"Free your mind, and your ass will follow."
Those wise words from the godfather of funk, George Clinton himself, is the motto at Trade Nightclub's Shoot the Freak Fridays.
"It's kinda like dance as if nobody was watching and let your mind be free," says Tomas Ceddia, one of the masterminds behind the bash and co-owner of the Electric Pickle.
"It's in the spirit of not taking ourselves seriously."
See also: Stop Being Sober Fridays at Bamboo: "No Boring People Allowed"
Named after the classic Coney Island carnival attraction Shoot the Freak, starring clowns and carny characters would heckle the crowd and serve as human paintball targets, Trade's Friday-night party is all about creating a "safe haven" where freaks can be freaks.
"It was inspired by this awesome, ridiculous thing that's not around anymore," laughs Ceddia.
And as Trade owner Luis Morera says: "We wanted a name that was gonna get people's attention somehow, and thought the name would be perfect. It's something fun."
Still, the name might still leave you scratching your head, wondering WTF Shoot the Freak is all about.
"Basically, you come here without expecting the sparkle and glam of all the other clubs. It's a night that revolves around the music, sound, lighting," explains Morera. "On top of that, just like the game in Coney Island, a freak shows up to the party every week."
"You'll see a character randomly walking around, ordering drinks, behaving like a normal patron. We had someone dressed as Carrie when the movie came out. And another week, we had someone wearing a bear costume," he laughs.
"The night is about causing a reaction."
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And when it comes to music, Shoot the Freak allows the freaks of SoBe to let loose to quality tunes from exceptional electronic acts, such as recent headliners Cajmere and PillowTalk.
"It's about cutting edge and doing something different from what everybody else is doing," explains Morera. "It's bringing to Miami Beach a different sound that doesn't really exist out here."
Ceddia agrees.
"[The music] tends to be underground stuff that has some balls. Good music and integrity is our thing," he admits.
"Our DJs can really be who they are and be expressive and creative, and not have to dumb stuff down. I think our crowd is more open-minded, not only with music, but with how people relate to each other.
"We're trying to cultivate a mixed crowd, opening and accepting of different types of people, whether it be sexual orientation, culture, or even style. We just wanna have a good time, and treat people right."
Shoot the Freak. With PillowTalk, Sammy D., and Cryin' Out Loud. Friday, October 25. Trade Nightclub, 1439 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. The party starts at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $20 plus fees via wantickets.com. Ages 21 and up. Visit trademia.com.
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