The X-Type party at the Delano keeps getting better and better. This upscale “sunset social” attracts a healthy cross-section of well-dressed tourists, party people, and dedicated dance music afficionados.
The outdoor ambiance and international talent of this early evening event has made it my favorite Saturday night pre-clubbing experience.
Despite the usual media fear-mongering surrounding Memorial Day weekend on Miami Beach, Deb and I were determined to return to the Delano to see London soul sensation Shaun Escofferey, along with DJs Induce and Tomas Ceddia from Aquabooty.
We knew that there would be more traffic and less parking than usual, so we decided to leave early, cross the causeway, and find the shuttle bus that had been mentioned on the news before things got too crazy.
“A plan,” it’s been said, “is just a list of things that don’t happen.” Due to circumstances beyond our control (including a fatal shooting on I-395), we were late getting to the Delano again.
Although almost all of the people we encountered were happy and polite, the sheer number (250,000) of hip hop enthusiasts roaming the streets and sidewalks of South Beach made club-hopping a logistical nightmare. Fortunately, the city’s yellow-shirted “ambassadors” were keeping the chaos to a minimum.
As we made our way to the hotel, we could see that the police had set up an operations center on the north side of the building. A helicopter was hovering overhead, and cops in riot gear were loading handcuffed prisoners into a paddy wagon. It was not an auspicious sight.
Once we entered the Delano, however, it was business - and pleasure - as usual. Stylish people were eating, drinking, talking, flirting, and laughing like they always do. A DJ was playing funky classics in the lounge. It was all very hip, but not hip hop.
Out back, the X-Type party was still going strong, and we were pleasantly surprised to find the Deep House Movement DJ collective behind the decks. Stephen Flynn and Omar Suardy were spinning some seriously sophisticated grooves, and the diverse crowd seemed to be enjoying it.
We may have missed the main attractions, but DHM quickly made us forget about the traffic and confusion. The soothing sounds and sea breezes made our entire trip worthwhile.
All was right with the world, at least within the Delano’s walls. Except for the occasional police helicopter buzzing by at a discrete distance, it was easy to believe that it was just another SoBe Saturday night.
Even though it was getting late, people were still arriving. The X-type festivities start relatively early, but this party wasn’t slowing down at all. By midnight, the area around the beach bar became so crowded that two women dragged their table and chairs into the shallow end of the Delano’s magnificent pool, much to the amusement of their companions.
We strolled around the expansive, expensive courtyard for a while and met some lovely people. We had planned to walk over to Nerve, but decided to stay and enjoy the scenery and the serenity.
Usually, I prefer hands-in-the-air energy, but given the prevailing mood of Miami Beach during Memorial Day weekend, X-Type was exactly what I needed.
