What is going on with the Fillmore Miami Beach?

I'm salivating.  I haven't been this excited about a series of concerts since... actually I don't know if I can even remember so many high quality shows at one venue so close together.

What is this signaling exactly?  Here is a little quirk about Miami that forever pains local artists and followers of underground music: we really don't have a large enough audience base to support much of a scene.

It's sad, I know.  I also would say that we have a lot of cards stacked against underground music in this city, such as zoning laws and massive population movements away from groups of people that are traditionally fans of rock n' roll music.  In non-euphemistic terms, white people like rock n' roll, but they haven't been staying in Miami for very long for about 20 years now.

With those factors, there is a complete lack of several resources to support anything remotely close to a live music scene.  While most large cities have several mid-sized venues to fit mid-level national touring acts, Miami is severely lacking.  It's so bad that most live music in Miami happens in underground clubs and bars, not true music venues.

While someone may point to Ft. Lauderdale venues like Revolution or Culture Room, Miamians (at Ft. Lauderdalians - I really need to think of better ways of describing people from the two counties) are not known for their wanting to cross county lines.  A strange quirk of heading North to "enter" the United States.

Also, touring bands absolutely hate coming to a place like Miami.  4 hours driving to get from one city to the next, and if you can't line up the proper line of venues, then it's up to a 9 to 15 hour drive to head to the next state.  And after playing a concert and exhausting yourself, who wants to sit in a van for a full day to get to another venue?

And while the whole time I'm pondering where mid-level bands can be housed in Miami, an old favorite is staring me right in the face.

What the heck is going on at the Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach?  Did they get a booking agent who has incredible taste in music?  Possibly the "hipster" and Indie music scene is growing so much that it justifies paying the costs of bringing down a mid-level touring band.

Either way, I am seriously excited, as are a lot of people I'm sure.  Here are some highlights of their upcoming shows:

Monday, March 22, 2010
An Evening with Wilco

Sure, Wilco may be most well known for lead singer and songwriter Jeff Tweedy's nervous breakdowns, but if genius often comes with the price of insanity, then Tweedy is a great example of the dynamic.

Wilco has now officially become the most popular band for the oft-over looked Alt-Country genre, which may originally have been born from Tweedy's first band, Uncle Tupelo. While some of his albums and songs are absolutely fantastic, such as Summer Teeth and Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, Wilco can also fall into the "that's a bit over my head" category with A Ghost Is Born - an often times ambient noise, abstract, jammy album, i.e. music that I kind of don't understand and have a feeling most other people don't either but say they do because it will make them look smart to like abstract music.

But, it's the risk you take when you listen to a band that has it's own personal highs and lows. Beware, bceause I'm sure as much as Wilco may play a lot of great songs, they'll probably have long, droning sessions of ambient sound.

Thursday, April 1, 2010
Arctic Monkeys

Described as the band you should like if you like bands such as The Killers, Modest Mouse, or The Bravery (even though from the little I've heard of them, they really sound like a combination of The Editors, MUSE, and Death From Above 1979). Tristan Clopet even did a cover of their song, Cornerstone, as part of his Living Room Series.

These guys have been considered a great band since the release of their first album when they were just 17 years old! Any musician, professional or weekend warrior, can tell you the focus required to become a major touring band takes an incredible amount of work, and to have pulled that off at such a young age is fantastic and, hopefully, inspirational to other young musicians everywhere.

So basically, to get to that point they have to be, for lack of better term, "the shit."

Friday, April 9, 2010
Of Montreal

Of Montreal is no stranger to Miami. They've been appearing here periodically over their existence, as places like Polish American Club and The Vagabond (when it was known as I/O Lounge).

Going about describing Of Montreal isn't quite that easy. While they are a vocal heavy, Indie-ish rock band, they are times harmonous and dissonant. Their sound challenges traditional expectations of a stereotypical "soft" Indie band, and pushes into a challenging role similar to other bands like Cursive.

I love 'em. I think they're unique, but don't go so far as to become noise. Their songs have a feel of being clumsy and heavy handed, but really is quite delicate and technical.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
David Gray

Is David Gray trip hop? I've been asking myself that question for a couple of years ago. I mean, he does have the ethereal feel of trip hop legends Portishead, but is also closely related to Esthero and other ambient rock acts.

Either way, his music is great to make out and have sex to! Not that I'm promoting anyone to do that in the halls of the Fillmore (because it's unsanitary), but definitely plan on having a night of relaxation and chill vibes. Brownies sold separately.

Friday, April 16, 2010
Loudes 68 Urban Hip Hop Tour Presents: Raekwon

I may not be a fan of Hip-Hop but I sure as hell can recognize the importance of Wu-Tang Clan, especially Raekwon's first solo release, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...

I really can't speak much on his music because personally I don't get hip-hop, but to see a heavyweight hip-hop artist appearing in the same venue as Stephen Stills is a thing of beauty.

Saturday, April 17, 2010
Stephen Stills

One of the guys from Crosby, Stills, Nash, & sometimes Young?  Awesome.

What would the 60's think of today?  Do they look down upon us because we've become a generation of non-activist sheep of comfort?  Or would it marvel at how infused art has become with everyday life?

Would the 60's think that we've become desenitized to the world around us?  Or would it think how incredible it is that "mainstream society" has accepted our differences?  Would people who got beat up for having long hair marvel at the fact that a person dressed as Marilyn Manson will be asked by a 50 year old couple to have his picture taken with him (which I witness happen at Artopia 2010)?

Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Black Keys

God do I love The Black Keys.  When I used to work at Borders Bookstore we would always receive free promotional CDs that would be split up among the staff.  One day I was looking through the pile of CDs and found a copy of The Black Keys' Rubber Factory, because they were signed to Epitaph Records.

Just to put it in perspective, this was a time when a band like Eagles of Death Metal, a pure blues-rock trio featuring Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, got a lot of mainstream success.  I sorta liked EoDM, but The Black Keys made them look like a pale replica of blues infused rock.  Rubber Factory, to this day, is still one of my favorite albums.  The songs are appropriate.  And when it comes to a very well defined genre of music, like blues, keeping in line with your roots, is a hard feat to accomplish.

Saturday, April 24, 2010
Porcupine Tree

Established in the late 1980's, Porcupine Tree is described as a heavily 70's psychedelic jam band influenced rock band.  Truthfully, I'm not familiar with their work as much as I've seen their names in the list of "90's bands worth listening to."  Taking a quick cruise over their wikipedia page and listening to a string of singles, Porcupine Tree sounds like a poor man's Radiohead, with a much stronger Pink Floyd influence.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Band of Horses

I've heard Band of Horses called "The Most Beautiful Indie Band" and that's not in reference to any physical characteristic. While Band of Horses is on my very, very long list of "bands that I should be listening to and am ashamed that I don't know enough of their music," I still have enough of a feeling to say: go see this band!  They rule!

Also, as a side note, Band of Horses is one of several bands ditching their former record label, legendary Sub Pop.  Makes you wonder if they're the new SST (the powerhouse underground 80's punk and indie record label run by Greg Ginn of Black Flag, and eventually imploded due to bad management).

There really is only one question left about the next month and a half: is the Fillmore renting out rooms or at least setting up cots in their hallways?  Because I know that I would live there if I could.

If You Enjoyed This Post, You May Also Like:

• Band of Horses at The Fillmore
• Liz's Photojournal of Day 1 (April 17) of Miami 420 Music Festival at White Room
• Our 1 Year Anniversary Celebration!
• Wolf Parade at the Fillmore 11-10-10
• REVMiami.com Presents: Miami 420 Music Festival, Part I

Tags: Fillmore Miami Beach

This entry was posted on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 6:11 pm and is filed under Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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