Farewell Rockwell

Photography by Seth Browarnik, Ryan Troy, Richard Alvarez, Loamis Rodriguez, Samuel Rivas, Pavle Janjic, Martin Medina on February 15th, 2021 in Celebrity, Editorials, Lifestyle, Music, Nightlife

Rockwell Grand Opening on November 30, 2015

Miami Beach, FL – February 15, 2021 – It ain’t hard to tell… we don’t want to say farewell. One of Miami Beach’s most iconic and successful nightclubs, Rockwell, is officially closing its doors.

2020 marked the year of change for many businesses, particularly those in the hospitality and nightlife industry, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced many of them to pivot in another direction or make tough decisions about their future. The exciting and fabolous nightclubs of South Beach were forced to close their doors and many have yet to re-open them. The powerhouse nightlife concept Rockwell, owned by Liquid Hospitality partners Chris Paciello, Mio Danilovic, and Keith Paciello, came onto the notorious South Beach club scene in 2015 and soon became the go-to hotspot for celebrities, athletes, and artists alike. The club became known for its weekly parties, impressive roster of celebrity regulars, and iconic events including the annual 1-Oak Pop-Up during Art Basel.

Over the years World Red Eye had the honor of capturing some of the most insane and exciting moments throughout the club’s colorful tenure. Rockwell was a place filled with incredible memories, unforgettable nights, remarkable talent and an energy that will remain unmatched. Saying goodbye is never easy, but the memories made here will live on forever. World Red Eye caught up with owners Chris Paciello and Mio Danilovic to reminisce on the legendary nights at their club, the impact it had on the Miami nightlife scene, and their future after Rockwell. Read the full Q&A below.

By Gaby Cuevas

Girls Don’t Cry Wednesdays at Rockwell on May 1, 2019

WRE: Rockwell was one of the most successful nightclubs in Miami Beach history. What do you think contributed to its success and popularity?

Chris Paciello: When Rockwell opened, there wasn’t really anything like it on the beach. We focused on open format music and hip-hop while a lot of the other venues focused on EDM. We built the space so that it was an intimate nightlife experience and no matter where you were in the club you felt like a true VIP. We were very fortunate that we had such an amazing opening weekend during Art Basel, that showed us not only what we wanted to become but that people really wanted to be a part of what we were creating.

Mio Danilovic: You can never point to one thing that makes a nightlife venue special. But first and foremost, I think a lot of the success goes to the team at Rockwell. Chris and I were lucky enough to have a really good team of people around us that helped make the experience for our guests extremely special. The day-to-day team became a real family. They fully bought into the Rockwell culture. Additionally, outside of the immediate team, we found people who wanted to be part of the family and were able to develop a great rotation of DJ’s, top hip hop artists and more. Lastly, we took great pride in our service and wanted to make sure we gave our guests the greatest experience possible.

Rick Ross, Dwyane Wade, & Gabrielle Union at Rockwell Saturdays on June 2, 2018

Mio Danilovic, Rick Ross, Chris & Keith Paciello at Rockwell’s 2-Year Anniversary Celebration on February 24, 2018

WRE: Over the years, celebrities from all over frequented Rockwell when visiting Miami. What have been some of your favorite moments?

CP: We’ve had countless unforgettable moments shared at Rockwell. From our opening night in 2015 with Lenny Kravitz and Dwayne Wade, to our launch of Rockwell Mondays party where Nas came and performed, to the many great nights we had with Rick Ross. Everyone remembers Art Basel 2018, where Rick Ross hosted our Friday night party and brought Meek Mill on stage as his surprise guest and they both went on to give an impromptu performance together for everyone in the crowd. I’ll also always cherish the moments we’ve had putting together the annual FXCK Cancer charity party with DJ Chuckie, where we’ve honorably raised over $50,000 for the organization in the past years.

MD: The last 5 years have been nothing short of incredible. I’m proud to have been able to be a part of such amazing nights with truly amazing people. Like hosting Dwayne Wade’s Farewell party back in 2016 when he left the Miami HEAT. Or when we threw the party with Post Malone for his birthday, or when we had Marco Carola perform during Miami Music week in 2019, or the night 50 Cent’s performance turned into a blow-out concert at Rockwell.

Chris & Keith Paciello at Rockwell’s 3rd Year Anniversary on March 4, 2019

Chris Paciello & Rick Ross at Rockwell Saturdays on July 15, 2017

I will miss the Rockwell family and creating memories for the people at the venue. Also, I’ll never forget or be able to out-do those great nights with Rick Ross on the MIC!

Chris Paciello

Mio Danilovic, Purple, Keith & Chris Paciello, Amaris Jones, & Rick Ross at Chris Paciello’s Birthday with Rick Ross, Kyrie Irving, Rick Fox, Bow Wow, & Victor Oladipo at Rockwell Mondays on September 5, 2016

WRE: What will you miss most about Rockwell?

CP: I will miss the Rockwell family and creating memories for the people at the venue. Also, I’ll never forget or be able to out-do those great nights with Rick Ross on the MIC!

MD: What’s not to miss? The people, the memories, the performances, the venue itself. Rockwell became an experience people looked forward to being a part of. There’s nothing that’ll ever be able to replace those moments shared at Rockwell.

Sean “Diddy” Combs, Chris Paciello, & Jason Binn at Art Basel Kick Off with Sean “Diddy” Combs, Travis Scott, Tyson Beckford, Sammy Sosa, & Sidney Rice at Rockwell on November 30, 2016

WRE: The nightlife industry is constantly booming with new additions to the scene. Do you have plans to open another nightclub?

CP: As of now, I have no plan to open another nightlife venue in Miami. Since the start of the pandemic almost a year ago, I had the chance to step back and evaluate what is important to me and the direction my life is heading. With reflection always comes change. We are going to continue to focus on our current projects and some things in the pipeline.

MD: Liquid hospitality will always evaluate opportunities that make sense. With the pandemic, it would not make sense for us to say we are going to jump in and create another nightclub in Miami right now. We are extremely happy with Joia Beach and we look forward to bringing you some great new experiences and venues in the near future.

Keith Paciello, Nas, & Chris Paciello at Rockwell Mondays on February 29, 2016

Trey Songz & Mio Danilovic at Trey Songz Hosts New Year’s Eve 2018 at Rockwell

Rockwell became an experience people looked forward to being a part of. There’s nothing that’ll ever be able to replace those moments shared at Rockwell.

Mio Danilovic

Shemar Moore & Keith Paciello at Rockwell Fridays on June 7, 2019

Mio Danilovic, Rick Ross, & Keith Paciello at Rockwell Mondays on September 9, 2019

WRE: During the pandemic you managed to successfully open a new restaurant/beach-club, Joia Beach, which has quickly become a local favorite. Tell us more about that.

MD: The Joia Beach concept is something that we had in the works for a few years. Chris and I always spoke about how Miami needed more concepts like the restaurant/beach clubs in Europe – a place people could go to relax and escape the stresses of daily life. So, we started hiring our core team towards the end of 2019, and were set to open in March 2020, but sadly, had to cut our friends & family preview short due to the pandemic. Having officially opened our doors to the public in June of last year, we are so proud of what Joia has become. The venue is breath taking in and of itself being set in the most ideal location on the beachfront key at Jungle Island on Watson Island. Our Executive Chef, Erhan Ozkaya, is also an incredible part of our team who came with major culinary experience behind him from The Bazaar, Mandolin Aegean Bistro and Soho House (Istanbul and Miami) to name a few.

CP: We are so grateful to have had such a great deal of support with Joia from the very beginning. We’ve worked tirelessly to create a truly distinct experience for our guests with this concept and Miami welcomed it with open arms. It’s become a premier culinary, entertainment and relaxation destination hotspot that we believe really defines all that is amazing about living in Miami. Joia Beach brought an elevated dining & entertainment experience to Jungle Island that didn’t exist before. It’s truly a first of its kind in Miami to offer an international style beach club and restaurant, that also connects downtown to Miami Beach.