Grand Central: A Downtown Event Space Brings Scenes Together
In just a little over a year, the sprawling, hangar-like downtown venue, Grand Central has scored a few unlikely feats. First, it's drawn regular after-dark activity to the usually desolate core of downtown Miami, several long blocks south of the 11th and 14th Street mini districts. In fact, to increase daytime foot traffic, it's even sponsoring the development of Grand Central Park across the street, on the rock-and-dirt-strewn site of the former Miami Arena.
But most importantly for night crawlers, it's bridged a gap between divergent scenes for an only-in-Miami kind of crowd. No two events at Grand Central, which is housed in a refurbished '20s railroad freight station, are exactly alike. Some pump the latest white-hot electronic sounds into the wee hours, while others curate epic extravaganzas of the latest blog-approved garage and indie bands. All attract a mix of hipsters, artistes, jetsetters, buttoned-up bottle service buyers -- anything goes.
Just don't call it a club, says Aramis Lorie, one of the co-owners of both Grand Central and one of the founders of Poplife, a legendary promotion company that helped establish Miami's indie scene. "It is very much an event space. I don't consider it a club," he says. "Our audience is generally dictated by the event that is being hosted. It tends to be an edgier crowd overall."
In fact, it'sPoplife's involvement that's helped this pull. Technically, Poplife provides all of the event marketing for the venue, and with its track record, that's meant some serious booking coups. In a city with no other venues between small clubs and the seated theater that is the Fillmore Miami Beach, Grand Central is in a unique position to snag mid-level acts who call for a large dance floor. Unlike any other "dance club" per se, a huge stage runs along one wall, bolstered by top-level sound and a massive LED-screen backdrop for an added touch of psychedelia or other visuals.
In the past, that's meant everyone from mega DJs like Afrojack and Laidback Luke, to bands like Crystal Castles and Sleigh Bells, to even older, pioneering acts like Lauryn Hill, Nitzer Ebb, and O.M.D. The coming fall slate of programming reflects another diverse run of shows, with the next month boasting performances by Das Racist, Ladytron, the Rapture, Little Dragon, Battles, the Drums, and even a hearty helping of local bands.
In other words, Grand Central's m.o. is about uniting different groups in a city whose music and nightlife scenes badly need some unity. "I focus on the stuff I like, then I try to diversity the other bookings in order to create events for all demographics," says Lorie, mentioning partnerships with other promotion companies in the city like the world music-loving Rhythm Foundation and the rock en español authorities Fabrika.
That mission for connectivity even expands to actual geography. Earlier this year, the venue tested a free shuttle service between its doors and a pick-up point on South Beach. It's now on hold while something more expansive is in the works. "We're creating a bigger and better service," says Lorie, "connecting all different areas to Grand Central, like South Beach, Wynwood, and Brickell."
