My magical journey brought me to the South Florida where I will explore and share my finds and experiences with you.

First stop is Do Not Sit On The Furniture.

I sat down for a casual conversation with the owners Behrouz and Megan to learn more about their labor of love with their enchanting club. Although the club itself is fairly new in the nightlife world, it has already been making waves around the continents and attracting some impressive talent from around the world. With over 30 years under his belt in the industry, Behrouz followed his dream from the humble beginnings of San Francisco to a world arena. After being a resident DJ for 16 years, he caught his lucky break with being discovered by Deep Dish and later on legendary Danny Tenaglia. Balancing a career and a married life does come with its sets of challenges. However, the rewards are priceless and worth all the hustle and dedication.

Q: Why Miami?

A: We moved here 10 years ago. At that time we were deciding between NY and Miami. While touring in South Beach, I made the decision and bought a house. It wasn’t love at first sight but we got used to it. Culturally it was a big change from San Francisco. In 2006, the market crashed and our daughter was born two years later, so we had no choice but to make the best of it.

Q: What inspired you to open a club?

A: Everyone comes to Miami to experience and take something. Not many people were giving back to the scene beyond WMC and Art Basel. Referring to an old saying “Be the change”, we were open to an idea to find our own spot which will express our artistic point of view. A few years later, we did find a perfect spot and everything worked itself out.

Q: How did you come up with the name “Do Not Sit On The Furniture”?

A: Most of the clubs are in the business of making money by offering bottle service, leaving no room for a dance floor. Since we had a different vision and focus on the underground music, the name Do Not Sit On The Furniture was a clear message.

Q: Why did you choose to go with a more intimate location?

A: I am fortunate to do what I love. With many residences and constantly playing around the world, coming back home has a special meaning. We wanted to take a step back from big clubs and festivals and create a friendly atmosphere where everyone feels like home. Regardless of your age and background, everyone is welcome here.

Q: What was your vision for the club?

A: The idea was to combine my upbringing in SF and all of the underground clubs I got to experience the world for the Miami crowd. Our focus will always be on the music. With a custom designed analog sound system and curating with incredibly talented DJs I had the pleasure of sharing decks with for years, it will make you feel like you are at MTV unplugged but with dancing. We are not promoters and our vision is to create the brand organically. No one really knew the artist we were bringing, but believing in ourselves and the vibe we wanted to create, people eventually warmed up and started to appreciate the quality of music we like to share.

Q: What style of music can we expect in your club?

A: Every DJ brings something special to Do Not Sit. However, with the influence of the Burning Man culture, a new genre was born. I call it “Desert Music”. It is more melodic and takes you on a journey. For the first time in a long time, US sends a message back to Europe in creating something new and original.

Q: How was your Burn?

A: It is always a special treat to be at Burning Man. Every time is a new experience and we learn something new about ourselves and the world around us. It has an ability to change the whole world attitude so we can appreciate each other and the environment we live in on a whole new level. People become humble, respect the earth and every conversation and experience. This year, we were part of the Monkey Love Camp and it was amazing. I know DJs like to advertise when and where they play but that is not what BM is about. Surrender to the present moment and enjoy your surroundings. If you loved your experience, naturally you will tell your friends and that is what we all about; growing organically.

Q: How open are you to give up and coming DJs an opportunity?

A: When we started our club, none of our DJs were known in Miami. We have a formula with giving two local DJs a chance and a special Guest from out of state or internationally. We work closely with everyone, giving our honest feedback and help newcomers grow and develop their own style and sound that will be received well on our dance floor.

Q: What keeps you going?

A: Do Not Sit On The Furniture is our other baby and everything comes straight from our hearts. The satisfaction we get is people like yourself who come through our doors, get to appreciate what we created. When you do something from a place of love and being passionate about it, everything usually works out for the best. Even if in the end it didn’t work out, that is ok too because we were following our calling and were able to give back. To us it is more important to leave a legacy behind. This is what drives us forward and inspires us to continue to share positive vibes in our club and beyond.

Q: Seems like your club is doing really well. What else can we expect from you in the near future?

A: We were blessed to expand our vision and happy to branch out to do bigger events and continue to showcase our talented artists which at this point is our family. You can find Do Not Sit Showcases in Miami during the Art Basel and WMC “Do Not Sit By The Beach” & “Do Not Sit By The Pool”, also in Ibiza, ADE, SXM, BPM. Our newest addition is in Dubai with 3 showcases a year. The next scheduled dates are December 23rd and March 10th. Also, we are launching DNSOTF Record Label in December with an Ibiza native producer so we can give back to the magical island.Will follow up with all of the artists that are part of our family.

Upon entering the club, I was greeted by a smile and was welcomed in. As soon as I got inside, the sound system was crystal clear and although loud, comfortable enough to carry on a conversation. On the decks, Nico Stojan from Berlin was curating some energetic beats and in no time I found myself dancing with my girlfriend Lesha. The environment was warm and friendly. I got to talk to a few people and everyone seemed to love the place and the music. It was a diverse crowd with a few locals and many visitors. You can feel the love in every little detail. It certainly made me feel at home and I am looking forward to coming back and experience new local and international talent.

For more information about the Do Not Sit On The Furniture visit their Facebook for all updates.

Follow Behrouz on Soundcloud and Facebook.

With love,

Mark Salner (founder of Universal Love Tribe )

Follow Mark on Soundcloud and Facebook for all the updates.