Art Basel 2012 is around the corner. Are you ready for the madness?
Starting early next week, the annual onslaught of events surrounding Art Basel Miami Beach begins (and with it our #beachedbasel photo contest). Inarguably the high point of the Miami social calendar, we can all admit that at least half the fun comes from observing the human zoo that pours into town from ever corner of the globe. At the center of it all, of course, is the massive ABMB fair itself, housed in the cavernous Miami Beach Convention Center. But even that only represents a slice of the action.
The three-day 305 Fest hosted by Speedfreek kicked off at Churchill’s Friday night with booming performances by Torche, Jacuzzi Boys, Black Mayonnaise, Merchandise, and more. The feisty, moshing crowd enjoyed a two-stage marathon of post-punk, drone metal, and garage rock that will continue through Sunday. To view many more photos from 305 Fest, visit the Beached Miami Facebook page.
The Jacuzzi Boys’ Churchill’s shows are always rowdy maelstroms of sweat, alcohol, and human limbs. Their gig at the “Sort of English Pub” in Little Haiti Saturday night, the punky surf rock trio’s homecoming celebration after a recent 26-city European tour behind their latest LP, Glazin’, upheld that tradition and for good measure added a few new elements, including a mariachi band opener and a set by Miami punk vets Holy Terrors. Here is a selection of photos from the show. To view many more, visit the Beached Miami Facebook page.
An illustration of the Jacuzzi Boys playing a gig in London, by David Z. Greene.
Miami garage rockers Jacuzzi Boys are currently having the time of their young lives (presumably) on their 28-gig tour of Western Europe behind the trio’s latest LP, Glazin’. The tour’s first gig, at London’s Shacklewell Arms, drew a tepid review but a pretty cool drawing from The Stool Pigeon’s David Z. Greene, whose illustration of the atmosphere at the Boys’ performance lines up pretty darn closely with the frenzy of their Churchill’s sweatfests, from the frenzied crowd to singer Gabriel Alcala’s silly ad-libs (“Boys and giiiirls. Rats and squirreeeels … thank you so much.”). Judging by this peek into the band’s Europe stomping, it seems like they’re doing Miami proud. You can see Greene’s full drawing after the jump.
The Jacuzzi Boys by Daytrotter illustrator Johnnie Cluney.
It seems that the Dudes of Daytrotter, that sonically-no-frills, visually variegated bastion of indie music, have taken notice of the burgeoning South Florida music scene. Last February they welcomed West Palm Beach duo the Dewars and, separately, Coral Springs-based dance inciter Millionyoung into the studio, and now the Jacuzzi Boys have sat for their very own polychromatic portrait. Joining an illustrious roster that includes everyone from Bela Fleck and Bonnie Prince Billy to Okkervil River and Sunset Rubdown, the Jacuzzi Boys — the trio of Gabriel Alcala, Danny Gonzales, and Diego Monasterios — now have the boon of the Daytrotter bump as they get ready to embark on a nine-date tour through the American South at the end of the month followed by 26 dates throughout Western Europe and the UK. Here’s an excerpt from Daytrotter founder Sean Moeller’s companion write-up:
On the verge of shipping out on the Weezer Cruise, indie rock god-nerds Sebadoh played Grand Central Wednesday night to an appreciative but staid audience of around 250. Miami-based bands PLAINS and Jacuzzi Boys (both in the top five of the SoFla 2011 Songs list) warmed up the crowd. Here are our photos from the show.
Recently back in Miami after a 38-gig U.S. tour, the Jacuzzi Boys drew a near capacity crowd to Churchill’s Saturday night for the trio’s homecoming gig alongside noise-crunch duo Holly Hunt, The Cost, and Honey Train. The show had a similar atmosphere to the Boys’ Glazin’ release party at Churchill’s back on Aug. 27, which is to say it was steamy, rowdy, rollicking, and most definitely worth the measly $5 admission, as the following photos will attest.
You knew it was a different sort of night when the normal process of entering Churchill’s — walking through the front door — got an extra step: waiting in a long damn line. The only other time I’ve had to queue to get into Churchill’s (in the recent past, at least) was for the Del the Funky Homosapien show back in May, which actually filled the dive to capacity.
Your second “different sort of night” clue was the people in the line. Yeah, Churchill’s regulars were well represented in all their “This old thing? Why, I only wear it when I don’t care how I look” glory. But the show cast a broader net than Churchill’s usual fare, which accounted not only for the long line at the door and the unprecedented (and fleeting) scent of cologne inside the bar, but also for the Grolsch rep who, God bless her, kept pouring me and anyone else that looked capable of doing a kegstand free drinks.
All of which is to say that, with the release off of their latest album, Glazin’, the Jacuzzi Boys are far and away the Most Popular Band in Miami. I’m not yet ready to declare them the Best Band in Miami — ANR has a frothing dog in that fight — but their performance did deliver on the perfunctory hype that comes with having an LP premier in SPIN.
Jacuzzi Boys: Danny Gonzalez (left), Diego Monasterios (back), Gabriel Alcala.
So far, it’s been a very good year for the Jacuzzi Boys. The Miami-based rockers boarded the Carnival Imagination for that unlikely confluence of Captain’s Dinner, Captain Morgan, and indie rock known as the Bruise Cruise Festival, released a 12″ on Jack White’s Third Man records, toured through more than 25 different U.S. cities, signed to Sub Pop sister label Hardly Art, and recorded their second LP, Glazin’, on a consul custom built for Sly Stone. That last highlight, Glazin’, also got the Boys a mostly positive review in SPIN magazine, which is currently streaming the album in its entirety.
BUT — and I’m sure we can all agree — all of those accomplishments and accolades pale in comparison to the band’s next big moment: playing Churchill’s on Saturday night. Ahead of the show, the release party for the new album with the Jameses, Snakehole, and Loose Stools also on the bill, I spoke to Jacuzzi Boys bassist Danny Gonzalez about getting love, getting pigeon-holed, and getting in the van.
It’s been a really good year for the band. Are you guys feeling really positive right now?
DG: I guess we’re in a positive state of mind. We’re definitely not feeling negative about anything. But we’re also not ones to get too caught up in anything either which way. Since we’ve been playing, there have been times when not so fantastic things are written, and we sorta laugh it off. And when good things are written, we laugh them off too. It’s definitely exciting, but we kinda think it’s all funny.
Is it odd to be getting so much attention, for example, the review in SPIN?
It feels a little strange, but at the same time … we’ve definitely put in work. We’ve been playing for a while, we’ve been touring, and put out various records. If it was out of the blue, where we’d only put out one seven-inch record, we’d be like, ‘Whoa, what is this?’ But it’s sorta been a natural progression. Nothing has come all at once.
There are a lot of good bands in Miami, but it’s rare for a Miami band to get national attention. Why do you think that is?
I really think the main thing is touring. Because of where we are geographically … I feel like a lot of bands don’t get out of Miami. You know, you can put out records and they can get some attention, or they can get a lot of attention and then you’re presented with all these opportunities to tour and then you get some national attention — but I really think that touring is the main thing that gets it going.
This odd pairing will celebrate the opening of a West Palm Beach restaurant named Longboards with a free show on Saturday, July 2. We wouldn’t usually point you so far north, but the co-billing of the Surfaris, famous for their 1963 hit “Wipe Out”, and Miami’s Jacuzzi Boys, deserving of fame for their garage-door-warping garage rock, may be worth the drive. The event runs from 5 p.m. to midnight, according to Longboards’ Facebook page. Since the Surfaris’ only have two songs, I guess that means the Jacuzzi Boys are going to play for six-and-a-half hours. Man, are they gonna be wiped out. (“I can resist everything except temptation.”)
Here’s the Surfaris’ “Surfer Joe”, the A-side on the “Wipe Out” single. It was also a big hit back in ’63.
