Our society is in a crisis of cultural appropriation. JK Rowling’s History of Magic in North America injected still very active Navajo traditions into her fictional world of wizardry as carelessly as The Life of Brian rewrote the Bible. Katy Perry’s inane and convenient adoption of Native American, Egyptian, and…
March in Miami was decidedly one-sided. With Miami Music Week and Ultra storming into town, if you didn’t enjoy dance music, you probably spent a lot of time inside catching up on Netflix. But we have good news, Miami. April is looking pretty damn eclectic. We’ve got Duran Duran on…
A unifying theme for those who grew up in Miami’s tightly-knit hardcore scene of the late ’80s and early ’90s was the abundance of quality bands that churned out releases and filled the calendar with events. It was a wonderful time for hardcore in the Sunshine State and the world…
For a man obsessed enough with geography to not only name his band Beirut, but to write songs with titles like “Gibraltar,” “Perth,” and “Santa Fe,” it’s surprising that Zach Condon has never before played Miami. “I have visited many times,” the Beirut founder tells us over the phone. “I…
Pearl Jam is finally on its way to Miami next week after what feels like forever. But this time the godfathers of grunge may not escape with simply getting drunk at Club Deuce and jamming out in Little Haiti. Vedder and company will have to dribble through Dwayne Wade first…
You have to hand it to Duran Duran. Nearly 38 years since the group formed, it’s still going strong, adapting to changing times and forging its own path forward. Once dismissed by critics as poseurs of Britain’s so-called New Romantic movement — replete with those multitiered haircuts and garish fashions…
“You complete me!” When most hear this bold, tiptoeing-dangerously-on-the-edge-of-creepy declaration of love, the first thing that comes to mind is that when Tom Cruise steps up to the plate (get it, because baseball?) and tells Renee Zellweger how he really feels about her in the Cameron Crowe classic Jerry Maguire…
Of all the things I saw at Ultra this year — which included a man in a Hillary Clinton mask, a 50-ton fire-spewing spider, and Porta-Potties that were 87 percent urine — this was the most disturbing: I was walking up the path to the Live Stage behind a couple…
There is perhaps no better people-watching spot than outside the main gates of Ultra Music Festival. Trust us. The fashion, the megaphone-wielding Jesus-preachers — this more entertaining than any Oscar-winning film in the last decade. For the 18th annual Ultra Music Festival, we once again hit the streets with New…
When DJ Jubilee visits her hometown (Miami) there are a few spots she needs to hit up. She’ll go to “that weird Biscayne beach”, to her “homie” Otto von Schirach’s sets, but most importantly, to Miami’s best hip-hop party, Peachfuzz. Peachfuzz, known around these parts as your girl’s favorite party,…
Tucked in the northeast corner of Ultra Music Festival near the UMF Radio stage, dozens are unabashedly grabbing condoms courtesy of the Florida Department of Health. Most pick up the flavored ones that come in pineapple and strawberry varieties, and there the confident few who grab the Magnum XL’s. (Just…
It’s been almost a year and a half since mainstream-indie-rock band Grouplove played its last live set — more than two-and-a-half since its sprawling second album, Spreading Rumours, was released. That extended break might not have been the outfit’s original plan, but for vocalists Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi, there…
When Prince decided to party like it was 1999, little did he, or anyone else for that matter, understand the significance of the year. For the purposes of his song, it was the end of the century and thus a reason to celebrate. However, for electronic dance music, it was…
The two sisters known as Nervo are the world’s foremost female EDM personalities, reaching mainstream success as producers and pop acts. And their accomplishments have opened the door for other female acts to enter the EDM scene, whether Nervo is aware of that or not. “Before, you would Google female…
Today’s young millennials weaned on a lifetime of electronic music can hardly imagine how futuristic and positively alien acid house first sounded to listeners in the ’80s. In contrast to the mostly pop and disco-based dance music of the time, the hypnotic, hard-hitting machine beats and trippy synthetic bass squelches…
When was the last time you told your bro you loved him? Seriously. When was the last time you looked into his eyes, placed a hand gently on his quadricep, and said, “Hey man, I really care about you.” Male friendship is a complicated phenomenon. Taught from birth to internalize our…
With Ultra 2016 in the history books, it’s time to look back at just who exactly came out on top, and who walked away from Bayfront Park with nothing but regret and a T-shirt soaked in other people’s bodily fluids. This year, like every year, we end the weekend with…
Well, it’s over. In the end, Ultra 2016 saw little rain, great performances, and — save for the Prodigy’s last-minute cancellation — minimal hiccups. At 18 years of age, Ultra has matured into a well-oiled festival, running smoothly from the Porta Potty to the Main Stage. Yesterday, the third and…
Ultra is wasting no time getting you excited for next year’s festival. Seconds after the final firework of the night exploded, the Main Stage flashed three dates: March 24, 25, and 26, 2017. Ultra ended its three-day run tonight with a stand out performance by Pendulum. Though there were no…
Ultra day two didn’t exactly get off to a good start. Much of Miami awoke to sporadic showers and threatening dark clouds in the sky. Then, still groggy from the previous day’s events, thousands of Ultra attendees cracked open their laptops to learn that the Prodigy, Saturday’s Live Stage headliners, were…
This morning, around 50,000 hearts were broken when they learned that the highly anticipated Prodigy set was no longer going to happen. But, at least the time slot won’t go blank. Deadmau5, who just had his fair share of drama at Spotify’s Miami Music Week party, announced on Twitter that he will…
Last night, the Prodigy posted a statement on Facebook saying their upcoming Ultra performance, which was slated to happen on the Live Stage tonight at 11 p.m., would be cancelled. “The Prodigy are very disappointed to announce that they will not be performing at Ultra Music festival on Saturday night,”…
