The countdown to the inaugural III Points Music, Art, and Technology Festival has begun, and no doubt you're running around trying to figure out exactly which acts you should see and which ones you can miss. It's tough choosing, but don't worry — we've got your back.
The whole idea behind III Points is to discover the great things Wynwood has to offer and to send the rest of the country a message that Miami's counterculture is ready for the big time. So support as many artists as possible, but here are the five you really can't sleep on:
XXYYXX. Point Bass, at the Sound Stage @ Mana Miami Production Village, on the corner of NW Second Avenue and NW 23rd Street, Miami; 305-305-5474; manawynwood.com. This 18-year-old stunner from Orlando will warm up the decks for DJ Shadow. Be warned, though: This will be no ordinary opening set. His recent headlining show at Bardot was easily one of the hypest, dirtiest, most intelligently ratchet sets we've ever experienced. He's a humble guy with earthshaking talents, enough to pique the interest of his own idols. He perfectly blends soulful grooves with interstellar hood swag, creating a unique style that's both familiar and fresh. No doubt this rising star will have the crowd at Saturday's Point Bass turned out by the time he's through.
Jamie XX. Point Blank, at the Sound Stage @ Mana Miami Production Village, on the corner of NW Second Avenue and NW 23rd Street, Miami; 305-305-5474; manawynwood.com. Three cheers for Jamie XX, without whom the whole III Points fest might not have happened. Besides being the wonderfully talented backbone of the XX, Jamie is quite the impressive performer on his own. His collaborative album with poet and singer Gil Scott-Heron, We're New Here, was an instant and influential classic. Plus, Jamie is deft at bridging old and new sounds by seamlessly incorporating live instrumentation into his tech-heavy format. Catch him as he readies Sunday's Point Blank dance floor for the legendary James Murphy, famed former frontman of LCD Soundsystem, another must-see act sure to bring the best of old and new to the decks in totally fresh ways.
Yacht. DFA BBQ at Cafeina, 297 NW 23rd St., Miami. This band consists of two main members, Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans. Live, though, the duo expands to a quartet in order to render the full sonic spectrum of the group's lushly orchestrated material. Yacht exists at the intersection of synthetic dance music and guitar-driven postpunk, and as members of James Murphy's DFA Records, Bechtolt and Evans have committed to an analog approach — meaning they really know how to play all of the noise they're making. Rest assured, the band's talents are great, and its dedication to quality is unwavering. So catching Yacht in the act at Saturday's DFA BBQ will be a real treat.
Austin Paul. Light Box at Goldman Warehouse, 404 NW 26th St., Miami. Yay, local musician! No doubt this young Miami guy will have you by the heart as soon as he touches his keys. He's a moody fellow who makes music with heavy, esoteric undertones. There's a strong vision behind his music and aesthetic, one that's mysterious and melodic but not to be taken lightly. At the moment, he's two EPs deep into an introductory trilogy. So definitely catch up on those releases, Velvet and Disparia, before checking out Saturday's performance with claymation artist Allison Schullnik at the Light Box.
DJ Shadow. Point Bass, at the Sound Stage @ Mana Miami Production Village, on the corner of NW Second Avenue and NW 23rd Street, Miami; 305-305-5474; manawynwood.com. The last time DJ Shadow came to Miami, he was forced off the decks at Mansion for being "too future." Luckily, that kind of thing would never happen at III Points. And that's why this set is guaranteed to go hard, because we've all got something to prove. We're hoping the legendary mixer drops his most futuristic mixes and goes all 3013 on the place so he finally knows just how progressive and educated we actually are in the 305. The energy at Saturday's Point Bass will be massive. Don't miss it.
See New Times' full III Points coverage, along with the fest's full schedule, at crossfademiami.com.
