The Floridian Social Club Gets Funky with Ajeva, The Fritz, and MiniM
If you haven’t been to the Floridian Social Club on Central Ave in St. Petersburg, Florida, it might be time to reevaluate that decision. What was once known as State Theater, a dark cramped theater that housed some of the wildest shows, now transformed into a classy cocktail lounge that brims with livelihood, and this past weekend Ajeva, The Fritz, and MiniM blew the roof off of the swanky lounge and brought everyone to their feet with some infectious music.
Walking into the Floridian Social Club when knowing what it once was is truly a trip. Almost immediately the past vanished behind me when admiring the sophisticated and refined atmosphere of the venue. The dim lighting created a brand new ambiance, one of elegance and luxury. While walking past the bar, the scents of fine spirits and freshly entice the senses while the sounds of ice cubes tinkling against glass echo in the background.
Eventually the sounds of ice drowned out amongst the sounds of St. Pete’s very own MiniM. Instantly the band filled the soundwaves with a groove so deep it seemed to emanate from the antique building’s foundation itself. The bass shook the air and provided a steady and unrelenting pulse, while the drums stayed tight and precise.
In between acts, things stayed hot because a pair of live fire dancers warmed up the dance floor. Their bodies blurred as they played with the flames, enchanting viewers and leaving them in awe with the heat of the flames on everyone’s faces.
The Fritz kept the heat going with their groove. No sooner did the band hit the stage, things got real spicy. Frontman and singer, Datrian Johnson struck the crowd with a voice full of range, power, and emotion while his band unleashed a torrent of sound that defies description, all while spanking a tambourine so hard that if it were a baby it would cry hysterically, only to lull back into peace by the band’s funkadelic hypnosis.
Johnson’s range of sound emitting from his mouth could cut the air in half like a hot knife, and melt it back together with ease. As The Fritz built their sound to a climax, their sound seemed to expand out to every corner of the social club, sweeping the crowd into an unstoppable energy, all moving and grooving to an irresistibly good beat.
At this point, the social club produced a constant hum of cheers and dancing feet. Ajeva came to the stage as huge cheers rang throughout the club, and no sooner did the band into a phat jam. The St. Petersburg natives weaved a tapestry of sound that seemed to stretch into infinity. The sounds of the keyboard shimmered through the melody as the guitar interjected stinging solos throughout the night. The symbiotic relationship between the crowd and the band had some moving their bodies in incredible ways, moving completely in sync and completely lost in the groove.
By the end of the night the music pulsed through the veins like a lifeline and invigorated life into the steps out the door and into the crisp late winter air. The Floridian Social Club may have gone through a dramatic change, but all for the better.
Photos by Brian “Porkchop” Nicholson
Review by Brendan Mcginley