Versus Is a Femme-Friendly DJ Battle Royal

"No big nightclubs in Miami had femmes or ultrafemmes in their lineup," local DJ Gami says of her inspiration to help organize Versus. Internet Friends' highest-capacity show will be held at the Ground this Friday, April 12. "Ground is usually a bro-fest. There was a lack of this kind of night."

By David Rolland

April 9, 2019

Image: Ashley Venom and Sister System behind the decks.

Ashley Venom and Sister System behind the decks. Anastasiya Verbytskaya

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"No big nightclubs in Miami had femmes or ultrafemmes in their lineup," local DJ Gami says of her inspiration to help organize Versus, Internet Friends' highest-capacity show, which will be held at the Ground this Friday, April 12. "Ground is usually a bro-fest. There was a lack of this kind of night."

Asked to define "femme," Gami has a succinct answer. "It's anyone that is not a dude," she says with a laugh. "It's a feminine-identifying person. I'm trans; there's nonbinary-identifying DJs. There will be a full scale of different types of women for the night. It's an opportunity for underground Miami DJs to get to be with each other."

As part of the artist collective Internet Friends, Gami has helped throw events in smaller spaces, but the Ground will be the largest venue yet. To commemorate the grander capacity, the organizers wanted to give the night a special, unique format. Thus, Versus will be a DJ battle that Gami says was inspired in part by Madonna's 2002 video for "Die Another Day," in which the singer engages in a fencing match with herself. "This will be a battle of the hottest femme DJs," Gami says. "I don't know of this happening in any other city. I've seen drag battles, but never a femme DJ battle."

Besides Gami, artists who will take a turn on the decks include Antpuke, Virgo, Sister System, Loka, Ashley Venom, Sel.6, and Yazmine. "We have everything — techno, electro, house, trance. It's exploring all the genres and merging it in one night."

Depending upon the success of the evening, Gami is hopeful Internet Friends can have a monthly night at the Ground. "I know there's going to be a lot of energy. All the DJs enjoy what they're spinning and interact with the crowd. We all know each other, so it will be wonderful to all play at the same night. Since we're DJ'ing versus each other, it's about having the energy of a battle."

So, if Versus is a DJ battle, will a winner be declared at the end of the night?

"The winner is the music," Gami says. "The winner is all of us having a night."

Versus. 11 p.m. Friday, April 12, at the Ground, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; thegroundmiami.com; 305-375-0001. Tickets cost $10 via eventbrite.com.

David Rolland is a freelance music writer for Miami New Times. His novels, The End of the Century and Yo-Yo, are available at many fine booksellers.

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