For a hot and humid second, it looked like The Heat Lightning's What a Mission extravaganza was gonna get smashed by whiplash winds and brutal thunderstorms.
According to predictions filtering out of the National Hurricane Center, tropical storm Emily was headed straight for the end/SPRING BREAK and she was screaming, "Let's get this shit started!" Total disaster, huh?
No way! In fact, THL staff member and Crossfade contributor Liz Tracy seemed sorta stoked about the possibility of superstormy weather, saying: "There'll probably be heat lightning in full effect on Friday, which just makes sense."
Turns out, though, Emily wasn't so serious about bringing the "shit." She RSVP-ed and everything. And then she got tired, weakened from a tropical storm to a tropical wave, and now she's not showing up for the party at all.
The whole thing has left Liz and the THL team a little exasperated. "Man, Miami weather is such a mission and throwing a big complicated party, it's a mission," she says. "It's all sort of a mission. But sometimes you're on that mission and it's a pain in the ass, but you get to learn something or experience something on the way."
Uh, OK ... But the extravaganza's still going down? "For sursies! We're still celebrating the talents of the writers and artists who've contributed to THL. And we're still saying thanks to Miami for being so awesome."
Expect all-you-can-guzzle Grey Goose and Magners Original Irish Cider as well as Monica Carvajal's apparently THL-flavored cupcakes, Sam Lopez de Victoria and Dylan Romer's very meta video game "Miami Rumble," supergross comic books by Jessica Gross, and an arty video installation by Nathan Lam Vuong.
And duh, you can't have a Miami extravaganza without music. So there'll be plenty of tuneage courtesy of Needless Records' Adam Gersten, plus DJs Le Commandant and Keneth Cohen. But what kind?
"If I know Adam, and I do, he's definitely going to play Steely Dan. And also, in his words, vintage reggae, classic hip-hop, all schools of rock, and some Wagner. That last one is a joke ... I hope."
"Le Commandant is Justin Long. And he spent last night downloading Spanish versions of English songs. So maybe we'll hear some of that stuff."
"And Keneth Cohen, AKA Carlos Rigau, is always a funtimes DJ. I hope he plays some Jacuzzi Boys and Mystikal."
But What a Mission's big musical star is Dino Felipe. "The thing about Dino is that he's so prolific and he has such a range of music and not enough people from outside of Miami know him," Liz gushes. "It's like he's our own little secret genius."
"I always thought that if i ever do an event, I want Dino to be a part of it. His energy is so beautiful and complex and his performances are just so intense. I had the opportunity to play tambourine with him once. And even though I had to get drunk to do it, it was something special I'll never forget."
Agreed ... Screw Emily and her tropical drama. We're still getting Dino, free booze, and rad memories.
What a Mission: The Heat Lightning's Summer Extravaganza! with Dino Felipe and DJ sets by Needless Records' Adam Gersten, Le Commandant, and Keneth Cohen. Friday, July 5. the end/SPRING BREAK, 155 NE 38th St., Miami. The party starts at 9 p.m. Visit theheatlightning.com.
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