Drink like a Polynesian King.

A series of unexpected encounters and a haphazard route through the streets of downtown last night, led to the discovery of a brand new little treasure called Kavasutra. I must admit that while I am not a kava virgin, I am not what you would call experienced, either. We spotted the kava bar while crossing the street to my most frequented haunt and immediately decided to take a detour. The dimly lit Polynesian style lounge, and memories of sipping the magic root once before, was too alluring to ignore. 

If this sounds like jibberish, and you have never heard of kava or experienced it's magical effects, let me quickly enlighten you. It looks like mud, it's tastes like mud, but upon first sip you realize mud it is not. Your tongue falls into a sudden coma - not an Elmer Fudd speech impediment coma but a pleasant, tingly numbness. Your body slips into a warm state of relaxation and you are completely at ease with the people around you. All of this occurs while you maintain total mental clarity. For these reasons, the original South Pacific growers and drinkers of the root used it during social, religious and political events. 

In the classic fashion of kava drinkers for hundreds of years before us in far away lands; we basked in positive energies, made friends with the rather experienced drinkers beside us, and gulped down the muddy water with smiles on our faces. The only thing left to say- was Cheers!

Chaos has never been so organized.

There's something sort of magical that happens when a smattering of prints you would never expect to hang out (much less get along), all wind up at the same party and hit it off. Anna dello Russo is one of those people who just knows how to get it so right; it seems like every color, print and fabric has stolen their parents' cigarettes and Grand Marnier and partied together since grade school. Even though these shots were taken back in September 2008, their classic gothic romanticism is still just as sexy and badass as ever. It's not hard to imagine this party, where by the end of the night there is not a drop of champagne left and everyone is hanging out in their skivvies.

I-D Magazine, September 2008

Photography - Manuela Pavesi

Styling - Anna dello Russo

A successful experiment.

Positive feelings were all over the place for Tokyo Police Club and Passion Pit Sunday night in South Beach. People came out on their crutches in the fours! TPC played a solid set which (as most of the people I attended the show with were of this variety), I know even non-followers enjoyed.

"It's not the moonlight the sets me off

it's not the morning that makes me scoff"

-Nature of the Experiment

I must admit I was a tinge insulted when Michael Angelakos, lead singer for Passion Pit announced this was the band's first time in Miami. They killed it at Ultra in March. Killed it. (This was why I was here as I'd be willing to guess were many others.) Fortunately he corrected himself within one song and the band went on to play an energetic show with dancing bodies all over the theatre.

The view from the Broken Bones section:

To my personal excitement the band performed their cover of the cult classic "Zombie." The night was packed with nothing but young, happy, sweaty people all around and there's not much else to say.

Hello world, these are the monsters.

In an attempt to quite literally start the summer off swinging, I suffered a blow to my foot; and my plans for a swinging summer. But who cares, it's 100 degrees and humid as hell anyway. So, in the comfort of my well air-conditioned home, I've been inspired to join the "blogosphere" and show you guys some stuff I think is cool. Let's start off with some snapshots of monsters on vacation in summers past. I hope you enjoy.

Alien & Monster - Key West 2009

Monster & Alien - Malibu 2006

Alien & Monster - The Bahamas 2002