Hoping to get away from the winter blues? Looking for a relaxing vacation away with someone special? If so...call Disney World, because you're not going to find this on South Beach during the annual Winter Music Conference/Ultra Electronic Music Festival. Thousands of DJ's, artists, promoters, agents, and any number of partygoers crammed the Miami area during the week of March 16th- March 23rd. While the theme of the week was the business side of the music industry, the real benefactors were the fans who were treated with some smaller venues of major artists, record warm weather, and a party that never stopped.
My first stop was check-in at the Clevelander. The hotel was slammed non-stop from noon to 6am everyday and had quite a lineup of big name DJ's, frozen drinks, and scantily clothed individuals. Unlike a typical "spring break" scene, Miami tends to be made up of a slightly older crowd that can afford the lofty drink and food prices that accompany the many venues. It isn't very difficult finding the inside track to the hottest clubs and bars, with planes flying over the beach advertising in non-stop fashion, though with over 100 World Class artists &live acts on 8 musical stages it’s a tough decision of what to hit and what to miss.
Some of our evening stops included:
Crobar: On Friday evening they presented Timo Maas, Dirty Vegas, Jon Carter, and Mr. C among others. Definitely had to dress, and were prepared for a little wait in line....the doormen can be quite selective at times.
Club Maze: Had an enormous line-up throughout the week, and boasted a 20,000+ square foot club. Phil K, Jonathan Lisles, Austin Leeds, Chris Lake, The Crystal Method, Hybrid, Frank Fernandez, Wyatt Earp, DJ Sense, Ty Tek, John Creamer, Low End Specialists, Jay Household, Bill Patrick, and so on and so on.
With all this talent floating around the clubs, it was no surprise when my casual Friday lunch at the Clevelander came equipped with an enormous impromptu pool party session. DJ Skribble, Anthony Acid, Richie Santana, and Peter Bailey led a pulse pounding set that laid the groundwork for the evening activities. Skribble's hip-hop roots were a welcome addition and served to compliment some of the faster beats his associates chose to spin. Needless to say, this set brought the masses in force, and energy levels just kept rising. By the time the evening had arrived, ten or more DJ's had already spun with more lining up to go.
For those who needed a brief retreat from this madness, a quick escape to Mango's up the road offered every margarita ever thought of, and Latino dancers on the bar and tables. Our next trip was next door to Wet Willys where one can order a frozen drink based on the idea that Everclear (153 proof alcohol) is healthy for human consumption in a party atmosphere. After these two stops the picture becomes clearer and clearer, Miami has an in-escapable theme that seems to work very well.
For those club-goers' looking for a non-stop, high-energy dance party, headlined by the biggest names in the business, follow the conference wherever it arrives next year. Maybe they'll choose Miami again, I can't think of a better place...
