In Miami's fickle and competitive nightlife scene, it's something of a miracle if a nightclub keeps its doors open longer than a single year. But Wynwood's Electric Pickle has been going strong for all of seven. And this in spite of numerous hurdles and strenuous challenges threatening the humble little venue's existence over the years.
"This little monster of a venue has surpassed any of my wildest imaginations."
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Besides being forced to shutter a couple of times to deal with the City of Miami's code compliance, the Pickle was also among several Wynwood late-night watering holes targeted during Operation Dry Hour, a 2013 police crackdown strictly enforcing the area's 3 a.m. last-call law.
The Pickle has since resumed its standard 5 a.m. last call, and with the booze flowing freely again during peak time, so is the music on the dance floor. But then, the music never actually stopped. In fact, it has remained the Pickle's raison d'être and the very soul of this intimate small room since it opened in 2009.
From bringing us the Miami debut performances of indie-pop darlings Little Dragon and Blood Orange to house and techno heavyweights like Maceo Plex and Solomun, the Pickle has played a significant part in cultivating Miami's alternative dance music scene since a time when Top 40 was pretty much all you could hear on a night out.
This unabated commitment to quality musical programming over other nightlife frills is what has kept Miami's discerning music lovers coming back to the Pickle as loyal patrons throughout the years.
"This little monster of a venue has surpassed any of my wildest imaginations," says Pickle co-owner and resident DJ Will Renuart. "From all the insane parties, like Get Lost, to the DJ residencies of Harvey, Dixon, Crew Love, the Pickle has truly become a home for a lot of us in the 305 and beyond.
"With a renewed spring in our step, we are excited to be taking on the future one record at a time," he promises.
Of course, the future is already happening at the Pickle with a celebration of its past seven years spread across two weekends' worth of world-class music. The bacchanal kicked off last weekend with headlining performances by cosmic disco don DJ Harvey and Detroit techno icon Theo Parrish and peaks this Saturday with West Coast house legend Doc Martin and the e-funketeers of Soul Clap.
The Electric Pickle 7 Year AnniversaryWith Soul Clap, Doc Martin, and others. 9 p.m. Saturday, February 20, at the Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-456-5613; electricpicklemiami.com. Tickets cost $20 to $25 via residentadvisor.net.
