Hey Sweat-pals!  We've got some seriously awesome events coming up through next week.  Tomorrow night is the WMC edition of Fridays at The Vagabond with EROL ALKAN AND FRIENDS plus very special live performances by LATE OF THE PIER and RYE RYE!!


Saturday night we are extremely proud to bring back the amazing MATT & KIM playing live in celebration of the Upper Eastside Garden's 2nd anniversary!!  Not only that but local favories AWESOME NEW REPUBLIC will be opening up...




Tuesday night, PSYCHIC TUESDAYS at Bella Rose welcomes Sweat's own LOLO as guest selector along with Radio-Active Records' MIKEY R!!  Come out for 2-for-1 cocktails and to see what dark gems these two lifelong music obsessives unearth from their vaults...


Last but not least on Wednesday night the monthly LOOSE CANNON BIKE RACE departs from Sweat Records!!  The first person to make it to PS14 wins a bar tab and other goodies...


Hope to see you out at something or other!!

xo,
Sweat

Hey myspace pals,

Over at Sweat HQ we've been working our butts off to bring you a super-awesome, comprehensive new website chock FULL of information about Miami indie events, shows, links to all kinds of local goodness, galleries of photos, and the all-new Sweat Blog on the homepage!!

And it's here!! Please check out the brand spanking new www.sweatrecordsmiami.com and change your bookmarks (from our old blogspot site).  You can add our blog's RSS feed to your google homepage AND we've even made the page iPhone-friendly so you can simply go to the site in Safari and adding the cute little Sweat button to your home screen.



Also, we gave in and are now making sweet, twitterful love in 140 characters or less.  Follow us on twitter.com/sweatrecords

All of this will help keep everyone in the loop of what's going on in the city's music scenes.  If you have any feedback by all means be in touch and/or you can send your events for inclusion in our listings to info@sweatrecordsmiami.com

Thanks!

Much love,
Lolo, Jsin + the Sweat crew

(((SHAKE))) is our new Thursday night weekly get-down!! It's a collaboration between Sweat Records and the awesome people at Que Pasa M.I.A. (Jose El Rey, Ahol, Dominic) and our 2nd home The Vagabond.

We've got the unparalleled DJ skills of Doormouse and Deuce in the Main Room spinning the your favorite hip hop party jams from the past to the present, and Alex Caso holding it down on the patio spinning classic funk, disco, soul, reggae, and everything else. Also on the patio we've got quart-drinking contests, weekly food/BBQ, $5 gin-and-juice, $7 Colt 32s, and all sorts of other antics and sorpresas in the works...

Plus, it's FREE before 11pm and only $5 after. Step right in through our custom turnstile entryway and enjoy the vibes... No dress code, no drama, just chilling! It's like the best house party ever.

Seriously, what is not to like??



Here's a little press about it too:

Miami New Times: Shake Is Contagious
BY JACOB KATEL

Local music impresario José El Rey declares, "I'll be there, and I'm more than enough for all the ladies to come. There will be woofers installed in special devices." What's he talkin' 'bout? It's Shake, a new party that'll have you fiending like a junkie every Thursday night. Thank Que Pasa MIA and Sweat Records for your new addiction. The Vagabond is backing a new venture in the downtown party scene. Call it the lowlife highlife. Embrace the economic downturn — gettin' loose is recession-proof. Break on through the custom-built phone-booth entrance and feel your body reverberate with bass.

Every week, Shake promises food, drink, and bass-fueled high jinks cooked up by Aholsniffsglue and José El Rey, the devious minds behind anti-hipster bashes such as Yarisleidi's Quinceañera Fiesta and Coltoberfest 305. Still don't know what in hell is going on? To be honest, neither do we — the details are top secret, and the event organizers promise "mas sorpresas." "For sure it's gonna go down. We've done nothing but dope shit," Ahol assures.

Sweat's saltwater reef tank was more than just a tank... it was a custom, living art installation by marine biologists and aquaculture artists CORALMORPHOLOGIC. Initially set up in November 2007, it flourished under their care and brought immeasurable joy and tranquility to Sweat's staff and patrons. The tank was senselessly destroyed during a break-in on September 15, 2008.

Happily, they managed to save many of the discosoma, our porcelain crab, and both harlequin serpent stars. However the clownfish, blennie, orchid dottyback, gobies, nudibranchs, xenia and many other species sadly did not make it. RIP!

BEFORE...



AFTER...

Dear Sweat friends and family,

We are writing you today with some very sad news.

Last night Sweat was broken into, robbed and vandalized. The unknown assailants stole everything worth stealing and needlessly trashed this place that we've put so much into. Our store computer, credit card terminal, video projector, entire DJ/sound setup, cash drawer and more are gone.

Most of these items can be replaced, however the truly worst part of all is that our beloved saltwater reef tank was found destroyed - smashed and knocked to the ground. Colin and Jared at Coralmorphologic who maintained and gave life to the tank came by to salvage what they could, but it was not pretty. Also on the irreplaceable list are about 8 pieces of art from the store's personal collection. No one was hurt though and for that we are truly thankful.

It has been a heartbreaking 24 hours for us over here but if you know one thing about Sweat Records, it's that we don't give up. Hurricanes can't keep us down, so we'll get through this too. Of course it sucks, but it's just going to make us work harder to make Miami even better and worthy of all the awesome people who live here.

We've already had offers of donations and are so extremely thankful. If you do wanna chip in toward the recovery (and future improvement of our security system, among other things) we have a paypal account under this address - info@sweatrecordsmiami.com and we've put a button for it on our myspace and website.

Since we are currently projector-less, this week's Music Movie Monday is postponed. We'll show MOOG another night and hopefully by the time next week's movie rolls around we'll have a temp projector or replacement. We'll keep you posted.

However, TUESDAY night's show will go on!! We're borrowing a mic and an amp and our brand-new comedy night - CASA DE HA-HA - will debut as planned. Daniel's got a great variety of local and working comedians lined up so come out for the start of this new monthly happening. The thieves left the espresso machine and the microwave so we'll have drinks, popcorn and treats. Starts at 9pm!!

Besides that the store will have sporadic hours this week so if you're going to stop by please call first - 305.758.5862 extension 5.

Much love as always,
Lolo, Jsin, Dan, Jeff, Deuce and the whole Sweat familia

COME ONE, COME ALL: FRIDAYS AT THE VAGABOND
August 27, 2008 5:32 PM
by Marcos Colón

Friday nights in Miami are a time and place that many across the nation would kill to be a part of. But while many who aren't from the Magic City glorify the nightlife without actually experiencing it, Friday nights may be a bit of a shocker. With the majority of nightclubs and venues blasting out similar tunes and selling drinks with prices that could feed an African family for a month, a lot of times these characteristics could pose as an encouragement to stay in for the night. Luckily, there is light at the end of the tunnel in the form of Fridays at the Vagabond, a night served up as a 'home' for those who opt out of the ticky-ticky sounds and popped collars that plague the city's nightlife.

To kick off the weekend The Vagabond's Carmel Ophir and Sweat Record co-owners Lauren Reskin, aka Lolo, and Jason Jimenez have teamed up to bring everyone a fresh breath of air in the form of a no-holds-bar dance party that features live music every week. The combination of both establishments makes for one of the most unique nights in the city.

"Fridays at The Vagabond is the party extension of the whole mission and the vibe of Sweat Records," says Reskin. "Sweat was born because Miami is so spread out and I saw the city's indie scene needing sort of a 'home base.' The Vagabond was also started to be a 'home' to people who didn't fit in elsewhere or hadn't found a solid, fun place to spend a night out."

Instead of opting for the cheese-tastic brandings of other parties around, conjuring up phrases like 'a new staple in nightlife,' or 'bringing sexy to Miami,' the simple title given to the party makes it known to all that a weekly party is about the music and the vibe, not the name.

"The title of the party, Fridays at The Vagabond, is in a sense as basic as it can be," says The Vagabond's owner Carmel Ophir. "It's a party within of itself, without any use of branding. If you take all the components we offer here, mix them up, spice them up with our staff and bartenders and in-house crew, it's a real amazing combination."

The blend of music pumping out of the speakers on the average Friday night is what highlights the night. From the eclectic mix of indie-rock that Reskin serves up at the start of the night, to the, as Ophir likes to put it, 'slaying the dance floor' electro that Mike Deuce and Ray Milian provide in the main room, variety is what seems to attract the ever increasing mob of fans.

"It's very unique because we put music before everything," Sweat Records' Jason Jimenez says. "We like to stay on the razor's edge with the latest music, which is an ever-growing part of the party. We're not concerned about dress codes, buying bottles, or whether you arrive with a group of models. When you put music quality first, the style and vibe just fall into place."

When looking for an alliance for Friday nights, Ophir knew where to go since he had previously worked with Reskin at Studio A's old Thursday night weekly, Plastik Fantastik. Teaming up with Sweat Records just made sense to him.

"The Vagabond as a business is in collaboration with Sweat Records versus individuals," he says. "Sweat commands an immense amount of respect in our eyes as an independently owned and operated record store with an incredible array of music, also doing their own events and marketing, from movie night to political sound boarding. I think that we're a compliment to each other. We call it 'a great way to start the weekend off.'"

Since the start of the party in April, Friday nights at The Vagabond have snowballed and continue to do so. The unique angle in the presentation of their sound and aesthetics may be what's at fault. Their support for local music, showcasing a live act outside weekly, draws in a new crowd every week that eventually become return visitors. Most importantly, the party represents a different side to Miami's culture that for the most part is shadowed by the commercial entertainment found in the city.

"We get to be an ambassador for the massive amounts of culture happening here that doesn't get the kind of mainstream media exposure that South Beach does," Reskin says. "The party's a representation for good music, reasonable drink prices, no dress code and discrimination at the door, and dancing all night to a kick-ass sound system."

Dear Friends,

Turn on your radios today at 1pm to hear me (Lolo) on SOUTH FLORIDA ARTS BEAT with Ed Bell on WLRN (91.3 FM)!! If you miss it don't worry, from now on I'll be on Arts Beat every 3 or 4 months highlighting some of the great musician making waves in Miami's independent music scene. Speaking of...

BANDS!! There is still time to drop off a 1-track CD (with your contact info clearly on it) at Sweat or the MOCA to enter the summertime BATTLE OF THE BANDS!! We're having 3 different events (Thursday June 26th, July 24th, and August 28th) so make sure you get us your music before JUNE 6th. The winner of each event will receive a brand new Epiphone guitar courtesy of Gibson, a chance to play at a great museum, and lots of exposure!! The opening for the new music-infused show - "Sympathy For The Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967" - is next Thursday from 7 to 9 so don't miss it.

New item alert at Sweat!! We now are fully re-stocked with the delicious PROBARS and have their whole new line of "Sweet and Savory" bars that come in amazing flavors like Cherry Pretzel, Kettle Corn, Maple Pecan, Sesame Goji and Cocoa Pistachio!! They're made of whole foods only (no scary unpronounceable ingredients) and are getting rave reviews from the staff and customers so stop in for one today. Goes great with our coffee and espresso too...

Last but certainly not least, tonight at FRIDAYS AT THE VAGABOND, we're proud to present the second date on the "Florida World Tour" for RACHEL GOODRICH, BAND MARINO (Orlando) and BARON VON BEAR (Orlando)!! Last night all three of them *packed* Sweat Records playing stripped-down acoustic sets so come out tonight to see everyone plugged in!! Showtime is 11pm outside and Fridays have been kicking 'til 5 in the morning so we hope to see you there.

RAG*TRADE GRAND REOPENING NEXT WEEK!!

Cheers,
Lolo, Jsin + the Sweat crew

P.S. Just announced!! Germany's MODESELEKTOR (from Ellen Allien's awesome Bpitch Control label) next Saturday the 31st at Studio A!! We've got pre-sale tickets at Sweat so come and get 'em.


__
UPCOMING IN-STORES + SWEAT-SPONSORED EVENTS:

05.23.08 Show: Band Marino, Baron Von Bear + Rachel Goodrich (all electric!! at The Vagabond)
05.25.08 In-Store: Avondale, Audio Visual Disco + Mike Mineo
05.29.08 Music Video Night with Chris Video
05.30.08 Rag*Trade Grand Re-Opening Party (at Rag*Trade)
05.30.08 Show: The Down Home Southernaires (at The Vagabond)
05.31.08 Show: Modeselektor + Otto Von Schirach (at Studio A)
06.04.08 Loose Canon Bike Race Departs from Sweat!!
06.05.08 Film Screening: Heavy Metal In Baghdad (VICE Films)
06.06.08 Lolo's Birthday Party (at The Vagabond)
06.07.08 In-Store: Pure Imagination Live
06.21.08 In-Store: January
06.25.08 Sweat Books Book Club: Chuck Pahlaniuk "Snuff"
07.05.08 In-Store: Call It Radar


__
CURRENT TICKET PRE-SALES AVAILABLE AT SWEAT:

*Sunday, May 25th @ Studio A - RHH and KTN present HIP-HOPE 2008 - $10
*Saturday, May 31st @ Studio A - Futuremob presents MODESELEKTOR + OTTO VON SCHIRACH - $15
*Monday, June 9th @ Fillmore Miami Beach - LiveNation presents VAMPIRE WEEKEND - $20 - SOLD OUT
*Friday, June 13th @ Churchill's: New Art School presents MUDHONEY with BIRDS OF AVALON - $15
*Monday, June 23rd @ Fillmore Miami Beach - LiveNation presents MODEST MOUSE
*Friday, August 29th @ Fillmore Miami Beach - LiveNation presents MY MORNING JACKET

Dear Friends,

Lots of terrific news!! Read on for all the latest and scroll down for one of Miami's best upcoming concert and event listings...

First, we're happy to announce that the 4th year in a row, we've been awarded BEST RECORD/CD STORE in the New Times Best of Miami poll!! Not only that but The Vagabond won Best New Bar, "Can You Rock A Little Softer?" (Raffa + Rainer's acoustic showcase night Wednesdays at Churchill's) won Best Open Mic and tons of other Sweat friends including Jose El Rey, Rachel Goodrich, Harold Golen Gallery, Afrobeta, DJ Induce, The Rhythm Foundation, The Postmarks, Poplife and many more received kudos too!! Congrats to them and all the winners for making Miami a better place to live.

This week at FRIDAYS AT THE VAGABOND, we are excited to present a live performance by AWESOME NEW REPUBLIC!! The ANR boys will be kicking it old-skool like they used to in Sweat 1's backyard - warpaint, sweatpants and hits and covers galore!! It's going to be a full-on party so don't miss it. Showtime is midnight outside and there are $1 Stella drafts and PBRs before 12 too!!

RAG*TRADE's Grand Reopening is 2 weeks away!! If you're a local designer, a band with some cool shirts or local artisan of any sort, come on by to see about selling and/or consigning your stuff to the shop. We're expecting a big crowd at the party so make sure your stuff is in stock!!

Calling all bands!! This summer Sweat is partnering up with the MOCA to present a series of three "BATTLE OF THE BANDS" events in conjunction with their awesome new exhibition "Sympathy For The Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967." The events will be on Thursday June 26th, July 24th, and August 28th. The winner of each event will receive a brand new Epiphone guitar courtesy of Gibson!! To enter, simply drop off a CD with your BEST track at Sweat or the MOCA, with your band's name and full contact information clearly labeled on it. The contest is for all unsigned bands over 18 and the deadline is June 6th so don't sleep on this great opportunity for exposure!!

Last but not least - FINALLY - new issues of VICE magazine are at Sweat!! The "History Issue" features Shane MacGowan of The Pogues on the cover, the ever-amusing Dos and Don'ts, early photos by Ryan McGinley, and much more!! It also includes a sneak-preview of Chuck Palahniuk's "Snuff" which happens to be the next SWEAT BOOKS Book Club selection (which from what we've read so far is quite a doozy...). We're one of the only places in Miami to get VICE and while it's a free mag, we pay cash money to ship it here so buy a beverage or a CD or any damn thing in the store and a copy is yours.

Much love and check out our rad upcoming in-store events below!!

Cheers,
Lolo, Jsin + the Sweat crew

P.S. There is an awesome video segment about Sweat Records airing Monday, May 19th at 7.30pm on ART STREET on WLRN Channel 17 - tune in!!

Dear Friends,

So much going on!!

Last Monday night we had a surprise in-store performance by COLISEUM (Relapse Records)!! It was loud and AWESOME so big thanks to New Art School for hooking that up. When things like this pop up we post them on our blog and myspace and facebook so be our digital friend so you can stay in the know!! Many more cool events and in-stores coming up - here are the highlights and some early warnings (full info in the listings below):

Friday March 21st + Saturday, March 22nd: It’s FINALLY here!! After months of anticipation, THE VAGABOND opens it’s doors this weekend, bringing a chill new home for Miami’s music lovers!! It’s classy, it’s cozy, the drinks are reasonably priced and the sound system must be heard to be believed. The Vagabond is located at 30 NE 14th St (formerly I/O Lounge).

Saturday, March 22nd: We are extremely happy to help the awesome UPPER EASTSIDE GARDEN celebrate their 1-year Anniversary!! The celebration will feature live music, DJs, a new putt-putt obstacle and a tiny horse!! If you STILL haven’t been then now is the time to check out this hidden oasis right in our neighborhood. It’s 7-11pm and the UEG is on Biscayne Blvd. and 72nd St.

Tuesday, March 25th: KIMYA DAWSON (K Records) live at Shake-A-Leg!! Pre-sale tickets are really going fast - get yours at Sweat, Books & Books or at www.shakealegmiami.org/kimyadawson

Thursday, March 27th: Poplife and Sweat Records present THE HANDSOME FURS (Sub Pop - Wolf Parade side-project!!) live with guests VIOLENS, plus DJs and more!! This show is at PS14.

And last but not least... Announcing SWEAT SCIENCE CLUB!!

Yes!! Sweat Science Club is open to anyone interested in finding out more about our natural world, and will feature guest speakers, demos, field trips and more!! Our first meeting will be Tuesday, April 1st at 8pm and will feature marine biologists Colin Foord and Jared McKay of CORAL MORPHOLOGIC. They’re the ones who set up and maintain the amazing coral reef tank in the store!! They’ll be talking about the Sweat tank, sustainable aquaculture, and Colin’s experience last year in Bali teaching the locals to farm coral. It will be an entertaining and educational time for all!!

Jsin just came back from Austin, TX representing Sweat at SXSW!! Expect a full report next week...

Cheers,
Lolo, Jsin + the Sweat crew

P.S. Guerrilla Gardening strikes again on Friday!!
P.P.S. Over 100 event listings on the blog with tons of WMC parties!!

It’s true - more and more people are digging the store! There’s an article including pics of the new space and an interview with Lolo and it’s way too effin’ long to put all of in a blog so here is the link.

Cheers!

That's right - and it's a benefit, so all proceeds from this show go to Shake-A-Leg Miami, an awesome non-profit organization that helps kids and adults with physical, developmental and economic challenges at their Aquatic Center and Marine Academy in Coconut Grove.

This show is extra special because Kimya actually played in the original Sweat location in May of 2005!! There are cute pics in the Sweat scrapbook on our coffee table. It was a great show and this one is going to be even better.

Kimya performs live at the beautiful Shake-A-Leg facility (next to Monty's in the Grove) on Tuesday, March 25th at 7pm. Tickets available right now at Sweat, any of the Books & Books locations, or you can conveniently also buy them online.

Come out for good music and a good cause!!

[Full version + gigantic flier gallery at sweatrecordsmiami.com - check it!!]

Dear Friends,

The SWEAT BOOKS Book Club meeting this week was superb!! We had a great discussion about "Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs" and decided that the next selection will be the infamous "Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie. The meeting to discuss it will be WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9th @ 8pm. That's plenty of time so head over to Books & Books, get thee to a library, or go online (we recommend powells.com - a cool, huge indie bookstore from Portland) and grab yourself a copy. If you still need convincing, check out some recent press the SBBC got...

New Times
Flavorpill

TONS of music and DVDs coming into the store today so if you've made a special order this week drop on by or expect to hear from us soon!! Drop by anyway to scope out all the goodies and delicious new releases...

Tonight!! The Rhythm Foundation and Poplife present Swedish songster JOSE GONZALEZ live with opening act MIA DOI TODD!! It's Jose's first time in South Florida, though you've probably heard his song "Heartbeats" as covered by The Knife or featured in that nifty Sony commercial with all the bouncy balls... and the lovely Mia Doi Todd has been a Sweat fave for a while so don't miss this show!! Then, later on tonight at Churchill's is a kick-ass local get-down featuring Animals of the Arctic, Dino Felipe and a whole bunch more!! Full details below.

Also this weekend: the 15th Annual Caribbean Festival aka MarleyFest (which we've sold a ridiculous amount of pre-sale tickets for so it should be jammin'), the LaVillaTech minimal house warehouse party, Rachel Goodrich and Cleaveland Jones performing Friday and Saturday respectively at Oneninety (plus the amazing food), as well as the start of the Miami International Film Festival and the temporary LuminaireX space in the Design District. See everyone out and about!!

Last but certainly not least... COMING SOON: Details on the new WEEKLY party at a shiny new venue that Sweat is going to be a part of. It's going to be a family affair and we absolutely can't wait.

Cheers,
Lolo, Jsin + the Sweat crew

P.S. Current TV has a great video piece about the International Noise Conference that happened last month at Churchill's!! Check it out here: International Noise Conference

[Full version + gigantic flier gallery at sweatrecordsmiami.com - check it!!]

Dear Friends,

Our block was poppin' this week!! Wednesday night's Local Author Showcase was a big hit and next door "Can You Rock A Little Softer?" (the weekly mostly-acoustic showcase at Churchill's) had some amazing acts and open-mic'ers going until 3am!! Next Wednesday evening is the SWEAT BOOKS Book Club meeting so finish up Irvine Welsh's "Bedroom Secrets for the Master Chefs" and plan for a nice night out...

New at Sweat this week: FRENCH DUNNYS!! Kid Robot's new collection of 3" soft vinyl bunny figures were just released yesterday and are tricked out by some of France's hottest artists. They're $7 a pop and going fast so come and get 'em. Other toys recently added to our shelves include 4" customizable Mini Munnys, Frank Kozik's Smorkin' Labbits Series 3, fuzzy Yummy Donut Keychains, Series 2 of the Munny Zipper Pulls and Tokidoki's spiky Cactus Pups!!

This weekend we've got a full line-up of titillating events for you:

TONIGHT: Film screening and panel discussion at Sweat!! The SUPER group (Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights) presents a viewing of the award-winning documentary "OCCUPATION 101" followed by a group discussion with some panelists close to the cause. This event starts at 7.30pm and is free and open to everyone.

SATURDAY (at PS14): Sweat + Switch are extremely happy to be presenting a rare live performance by Canada's electronic mastermind VENETIAN SNARES!! Pre-sale tickets have been going fast and people are literally coming from all over to attend this show. Also on the bill tonight is the one and only OTTO VON SCHIRACH (with the Witch Doctor of course), a DJ set by DOORMOUSE and more!! If you like crazy electronic music, this is definitely going to be one of the shows of the year.

SUNDAY (at Churchills): TORCHE are back in South Florida and ready to ROCK. Also on the bill - THE JACUZZI BOYS, THE WATERFORD LANDING and TONGUES OF THE HEARTWORM!! Come out for some fuzzy, noisy, sludgy, guitar-heavy goodness.

Sweat's open 12 to 12 every day, so have a great weekend everyone and stop by if you're in the neighborhood...

Cheers,
Lolo, Jsin + the Sweat crew

P.S. Before Snares on Saturday, there's a cool event happening at the Upper Eastside Garden. They're unveiling a new obstacle/hazard on their putt-putt course by local artist Aja Albertson and Aunt Dracula from Philly are playing live!! It starts at 7pm and if you say "Sweat!" at the door you can get in for $5 instead of $10, and there's free beer all night. Cheers!!

Last Night: Electroma Release Party at Studio A



Better Than: Paying $50 for popcorn and milk duds only to sit through an hour and 45 minutes of Lindsay Lohan's greatest adventures.

The Review:

Electroma, the new film written by the Daft Punk wonder couple, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo, was first seen by the eyes of a tightly packed Studio A on Friday July 27, thanks to Sweat Records, Vice Records and of course, the New Times. The ever so convenient Miami rain delayed the showing of the 9pm movie by almost an hour but no one seemed to mind as the screen displayed clips of various Daft Punk videos, while two Deuce Crew members spun vibrant electro tracks, including tracks by the featured artists of the night. The footage and the music, actually exemplified the mood that the movie ultimately set by preparing the audience for Daft Punks visual artistry. For example, the creepy animatronic figure in "Technologic" and the skin pealing girl in "Prime Time of Your Life," showed the fantastical relationship between human and machine and the want to be something deeper, which in turn became the plot for Electroma.

A ride in the country side of a robot inhabited world begins the journey for the members of Daft Punk, who are also robots and are on their way to try and become human. At first, the movie comes across as one of those you-have-to-be-stoned-to-get-it type films, and although it wouldn't be a bad idea to get stoned, the film's bizarre and creative nature is enough to entertain any mind state. Actually, the first few minutes produced a few whispers of "I don't get it," but as the movie progressed the intention of the film became apparent. The music in the movie included songs by Curtis Mayfield, Tod Rundgren, Linda Perhacs, Jackson Carey Frank and a few others.

In the back of the room, the lovely Lolo, one of the girls in charge of the event, was giving away free popcorn. Having been involved with similar events in the past, Lolo said she was surprised that the usually loud and talkative Miami audience was so quiet and attentive during the showing of the film. Obviously, Miami's support for Daft Punk's creativity continues to grow after more than a decade. -- Lucy Orozco

Critics Notebook

Personal Bias: It's refreshing when I see that Miami's music scene goes beyond that of trendy house music, mainstream hip-hop and reggaeton, which popular clubs are so used to playing. These types of events conversely portray Miami as a well rounded metropolis instead of a popularity contest of somewhat mindless musical talent.

Random Detail: If you were at the premiere you probably got a chance to pick up the Vice Records, Scion CD sampler version 17 mixed by Flosstradamus. However, if you didn't get a chance to grab one, you can log on to http://elemental.imeem.com/playlist/7cW-90HU/, create a profile and listen to the playlist.

By the way: The DVD is set to come out in September of 2007 and will be screened throughout the UK and Ireland, if you want a chance to win tickets, go to www.electroma.com. As for our local artists, Deuce Crew's music can be heard on www.myspace.com/deucecrew305.