Miami Attractions

Miami Radar: Toots and the Maytals Recreate History

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:50:05 -0400

[CDATA[If you've been to high school, chances are you've had a ska phase. Except for you, ska was probably the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Sublime and No Doubt. Those guys wouldnt even exist if not for Toots and the Maytals. You should go see these guys just for the historic factor. They were the ones who coined the word "Reggae." What was once a dance fad in Jamaica has now spurred a name for an entire genre of music? If not for the Toots, what would Reggae be called? Strong beat music? Calypso sounds? Doesn't quite work. Go honor these history makers Sunday at Culture Room. ]]

Miami Radar: My Morning Jacket Rock Out With Their Jackets On

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:26:24 -0400

[CDATA[Save the date, Miami. My Morning Jacket are coming to town. The Kentucky based band have been making music that sounds like it comes from Kentucky ever since the late 90s, but have lately expanded their repertoire to include funk, psychedelic, and soul. I've seen them twice, once this year and once six years ago and they sounded like completely different bands. Nowadays, you can expect a very long set, sometimes reaching to the three hour pinnacle, during which time Jim James will don a cape, use four different guitars and a Casio toy keyboard, and be very very epic. It's not so much a live show as it is a live experience. The band plays this Friday at The Fillmore. ]]

Miami Radar: 24 Hour Project Makes Drama Stressful

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:44:00 -0400

[CDATA[For those who feel that there isn't enough competition in theatre, this is the event for you. The 24 Hour Theater Project takes all the fun of writing and staging a production, but compresses it enough to make it agonizingly stressful for everyone involved. Last night at sundown some of Miami's best playwrights were given a random title, most likely something ridiculous, and told to write it by sunrise. Then the eight finished (or unfinished) scripts are handed over to some heavy-hitting actors and directors and made to stage it by the end of the day. At 8 p.m. tonight, you can see the finished results, for better or for worse, at the Miracle Theatre. It's like regular theater, but much more painful for everyone involved, which makes it much more entertaining for you. ]]

Miami Radar: Animal House, The Party

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:03:56 -0400

[CDATA[This version of Animal House takes the title much more literally than the John Belushi version, although the DJ will be Jemz Belushi. Head to White Room this Saturday for some animal themed partying. Get decked out in animal print or costumes and you can get in for reduced cover. This is your chance to see a bunch of drunk Tigers without getting mauled to death. Themed parties are pretty hit-or-miss so let's hope this one's good. ]]

Miami Radar: Smashing Pumpkins Hope You Still Like Them

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:20:36 -0400

[CDATA[It's 1996 in Miami! First there was the Stone Temple Pilots playing yesterday and tonight there'll be a performance by everyone's favorite 90's alternative band not led by Kurt Cobain, the Smashing Pumpkins. In 2000, after citing the success of Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys as a reason, Billy Corgan broke up the band. For the next seven years, Corgan tried desperately to stay relevant, assembling the "supergroup" Zwan, recording a solo album, and writing and releasing some of the worst poetry ever written by humans. Not coincidentally, following the failure of all these things, he decided last year to reform the band. Granted, the only original members are Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain, but as long as they're playing songs from Melancholy and Siamese Dream, I'm happy. Sometimes you have to look past a guy's douchebaggery. ]]

Miami Radar: Stone Temple Pilots Pretend its 1997

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:29:27 -0400

[CDATA[Remember the Stone Temple Pilots? After the colossal failure that was Velvet Revolver (at least aesthetically) they're back together. Well, they're not making any new music, but they're still performing their old stuff. Well, at least in between Scott Weiland's routine rehab-stints. With the recent craze in band reunions, going to a concert is beginning to feel like stepping into a time machine. Only once you go back, everyone is ten years older and ten years worse for wear. Either way, once you hear the first few chords of "Vaseline" or "Sex Type Thing" you'll get excited. Nostalgia works in mysterious ways. STP plays tonight at Hard Rock Live. ]]

Miami Radar: Mandarin Lessons at Mr. Chu's Hong Kong Cuisine

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:00:14 -0400

[CDATA[If you consider yourself a foodie, this is an event you can't pass up on. Dim sum isn't just food, it's a way of life. These Chinese versions of tapas aren't just egg rolls and fortune cookies. No, these are seafood, meats, and tofus enveloped in rice, noodles, and buns or just served on their own. This is the ultimate way to snack. The folks at Mr. Chu's Hong Kong Cuisine are making it so that you don't have to go out to a Chinese restaurant anytime you want dim sum. With their Mandarin Lessons tonight you'll learn how to make them yourselves while simultaneously learning how to speak the language to order it for yourself. Not a bad deal if you ask me. ]]

Miami Radar: Miami Spice Cooking School

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:17:38 -0400

[CDATA[Miami Spice is a time of culinary revelry, a time in which some of the finest restaurants in the Miami Area offer excellent full course meals at prices that won't make you sweat. Since it's a month long, there's the risk of enjoying it too much. If you get used to eating this well, it might be hard to go back. It's all fine and good getting great meals and four star restaurants, but eventually you're going to have to stop eating at restaurants. That's why Miami Spice Cooking School is such a godsend. Some of the finest chefs in the city provide interactive demos that will instruct you to cook well for yourself. This Saturday chef Edgar Leal from Cacao Restaurant and Pietro Rota from La Marea will be at Dadeland and Aventura malls in order to help you get out of that Spaghetti and Macaroni funk. Oh yeah, it's free. ]]

Miami Radar: Jim Gaffigan at the Fillmore

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:18:35 -0400

[CDATA[If you haven't seen Jim Gaffigan, you're missing out on one of the funniest comedians out there today. A regular That 70s Show and Conan O'Brien and the creator of Pale Force, Gaffigan is one of those comedians that you don't know that name of but you'd recognize if you saw. I once saw him do an entire comedy routine about cake. Another time I saw him do a whole set about hot pockets. What food will he riff on next? Pie? Ice Cream? Potatoes? No, not potatoes. There's nothing funny about potatoes. He performs Friday at the Fillmore and you should go. ]]

Miami Radar: Can You Rock a Little Softer?

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:22:34 -0400

[CDATA[Regulars of Churchill's are used to hearing some of the heavier and punkier sounds that Miami has to offer. The hottest live music event, though, has become Can You Rock a Little Softer?, an event that eschews power chords and screaming for lightly strummed acoustic guitars and lush vocal stylings. The event, which takes place every Wednesday, attracts some of Miami's biggest bands and artists to strip down their sounds for the benefit of the mohawked audience. It's a strange concept, but it's taken Miami by storm. If you have any interest in music, comedy, or music comedy, I would suggest you check it out. ]]