Resting the Weekend Before Basel? Here are Five Reasons to Think Again
If you’re not boarding a cruise ship with Napalm Death, you can still catch the metal legends this Sunday at Grand Central. Photo by Cindy Frey
First things first: Have you checked out our guide to all the music going down during Art Basel Miami Beach next week? If not, click here to check out Salty Eggs’ Art Basel music listings now; we’re updating it continually. If you did scan that list already, chances are you may be slightly exhausted in advance, paralyzed by indecision, or worse. But if you thought you could just hide in your hermit hole this weekend, think again. Here are at least five reasons to venture out — hey, you can always sleep in mid-December.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30
The Slackers @ Churchill’s Pub
This New York-based group remains one of the few thriving survivors of ska’s so-called Third Wave in the mid- to late ’90s. Unlike other Third Wave acts of the time, though, the Slackers, led by the smoky-voiced Vic Ruggiero, favored an unabashedly retro sound that looked to Jamaican music of the past. Besides just traditional ska sounds, they have always freely delved into rocksteady and early reggae, along with soul, blues, and anything else that fits the smooth mood. The group plays Churchill’s at least a couple times this year, but tonight’s performance is a pure nostalgia trip .Taking a page from the indie rock book, the Slackers will play their fan favorite 1998 album The Question from start to finish. A bunch of local acts provide support, including the ever-present Askultura.
Doors open at 8 p.m. at Churchill’s Pub, 5501 NE 2nd Ave., Miami. Tickets cost $13; age 18 and up. Call 305-757-1807, or visit churchillspub.com
Peachfuzz’s One-Year Anniversary Party with DJ Laz @ the Garrett
You’d have to be a South Florida native to understand why bass legend and radio hero DJ Laz’s appearance at Peachfuzz tonight is so, so perfect. Even if you don’t get it, though, you can expect a headlining set full of forgotten 808-driven dance oldies and, probably, that remix of “Mami El Negro” and stuff. This appearance coincides with DJ Laz’s attempt at a combination comeback/new attempt at bicoastal dominance, a story recounted in detail in this week’s Miami New Times. As usual, come early if you want to get in to this always-crammed party.
10 p.m. at the Garrett, upstairs at Grand Central, 697 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Admission is free; age 18 and up. Call 305-377-2277, or visit grandcentralmiami.com
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1
Lee Fields and the Expressions @ the Stage
North Carolina native Lee Fields was, for a time, one of those artists best known for his influence rather than his actual work — songs like “Problems,” for instance, turned into samples for tracks by J. Dilla. But the soul great’s career spans some 43 years, with a body of work ranging in style from classic Southern soul to funk to blues. In recent years, Fields has enjoyed a renaissance with a new generation of fans thanks to a deal with Truth & Soul Records. The label’s put him on the road with their house band, the Expressions, and the ensemble arrives at the Stage Saturday night for an evening of proper soul. Local “downtown soul” act Ketchy Shuby opens.
9 p.m. at the Stage, 170 NE 38th St., Miami. Admission is $10 in advance, $15 at the door; age 21 and up. Call 305-576-9577, or visit thestagemiami.com
Mothersky @ Zeitgeist
We’ve got to give credit to the organizers of Zeitgeist, Miami’s only night dedicated to coldwave and other minimal synth-based music. Not only are they battling a local music audience that isn’t known for its devotion to this obscure branch of dark music, but they’re doing it in Coral Gables, to boot. Still, the night keeps trucking on, thanks to a loyal niche audience and regular live performances by a few groups in town carrying on some of these musical ideas. This time around, Zeitgeist features a performance by Mothersky, which the flyers promise will be “taint-shivering.” Seriously, how could you not go se that out of morbid curiosity?
10 p.m. at Chu’s Taiwanese Kitchen and Bar, 2728 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables. Admission is free; age 21 and up. Visit facebook.com/events/291190400993341/
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2
Napalm Death and Municipal Waste @ Grand Central
This show is the first of two metal extravaganzas this week at Grand Central — the second is Cannibal Corpse on Thursday, December 6. This one is decidedly thrashier, because, duh, one of the legends of the genre, as well as one of its best newer acts, both perform. Somewhat absurdly, this is a kick-off to the Barge to Hell, an extreme metal cruise. (Nothing says extreme metal like a buffet and the Bahamas, right?) Anyways, local heavy music fans benefit, so we’re all for it. Other bands on the bill include Hellwitch, Thrash or Die, Promethean Horde, and Masticator.
6 p.m. at Grand Central, 697 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Tickets are $16 in advance, $20 at the door; all ages. Call 305-377-2277, or visit grandcentralmiami.com
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