State of the Art - Friday, February 27, 2009
ArtOfficial's State of the Art comes to White Room (1306 N. Miami Ave) tomorrow, Friday, February 27.
A combination of art, music, and emcees, State of the Art is the kind of party that is essential for Miami to thrive. Offering a multi-faceted, multi-creative party is indicative of the recent philosophy in developing Miami's creative communities; different disciplines working together to create an amazing event.
Also, for those who don't know ArtOfficial's music, they sound similar to The Roots and a jazzier version of Infectious Organisms. They're one of THE bands in Miami right now. Their music is absolutely fantastic - and I'm not even a fan of Hip-Hop!
I'm really excited about this party.
I wrote some questions to ArtOfficial's Logics about State of the Art and ArtOfficial. It's great to see a band taking the initiative to put together parties like this - I wish more would do it.
Could you explain the inspiration behind State of the Art?
We started this event in late 2006 when the owner of I/O (now Vagabond) gave us our own event after seeing us play one night.
At first the event didn't have a name or a real concept. Eventually I/O closed down and we moved our night over to PS14right next door. That is where we began doing the event monthly and developed the whole concept along with [Notorious] Nastie.
The event is no longer monthly, of course, now we organize it every couple of months but the idea is the same. We wanted the event to bridge the developing art scene with the developing music scene and showcase the whole package to an audience of our peers.
Currently the event is hosted at White Room and that's allowed us to take advantage of a larger space and the whole indoor/outdoor vibe there.
Since this is your event can you describe your relationship with each of the bands involved?
It's funny that you mention relationships because when we started this event, we didn't have relationships with anyone! We would ask strangers whose material we liked if they wanted to be part of what we were doing. This city is so small though, that eventually you meet just about every artist in town. Sometimes they approach you before you approach them.
About the band: Saltwater Grass is actually from Jacksonville and we are connected to them via our sax player Keith Cooper. They have their scene on lock over in Jacksonville. Bred Crumbs is an up and coming R&B band who is a bit new to the scene in Miami. It's always fresh to expose new talent! La Guardia we met through an event he was a part of called Hip-Hop For Human Rights. We dug what he was doing, so we asked him if he wanted to be a part of the event. And finally Arrowax [is a group comprised of] Seven Star and Omniscience and they are both vets of the Miami Hip-Hop scene who we've known for years.
Mashup Crew are also old friends and bad ass DJs. Their name says it all.
You guys are really starting to blow up... what do you feel has been the key to your success?
I wouldn't say we're "blowing up," but I think we have created a certain level of awareness among the people in Miami. There's only so much you can do in this town though, so we're hoping to generate that same awareness on a national level.
The key to success is to 1. have good music 2. build relationship by playing and getting your music everywhere you can and 3. Be at the right place at the right time.
What role does Miami play for you guys? How do you feel towards the city?
A lot of people hate this city and want to escape it. I have to say I was one of them, but seeing how the art and music scene has grown makes me proud to be here witnessing it first hand.
Like I said before though, there's only so much you can do here unless your in the Latin music market side of things.
Is there anything else you want to add about State of the Art or ArtOfficial?
State of the Art! It's this Friday! If you're reading this, consider this a personal invitation. Our goal is to put together something special for those who want to party as well as those who like me, just wanna hear some good music and look at good art. It's also Danny Keys and Newsense's birthday celebrations, so buy them a shot or six.
LINKS
ArtOfficial's Website (www.artofficialmusic.net)
State of the Art Facebook Event Page (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=64618397925&ref=nf)
State of the Art Myspace Event Page (http://event.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&eventID=490304.34684)
If You Enjoyed This Post, You May Also Like:
- Weekend Videos: ArtOfficial, Otto von Schirach, Borscht Film Festival
- Big City Breakdown 4: ArtOfficial - "Gone"
- REVMiami.com Presents: REV Miami II
- Weekend Videos March 6-7: Tristan Clopet, ArtOfficial, and Sharks on the Metromover
- Miami Music Town Hall Meeting: The State of the Miami Music Industry
NOTE FOR COMMENTS: Do not flame or leave obnoxious comments, THEY WILL NOT BE APPROVED. Constructive criticism should always be welcomed by any artist, but don't be a d-bag, show some class. Thanks. - REVMiami Staff
