Why don't we have a variety of musical scenes in Miami? (Tampa: high school, college)

[WINTERFRONT]

Hi, this is my first thread so...

I am a musican and been around with many musicans, studio owners, bands, etc. to many parts of the city looking for gigs, new bands (descent bands) and musical movement, but I see that nothing is really going on in Miami in terms of music scene. Besides of some bands, most of them are just are defunt garage bands, Miami's population is not into supporting a local scene. I noticed that no one here cares for local bands, that could have been something, or cares to record something tangible or take a band as something serious. Many cities around the world have muical scenes:

Madchester
New York indie scene
Berlin dance scene
Norwegian black metal scene
Gothemburg
San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal scene
Tampa Bay Death Metal Scene
New York Hardcore
Wierd America
Chicago Noise scene
Chicago Industrial scene
London's Goth scene
New York Rap scene
L.A GANGSTA Scene
ETC..........

Why is that we don't have any scene?(besides Miami Drum Bass)

We don't even have a noticeable or even tRue underground reggeton scene in MIami since the city doesn't even have more than 10 bands. Some dj's and some parties, that is nothing. People don't even support the Dj's. They just go to the parties to have a good time and have some music as a background. You won't find those regeton girls saying " Oh , D'j(whoever) is playing in some place let's go and listen to his new songs", " I've been a fan of D'J(Whoever) since he started back in the late 90's", " Where can I get merchandise or cd's of Dj'(whoever)?"," I wanna know if Dj(whoever is recording new material". etcc... You just won't find sttements like this for any kind of local band or music. The only people who support high school bands are boyfriends/ girlfriends, some friends and mommy and daddy.

Why is that?

[intelfan11315]

Most of those scenes you listed kind of suck anyways. My guess for the lack of any scene is due to the popular scenes around here. When people around here go out, they go to the bars and clubs for the most part. That's what's popular around here and it's what sells money. High school bands? They usually suck and are only supported by parents anyways... unless they are really good and then they can play at more popular venues.

Miami gets some pretty good spanish singers to come here though, it just depends what you like.

[TannerMan]

Hialeah Fest is a bunch of indie bands of all kind performing at Churchills.
Sweat Records in Little Haiti is where all the local music indie music is sold and hang out. Ive seen plenty online, im not really that much into that music.
Miami's scene surely isn't as large and noticed but I know it exist. Ive seen the locals where they perform and all, dont know them though?!

[Alpha man]

#41 Indie Music « Stuff White People Like

[shell242]

Miami has the Miami Bass/Electro/South Florida breaks scene...

Some of the best producers in this genre come from here.

DJ Craze (also 5-time world DMC champion) - Hialeah
Dynamix II - WPB
Hydraulix - Fort Lauderdale / Kendall
DJ Icey - Orlando
Exzakt - WPB
Baby Anne - Orlando

Plus there are so many up-and-coming locals here...I know its not live band music...but it is the scene that's down here...and I like that there is no where else that can even compare with the Bass/Electro that comes out of South Florida...



There are great undergound and mainstream parties that happen...you just have to get past south beach & downtown Miami.

Have you ever been to any of the events at the Winter Music Conference? Over 1 million visitors to south beach over 5-7 days (just google if interested).

I agree there isn't much of a live band scene that i'm aware of...It was more fun for that back in the mid-1990's...

[miamiblue]

Originally Posted by shell242

I agree there isn't much of a live band scene that i'm aware of...It was more fun for that back in the mid-1990's...

I agree. I think this is due in large part to the fact that there are just not enough decent venues for live local bands to perform. I remember when Cheers closed down while I was in high school - the closing of that place alone seemed to be the death knell for the local band scene in the Miami area. A few other venues closed down shortly afterward, and that was pretty much the end.

Also, there was a shift in musical taste in the area toward music genres that don't really include live music around the same time (note the change in the radio station offerings at that time). It is hard to tell if that is what the people really wanted, or if we were just force-fed by Clear Channel. Who knows? But the live music scene has definitely dwindled to almost nothing compared to what it was in the mid-90s.

[shell242]

I don't think the movement away from live music was due to the radio stations though...as they do not play the majority of the electronic music that dominates a lot of the clubs down here.

I did enjoy the music scene down here in the 1990's, but I won't lie, I moved to going to the Edge when it opened in 1993. They had a lot of concerts there on top of being a nightclub. The club scene just progressed at a better rate than the live band scene at that point. The clubs were just more fun.

[planetsurf]

Let me give some perspective from someone a bit older than you guys.

I remember seeing Black Flag, Circle Jerks & the Ramones in some crummy VFW-type hall in Ft Lauderdale in the early 80's. That Ramones show was still one of the 10 best concerts I've EVER been to.
ALSO, we used to frequent Musician's Exchange on Sunrise -- they let us "kids" in if we stayed quiet and didn't get drunk. Saw some AMAZING shows there too including Dizzy Gillespie who came over to talk to us "young cats" in between sets. WOW! (Another top 10.)

A little later, when I would come down from college, it was all the Kitchen (which I HATED) and Fire & Ice.
I was at the Cameo when the skinheads stomped down the first 5 rows of seats for a Suicidal Tendiencies show (their stomping was more memorable than the music lol).
I know, punk & jazz -- I'm weird I guess.

In this century we do some clubs once in a while, latin music, jazz and my brother-in-law drags me to the occasional punk/alt/ska show.

SoFla has NEVER had a good indie/alternative scene. I don't believe it ever will either, we're just too removed from too many places. 6 hours to G'ville and their scene isn't THAT great.
We're dance music (& whatever the sub-genre flavor-of-the-month is), jazz & latin obviously. UM has alwys had a great music department, especially jazz stuff, which helps.

Does Iggy Pop still live here? We can hang our hats on that! lol

[big mean bear]

Originally Posted by Alpha man

#41 Indie Music « Stuff White People Like

Good one Alpha man... maybe that's why there are no white people in Miami...as well as good music. All we have are endless amounts of reggeton and gangster rap. There is only one rock station. Maybe bitter people like yourself scare whites and any kind of good music away.

It's kind of sad that Churchill's and Tobacco Road are the only places in this HUGE city to listen to good live music.

[PBCboy]

Originally Posted by big mean bear

All we have are endless amounts of reggeton and gangster rap.

That sub-genre of hip-hop is called gangsta rap and the rap form popularized in Miami is Miami Bass. Gangsta rap came from the West Coast.