Goodbye and thank you.
The Firefly opened its doors four years and one month ago. In February we will be closing them for good and the house will be demolished by its new owner, Braman Miami. To our land(slum)lord and Braman it’s just business. In those circles bringing down a whole block and forcing its residents out in order to build a parking lot is amicable; something to talk about over drinks at worst. And so we are left to clean up our mess and move along while in a sort of thoughtful denial. The threat of eviction was always hanging over our heads. But after all is said and done, it’s still really hard to swallow.
The Firefly was born from an attempt to fill a void we felt. In a place were everyone seemed content to wet their toes with our corpses and skip town to places that were already breathing. Where independent venues were coming and going like it was a joke. Like The Alley, NOMICO, 5020 and countless other past attempts at a semblance of cohesion and dedication to a space where our ideas and stories could be expressed without having to deal with assholes and thieving promoters. At some point you have to stop walking away shrugging; and try to make yourself useful. So here we stand, now more than ever, knowing what it means to try. The Firefly was an all volunteer, independent, self-funded, DIY punk venue, lending library, bike collective and cultural center. It was far from perfect, but it was home.
We don’t know what happens next for us. But we know that Miami has great things coming and we are looking forward to being a part of it. Thanks to everyone who came out to the shows and events and contributed their time and hearts. We underestimated the impact you would all have on our lives. Now we know better, now we can move on.
"Here I sit, sober and perhaps even lucid, on the kind of winter's day that makes you realize a New Year is just around the corner and you've got very little to show for it, but if you are going to get anything done on this planet, you better pick it up with both hands and DO IT YOURSELF." -Peter Laughner
Love,
The Firefly
We will be having our last show on the weekend of January 29th. It’s in the works and we will keep you up to date.
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