By Tyler Cianciulli
The Magic City Hippies are a Miami-based indie-funk band that has experienced a well deserved recent surge in popularity.
The band has been steadily gaining notoriety for a few years, and now it seems like the opportunities are rolling in.
Robby Hunter, Pat Howard, and John Coughlin are the three men behind the band.
They credit the Miami music scene for their development over time.
Since the Magic City Hippies’ epicenter is right here in our backyard, they are looking forward to branching out and incorporating some of the wild and interesting elements of South Florida culture.
I spoke to the band, and asked them a few questions about what we can expect to see from them in the future.
WATCH: Magic City Hippies’ “Bull Ride
RISE NEWS: Are you working on anything right now?
Magic City Hippies: “Right now, we’re focused on working on our new album. It is going to be a mix of new songs and old songs. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are really excited about what is to come. We’ve been working on incorporating a more distinct salsa vibe, with an emphasis on high energy funk. Before our album drops, we plan on releasing two singles.”
RISE NEWS: Tell me about your last performance.
Hippies: “We actually played the Heat game recently. We were on the court, and on national television. They had us play before Game 1 of the Playoffs – and at halftime.”
RISE: How did the Miami music scene influence your music?
Hippies: “Performing in Miami has provided so many opportunities. There really aren’t too many spots better for emerging talent. We’ve tried to embrace our environment by incorporating a more tropical, Spanish vibe. We want to make music people want to dance to.”
RISE: What do you do when you’re not on stage?
Hippies: “Well, right now we are in the process of organizing our band as a business. This is often tough for indie artists because we aren’t connected to a major label. This means that we have to provide the money and the resources that a record agency would provide. We actually have a bunch of people on our payroll now. We are teachers, graphic designers, capitalists, and most importantly, musicians.”
RISE: Tell me a funny story from your recent tour.
Hippies: “We were about two hours outside of Flagler, Colorado, when we got stuck in a huge blizzard. We were on the way back home from a string of concerts and the last thing we wanted was a delay. The roads were so bad we were actually stranded for a while. It was actually John’s first time ever seeing snow.”
RISE: Do you have any advice for hopeful musicians?
Hippies: “Fake it till you make it.”
WATCH: Magic City Hippies’ “Hush”:
I actually saw the Magic City Hippies at the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance.
Their live performances are unrivaled, their music is trendy, and their image of a Florida born-and-raised band resonates with their listeners.
It seems as if the Magic City Hippies are starting to corner a genre that they are simultaneously pioneering.
I am excited to hear the band’s planned singles and working album.
The Magic City Hippies are currently on a tour of South Miami. You can learn more by visiting their website: magiccityhippies.com
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.
Cover Photo Credit: Magic City Hippies/Youtube
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This is What It Looks Like When Your Lamborghini Catches Fire On South Beach
So if you are a valet, you probably shouldn’t take cars under your care out for a joyride or rev their engines until they CATCH ON FIRE.
But that is seemingly what happened on South Beach a few weeks ago according to Random Pixels.
From Random Pixels:
“Valet parker is handed the keys to a Lamborghini. He’s supposed to park it. Instead he takes it for a joy ride. Revs up the engine on Lincoln Road and Michigan Avenue. Car catches fire.”
Social media is always there for us though when we want to see the dumb things people have done in life.
Watch a video of the incident below:
Cover Photo Credit: Dragan Rakonjac/ Youtube (Screengrab)
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Unclear Whether Cop Who Shot Charles Kinsey, And Almost Shot Autistic Man Was Properly Trained
The personnel jacket of North Miami police officer Jonathan Aledda does not include information regarding whether he was properly trained to interact with people with developmental disabilities like Autism, a RISE NEWS investigation found.
Aledda has come to national attention after he shot unarmed therapist Charles Kinsey three times in the leg last week in a North Miami street.
The Miami-Dade police union president said that Aledda was not trying to shoot Kinsey, but rather his autistic patient named Arnaldo Eliud Rios.
The jacket, which was released by the police department last week details Aledda’s history as a police officer in the city of North Miami.
It also shows some of the trainings Aledda received.
Notably missing from the document is any indication that Aledda received Crisis Intervention Team Policing training (CIT) from the Eleventh Circuit Court.
CIT is often cited by police departments as a top local training method for officers to learn how to deal with people with mental illnesses.
The training also includes a small section (one page) about Autism and other developmental disabilities.
North Miami police spokeswoman Natalie Buissereth said that roughly 85% to 95% of North Miami officers have received CIT training.
“If you don’t see it, it’s not there,” Buissereth said of Aledda’s missing CIT training certificate in his personnel jacket.
READ: Personnel Jacket Of The Cop Who Shot Charles Kinsey
However, Buissereth also said in a phone interview with RISE NEWS, that she would follow up to double check whether Aledda was CIT trained.
Calls to the CIT office have not been returned.
According to information found on the Eleventh Circuit website, CIT officers are pretty important.
“CIT officers respond to crisis calls involving possible mental health issues,” a frequently asked question page about the program says. “They evaluate and de-escalate potentially volatile situations and as necessary transport individuals suffering from a mental illness to community-based facilities for evaluation, treatment, and referrals, instead of subjecting them to immediate arrest when appropriate.”
WATCH: RISE NEWS report from the scene of the Charles Kinsey shooting
Aledda’s personnel jacket paints him as an ambitious and talented young officer who is always volunteering for extra responsibilities.
“Officer Aledda reports to work with a clean and pressed uniform,” A performance evaluation from June of 2016 reads. “He represents a good image for his peers and employees to follow.”
While it is not clear whether Aledda was trained in how to deescalate stations with people who have developmental disabilities, his personnel jacket does show that he is trained in a number of other areas, including as a member of the SWAT team and as a volunteer member of the Strategic Action for Enhanced Enforcement and High Intense Visibility and Enforcement teams.
According to a performance review from August 2014, Aledda “productivity” is “consistently substantially above his peers.”
For example, in July of 2014, Aledda conducted 26 arrests, answered 82 calls for service and issued 138 traffic citations.
For comparions sake, 1 out of every 68 people are autistic.
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Miami Zoo Closed Over Fears That Lions May Swim Over Protective Moats
Zoo Miami has been closed since Saturday over concerns about animal safety after torrential rains have flooded the southern-most section of Miami-Dade County.
According to the AP, nearby Miami Executive Airport had already tabulated more than 13 inches of rain in December by Tuesday morning.
The incredible deluge has made much of the park unusable and unsafe for human visitors.
According to the AP, fish from a nearby lake were spotted swimming under benches meant for human visitors and many walkways are underwater.
The more concerning issue for zoo officials is the threat to animal life that sustained flooding can have.
According to the Miami Herald, some animals, including the lions are usually kept from the public by a moat system. With the water at such a high level, the lions could easily swim across the moat and enter the public area.
“With a high water level, there is no longer a barrier,” Zoo Miami Communications Director Ron Magill told the Miami Herald. “In reality, most animals can swim.”
According to WPLG TV, the animals are being kept in their “night houses” so they remain safe.
WATCH: WPLG (Local 10 Miami) Report On Zoo Miami Flooding
The zoo could open again Wednesday morning as the region begins to dry out from the unseasonably large amount of rain.
Cover Photo Credit: Peter Harrison/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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