f there's one thing you learn quickly in the nightclub business, it's that cheap gimmicks do not work. The now-diseased Laundry Bar was renowned for providing facilities to wash your clothes while you dance and drink. It was a novel concept, but novelty wears off. Thus, when Juan Loumiep (aka Juan Basshead) and his team took over the space, they changed the name to (305) Music Lounge and focused the bar upon Miami's local culture. The concept was more authentic and less gimmicky, but the name was uninspired and had to go.

Welcome to Black Sheep, the newest identity for the prime South Beach nightspot. While the name may be changing, but the intention is the same: the management behind Black Sheep is providing a venue for Miami's local urban culture. This is a locals bar first and foremost, and one that pushes the underground into the forefront. As you might expect, this is ages away from the trashy mega-clubs that were all-too-prevalent in Miami's recent history. By avoiding the mainstream, Black Sheep (an apt title after all) is able to stay pretension-free.

Juan Basshead (yes, that's what I'm calling him) decided to open the club after years of throwing underground parties and raves with manager BT Paulos. As the popularity of these events soared, the duo decided to obtain their own venue. This allows them to run things their way, and as such the design and promotion of the club is constantly being altered. While a design team was originally hired, the managers realized that if the place was going to follow their vision, they would have to design it themselves.

And they weren't shy. The objective was to marry sleek cleanliness with underground culture ("urban chic" if you're so inclined). This explains ubiquitous graffiti designs from some of Miami's most notorious street artists like Crave and Chrome (in the street, no one has names like John or Steve). But rather than spray-paint the designs directly onto the walls, the artwork is moistly contained to canvases and murals, a strategy that brings the street into the semi-upscale club arena.

This provides the perfect backdrop for the club's true focus: music. Open every day, the club spins everything from dub step to drum and bass, break beat, beat house, techno, and jungle. In case you don't know what half of those genres are, there's also a weekly hip hop night, the closest the club comes to pandering to the masses. There's also a Wednesday night party called Ink, an industry night for tattoo artists that will play some rock and roll and hair bands.