It’s impossible to completely dislike Miami. It’s the yin to our yang. It completes us.Without the Magic City, we’d be one dimensional. I could continue to ramble on about how much I hate it when Ft. Lauderdalians say they hate Miami, when they really just dislike South Beach, but I won’t. I’m writing this post for a particular reason….
Since the day they installed it not too long ago, I’ve hated it. In a bar that attracts local musicians, artists, and people who enjoy cutting edge music, why have a jukebox that has a catalog that consists of American Idol winners, cookie cutter contemporary rock, and your run-of-the-mill top 40. Look, I’m not trying to dictate what’s good music and what’s not; I’m just saying that the music on that jukebox is not catered to its audience. If you want to hear anything worthwhile, you have to do a Supersearch on the jukebox and pay $1 per song, versus the usual $.50 (which I still think is outrageous). If no one picks a song, it plays random songs — songs from such artists as David Allen Coe, Clay Aiken, and Eiffel 65. How does this tie into the intro?…..
A series of recent trips to some of downtown Miami’s popular hangouts Vagabond and Electric Pickle have made me realize that we don’t have a nightly bar or club that plays indie or non-mainstream alternative music over the house speakers. The few times I’ve been to some of these venues in Miami, I find myself frequently trying to Google on my phone the lyrics to songs that the DJ plays so that I can find the artist or name of the song to legally buy (always) on iTunes when I get home. It adds a whole other aspect to going out — hearing new music that can’t be found on a radio station that isn’t 88.5 . Even Palm Beach county has Respectable Street, which in my opinion is just as good, if not better than the above mentioned locales.
To the defense of Ft Lauderdale, there are some spots to hear a unique playlist: Monterey Club, sometimes Fat Cats, between sets at Revolution and Culture Room, Brew, the few nights that 1921 is having a party (stay tuned), Roxannes before it burned down, and the nights where the jukebox is turned off at Poorhouse. I’m probably forgetting a few, and feel free to leave them in the comments. Maybe the new Laser Wolf bar that’s opening soon (so I’ve been told) can help fill this musical void (crossing fingers)….
So my message to Poorhouse and other bars in Ft Lauderdale that might want to cater to a grungier crowd: junk the jukebox, plug in an iPod or computer with hipper tunes. Heck, hire DJ Mig or any other hypem junkie to mix some music. I’m not saying it has to be strictly indie either; I’d settle for punk, hardcore, metal, underground hip hop, or any variation of those genres. Just give us a place where we can listen to something different during dead time when the live band isn’t performing. PS: Poorhouse and Monterey Club do a stellar job of booking solid local acts. Keep that up guys.
Here’s a little something I put together for this post. It’s a medley of 4 remixed songs from a band I’m completely with obsessed with these days, Two Door Cinema Club from Northern Ireland.
Some indie dance parties that have caught my attention:
– Noir Wednesdays at Club Cinema in Pompano Beach w/ Marvelous Kendall
– Thursdays at Monterey Club with DJ Sweetswirl (is this still going on?)
– Revel Party at Sea Monster w/ Marvelous Kendall and ??? (is this still going on?)
If you’ve gone to any of the above mentioned indie dance parties, let us know what you thought by commenting below. Maybe you can write a review for us (hint hint).
The name Scott Stapp evokes several different images in people’s minds. Some people probably still remember him as the religious, lead singer of post-grunge band Creed, who wrote a heartfelt song for his kid that ended up being the bands top hit With Arms Wide Open. I tend to remember him for his slew of outrageous, negative publicity: the feud with rap-rock pioneer Fred Durst and the boxing match that never happened, the Thanksgiving Day drunken brawl between Stapp and the lead singer of 311 in a Baltimore hotel lounge, the infamous “it’s good to be king” sex tape with Kid Rock (not with each other), and my favorite — his latest, idiotic song about the the Florida Marlins.
In lieu of his acoustic gig tomorrow at Revolution, I’ve decided to grace you with the video for Marlins Will Soar (at the bottom of the post). I know many of you have probably seen this (it’s been mentioned nationally, usually in jest), but it always makes my day a little brighter. In my opinion, it’s still not as bad as T-Pain’s rendition of the Miami Dolphins touchdown song or Jimmy Buffet’s Fins (Dolphin’s Version).
If you’re like me, and don’t like wasting your hard earned greenbacks to watch a washed up, train wreck strumming his wooden guitar — you can do that for free at Briny’s anyway — you might think about checking out 2 talented, local rappers, Protoman and Gaps, at Monterey Club tonight. The event is being heralded as a birthday extravaganza, no cover charge. Below are some song streams. Go to their myspace accounts (click on links above), they have a lot more tuneage and even some free downloads.
Often times over the course of my life when I’ve sought some kind of peace of mind or understanding in this chaotic reality, I have found such solace in the almost hypnotically wise and natural music of Neil Young. And so a few months ago when I saw the announcement that Neil would be doing a solo show at the Seminole Hard Rock, I threw up in my mouth a little bit. For the Seminole Hard Rock, as I already knew, is the very antithesis of anything natural, pure or wise; and therefore the environmental antithesis of everything I feel when hearing Neil Young’s music. But I went anyway, simply because I had never seen Neil live before and after spending the majority of my life missing him due to circumstantial or financial reasons, I was ready to see him anywhere at anytime….just to see the man.
And so in the weeks leading up to the show I became increasingly excited, feeling a strength in the force upon the imminent arrival of a true Jedi master (it should be understood at this point that one of the only ways outside of Neil Young’s music to draw understanding of the world for me is to realize life as a never-ending series of Star Wars references). The disturbance of having to infiltrate the Seminole Hard Rock (aka “the house” or “the Death Star”) was especially eased on the way to the show when I learned that American musical treasure Allen Toussaint would be opening. “Wow”, I thought as we were sitting in traffic, “that might actually be enough Jedi purity to counterbalance the power of the Dark Side emitted from that God-less epicenter of materialism, superficiality, and greed.”
We walked in a couple of songs into Toussaint’s set and sat in our seats in the front row of the third level, mysteriously facing away from the stage with three steel bars directly in our line of vision. “Oh this is nice,” I thought, “I didn’t actually want to see the stage anyway.” Concerts are always much more enjoyable when you wake up with a sore neck the next day. But that wasn’t my real problem here. Allen Toussaint, musical genius and historic bridge between jazz and rock & roll, is on stage alone at a piano singing songs and telling stories. And that is a wonderful situation completely lost on this crowd- talking throughout his set and even at one point, in the middle of a story, almost boo-ing him off the stage. I was disgusted and ashamed of my hometown crowd- seemingly unwilling to give anything they don’t hear on Big 106 every day a chance to teach them something.
First, at 4:30 Friday afternoon is the “Orange Offensive” Dolphins Pep Rally at Huizenga Plaza located at Las Olas and Andrews Ave. Remember how much fun high school pep rallies were? No, you don’t? Well now imagine if instead of high school kids, it’s a bunch of adults. Yeah, that sounds good to me too. Actually, there is something that we can all cheer about: last year’s pep rally featured a Jimmy Buffet-themed band…not Buffet himself mind you, just Buffet-themed. But the Miami Dolphins’ Jimmy Buffet era is behind us like the chicken pox…supposedly that will never happen again. So come out to Huizenga Plaza sporting your most offensive orange clothing and support the Fins before their home opener against that green team Darrelle Revis used to play for.
Las Vegas! In Miami! In Downtown Ft. Lauderdale at Riverside Hotel’s huge mistake!
Conveniently starting 1/2 hour after the end of the Offensive Orange Pep Rally in a convenient location just three blocks east on Las Olas Boulevard, an outdoor cocktail party! Now, the Riverside Hotel is a building. I am a person. But I really understand the Riverside Hotel. Not their fancy rooms or why they continue to put those ugly gold lions out front, but I understand starting a huge project, sticking with the project just long enough to cause real damage, and then getting tired of the project and completely ignoring it, trying to convince myself there never really was a project. Riverside Hotel decided to expand, evicted several of Las Olas’ more successful businesses, tore down a block of buildings, and then got tired of the whole thing. Years later, we now have…kind of a park! And tonight, that kind-of-a-park is hosting something called “Gravitate”, described as “Las Vegas Nightlife with South Beach Style”, and then in much smaller letters “on the lawn at Riverside Hotel.” The New Times has a blatently self-promotional slideshow of photos from a previous Gravitate event. Take a look at the pics and if it looks fun, be there tonight, and be sure to get your VIP table and bottle specials. I looked at the pictures, and I plan to attend anyway.
A new spot to get some caffeine in your veins, an old local favorite with a view that can’t be beat, a hidden gem reader recommendation and we are back with three more fine locations for your next pick-me-up.
As the third coffee shop in it’s location, you might say Brew LaLa has some pressure to succeed, and we’re not talking the pressure that percolates the espresso into your latte. Situated a bit of a way off the main drag of downtown Ft Lauderdale eateries and other businesses, Brew LaLa has it’s work cut out to attract customers. The upside is they offer food such as wraps, salads, and baked good. However, unless they’re still settling in and since visiting have made changes, even the most gourmet food cannot make up for coffee at a coffee shop being served from one of those plastic pump containers. Come here if you want a quick bite or some quiet time to take care of that paperwork, as there will probably be few others there to distract you.
St. Bart’s Coffee Company
845 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd
With tasty breakfast, lunch, coffee, and smoothie options and a pristine view of Ft Lauderdale Beach’s turquoise waters, it’s hard not to be compelled to revel in the moment and blow all your money at this relaxing ocean-side eatery. Away from the chaotic main stretch of beach shops and restaurants, St. Bart’s comfy atmosphere, cool tunes, and friendly service will easily make you feel like you’re on vacation. $12 can’t be spent any better way than on a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, bagel, chopped salad with cheese, and an iced soy latte.
Expresso Drive-thru Coffee
1900 S Andrews Ave
Do you hate resorting to Starbucks or DD but need something fast and can’t spare a minute to get out of your car? Then the reader-recommended sweet little shack known as Expresso is your answer. Their wide variety of coffees and genuine service is perfect for when you’re shot for time. They even have a chalkboard menu with changing food choices such as Quiche, tuna salad, and cold pastas. Don’t be surprised if you come up short and are told you can owe them later : )
It took several months, but I finally made it to the brink of Broward County to taste one of South Florida’s better burger at Charm City Burger Company (Facebook fan page link). After reading the overwhelming amount of positive reviews about this place’s food (check out the links at the end of the post), I put it at the top of my must-try list. What can I write about this hole-in-the-wall eatery that hasn’t already been written? After one bite of their 8 oz. Cowboy burger, there’s no denying that this is one of the best burgers in our metro area. Along with the burger, I sampled the french fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries, and chocolate Blue Bell milkshake. The meat was juicy, the bacon was crispy, the aged cheddar was melted just right, and the grilled and sauteed veggies were perfect toppings. Both types of fries and rings were tasty as well — I give the onion rings a slight edge in taste (sadly though, they only give you 5 rings); however, the sides were greatly overshadowed by the belly-busting burger and the thick ice cream milkshake that would give Jenny Craig night terrors.
Enough about the details that the local food bloggers has already covered. I’ve read a lot of deservingly great reviews about this Deerfield Beach restaurant’s meat and fried side orders, but I have yet to read anything about their veggie burger. You might ask yourself, why would anyone go to Charm City and order a meatless burger? Well, it just so happened that 2 animal-friendly people at my table willingly ordered the Hippie, a burger made of mushrooms, black beans, and herbs. I asked famed FTLC blogger Strawberry Jam and Edos Minnos (the FTLC’s future Turkish restaurant correspondent) their opinion of Charm City’s cow-free burger. Here’s what they said:
“It was filling, juicy, and well-seasoned. The bun was disappointing. Just because you don’t want meat doesn’t mean you want to forego the tasty sweet bun the other burgers get.
Ps: They should include sides as a meal. And sell cole slaw.”
– Strawberry Jam
The veggie burger was piquant and satiating…but to be completely honest, it wasn’t the greatest veggie burger I’ve ever had, so I can’t think of anymore adjectives.
– Edos Minnos (pronounced Ay-dosh Me-nosh)
I was able to steal a few bites from S Jam’s meatless burger, and I thought it tasted excellent. Keep in mind though, I don’t usually opt for vegetarian options at restaurants, so I don’t have much to compare.
So apparently Charm City isn’t perfect, so what. I agree with the multitude of positive reviews about this place, and recommend it to all of the FTLC’s carnivores. This is a must-try if you enjoy a good hamburger. If you choose greens over beef, don’t miss trying their milkshake and onion rings and in my opinion, the Hippie is worth a taste.
Some additional notes:
I enjoyed the eclectic selection of indie music they played while we were eating. Songs by Passion Pit, Ratatat, and the XX were all heard at some point during our meal.
The staff is extremely friendly, and didn’t mind that we took 5 minutes to decide between a vanilla or chocolate shake.
