As I warmly recall the wild summer nights that I first hit the scene, when Jennys Was A Friend of Mine and together we discovered on the dance floor the kind of magic that took us to Such Great Heights and back again; I realize that no matter what the current trend is, Miami needs an indie dance party!
The District may not be around anymore but luckily The Vagabond has “reloaded” their weekly Friday party with an arsenal of indie dance magic; guaranteed to bring back that Electric Feel and give the Young Folk What You Want and the rest of us what we need – indie rock, dirty disco, house, and electro beats!
The Vagabond, in association with Miami Mayhem (and a little help from yours truly), have revised the music format and added new resident DJs. Fret not, they’ve kept their badass Friday night drink specials – $1 PBR’ss and $5 vodka till midnight, then $3 PBR’s and $5 PB&J all night long. Wouldn’t be a proper indie party without PBR, would it?
DANCE COMMANDER(S): SANTIAGO CABALLERO & FRIENDS
If dollar PBR’s aren’t enough to get you out to the club early, Grace Jones, the new Friday opening resident DJ should do the trick! Many of you may already know Grace Jones the dancer, model, and performer. It turns out that not only does she have killer moves on the dance floor, but she can also work them turntables like a pro!
Next up in the bar room welcoming committee, returning veteran, Ray Milian, founder of Off the Radar. Always in the know of all things indie, you can expect to roll into the club to the sounds of fresh indie tracks week-in and week-out. Topping off the bar room vibes with sugar, spice and everything nice is the lovable Sweetswirl. She is as fun as she is cute and her closing sets will likely be the reason we stay out late Fridays kicking-it till the sun come up and the music stops.
The most drastic music format change is out in the garden. The Vagabond switched out the down-tempo tunes for some up-beat Motown/Soul/ Mod vibes brought to you by Action Pat, followed-up by our boys Mario Giancarlo and Xavier of Black Jesus. Had it not been washed-out last weekend by the rain, folks would still be out there dancing!
Finally, there’s the main dance room where up and coming local DJ superstar, Santiago Caballero (Slap & Tickle) will be commanding the decks.
Santiago will be inviting other local titans of the wheels of steel to take the main room for a spin. Panic Bomber joined him last week for the launch party and it was obvious by their set that they were having fun and by the smiling faces that they fucking killed it! Can’t wait to find out who he has in store for us this week! We’re crossing our fingers for either Andrew Ward or Pirate Stereo. Here’s to another killing on the dance floor!
For the next couple of weeks, Fridays at The Vagabond will also be hosting live performances by local indie bands Eons, celebrating their EP release and Kodiak Fur, making their Miami Debut. Check it:
DANGER! HIGH VOLTAGE: EONS ‘TIME & SPACE’ EP RELEASE
By Sam Shindler – Off the Radar
It is January and 82 degrees here in Miami. Naturally I am eager to see what sounds are going to be carrying us into the summer. Eons is a 3 piece electronic indie dance band out of Miami, that has already started a buzz amongst local music tastemakers. Carrying out 2012 with a steady stream of live performances, the group’s 2013 is starting with a bang.
Singer/songwriter/producer of Eons, Johnny Deezal elected to give the debut ‘Time and Space’ EP for free. It is tough imagining the effects of what a cold slushy winter would feel like here in Miami, tracks like “Moonlight” just keep those thoughts at more of a distance.
IMPROPER DANCING: KODIAK FUR – MIAMI DEBUT
Got sent this self-titled debut EP by new Miami band Kodiak Fur. Gorgeous dream wave pop goodness that I can hear over and over. Can’t believe they’re from Miami. Great to have music like this being produced in our Magic City. Sample the rest of the EP on their SoundCloud, also available as a free download. Talk about a beautiful thing! Good to have you boys on our Radar!