17 August 31 - september 6, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | Music | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | The Hi-Fi Life Six spots for vinyl fans and audiophiles in Miami. BY DOUGLAS MARKOWITZ W hether you like it or not, Miami is a vinyl town. Since Dante’s HiFi opened in 2021, the city has gone vinyl-crazy, with record bars and open decks popping up in dozens of places around town. Thanks to this new wave of old media, anyone with deep pockets and time to dig for the deepest cuts can become a vinyl DJ. In that spirit, New Times has tabulated a few of the best places to hear hi-fi sounds and spin records. Dante’s HiFi 519 NW 26th St., Miami danteshifi.com Opening in 2021, the tiny bar on the western fringes of Wynwood was Miami’s first listen- ing bar. Imported from Japan, the concept is simple: play great records on an incredible sound system. Backed by a fleet of Miami nightlife impresario, including Coyo Taco co- founder Sven Vogtland, the bar hired Phila- delphia DJ Rich Medina as music director, and plenty of selectors from locals like Caro- Zilla and Rum & Coke to stars such as DJ Jazzy Jeff and Luke Vibert have come through. Genres range from soul, funk, and hip-hop to house and techno — it all depends on who’s behind the decks. These days, be prepared to make a reservation. After open- ing, Dante’s quickly became a Miami nightlife hot spot, and its egalitarian neighborhood- bar ambitions gave way to demand. Etcetera at Panther Coffee Little Haiti 5934 NW Second Ave., Miami 305-677-3952 panthercoffee.com Miami has a real lack of normal bars doing normal bar things like hosting trivia nights. So it’s nice that Panther Coffee has stepped in to fill the void, turning their Little Haiti lo- cation into a cool little wine bar at night. One of its regular events is a monthly open-deck night called Etcetera, hosted by Agua Dulce and Las Nubes. Just bring your records and sign up in person, and you’ll get 30 minutes to strut your stuff with whatever records you might have. Wanna play a mad jungle set with all the drum ‘n’ bass vinyl you brought back from a UK trip? Excellent. Got some jazzy cuts and sensual Sade to fit the wine bar vibe? Hell yeah, player. What if the only records you have are from your parents’ boomer classic-rock collection? No problem. Who doesn’t like Fleetwood Mac? The best set of the night will win a swag bag from a lo- cal record store. Jolene Sound Room 200 E. Flagler St., Miami 305-603-9818 jolenesoundroom.com This brand-new downtown listening bar is the result of a massive Miami nightlife team- up between the owners of Club Space — Da- vid Sinopoli, Coloma Kaboomsky, and Davide Danese — and Elad Zvi and Gabe Orta of Bar Lab. The group took inspiration from Despacio, the club experience project cre- ated by James Murphy and 2manydjs that’s become a fixture at music festivals. After de- buting the concept in Brooklyn, the group opened the basement spot in Miami in May with a set from house legend Jellybean Benitez, and it’s planning on using the space during this year’s III Points to host satellite sets from Murphy, Black Loops, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, and Michelle Leshem. In the meantime, the bar has al- ready brought in the likes of Byron the Aquarius, the Juan MacLean, Justin Strauss, and local fave Brother Dan, while DJ Ray holds down a residency slot. Miami Sound Bar 123 SE Second Ave., Miami 786-809-0900 miamisound.bar Based on Mexico City’s Tokyo Music Bar, this downtown spot from Mexico-based Edo Kobayashi Group opened in 2022 to give Dante’s a run for their money. The ar- rangement is similar: Come for great re- cords played by peerless selectors on an excellent sound system from specialists Mc- Intosh Laboratory. Reservations are recom- mended due to the bar’s size, but walk-ins are welcome. The vibe is slightly less pre- tentious than its Wynwood counterpart. The programming is also fairly big on full- album listening sessions, which is a little more true to form for a traditional listening bar. Past selections have included records from Daft Punk, ABBA, the Notorious B.I.G., the Verve, Interpol, Willie Colón, and Arthur Russell. Open Decks at Technique Records 880 NE 79th St., Miami 786-717-6622 techniquerecords.com Everyone loves heading to Technique for all their vinyl digging needs, but did you know the Upper Eastside shop also runs open decks? The shop solicits signups occasion- ally on Instagram, @techniquerecords, and limited slots go fast, so be quick with the DM if you want to show off your selec- tions. If you get the gig, be prepared for a warm and welcom- ing environment courtesy of the shop staff. There are no age or skill level re- strictions, so whether you’re an old pro or have never held a record, Technique is a great place to try out vinyl and a true judg- ment-free zone. Just make sure you have enough material to fill an hour. Vinyl Time at Gramps 176 NW 24th St., Miami 855-732-8992 gramps.com Gramps is one of the last vestiges of the older, weirder Wynwood, and its regular program- ming continues to be more interesting than other spots in the neighborhood. This sum- mer, in addition to its Thursday drag night, Double Stubble, and the Tuesday Synth Bat- tle, it’s added Vinyl Time, an open deck hap- pening every Wednesday. From 7 to 11 p.m., bring your records to the bar for a chance to spin. The event doesn’t always happen on certain weeks, so check Gramps’ Instagram, @grampswynwood, for complete scheduling information. [email protected] Las Nubes and Agua Dulce host Etcetera, a vinyl night at Panther Coffee’s Little Haiti outpost. Ale Campos photo TECHNIQUE IS A GREAT PLACE TO TRY OUT VINYL AND A TRUE JUDGMENT- FREE ZONE. | CROSSFADE | t Music
