Laz Rodriguez on His Electronic Party D-ick, Doing Drugs, and Miami's Freak Scene

Laz Rodriguez, a skinny Mexican-Cuban who, be all night, has been pushing the weirdo party scene in Miami with his electronic party, D-ick, since July 2012.

D-ick, whose name evolved from initially being called SHHHH, has happened at Gramps, Electric Pickle, Churchill's Pub during the International Noise Conference, a house, a loft, and downtown at an old bank. It has hosted DJs Greg Beato, Alfredo Sousa, Gio Ardito, Romulo del Castillo, and Brad Lovett.

Laz and I recently sat on the balcony of a friend's apartment on Biscayne Blvd. and discussed his party, Miami, taking drugs, and generally letting your freak flag fly.

New Times: What's the nighlife culture that you like in Miami?

Laz Rodriguez: I like all the homeless people, mostly. Any kind of freak, faggot, Goth nightlife. Just people that hang out at night that aren't in South Beach. That nightlife is superficial. There's still electronic or whatever, but people will make fun of you, or say something ignorant. You can't get into those clubs. It's not what I'm trying to go for in Miami.

So there's the typical club scene but there's also a freak scene going on?

Of course, yeah. Exactly. Through Churchill's. There used to be a lot of raves in Homestead. Schematic, that electronic label. Stuff happens, but it doesn't get attention in Miami. Miami gets attention more in an art sense. There are major cities that have their parties that everyone knows. We might have had that, but I wasn't around back then. What I'm trying to throw is just core techno vinyl. Kind of subliminal gay, suggestive gay.

Is D-ick the cool party in Miami?

No, no one likes it. People come to it. But it's still coming up. If you have a free punk show people are there. Free techno show, no one is there. But everyone there is quality people. The people who DJ are older. They are bringing people out. The records they play, once you hear that you're like, "shit, I have to come again."

It's a small following, but I don't even care about that. It's there, and it's happening and people like the music. At INC was the best repsonse because there were noiseheads and audioheads that like music and like records. In Miami, it's hard to gather all of those people who are into all kinds of music and want to dance.

Is it all vinyl?

Pretty much. If it's at a club, maybe someone will bring CDs or something. That's basically the essence I want to keep. It's usually the same four people. I love the records they have and how they play. I trust them. You don't have to worry about them, they know what they're doing. They've been in it. They're the party.

Tell me about doing D-ick in a bank.

It was in the Dupont Building in downtown that The End/Spring Break collective hooked me up with. It was this beatiful old 1950s building, and we played in this bank area. The DJs would play in a different room where the bank tellers would have been.

Has D-ick ever gotten shut down?

Yeah, we did it at this loft in Wynwood. And they did the Boiler Room there the next night, and the girl got evicted. At my party, we set off the fire alarm with the fog machine and everyone had to leave. They were smoking too though. We didn't think the the fog would set it off. The fire department showed up and everyone was on ecstasy.

See also: III Points' Boiler Room in Wynwood: So HAM, It Got the Hosts Effing Evicted (Video)

Do people do a lot of drugs at D-ick?

People do a lot of drugs in Miami. The first party, there was a drug dealer who lives (near the party). He came over and there was this table just full of Quaaludes and yay. It was crazy.

What do you like about drugs?

It's a Miami thing for sure. People go out at two. Shit doesn't close until the next day. If you're going to go out you need something. I smoke. I don't drink beer to get drunk, like I don't go to bars for that. That's how I justify it.

Coke? That's what people do here?

Basically, basically. It's easier to get than weed. Stuff comes in through here. People won't deliver weed but they'll deliver that. It's Miami. People come for vacation. They got money and then they leave. They trash it and they go.

What do you love about Miami?

I love the immigrants and the struggle and how real it is. At least on this side. I love how party it is. People are usually aggressive and keep to themselves, but are respectful at the same time. I like people that are real and there's a lot of realness here. It's still a young city. I keep myself in check here.

What's the next D-ick?

I want to do the next one at 8th Street, at a really dark, seedy Latin bar. I'll do a party anywhere.

Reed Dunlea is the host of Distort Jersey City on WFMU. Follow him on the only form of social media that matters: Instagram username DISTORTREEDDUNLEA.

New Party Rules for Millennials

Ten Best Florida Metal Bands of All Time