We voted, and we won. The Dirtybird BBQ came to Miami and it was just as ridiculously fun as I could have hoped for. The long drive from Tampa to Miami had us waiting in anticipation as my friends and I made our trek to the BBQ. The festivities took place in Wynwood, the art district of Miami and the epicenter of Art Basel week happenings.

Once we finally arrived in the neighborhood where the venue was located, it took us about an hour to find parking - but NOT without fun along the way. Every street, sidewalk, cafe, restaurant, bar, etc had some sort of exhibit going on with people waiting in long lines stretching down the block. All kinds of people waltzed through the area. The beauty of this week is that thousands of people come together to embrace and enjoy creativity and multiple different cultures. Even amidst this crazy election, it was nice to see nothing but laughter, warmth and excitement.

We finally arrived on site at the Smashed Canvas a few hours into the show. Heavy gray clouds hung low over us making it seem like it was going to pour - but thankfully it did not. A sea of black t-shirts consumed the outdoor venue. Black IS Dirtybird's signature color, and it was well fitting for such a trendy town.

My friends and I arrived too late to catch Christian Martin, but just in time to catch Kill Frenzy mid-set. His hard-hitting tunes kept the energy alive well into the event.  Right after KF, J. Phlip took the stage. Dirtybird's only gal gave an exceptional performance and attendees ate it up instantly.

After J. Phlip, it began to lightly drizzle, but not enough to deter everyone from enjoying the show. They saved the best for last with Justin Martin and Claude VonStroke. Martin kept people dancing per usual AND with little noticeable effort might I add. The way he keeps people moving is impressive. I don't think I've ever been disappointed in a J. Martin set and this one was above my expectations AGAIN.

Last but not least, Dirtybird's head honcho ,VonStroke, took the stage. He played all of the classics and some of my personal favorites including "Give It To Me" by Shiba San and Will Clarke, "GD" by Bruno Furlan, and "Dial Up" by Lenny Kiser. When it was time to shut things down, Vonstroke kept going for another 10 minutes or so - but I'm sure no one was complaing!! He could have played for another two hours and the party would still be bumping. With that being said - It couldn't have been a better first Dirtybird BBQ and I can't wait to go again next year!

Photos: Diana Valdes (FULL ALBUM HERE)