¡Live from MIA!

I was down in Key West with the Sp*m Allstars last weekend  ..

and happened to run across a group of Amish (Mennonites? from Sarasota?) waiting for a trip on a glass bottom boat, named Fury!

Great time had by all, and the Green Parrot was packed … again! I think the Key West Art Festival (l*me) was going on too? oof.

For a good time - click here ->

Sat .Jan 19th – A great night on the beach – Doug Wimbish & Keith Le Blanc along with some of their friends, gave Miami Beach a real low-end (BASS), funky, slap on the … gl*d you could make it! I’m not sure how the City of MIami Beach and Mr. Wimbish hooked up? … but, I like it! (a lot!)

It’s needed something … (finally, imho) for this cursed, chilly and often mis-interpreted “Art Deco Weekend” – ¿q-me?  - Yep, the one part of the year when (we) locals are guaranteed to freeze (yep, below at least 60 degrees!) our tuchus off, along with the poor folks who had to pay $$ for a “Booth” on Ocean Dr.! (ouch) Arepa Queens, tube-socks and … oh, and vintage cars! In our annual quest to figure out this … Cultural/Historical Beach Event? On the plus side – It does have a following.

Anyways – GREAT crowd, complete mix of various visiting, fun folk. With beautiful sounds emanating from – Vinx, Will Calhoun (Living Colour), Adam Falcon and various other guests. Oh, and the awesome Tara Harrison on guest vocals.

TACK>>HEAD was on Miami Beach! … UN-BE-LIEVE-ABLE – yep, right here.

Saw ‘em in BOS at Spit (waay back, ’90+/-? Great Show. The Game is one of my all-time-favorite tracks. Did I mention I got Keith & Doug to sign my 12″/tack>>head (1984) “The Game”?! schweet!

Service continues tomorrow – Lummus Park!

… never been happier … seeing good music and Mr. Lydon / P.I.L.

… killer show, band, time, crowd and City! XO

Friday, May 25, 2012 (night) – A little more of a crowd as the weekend progresses. A lot more traffic restrictions with particular focus on Washington/Collins Ave, from 5th-23th.

But still, all’s pretty quiet on the western front. There’s little room to “have fun” though – there’s the MacArthur “drag” with patrols at every intersection along 5th St. to welcome visitors – “No loud music” & “No handbill/flyer distribution” (part of the “Respect the Scene” campaign). I still saw some folks managing to have fun, although no (obvious) open containers seemed to be the rule.

I saw a few “stop-and-searches” that seemed to go down with nary a struggle. A lot of “security” (hired uniformed guards) mixed in with the police, I guess to help blanket the area and beef up street numbers, most seemed bored with the “big weekend”. ALL security, police & rental, are HQ’d at the convention center, a TON of them! (including the Goodwill ambassadors, not sure about the God Squad?)

Another (lower) level of security (black shirts w/white) was scattered around Miami Beach for low-problem (traffic?) areas, one security guard was watching some barriers and allowing local traffic only from Alton Rd & 14th?! A lonely job that he said ended at 5am. The biggest difference between this year and last? Police presence.

*I think It would be funny if the city had the same approach for Art Basel/DecoFest/WMC one year, no?

MIA

… I’m having fun with the new “creative” direction (ripping off old postcards!) for friends, the Spam Allstars.

ORL

YBO

It all – vintage-FL/miami-historic & vibey – kinda, seems to snap into place.

GEN 

*Special thanks to – D. Ser & S. Bramson (who has the largest collection of Floridiana in the WORLD!) – *My new favorite word: Floridiana (Florida Memorabilia). A small sample of some of my other design work, available here. 

Excited to see Irvine Welsh‘s new movie (dir. Rob Heydon) Ecstasy this Friday (3/23/12) in dwntwn MIA – VIP/US/Premiere/Party!

… stay tuned for more!