The Scenestress

I’m in Miami (bitch) for Super Bowl XLIV and started the weekend off on Thursday night with dinner at STK, where the Kardashian sisters also happened to be dinning, dressed in Herve Leger. Wow, short, tight dresses on Kardashians? Who’da thunk it?

While the ‘Dash sisters headed to neighboring hotspot Coco Deville, I bopped down the street to the GQ Party at the Bud Light Hotel, where what’s usually the Doubletree Surfcomber Hotel has been taken over by the Budweiser marketing gurus and turned into a beery extravaganza, down to the monogramed towels and mints. The party was a bit of a sausage-fest, aside from the paid hostesses shakin’ it in little tiny shiny dresses. Chart-topper T-Pain arrived shortly after I did with a twelve-deep blinged-out posse, and I am sad to report that I did not recognize the singer and failed to snap a photo. I thought he always wore a big stupid top hat.

Anyway, I watched T-Pain “DJ” from the VIP lounge with retired footballer Clayton “Vince” Holmes and his big shiny diamond Super Bowl ring until I couldn’t stand the hype man cutting into the beats anymore and got the hell out of there. Check out all my photos from night one after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve gone through a lot together in ’09. Looking back at my first year as your resident night-life-style writer, I must say it’s been quite a ride. I’ve discovered some fun at local watering holes, rubbed elbows with celebrities and (arguably) mastered the art of iPhone photography. Way back in January my column debuted with a visit to Soap, the monthly indie dance party, which set the tone for what I would be doin’ for y’all: seeking out the coolest and craziest stuff Sarasota has to offer. I was surprised to find no shortage of cool and crazy in this town, despite our rep as an over-sized seaside retirement community.

Regular faves like Horsefeathers’ biweekly Drag Queen Bingo never failed to entertain, with a barrage of inappropriate language alongside a healthy dose of gambling, and the other corners of Sarasota’s own little Bermuda triangle also kept me busy (including one memorable ladies’ night at the now-defunct Esca). In May I familiarized myself with all Southside Village has to offer, making some new friends and crawling into the office the next day with one helluva hangover. I also hit the beaches for margaritas at the little-known Lido Key Tiki Bar and a Sunday pool party at The Colony organized by Klauber dynasty offspring. Read the rest of this entry »

Miami is one colorful city, and not just because of Art Basel. The “most important art show in the United States” has become so large since its inception in 2002 that numerous satellite fairs have popped up all over the Miami area. Only a weekend browsing it all will tell the difference between the official show and the outsiders.

After strolling just 20 feet into the Miami Beach Convention Center, the Basel epicenter, I am dazzled by the swirl of it all. The giant white walls stamped with masses of color transport me to a strange world, one inhabited exclusively by elegant people carrying designer handbags, with the soft hum of their many different languages hanging in the air. Read the rest of this entry »