B-LIVE - Press Party Recap!!

(Photo: Rob Loud/Getty Images)

BACARDI B-LIVE: WMC HOT SPOT
In the few, fast and furious days we were down in Miami during WMC, it was clear that the Bacardi B-Live press event at the Fontainebleau was the place to be. Sporting an A+ roster (Diplo, A-Trak, MSTRKRFT, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Chromeo, Kid Sister, and MANY more - including a surprise set by DJ AM), the intimate dance pool party was fun, at times outrageous, and chock-full of energy. The 400-or-so capacity party came equipped with two stages, one out on the Fontainebleau pool deck and the other indoors at chic Japanese restaurant, Blade. And what developed was nothing short of a spectacular.

Highlights for us included Jazzy Jeff's redux of fave old school hits (i.e. Push It) and bopping about to Diplo's signature beats (MIA's Paper Planes was a real crowd pleaser!). Diplo shouts, "Yo A-Trak, where you at?!?" - and a beautifully smooth transition into A-Trak's fun-fueled set... And Kid Sister knocked it out of the park (or I guess, 'pool') with hit single Pro-Nails, a fun rap-homage to the manicure. And when all was said and done on the outdoor stage, the excited crowd had partied it up to the equally awesome sets of MSTRKRFT, DJ AM, Autoerotique and Chromeo (ending the party with a fade out to some Fleetwood Mac...was that Chromeo's doing?).

(Photo: Rob Loud, Getty Images)

Kid Sister shows off those nails!
(Photo: Rob Loud, Getty Images)

And certainly not to be dismissed, the indoor stage at Blade had some pretty fine offerings as well, from Steve Porter to Drop The Lime, Craig Pettigrew, Para One and Sydney Blu. When it was time to take a break from the sun, there was always a good crowd collected by the indoor booth... dancing, mojitos in hand. Not to be downplayed, the indoor dance floor was a party-and-a-half on it's own...

URB Magazine listed the Bacardi B-Live event as the 'Best Day Party' of all of WMC. And you can't beat that with a bat!

FASHION: NEON!
Overall, the crowds at WMC this year seemed to be trading in their traditional club-going gear for a nu-retro hipster angle, sporting some styles and colors we haven't seen since 1991! And B-Live was no exception...From high-top Kid 'n Play style cuts to the boldest neon schemes, the uber-colorful crowd danced the day and night away in a rainbow variety of wayfarers to the beats of some masterful musicians. The general fashion trend, still, erred on the side of scantily-clad...it was a Miami pool party after all! And this came in a wide variety of materializations (or I guess lack of material). We'll be uploading our pics soon, and also take a peek at the official B-Live Flickr page - some great shots by Rob Loud (and check out those on Last Nights Party) if you want to jump-start your imagination!


(Photo: Rob Loud, Getty Images)


DRINK: MIXING IT UP

And no Bacardi event would be complete without some complimentary cocktails! Mojitos and Bacardi & Colas topped the main menu, with the welcome addition of the hand-shaken daiquiri...always nice on a sunny Miami day! And up by the DJ booth, Bacardi introduced partygoers to the Bespoke Bar...a spread of fresh fruits and other delicious ingredients like fresh mint and ginger beer...Mixologists doll up personalized Bacardi cocktails. Give the mixologist a direction, and they'll put together a nice rum concoction to match your whim! Word is we'll be seeing more of the Bacardi Bespoke bar on the rest of the tour, and hopefully beyond!

B-LIVE TOUR
We're hitting up a bunch of the B-Live tour dates, and if this kickoff press event is any indication, it's going to be one hell of a summer! With the addition of Matt & Kim, Tiga, Z-Trip, Q-Tip and Santogold (who also made a cameo at the Fontainbleau) to an already delicious roster (alongside many more surprises), it's gonna be off the hook.

The current B-Live schedule**:

-- Wednesday, May 20, Seattle, WA
-- Friday, May 22, San Francisco, CA
-- Thursday, May 28, San Diego, CA
-- Friday, May 29, Los Angeles, CA
-- Saturday, May 30, Phoenix, AZ
-- Wednesday, June 3, Denver, CO
-- Saturday, June 6, Kansas City, MO
-- Thursday, June 11, Milwaukee, WI
-- Friday, June 12, Chicago, IL
-- Saturday, June 13, St. Louis, MO
-- Wednesday, June 17, New York, NY
-- Thursday, June 18, Boston, MA
-- Friday, June 19, Philadelphia, PA
-- Thursday, June 25, Louisville, KY
-- Friday, June 26, Cleveland, OH
-- Saturday, June 27, Columbus, OH
-- Thursday, July 2, Charlotte, NC
-- Friday, July 3, Atlanta, GA
-- Saturday, July 4, Orlando, FL
-- Wednesday, July 8, New Orleans, LA
-- Friday, July 10, Austin, TX
-- Saturday, July 11, Dallas, TX

**Each date on the tour will feature only a few of the B-Live featured artists - check out www.bacardi.com/blive and blog.bacardiblive.com for the most up to date cities and line up). Follow us on Twitter as we follow along on the B-Live trail and continue checking out the Zandland Music! Blog, where we'll be covering this tour, other events, alongside some of our favorite music-related news and happenings.

-jmd