Some of their albums include combinations of the words “abyss,” “blood,” “hate,” and “hell”; the graphic nature of their lyrics references controversial subjects such as genocide and necrophilia; and their music is blistering, concrete-shattering heavy-metal insanity. Slayer and every member of the legendary thrash band should be absolutely terrifying, right?…
Bands with a single common noun as their name are usually either attempting to remain obscure or have a shit idea of what makes for good marketing. Of course, that’s only true until they hit it big and bury both Merriam-Webster and Oxford in Google search results. British bands have…
Zika is the scariest new four-letter word in Miami — worse than the “rent” in Brickell or “rain” during a wedding reception at Vizcaya. But, when examined from a wider perspective, all the hype hardly seems proportional. Over the last week or so, the number of Zika-related cases in a…
Back in March, one of our favorite stages of Ultra Music Festival was the Resistance stage. We gushed over the giant terrifying spider and its unique “DJ booth.” It was part DJ set, part performance art equipped with its own choreographed show — weird in the best way possible. But even…
Lil’ Boosie, Meghan Trainor, and Kanye West are all in Miami this week. God help us. Not to be the old man yelling from his lawn, but that’s a grating trio of noise, albeit in different, equally obnoxious tones. Actually, to be fair, the first two are forgettable “mehs,” soon…
Florida Supercon, the largest geek gathering in South Florida, announced this week that it plans to hold its 2017 event in Fort Lauderdale, rather than at its former venue, the Miami Beach Convention Center. Some Dade County superfans may have been disappointed by the news. But Irving Santiago is taking…
The first official day of fall is September 22. The first official day of what we laughably call “winter” is December 23. A lot will happen in between that time. We’ll fight over turkey with relatives who require several very full glasses of wine to tolerate. Some of us will…
Some bands become pillars of a genre, some redefine it, and others rise to the level of exemplar in their chosen style. And then there are bands that outright create an entirely new genre. Such is the case with Kassav’, the first zouk band the world ever knew. Formed in…
Stereotypes can be insidious little devices formed to oppress entire races and religions. But some exist for a reason. They’re grounded, to some extent, in truth. Certain stereotypes about Hispanics — we’re loud, love to dance, etc – crudely highlight a culture that is driven by passion. Saturday night, the…
After a somewhat slow month of concerts and the temporary dearth of marquee live acts in Miami that tends to come with summer, it seems that we’ve turned the corner and are barreling straight into the upcoming fall season with a calendar stuffed fuller than a burrito filled with the…
Steven Machat is a bit of a know-it-all. However, in this age of politicians who put their gut “feelings” first and discard facts like fast-food wrappers, he might be the ideal leader for a new political enlightenment. Last September, Machat threw his proverbial hat into the U.S. Senate race to…
Rubén Blades is a national treasure in his native Panama. One day soon he may also be the country’s president. The 68-year-old activist, actor, musician, politician, and Harvard-educated lawyer has already cemented his legendary status in the pantheon of great songwriters and vocalists in both his home country and throughout…
Concerts and festivals aren’t cheap. Sure, the base cost might be $15 or $20, but that’s before legal Mafia and entertainment oil barons — AKA Ticketmaster — adds on their ridiculous fees service fees (Really? a $66 fart insurance fee?). Then there’s the cost of transportation, food, drinks, hotels, etc…
In 1991, when LL Cool J dropped perhaps his most popular track, “Mama Said Knock You Out,” he famously opened with the lines “Don’t call it a comeback/I’ve been here for years.” The members of Orishas — a highly influential Cuban rap group that made a name for itself with…
Ray LaMontagne dresses like a wilderness survival expert or Indiana Jones’ long lost brother and — taking into consideration his new record, Ouroboros, and the accompanying tour — his outfits are incredibly apt. His current show is a meticulously crafted, carefully designed journey through time and space, head and heart,…
This Friday night will be a busy one in Miami, to say the least. There are a minimum of ten shows running all throughout the city at one point or another. However, the absolute can’t miss of the bunch is Heavy Drag at Gramps inside Shirley’s Theatre at 9 p.m…
This week, raspy-voiced New England troubadour Ray LaMontagne brings his considerable talents and summer Ouroboros tour to The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater. Although on record, his music sometimes falls into muddled, hazy messes, LaMontagne’s live shows have a magical quality to them. Miami may just witness something…
For the last three years, stand-up comic Paul Julmeus has been busy making a name for himself throughout Miami, most notably as the host of several unique comedy experiences including Gringo Bingo at Wood Tavern and Just the Tip at Yo! Space. And now he’s leaving us for the bright…
Daddy Yankee is an international superstar who has sold nearly 20 million records worldwide, winning dozens of awards along the way. However, Ramón Ayala Rodríguez might be something of a mystery to those who are familiar with only his club bangers “Gasolina” and “Lo Que Pasó, Pasó.” For that reason,…
Rudiments are the essentials, the foundation of a subject. Consequently, Rudimental, a genre-hopping outfit from northeast London, take the foundations of drum and bass to craft dance music that’s essential listening. First coming to prominence in 2012 with the massive hit single, “Feel The Love,” featuring vocalist John Newman, Rudimental…
With as many fingers as she has in so many different pies, Kim Cameron might as well be a baker. Adding yet another title to her resume wouldn’t be wholly unexpected as the Miami Beach resident and L.A. native, is a singer/songwriter, children’s author, and radio personality. She’s also taken…
For lack of a better word, Italian singer/songwriter, Laura Pausini is a phenomenon. The world renowned popstar made her professional debut in the late ’80s at the age of 12 and made her name in the ’90s with top charting hits across Europe and Latin America. Over the course of…
