III POINTS
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Miami is a city known for excess; as illustrated perfectly by the nickname: Vice City. Blame Miami Vice, Scarface or the reality of the 80’s South beach party scene; whatever the case Miami has a rep. It’s taken some time, but the city has begun cultivating a different sort of character. Winter Music Conference, I.N.C. and Art Basel have started to legitimize Miami’s partying ways by attracting those that might understand the beach by day, party all night vibe the city exudes. What better way to normalize the party aesthetic than to make the place a mecca for highbrow art and burgeoning music scenes? The New York Times dedicates a portion of their arts section to Basel every year, what further proof is necessary to see that hipster cred is strong in the 305; and we welcome it with open arms.
The newest kid on the block to continue the stabilization of attracting the cool kid crowd is the III Points Festival. A multimedia festival that has been taking place since 2013 at the Mana building in Wynwood. III Points is different than its predecessors in that the artists are all from different walks of life and styles; a melting pot of up and comers, as well as, some of the city’s best. Genre is no longer a factor in a globalized world and iii Points seems to be embracing that mantra; from their website:
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“III Points Music, Art & Technology Festival, was born in 2013 as platform to shed light on Miami’s talented local acts, vendors, artists, thinkers, dreamers, doers and idea people. Our artist community was thriving but the perception of Miami was stereotypical to South Beach bottles & model culture. We created III Points as a home and voice for the “other” Miami. III Points curates a line-up of cutting edge international performances paired with the best of the Miami’s music scene. We have made our home for the last four years in Wynwood, the rising star of Miami’s modern, artistic urban development. Over the three days of the festival, III Points takes over the town with lectures, labs, tech talks, music & gallery showcases and a fully immersive 5 stage main ground.”
Thee Oh Sees
DAY ONE: This year boasts a wildly eclectic line-up that should attract pretty much anyone interested in a good time. Friday night is being headlined by LCD Soundsystem; a dance-punk, electronic rock outfit with associations to Arcade Fire and Franz Ferdinand. After a 5 year self-imposed hiatus LCD Soundsystem released a new single in December of 2015 seemingly out of the blue and much to the delight of their fans. They will certainly be a sight for the kick off of the first night. Joining them is Vince Staples, a rapper affiliated with the Odd-Future crew, Mac Miller and Cutthroat Boyz.
Plastic Pinks
However impressive these folks are, the local acts are some of the most enigmatic in the area: Psychic Mirrors; purveyors of Miami boogie, funk, yacht rock, jazz-wave. Rat Bastard; the man who made people care about noise, and from his passion sprung the International Noise Conference, a yearly event that attracts people from all over the world to Churchill’s to experiment with instruments, frequencies and preconceptions. Also, Otto Von Schirach…no mere man, a SUPERMENG! Otto makes music for anyone willing to take a trip, one that is at times; part Parliament Funkadelic; part booty shaking dance party and all sci-fi strangeness.
The State Of
DAY TWO: has Thievery Corporation headlining with Method Man & Redman, as well as, garage, indie rockers, Thee Oh Sees. The locals supporting this mélange of musical tastes are just as varied as the headliners: Deaf Poets, Grey 8’s, Killmama, Beach Day and DJ Mikey Ramirez. All of which are vastly different in style; none are worth losing your place at the front of the stage for a bathroom break. Bring a catheter, and check your modesty at the door.
Denudes
DAY THREE: features M83 and a Flying Lotus DJ set. Mixed in will be Plastic Pinks, Miami’s premier garage rockers; Holly Hunt, who bring and re-define heavy with their instrumental blasts; Dim Past, a collective threating to make “Techno a threat again.” Wastelands, a who’s who of Miami punk rock and metal players; best described as Dinosaur Jr. meets the Melvin’s with Jimmy Hendrix playing guitar. Also, magic city indie rock stalwarts Modernage with Cog Nomen, a band that is the sum of its parts, mixing all genres to form something completely different.
Dim Past
All of these acts are vastly different from one another, but that’s Miami; and that’s the point of III Points Festival. We get the opportunity to co-exist in a place with rich artistry that has been largely ignored by anyone not looking to mine anything but mainstream interests. However, all the while bubbling under the surface of the waves there are people doing things that are completely original and otherwise un-imaginable. The curators of the iii Points festival have their fingers on the pulse of the city and they see all the potential new ideas have. Welcome to Miami, our city isn’t like yours; we may be Vice City, but we’re also the Magic City.
Be there October 7-9 at Mana Wynwood, Miami. iiipoints.com
~ Tim Moffatt
