rock the tropics

2003-08-16T23:36:00.000-04:00

Please bear with us while we move on to bigger things and better places.

Thanks,

Rock the Tropics

2003-05-20T19:44:00.000-04:00

Felix da Housecat
Friday, May 23, 2003
Opium Garden
21+
10 p.m.
Open bar from 10 p.m. -- 11 p.m. (limited beer, presumably limitless vodka)
Careful with these obnoxious only-in-South-Beach club rules: Patrons are advised to "dress to impress," and "bring girls" to ensure getting in. Ack.

You're well acquainted with "electroclash" by now (Felix calls it "dirty glam"). Last week the New Times dubbed this neophyte genre the Best New Music Trend of the year. You drop the word like so much spare change in casual conversation, affecting a posture of familiarity to the point of near-boredom. You've shaken your ass to this odd blend of fat beats and retro sensibilities in all the hip clubs. But have you ever wondered who's behind the hit machine? Felix, architect of the sexiest album in recent memory, last year's Kittenz and Thee Glitz, might be the hippest, coolest, slickest and smoothest of all the cogs. Check him out.

Stardriver, Pygmy, Mona the Canvas, Val Emmrich
Friday, May 30, 2003
Churchill's
$5

Alkaline Trio
with Pretty Girls Make Graves, Pitch Black, Avoid One Thing
Saturday, May 31, 2003
The Factory
6:30 p.m.
$11 in advance, $13 at the door

Emo, it seems, will never die.

Beck
with Dashboard Confessional, Black Keys
Sunday, June 1, 2003
Mizner Amphitheater
7 p.m.
$37.50

Whoa! How'd this line-up happen, again? It's almost worth the $40 admission price just to find out.

Of Montreal
with Great Lakes
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Respectable Street
8 p.m.
$8
The triumphant return of Elephant 6, odd and wonderful psychedelic collective.

2003-05-17T15:26:00.000-04:00

Ok. This is the deal:

Sometime in the next two months comes a complete site overhaul. Same writing, same music, same principles and partisanship, just more attractive and logical and better. Also, updates will be much more frequent, and if you've signed up for the mailing list, you'll be able to choose the frequency with which you receive Rock the Tropics e-mails. As always, feel free to send comments and ideas.

Please proceed.

Spy-Fi Records Party on the Patio
Saturday, May 17, 2003
9:00 p.m.
Hosted by our favorite local emcee, DJ Zira, aka Spy-Fi's Ed Artigas. Hit the patio for an indie pop par-tay.
Churchill's

Big Sky, Remeber the Ocean
Saturday, May 17, 2003
8:30 p.m.
You can even buy your tickets to this fine local show through the very venue, Respectable Street.

The Sounds Album Listening Party
Saturday, May 17, 2003
Swedish quintet releases its début album, Living in America. Come sample the self-proclaimed "future of rock history." Venue will be fully stocked with band-related merchandise.

Poplife Clubwarming,
with the #3 Pencils
Saturday, May 17, 2003
Poplife
30 N.E. 14 Street
Downtown Miami
(3 blocks West of Biscayne Blvd. on 14th Street)
10 p.m.
18+

The best Saturday-night party in town finally relocates to I/O, located in the Next South Beach, Downtown Miami (buy your Design District property now, while it's still dirt cheap!). $3 drink special from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., so you can loosen up before you hit the dance floor.

Grandaddy with Pete Yorn, Year of the Rabbit
Sunday, May 18, 2003
Gosman Amphitheatre
6:30 p.m.
$25

If you choose to shell out the headliner-induced, big-time bucks, you'll catch a preview of Grandaddy's new album, Sumday, even before the kids at the Respectable Street listening party on June 13 (see below for details). You'll have plenty more cred points, too, since you'll be seeing and hearing the real thing, live. You will also potentially be assigned the nickname "Hardcore" (refer, again, to ticket prices for details). Not a bad gig. For extra kicks, the opening band, Year of the Rabbit, boasts a cool band name, cool resident graphic artist, spankin' new record label contract (courtesy of Elektra), and début full-length release on June 24. There: now you have more than enough reasons to dig into the wallet/trust fund and make the drive.

David Dondero
with Scott Nixon, J.C. Moya, Zira, and The Stop Motion (unplugged)
Sunday, May 25, 2003
Billabong Pub
8:00 p.m.
$5
18 and up
Presented by Firefly Music.

Radiohead Listening Party
Friday, May 30, 2003
Respectable Street
Radiohead's first single, "There There," off their forthcoming sixth album, Hail to the Thief -- alternately titled The Gloaming,-- will begin to rotate on Monday, May 26, a couple of weeks before the album's scheduled release date of Tuesday, June 10. A track list, European tour dates, and the information I've just relayed are posted in the original breaking-news, bare-bones style here, and elsewhere on their website.

Grandaddy Album Listening Party
Friday, June 13, 2003
Respectable Street
I couldn't tell you how many times I've attempted to dance to "The Crystal Lake" (from 2000's The Sophtware Slump) at various rock-friendly nightlife venues. Awkward as all hell, but that rolling synth line, the backbone of the song, is irresistible, and the guitar makes me want to swing my arms like a marching Girl Scout. Not the prettiest picture, but some of the most exciting and innovative music about. Nature versus machine, the beauty found somewhere in between. That was then, anyway. On June 10, the small-town Cali boys release Sumday, their third full-length effort. The buzz is slowly beginning to make its rounds, and apparently the word is that the new record is less Pink Floyd and more Under the Western Freeway, although the truth, as we all know, is that the beauty of Grandaddy lies somewhere in between.

The New Times' yearly Best of Miami issue is out this week, and I'm more pleased with their local music selections than I ever remember being. That's all due to two excellent choices, which follow.

Lo-fi revivalists Bling Bling got voted Best Indie Rock Band, a much-deserved and well-bestowed laud. For a couple of years now, the boys and girl of Bling Bling have been carrying the torch of raw, unpretentious, hands-barely-on production, keeping it real across South Florida with a series of kinetic live performances. Catch drummer Black Angus in his capacity as party emcee tonight at Churchill's (see above for details).

Posthumous laurels went to Machete, which was found to be the Best Band to Break Up in the Past Twelve Months. What else can I say about Machete in these virtual pages that I haven't already. A good thing rarely lasts as long as they did, and only the Rock and Roll Pantheon knows how many times they got hot-coals close to dissolution, so let's just be grateful for what we had while we had it, and for that ass-spanking last show. Speaking of which, those signed Untitled Music CDs are still sitting on my shelf. (Refer to November 6 entry.) What's up, people?

Other noteworthy recipients of Best Of nods were WVUM for Best Rock Radio Program and The Spam Allstars for Best Band Name, apparently just to give 'em something, because they're so damn good.

Until next time. Keep it bookmarked, keep it real.

2002-11-10T20:09:00.000-05:00

Guided By Voices pictures are in!

Digitally captured at their October 22 show at The Factory in Fort Lauderdale by Dana Winrow.

Digitally remastered and arranged by levitcleos.com.

Attended by yours truly, and by the fine folks listed above.

2002-11-06T15:43:00.000-05:00

               • Upcoming shows
               • Machete : news and out-of-print CD giveaway
               • Guided By Voices : commentary, pictures, and activities!
               • Feedback

Upcoming shows

Japanese noise band will bring down the house, the neighborhood, and any melodic shoegazy ideals you may still be holding onto. Welcome.

Melt-Banana
with the Kite Flying Society
Friday, November 8
Revolver
Doors at 10:00 p.m.
$10
18+

Spy-Fi Saturdays
featuring Pivot, Secret Service, Vidavox, Vangard
Saturday, November 9
Billabong Pub
$5
18+

Rainer Maria
with Rilo Kiley, See Venus, Poulain
Tuesday, November 12
Curchill's
Doors at 9:00 p.m.
$8 tickets available at various indie outlets and through PopLife online
18+

Seattle power pop god and K Records emperor, Calvin Johnson brings himself and a sampling of his label's roster to the country's opposite corner. The lovely, talented and local Faller will inaugurate the festivities.

K Records Showcase
with Calvin Johnson, Little Wings, Wolf Colonel, Faller
Friday, November 15
Polish American Club
1250 NW 22nd Avenue
305.635.2240
$8 at the door
All ages

This following one's a bit sketchy. It was advertised on a long-gone flier I picked up at the Guided By Voices show. Wolf Colonel were billed alongside some other forgettable bands, and referred to as playing an "early set." I'd call in advance.

Wolf Colonel
Saturday, November 16
Billabong Pub
9:00 p.m.

Al is Well, Quit, The Stop Motion
Saturday, November 16
Polish American Club
1250 NW 22nd Avenue
305.635.2240

Untitled Music

Only four months after local talents Machete disbanded and lead singer Justin Gracer left for brighter lights and a bigger city, the group is reuniting for another show while Justin's back in town for the holidays. It'll happen in mid-December, and more info. will be disclosed as more info. is revealed to your humble compiler.

In honor of the forthcoming occasion, I am prepared to part with one copy of Machete's début album, Untitled Music, signed by guitarist Seth Berkey and drummer Kris King. The album was available one night only, during their last ever performance, on Friday, June 14 at Churchill's. But you can get it free and Herbie-Hancocked and for minimal effort: just send Rock the Tropics an e-mail explaining, very briefly, why you should be the one to receive it. I will pick my favorite answer and mail off the rekkid at no cost to the winner.

Universal Truths and Bob Pollard

But of course, everyone's a winner at Rock the Tropics, so I extend to you a present you don't have to lift a finger for. In case you missed the rare South Florida appearance of Guided By Voices at The Factory on Tuesday, October 22, digital photographer extraordinaire Dana Winrow documented the performance in a series of pictures you can check out... well, tomorrow. We are putting the finishing touches on our GBV picture gallery. You'll get an e-mail as soon as we publish it, hot off the virtual presses. In the meantime, we leave you a small token of our appreciation.

dana@spazgirl.com

Feedback

This is where we coddle you into giving of yourself to Rock the Tropics. Did you catch Wilco or Mark Eitzel? Do you take pictures at shows that you'd like to see posted on the Web? Have you seen a local band that's blown you away? Is there anything you'd like to add to this website? Anything you care to comment on? Send all correspondence to rockthetropics@hotmail.com, and let us know if we can use your words and/or images on the site (fully credited to you, of course).

2002-10-22T01:40:00.000-04:00

A necessary update, because too much is coming up to wait any longer.

One of Dayton, Ohio's finest (two?) bands will finally make their way down to Fort Lauderdale this Tuesday in support of their latest album, Universal Truths and Cycles. We weathered a false alarm of their coming over the summer, we counted the miles from our driveways to Bob Pollard's back porch -- have you heard the Sunday afternoon fan drink-along story? -- and at long last will find ourselves a part of the drunken mayhem GBV are sure to bring with them. Superdrag, another fine specimen, will also be attending the festivities to promote Last Call for Vitriol. Don't miss it.

Guided by Voices
with Superdrag
Saturday, October 22
The Factory
Doors at 6:30 pm (!)
$12 in advance, $14 at the door
18+

Looking for something to do on Halloween? Skip the shallow Hollywood scares of The Ring and opt instead for this dark, emotional rock showcase:

The Anniversary, Burning Brides, Bleu
Thursday, October 31
The Viper Room
7:00 p.m.
$10

True, they're cashing in on this whole recent "electroclash" (I prefer "electroglitz," inspired by Felix) craze, but this small-scale festival is a must-see. Huge names. If you're curious as to what the hype is all about, check out Felix da Housecat or David Figurine for textbook definitions of what it's all about.

Electroclash Tour
with Chicks on Speed, Peaches, Tracy and the Plastics, and much more
Friday, November 1
Polish American Club
1250 NW 22nd Avenue
305.635.2240

The Stop Motion, Al is Well, The Groovenics
Saturday, November 2
The Alley

Airing out his record collection on Vanity Fair (didn't Beck do a much less obnoxious, more impressive job on that cover art piece a while back?) isn't enough for this aging pop balladeer: the myth keeps coming on strong. Check it out:

Elvis Costello
Saturday, November 2
Jackie Gleason Theater
8:00 p.m.
$37.50 to $52.50

If you were one of the few lucky attendees at Mark Eitzel's Manuel Artime performance a year ago July, you'll definitely want to see him in a couple of weeks on his return trip to Miami. The charismatic ex-American Music Club frontman will be performing an acoustic show, all courtesy of local promoter JC Moya, who worked and networked his magic two years in a row (and also brought you the recent Bright Eyes show). Rock.

Mark Eitzel
Sunday, November 3
Polish American Club
1250 NW 22nd Avenue
7:30 p.m.

Coming at you next time:

- Couldn't make it out to see Guided By Voices? Read about it here.
- Remember Machete? Of course you do. The South Florida legends' last show reviewed, some of their now-unavailable, signed albums given away.
- More upcoming shows, and then some. Also, look for a major site redesign in the not-so-distant future, and a change of webhome. Suggestions and contributions are always welcome: send e-mail to rockthetropics@hotmail.com.

2002-07-09T20:59:00.000-04:00

The below, for some reason, never made it on the site like it was supposed to. Better late than never? So, as I wrote back in late May, coming soon. Very soon, this time. Like those Dragonball (?) characters gathering energy before striking. Yeah.

2002-05-28T20:00:00.000-04:00

I have a new computer

+

I have an internet connection that works

+

I have regained and redirected my focus

=

Rock the Tropics is back, with a vengeance and with a facelift. Although the facelift won't be as much (if at all) cosmetic as it will be conceptual. Or something. So. Coming soon.

2002-01-16T21:07:00.000-05:00

I've been neglectful over these past few weeks. Working, sleeping whenever possible, reading ( I think I'm starting to miss college, can you believe it? ), and otherwise leading a frankly "square" existence. But the prospect of seeing Atom on Friday has brought me out of hiding, and I see that we have lots to catch up on. So let's get to it.

In the Near Future:

Atom and His Package with special guests Bling Bling.
Friday, January 18 ( that's today )
Revolver
11:00 p.m.

On the same night, Revolver will also be hosting a Cornelius listening party for his new album, Point. There will be highly desirable Cornelius-related giveaways, as I hear it. Also, Matador is hosting a cute ( and challenging ) album-title-related Cornelius contest: click here and log in for more info.

Next Up:

Spy-Fi Showcase: Humbert, Jeff Rollason, Alex Diaz
Saturday, January 19
PopLife
11:00 p.m.
18+

Featuring, this same night, a listening party for the new Nine Inch Nails live album, the regretfully, dramatically, intelligently titled All that Could Have Been. Will there be a viewing of the companion DVD? I don't know. Expect giveaways and the like. Yay for ( boundary-crossing ) Trent.

The Stop Motion
Saturday, January 19
The Culture Room
9:45 p.m.
21+ pay $3, under 21 pay $7

Is it possible? NYC glitzrock dahlings playing in South Florida? You'll have to see it to believe it:

The Strokes
Tuesday, January 22
Billboardlive
Doors at 7:00 p.m.
$18 in advance / $22 at the door
All ages

Seville
with The Remedy Session
Friday, January 25
Revolver

Para, Bet the Rent, Perfect Candidate
Friday, January 25
Mercury Theatre

Rescheduled, long-awaited, finally happening:

Jega
featuring a wealth of special guest DJs and performers
Friday, January 25
PopLife
$10 before midnight, $12 after
Details on the PopLife website.

And, as mentioned before, don't forget this show: The Nebraska collective descends:

The Desaparecidos ( aka Conor Oberst )
with Now It's Overhead and Poulain
Friday, February 1
Revolver

Featuring the listening party for Desaparecidos' first full-length release, Read Music/Speak Spanish.

Other News:

• Pinback are not coming through Miami on their upcoming East Coast tour. Do check their website, though, because they'll be traveling as far as Orlando, which really isn't that bad, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper ( and less traumatic ) than Disneyworld.

• Another near-miss is Cat Power, who was just here. Ms. Marshall will again be nearby on Thursday, February 14, when she plays at The Earl in Atlanta, Georgia. In case you were itching for a road trip.

• New bands, places of local and general interest added to the list of links at left. Check them out.

2001-12-20T02:20:00.000-05:00

In case you need a break from holiday shopping as much as I do. Things to do, things to look forward to:

First Annual Nut Crak 'n' Pop Show / Toy Drive
Friday, December 21
Humbert | Whirlaway | Dolly Rocker | Panda Bite | Bling Bling | The Curious Hair
Churchill's
9:00 p.m.
Admission is $5, or bring in a $5-toy donation for the Hialeah branch of Toys for Tots.

Swivel Stick, Para, Perfect Candidate
Sunday, December 23
Gables Pub

It's time this smart, hilarious Pennsylvania boy brought us his proverbial "Package" ( his music paraphernalia, you understand ) down to the SoFla:

Atom and His Package
with surprise special local guest ( tba )
Friday, January 18
Revolver

And as a bit of a sidenote, if you happen to be in or around Orlando on Monday, January 21, go check out The Strokes with Har Mar Superstar at the House of Blues. Should be one hell of a show, and it's definitely worth car-pooling or road-tripping to. Plan accordingly.

2001-12-11T01:38:00.000-05:00

One. A possible correction.

The Dashboard Confessional date I had listed as December 16 at Freez is highly questionable. It is no longer listed on the D.C. website, so for now let's strike it from the record.

Dashboard is playing in South Florida, however: today, Tuesday, December 11, at the Millenium Club in Pompano Beach. In the meantime, I'm going to do a little research and figure out what happened to the Fort Lauderdale date.

Want more Dashboard news? Read this article, published in last Sunday's Miami Herald.

Two. Big big show news.

Conor Oberst, frontman of the ever-popular Bright Eyes, is on tour with his brand-new hardcore ( yep, you read right: hardcore ) band The Desaparecidos to promote their forthcoming album, Read Music / Speak Spanish, which is scheduled for release in January.

The Desaparecidos will be playing with Now It's Overhead on Friday, February 1 of 2002 at Revolver. Not to be missed.

Three. Did you make it to last Friday's show?

If you did, you know Miami's See Venus put on a tight, lovely performance, and that Maryland's OXES completely stole the show by putting on a fiery set. The three-piece's two guitarists perched on their respective amps on opposite sides of the stage, and every so often leaped into the crowd to prance around or straddle audience members' legs, all the while freakishly focused on their instruments. In the meantime the drummer, who'd previously been lounging onstage in his undies ( um, p.s., not to be crude, but -- was that real? hotdamn! ), held the sound together. It was a beautiful sonic assault, and purely instrumental aside from a punctuating yelp here and there. We ate it up. We want them back.

After the blistering rawk, Georgia's Of Montreal was almost . . . what, picturesque? They played a strong, sweet, and interesting set, but I personally was recovering from OXES and didn't get to enjoy it as much as I would've liked to. Trans Am, the night's pièce de resistance, got the crowd back on its feet, for the most part. ( I'd had too much cheap bourbon and put in long hours at work the day before, so by then I was sitting by the soundboard and listening from afar ). What Trans Am were lacking in the soul department, they more than made up for with an energy that was sorely missing from The Faint's similar robo-pop set back in October. ( October, was it? ) Good, sweaty, nouveau-encore New Wave. Unfortunately, four fantastic bands in one night is a little too much to take in at once. Exhausting. But more than worth the fifteen bucks. Thanks to Aramis and PopLife for putting it all together.

Four. Reminders.

Friday, December 14 : The Velvet Underground Tribute : [ permalink ]

Saturday, December 15 : Bling Bling CD Release and Holiday Party : [ permalink ]

And that about does it for now. Got updates, questions, suggestions, news, offers to fix Rock the Tropics' archives, or just something to say? Drop me a line.

2001-12-01T02:25:00.000-05:00

I am late late late with these news. Apologies to any of you who made the trek to WPB expecting to check out Argentina: if you did, you soon found out their set got canceled. Looks like the future of the band is uncertain -- expect, at least, a temporary hiatus.

Here's one emphatic plea for Argentina to stay together one way or another, creative reassessments or not. For all of us who've listened to "National Anthem" with our mouths hanging open and our eyes big and starry.

For all you Argentina fans out there, now's the time to send the band some feedback and love letters.

[ So yes, please excuse the no-news-is-better-than-old-news-but-I-went-ahead-and-posted-anyway. I just got out of work. I never had the chance. Mea culpa. ]

In other news, the much-anticipated, much-salivated over Machete album is only a month or two shy of its release -- finally. I heard some very promising snippets over the phone last night.

And in related Spy-Fi Records news, Bling Bling, lo-fi pop upstart wonderband fronted by man-about-town Ed Artigas, is releasing its début album, Candy from Strangers, on Saturday, December 15th. There will be a big CD release / holiday par-tay over at PopLife, with special guest Scott Nixon helping Bling Bling friends out by getting the show off to a good start. As always, doors at 11 p.m., 18 and over welcome.

Stay tuned for even more pertinent newsflashes. I'm back, kids. xo

2001-11-29T18:21:00.000-05:00

Be still my heart! I think I just got the best concert news of the year.

Pinback is planning a U.S. tour for February and March of 2002. Not only that -- they are setting up several shows in Florida! Now, I have no idea whether the tour will encompass South Florida, but whatever, even if they only come as far as the Panhandle it'll be good enough. Start counting the days!

No tour dates were specified, but believe you me, the second I find them out, I'll post them here.

If you haven't heard Pinback yet, I strongly suggest you check them out now. They are one of several projects of the multi-faceted, multi-talented, underappreciated genius Rob Crow, as well as of Three Mile Pilot Armistead B. Smith IV ( better known as Zach ). Rob also fronts and/or contributes to genre-bending, mind-blowing bands like Thingy, Optiganally Yours ( most prominently featured on the Powerpuff Girls soundtrack album ), Physics, the brilliant but now-defunct Heavy Vegetable, as well as his own solo work. You can find Pinback's amazing 1999 début album, Pinback, their 2000 EP, Some Voices, and their fresh-off-the-presses Blue Screen Life, at Insound.

2001-11-27T20:33:00.000-05:00

The Rocking Horse Winner's State of Feeling Concentration is one of Insound's top five best-selling albums for the week of November 12 - November 19. Rock on with your bad selves, RHW!

2001-11-24T03:54:00.000-05:00

2001-11-23T04:05:00.000-05:00

Entirely too much turkey! But drinking champagne with the parents and then, later, elsewhere, drinking cheap whiskey with the friends is always a nice way to spend a holiday. Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was a good one. There is much to be grateful for.

Such as these new and upcoming shows!

Beatles Tribute
Friday, November 23 : : that's today!
Revolver

Featuring two Beatles covers each by:

Dolly Rocker | Blame Spree | Faller | Juan Montoya (of Panda Bite) | Plutonium Pie | Future Ex | Justin Howell of Mandala | Broadview | Humbert | Sixo | The Stop Motion

Also showcasing Beatles-inspired artwork by local arteestes. For additional information, e-mail translucentprod@yahoo.com, or call 305.382.9109.

[ P.S. On one of my recent Internet forays, I discovered that Justin Howell -- listed above, of the band Mandala -- actually played music with Felix Pastorius, son of the legendary, late guitarist Jaco Pastorius. Wow. To say the least. ]

Argentina
with Jason Ellis and Legends of Rodeo
Friday, November 30
Respectable Street
8:00 p.m.
$8 cover
18+

Leo Kottke
Friday, January 18, 2002
Carefree Theatre (West Palm Beach)
8:00 p.m.
(Leaving punkrock graffiti all over the notion of folk music. And the man has been around.)

Show Reminders:

ø Love as Laughter with Enon : Friday, November 30 : Revolver : [ permalink ]

ø Medeski, Martin & Wood : Friday, November 30 : Carefree Theatre : Doors at 7:00 p.m., MMW at 8:00 p.m., two sets : $25

ø Trans Am, Of Montreal, Oxes : Friday, December 7 : [ permalink ]

2001-11-06T23:41:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, I know. It's been entirely too long since the last update. Partially because I've been a lazy ass, but also (mainly) because I finally got said lazy ass a job. So I've been uncharacteristically busy, go me! But I've also been collecting bits of information and such on upcoming shows and things, and just waiting for the moment of truth, which has finally come, to share them. Lucky you, huh?

Show Reminders

ø I mentioned a while ago that a certain local show was going on at the Old Fort Lauderdale Museum of History, but the details I was able to dig up were sketchy at best. I've been enlightened today by a flyer I got in the mail, whose contents are as follows:

The Fort Lauderdale Historical Society presents the second annual FUSION Art Show.

An exhibition celebrating contemporary art and Fort Lauderdale's history featuring paintings, photography, sculptures, video & installations by today's local artists. Tour the Old Fort Lauderdale Museum of History and view memorabilia highlighting more than 150 years of history and development of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County.

Featured artists:

Reese Allen | Ricardo Agudelo | Nina Arias| Greg Beinfest | Sas Christian | Steve Fogel | Peter Giovenco | Michael Joseph | Cove Keivit | David "Lebo" Lebatard | Francesco Locastro | Kev Magill | Carlos Maneiro | Anthony Mangicapra | Claude Marquis | Anthony Mewt | K. Mirto | Frank Nitkiewicz | Dustin Orlando

Featured bands:

Hashbrown | The Green Room | Baby Robots | Neptune B| The Spam All Stars

Friday, November 9
6:00 p.m. to midnight
Old Fort Lauderdale Museum of History
at the New River Inn
$5

ø Burning Airlines and Garrison still set for their Fort Lauderdale appearance in November. Doors at 7:00 in the pee-em. Date, location, address can be found here.

Upcoming Shows

PopLife Showcase #5
Saturday, November 17
The Remedy Session :: 1:00 a.m.
Secret Service :: midnight
PopLife
Doors at 11:00 p.m.
18+

Dick Dale
with Boxelder
Tuesday, November 20
Respectable Street

Love as Laughter
with Enon
Friday, November 30
Revolver

[ Sidenote on the Love as Laughter show: Band fansites and their own website list November 30 as a Tallahassee date, but they could very well have outdated show listings, and I've seen the Miami show psoted on reliable websites across the 'Net. I suggest you check with the peeps at Revolver to make sure all goes according to plan. ]

Argentina
Friday, November 30
Respectable Street
8:00 p.m.

With apologies to Paul Westerberg: I'm in love / what's this show? / I'm in love / with this show:

Trans Am
and Of Montreal
with OXES, See Venus, Panda Bite
Friday, December 7
The Polish American Club
1250 NW 22nd Avenue
Doors at 8:00 p.m.
$15 cover (a pittance! a token!)
18+
(Presented by PopLife and Alter Ego Scribbles Arts Foundation.)

[ Not only do you get two drop-dead out-of-this-world fantastic bands, but also artwork, a puppet show, Japanimation, and live DJ sets between bands. Does anything get better than this? Didn't think so. ]

And, as previously mentioned:

The Velvet Underground Tribute Show
Friday, December 14
Baby Robots | Mr Entertainment | Bling Bling | Maypop | Wolfboy and the Fantods | The Bikes | The Remedy Session | Rom | Whirlaway | Full Medicine Cabinet | The Kaptain
Respectable Street

Bling Bling CD Release Party
Saturday, December 15
PopLife
Doors at 11:00 p.m.
18+

Whew. Not much running commentary at the moment, I know -- the remains of my leftover energy are going to be employed for moving myself from this here chair to that there bed. Excuse me while I crash. More news as soon as I hear of them. Sweet dreams of Trans Am, Of Montreal.

2001-10-25T01:21:00.000-04:00

and what costume shall the poor girl wear . . .

(Reliable) rumor has it that a Velvet Underground tribute concert is in the works. We're looking at the near future (December? January?) as far as a tentative date, and West Palm Beach as far as rough location. Lots of quality local bands covering their favorite VU songs . . . Conceptually, thus far, this is my favorite local tribute show to date. I just hope it's ultra, ultra glam. Banana props optional.

. . . to all tomorrow's parties?

2001-10-23T12:48:00.000-04:00

I was actually going to update yesterday morning. But, bless FPL, the power went out as I was typing up the end of the Microphones review, and I lost everything. Needless to say, I was completely deflated, and chose to take a nap rather than type up the whole messy thing again.

Which means that I also neglected to remind of the Beachwood Sparks show, which happened yesterday, October 23. In case you missed it, they opened for the Black Crowes at the Sunrise Musical Theatre. Tickets ranged from $39.50 to $29.50 (not that you need to know any of this anymore, but maybe the exorbitant pricing will make you feel a little better about not going). Did you go after all? Tell me how it went.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Show Reminders:

ø The Anniversary with Superdrag, Mars Volta (ex-members of At the Drive-In -- woohoo!), and Mates of State. Here's a link to the particulars (cover, address, etc).

ø Hey Mercedes this Sunday, October 28 at Respectable Street. With New End Original.

Show Review

So The Microphones played at PopLife this past Saturday night, although my friend and I ended up referring to "them" as "the lone Microphone," since it was just Phil Elvrum (of Old Time Relijun, D+), his acoustic guitar, and a teeny Casio (?) keyboard gyrating in front of the mic.

He was engaging and spastic and wonderful, but PopLife proved to be a disastrous venue. It's always been kind of hectic, hosting live music out in the courtyard, next to the fountain of croaking frogs, vision-restricting foliage, and oblivious club kids making their way to the hip hop room or the dance room, but generally the bands have been good about turning up their amps and drowning out the commotion. But Phil's quavering whispers and gentle strumming were no match for the general chaos that night. The door to the hip hop room was propped open throughout most of the performance, to the point where Phil -- ever the good sport -- found himself incorporating the offensive beats into his songs, and cracking Vanilla Ice jokes. Which was cute and witty and all, but at the end of the night both he and the tiny crowd clustered around the stage were visibly irritated.

So it't too bad this review is less about The Microphones and more about embarrassing venue conditions, but let this serve as a call to audiences, promoters, venues, and rude scenesters everywhere: if you treat your bands like this, they're going to stop coming altogether. It's not like they're clamoring to make the trek down to South Florida as it is. So watch out. And for God's sake, have a little consideration.

2001-10-18T21:13:00.000-04:00

The latest (but not the greatest) from PopLife:

Jega and Lexaunculpt will not perform at the PopLife electronic series show We Eat Beats! this Friday, October 19 (that is, tomorrow). They have plans to reschedule once the homefront situation settles a bit. HALO Vessel, R. H. Rippe, and DJs Misa and Sindri will be going on with the show as scheduled, and of course there's the listening party for the new Aphex Twin record, Druqks, to look forward to. 11:00 p.m., $5 cover, 18+. Check the PopLife website for more details.

And speaking of PopLife, don't forget the I Will Camp in Your Yard Without You Knowing tour, featuring the absolutely kickass Microphones and opening act Blowing Up Babylon. Free tickets will be periodically given away on WVUM, so listen up.

So what do you think about the new site? Rock the Tropics would love to hear your feedback. Also -- sorry to keep bringing this up -- there just seems to be no way to fix the damned archives. If anyone thinks he/she might be able to provide some help or guidance, please let me know. Direct all offers of help and / or letters of love to this e-mail and / or this guestbook.

xo

2001-10-17T00:53:00.000-04:00

Latest News:

ø The Rocking Horse Winner's State of Feeling Concentration is featured as one of Insound's five top selling albums during the weeks of October 8 to October 15. Check out their lists section for the complete top 5.

ø This announcement falls somewhere within the category of "miscellaneous," since it really has nothing to do with South Florida, aside from the fact that we, its indie kid contingent, recognize wicked talent no matter where it comes from. So, kids: we can finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing that End Hits did not, in fact, mark the end of the hits. Fugazi's new album, The Argument, and its companion EP, Furniture, both came out yesterday (October 16) on D.C.'s Dischord Records. Let's hear it for my favorite band, purveyors of possibly the single most influential sound of the 90s. As always, feel free to argue with me.

Upcoming Shows

ø Don't forget the Faller + Swivel Stick + Plutonium Pie show this coming Sunday. Faller plays first, so get there early! Here's a link to the details.

Moonfest 2001
Saturday, October 27
Legends of Rodeo | The Rocking Horse Winner | Pank Shovel | The Yoko Theory | Dubskatta | Remember the Ocean | John Stepp Band | A Kite is a Victim
7:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Eight bands on two stages.
Featuring a haunted house, laser light shows, face painting for the kid in all of us, DJs, film projections, street performers . . . Quite the Halloween extravaganza. Check out the website for more details.

Neptune B | The Spam All-Stars | The Baby Robots | Green Room | Hash Brown
Friday, November 9
Fusion (Old Fort Lauderdale Museum of History)
231 SW 2nd Avenue
Fort Lauderdale
954.463.4431
7:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

ø I'm not exactly sure if the event is called Fusion, or if the club-that-was-the-Ft-Lauderdale-Museum-of-History is called Fusion, since I'm not very familiar with the Broward County area. Please, as always, correct me if I'm wrong.

Burning Airlines
with Garrison
Wednesday, November 14
Freez
909 East Cypress Creek Road
Fort Lauderdale

ø I read yesterday in Pitchfork that Burning Airlines is considering changing the band's name, prompted by the events of September 11. No decision has been made of yet, and no alternative names have been tossed around. We shall see. But don't be surprised if you see them advertised as "B. Airlines" or variations thereof in show flyers, marquees, and the like.

ø As if we weren't counting our blessings enough, The Mercury Program adds another South Florida date to its fall tour! As you already know, they're playing with Engine Down and Fin Fang Foom on Friday, November 16 at Respectable Street in Fort Lauderdale. Here's the info for the second date:

The Mercury Program
with Engine Down and Fin Fang Foom
Saturday, November 17
Churchill's

2001-10-14T20:12:00.000-04:00

Uh oh. The Remedy Session have canceled their performance tonight at the Gables Pub, "due to Alex's injured arm," according to the band's e-newsletter. No word on whether opening bands Future Ex and The Stop Motion are going on with the show anyway. Your best bet is to call up the Pub and check it out (I'm being lazy).

To make up for tonight's cancellation:

The Remedy Session
with Neptune B, The Baby Robots
Saturday, October 20
Surf Café
395 NE Spanish River Blvd.
Boca Raton

Thanks to Leo for passing on the news.

2001-10-11T14:17:00.000-04:00

The Remedy Session
with Future Ex and The Stop Motion
Sunday, October 14
Gables Pub

2001-10-11T00:42:00.000-04:00

• New and noteworthy local show:

Faller | Swivel Stick | Plutonium Pie
Sunday, October 21
Gables Pub
Doors open at 8:00 p.m., bands start at 9:00 p.m.
A very reasonable $7 cover.
21+ technically, but Faller tells me the doorpeople are pretty laid-back. So if you're 21-, leave your I.D. at home, but don't tell them we told you to.

• The following show dates won't get posted on the Gray Area, as they're not taking place in South Florida. Still, they're happening close enough to us that I figured, for those of you getting the itch for an indie rock road trip extravaganza, they warranted a post.

Cursive
with Sorry About Dresden, Gasganno, and Suspend
Saturday, October 13
The Orpheum
8th & 14th
Tampa

Cursive
with Sorry About Dresden
Sunday, October 14
Sapphire Supper Club
Orlando

P.S. Matt Tomich from Sorry About Dresden runs a very cool Replacements mailing list, which you can check out and join by clicking here. Just tell him Rock the Tropics sent you.

Volta Do Mar
with Audio Explorations
Wednesday, November 7
New World Brewery
Tampa

• In website maintenance news, I just found myself a nice free server for Rock the Tropics, which means we should be moving very soon. It also means free image storage, which spells out s-n-a-z-z-y w-e-b-s-i-t-e. Which naturally doesn't mean I don't need contributors still. 'Cos I do.

2001-10-07T19:39:00.000-04:00

I probably should be reading up on breaking news about U.S. attacks on Afghanistan instead of updating this, but you know how the media's been yammering about the importance of entertainment in times of crisis. And it's been a pretty silent week. So here you are, the latest on the South Florida indie-ish calendar. Or so I hope.

• Upcoming Shows:

Benefit Concert for Children and Families of World Trade Center Attacks
Friday, October 12
Sponsored by Students for Environmental Action
7:00 p.m.
$5 minimum donation
Featuring Machete, Recluse DNA, Swivel Stick, Middle Passage, Southern Oracle, F.I.U. DJs, and more.
For additional information, or to volunteer your time and help to the event, check out the S.E.A. webpage or send them an e-mail.

A New Series in Song
Saturday, October 13
Pesented by Books & Books and Firefly Music
Bill Cruz : 10:00 p.m.
Alex Diaz : 9:00 p.m.
Books & Books, Coral Gables
Just as I like it: these performances are absolutely free!

[ Note: check out Bill Cruz also as he opens for Cat Power on Friday, November 2. ]

Jega
Friday, October 19
with Lexaunculpt, HALO Vessel, R. H. Rippe, and guest DJs Misa and Sindri.
Also featuring listening party for Aphex Twin's Druqks.
PopLife
11:00 p.m.
18+
$10 before midnight, $12 after

A New Series in Song
Saturday, October 27
Pesented by Books & Books and Firefly Music
Scott Nixon (of Ed Matus' Struggle, Disconnect) : 10:00 p.m.
Aramis Lorie (of PopLife fame) : 9:00 p.m.
Books & Books, Coral Gables
Free

Spy-Fi Records Showcase #5
Saturday, November 17
PopLife
The Remedy Session : 1:00 a.m.
Bling Bling : 12:00 a.m.
Doors at 11:00 p.m.
18+

Medeski, Martin & Wood
Friday, November 30
Carefree Theatre
8:00 p.m.
$25

And the pièce de resistance:

Dashboard Confessional
Sunday, December 16
Freeze
909 East Cypress Creek Road
Fort Lauderdale

• Website news:

Hate to sound like a broken record, but I figured I'd just throw in a little reminder. Rock the Tropics is currently looking for the following:
          • local show reviews
          • local / pertinent album reviews
          • a selfless, generous image host
          • help sprucing up the website
          • archives
          • a logo
          • love, feedback, + moral support by way of letters, guestbook entries, word of mouth, etc. Mind over matter, content over presentation, sure -- but we're visual beings after all. Bottom line: I would love some help.

• General:

So the United States offensive has begun. If you're sick of the usual talking heads and rapid-fire reporting on the teevee, turn to the 'Net for the latest. This page has a fairly comprehensive links list of the usual suspects. Don't forget IndyMedia, a (frequently questionable, but interesting) grassroots media organization which comes highly recommended by Jello Biafra (I'm dead serious).

And when it all starts getting to be too much, you know it's time for the bottle of merlot, the My Bloody Valentine, the smoke, and the deep breaths. And of course, of course, the local shows. So stay tuned.

2001-09-28T19:43:00.000-04:00

WANT A PAIR OF RAINER MARIA TICKETS? E-mail me sometime before the show tomorrow (details below) and they're yours. Or if you want some company, offer to pick me up and take me, and we both get in for free. Whatever rocks your casbah. Courtesy of Spy-Fi Records, Sleepyhead's radio show, and the fact that I really, desperately need a car.

2001-09-28T01:23:00.000-04:00

• Remember Rainer Maria :: This Saturday, September 29 at Churchill's. Doors open at 9 p.m., cost is a mere $8, supporting bands are The Rocking Horse Winner and The Remedy Session.

• Get prepped for the Hey Mercedes show on October 28: read their -- yep, the band's own -- blog! Are you wearing a wire?

• Scroll down to the bottom of the Gray Area (I think it deserves some caps at this point) and check out RtT's newest addition: the Indieblogs ring.

2001-09-26T19:13:00.000-04:00

Hot dog! More good news:

The Anniversary
Friday, October 26
Freeze
909 East Cypress Creek Road
Fort Lauderdale
7:00 p.m.
$10

2001-09-26T16:10:00.000-04:00

• Latest --and very exciting, in my humble opinion-- news! Thanks to Spy-Fi for the tipoff:

Hey Mercedes
with New End Original
Sunday, October 28
Respectable Street Café

Ex-members of Braid (call it Braid reincarnate) descend upon the peninsula, along with Jade Tree newbies New End Original. We are buckling our figurative seatbelts over a month in advance.

• The Faint :: Friday, September 21 :: Respectable Street Café

What to expect, live, from a band that, recorded, sounds like Alphaville unleashed from behind their synthesizers and 80s robo-garb? The crowd inside Respectable Street should've tipped me off: a far cry from the divey-punk bar I remembered, the space looked like an indie-glam fashion runway slash greasy martini bar, if you can picture that. Lots of sculpted hair, skinny pants, rolling eyes. We missed the opening bands (Now It's Overhead and Mind Like Water), but were just in time to grab an overpriced beer and crowd ourselves into the back of the floor area, pressed between the bar and the soundboard. We were probably the first people to realize that the sudden cutoff mid-first song wasn't actually planned, as the cheering crowd seemed to think, but a technical problem of some sort. A blown fuse, in fact. The band took a break, very graciously, without complaining or diva antics, and the crowd milled or thoughtlessly steered back towards the bar.

A repeated song and another blown fuse later, The Faint were back. They played a relatively short (less than 45 minutes), relatively unenthusiastic set. I still can't decide whether the lack of energy was the band's fault, the blown fuses' fault, or the crowd's fault, but I suspect it was mainly a combination of the latter two. Maybe the gobs of hair gel were bogging the kids down, who knows. Or maybe the technical problems zapped the band's energy as well as the power. A mystery. Still, the combination made for an oddly innocuous performance. A couple of sparks exploded (not literally, thank goodness) with "Worked Up So Sexual," a crowd favorite, but that's about it. And there wasn't even a chance for an encore: the band announced the last song, played it, and scuttled off the stage; a few seconds later, the lights brightened and the show was over. Still, in those critical seconds between the end and the lights, not a peep from the audience. No wonder. I would've made a run for the scotch, too.

Bottom line: A performance worthy of an 80s-era, robo-garbed, somewhat more sexual Alphaville. Driven behind their synthesizers by a nonchalant crowd, which no amount of sex could've possibly worked up. And nobody sassy enough to scream for an encore of "Sex Dwarf" to close off the night on an up note. Sigh. Wake up, South Florida!

•Sidenote: Har Mar Superstar, featuring the cousin of my current indie crush / superhero, Sean Na Na (that is, Sean Tillmann), played a couple of dates in Northern Florida just a day or two ago. Did you go? Tell me! Inquiring, crushing minds want to know. Write me a review and I'll post it here on the site. (In fact, write me a review of just about anything and I'll post it on the site.) Or just tell me, "off the record," how it went.

• Last thing: Make me happy: Sign up for Rock the Tropics updates. Write down your e-mail address and click "join" (on the left, in the gray area -- gotta love the gray area).

2001-09-20T16:23:00.000-04:00

• Long time, no blog. I apologize for neglecting my updating duties lately, but as you all know, we are faced with hard times. Please, if you are able, take a moment and click on the American flag icon on the top left-hand side of this page, or click here to make a donation to help disaster relief efforts in the United States.

• Lots and lots of new shows and goings-on for the to-do list. Unhook your wall calendar, grab a magic marker, and get ready to scribble and underline. Here's a short-and-sweet list:

Friday, September 21
Future Ex live performance and Revolver CD Release Party
Featured new release: The Charlatans : Wonderland
Revolver
11 p.m.
18+

* Remember that The Faint plays tonight (September 21) at Respectable Street Café, with Now It's Overhead! Decisions, decisions . . .

Saturday, September 22
Bling Bling | The Baby Robots | The Stop Motion
Surf Café
395 NE Spanish River Blvd
Boca Raton

Sunday, September 23
World Trade Center Benefit
Orbit, Boynton Beach
6:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
$5 minimum donation at the door

Featuring The Belligerents | Brian Franklin | Alex Bach | The Livid Kittens | dotFash | Whirlaway | Zigjaw | The Protagonists

Please make this tribute show a priority if you can! If helping the relief efforts and serious good karma aren't enough of an incentive, you'll also be getting free CDs with your donation, and you'll be able to enter prize drawings. For more information, e-mail Jarrett, or call him at 561.752.5992.

Ok, I'm working really hard to refrain from jumping up and down for this one : Take a deep breath : Reach for the nearest chair :

Friday, November 2
Cat Power
with Bill Cruz
Manuel Artime Performing Arts Center (MAPAC)
900 SW 1st Street
Little Havana
7:30 p.m.
$12 in advance
$14 day of show

I don't know how that happened either, it completely snuck up on me. But wow. If you were lucky enough to catch Mark Eitzel back in July at the MAPAC, you know the venue (by far my favorite in South Florida) is gorgeous and definitely conducive to an intense, intimate performance. I'm counting down the hours.

2001-09-05T12:18:00.000-04:00

All right. As you might have noticed, Rock the Tropics is missing its archives. I haven't the foggiest why that is -- I just keep track of the calendar, I never said I could code! If some kind reader happens to know how to fix this problem, please, by all means, let me know one way or another. Thanks!

2001-09-04T01:39:00.000-04:00

This is the less-indie, higher-profile, but still-rockin'-the-cred entry. In case you just got a raise and were wondering, after investing in tickets for the myriad upcoming local shows, what to do with all the extra money. A few noteworthy suggestions:

The Misfits
Thursday, September 6
The Culture Room

[ Danzig is the reason! ]

Suzanne Vega
with Bob Hillman
Saturday, September 15
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
8:00 p.m.
$12 - $29

Tom Tom Club (ex-Talking Heads, sans Mr. Byrne)
Friday, September 28
Culture Room
8:00 p.m.
$12.50

Tori Amos
Friday, September 28
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
8:00 p.m.
$36.50 - $43.50

Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck
Friday, October 12
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
8:00 p.m.
$19 - $39

[ World-class double-bassist Edgar Meyer joins forces with extraordinary bluegrass banjo player Béla Fleck. ]

Brazil Night 2:
featuring Gal Costa,
with Dori Caymmi
Saturday, October 13
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
6:30 p.m.: Cultural celebration, with Capoeira dancing, tribute to Bahia
8:00 p.m.: Gal Costa + Dori Caymmi

[ Brazilian singer Gal Costa has performed with the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz, and Charlie Byrd, lending her talents to the bossa nova explosion of the 1960s. She returns with two-time Grammy nominee Dori Caymmi. ]

2001-08-31T18:07:00.000-04:00

A small schedule change for upcoming Spy-Fi Records Showcase nights at PopLife:

Machete
with The Stop Motion
Saturday, September 15
Doors at 11 p.m.
The Stop Motion takes the stage at midnight; Machete at 1 a.m.
18+

The Microphones
with Blowing Up Babylon
Saturday, October 20
Doors at 11 p.m., as per usual
18+

Your Satur-dates just keep getting better and better... Leave moping to the Goth kids, and don't forget your dancin' shoes.

2001-08-31T03:50:00.000-04:00

Two items of business tonight before bed:

• Remember that the s o u n d w a v e local fest bookmarks Labor Day weekend this Sunday, September 2nd at the Gables Pub. Catch Justin Gracer and the rest of Machete above all: theirs are performances not to be missed. [Review of Machete show at the Fandango Mob Soirée last weekend is forthcoming, I promise. Bear with me while my life is consumed with the jobhunt.] Scroll down one entry for detailed information.

Yes! You have a date with PopLife every weekend for the next three weeks! As if you didn't know already. Tsk.

This Saturday, September 1, is the return of eM19, or the "experimental electronic focus night." DJs Miok and Sindri to perform. Also performing live will be Council of the Sun. Doors open at 10:30 pm for a special early-bird viewing of artwork by Dustin Orlando.

Next Saturday, September 8, get dolled up for the Fashionista CD release party -- again, the early bird catches the worm, and perhaps a copy of their début album, Neptune King of the Sea. Also listening parties for Jamiroquai and JJ72.

Ooh ooh ooh this is gonna be a HOT one! Your Satur-date gets moved up a day on Friday, September 14, just in time for The Hefty Records Immediate Action U.S. Tour: Miami. Performances by Slicker, Telefon Tel Aviv, Beneath Autumn Sky, Auction Aire, and Sindri. 11 pm. $8 cover. 18+. Do not miss this. I repeat: do not miss this.

Check out the PopLife website for further details. Have a happy weekend+1 of no labor!

2001-08-29T12:31:00.000-04:00

No plans yet for Labor Day weekend? Well, that stops right here... Mark your calendars, my friends.

s o u n d w a v e
15 bands on two stages!
Sunday, September 2 :: Labor Day weekend
Gables Pub
270 Catalonia Avenue (between Ponce de Leon & LeJeune)
Doors at 7:30 pm
$10
21+

Stage One, outside :: 8 pm to 11 pm

Swivel Stick | Pussyfoot | Clambake | Humbert | Wonton Soup

Stage Two, inside :: 8:15 pm to 1:45 am

Remedy Session | Machete | The Stop Motion | Recluse DNA | Dolly Rocker | Future Ex | Amanda Green | Broadview | Plutonium Pie | Car Bomb Theory

Sponsored by Bigfish-Productions. There will be drink specials, and probably lots of Miller Lite coasters, since the beer brand appears to be a s o u n d w a v e co-sponsor. For more info, call 305.725.0567.

2001-08-25T19:14:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder that the Fandango Mob Soirée & Picnic is going on tomorrow, noon to sundown, at the A. D. Barnes park off Bird Road. It will be a day of prime local music, featuring Machete, Elementz of Soul, the Remedy Session, the Baby Robots, Going Nowhere, the Rocking Horse Winner, and Bling Bling. The show is free, just bring food to grill and things to drink. It should be a fun, low-key day, as long as the weather cooperates. Also, I've heard rumors of kickball! So you definitely can't miss it.

2001-08-25T18:55:00.000-04:00

The Beachwood Sparks
with the Black Crowes
Tuesday, October 23, 2001
Sunrise Musical Theater

2001-08-11T20:09:00.000-04:00

• Squarepusher cancels its entire tour due to undisclosed illness. Status of Plaid on said tour is unknown -- at least to me. Still, it looks like Otto von Schirach, Secret Frequency Crew, and Salim Rafiq are going on with the show. Same date, same place, 9 p.m., $8 before 10 p.m., $10 thereafter. Sponsored by WVUM.

• More drop-dead wet-pants big-name indie national tours headed our way. The Microphones, The Mercury Program, Pedro the Lion (in Orlando). You already knew about The Faint and Rainer Maria, and could've probably predicted Nil Lara. [Speaking of Nil, this morning I discovered a jagged, mean-spirited scratch right through "Vida más simple" on my CD. It was a sad sad morning.] Details:

Nil Lara
Saturday, August 25
Satchmo's in Coral Gables
305.774.1883
10 p.m.

The Microphones
with Blowing Up Babylon
Saturday, September 15
Poplife
11 p.m.
18+

Pedro the Lion plays in Orlando on the same night as The Faint come to synth-sexx up Miami: Friday, September 21. Take your pick. Check out the Pedro website or Spy-Fi for more details.

The Mercury Program
with Engine Down, Fin Fang Foom
Friday, November 16
Respectable Street

• More local shows than days this summer:

Remember the Ocean -- Record release party
with Yoko Theory and The Waking Universe
Friday, August 17
Respectable Street
8 p.m.

Machete
Saturday, August 18
Boca Pub
105 W Palmetto Park Rd, Boca Raton
[Debut album being remixed after analog ate original tapes... Ouch. Soon, soon.]

Phoenecia and Monolake
with DJs Dino Felipe, Gliese, Salim Rafiq, Tamber, Detective Severino
Sunday, August 19
Piccadilly Garden
9 p.m.
$8
Show flyer.
More info here and here.

The Baby Robots
with Bling Bling
Thursday, August 23 ( milk, inc. presents Thursday Indie Nights)
Churchill's
10 p.m.

Remember the Ocean
with A Kite is a Victim
Friday, August 24
Boca Pub

Justin G.
Boca Pub
[More info on these shows, as always, as it becomes available. This particular show is a must-see for anyone who's been privy to the absolute Timbaland-on-happy-acid-trip, digital genius of "Long Story." Oh swoon. FYI, Justin G. is the man behind Machete. Someone needs to make him a website now.]

A Super Duper Picnic!
Featuring Machete, The Remedy Session, Going Nowhere, The Baby Robots, The Rocking Horse Winner, Bling Bling
Sunday, August 26
A. D. Barnes Park
SW 72nd Ave & 40 St

Remember the Ocean
Sunday, August 26
Dada
52 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach

Strange Little Bands: A Tori Amos Tribute for RAINN
with The Rocking Horse Winner, Juan Montoya of Disconnect, Twice the Sun, Francis 7, Silence Repellent, Bill Cruz, Dolores, & more
Thursday, August 30
Club 5922
5922 S Dixie Hwy
Click for more info.

• Seen any good local shows lately? Heard a great album by a South Florida-area band? Checked out noteworthy clubs / local hangouts / places of interest to the independent-musically-minded? Would you like to contribute to Rock the Tropics? Send over your stuff.

2001-08-03T19:10:00.000-04:00

The following dates and information have been lifted from the far more accomplished website of lovely DJ Sleepyhead, which I would urge you to visit as well.

In no particular order, save maybe of totally subjective excitement factor:

The Faint
Friday, September 21
Respectable Street

Squarepusher and Plaid
with Otto von Schirach
Friday, August 31
The Polish American Club
1250 NW 22 Ave
305-635-2240

Cowboy Junkies
Sunday, September 9
Carefree Theater
2000 S Dixie Hwy
West Palm Beach

For a chronological listing of upcoming dates, please refer to the convenient gray bar at left of the screen. More information will be revealed as it makes itself known.

2001-07-22T12:04:00.000-04:00

Rainer Maria
with The Rocking Horse Winner and The Remedy Session
Saturday, September 29
Churchill's
9:00 p.m.
$8 (that's what I like to hear)
18+

2001-07-22T11:44:00.000-04:00

Lots to catch up on I'm afraid. A quickish run-down of the goings-on about town ::

• PopLife and Spy-Fi Records team up for a monthly showcase of primarily local talent. The third Saturday of every month, expect "established and up and coming artists" to take the stage and preach the gospel of indie to South Florida loyals. The showcase kicked off last night with Whirlaway and opener Justin G., a must-see show which, unfortunately, I missed. If you were there last night and have something to say, I would love to hear about it. Also, "alternative," Miami Herald-owned periodical Street features a little piece on Ed Artigas and the Spy-Fi showcase this week: check it out here. (Scroll down past the Groovenics article.)

• Mark Eitzel feedback is out in print. And it's angry. Critic Nina Korman argues that Miami just lost its chance to bring Mark and similar acts back to our hurricane-prone coasts. While there is truth to much of the article, I do hope she's wrong, especially considering rumors of a sure Mark comeback (scroll down for info). Read up.

Nil Lara
with Humbert
Friday, July 27
Churchill's
9:00 p.m.

How to even begin to describe Nil. This is a man who is devoted to his very diverse pool of fans (he doesn't shy away from revealing his e-mail address), has a decent relationship with his corporate record label, and hasn't released an album in over five years, since his self-titled debut around 1996. Next week, forces of nature and chance willing, will be my first live Nil experience. Don't miss it if you're in the area.

Lots more to come as soon as I find my Legal Pad and list of upcoming shows. I put it around here somewhere...

2001-07-09T21:25:00.000-04:00

More good news from the folks at Spy-Fi ::

Argentina
with surprise special guest
Saturday, August 18

Details to be announced shortly... Check there or [and!] check here soon.

2001-07-07T05:16:00.000-04:00

Even more upcoming shows :: Machete plays two dates this month ::

Sunday, July 14
The Sound Room,
inside the Fairwind Hotel (South Beach)

&

Friday, July 27
Kaffe Krystal
10855 SW 72 St. (Sunset)

Dates and info. courtesy of Spy-Fi Records.

And just to reiterate, Justin G. of Machete will be opening for Whirlaway on Saturday, July 21. Check below for details.

2001-07-07T03:59:00.000-04:00

The reliable source mentioned below told me today that Rainer Maria is confirmed for September at Churchill's, although he didn't give an exact date. Keep checking back for updates.

The Mark Eitzel show on Tuesday was fabulous. The Manuel Artime Performing Arts center, where it was held, was once a church, and it looks the part from the outside, rising skyward in a color I can only describe as Biscayne Bay green. Inside it is an ample theater seating about 800. The stage was set against a backdrop of blue curtains, and the only decorations were two prop-columns and a beer bottle full of red carnations placed on an amp. Lovely.

I missed the opening band, San Francisco's For Stars, because I'm broke and was on a last-minute mission to sell some CDs in order to buy tickets. Made it just in time for the intermission. Mark must've played for an hour and a half or two hours (I didn't bring a watch, either -- I'm always so prepared.) -- but nothing would've seemed like long enough. He was backed by three very young-looking, very able band members throughout most of the set, but I couldn't place any of them. On two occasions, as well as for the encore (which included a heartbreakingly beautiful rendition of "Western Sky"), the band left the stage and Mark serenaded the crowd of about 200 with only his guitar to back him. The result was almost ethereal, almost impossibly gorgeous. Not to say there weren't any problems: the band and arrangements were drowned out, a string broke, a guitar cord popped out, . . . But Mark made successes out of every incident, turning it into jokes, into impromptu unbacked singing, giving his performance a laid-back, well-worn, intimate feel. I can't praise it enough.

Also overheard yesterday: Mark had such a good experience playing in Miami that, despite his manager and tour schedule, he's decided to come back very soon for another performance at a smaller club somewhere. This is very recent so I expect it'll take a while to get rolling, but I'll post more info. as soon as I have it. Get your calendars ready for the countdown.

2001-07-02T17:50:00.000-04:00

wotapalava festival is canceled!
Enigmatic posting on the Pet Shop Boys' touring festival's website reads only Wotapalava is moving to next year. Ticket refunds will be available from the original point of purchase. We will publish further information about this asap.

There is considerably more information on the official Pet Shop Boys website; click on the link below to read up.
WOTAPALAVA MOVES TO NEXT SUMMER
New York, NY (July 2, 2001) - The Pet Shop Boys and CAA regret to announce the postponement to next year of this summer's Wotapalava tour, which was due to visit 18 markets this July and August. . . .

Tsk tsk... So much for never being boring...

2001-07-02T02:01:00.000-04:00

Jade Tree news of interest...

• New Milemarker album, Anaesthetic, scheduled for release on September 18.
• No JT bands making their way down the peninsula thus far. Sigh. Someone needs to inform the puppeteers that we will, here as well as in Boise or New York City, pay for shows. Thank you. Is this thing on or what?

2001-07-02T01:03:00.000-04:00

Courtney Love blocks release of Nirvana song.
Nirvana's unreleased song "You Know You're Right," which, according to this Associated Press article, was only ever heard live, was set to be included on a forthcoming Novoselic/Grohl-produced Nirvana box set. Courtney Love caught wind and, apparently, is bent on prohibiting its release. You can find the poll mentioned in the article here. You can check out what Courtney herself has to say about a KC-related film that was similarly eclipsed by the Hole juggernaut on the Hole message board by clicking on this link -- scroll down till you see the pertinent post (hard to miss). Just make sure you register first, or you won't be allowed in anywhere.

Personally, I couldn't give a rat's ass who is in charge of releasing the song or how -- I'd just like to hear it.

2001-06-29T03:30:00.000-04:00

Whirlaway with Justin G.
Saturday, July 21
11:00 p.m.
Poplife
Lush local shoegazer boys Whirlaway team up with Justin G. (that's Justin Gracer of Machete presumably doing his whacked-out side-project R&B hybrid thing) -- this promises to be unusual at the very least. Whirlaway recently released their first album, Letting Go, which you can purchase through links on the website (incidentally, the site is full of sparse, beautiful graphics -- fitting -- and is very much worth detouring through. Also, e-mail the band to buy a limited edition 7", while supplies last (I'd imagine).

New Jimmy Eat World album, Bleed American, comes out Tuesday, July 24. Co-produced by Mark Trombino of Drive Like Jehu fame. Click on the band name to visit the website -- this will enable you to order the limited-edition vinyl, as well as to get yourself a free J.E.W. magnet. Aww, isn't that cute.

2001-06-28T21:31:00.000-04:00

Best news I've heard in months:

Mark Eitzel (of American Music Club)
with For Stars (San Francisco slowcore)
Tuesday, July 3
8:00 p.m.
Manuel Artime Performing Arts Center
900 SW First St.
$15 in advance, $18 at the door

In other news, a reliable source tells me Rainer Maria is in the process of being booked to play at Churchill's sometime this summer... Stay tuned. Also, Machete (fronted by SoFla wünderkind Justin Gracer) are putting the finishing touches on their debut album, so start building the hype and saving the pennies for that -- judging by their demo, it's going to be jaw-dropping & show-stopping. Yeah! (How many clichés can I work into one paragraph?)

2001-06-27T11:55:00.000-04:00

Please pardon rock the tropics while it primps. (We are under massive construction.)

In the meantime, if you would like to submit Miami-area show listings, pertinent links or reviews or comments, or even -- especially? -- if you'd like to help out with the layout and coding of this page, e-mail rockthetropics@hotmail.com.

And now for some breaking news, or at least we think so :: Coming soon to a seedy joint near you ::

King Crimson
Saturday, July 28
8:00 p.m.
Carefree Theater, West Palm Beach
$35 (ouch)
So their last album was laborious, and the price tag hurts, but your humble editress would probably pay double that, if she had it, just to see the ever-lovely Adrian Belew handle his guitar. Sigh! I'll be the one shouting for Discipline from the parking lot. Wanna bring me inside?

wotapalava festival
July 13
6:00 p.m.
Bayfront Park
$47 (OUCH!!)
This is the Pet Shop Boys' baby, and as such, they will be the headlining band. Also starring Rufus Wainwright, the Magnetic Fields, Soft Cell, and the DJ stylings of Jr. Vasquez, among others. Pricey, but worthwhile: lots of big-name, quality acts, baby -- and a lot of 'tude. Yeah! Also, the fest kicks off in Miami, as well it should, damnit. I'm accepting rides and financial favors for this one, too.

2001-06-27T04:18:00.000-04:00

So you wanna be an indie rocker?