At night the only lights shining on SW 136th Street between 137th and 144th avenues belong to two behemoths: Tamiami Airport and the neighboring El Rey Jesús (14100 SW 144th Ave, Miami; 305-382-3171). The former lifts visitors up physically, while the latter does so spiritually. But El Rey — a…
Cats Rule Free them: I’m glad that for once there’s an issue where animal rights activists and most members of the public can reach the same conclusion: Big cats don’t belong in back yards, which is what I took away from Calvin Godfrey’s article “Cat People” (September 13). I have…
Gabe Pendas decked a guy that cool March evening seven years ago. Fractured his jaw. It was in front of the Starbucks on Kendall Drive, not far from Jamba Juice. “We had a beef. He provoked it, and he lost,” Pendas says. “Two or three punches and he went down.”…
This tune was an urban anthem 18 years ago and it’s just as vital right now. Can’t believe it’s been that long, but “Self Destruction” is one of the most important hip-hop songs ever created! I’m probably missing somebody but here’s the Stop The Violence Movement as I could catch…
I don’t know which one of these dudes had a bigger persona in the 80s but they both loved to party all the time. No surprise they turned their mantra into a hit. The song is much cooler than this corny music video… but if you don’t remember it from…
The homeless were out and about on the block of NE 11th Street between NE Second and North Miami avenues one recent Saturday evening. A man in a wifebeater repeatedly accosted anyone for five dollars, then one dollar, nearing hostility with each solicitation but never quite crossing the threshold to…
Accuracy Is Our Bond We are numb: While I commend Miami New Times and Joanne Green for the coverage of Filipina comfort women, “Comfortably Numb” (August 30), I need to point out a number of inaccurate facts and misleading ideas: 1. The island of Luzon is misspelled. 2. Narcisa Claveria…
It seems like a good time to throw a lil New Jack Swing into the midday mix. It’s been a long time since Tony! Toni! Tone! put out an album, and watching this video below really makes me think they need to get back together. They did do a brief…
Malls, much like bars, are epicenters of style and social activity, places where people come to parade as much as they do to splurge. In the Shops at Sunset Place (5701 Sunset Dr., South Miami; 305-663-4222), alcohol is as much of an attraction as any retail store there, with a…
War Is Hell For both sides: Isaiah Thompson’s “Ramadi Madness” (August 23) is another example of what happens to many soldiers when they return from war. I have always believed that war is the child of Hell. That all of Florida’s 124th Infantry came back alive is in and of…
Gatsby’s (8575 SW 124th Ave., Miami; 305-412-2220) is one of the few pubs to successfully capture the air of a bygone era without kitsch overload. The upscale sports bar/restaurant’s dim confines recall the plush cigar parlors and smoky speakeasies of the Twenties. Colorful paintings of jiving partiers adorn the walls,…
Taking a Toll By telling jokes: As one journalist writing to another, I have this to say about Calvin Godfrey’s August 23 story, “For Whom the Hell Tolls”: Good show, chap! Excellent story. Ambitious, creative, and hard-hitting. (Well, two out of three ain’t bad.) Your story stirred in me the…
In a misguided attempt to dodge traffic on my way home the other day, I got lost and stumbled upon this building with four fresh pieces on it near NE 2nd Ave. and NE 71st Street. — Tovin Lapan…
From the Big TNT show in 1965. It’s and old school medley with the full Ike and Tina Turner band moving and grooving like mad. Not sure how they managed to have such good stage chemistry considering how crazy Ike was behind the scenes, but here’s a rare video that’s…
It’s been a bluesy week so far so why not start off Tuesday with a nod to John Lee Hooker, one of the greatest blues musicians to ever live. “Hobo Blues” is easily one my favorite songs of all time, mainly for its guitar work and the sincerity in his…
Jail: Screwed Again He got nailed for speaking up: As a former administrator responsible for debriefing corrections officers after major incidents such as inmate deaths — which is the focus of Tamara Lush’s August 16 feature story, “117 Dead” — I have intimate knowledge of Miami-Dade County’s failure to correct…
Miami might be one of the southernmost locales in the eastern United States, but it hardly meets the requisites of Dixieland. Country drawls and cowboy boots are as rare as Hispanic accents and chancletas are prolific. But down where the turnpike merges into South Dixie Highway, numerous angler shops and…
Alright…so as some of you know, R Kelly and his crazy “Trapped in the Closet” series is being released today. I have a tough time supporting that one…mainly because chapters 13-22 offer us nothing that Chapters 1-12 already haven’t. Cheap laughs and blah blah. That’s not even me hating. Scroll…
Since Nasty Nas was just here a couple of weeks ago for the Rock the Bells Tour, it only seems fitting to play some Nas today. Work day is almost over folks. It’s Halftime –Jonathan Cunningham…
Throwing it way back once again. I came across this old school EPMD video and felt the need to drop it on a day like this when the hip-hop world is so out of focus. Everyone seems to be looking forward to Sept. 11 when 50 Cent and Kanye West…
The Abbey (1115 16th St., Miami Beach; 305-538-8110) is a rarity in Miami. Almost invisible from the street at night, the clandestine microbrewery is marked only by a neon sign that reads “Bar.” No flashing marquees, no long lines. Just a dark storefront and a door. Staying true to its…
Raw Hatin’ He’s a criminal: It’s crazy to see DJ Raw on the cover of New Times (“Raw Returns,” by Esther Park, August 9). I’m glad he is out of jail, but as a member of the Wynwood community at the time of his arrest, I was very angry at…
