The house music cuts out. The multi-colored lights hanging above and already low, dim even more. There is minimal standing room in front of the stage with the South Florida humidity to add to it. People sweat and speedily drink their beers to cool down, no one dares to leave their spot and try to come back; and then she walks on. Garbed in black heels, leggings with leather shorts over them and a shiny top; St. Vincent is ready to play for Miami. “Hello,” she says; the fans just cheer back, and she begins. The crowd is thrilled and an unforgettable experience is ahead.
Last night, Mute Miami organized and hosted the Un-Muted event at The Stage in downtown Miami. With great parking, a vibrant atmosphere and a chill patio, the night was off to a good start.
DJ Run Sevim Run exploited her djing abilities just before the doors opened. With unique cuts of mixes from artist like Lana Del Ray and Florence and the Machine to name a few, and as well her own flavor, Run Sevim Run had no trouble in getting people into the mood as they filed inside and ordered from the bar and lounged on the patio. Whether it was hard hitting bass or loud, poppy drums, Run Sevim Run played it and the crowd responded with dance.
The next group to take the stage, Awesome New Republic, was an interesting sight to see. Consisting of just a guitarist, drummer and keyboardist, the group had amazing power that they manipulated joyfully. While ANR may have sounded like a regular, steady track, ear can lie. Their manipulation came subtly within each song, the guitarist/lead singer switching his vocals from singing, to a strain or rather a peaking of human intonation. Not alone, the drummer accentuated his vocals with precision kick drumming and tom-tom play, and the keyboardist added the bottom for contrast while simultaneously playing the melodies, giving the band a full sound. And when not having fun technically, the band switched styles, bouncing from down South rock, to fast-paced punk, definite sweat-inducers on top of the humidity, but perfect leads for the night’s final performance.
When Annie Erin Clark (a.k.a. St. Vincent) took the stage, the crowd was more than ready. Opening with her track “Marrow,” St. 
Vincent used her harmonies and chunky guitar to tantalize the crowd and take them on an adventure. Those not in front of the stage or on the patio were not left out the experience when she moved to her song “Cheerleader.” Even more soulful and hypnotizing, location was irrelevant when it came to being lulled into a void operated by the innocent looking Ms. Clark as she belted out her lyrics. When not sailing her words to everyone’s ears, Ms. Clark showed off her versatility, the singer style gave way to groovy and danceable jams that made the entire room move. The build to end became tighter, a bit heavier and revealed a different attitude of Ms. Clark, a complete change from the beginning of her set, and it kept getting better. Towards the end Ms. Clark did a bit of tease with a soft cover, before she broke out into her single “Krokodil” and thrashed and leapt off the stage into the crowd. While the night could have ended there, Ms. Clark came out for an encore and ended her first show in Miami with nothing but cheers.
Photos by http://www.facebook.com/benguzmanphoto
