I was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cinnamon oatmeal. Nothing special, but that’s what I was doing the morning of September 11, 2001. That day of infamy is one of those indelible events. Like the Kennedy assassination, no one forgets what they were doing when they…
The posing bull, the spotlights — I would have missed it all if not for the flamenco sneaking out through a crack in the door. It probably happens a lot, since La Barraca is best-known for its tapas, paella, and other Spanish cuisine favorites. What it’s not known for is…
It’s possible that the musicians of Washington, D.C.-area punky, metally, bluesy hard rock quintet Clutch do not know how to take a break. They blasted out of the gate running in 1991 with a seven-inch single, “Passive Restraint,” snagged a deal with EastWest Records, and hit the road. Since then,…
J. Thompson The Sword are a hard-hitting, sludgy, but epic quartet from Austin, Texas, who are preoccupied with very metally subjects like Norse mythology and the science fiction writings of George R. R. Martin. And irony be damned, they’re damned serious about it. “It’s not a joke at all,” says…
So today, new R&B sensation Jazmine Sullivan has her debut album, Fearless, available in stores worldwide. She’s got a voice that’s at times, reminds me of Lauryn Hill like on the song above, “Need You Bad,” and at other times, she’s unlike anyone I’ve ever heard. The Philadelphia-raised singer used…
Dixon spins at Aquabooty at The King Is Dead. As our economy takes a turn for the worse, there are still people out there who know what people want to do to forget that their life savings are going to shit — drink and dance. So it isn’t a surprise…
It’s good news to know that the O’Jays are still touring. They were easily one of the best R&B groups of the ’70s and have a long list of hits that should make for a fun show tonight at the Hard Rock. But there’s also been a lot of tragedy…
Attention bands: If you have yet to play one of Oski’s and Queen of the Scene’s mini festivals at Tobacco Road, and if you’ve got a lady or two in your band, here’s an opportunity. The follow-up to last year’s estrogen-heavy Femme Fest is happening this November, and the promoters…
My arrival timing for events is usually pretty hit-or-miss, but this last Saturday I lucked out at PS14. I had headed over to check out Notorious Nastie’s/Astari Nite’s occasional Static Interference event, which was supposed to start at 10 p.m. I arrived just after 11, and nothing had started –…
Festival announcements are happening all over the place. Last week, while most local music lovers were caught up talking about Langerado’s surprising decision to host the 2009 edition of that concert at Miami’s Bicentennial Park, a lot of people missed that the on-again, off-again International Caribbean Music Fest had an…
Argentine rocker Fito Paez made a rare U.S. appearance at Miami’s Knight Concert Hall. Fito Paez Friday, September 19, 2008 Knight Concert Hall, Miami Better Than: Listening to one of those “Rock en Español” anthology CDs. This being my fifth time seeing Fito Paez live, my expectations were very high…
The musical darlings of the Village Voice Media. Rob Harvilla over at the Village Voice reviews Metallica’s latest offering Death Magnetic only after playing it on Guitar Hero III. The album was offered on the day of its release as a 11-track download for the game. Riverfront Times’ A to…
The other day, during a rare occasion of listening to terrestrial radio, I tuned into Power 96, only to eventually hear a confused, all-over-the-place song about, well, a woman’s high potential for finding a sex partner. When my iPhone’s Shazam application couldn’t tag it (and it tags everything, even random…
Friday, September 19: *Argentine rock en español legend Fito Páez performs a relatively intimate concert at the Arsht Center, hoping to gain more fans in the states. Read about his impressive musical track record here. *The album tribute act Classic Albums Live again performs at the Hard Rock, and this…
If you haven’t heard yet of local duo I Set My Friends on Fire, well, you are probably of legal drinking age and/or don’t spend a lot of time on MySpace, so let me fill you in really quickly on what basically every teenager seems to already know about. The…
The fall season is here! Yay! “Why ‘yay?'” you ask. Well in addition to bringing cooler temperatures and hurricane season coming to an end soon, it seems like nightclubs and promoters are waking up from their summer hibernation. The only thing that might rain on this nightlife parade is the…
Just confirmed today: Chicago instrumental almost-metal quartet (and friends of Miami’s Torche) Pelican will play its biggest headlining show to date in South Florida on November 15. As the band has grown in popularity, it’s played in these parts a couple times over the last few years years. Once was…
It’s an early Sunday morning inside Spirits Nightclub at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, and as usual, the ground floor is filled with hip-hop and reggae beats galore. The crowd is largely black, everyone’s having a great time, and the music fits the demographic perfectly. Way upstairs, past…
When it comes to the Caribbean carnival season in South Florida, there’s usually no shortage of fun-filled drama affiliated with the weekend-long fete. Big parties, colorful costumes, and street parades are staples during the high-energy fling, which takes place each year during the second week of October. Carnival is almost…
It is little wonder this Miami-based 30-something has been getting a lot of attention since signing a national distribution deal through a major label. An experienced singer who has appeared on stages in Japan and France as well as at venues like New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, Henry is…
In spite of the fact that this legendary trio hasn’t scored a hit in the 30 years since “Used to Be My Girl” charted back in 1978, the O’Jays still have a huge following among soul-music aficionados around the world. They’re in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for…
In many ways, you could consider this Madrid transplant a Latin pop pioneer. He was one of the first Spanish-language artists to play for arena-sized audiences in the United States (a feat accomplished during his 1997 Vivir tour) without the support of a crossover hit. In addition to that, his…
