DJ & dance motivator Bigg Rodd-(R) eggs and two dancing friends at the Clevelender Bar & Hotel at the annual Memorial Day hip hop weekend on South Beach. Photo: C.M.Guerrero.
Velvet underground: May 23-29
By Lesley Abravanel
Thousands will descend upon Miami and its beaches this weekend for the ninth annual Black Beach Week's Urban Beach Week for a celebration of bling, hip-hop, R&B and even soulful house. That's the theme of Afro Desia, a gathering Saturday at The Bar Next Door at Ouzos, 1766 Bay Rd., Miami Beach. From 8 p.m.-5 a.m., a slew of DJs including DJ Questone, Eric Levan, Fred G, Pece, Andrew Soul, Chilly, DJ Chris, and Sela V will spin Afrobeat, house, acid jazz, downtempo and dance classics. Best of all, cover won't blow the bank account at a mere $10. Check out www.residenceparty.com.
Over at The Fifth: The 400 Club is hosting a very hot, haute Memorial Weekend bash; on Saturday, Snoop Dogg is expected to hang out. Cover charges start at $25. (Call ahead to make sure it's not triple that amount.) At B.E.D., it's the strangely titled Miami Memorial Why Not Weekend, featuring DJs Self, Norrie, Envy and more on Friday and Saturday. Dinner reservations are available. At Opium Garden Friday, it's Lollipop, hosted by Lil Wayne, Bird Man and DJ Khaled. Doors open at 10 p.m. sharp and women get in free before 11. Cover for the rest of you starts at $60 and goes up from there.
On Saturday at Opium, it's Saturday Night Live hosted by Fabolous and friends. Same opening times and cover charge as Friday. At Mansion Saturday, We the Best and Cash Money Records presents The Cash Flow Party hosted by DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Baby, Ace, Flo Rida, Fat Joe, Trick Daddy and Lil Wayne. Doors open at 10 and cover starts at $60. On Sunday night, Opium hosts Slip N Slide Records' Miami Heat Party hosted not by our basketball team but by Plies, Qwote, Trina and Rick Ross; at Mansion Sunday, Def Jam Records party hosted by LL Cool J and Friends, and finally on Monday at Opium it's NYC vs. Miami, whatever that means, and at Mansion, Last Call for Alcohol party hosted by DJ Khaled (who will surely need a vacation after this weekend), Kfoxx and Bigg Will. We asked Opium Group spokeswoman Vanessa Menkes what, exactly "$60 and up'' means. "Covers start at $60 and can go up throughout the night depending on space and availability of tables," she says.
Fondly and wistfully remembering is Twist with Warsaw Nights on Saturday featuring resident DJ David Padilla and guest DJ David Solero spinning house music all night long. Oh, and by the way, there's a theme beyond beloved Warsaw -- it's military camp, which may come in handy should you choose to check out Red Light, the funky new restaurant in Biscayne Boulevard's Motel Blu, where L.A. meets the East Village meets, well, Biscayne Boulevard, and there aren't just views of the river but smells of them as well. You can't get any more off the beaten path than this, and while we didn't have a chance to check out the food, which is organic and pretty creative, we did manage to have a few drinks downstairs, where in due time, a lounge and raw bar will debut. Take the location, a mix of local hipster types and curious, cautious motel guests, full bar and gourmet menu and you've got a colorful alternative to the monotonous, that's for sure.
- Current 84.2 °F
- It's an alfresco night
- Try a Grove sidewalk cafe
Still thirsty?
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Take a club tour, haunt a happy hour or check out the latest concert news in Nightlife.
