Though Gramps, the beloved Wynwood watering hole, welcomes everyone to its bars and stages, it's safe to say that it's been recognized by the gay community as an honorary queer bar. That's largely because the Thursday night Double Stubble party is rife with dance, drag, and delight. Hosted by Miami drag legend Karla Croqueta, Double Stubble features a weekly rotation of the Magic City's best up-and-coming and established drag performers. In between the 9, 10, and 11 p.m. performances, resident DJs Hottpants and Zheno keep the patio flooded with sweaty, happy bodies dancing to gay anthems. By design, attitude, and thanks to the staff, Gramps has an inclusive, nonjudgmental, and celebratory atmosphere where Double Stubble has thrived. And don't forget, it also has superb libations, delectable pizza, and, most importantly, flattering lighting.

After announcing her retirement from certain aspects of the Miami drag scene, we can't help but wonder what Yoko Oso has under her wig next. She's charting a new path by abandoning bar gigs to focus on the aspects of drag that give her joy — acting, music, and whatever else she sets her mind to. One of Oso's more unforgettable gigs was at Counter Corner, where she performed Kate Bush live on her electric upright bass before Stranger Things made the British crooner ubiquitous on social media. A fixture at gay gatherings — Revolution Live! as host, Double Stubble, Flaming Classics, and at Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings — Oso is a queen who can do it all. From live music to political commentary and the avant-garde, Oso manages to cultivate an alternative drag that challenges and elevates the status quo.

Tucked away in downtown Miami, Jolene Sound Room is both an intimate retro-themed cocktail bar and underground dance club where bodies can move to great tunes without the unbearably large crowds. The low-lit "basement" is lined with high-quality speakers that fill it with dance music you can feel all over. Visitors can mingle with friends at the bar or head to the dance floor under a shimmering disco ball. Since its debut in May 2023, this diminutive nightclub has been delivering a one-of-kind dance experience that doesn't rely only on big-name DJs, instead offering local talents time on the decks.

You never know what you're going to get from a Pressure Point set — from hard-hitting breakbeat bangers to iconic pop songs — but you're going to break a messy sweat every time. The DJ is otherwise known as Akia Dorsainvil, a transdisciplinary artist whose musical selections have ranged from jungle and East Coast club to Miami bass and pop edits. Dorsainvil not only brings the beats; he's a cofounder of the collective Masisi, a Miami arts and events organization that ensures that Black, queer Miamians have a social space to call their own.

DJ and self-proclaimed culturalist Jason Panton is the mastermind behind one of Miami's most popular Afrobeats parties, the Shrine. Panton started curating parties back in 2013 when he spearheaded the reggae sound system event Dubwise in Kingston, Jamaica. He soon brought the concept to Coyo Taco in Wynwood, where it's rallied weekly for almost a decade. After being introduced to Afrobeats at a family party in 2016, he decided to start the Shrine with collaborators like DJ Moma of the global event series Everyday People. The party is anchored at Red Rooster's iconic pool hall, where he blends Afrobeats, amapiano, dancehall, reggae, Haitian konpa, and hip-hop alongside resident DJs Walshy Fire, Jumbee, and Milli Marv. He fuses diasporic genres, sticking with his DJ mantra: "The music is better blended together."

If you only know Jonny From Space as one of Club Space's resident DJs, you might be surprised by the quietly joyful IDM album, Back Then I Didn't But Now I Do, that he dropped on Anthony Naples' Incienso label. Combining trip-hop, dub techno, video-game soundtracks, and the sun-dappled, outdoorsy electronica of early Four Tet and Boards of Canada, Back Then exchanges the dark confines of the club for a wide-eyed ramble through nature, yet nevertheless retains the bass thunks, acid wobbles, and left-field rhythms found in Miami's rave scene.

DJ and producer Nick León is at the helm of the evolution of electronic music in the Magic City. A great musician in his own right, he has a catalogue that includes lauded releases like his 2016 debut album, Profecía, and 2022's Xtasis EP. This year, he also released Projections of a Coral City, an ambient project with marine-biology-meets-art collective Coral Morphologic. In addition to working on his own music, he's contributed beats to Spanish star Rosalía, Miami-bred rapper Denzel Curry, pop experimentalist Tama Gucci, neoperreo act MJ Nebreda, and, most recently, indie pop singer Empress Of. With that impressive list, it's undeniable that León is one of the most notable talents making and producing music in Miami today.

Founded in 1996 by Romulo del Castillo and Josh Kay, Schematic has been championing weirdly wonderful electronic music out of South Florida and from around the world for decades now. Over the years, the label released music by acts like Soul Oddity, Otto von Schirach, Dino Felipe, Nick Forté, Ossa, and Phoenecia. Look, you can spend all day and night devouring Schematic's catalogue on its Bandcamp page, and we wouldn't judge you for it — it's just that good. From techno and IDM to ambient and noise, Schematic has released it all and continues to unleash new music to this day. Perhaps this acknowledgment feels more like a Hall of Fame induction, but we can only imagine where Miami's music scene would be today without Schematic — and, trust us, it would not be pretty.

Can you believe Sweat Records is almost 20? The Little Haiti stronghold has thrived for nearly two decades in a city not known for its longevity. That's because it has so much more to offer than just records. To be sure, Sweat boasts a massive selection of new and reissued vinyl, as well as all the accoutrements needed to play your records. But the soul of Sweat is owner Lolo Reskin's dedication to building community through scene-defining events, like the annual Miami '80s Prom, and by giving music lovers the tools and wise staff to get their hands on the wax they want. Manager Daniel Blair, known by his signature daisy dukes and for getting people riled up on the dance floor as DJ Hottpants, is also part of the draw. If you want to remember why you love this scrappy town or to fall in love with it for the first time, swing by Sweat Records for some well-seasoned homegrown inspiration.

A lot has changed for this veteran radio host since he was last named Miami New Times' Best FM Radio Personality in 2005. After several hiatuses in the aughts, he returned to 103.5 FM The Beat in 2010 as the voice of the afternoon rush hour segment. He became a voters' rights advocate during the 2016 presidential election and platformed local grassroots organizations like the New Florida Majority. He launched the annual free People Matter Fest a year later to "save lives" through hip-hop with a 24-hour non-violence ceasefire and other community initiatives. He also partnered with Miami-Dade County Parks and Guitars over Guns to open the Papa Keith Music and Media Studio at Gwen Cherry Park. It provides state-of-the-art technology to students to create and learn about music and digital production. Despite this evolution, Papa Keith's signatures remain: He's Trini to de bone, and his slick commentary on culture is why Miami trusts him as their go-to man on the mike.