Make West Palm Beach Your Bitch: A Newbie's Guide to the Area

Sleigh Bells (Respectables 7_9_2010)_-83.jpg
Sleigh Bells at Respectable Street in 2010. 
Two years ago, I found myself alone in the coastal territory known as downtown West Palm Beach. Being quite the experienced mover, I saw this big transition as an intriguing challenge, where others may have seen merely a sea of pizza places and tank tops.  

The first Friday night of my new WPB life, I leapt into a cab knowing nothing of my surroundings except that there was potential fun to be had on Clematis Street, and damn it, I was going to get me some of it! When asked where I wanted to go, I explained, "Somewhere casual with reasonably priced beer and maybe live music." Although I and the cabbie met with a language barrier, he got the gist and knew to drop me off at a destination that would very quickly become one of my going-out staples: O'Sheas. By the end of the night, I was best friends with the band and ready to come back next week for $3 Car Bomb Thursdays.

For those of you newbies out there who just got into town and aren't sure where to start, check out my WPB insider tips before wasting all your time on Yelp. You too can dominate West Palm Beach! Just follow these five easy steps.
More >>

REBEL Release Party - Green Room - May 19

r6.jpg
The anticipated delivery of REBEL's new EP Locations was finally actualized at Green Room in Fort Lauderdale this past weekend. The band spent time out of the limelight since last November, but you wouldn't know it by their essentially flawless performance. When we talked with the trio last week, they told us how stoked they were about being able to present their newest venture to a club packed with fans, family, and friends -- the triple-threat of the music world. REBEL turned out a killer live show. The crowd was on their feet before you could say "Who wants another shot?!"More >>

Black Locust Society Brings New Monthly Event to 5 Points Lounge, May 25

BLSGroup.jpg
Photo by Ian Witlen
The movers and shakers of local creative collective, Black Locust Society, have a way of bringing the Fort Lauderdale community together. Whether at one of its quarterly Swarm warehouse parties or a swap meet, you'll always catch a melting pot of folks partaking in the festivities. There's never a velvet rope, dress code, or social stigmas in place. Anyone and everyone is invited and welcome.

On Friday, May 25, the Black Locust Society introduces its latest venture, a monthly night at the 5 Points Lounge. To kick off the inaugural night, the all-star roster of Black Locust Society performers --  Bleubird, Protoman, Astrea Corp., Jabrjaw, and Gaps -- will be taking the stage. The Black Locust Society has a knack for having a few tricks up its sleeve, so there is no telling what they've got in store. But, if you've ever been to a Swarm, you know it will be momentous.

Black Locust Society shared a little bit about why they've decided to create a monthly event:

The Swarm events have proved, if nothing else, that Fort Lauderdale is full of creative, forward thinking, rad people. The scene is here, just not well organized. BLS954 is our answer to that. A place for the Fort Lauderdale creatives to congregate on a monthly basis.  A place to party your ass off on a Friday night. A place for the 954 to call home. Spring break forever.
We've compiled a list of our five favorite musical collaborations from the Black Locust Society after the jump.
More >>

Popcorn Soul Revue - 5 Points Lounge - May 12

Categories: Nightlife
Popcorn Soul Revue (5 Points Lounge 5_12_2012) by Ian Witlen -22.jpg
Ian Witlen
Popcorn Soul Revue
5 Points Lounge, Fort Lauderdale
May 12, 2012

Better Than: Waiting for the oldies station to finally get it right.


Nowhere else in Fort Lauderdale could a party underpinned by the warbling of Hammond organs, wailing saxes, and vocal harmonies over the buzzing of electric guitars have been staged except at 5 Points Lounge. The elaborate tiki themed watering hole, located in the shadow of the petroleum yards of Port Everglades just south of downtown Fort Lauderdale, has soul. "It's gonna get hot in here," DJ Mikey Ramirez remarked early in the evening, noting the stuffiness of the room as he set up on the patio deck style stage next to a stern 7 foot tall tiki idol. And as the crowd swelled throughout the evening, he was proven correct.

Along with fellow DJs Sensitive Side, Blue, and James Brown's Sweat from Lake Worth, classics and album cuts from The Drifters, Edwin Starr, Stevie Wonder, The Bar-Kays, and even a little disco played late into the evening. The bar stacked up considerably at times, as people many generations removed from the 1960s got funky to music seldom heard on South Florida radio any longer.

More >>

Second Chances: The Growlers Play Propaganda in Lake Worth Tonight

Growlers-image.jpg
So, you missed the Growlers show in Miami on Friday night, and now you've fallen prey to a deep depression? Like, the kind of depression where all you do is wander around the house in your bathrobe and eat cold cereal until nightfall, at which point you openly weep to Hot Tropics on repeat alone in the darkness? Well, hang up the Ramada Inn terrycloth and blow your nose, because the indie-rock gods have smiled upon thee in the form of a second chance to catch the band voted most likely to blow way the fuck up tonight in Lake Worth. 

More >>

Brown Bag Wednesdays "Break N' Bred" BBoy/BBgirl Battle

BBoy.jpg
Photo by Ian Witlen
Since launching its hip-hop party, Brown Bag Wednesdays, the Green Room has become the hump-day spot to drink Colt 45s while listening to throwback jams. The best part is, you never know what might happen. One night, a local rapper might be cooking chicken on stage. Another night, Talib Kweli will turn his DJ set into an impromptu performance. And tonight will be no different.

Brown Bag Wednesdays invites all the BBoys and BGirls to head spin it out on the dance floor for the "Break N' Bred" battle. And the winner won't be leaving the club sweaty and empty-handed. There is a $250 cash prize on the line. So, you better brush up on those one-handed freezes and windmills.

Peep some breakdancing videos after the jump. 
More >>

Tattooers Illustrators Art Show at 15 West

Tattoo15West.JPG
Last December, the empty venue formerly known as Automatic Slim's was given its second face-lift along with a new namesake, 15 West. Despite its gutted and rebuilt interior, the crowd and vibe inside remained pretty comparable to that of Automatic Slim's.

So, when I heard about a tattoo artist gallery show happening there, I wasn't sure what to expect. Talk about an interesting mixture of subcultures coming together under on roof. Suffice to say, it went off without a hitch.

Curated by local tattoo artist Won Jun Bemis of True Love Tattoo, the art show was filled with work from some of the best local -- and nonlocal -- tattoo artists, including Vincent Moisdon (Colorfast Studios), Nate Diaz (Black Rose), Steve Whittenberger (Rock-a-Billy), and Adam Facenda (True Love).
More >>

Hukilau's Tahitian Thursday at Five Points Lounge

IMG-3000500.jpg
Christina Mendenahall

Polynesian culture is an easy fit for Fort Lauderdale. It's a city long associated with leisure that came into its own around the same time as the newfound middle class found fascination in the late '50s and early '60s with tiki idols, puffer fish, and the natives of the Pacific Islands. 

Such things can be easily chalked off to retro kitsch or considered the province of pop artist Shag and certain custom car enthusiasts, yet for others, there's an allure that emanates from that far-flung chain of islands where isolated civilizations thrived for centuries using nothing more than their strength and a profound respect for land and water. 

More >>

Millionyoung and Sumsun Help Digital Love Say Goodbye to a Well-Loved Night

Categories: Nightlife
Millionyoung and Sumsun (Green Room 4-12-2012)_by Ian Witlen-28.jpg
Ian Witlen

The Final Digital Love
Featuring Millionyoung and Sumsun
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Green Room, Fort Lauderdale

Check out the slideshow here.

In the moments before Sumsun took the stage at the final Digital Love party at Green Room, credits rolled on the backdrop screen. "What's with the credits?" one attendee asked resident DJ Sweetswirl. "End of the movie," she responded.

It turned out that those credits were the tail end of an actual motion picture, rather than an intentional symbolic gesture, which we all agreed would have been cool. Still, the image worked on the poetic level as well.

The night carried a feeling of conclusion, tangibly distinct from Digital Love's fresh beginnings just over a year ago and its packed-out peak thereafter -- complete with explosive rock bands, fire-breathing burlesque dancers, and new treats each week accompanying the ever-fun tag-team DJ work from Mig and Sweetswirl, who are now focusing their energies on a newer Saturday-night party at Green Room.

Last night's scene was laid-back in comparison and sweet in its own way. Just a modest turnout of mostly familiar Digital Love faces hanging out and boogeying and a couple of quality acts on the bill to ensure the party would go out in style. It was an appropriate sendoff.

More >>

Raekwon - Revolution Live - April 6

raekwon.jpeg
Raekown
with Freddie Gibbs
Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale
April 6, 2012

Better than: Growing up on the New York Times side.

Stepping into Revolution Live around 9 p.m., you'd expect the venue emptier than a desert. But this show was for the grown folks, not for the baby-aged rap fans. We arrive early.

Raekwon began with his verse from Wu-Tang's breakout single "C.R.E.A.M." off the classic album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers.), something we'd expect from a finale not an opening song. 

The rapper stayed put in his comfort zone on stage, walking back and forth at a slow pace. The place filled, gathering a crowd the size we'd expect at a hip-hop showcase headlined by the Chef.
More >>
Sign up for free stuff, news info & more!

Tools

Events

Clubs

Links

Music News

South Florida Music News

BPB Blogs

Record Stores

Venues

Miami Blogs

Photographers

Labels

Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places

    Voice Places

    Discover restaurants, nightlife, travel, shopping...

  • VOICE Daily Deals

    VOICE Daily Deals

    Get 50 to 90% off every day on restaurants, movies, massages...

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    More than 10,000 of the BEST things to eat, drink, and experience

  • My Voice Nation

    My Voice Nation

    Join the Village Voice community and get exclusive deals and info

  • Happy Hour

    Happy Hour

    Your local Happy Hour guide at your fingertips

or

Log in or Sign up

Social Connect:

Use your favorite account to access My Voice Nation.


Use your My Voice Nation account to log in:





Forgot password?
or

Sign Up or Log in

Social Connect:

Sign up for My Voice Nation with your preferred network.


Sign up for a My Voice Nation account:



Privacy policy