Art Basel is an annual city-wide celebration of the arts that takes over Miami, Florida in every sense of the word.
Hotels are at maximum capacity, every venue hosts nonstop performances, and you would be lucky to sit down at a restaurant without reservations made in advance. This massive convergence of art and culture descends on South Florida by storm, attracting countless celebrities, tastemakers, public figures, Mr. & Mrs. Moneybags, musicians and pop icons from around the world.
Street art, live paintings, slews of performances, private parties and events litter the Miami event circuit even moreso than the usual bustle of this cultural metropolis. The perfect December weather is an ideal backdrop for a weekend full of art, culture, music, mansion parties and beautiful people.
In addition to gallery exhibitions, the winter gathering of the international art elite provides plenty for those whose interests are rooted in music. This year’s Art Basel weekend made for some pretty amazing musical events and performances that left Miami EDM fans with the dilemma of where to rage.
Whether you found yourself at with III Points for SBTRKT and James Blake, Treehouse for the Drumcode showcase, The Delano Hotel with Guy Gerber or Club Space with Seth Troxler and The Martinez Brothers, your evening was in good hands. We could have flipped a coin and been happy with the result.
Friday night found us at TRADE in Miami for When Pig’s Fly presented by LINKMiamiRebels.
Located at 1439 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach, TRADE Nightclub lies in the heart of the South Beach club scene. Passing clogged entrances to the countless South Beach clubs, our arrival at TRADE found us taking a comfortable stroll right inside.
The two-story venue was bumping right out of the gate. Doors opened promptly at 11:00 PM with the a consistent flow of arrivals leading to a packed house by 1:00 AM. Unlike many Miami clubs, the entrance process, treatment of patrons and dress code was very chill.
This allowed us to wear comfortable clothes while dancing for 6 hours, not being subjected to the usual scrutiny that comes with wearing fitted hats, shorts and a tank on a Friday night in South Beach.
Featuring nonstop performances of Dubfire b2b Sasha and Matthew Dear b2b Carl Craig, our evening was spent relentlessly grooving to the sounds of the techno elite. Dubbed “When Pigs Fly” due to the fact that a lineup this good happens rarely, the evening marked the first time that TRADE utilized both floors of the venue at the same time. This created another internal struggle with no losing option.
With a former member of four time Grammy Award-winning duo Deep Dish going at it with a founding father of house music and the comprehensive musical talent of Matthew Dear sharing the decks with one of the most influential forces behind the domestic techno movement, there was no shortage of quality music.
Needless to say, When Pig’s Fly was a ridiculously solid choice.
We didn’t know what to expect, but left incredibly pleased.
The event was presented by LinkMiamiRebels and seemed to go off without a hitch. Pleasant attendees, general respect among patrons and the attraction of very specific type of music lover seemed to be the formula for an excellent time.
Considering the context of the city and the occasion, tickets were relatively inexpensive and easy to obtain. While they ultimately sold out, tickets were available through early afternoon the day of the event.
Though Art Basel is in the books, TRADE has won us over with their atmosphere that draws a specific type of crowd and staff that understands that.
If you are concerned with subjecting yourself to the madness of Art Basel, rest assured that dance music enthusiasts will feel right at home at TRADE.
Photos via Michal Ignition Imaging – LINKMiamiRebels
