Bonobo Packs Grand Central
Before very recently, I knew next to nothing of Bonobo. After spending the last week or so listening to his available discography, it had earned itself a permanent place among my phone’s limited space. I was excited to see him live but found myself wondering how the typical Miami crowd would feel about the down-tempo, trip hop journey-of-the-mind that is Bonobo’s music. I would soon find out my reservations were unnecessary.
After paying for my parking, I found a group of people standing in a line and confirmed that they were in the line to get in. I was maybe the 8th or 9th in line, behind a teen in dreads who was also looking for a ticket. As time went by, the line behind me got longer and more and more people rushed by, all looking to buy a ticket. Around 10:15, the wind picked up and we could feel stray droplets on our face, announcing the coming rain. The speed with which the Grand Central event staff immediately responded was actually very impressive. After a brief communication with their bartenders on their preparation status, they began letting in everyone as quickly as possible.
I entered to find a dimly lit but well air conditioned venue, not too different from the last time I’d seen it. I had been there for the first time to see Rakim in August and had very much enjoyed not only the show, but the audio quality for the venue size. Not small by any means but not huge either, Grand Central rests on old railroad tracks (which I had the pleasure of inspecting while I waited in line) on the corner of North Miami Avenue & NE 7th Street. The outdoor area has a bar, a pool table and areas to sit and chat with friends, nearly every surface adorned with assorted band stickers and slogans of urban rebellion. After grabbing a beer, I went back inside to check out the setup. In the corner to the far right of the stage they had Bonobo shirts, hoodies and merchandise, among which I was pleased to find decently priced vinyl recordings of Bonobo’s studio albums. In both corners near the entrance completely opposite the stage were twin full bars, stocked with liquor of every kind. The vibe was very chill, with every corner lit by its separate attractions for that nice lounge feeling.
I noticed throughout the night that many of the people in attendance were barely in their twenties and most of them had brought friends. Apparently, Bonobo is music for people with friends. Running into the guy with dreads I had waited in line with, I asked him and his friend what they thought the show would be like. He told me he heard Bonobo sometimes did shows with an entire band, but that this one would be just a DJ set. Having become familiar with Bonobo’s music over the past week, I was reminded again of my initial thoughts on hearing his music live. His friend then cut in and proudly exclaimed that he had a mixtape on an actual audio CD, not an mp3 disk (he repeated it twice to make sure I understood the significance of this) that he’s had for over 3 years. “It starts with Kiara”, he said, a track off of Bonobo’s 2010 album Black Sands. He assured me that he still had it and played it often. I told him I was new to his music and shared with them my thoughts about seeing it live, to which he simply replied, “It’s a DJ set. You can’t go wrong.”
Within a half hour the show began, with Kastle kicking the night off with a set so amazing, I wasn’t sure until halfway through whether I was listening to the main event or not. After he began conversing with the crowd and announced himself, I realized this was the opening act and there was still more to come. I was enjoying Kastle’s set so much I was a little disappointed when he announced his last song, but the good vibes were restored when he announced he wanted to take a selfie with the crowd. Always great to see a performer who interacts with the crowd.
After a brief intermission, the armageddon of lights and sound announced Bonobo. By this time, the event had become so packed that even with a fair amount of people outside, navigating your way around was a slow dance of jostling. Strangely enough, everyone seemed to be committed to having a good time, a far cry from the usual uptight Miami madness. I saw one person taking pictures with an honest-to-god plastic camera and a gaggle of screaming, very, very, VERY drunk girls wishing another a happy birthday in typical “Whoo girl” fashion. I observed and even participated in a group who started a circle of people doing their own silly “random dance”. You know, like your one friend who recognizes they can’t dance, so they opt to be as ridiculous as possible, except an entire herd of them dancing together in chaotic harmony.
True to his word, this event was “nothing but good vibes”. Every song mixed or transitioned into the next with frighteningly amazing pace and patience, with each being heralded by its own specific light show, unique to each song. Definitely a departure from the relaxing, introspective music I’d heard over the last week, his set was upbeat, experimental and dare I say it, intelligent. He didn’t play the typical repetitive Miami dance music one usually hears, but his own blend of drum and bass, almost house music. It wasn’t anything to get wild and thrash about, but it definitely left me feeling like the night could go anywhere from there. All in all, my last note of the night really says it all: “Not your typical show”. He played a very solid two hour set, and earned himself a genuine fan. I know Miami can’t wait to see what his next project brings.
-Nick Jimenez