Instead of yet another South Beach night, think outside the box. Put on some cowboy boots and head on down to a honky-tonk for an interesting night on the town.
South Florida is not just the home for house music, but also an unexpected venue for country music. From Round Up nightclub in Davie, to outdoor all-day concerts, the Miami area has a lot to offer country music fans.
Distraction profiles some of the best country places around the Miami area, so grab you ten-gallon hat and start exploring.
Round Up Night Club
"Well let me start by saying I hate country with a passion," junior Alicia Beekman said. "The only time I've ever been to Round Up was for a friend's birthday but it was the best time ever."
Located in Davie, about 45 minutes north of campus, Round Up is the top country western club in South Florida. Round Up features line dancing to country music as well as special events like concerts and a mechanical bull.
On weekends, the nightclub is 18 and over. Most students make the trip to Round Up on Fridays for Ladies Night, when girls drink free until 2 a.m. with a $5 dollar cover charge.
Be sure to approach the door with caution because this club is very strict on IDs. The cover charge for those under 21 is $15 and that includes one non-alcoholic beverage. If you get there early around 8 p.m., you can attend the beginner line dance class. If that's not your style, just get on the dance floor with the regulars.
"I loved getting up and dancing because I had no idea was was going on, but it was so cool to watch everyone that did," Beekman said.
Round Up also holds concerts featuring up-and-coming country artists. Some of their approaching club dates include Jake Owen on Oct. 28, Uncle Kracker on Nov. 11, and Easton Corbin on Dec. 9. Past concerts have included stars like Gloriana, Rodney Atkins and Chris Young. All of the concerts are on Thursdays and the tickets range in prise from $15 to $20. Tickets can be bought the day of or online at Roundupnightclub.com
"Concerts are awesome [at Round Up] because they are more intimate," fifth year architecture student Mellisa Walton said. "You are right there and everyone is just singing along having a good time and drinking beer. You just really feel the music playing and you get into it."
Outdoor Country Concerts
All of those nights at Round Up will prepare you for outdoor country concerts, which are in a world of their own compared to other concert events.
"The tailgate is a majority of the concert," junior Mark Khoury said. "They are very elaborate; lots of beer drinking and people walking around interacting. I usually go with a group of five or six, but for tailgates the bigger the group of people the more fun it is."
Most Country concerts are held at the Cruzan amphitheater in West Palm Beach. The drive is about an hour and a half without traffic, making the concert more of an adventure and escape from the bright lights and techno of Miami.
Be sure ti purchase lawn seats. These are usually cheapest and put you in the heart of the action. You can bring in blankets and low lawn chairs, as well as food in a gallon-sized, clear plastic bag and one sealed water bottle per person.
"For an ideal concert you would get there about two to three hours before the concert starts," Khoury said. "You would bring a grill with hamburgers and set up a little tent for yourself and go with around 10 or 15 people."
Ticket prices range from $20 to $40 for lawn seats, with the lower level fixed seating being extra. There are also special packs of four lawn tickets for as low as $75.
If you want to attend one of the biggest country events in South Florida, then you have to go to 99.9 WKIS Kiss Country's 26th annual Chili Cook Off.
The event, housed in Pembroke Pines, is an all-day outdoor concert featuring some of the most popular country artists. The Cook Off is typically in January but a date for the 2011 event had not been set. Last year's concert featured Montgomery Gentry, Sara Evans and Zac Brown Band.
"I feel like anyone who appreciates country music is a certain of person and the just seem to love life," junior Lindsay Moore said. "The atmosphere [at the Chili Cook Off] was so great because everyone was just so happy. Everyone is nice to everyone; it's a fun time no matter what."
South Florida is a great place for any country fan to enjoy a country concert, Because of the warm weather, the area is perfect for outdoor concerts in the winter and it's easy to get addicted to the feel good vibes of country music.
You can relax outside and catch some of your favorite bands at the Chili Cook Off or line-dance your stress away at Round Up nightclub.
And as Blake Shelton sings, "It's all about tonight/ Good times and the music and laughing and grooving to the band."
This article was written for the Fall 2010 issue of Distraction Magazine. This issue was released on October 27, 2010.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Canefest 2010
Freshmen waited anxiously at the door in their orientation groups waiting for Canefest to begin. Some students didn’t even know what they were doing there but once the doors opened the groups shuffled in through the second floor. Some students whizzed past the overrun club sports tables of volleyball and lacrosse and breezed by the tables of the various ministries here on campus, these students were here for one thing—the free stuff.
What most students don’t realize when they are stuffing their bags with pins and other goodies, is that Canefest is a large event that takes scores of planning.
“A committee of 10 people, overseen by a Chair and an advisor, meets once a week for the entire summer in order to plan Canefest,” said junior Ashley Taggart, Canefest chair. “People apply to be on the Canefest Committee and are chosen by the Chair.”
Logistically, the event is a large undertaking. There is room for only 140 organizations in the Bank United Center and the spots are assigned on a first come first serve basis. Once the spots fill up the organizations who signed up late get placed on a standby list. On the day of the event the standby organizations wait in a line and hope that a table opens up. According to Taggart, all of the organizations, both registered and standby, got placed at a table this year.
Registered organizations are then placed on the floor in color groups, in accordance with how they are registered with C.O.S.O., and each group contains many organization categories.
In addition to the logistics, graphic design for promotional materials is a large part of Canefest. Senior Ken Garcia and junior Coral Milican designed the 2010 logo and t-shirt using Adobe Illustrator to create the graphic of two silhouettes throwing up the U. After trying to create the silhouettes in illustrator, Garcia and Milican had a friend take a picture of them throwing up the U and that picture became the basis for the design.
“Seeing our logo, that featured ourselves, appear on everything from the plaques, VIP parking passes, coffee mugs for the sponsors, the gift bags, the email signatures was awesome,” said Milican. “But it really doesn’t compare to the feeling of awe that overcame me on day of show when Bob Diccicco, our t-shirt guy and sponsor, delivered the boxes of white tshirts and I could see it everywhere.”
Canefest is not just the culmination of orientation week but also the culmination of a summer of planning for the Canefest committee. This year’s successful Canefest kick started a great fall semester here at The U.
This story was written for the 2011 Ibis Yearbook, the yearbook will be printed and distributed in the Fall 2011 semester.
What most students don’t realize when they are stuffing their bags with pins and other goodies, is that Canefest is a large event that takes scores of planning.
“A committee of 10 people, overseen by a Chair and an advisor, meets once a week for the entire summer in order to plan Canefest,” said junior Ashley Taggart, Canefest chair. “People apply to be on the Canefest Committee and are chosen by the Chair.”
Logistically, the event is a large undertaking. There is room for only 140 organizations in the Bank United Center and the spots are assigned on a first come first serve basis. Once the spots fill up the organizations who signed up late get placed on a standby list. On the day of the event the standby organizations wait in a line and hope that a table opens up. According to Taggart, all of the organizations, both registered and standby, got placed at a table this year.
Registered organizations are then placed on the floor in color groups, in accordance with how they are registered with C.O.S.O., and each group contains many organization categories.
In addition to the logistics, graphic design for promotional materials is a large part of Canefest. Senior Ken Garcia and junior Coral Milican designed the 2010 logo and t-shirt using Adobe Illustrator to create the graphic of two silhouettes throwing up the U. After trying to create the silhouettes in illustrator, Garcia and Milican had a friend take a picture of them throwing up the U and that picture became the basis for the design.
“Seeing our logo, that featured ourselves, appear on everything from the plaques, VIP parking passes, coffee mugs for the sponsors, the gift bags, the email signatures was awesome,” said Milican. “But it really doesn’t compare to the feeling of awe that overcame me on day of show when Bob Diccicco, our t-shirt guy and sponsor, delivered the boxes of white tshirts and I could see it everywhere.”
Canefest is not just the culmination of orientation week but also the culmination of a summer of planning for the Canefest committee. This year’s successful Canefest kick started a great fall semester here at The U.
This story was written for the 2011 Ibis Yearbook, the yearbook will be printed and distributed in the Fall 2011 semester.
How to 'GTL' in the 'MIA'
Looking to get away from the normal everyday South Beach vacation? Then heat up your tanning bed, start poofing your hair and hit South Beach “Jersey Shore” style.
The cast of “Jersey Shore” took Miami Beach for season two of the popular reality show on MTV and was filmed in early 2010. The taping features many Miami Beach restaurants and entertainment venues. Now that the finale has aired and the second season is complete, it is the perfect time to spend a weekend on the shore- the Miami shore that is.
Kick off your “Jersey Shore” weekend by staying in the same hotel the cast did while filming. The Metropole Hotel South Beach is right in the middle of the action on Collins Avenue. The hotel offers one and two-bedroom suites and boasts a residential feel with their private courtyard. Just be aware that the hotel is run with a long-stay focus and during peak seasons, there could be minimum stay requirements.
Once you arrive at the Metropole Hotel South Beach the first order of business is to tan, otherwise known as the “T” in the popular phrase GTL (“gym, tan, laundry”). The weather is great in Miami, even at this time of year with an average high of around 85 degrees. South Beach is a great beach to enjoy; there are white sands and plenty of action for people watching.
After you are done lounging on the beach, be sure to visit The Big Pink restaurant. Located within walking distance from the beach on Collins Avenue, The Big Pink was featured on the show when some of the female castmates went to the restaurant to scheme. The girls dined on huge portions of great food and you will too. The price is also great. Eating out on South Beach can be expensive but you can get out of there for under $20 if you’re careful. Try the TV dinner special, it’s a meal that comes in a stainless steel six compartment tray for $14.95 and the selection changes daily.
Once you’re stuffed from lunch, take an afternoon nap by the hotel’s courtyard and then go out for an afternoon treat. The Lecca Lecca Gelato Caffé is a must-see for the “Jersey Shore” fan. This gelato shop is where the cast worked and the black logo with the brightly colored circles in a cone is a recognizable symbol for any fan. Many “Jersey Shore” viewers remember the café most as the location of Pauly D’s rant about his hair.
“My boss seems to think that my hair is gonna fall off and go into the ice cream,” cast member Pauly D said in episode two. “This hair ain’t movin’ my dude. 150 m.p.h on the highway on a street bike… it doesn’t move! What makes you think it’s gonna move in a gelato shop?”
After Pauly D’s rant the shop was a constant on this season of “Jersey Shore.” Order a cup of Gelato and you can even buy the signature t-shirt, so you can wear what the cast mates wore during their shifts scooping gelato.
Late at night is when the show, and South Beach, really comes alive. South Beach is known for its great nightclubs and the cast frequented almost all of them, although two stood out on the season.
The cast talks about the nightclub B.E.D. frequently on the show, which stands for Entertaining.Dining. Dance the night away with the show’s signature fist pump move or lounge in one of the club’s signature beds while sipping cocktails. B.E.D. has also been named one of the 100 Best Night Clubs and Bars by Absolut Vodka and Technomic Inc., coming in at No. 79, so you know you will have a great time at this entertainment venue.
The cast can also be found at Klutch during the course of the season. Klutch is an open air club and guests can reserve tables with a small cocktail minimum, instead of a huge bottle minimum. Here, servers will make cocktails tableside, including mojitos and other Miami staples.
The “Jersey Shore” cast may have left Miami, but that doesn’t mean that you have to stop fist pumping. From Ronnie’s three-way kiss at Klutch to the everyday work antics at Lecca Lecca Gelato Caffe, South Beach is full of memories for fans. Visiting South Beach “Jersey Shore” style will guarantee you to have a great day-vacation for visitors and locals alike.
If You Go:
Lodging:
Metropole Hotel
635 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Tel
Fax 305-672-0700
www.metropolesouthbeach.com
Dining:
Lecca Lecca Gelato Caffé
1051 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Tel
Open 7 days a week
www.leccaleccagelatocaffe.com
The Big Pink
157 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
Tel
Hours of Operation: opens at 8 a.m. closes 12 a.m. Sun-Wed, 2 a.m. Thu, 5 a.m. Fri-Sat
Free Delivery 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. (1a.m. Fri & Sat)
www.mylesrestaurantgroup.com
Nightlife:
B.E.D
929 Washington Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33139
Tel
Email: info@bedmiami.com
www.bedmiami.com
Klutch
136 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Tel
Fax 305-531-4645
Email: info@klutchmiami.com
www. klutchmiami.com
This article was written for the entertainment section of The Miami Hurricane, the University of Miami student newspaper. It was published on October 25, 2010.
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