Crossfade looooves the Florida Room and its hidden, Art Deco, '30s-gangster vibe. Sure, the cocktails are expensive but 1) they're delicious (especially if someone else is buying), and 2) you can always perfect the cheapskate's art of pre-gaming and then treating yourself to one or two, to be sipped slo-o-o-o-wly.
The other thing great about the Florida Room: Its continued bookings of seriously sexy live music for grown folks, often along the jazz / soul / live hip-hop spectrum. The Roots and a bazillion other Giant Step/Okayplayer - type artists have played there in the past, and now the venue can add another name to its lustrous list: another longtime Crossfade favorite, Talib Kweli.
Half of Black Star, half of Reflection Eternal, wholly impressive on his own, Kweli performs there Thursday night in a show sponsored by the Arsht Center's Green Room Society. It's a booster group for the performing arts center that's populated by young professionals, and generally throws fun parties -- the occasion for this one is the 29th birthday of GRS Chairman Max Pierre.
With DJ Hi-Tek, Kweli just released the second Reflection Eternal album, Revolutions Per Minute, this past May, so expect plenty of selections of that record. It's been three years since Kweli's last solo effort, Eardrum, though -- so maybe we'll hear some new solo joints too?
Also performing are local soulful favorites Agape, featuring Nadia Harris, and between-set spinning comes courtesy of DJ Maseo, of De La Soul. It's a D.A.I.S.Y. age again, y'all.
The even is free and "open to the public," but it' s the Florida Room, so knowing somebody always helps, as does dressing like a properly trained adult (no sneaker/shorts sloppiness, but no Affliction douchebaggery, either). You must also RSVP to the Green Room Society, at [email protected] or 786-468-2040.
Talib Kweli, Agape, and DJ Maseo. 10 p.m. Thursday, July 1. The Florida Room at the Delano, 1685 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Age 21 and up. 305-674-6152; www.delano-hotel.com/default.aspx#/explore/?id=floridaroom
