Over the last 21 years, the cozy Miami Beach music venue Jazid has racked up too many memories to keep track of. For partner Tony Alarcon, it is impossible to pick a favorite.
There was that time Prince randomly stopped by to play a guitar solo with the Miami band Suénalo. Metallica came in to chug a few beers once. And there have been so many more epic encounters worthy of their own articles.
But sadly, in the weeks after Jazid celebrates its staggering 21st anniversary this weekend, the club will close down. “You know, it’s bittersweet,’’ Alarcon says. He insists that Jazid's closing is not due to any of the usual suspects: rising rent, encroaching developers, hungry termites. Instead, he says, it was a natural decision that was made on he and his partner's terms. “My objective was always to bring the place to the point where it would be old enough to drink—where it would be 21. At that point, my objective has been accomplished. My goal has been met,” Alarcon says. “I’m also a touring musician. I’m constantly out of town. The kids get older. I get older. There comes a point where I held the baton long enough.”
The anniversary celebration will take place on Friday and Saturday, featuring performances from Lil Scrappy and Trick Daddy, respectively. Then, some time around Independence Day, Jazid will cease operations.
Alarcon says he is not allowed to discuss what will happen to Jazid after it's sold. He only says that “it’s going to be refurbished and beautified and it’s going to have a big infusion of money.”
But it will not be Jazid.
Alarcon and his partner will retain ownership of the Jazid name and will not rule out making another run at Miami nightlife. “For right now, it’s a good time to transition,” Alarcon says.
Jazid has been a proud member of the small but loyal group of music venues in Miami giving consistent stage time to local acts. And a lot of bands owe it a debt of gratitude. But Alarcon says it's the other way around: “I feel like we owe the musicians a big debt. Because without them, there was nothing—just four walls.”
Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.