FRI 6/24
Jeffrey John, the 28-year-old owner of Revolution (200 W. Broward Blvd.), the downtown Fort Lauderdale concert venue, is amped. Beginning with this weekend's megaparty, the space will become "a major metropolitan city nightclub" on Fridays and Saturdays. "Come here and you'll feel like you're in a show," John says excitedly. His vision includes professional dancers, elaborate costumes, jaw-dropping skits, and eventually "Cirque du Soleil coming out on trapezes. You could have champagne delivered from the ceiling." Sometimes the aerialists will impersonate rock stars: "Imagine if Axl Rose comes out of the sky and plops a bottle of Cristal on your table!"
That would be spectacular for sure, but who needs Axl in tights when you've got People magazine-worthy celebs in the house? DJ AM is best-known as Nicole Richie's arm candy, but consider this: Way before Richie starred in The Simple Life, AM was spinning at Leonardo DiCaprio's 22nd birthday party (in 1998) and Steven Spielberg's son's bar mitzvah (in 2001). While AM controls the ones and twos, Richie will take the mic and host the grand opening of Revolution, the Nightclub. At 10 p.m., stars will walk down a red carpet to an invitation-only party (actor Nick Zano has confirmed; stars from The O.C. and the movie version of Miami Vice have been invited); at midnight, regular schmoes can start getting in. There's no cover. Call 954-727-0950, or visit www.jointherevolution.net. -- Deirdra Funcheon
Room for Partying
And hooping it up
SAT 6/25
In the late 1950s, the Wham-O company had such a demand for its new creation, the Hula-Hoop, that it manufactured 20,000 of them a day. Fast-forward 50 years; the fad has cooled considerably. That's OK -- it increases your odds of winning the Hula-Hoop contest during the annual Paradise Party at the Bamboo Room (25 S. "J" St., Lake Worth), which begins at 6 p.m. Saturday. The shindig also features a Tropical Shirt contest, the limbo, and, of course, fruity drinks and Caribbean beers. The Papa Mali Trio starts pumping its gris-gris soulful swamp rock at 9:30 p.m. Need a push out the door? A New Orleans newspaper said the band sounded "as if Jimi Hendrix had been raised in the swamps on a steady diet of James Brown, the Meters and scratchy Delta blues." The party costs $10, the concert, $20. Call 561-585-2583, or visit www.bamboorm.com. -- Deirdra Funcheon
You Can Have It All
Free love and punk rock
BY DEIRDRA FUNCHEON
THU 6/23
"Think globally, work locally." Sounds like a mantra for some hippie-dippy environmentalists, not a bunch of mop-headed punkers. But the artists/musicians/promoters in the Fort Lauderdale collective called By the Way manage to spread good vibes while also taking a seriously punk, do-it-yourself approach to success. Rather than wait for major labels to scoop them up or have P. Diddy make their band, this team works like mysterious little prairie dogs, organizing ongoing concerts and art shows at one venue, then disappearing for awhile before popping up somewhere else. Their latest takeover is Karma Lounge (4 W. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale). Tonight's "Instant Karma" show stars local bands the Bikes and the Freakin' Hott. Doors open at 10 p.m. Call 954-523-7159. -- Deirdra Funcheon
U4EA4U
SAT 6/25
The Euphoria Project plans parties with five gazillion DJs all the time. This Saturday, however, it's booked only 11 DJs -- but added live performance to the mix. Check out Urban J.'s body-rockin' sound (think synthesizer riffs, bass-heavy breakbeats, and robotic noises) during the "Ethereality" party at Club XIT (219 N. 21st Ave., Hollywood). J.'s friend, the lovely Rachel, adds sexy vocals to the mix. Cover is $10, and the party lasts from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Call 954-822-2043, or visit www.euphoriaproject.org. -- Deirdra Funcheon
