Rave and Read at Dale Zine's New Art Book Club

There's a lot more to Dale Zine than funky books. The latest, largest iteration of the shop in Little River has emerged as an impromptu community center for Miami's creative set, showing art from local artists and hosting book signings, art classes, zine fairs, and more.

"A lot of the things we do try to involve the community in unique ways that are new and inventive," Steve Saiz, co-owner and operator of the shop, says. Now the shop is getting ready to host a unique twist on a familiar format by hosting an art book club.

Each meeting will focus on a different art- or design-focused book drawn from the shop's current or future stock. The first installment is set for Saturday, March 25, and will discuss Beyond Heaven: Chicago House Party Flyers Vol. III, From 1983-1992.

"It's a perfect book for us," says Saiz, who says he wanted to feature a fellow small press like Dale. "We just love flyers; we're obsessed with graphic design. We kind of geek on that stuff."

Published by Chicago-based independent press Almighty & Insane Books — friends of the shop, according to Saiz — the paperback volume dives into music history with full-color photo reproductions of flyers from the heyday of Chicago house music. Dance music and rave culture are something of a fixation for Dale, which has stocked similar compilations of flyers and other visual ephemera from publishers like Colpa Press and Masala Noir. With now-legendary DJs and producers like Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy, Lil Louis, and more featured within, any fan of dance music, graphic design, or DIY culture will be obsessed.

Of course, sitting around and admiring the flyers for a few hours wouldn't make sense, especially for a book where music is an essential part of the experience. That's why they've prepared a supplemental activity for the book club: an open plug-and-play synth and drum machine jam. Saiz, a producer himself, will lead the session with fellow musician Roy Neil Hunter. The pair will be bringing in analog musical instruments that may have been used by the house producers in Chicago for people to play and interact with.

Of the Chicago house scene, Saiz says, "There were no computers, obviously. They were using samplers, synthesizers, things like that."

It could be said that the ingenuity of those producers, predominantly Black and Hispanic musicians working with whatever instruments they could afford, reflects Dale's own DIY spirit. The shop has leveled up significantly since its original incarnation as a pop-up at the now-shuttered 777 International Mall. In addition to selling and publishing books and zines, the shop has emerged as an important voice in the Miami art scene. So far, Dale has used its space to exhibit work from emerging artists like Thomas Bils and Natalia Chavarria and has exhibited local artists at NADA's art fair during Miami Art Week, with a trip to New York City planned for May.

Still, a desire for community involvement is at the center. Saiz says the crew is open to any ideas for what should be featured next at the book club and input on other events and activities at the shop.

"We wanna get every single kind of voice if we can," he adds.

If you can't make it to the book club, Dale Zine also hosts a DJ residency at Fox's Lounge every last Friday of the month.

The Dale Zine Art Book Club. 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at Dale Zine, 7395 NW Miami Pl., Miami; dalezineshop.com. Admission is free.