Miami, FL – November 12, 2019 – Founded in 1999, POPLIFE established a platform for countercultural and emerging trends in music and the arts, by bringing it to the general public through a weekly party. World Red Eye met up with Aramis Lorie, Jake Jefferson, and LP Steele of the POPLIFE team to uncover the history behind POPLIFE and how they manage to keep the party alive 20 years later.

POPLIFE was never intended to be a long term venture, but the Miami community – the vanguards, and adventurers alike, took a liking to what it was all about, and together, nurtured the scene and propelled it forward. From Mezza to Piccadilly, I/O, PS14, The District, White Room, the Electric Pickle, and finally, Grand Central. By involving the local community, and the key figures who give it life, POPLIFE became a catalyst for brand partnerships and collaborations. 20 years later, what started as a party, POPLIFE has evolved into a holistic creative collective with diverse expertise which span music, art, fashion and F&B. On Saturday November 9, 2019 POPLIFE celebrated their 20 year anniversary, click here to see more.

Read the full Q&A below.

By Marissa Scarpulla

WRE: How did all of you come together?

Aramis Lorie: Friends doing their own things, with like minded vision, met naturally through the community. Jake and I have been together for 10 plus years, and LP joined the team recently.

Jake Jefferson: I snuck into POPLIFE parties when I was underage and the rest is history.

LP Steele: We’re from different worlds, but also the same in a way, and we had crossed paths over the years through close friends. One thing that is amazing about Miami is how tight-knit of a community it is. You have your different neighborhoods and each has their own identity, but ultimately it’s all Miami. I’m a beach guy, I love the hotels, clubs, and cocktail bars. Aramis and Jake are downtown guys, they prefer bars and music halls, and have their own unique style. When I was closing down Craft Social Club on the beach, an opportunity to team up with Aramis and Jake presented itself, and we all jumped at it because it was so unique to combine our different backgrounds and interests.

WRE: Since POPLIFE’s inception in 1999, how has POPLIFE evolved?

AL: I think we’ve just grown and are working on bigger scale collaborations, although we are still rooted in our local scene with people like Skate Free where we built public parks – Grand Central & Omni Park.

LP: This is really what makes POPLIFE unique. Starting as a weekly party, then turning to venue ownership and music management, and now evolving into a creative and experiential agency which leans on those years of experience on the ground, throwing our own events and operating our own venues. With marketing rooted in experiences these days, what POPLIFE has become is a natural evolution that’s been in the works for years.

WRE: Out of all the parties or collaborations, do you have a favorite? 

AL: After Hurricane Maria hit the Carribean, Relief is the Mission with Diplo, Teamwork, and Bacardi Rum was put together in one week and drew over 5,000 people to help raise support for the islands.

JJ: Relief is the Mission because it was truly a gathering of friends coming together to create something special for a good cause. We’ve been talking about making this an annual event.

LP: I’m the new guy so my experiences don’t go back as far. I will say that what we did this past summer, “Stadium Sessions”, with Heineken and the Miami Marine Stadium Trust was really a great example of where we’re going. We partnered with Miami’s favorite bars (Gramps, rácket, Blackbird) and threw intimate concerts with great Miami based talent like Ape Drums, Mayday! and the Jacuzzi Boys. Each event had a limited edition concert poster done by the likes of Brian Butler, Jessie Night to name a few. It had something for everyone, and was all about Miami.

WRE: How was POPLIFE born?

AL: POPLIFE started as an outlet for a few friends and I, who shared a passion for counter culture and emerging trends, to connect with the community around them. The platform we created revolved around our love and passion for music, first and foremost. It was truly the first DIY party of its kind in Miami during an era where the internet was relatively new. It was never intended to be a 20 year venture. It was something done for all the right reasons, with tons of love and light. The Miami community, the vanguards, the don’t-settle-for-what-there-is crowd, and adventurers alike really took a liking to what we did, what we are about, and nurtured a scene and propelled Miami forward. Who would have thought this weekly party would have lasted so long, evolving into an agency, connecting dots throughout our community.

WRE: POPLIFE is known in the Miami community for local hotspots Mezza, Piccadilly, I/O, PS14, The District, White Room, and the Electric Pickle. How did all these locations bring the POPLIFE party to life?

AL: We expanded and contracted according to the venue, but it was always the same vibe. It was kind of chaotic actually. It always felt like… *uncontrollable yelling*.

WRE: Tell us about POPLIFE’s newest club?

AL: We’re opening Addicted To Vinyl Records this weekend. It’s a record shop and nightclub where 1306 and White Room once stood, brought to you by the people of Electric Pickle, 1306, Poplife, Grand Central, and Casa Florida.

The Miami community, the vanguards, the don’t-settle-for-what-there-is crowd, and adventurers alike really took a liking to what we did, what we are about, and nurtured a scene and propelled Miami forward.

Aramis Lorie

WRE: POPLIFE serves as a platform for emerging musicians and artists – how do you find the talent? 

JJ: There isn’t necessarily an exact formula to finding talent. It’s about being present and having the vision that sometimes the next great artist is right in front of you, and just needs the shot.

WRE: Looking back on the past 20 years, is there something you would have done differently?

JJ: Nothing. Maybe have been nicer to Aramis.

There isn’t necessarily an exact formula to find talent. It’s about being present and having the vision that sometimes the next great artist is right in front of you, and just needs the shot.

Jake Jefferson

WRE: What brands has POPLIFE partnered with?

LP: The past few years we have focused on the brand building side of the company. Our core national clients are Diesel, Heineken, Beam Suntory, Proximo Spirits, Llanllyr SOURCE Water and Mixers, but we also do work with local brands like Skate Free here in Miami.

One thing that is amazing about Miami is how tight-knit of a community it is. You have your different neighborhoods and each has their own identity, but ultimately it’s all Miami.

LP Steele

WRE: What would be your dream booking?

AL: Thom Yorke, easy.

JJ: Dead or alive? Tom Petty. That’s my dream booking.

LP: Dirty Heads, little bit hip hop, little bit reggae rock, great live performance – I keep trying to get Aramis and Jake to listen but they won’t.

WRE: Where do you see POPLIFE in the next 5 to 10 years?

AL: Interdisciplinary collaborations. Connecting things like a sculptor, with a musician, with a filmmaker to create something new.

JJ: Bars on Mars. Space colonization. Or maybe just continuing to collaborate and grow.

LP: Same objectives, larger scale. We will always be about embracing local communities, and the people who inspire it. We’re currently in Atlanta, LA, Miami, NYC, but there are so many untapped cities who have their own local style; and we look to tie all these communities together through great experiences and collaborations.

POPLIFE RETROSPECTIVE

POPLIFE Celebrates 20th Anniversary at Addicted To Vinyl Records

Miami, FL – November 9, 2019 – On Saturday POPLIFE celebrated their 20th anniversary at the new ATV Records (1306 N. Miami Ave), where White Room once stood. Guests gathered to celebrate 20 years of connection, love and passion for music and dance. DJ sets from some of their beloved POPLIFE DJs and friends – Aramis Lorie, Ray Milian, Benton, Lloydski, Michelle Leshem, Mike Deuce, Patrick Walsh, and Jessica Who, played their favorite dance floor tracks from throughout the years, along with the release of our first zine, a collection of images that represent this wild journey.