RESPECTABLE STREET TURNS 29
Dan Deacon
“Never,” is emphatically how Rodney Mayo declares his original intentions. “I planned on a two-year run initially then that turned into five, then ten years and then I said ‘oh well I’ll stop putting an end date on it and we’ll just close when people stop coming.’” Mayo, the proprietor of Clematis’ Respectable Street nightclub, has been a pioneer, visionary, and agent provocateur in South Florida since opening on the 500 block in 1987. A successful businessman and taste-maker, Mayo’s greatest quality is his humble, almost unassuming demeanor. The refurbished former Salvation Army building has hosted thousands of bands, both local and national without ever sacrificing its vision or deviating from their original concept.
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As an anchor to Mayo’s Subculture Group which includes other clubs and restaurants spanning the tri-county area like Kill Your Idol and Lost Weekend in Miami Beach, Tryst and Dada in Delray, the Dubliner and Kapow! in Boca Raton, and a handful in West Palm Beach like Camelot, Howley’s, and Hullabaloo; Respectables is more than just a dad figure to his other operations, it is a destination. “We have stayed the course and always focused on great, consistent indie music and live bands,” he explains. “We have had our ups and downs as the music trends change but our core guests remain loyal and we are now seeing the second generation of Respectable guests.”
A birthday can’t go by without some form of celebration and Respectables knows how to party. Headlining this year’s bacchanal will be electronic composer Dan Deacon. In a world of dreadful knob-twisters and DJ personalities, Deacon is a cut above the rest. A musician in the classical sense, Deacon is an eternal tinkerer and obsessive worker. With eight albums and numerous EPs under his belt, the 34-year-old Baltimore resident keeps a busy touring schedule and an audience-involvement live that should be the envy of any frontman worth their salt.
Wake Up
Taking the mysticism out of the electronic musician, Deacon gets close to his audience and delivers. All of his works have carried his moods and on his latest, 2015’s Gliss Riffer, Deacon is letting his wild side shine. It could be as a result of finally focusing on himself after numerous collaborative efforts and of taking complete control of the production. Whatever it was, the end result is a cohesive album of psychedelic electronica that verges on the absurd but without ever losing its footing in pop chemistry. With the added bonus of the title causing chaos on auto-correct features, there’s an idea that he’s played god all along with this creation.
That Deacon might not be the first artist one would think of headlining this event is a testament to Mayo’s continued efforts in bringing nothing but the best to his stage. Knocking on 30’s door is certainly not how Mayo originally envisioned it. Keeping the mission clear however, has ensured a successful symbiosis for the club and South Florida’s live music lovers: “create an environment that I would want to come to and there will be enough other people that feel the same way that will support you. For the future we want to expand our live music nights and work on getting larger national acts.” Staying the course is the oft-quoted cliché for doing things right; it has worked here and will continue to do so for some time.
Respectable Street’s Anniversary Block Party featuring Dan Deacon, Millionyoung, Astari Nite, Wake Up, Everymen, Hunters of the Alps and many more kicks off at 6pm on Saturday, September 10 at RSC, 518 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. Free.
~ Abel Folgar
