A glance at any nightclub’s schedule shows a surplus of DJs passing through the Magic City in the next few months. Narrowing that list to just ten notable nights was a tall order, but here it is. If you’re looking to plan ahead for your late evenings and early mornings out, these are the dates and selectors you should mark on your calendar. After all, hedonism is the reason for the season.
Dixon. Before the annual tradition ended in 2017, Innervisions label head Dixon dominated the top spot on Resident Advisor's reader-selected Top 100 DJ Poll for four consecutive years. The past decade has given Miamians ample opportunity to learn why the German DJ/producer is so beloved — he’s played everywhere from Ultra and III Points to the late Grand Central. Revelers who caught him mixing alongside Âme during Rakastella’s 2018 edition can speak to his gift for reading a crowd and his penchant for picking the right record at precisely the right moment: Watching the sun rise to the cosmic tones of Lindstrom’s "I Feel Space" was as close to perfection as a DJ set will ever get. Dixon will return this Friday, courtesy of Link Miami Rebels, to soundtrack another bright morning on Space’s Terrace. 11 p.m. Friday, April 27, at Club Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; 786-357-6456; clubspace.com. Tickets cost $15 to $50 via eventbrite.com. One Final Rave. This past April 12, it was announced that 229 Warehouse, a Little Haiti space frequently used by Internet Friends, Space Tapes, and other local initiatives for off-the-grid events, would shut down in May. But even with the end in sight for the much-loved venue, it’s still extending its sphere of influence: Local DJs Anshaw Black, Sister System, and Jonny From Space will host the U.K. electronic producer Black Merlin for One Final Rave. In addition to celebrating 229’s history with a rare visit from an out-of-towner, the party will also commemorate the release of Anshaw Black’s EP [A-01]. With Black Merlin, Anshaw Black, Sister System, and Jonny From Space. 11 p.m. Friday, May 3, at 229 Warehouse, 229 NE 65th St., Miami. Tickets cost $10 via eventbrite.com. Kim Ann Foxman & Perel. Trends move fast in dance music, and the New York City-based DJ/producer Kim Ann Foxman has lived through several of them. As she recently recounted on Resident Advisor’s podcast, Exchange, Foxman spent time immersed in San Francisco’s rave culture before playing a role in New York City’s mid-2000s dance-rock revival as a vocalist with DFA Records band Hercules and Love Affair. More recently, she’s made a name for herself as a solo artist, aided in part by releases on her record label Firehouse and a semiregular residency at the Brooklyn venue Good Room. Foxman was a highlight of Okeechobee Music Festival 2017, and there’s no reason to doubt she'll be similarly stunning when she swings by Electric Pickle May 3. Joining her will be DFA Records artist Perel. Local DJ and (F)empower affiliate Ashley Venom will also perform. With Ashley Venom. 10 p.m. Friday, May 3, at Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-456-5613; electricpicklemiami.com. Tickets cost $16.90 to $30 via residentadvisor.net.
Venus X
Photo by Nicole Fara Silver
Carl Craig. Everybody — even those outside the card-carrying techno elite — loves Carl Craig. Just ask James Murphy, whose band LCD Soundsystem recorded a cover of the Detroit techno maven’s hypnotic “Throw.” Tracks by the prolific DJ/producer and founder of the record label Planet E are as likely to be heard in sets by heady techno purveyors such as Marcel Dettman as they are in mixes from genre-defying artists like Optimo. Miami clubgoers can find out what the big deal is when Craig swings by Treehouse. For a crash course in his music, listen to the career-spanning collection Sessions. With Dakap. Friday, May 10, at Treehouse Miami, 323 23rd St., Miami Beach; 786-318-1908; treehousemiami.com. Tickets range from free to $15 via eventbrite.com. Life and Death Weekender Miami. The weekend of May 17 will be one of painful choices for Miami’s dance-floor faithful. Two of the city’s best clubs — Club Space and Electric Pickle — will present absurdly stacked lineups Friday and Saturday. At the Pickle, DJ Tennis’ record label, Life and Death, will team up with the promoters at PL0T to stage Life and Death Weekender Miami, a two-night event boasting a lineup worthy of the best dance music festivals. Leon Vynehall will be in attendance to celebrate his contribution to the DJ-Kicks mix series. Contemplative English producer Call Super will also perform, and Italian DJ duo Marvin & Guy will spin a four-hour disco set. They’ll be joined by III Points alumnus Moscoman, along with DJ Tennis himself and NTS radio host Elena Colombi, who’ll make her Miami debut. If you can choose only one weekend to say goodbye to the Pickle before it closes for good, this may well be the one. With DJ Tennis, Call Super, Leon Vynehall, and others. 11 p.m. Friday, May 17, and Saturday, May 18, at Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-456-5613; electricpicklemiami.com. Tickets cost $22.50 to $39.40 via residentadvisor.net. Omnidisc, Disclosure, DJ Seinfeld, and Magit Cocoon. Whether you want to call it a miracle of modern clubbing or simply savvy booking, little compares to the sensation when all four rooms of Club Space — including the semiautonomous venues Floyd and the Ground — pop off at once. May 17, Miamians will have a unique chance to experience it. At the Ground, hometown heroes and Omnidisc partners Anshaw Black and Danny Daze will DJ at the latest edition of their record label’s recurring event series at Space. The electro virtuosos will be joined by fellow Miami heavyweight Greg Beato and live performances by Detroit acts Ectromorph and Ultradyne for a night of cross-pollination between the Magic and Motor Cities. Meanwhile, DJ Seinfeld and Disclosure will commandeer the Terrace to guide revelers into the wee hours via melodic house and U.K. garage grooves, while Magit Cocoon cultivates her own vibe at Floyd. When people talk about Miami as a dance music mecca, this is probably the sort of thing they had in mind. Omnidisc at the Ground and Magit Cacoon at Floyd: With Danny Daze, Anshaw Black, Magit Cacoon and others. 11 p.m. Friday, May 17, at Club Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; 786-357-6456; clubspace.com. Tickets cost $10 to $20 via eventbrite.com. Disclosure and DJ Seinfeld on the Terrace: 11 p.m. Friday, May 17, at Club Space. Tickets are sold out. Courtesy. The Greenland-born, Denmark-raised selector Courtesy stays busy. Before making her breakthrough as a DJ, she spent years working as a music journalist while studying for a master’s degree and curating as a promoter and manager for her record label, Ectotherm. Although the label shuttered and she shelved plans to earn that master’s, she already has a new venture underway with Kulør and is finding more success than ever before by spinning relentless techno for entranced crowds. Courtesy will swing by Electric Pickle for a repeat performance at the venue following her Miami debut in March 2018. She arrives courtesy (no pun intended) of Miami production crew Safe, which will also host Midland and Silent Servant for their final series of shows at the Pickle. 10 p.m. Friday, May 24, at Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-456-5613; electricpicklemiami.com. Tickets cost $11.25 to $15 via residentadvisor.net and at the door.Four Tet, Ben UFO, and Anthony Naples. Even if it’s arriving a bit early, this is Miami nightlife’s summer blockbuster event of 2019. Four Tet is in the middle of a hot streak that’s seen him play acclaimed live shows around the world, perform back-to-back sets over two weekends of Coachella, and release a pair of heaters in “Teenage Birdsong” and the Nelly Furtado-sampling “Only Human.” Next month, the audacious producer will be joined behind the decks by master selector Ben UFO and Miami native Anthony Naples. Catching Four Tet on Space’s Terrace would be enough to make this a night for the ages; the presence of UFO and Naples launches it into the stratosphere. 11 p.m. Saturday, May 24, at Club Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; 786-357-6456; clubspace.com. Tickets cost $15 to $40 via eventbrite.net. Tim Sweeney. Nobody can accuse Tim Sweeney of displaying anything less than total devotion to his craft. For nearly two decades, the New York-based radio host has faithfully manned the mixing board every Tuesday night to broadcast his WNYU dance music showcase Beats in Space. Even with a demanding schedule that includes managing his Beats in Space record label and traveling for DJ gigs around the world, he rarely skips an edition of his long-running program. Fortunately for Sweeney, his set at Floyd is scheduled for a Saturday, leaving him plenty of time to get back to New York City without missing a beat. Local mixers True Vine and Sister System will play opening sets. With True Vine and Sister System. 11 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Floyd Miami, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; 305-456-5613; floydmiami.com. Tickets cost $10 to $20 via eventbrite.com.
