You Busy? You Know About Miami Light Project, in Wynwood? I Think I Might Have Mentioned.

The first time I went to MLP was about three years ago.  I had for some reason gotten turned onto a guy named Reggie Watts, and amazingly, he was coming to Miami.  To MLP, at 404 NW 26th Street (the Goldman Warehouse) in the Wynwood section.  So I packed up myself, and Chuck and Roxy Ross, and went to experience Reggie Watts.  Wow, what an experience it was.  I've become a regular at MLP ever since.  You know how it is when they know you?

MLP is a very funky organization.  Everything is off-beat and experimental.  I've seen plays and concerts there.  I meet people I would not otherwise encounter.  It's where I encounter 20-somethings with weird hair, hardware, and tattoos, but who want theater.  Yup, they exist.  Their parents and grandparents go to MLP, too.

The Goldman Warehouse, no doubt named for Tony Goldman, is in a district that was perhaps home to warehouses.  It's a lot of discount, "to the trade" showrooms of clothing now.  Some will sell to you retail, and some won't.  Austin Burke's Men's Wear is there someplace, too.  (If you're not young, and you've been in Miami for decades, you might remember the TV ads, in which you were promised that "little old Burky will fit you personally."  He'd peel off layer after layer of jackets, to show you the different looks.  I'm quite sure little old Burky is long gone by now.)  There's also a very cool shop that sells clothing and objets d'art from India.  It's called Rupees.  Operated by two very nice guys.  And there are murals on the buildings.  Loads of murals, super interesting.  It's continuous from the murals on Miami Avenue and NE 2nd Avenue.

Reggie Watts was my favorite show there.  My next favorite show was the "Tiger Lilies."  They're a British trio who paint up their faces and dress oddly and perform stuff that sounds like it was done during the time of German expressionism.  You watch and listen to them, and you think you're in the movie "Cabaret."  Google them and Reggie Watts, and you'll see what fun they like to have at MLP.  They love local talent, too, at MLP, and there's a resident playwright/director named Teo Castellanos, whom they frequently feature.  He did a terrific one man show, which he wrote, last year.

The room is small.  All seating is essentially excellent.  Tickets are usually $25, but you can pay $50, if you want "VIP seating."  VIP seating is at a little table (think cabaret) at the foot of the stage, and you get a free glass of wine, too.  I don't do this any more, because the wine isn't good enough to pay for, and all the seats are equally great.

Parking can be a bit of a problem, although it's not impossible.  The machines used to have two-hour limits, which was a regular problem when the shows were longer than that.  But now, I think they've extended the limits on the machines.  It's all on-street parking, though.

The other somewhat bad news is the cost of tickets for events at MLP.  I almost always wind up feeling like I've cheated someone, because they don't charge enough.  So I make up for it by giving them a donation in support.  I don't know how much it helps them, but it makes me feel like less of a thief.

The first concert this year is on Friday, October 9.  The lead performer is a jazz saxophonist named Carlos Averhoff, Jr, who appears to be the real deal.  You can google him, too.  I have about five or six other events to attend at MLP this season.  All cool stuff.

So think about it.  You can look up Miami Light Project, and see if anything appeals to you.  If you call them, you'll probably speak to Ivonne Batanero.  You don't need to know if she's a knock-out, right?  I mean, it has nothing to do with it.