Nightlife

• CELEBRITY Q&A

  Take a spin with this DJ to the stars

  DJ AM (Adam Goldstein), Hollywood's A-list spinner, became popular for his mash-ups of '80s and '90s classics with current hits at the hottest nightclubs. But it wasn't until DJ AM played at singer Melissa Etheridge's 40th birthday party in 2001 that he exploded onto the scene as the DJ of choice for private parties hosted by Hollywood's elite. (We're talking Ben Stiller's wedding, Madonna's birthday party, Steven Spielberg's son's Bar Mitzvah . . .) He partnered with drummer Travis Barker of Blink...

• VELVET UNDERGROUND

  Here's to hot swimsuits, cool pool parties

  Summer is going rather swimmingly, we guess, and this weekend really promises to be a splashy affair thanks to the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim shows, a bathing suit trade show of sorts where clothing is almost optional. Although the shows taking place at the Raleigh Hotel are by-invitation-only, the requisite parties will coincide. While some may be harder to slip into than an overweight dude trying on a Speedo, others not so much. Good news for those who live on credit, though: All you need...

• AFTER DARK

  What live music venues make your Top Five list

  I went to see Matisyahu, who mixes orthodox Judaism with reggae beats, Saturday night at Revolution in downtown Fort Lauderdale. I wasn't interested in the opening band, so I sat on the stoop in front of the venue, and after deliberating for nearly an hour, scribbled this list of my favorite albums into my little notepad: Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run. Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints. Radiohead's Kid A. Jeff Buckley's Grace. Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.

• THE DATING GAME

  Negotiating potholes on road to happiness

  Sometimes guys will do crazy things when it comes to getting the woman of their dreams (even though she may wind up becoming a nightmare).

• AFTER DARK

  Gardens' parties rev up nightlife in Pines

  Kill Bill Volume 2. The Empire Strikes Back. The Godfather: Part II. This is a nearly complete list of noteworthy cinematic sequels. Then you have flops like Weekend at Bernie's II or Caddyshack II. Sequels are no easy task, but inspired by the first list, I'm venturing back to the Shops of Pembroke Gardens for Part II of my trilogy.

• VELVET UNDERGROUND

  Experts shed light on clubs gone dark

  When our forefathers named it Independence Day, we don't think they pulled a Nostradamus and predicted that it could possibly apply to the fact that Miami has, of late, freed itself of more than a handful of formerly hot night spots. Among those that have recently closed their doors for good: Suite/Snatch, Karu & Y, Oxygen, Cielo, and Dek 23. Not exactly encouraging news for the so-called nightlife capital of the country, if not the world. We decided to talk to those who shape the nightlife scene...

• THE DATING GAME

  Want to be wanted? Make yourself scarce

  Keep them wanting more. That mantra works in show business. It works for Fortune 500 companies. And it works for single guys in the dating world.

• AFTER DARK

  And now for something completely different ...

  Before my sister and I went away for college, my mom and dad whipped up home-cooked meals just about every night. Sometimes it was spaghetti and meatballs. Other times it would be chicken cutlets. Once a week we had breakfast for dinner and the four of us would feast on fluffy omelets.