The original Le Chat Noir was a watering hole for late-19th-century Parisians, but in 2019 it's a hole-in-the-wall in downtown Miami. There's a whole lot of joie de vivre in this joint, with live jazz from up-and-coming savants and internationally recognized musical masters alike featured throughout the week. Plus, there aren't many places in Miami with cellars, making this intimate music venue all the more charming. And if you're hungry, Le Chat Noir has you covered with affordable paninis: $12 includes a salad or soup of the day plus cheese and charcuterie plates. As for wine, bien sûr, there's plenty of it, because nothing goes better with live jazz than a glass of vin. Summer hours are 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m. to midnight Sunday. Live music begins at 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Wednesday nights at 7 p.m., Pub 52 in South Miami is where you can get your dose of bebop, smooth jazz, free jazz, Latin jazz, and a bit of the blues. Each hump night, the gastropub hosts Jazz and Blues Wednesday, inviting jazz lovers to check out Miami's vibrant scene. Among the acts that perform here on the regular are the Alan Aldao Jazz Quartet, Mike Levine, the Lindsey Blair Quartet, and Brazilian jazz band Rose Max and Ramatis. Best of all, there's no pretension at Pub 52. Its low-key, chill atmosphere lets purists, aficionados, and newbies dig into the music while nursing a cold beverage or hot meal. Hours are 4 to 11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.

Over the years, Miami has unfairly earned a reputation as a subpar live-music town. But all one has to do to break out of that faulty line of thinking is hop over to one of the Afro Roots Fest's shows. And, yes, that's plural. Because the Afro Roots folks are not simply satisfied with a day- or even weekend-long affair, the festival's performance schedule often goes on for months leading up to a final blowout. In 2018, when the fest celebrated its 20th year in Miami, curator Jose Elias took the show on the road, with performances from Jupiter to Key West. Now in its 21st year, Afro Roots is celebrating across South Florida once again, this time spotlighting women in world music. This season's performers have included Cuban singer and poet Danay Suarez at the Seminole Theatre in Homestead and Malian singer and guitarist Fatoumata Diawara at the North Beach Bandshell. Afro Roots' concluding showcase will include a performance by Elastic Bond at the Murray Nelson Center in Key Largo June 29.

Just as Miami's coastal areas are endangered, so are the city's evolving nightlife spaces. As gentrification has encroached on areas once considered undesirable, nightclubs that once took advantage of few nearby residents are now finding themselves threatened by noise complaints. Nowhere is there a better example of this phenomenon than in Miami's once-thriving Park West neighborhood, home to the city's 24-hour nightclub district. For 19 years, Space has been a pioneer of the area, and parties continue every Saturday. In 2016, the club went under new ownership led by veterans Davide Denese, Coloma Kaboomsky, and David Sinopoli. The trio has been able to inject new life into the grande dame of Miami nightlife, bringing with it a refreshed sound that focuses more on what's bubbling up from the underground. They also rechristened the downstairs room as the Ground — a live-music venue — while Floyd acts as a space for alternative electronic sounds that perhaps aren't yet ready to be heard upstairs. Hours are 11 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday and 11 p.m. Saturday to Sunday afternoon.

Readers' choice: Electric Pickle

"Sweet Caroline/Good times never seemed so good." Yes, Neil Diamond's catchy 1969 track is a karaoke cliché at this point, but Brickell's Sweet Caroline Karaoke Bar leans into it hard, because who doesn't love a great sing-along? Since the closure of Studio at the Shelborne, there hasn't been a true dedicated space for amateur singers to belt out tunes to group of strangers. That's because unlike the Japanese-style karaoke bars that have opened as of late, Sweet Caroline doesn't offer any private rooms. In fact, the bar is pretty tiny, so the crowd will sit up close as you croon your off-key rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody." If you want to reserve a table, do it well in advance. Tuesday is comedy night hosted by Miami Comedy, featuring buy-one-get-one-free drinks with RSVP. Wednesday is ladies' night, with select drinks free from 6 p.m. until midnight. Signature cocktails — such as the Hey Jude (bourbon, Amaro, Campari, and lemon) and Purple Rain (peach, raspberry, orange juice, pineapple, and red wine) — cost $12. Hours are 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Readers' choice: Sweet Caroline Karaoke Bar

There's a punk ethos to Miami's newest generation of drag queens, kings, and queer performers. These performers don't necessarily emulate the divas and pop icons of yesteryear, as generations before them have done. That's still fair game, but Miami's younger drag generation is doing for drag what the Ramones and Sex Pistols did for rock 'n' roll: They're making it easier for the average person to get involved in the cultural moment. Counter Corner is where many of these performers' wildest ideas are born. They often try their acts out on the crowds who gather monthly at the Corner, and audiences respond in kind with their own elaborate getups. At Counter Corner, everyone is welcome — and you're just as likely to see a baby queen trying out her lace front for the first time as you are to see the vets show them how it's done.

The Miami queen who gifted the city with the multiday drag festival Wigwood — which New Times honored with the title of "Miami's Best Festival" in 2018 — is the glue that binds the Magic City's newest generation of queer artists, performers, and partiers, from South Beach to the mainland. Whether she's teaching kids how to sew at the public library, curating a queer art exhibit in collaboration with Hôtel Gaythering, or welcoming any LGBTQ+ in need into her House of Shame, the slender, bearded, and always chic Queef Latina (Antonio Méndez out of drag) is altering the fabric of queer Miami forever.

Readers' choice: Karla Croqueta

Located inside a hip hotel and sauna, this SoBe hot spot offers two interior bar rooms with plenty of space for mingling and dancing. Modeled in the spirit of a sexy summer camp lodge with long wooden communal tables, Gaythering also boasts some of the area's most thoughtful programming, such as queer film screenings and themed discussion nights where the community can come together over topics ranging from politics to HIV treatment. If you're looking to hone your domestic skills, stop by for one of Queef Latina's sewing classes and learn how to craft your own jockstrap. Hôtel Gaythering also recently recruited Karla Croqueta as its host for Monday-night karaoke, so start practicing those tunes in the shower.

Readers' choice: Twist

Looking for a special thrill? Tootsie's offers plenty, from a sports bar where you can play pool and videogames and catch major sports events, to various levels of illicit fun. This strip club offers 73,000 square feet of full nudity, pole action, stages, private champagne rooms, sky boxes, and a full-service kitchen that stays open until 5:30 a.m. Enjoy a full-contact lap dance in the Transit Tootsie's Car — a scaled replica of a New York subway car — or throw your bachelor (or bachelorette) party with one of the club's special packages. A very happy hour takes place daily, with no cover charge and drinks half off. Just be sure to bring a wad of cash: Hundreds of gyrating dancers in g-strings await your tips. Hours are noon to 6 a.m. daily.

Readers' choice: Tootsie's Cabaret

Miami Beach is a sexy place. So it's only appropriate that the city is home to the only museum in the nation devoted to fine erotic art. Amid a landscape of stellar museums throughout the 305, the World Erotic Art Museum has carved out quite a niche since founder Naomi Wilzig created it in 2005 by using her private collection as the starting point. In 2019, the museum boasts more than 4,000 pieces of art spanning many mediums and eras. Regardless of what kind of sexually infused art may float your boat, there is something for everyone, including an Asian section, a genitalia exhibit, a gay space, and a world culture area. It's easy to say "sex is everywhere" these days. But after a visit to WEAM ($20 general admission), you'll see that sex has been everywhere for a very long time. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday through Sunday.

Readers' choice: Pérez Art Museum Miami