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1616-52 Ocean Drive`s Billboardlive 2001 Ocean Drive's Billboardlive sounds good to live-music proponents in South Beach. • But the proof is in the booking. • 4 T s • PHOTOS BY MARICE COHN BAND/HERALD STAFF 18M The Herald SUNDAY,SEPTEMBER 2,2001 to take center stn e at Billboardiiwe Performanceg __ _ .---- _ . . , ►BIL1BOARDLIVE,FROM IM a tt `It's the Taj Mahal Bally scheduled launch,Bill- . ,� of clubs.It's the boardlive is finally alive.The . = �,-_ �'= space,conceived by Chait and _ ¢ best in South designed by Jeffrey Beers International,opens its doors �, for invited guests on Saturday. 4 ,i}. -. ; _.. Florida.It The public will get to view its .'"'=-4-:'k ' � - compares to rectangular indoor waterfall, * fir.. high-heel-proof glass-floored rq .-'-'2,:.",116,6,..:,, -- -- - top-quality catwalk and multiple video + screens beginning Sept.14. t 'moi showcase venues F On a recent tour,scaffold- "i nationally,like ing still filled the space where ;. _ t water will fall,and floors were A' House of Blues, still being painted.Neverthe- Y r'T 1, less,it was clear that live-mu- not t m. equally if sic-deprived Miami Beach is u+ - - __... -.. finally getting the venue it *s - = �.c. „ 'f better.' deserves—and then some. ' The ambitions for this neon, , wood and terrazzo bauble at - - president,Fa-JOHN STOLLTOLL, ntasma the northern tip of Ocean Dri••..are as big as its 1,553-ca- coordinating other technical pacity innards and price tag. aspects. "We're going to change the , face of music here,"says Peter r - "� - VERY IMPRESSIVE T. Cohen, Billboardlive's '' _, _- "However people don't senior executive vice president 4 "'¢ - .want to be impressed when of entertainment and media, _ ..'",,,-,;',-,---14- ,. C they finally do walk in,they're "and give it a new home." Y �� ,� going to be impressed,"DeFi- ONE-STOP ` ;' '� lippis, a rock-tour veteran, ONE-STOP SHOPPING '"_ t.- . " - ='i says."It's not Disneyland,but There's notdoubt as- .-`" " _ • .- --*l'�- ,,.w- it's going to be real good." has built a world-class ..�-r`� ,�' - - :. "" musical establishment.With Chait's most interesting hire top-notch audio and video pro- It remains to be seen who will grace Rillboardlive's stage.Its creator hopes rile bedazzling space will beckon,no matter who's playing. might be Rudolf(who prefers duction capabilities built into to go by his first name only). P j _, ning joke in South Beach.Chait The gray-haired, blue-eyed the facilities,it's sone-stop _- , '.^ �-- shopping place for artists and - says that first Constructa,then Argentina-born nightlife guru their labels looking to show- - Billboardlive,ran into contrac- opened his first club in Berlin case material. for problems and permit bot- in 1969.Among other notori- •'It's the Taj Mahal of .1. `- tlenecks."We didn't take pos- ous ventures,he ran a venue clubs,"says Jon Stoll,presi- j; session until August 1999,"he on the top of the famous Sugar- dent of local concert promo- ..f says."We didn't get our permit loaf Mountain in Rio De tion company Fantasma."It's .,�o and begin construction until Janeiro that was accessible the best in South Florida.It It ,;. / March2000." only by tram. He is most compares to top-quality show- 41 M -Sources close to the project famous for being at the center case venues nationally, like 'lie say Chait's perfectionism,his of a string of clubs that defined 1,= "" obsession with detail, New York after dark in the'80s House of Blues,equally if not l i 9 i better." extended the process. and'90s:the Palladium,Dan- n ` P� """ "One year and six months ceteria,the Tunnel. It remains to be seen who :I.1 't , will populate Billboardlive's I - for construction of this magni- Erudite and elegant,Rudolf stage.The company promises - I ,T �` tude with this quality of mate- is a breath of worldly so.phisti- "•major talent"for its opening 1` rials and technology I think is cation into a SoBe nightlife party but will not say who att- P'. -- appropriate."Chait says."We often defined by open shirts (although one source confirms ' thought we could get through and hairpieces.He will be run- R&B singer Blu Cantrell will the process a lot quicker.It ping Billboardlive after 11, perform).Thanks in part to the „ was a learning experience for when artists leave the stage ' n us here in Miami.Fortunately, and DJs take over.At first,the fleeing of the Latin Grammys,wort, `£ 1 >' `"' earlier plans for weeks'worth ,_ 'tt 7 , , it turned out very good." club will be open Fridays and of inaugural concerts have dis- C"..;;',....-„A. Saturdays,with once-a-month gar DIVERSE STAFF Sunday tea dances and other sipated into just one -. — ,�imounced act:Colombian alt- -. - In between flying in exotic special events.As the.season - baginga wood from Africa and begins picking up, the club of inaugural concerts have dis- sipated into just one On between flying in exotic special events.As the.season announced act:Colombian alt- baginga wood from Africa and begins picking up, the club rockers Aterciopelados on .. -- MARICt COHN BAND/HERALD STAFF picking out different shades of intends those parties to Sept. Construction and decor is beingcompleted as the three-floor Ocean Drive club-with top-notch audio yellow for each floor,"to cre- become weekly. Chait aii says the booking ofate a talent is not the point. He and video production capabilities-gets ready for its debut.Here,Oscar Osorio sands a door near the assembled candle formidable chew 'says.Byllboardlivesis largelc refers notto a club. The as a stu-e' bar alt a last week. --- - -- of qualified characters to help than life. The architectural din, a club.The space's _ _ __. - ------- mainstay will be industry "Local acts will come and him run Billboardlive. concept of traveling through showcases and live tapings,he apply for a review.With our He hired Cohen,a veteran spaces in order to encounter ig �! media and production depart- of The Box cable music chap- new ambiences and meet peo- says. `, /rl� ment, if someone is really net,to snag talent and media Ale is superb." "Talent will be announced ��I'• -=] good,we'll call the appropriate productions.Having lived in Rudolf says he will be fol- as it's being seen,which is the ' - I1JIA / '` concept of Billboardlive,"says r L people in the industry." Miami four years,Cohen is the lowing 20th Century designer PY Says Del Granado: "We closest the company has to a Raymond Loewy's MAYA— the former fresh-produce mag- - 7 (f, -. need a place to showcase des- local. most advanced yet acceptable nate."The main thrust is the ' 0 Il t f l S: CJ e I,I c perately. I can't believe we "In the last couple of years, —principle in programming music business,nlivea which rata. ,;kms, don't have a live venue or a Miami has become more and the club. rally means live performances. ''- place for up-and-coming art- more a music center for major "It's important to find out We're a multimedia produc- - tion studio with an emphasis , , .- ists to develop live chops.It's artists,"he says."You can see what is it that people want," on music programming." 114' _z ,• • not good for the music or the that in the proliferation of Rudolf says,"and then give -,:::i musicians.Whether it's Bill- recording studios.There's not them just a little bit more." His hope is that people will : board or something else,I wel- a major band you could name In Rudolf s hands,Billboar- be so bedazzled by the space .f Y come that it makes our job a that hasn't been down here.It's dlive will at least ben spectac- play'll come no matter who's a'- _ < - ,' 2, little bit easier." an important media market." ular club—something with playing. .+,_ Cohen is Chait's main which the Beach is chocka- "It's a place to be without `. °PPLONG PROCESS industry liaison."I've known block.Many, of course, are thesays connotation re thetplace to - - Getting Billboardlive built Peter forever and believe in pulling for the venue to live up be;'says club director Rudolf was anything but easy. In him,"says Jerry Blair,execu- to the live in its name. Piper,a three-decade veteran 11,,,,,,,,o August 1998, Chait and the five vice-president of Arista. "There are a lot of bands of nightlife promotion from developers Cons tructa "Plus, the Billboard brand here that are starving for a Berlin to New York to Brazil. .. .,> e announced that Billboardlive name brings a lot to it.It seems venue that would be acousti- sIes a time."place to hang out and would be the centerpiece of like an incredible venue." tally proper for them,'says spend 1 j k i; ' = _ the Ocean Steps development, Vice president of studio Del Granado."A healthy scene South Floridaic in general is a - and would open in April 1999. operations and talent Jed DeFi- could keep the place going." notoriously fickle Beach n music tr- The continual postponement lippis is designing the venue's Evelyn McDonnell is The ular ha;n't hadviable scenee - , s. ,.l of that opening became a run- state-of-the-art lighting and Herald's pop music critic. ular hasn't had a I. ilit,t, - since recorded dance music ALAN DiAziAP buffed out rock in the early' 90s. Mitchell Chait announced the upcoming opening of the studio-with _. "Whether the population rectangular indoor waterfall,high-heel-proof glass-floored catwalk will support it or otremains andmultiplevideoscreens-lastweek. 6:7 1-11vt ' to be seen,"says Gary Bdn- giovanni, editor-in-chief of sultant.A year later he took where it would be diluted, . Pollster magazine,the bible of over the club and formed Bill- Chait says."Here,we stand r the concert industry."Obvi- boardlive International (the out." t ously they're not competing Las Vegas-based company is Miami Beach once had a with three or four other major privately held,with Billboard's thriving live club.scene.Ven-. music clubs.If it develops a parent company,BPI,one of ues such as Stephen Talk- ' reputation as a hip place,it will the shareholders).In March house,the Cameo Theater and ;-tet ;fie work." - 1998,the L.A.venue,which Washington Square brought "It's down to whether or not was struggling to compete touring acts to town and cre- people like the room." says with neighbors like House of ated a nurturing environment ' Stoll, who said he has dis- Blues and the Whiskey,closed for local artists. cussed booking shows with Four months later, Chait "Ten years ago,Miami pro- Billboardlive."With this room, leased the abandoned Bancroft duced Nuclear Valdez,Mari-.. - they've gone so over the top,I Hotel at Ocean Drive and 15th lyn Manson,the Mavericks,Nil can't imagine it not working." Street. Chait had looked at Lara,"says Bruno Del Gran- .. ,,, � BASED ON MAGAZINE buildings in Seattle,New York, ado, president of the Latin - Orlando and elsewhere. He division at Maverick Records.-. ' Billboardlive is the launch chose Miami for the. new "In the last 10 years,very few. iIs- - - of what Chait calls the"con- launch for a variety of reasons. non-Latin bands have broken / sumer vehicle"of the weekly "It's a historical district out of Miami.When you plant ` • music trade publication. under redevelopment."Chait a seed and water it,you're' ' "I had a vision of what I says."The Latin music,cross- going to see it sprout." thought would best represent over was coming on strong. While he talks enthusiasti- ,. Billboard magazine," says South Beach was becoming an tally about making Billboar ' Chait."I wanted an environ- exciting place to be.It's a site dlive a place for national.TV • ment rich in communication heavily traveled by South shows to broadcast,Chait is - MApicecoHNBAND/HERALD STAFF - and interaction." Americans and Europeans." vague about his plans to book SoBe's venue is not the first After the L.A.experience, local acts. Argentina-born Rudolf Piper opened his first club in Berlin in 1969.He was at the center of a string of Billboardlive.That opened in Miami Beach had another "We have a program seek- clubs in New York and will be running Billboardlive after 11 p.m.,when artists leave the stage and DJs L.A.in 1996.Chait was a con- advantage. "It's not so big ing out new talent,"he says. take over the club.