Asked how his club has achieved the herculean task of keeping its doors open for 18 years in Miami, Luis Morera, Score's co-owner, credits his club's ability to play offense. "We keep evolving with what goes on in the culture."

Score, a gay nightclub, opened in 1998 on Lincoln Road as a neighborhood bar with a small dance floor. But it was a Sunday afternoon party that gave Score its first taste of what was to come.

"We had these tea dances every Sunday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. It was an early party, so people could go to work the next day not too hungover. It got so successful, it turned into a dance bar with celebrities passing by." But as the years came and went, Lincoln Road no longer seemed the right venue for the club's anything-goes attitude. "When Lincoln Road became more commercial, we figured a mall wasn't the right place for a nightclub and moved to Washington Avenue in 2013."
It is at their current location (below Trade, a club owned by Score's management) where Score will be hosting its 18th-anniversary party. "The theme is "Lumber Sexual." It's kind of a metrosexual hipster lumberjack term millennials are using," Morera explains. From 8 p.m. to midnight, Score will be hosting a VIP reception with signature cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. "Our bartenders have been handing out invitations to all the customers who have been supporting us over the years for the VIP party." After midnight, pop singer Natalie La Rose will be performing a 20-minute set. From then until the club closes at 5 a.m., it's simple: Dance.

Morera has a lot of fond memories of Score over the past 18 years. He especially enjoyed the Halloween block parties that took over Lincoln Road. Also high on his list was hosting the celebrities who stopped by, like Macy Gray and Fergie. One singer's appearance especially stood out in his mind. "Lady Gaga had a concert. At the end of it she said, 'I think I'm going to Score tonight.' We didn't think she meant anything by it. Then we got a call that she'd stop by. It was a historic night. She spoke to the crowd and danced. The New York Times even wrote about her coming."

Though most of his current energy is spent planning Saturday night's anniversary party, Morera is also looking forward to Score's next 18 years. "With the acceptance of the gay community, I think Score can keep evolving. We get more and bigger talents playing at the club. We want people to come, whoever they are, just for the love of music."

Score Anniversary with Natalie La Rose. 8 p.m. Saturday, August 20, at Score, 1437 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-535-1111; scorebar.net. Admission is $20.

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