Catch a ride on the Soul Train, Miami-style. Tonight, the Metromover will be transformed into a silent disco as the Miami Arts + Entertainment District hosts Miami Soul Train.
“We want to have more people using public transit, and we want to work with community partners to inject that awareness,” says Isabella Acker of The Prism Music Group, who helped organize the event. “The way to create excitement about public transport is by giving people experiences they never would have had if they’d been driving.”
It’s a dance party only you can hear, with noise-isolating headphones streaming funk and Motown courtesy of Silent Revolution and DJ Myke Dilla. Boogie the night away while that gorgeous Miami skyline races by, and hop off at select stops throughout downtown to catch performances by local musicians and entertainers. Then hit up the ongoing afterparty at Canvas Miami until 11 for Motown-inspired cocktails, munchies by Purple People Eater, and free samplings of Deep Eddy vodka and Islamorada beer.
Partners for the event include organizers from the annual Buskerfest Miami Street Performance Festival, who have plenty of experience bringing magic to the Metromover stations.
“We think it’s really important to support a culture of performance art because we’ve seen the results,” says Justin Trieger, Buskerfest co-founder and board president. “Having come from New York originally, and from general experience visiting other cities, I’ve really come to appreciate what public art can bring to a community. Miami doesn’t have enough of that.”
Along the route, catch epic rock & roll circus performances by Dangerfun Sideshow, guitar music by Carl Ferrari of the Gypsy Cat flamenco ensemble, the jazz stylings of master composer Matthew Evan Taylor, and much more.
Trieger is a firm believer in the power of street performers to bring the community together through unique shared adventures. “In light of all of the high-rise development that is going on Downtown right now, it’s really important to maintain connectivity between neighborhoods and provide pedestrian-safe spaces,” he explains. “If you go to any major city in the world, what you’ll find is that street performers tend to congregate around public spaces. … They create activity and energy on the streets. It helps to focus attention to places and improve quality of life by enhancing the general environment.”
And the more people get excited about their public spaces, public transportation in particular, the more connected they feel to the city. “If we continually have an engaged group of people, then great things will happen,” predicts Acker. “People in Miami are so thirsty for that sense of community. Miami needs to find ways to nurture that. What we need is that human connection.”
The party starts at 7 p.m. at Canvas Miami, where you can pick up your headphones before hopping on the Metromover. From there, follow along online at #miamisoultrain to see all the shenanigans unfold in real time. RSVP for the event is closed, but walk-ins are welcome and headphones will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.