Herald: Scene setter returns, ready for an encore

[Guest speedway]

Of interest from today's Herald:

Scene setter returns, ready for an encore

Louis Canales, a prime mover of the South Beach party, the guy who has been called everything from pioneer to Pied Piper of the Beach to King of the Night, hit the eject button in 2001, moving to L.A. to get away from the contrived, blown out, velvet-rope addled monster he helped create.

Now he's back -- and hoping to jumpstart some action on the other side of the causeway.

``L.A. was the farthest I could get away and still have nice weather and no malaria shots. Over time, South Beach became very clean, very expensive and not very fun. The people who created the fun were all displaced. Things became so corporate and so about the bottom line that all of a sudden there was no room for taking risks. The stakes were too high. But I was so over-focused on the Beach, I didn't realize the changes were actually universal. It's true everywhere. It's hard to be creative in New York. It's hard to be creative in L.A.''

Canales believes there is still more edge here than in those other places. It just needs to be called out to play.

''I remembered L.A. as more complex. I knew there was a plastic element. But I thought it was just one thread of the culture. After five years I realized that's the entire fabric of the place,'' says Canales, who was West Coast director of Apropos Press, a fashion P.R. agency, and now is vice president of BL P.R., recently opened by Miamian Brian Long (once Canales' assistant). Among the agency's clients is Nicky O, the hotel chain by Nicky Hilton.

Canales believes that the inventive Bohemian energy that helped spark the South Beach renaissance is alive and well and living (or maybe napping) on the mainland. He's hoping to shake that crowd up as a side gig.

He and old clubland associate Gary James are scheming to start roving Avenue A parties again (the first party, at a still-undisclosed location, will be in November, James says.) Depending on how long you've been around, the promise of a new round of Avenue A parties could mean absolutely nothing -- or real reason to rejoice.

for complete story, heres' link:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15424303.htm

[Guest jbit]

interesting read ... never heard of the guy but can't wait to hear someones opinion.

[Guest spinderella7713]

What did he do here in Miami that will be familiar to us ?

[Guest coach]

Now he's back -- and hoping to jumpstart some action on the other side of the causeway.

Heh, welcome to 2003.

[Guest Editor]

To my limited knowledge, that article is pretty accurate.

Louis was the main guy who first brought South Beach to the attention of creative hipsters around the globe--NOT the Paris Hilton's of the world, but the fashion people. The way South Beach was between 1986 and 1992 (because of Louis and many others, of course) was the reason celebs first started coming here --to tap in to the creative energy that those people had.

In 1986, Andy Warhol's Interview Magazine did a 90+ page feature on South Beach/Miami. I don't think the Kennedy assassination ever got that much ink in one pub.

Louis was more of a "club opening" guy that people would get to kick-off their new club. He'd stay-on for x-number of months to promote it, then move on to the next one. I think he stayed at Level for two years, then split for the coast.

Probably never heard of most of these but...

Semper's (lower level of the Waldorf Hotel on Ocean Drive)

Club Nu (1986)

Byblos (where GrooveJet was)

Paris Moderne (1988) (flopped)

Marlin hotel opening (1992 or 93?)

Warsaw ("THE" club in South Beach until Paragon opened where Mansion is now)

Level

...and one-nighters in basically every location on the Beach. Gary James started with a joint called "The Spot" where Lost Weekend is now.

[Guest saintjohn]

Editor's assessment is right-on. Btw, if you Google "Louis Canales," this is one of the top results:

One of South Beach's legendarily decadent nightclubs was laid to rest in a blaze of glory on Friday, May 25th, when the Warsaw Ballroom pulled the velvet ropes for one final fling. Gerry Kelly, Maxwell Blandford and the boys from Level's Federation 1235 gave the club a proper send-off with a torrid one-night-stand of dance, drink and debauchery.

The building housing Warsaw was erected in 1939 as Hoffman's Cafeteria by Henry Hohauser, one of South Beach's most talented and prolific architects.

Passing through various iterations including Club Ovo, China Club and the Rhythm Club, all of which had the same basic business plan of music+alcohol+sex=money, Warsaw finally transformed itself, with the help of George and Leo Nunez, into the center of the buff-boy universe in 1989.

The interior was twice re-designed by the brilliant and much-loved designer George Tamsitt—originally in 1986 for Club Ovo, and again in 1991 for Warsaw's second anniversary.

The list of legendary South Beach nightclub personalities associated with this location reads like a rap-sheet of nightlife superstars; Gary James, Michael Capponi, Suzanne Bartsch, Louis Canales—at one point, even Gianni Versace hosted parties at Warsaw, albeit for fun, not profit.

http://www.southbeach-usa.com/columns/columns1/warsaw/warsaw.htm

[ryan2772]

i love how they capitalize "the Beach". 8) ;D

[Guest Marina22]

Interesting, I like the krill/whale analogy

[Guest DjRenzo]

South Beach def need Louis back

[Guest pod]

What did he do here in Miami that will be familiar to us ?

You're new here, aren't you? ;D