Puerto Rico has the goat-sucking Chupacabra. West Virginia has the prophetic Mothman. Even Mobile, Alabama, boasts a dusk-dwelling tree leprechaun who climbed to fame in March 2006, when residents endlessly asked, “Where the gold at?” And though nothing in the United States compares to the strangeness that is the Gobi…
Greco-Homo Wrestling Bad journalism: What makes people gay is their emotional attachment to a person of the same sex. When you equate activities such as wrestling to homophobic behavior (“Gaytastic!” by Elyse Wanshel, July 10), you are showing your ignorance. Either that or your maturity level hasn’t made it beyond…
This humble blog, South Florida Music Scene Past and Present, is on CrossFade’s blogroll, but it’s such a wealth of local music history goodness that I wanted to highlight it for this installment of Throwback Tuesdays. I sat down to delve into the entire archive of posts last night (good…
And why not? Miami-Dade government is about as stable as a Sagdiyev family reunion. I have to thank an anonymous commenter over at eyeonmiami for the headline. It was in response to a post about Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez endorsing Natacha Seijas for reelection, nearly two years after Carlito and…
Fortunetelling Baloney Tarot is just for fun: Miami New Times should be ashamed of “Pollsters Schmollsters” (July 3). Not only are these so-called psychics ripping people off, but also they are misrepresenting and stereotyping other people’s culture. Tarot cards were not meant for predicting the future; they were meant for…
A trio of women in their midtwenties is huddled in a dark booth in a corner of Gatsby’s (8575 SW 124th Ave., Miami, 305-412-2220). Most of the bar is amped, but these women sit far from all the beer and chest pounding. Staring quietly at a cartoonish Britto-inspired mural, they…
Jose D. Duran This mural is brought to you by the Ford Motor Co. So as some of you pointed out last week, the mural I photographed on NE 14th Street was nothing more than a paid advertisement by the Ford Motor Co. I revisited the mural today and you…
Maybe it’s the American in me but I’ve always loved the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. For as long as I can recall, Petty’s been one of my favorite songwriters when it comes to rock music, mainly because his songs are simple, two-part harmony styled ditties that hone…
Hey, Old-Timer Um, did he read the byline?: Regarding Arielle Castillo’s “Metal Rules” (June 26): Your words are as lame as your opinions. What a jackass. You are obviously some old guy trying to relive his youth. JD from Santa Monica Via web commentary Raw Nerve Call me crazy: Apparently…
A Happy Meal at McDonald’s will get you little more than a fist-size cheeseburger and a plastic toy. But at Purdy Lounge (1811 Purdy Ave., Miami Beach; 305-531-4622) on any given Sunday, a Happy Meal ($6) delivers a Jäger shot, a bottle of Miller High Life, and just enough booze-fueled…
As our great Banana Republic of Miami-Dade County gets ready to celebrate Independence Day, I decided to scour the campaign financial reports of Mayor Carlos Alvarez and the seven county commissioners running for reelection. After all, nothing is more patriotic than greasing the wheels of politics. I matched up names…
Jose D. Duran On my way to White Room Monday night, I spotted a man painting a mural along the corner of NE 14th Street and 1st Avenue. It is basically at the entrance of Overtown, right along the corridor were you can find PS14, Vagabond, Ice Palace and the…
So thanks to my girl, Afrobella, I was reminded that today is the anniversary of R&B legend Luther Vandross’ passing. The soulful singer who turned the entire urban music world on his ear for 20 years was only 54 at the time of his death in 2005, but he left…
So Independence Day is right around the corner. Of all the music gigs taking place in South Florida over the three day weekend, arguably, the one that’s creating the most buzz is 2 Live Crew’s upcoming performance at the Vagabond this Thursday night. It’s been awhile since a lot of…
Swimming with Sharks Gimme a break: Regarding “Shark Huggers” by Amy Guthrie (June 12): Too bad about that jerk who got killed by sitting on a box of chum, 11 fathoms down, amid a crowd of ravenous bull sharks. How many times have we heard the expression “Look for trouble…
I first discovered my iPhone’s musical taste this past March, at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Watching a very epic metal bill at the outdoor barbecue joint/venue Stubb’s (Enslaved, High on Fire, Napalm Death, Motörhead), I shot out a few boozy, excited mass text messages. Although most responses were along the…
Jose D. Duran When it seems like I’ve exhausted all of Wynwood, I stumble upon this mural along NW 6th Avenue. I slammed on my brakes and sat in my car for a minute thinking, “How the hell could I have missed this?” It was enormous, wrapping around a property…
Since we’re on an old Miami dance trip here at Crossfade today, I’ll throw my hat into the ring with this old gem: “Journey into Bass” by DJ Laz. Somewhere between freestyle, electro, and bass, this is a prime example of Miami-fying a sound by adding some tinkly synth and…
So I’m definitely coming late to the party on this one, but wow. I’m digging through the archives of some old Miami bass videos and I just came across this one from Disco Rick called “The Nasty Dance.” I’m admittedly not from South Florida originally and didn’t grow on this…
Here’s an old school Miami bass joint from way back in the day. Some of you might remember Half Pint from the early ’90s. He was a short, stocky, and permanently oiled-up little rapper with lots of spunk and stamina. He didn’t release a whole lot of material, but his…
Faux Fury Judging a book by its cover: Francisco Alvarado’s “Last and Furious” (June 5) article about the Miami Fury football team was informative and enjoyable. These ladies seem to have a strength for survival off the field that carries onto the gridiron. In most cases, surviving means a high…
Most followers of the Eighties/Nineties American rock underground have heard of Mudhoney. The band became known back then for influencing other Seattle-area groups that later became huge — who can forget Kurt Cobain’s array of Mudhoney T-shirts? The label Sub Pop recently reissued the 1988 debut EP, Superfuzz Bigmuff, in…
