The Deep End

The Real Roxanne's

Comments (0) By John Linn Thursday, Sep 7 2006

In case you haven't noticed, Roxanne's on Main is becoming quite the safe haven for all manner of underground music in Fort Lauderdale. A quick peek into the club's weekly calendar yields the punked-out sounds of Attacked on Thursdays, the indie/avant/electro mesh of Phoenix on Fridays, and the dark-wave craze of Revenge on Saturdays. But if that's all a little too rock-oriented for your tastes, Roxanne's just got busy with a new night on Wednesdays called "The Breaks." This eclectic trip gathers hip-hop over the past 25 years and spreads it out thick into a mix of old-school rap, underground, East and West Coast, b-boys and breaks, and a few rootsy treats thrown in for good measure.

Freestylin' at the Breaks

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With its appropriately diverse mix of sounds, the Breaks may be everything FTL's watered-down hip-hop club scene has been pining for. Certainly for house DJ Robby Riggs, the night is trying to foster some musical growth in the area, where the downtown meccas stick mostly to Top 40 and club-hop.

"We play kind of an educational mix of everything," Riggs says. "I can listen to the radio anytime, but when I go to a club, I want to be entertained. I want something different."

The Breaks also features space for budding young MCs to sound off with open-mic performances and freestyle jam sessions. And in the coming weeks, Roxanne's plans on bringing some national and regional acts to the mix. It's like a live version of Breakin'. Call it Hip-Hop Bugaloo.

"The Breaks" takes place from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday, September 13, at Roxanne's on Main, 3148 NE 12th Ave., Oakland Park. Admission is free. Call 954-567-9552.