Tune in to Radio

Photography by Regina Arriola ; Seth Browarnik on December 28th, 2012 in Editorials, Nightlife

Paolo Cardoso, Tatanka Guerrero, & Flip Falca

Miami Beach, FL – December 28, 2012 – Those born and bred in Miami—or better yet, right in the heart of South Beach—can certainly attest to the infamy, charm and unparalleled nightlife culture that the city is best known for. With recent developments taking shape throughout Miami’s Wynwood and Design District neighborhoods, SoBe’s prevailing reputation for being the core of said charm and culture has inevitably been cluttered. These days, it’s more about luxury hotels and super-clubs than it is about what makes South Beach, well, South Beach. Or is it?

If there’s one ensemble that can relate to the kind of throwback South Beach days we’re talking about (and yearning for) it’s men-about-town Paulo Cardoso, Flip Falca and Tatanka Guerrero. The skateboarding and surfing trio tackled Miami Beach circa 2000, and today the trio has become a collective fixture at every successful nightlife venue on the beach. Let’s put it this way, if Paulo, Flip and Tatanka are there, you know you’re in the right place. With an army of super-sexy models on the arms (and at the tables) of these gentleman, it’s easy to see how they’ve been able to make their social lives a lucrative career.

In some ways, their newest venture South of Fifth pays tribute to their years of patronage to South Beach. And with everyone in town already acquainted with the names and faces of these three, Radio is sure to set a new benchmark; the kind of place that takes you back to the good old days.

Flip Falca, Tatanka Guerrero, & Paolo Cardoso

“I stay local”Flip Falca

“The good times were killing me in the clubs, now I get to enjoy it and actually appreciate the company I’m with.” Paolo Cardoso

“Life is a beach and we’re sand, we gotta get a piece of this little land!” Tatanka Guerrero

Tatanka Guerrero, Paolo Cardoso, & Flip Falca

Interview with Paulo Cardoso and Flip Falca

Tell me about your respective backgrounds in the nightlife business.

PC: Tatanka, Flip, and I met years prior to nightlife through mutual skateboarding friends at contests and other skating events. In 2000, I moved to the beach and coincidentally became reacquainted with the two on my very first night out at Beehive in Nikki Beach. We immediately started hanging out. Shortly after, we all moved in together into a 2-bedroom apartment that became the party headquarter. Tatanka had worked as a bar back, doorman, and other nightlife positions, and eventually began promoting for SMAC Entertainment at Living Room, Rain, Cameo and Tantra. Naturally, Flip and I attended his parties and we soon became a pack: attracting all the models, locals and cool kids in town. The attention we were getting eventually led us to working at Mynt Lounge in 2001. At that point, Mynt truly was the “ultra lounge” and the “it” spot for all the models, high rollers, and celebrities. Our very real relationships and demeanor in such a fake and pretentious world soon became noted. We were the boys who stood out from the crowd. Our names quickly grew and we organically became a promoting group. The success of our promoting eventually led us to working for Opium Group at Prive, Mansion, Opium Garden, etc.

FF: Prior to 2000, Tatanka and I lived on South Beach, and we were moving around from place to place until he moved into a killer house on Fairey Lane and 23st by the golf course. The back house was rented to a group of friends who happened to be models. T worked at Opium sushi restaurant/club as a bar back. That summer he went on a euro tour with a friend and I filled his position behind the bar. As bar back, I had access to the back doors and every under age Miami kid who knew me would get in. T came back and shortly after we went straight from bar backs to promoters (hosts) via Roman Jones. Throughout that time, working odd jobs like flipping burgers at home cooking and hosting at Beehive, we ran back into Paulo. We all moved in together. Paulo was offered a gig at Mynt and we followed and became the infamous trio; we started a war between Roman Jones and Roberto Cahn. But my memory is a bit blurry.

You have each seen the nightlife culture of Miami evolve over the years. What kind of a venue do you think locals are really looking for?

PC: After working over a decade in Miami Nightlife, we saw many places come and go. Tons of New York and LA-influenced venues come and go. One thing we noticed is that our crowd of locals and models were interested in a real atmosphere. All the glitter and glam that every club had been eagerly pushing for was not enough to keep the people interested. Miami nightlife today has become so diluted with super clubs, big djs, big promotions and over-the-top venues, that we felt it was time to bring things back down to the basics. Hence, Radio was born. A cool bar with good music, a fun crowd, and no bullshit… just fun!

How will Radio offer something different from the other nightlife venues across the city?

PC: Radio stands alone. We are positioned South of Fifth, in a quiet residential part of Miami. Away from all the ‘noise’ of nightlife, cheesy tourists and the masses. We are a place for locals and for out of towners who are in-the-know or just want to avoid the chaotic masses and the same old club monotony.

What’s the wildest night you’ve ever experienced in Miami, and why?

PC: We all have so many stories to tell. Some of which we shouldn’t. One that stands out is a New Year’s Eve party we did back in 2003. We hosted the Shore Club event with tons celebrities such as Val Kilmer, Mark Walberg, and many other A-list sports players, models, etc. We then got hired to do the after party at the Shore Club penthouse. The party was truly like nothing we had ever seen before. There were fembot waitresses serving all types of drugs on silver trays, dwarfs in umpa-lumpa costumes dancing and parading around, and 30-plus actual robots that “danced” around to the music. It was the most sought after event for all the celebrities, socialites, and clubbers. Impossible to get in, yet there we were with the best of them and still getting paid for it. I remember at one point towards the end of the night, Tatanka and I sat on the edge of the Shore Club roof dangling our legs down 30 stories with a bottle of Dom, and cheering, ‘here’s to doing it!’

Tell me about the decor, what kind of vibe are you trying to set?

PC: We really wanted to make Radio stand out from the rest of Miami Beach’s stereotypical venues and cheesy decor. We wanted the room to feel intimate, warm, and inviting. We decided to make it feel like a stylish old-school living room in an old mansion. Decorating it with antique furniture, rugs, chairs, lights, etc. We used no club lights, LEDs, or strobes. Instead, we use only candles, dimmed string lights, a variety of classic antique chairs and stools, rugs, a pool table and a collection of decorative pieces and art.

After so many years in this business, what have you found to be the principles to entering and succeeding in the nightlife business in Miami?

PC: We have seen so many people and places come and go in our respective nightlife careers. However, one thing has always remained the same, and that is our love and respect for one another. If there is one lesson we have learned in this chaotic and often meaningless world of nightlife, it is that despite all the money, fame, popularity, and being ‘cool’, the only thing we really have is family. We treat each other accordingly and have never let all the pretentiousness that comes with our careers blind us from that. In doing so, we have established a reputation for being very real and endearing to the people we meet.

Was the concept for this venue mirrored or inspired by other nightclubs of the past?

PC: Radio’s concept came not from our experience in clubs, but our lack of experience in clubs. It was a way for us to bring back the intimacy and comradery amongst our friends and people. We felt like we were getting a bit lost in clubs and nightlife, so we decided to bring it back to the basics. Good music, an intimate room, and a great crowd. In order to do so, we put a bit of each of ourselves in the decorating of the space. Many of the decorative pieces, furniture and lights are actually taken from our own homes. What better way to make a place feel like it’s ours.