Freaky Friday Taps Into Miami's Alternative Music Scene

The live music series Freaky Friday is scratching an itch in Miami's alternative music scene.

Showrunners Jordan Guadalupe of the local band J.L.G. and musician Hadee Dosani know that they are doing something right, considering the last two editions of the "one-night music festival" were at capacity.

The series is hosted at the Sandbox, a Lynchian venue with red curtains and black walls that mirror the feel of a black-box theater tucked away behind Sand Bar + Kitchen in North Beach. The next Freaky Friday occurs Friday, May 31, featuring local heavy hitters Mold!, Hadee, Shivva, Vember, and house band J.L.G.

"We're band-first, we're not promoters — and it's really working," says Guadalupe, who ensures that all bands on the bill are paid. He wants to be a catalyst in Miami's music scene by hosting an all-inclusive, all-ages safe space for locals to show up and dance or mosh to bands.

Guadalupe's post-punk/new wave group J.L.G. was founded four years ago. It started as a bedroom band that focused on making and recording music. After the pandemic, Guadalupe and his bandmates dived into the scene, eventually playing bigger stages, working with bigger promoters like Black Market or Heroes Live Entertainment, and opening for touring acts like Traitrs.

"We've played almost every venue. Our second show was at Las Rosas a week before they closed," Guadalupe notes. Naturally, the band's next step was to throw its own show. "We just wanted to be part of the community, part of the ecosystem — it's not easy, but it's freaking cool," he adds.

As the series keeps growing, Guadalupe, Dosani, and the Freaky Friday team keep the shows professional by staying extremely organized, using stagehands to keep tight 15-minute turnovers between bands, and having security to keep the event safe.

"We fund everything, and we pay everyone," he explains. "Dosani and I don't care if we lose money." For the first time, Guadalupe shares that ticket prices have slightly increased to $15 the day of the show, with a $10 presale to help cover expenses.

Guadalupe envisions Freaky Friday becoming a tradition he can pass down to the next generation of music freaks. As Miami venues continue to shutter, he wants Freaky Friday to be an event that locals can look forward to.

"If things grow with the band, it would be cool to pass it on," he says. "The next generation of kids that saw it when they're 17, 18 or 19, just joining a rock band, they can be like, 'We want to be a part of that and keep that name going.'"

Freaky Friday. With J.L.G., Mold!, Hadee, Shivva, and Vember. 8 p.m. Friday, May 31, at the Sandbox, 6752 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; instagram.com/thesandbox.miamibeach. Tickets cost $10 via eventbrite.com and $15 the day of the show.