October 28th, 2012: Another fantastic bass throw-down at the Fillmore of Miami Beach. We arrived around 10:45 pm to catch the end of the opening acts and by far my favorite song by EMALKAY: “When I Look at You”. At this point there wasn’t any line into the venue and the security pat down was minimal. All four of us were in and ready to go within 3 minutes of arriving. It was quiet inside the foyer: there were only a few people milling around the drink stands directly opposite the entrance and several promotors dressed in Iron Man outfits handing out fliers. We bought several bottles of water ($5 each) and decided to take the escalator on the left to enter on the bottom floor of the theater area.
For those who haven’t yet been to the Fillmore of Miami Beach, let me warn you that it is not your typical dubstep concert venue. The building itself can be a labyrinth for the inebriated, with oddly placed escalators, carpeted ramps and outdoor smoking areas. I recommend that you take note of drink stations upon arrival as it may be hard to find your way back when hallways get crowded.
One feature that I do like about the Fillmore is that there are multiple areas for concert-goers to enjoy. First is what I think of as the “Mosh Pit”, which is directly in front of the stage. This is almost always the most intense area; people will be jumping, raving, sweating, pushing and bass-ing out for the entire time. If you begin to feel overwhelmed in the “Mosh Pit” you have the option of moving back and up a step to a raised platform separated from below by a metal railing. This area is generally “quieter” and is what I like to call the “Stop, Drop and Roll”. People here will be meeting friends, group raving and catching their breaths; of course there will also be dancing, though usually on a more controlled level. Leaving the “Stop, Drop and Roll” you’ll navigate carpeted walkways between inclined theater seating. This is the “I NEED TO SIT DOWN NOW” area (although it has been known to facilitate lap dances to those so inclined…). Be sure not to congregate in between the two dancing areas and the rows of chairs; security is heavy inside the theater and will be the first to direct out of high traffic throughways.
Overall, I was very impressed with the sound system setup for Flux Pavilion, however in my opinion the lights could have been better (especially in comparison to RUSKO’s show on May 19th, 2012). I would have liked to have seen more happening on the screen behind the artist and his table although I can understand if holy-crap-super-visual-craziness wasn’t the vibe Flux was going for. Without a doubt the music was unbelievably awesome and the staples-“Bass Cannon” and “Gold Dust”- were absolutely mind-shattering. Big ups to the Fillmore and the artists for a great show and I seriously look forward to catching another as soon as I can.
