "Right In The Socket"
"It's not about drugs or even being high -- you're high on the music. Music made to order for a seemingly effortless workout: rollerskating."
Crossfade's Top Blogs
-Miami Booty Bass: Ten Best Acts of All Time
Roller Disco. Presented by Lundi Dis Moi Oui! Starring Danny Krivit. Hosted by Juliesy and Friends. Monday, September 29. Grand Central, 697 N. Miami Ave., Miami. The party starts at 10 p.m. and admission is free with RSVP via grandcentralmiami.ticketfly.com. Ages 18 and up. Call 305-377-2277 or visit grandcentralmiami.com.
Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.
