MiamiNights - Miami Night Clubs, Nightlife

Critics consider it "gypsy-punk", they call it "death metal/melodramatic popular song/Japanese classic music." Say whaaaa?! I call it  crazy-dance-when-drunk-till-you're-pants-fall-off music.

So now you think, "Wadafunkk?" But I say "Gogol Bordello!" And if you're still bamboozled by all the genres listed above, then allow me to introduce them to you. Gogol Bordello has actually been around for quite some time now, 10 years almost, and even though they've always provoked a raucous party where ever they go, it's their latest and fourth album Super Taranta! thats made them gain popularity. These eight blokes are based out of New York, but they come from all over. With this in mind, their sound comes from a melting pot of instruments, but they deliver this dirty-clothed vodka-drenched and fist-clenched gypsy music that makes you feel like you're in freaking Bulgaria or something. Actually, the lead singer is from the Ukraine and he's got a mustache to prove it. To make the description simpler, Gogol Bordello makes folkloric punk music that can be considered the Eastern European version of Manu Chau.

Their shows combine burlesque with a euphoric atmosphere, and now South Florida gets to experience it because their coming to the Culture Room, in Ft. Lauderdale, on June 17. Tickets are $20. So get drunk. Get sweaty. Get gypsy.

As far as ego and diva behavior goes, Mr. Kanye West takes the cake. Don't get me wrong Kanye, I can't wait for the day that I'm so rich I can afford my very own assistant that I can throw scalding hot coffee on when he or she doesn't get my order right -- that's the day I know I've made it. But Kanye, you've taken so much pride out of being a grade-A asshole, you expect everyone to just coyly say "Oh, that little rascal Kanye is at it again!"

You've got to realize something, you're behavior isn't amussing, in fact, it undermines your work. I'd like you more if you didn't bitch every time someone has something bad to say about you. In fact, had it been me, I'd given you a lower score. Why? I've seen your light show before when it was called the Daft Punk Alive Tour. You probably get off stealing from French electro artists, because you've even extended it to your music videos. You like to call yourself an "artist", saying what you do isn't pop but "pop art." I'm sorry, what? Since when did rapping about expensive cars, how awesome you are and the girls you bang constitute as art? Fact is, as a rapper you are rhymes are pretty weak in comparison to others and in reality you are all about studio wizardry. And I give props where props are due, as a far as music production goes you are definitely strong on that point -- well, except in the case when you castrate one of the best dance songs perhaps ever created.

So when you roll into town tomorrow to perform at the American Airlines Arena, leave your bullshit at the door, 'cause you ain't as great as you think you are. 

They were amazing. Marina who? Laura Taylor and Ana Bernardino left no doubt in my mind that they are going to bring a lot of good things to the group. The crowd was a little thin last night, which was sort of disappointing because I expected a better turn out. Still, they gave it their all and everyone who was there enjoyed themselves. Anyway, I already wrote a review for the New Times, so I'm not about to write another one. Below is a small clip of the show I took with my camera for your enjoyment. And yes, the sample you hear is "Summer Nights".

I guess this is both a WAO post and a reminder that Brazilian baile funk/hip-hop/rock/whatever group Bonde Do Role will be performing live at Studio A tomorrow. Actually it is the first U.S. appearance with their new lineup, so you have bragging rights after the show. Lead singer Maria Rabatski left the group with little warning, but no fear Rodrigo Gorky and Pedro D'Eyrot have found not one, but two replacements for Maria in Ana Benardino and Laura Taylor, who were selected as new members in an American Idol-inspired contest via MTV Brazil. I guess that's one way to find new members.

Anyway, until they record new music together I leave you with a oldie-but-goodie video for "Solta O Frango". And make sure to catch them tomorrow at Studio A along with local-band the Down Home Southernaires.

File this under "What were they thinking?" Chromeo is stopping by The Fifth Thursday, April 17, for a special live peformance along with Louis XIV. Why the fuck would Chromeo play at The Fifth? I mean Studio A is just over the causeway and a much better venue for this kind of show. I can't for the life of me understand this decision.

And for those wondering why Chromeo was oddly absent during WMC, it seems that being MTV's Artist of the Week is enough reason to raise your appearance rate to $10,000. I was told most promoters laughed at the figured and told them "No thanks." I mean asking for that kind of money and not even having a hit on your repertoire is pretty ballsy and Chromeo ended up losing big time for having big egos.

But I guess they are back to redeem themselves with this special concert. Tickets are on sale for $20 at www.bfg.tickets.musictoday.com. But I do have some bad news kiddies -- the event is 21 and over. I'm not sure if the Fifth understands 80% of Chromeo's fan base is probably under the age of 20.

In case you have no idea who Chromeo is, I leave you with their '80s-insipired music video for "Bonafide Lovin'".

For those who have been wonder, Bacardi B-Live Miami '08 is returning this year -- albeit a little later -- on April 19 to Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami. The lineup includes Space resident DJ Cedric Gervais, Dave Navarro & DJ Skribble, Deep Dish and Groove Armada. Tickets once again can be ordered online free at Barcadi's Web site, with the only requirement being that you be 21 or older.

There is a new twist this year though that may interest all aspiring DJs out there. MySpace and Bacardi are running a contest to fill up the opening slot with an unknown. You can sign up and submit tracks at the event's MySpace page and enter the chance to open up the whole damn thing.

This post contributed by photographer Santiago Felipe of Camera Obscura Photography

It's been a few days since Langerado, and looking back I must say that regardless of a couple of mishaps, Langerado 2008 was successful.

Thursday evening seemed like a nightmare. Horrible traffic that left the concert goers stuck in their car waiting for over 3 hours. The festival grounds seemed like a giant mud pie and I stood there, having random people come up to me, asking, if I was interested in buying shrooms.

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Need I remind everybody the biggest orgy of Latin music and cuisine, better known as Calle Ocho, happens this weekend? I don't care to much to the sounds of Latin beats, but I'm always up for some good ol' Latin food. Props of the Kawanis Club of Little Havana for getting LEBO to design this year's logo, when they could have gone for a more, er, obvious choice by choosing a certain "artist".

Oddly enough, the site doesn't list the performers going this year, but the Miami New Times reports that Pitbull, Menudo and La India (whoever that is) will be attending. I've also heard local artist Jose El Rey will be in attendance as well.

So get your Patria T-shirts ready and girls glue down them loose strings of hair 'cause Calle Ocho is here. The event this Sunday (isn't that god's day?) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Justice, Justice, Justice. The shit you put me through just to see you live. Instead of the average 3 1/2 hour drive to Orlando, it took me 5 hours to having to listen to three drunken fools in my car complain how they had to pee at every other rest stop. On top of that, the storm of the century seemed to hit the entire state. It did not stop raining once during my drive Thursday afternoon. My field of vision was reduced to only about 30 feet in front of me. However I made it to the Travelodge in Downtown Orlando at 7:30 p.m. with enough time to change and warm up.

I don't know how many of you have been to the proper city of Orlando. Their Downtown shows a lot of promise but sadly seemed empty for a Thursday night. But I wasn't there to analyze the city. I was there to see Justice, who had forced me to leave the County of Miami-Dade just to catch them in their glowing cross glory.

Firestone is an impressive space, probably as big as Mansion with plenty of nooks and crannies. The stage was shielded by the black curtain which everyone knew what it was concealing. I arrived with enough time to hear DJ Mehdi spin, who played a much more crowd-pleasing set than what I recalled he played at Studio A during WMC. His set was filled with indie-dancefloor staples, which oddly felt a little lazy and predictable. It might have been also that Mehdi's set was being broadcast over mediocre speakers that didn't produce the bass I think a Mehdi set deserves. In short, he sounded flat.

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You know what I realized on Friday night? This city has so many hidden gems that are poorly underutilized. The Manuel Artime Theatre in Little Havana is a charming space with great acoustics and enough seating to hold a sizable crowd. This is where Swedish-Argentinian musician Jose Gonzalez made his first stop in his current North American Tour, and this being his first-ever show in Miami. If you haven't heard of Jose Gonzalez you are definitely missing out.

I'm usually not a fan of acoustic/folky shows, but Gonzalez takes it to another level. To call him a folk artist is a insult that insinuates he's a whiny hippie-like coffeehouse musician, and that couldn't be further from the truth. His simple set up of just him and his guitar lets the music speak for itself. Gonzalez either softly strums his guitar or bangs on it so hard you expect the strings to break. All of this is accompanied by his soft, almost Paul Simon-esque vocals. Anyone else might fail under this kind of bare minimum set up, so I have got to had it to him.

The show was almost a sell-out, which the few remaining sets (I think less than 20 or 30) were found way up on the balcony near the spotlights. The crowd thunderously applauded Gonzalez, relishing in the fact that artists of his caliber rarely stop by our city. Or maybe it was the fact that we could all simply take a break from the pump-your-fist-in-the-air superstar DJs and slow down for a bit.