It’s been almost 30 years since I had a phone number with a 305 area code. But these Miami-inspired social feeds take me back to the humidity-smacked days of my youth in the '80s and '90s while reminding that there are people within my algorithmic orbit who have forgotten more about Miami’s culture, history, and irreverence than I’ll ever know.
Enjoy. Just don’t cut any of them off on US-1. (Miami natives know.)
The Black Sheep Perspective
Miami may not be the birthplace of hustle, but it might as well have patented the stylish, streetwise influencer who can draw up a business plan on the back of a cocktail napkin or take things outside if that’s where they have to go to seal the deal.
Host Wesley Cantillo’s interview style takes me back to the old days when a few cool ones with the right people made us think we had all the answers. He owns the floor when it’s his but doesn’t park on his own grass and gives his guests plenty of space to say their piece.
It’s the wide array of guests and the personal depths Cantillo is able to explore with them that makes this podcast stand out from the Rogan copycats. Entrepreneurs. Philanthropists. Artists. Humanitarians. All have a bent that is quintessentially Miami and give this show the punch it needs to survive and thrive with 305 style.
Follow The Black Sheep Perspective on Apple Podcasts, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter.
The Ghosts of the Orange Bowl
Jay Rao’s blog-turned-Facebook-tour de force is among the best sports writing on the internet. I wouldn’t have the guts to make that claim if it weren’t for the truth that not only do I read GOTOB every day, but I also learn something about something I already know a lot about and have enjoyed since childhood.
GOTOB offers daily (sometimes more) stories about things that took place in Miami’s famed Orange Bowl Stadium, home of the Orange Bowl Classic football game, the NFL’s Miami Dolphins until 1986, and the University of Miami Hurricanes until 2007. The beloved stadium in Little Havana was torn down in 2008 but hosted the most important sporting events of my or any true Miami native's life.
With impeccable research and a professional journalist’s skill, Rao uses the Orange Bowl as a jump-off point, deftly venturing beyond the scope of sports to narrate about the people and culture that made Miami what it was and is. A treasure.
Miami Stadium
Miami historian Abel Sanchez’s IG feed uses the storied minor-league baseball stadium on Northwest 10th Avenue as a cultural keystone to shine a light on the people and places of Miami’s yesteryear that (while not necessarily famous) left an indelible mark on anyone who called Miami home–especially in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s.
Every day, Sanchez shares a gem from his endless collection of Miami photographs complemented by his personal perspective articulated with a concise, here's how it was, fam writing style to produce a feed that holds a mirror up to anyone who grew up in the 305 and reminds us that the past we lived happened…and mattered.
Follow Miami Stadium on Instagram. website.
The Miami Creation Myth
Pick out an American metropolis and chances are it’s home to an under-the-radar comedic genius who’s got his hometown pegged. The Miami Creation Myth is exactly that, treating the city as the point of origin for indeed the entire universe…which anyone who’s ever driven in Miami can attest is absolutely true.
Witness the Myth’s introduction to its story:
“...journey from the beginning of the universe, when Pachango the Creator first awoke on his divine pin pan pun, to when the cubanos and their fellow Latinics quite literally tumbled out of the waves and onto Miami’s shores. Along the way, you’ll learn answers to deep existential questions, such as: Where do croquetas come from? Who is the god of chisme? And why is everyone late to everything?”
The inside jokes are so inside even natives may be overwhelmed at times, but experiencing the stories is like commuting on US-1 during rush hour–a cathartic experience whose survivors emerge with a leg up on the world…and a reason why they’re late.
Follow the Miami Creation Myth on Facebook, Twitter, and order the book.
The Mermen
Comedians Dave Williamson and Forrest Shaw met on the stand-up circuit in Miami. Both are now making their way up the pro ranks, performing on the national level with comic heavyweights Bert Kreischer, Jim Jeffries, Conan O’Brien, and others. As podcast hosts, they volley banter like improv jazz musicians–seemingly random from moment to moment but compelling, engaging and funny over the long haul.
Consider this description on Apple’s podcast page for their Feb. 23, 2023 episode:
“Dead Dogs and Mail Order Brides
The guys talk about dogs dying at the most inconvenient times, then take a dive into getting Forrest a mail order bride, and then get a story sent in the voicemail box about a man getting bukkaked by a dolphin.”
My word-processing program underlined “bukkaked” in squiggly red and offered no suggestions when I right-clicked it. Full disclosure: I know what it means and if you do too, then meet your new favorite podcast. And if you’ve already taught Microsoft Word what “bukkaked” means, then you’ll probably be wearing “Mervert” mech at kids' birthday parties in no time.
Fred Smith grew up in Miami, Florida. His debut novel, The Coolest Labels follows a group of diverse teenagers trying to put their lives back together in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1992.