At Super Bowl bash, game took a back seat to Snoop Dogg and Lil Jon
North of downtown Miami, football fans, performers and party-goers dressed in ballgowns, suits and the occasional Mahomes jersey rushed through rain into a warehouse-like building.
There, VIPs were ushered down a red carpet and others, who paid a minimum of $295 to attend, were led straight into a vast room.
Attendees mingled, yelling to be heard over the music while performers clad in football helmets and lights danced on stilts.
At Leather and Laces, the Super Bowl party hosted by Snoop Dogg and Lil Jon, the focus on sports and team rivalry seen across Miami in the days leading up to one of the biggest sporting events of the year slipped away.
By around 10 p.m., crowds mingled by the bar and in a VIP lounge area as the music reverberated off concrete walls. Fog machines added to the atmosphere, blurring faces.
After 30 minutes the potent scent of marijuana filled the room as DJ Snoopadelic, also known as Snoop Dogg, stepped onto the stage, invited the ladies to come dance with him and began to perform.
Women both working at the party and attending were happy to oblige.
Dressed in their finery, it was nearly impossible to discern a Chiefs fan from a 49ers fan.
“Everybody is in such good spirits,” said Brett Murray, a 49ers fan who came to the party on a whim. “It doesn’t matter what team you’re on right now.
“I want to see some really good dancing,” she added. “I’ve heard some baller music. I want to see some baller moves.”
Many party-goers shrugged off questions about who they were pulling for in Sunday’s game, instead saying they had come to party.
Steve Fowler, from Los Angeles, said he comes to the Super Bowl celebrations every year, but no longer purchases tickets to the game. He said he finds the parties more enjoyable.
“What else would I be doing tonight?” Fowler said. He commented that these parties are about the celebrities and the girls, not about the football.
A group of women from Kansas City said they decided a celebrity party was a must if they were coming to Miami for Super Bowl. They were unsure of what to expect but wanted to walk away with good photos and stories.
They commented that they were up far past their normal bedtime.
Duane Newman, from Dallas, said he spent about $45,000 for a four-day package, not including airfare, for himself, his brother and their wives to celebrate in Miami.
“We booked a couple of these parties, not knowing what we were doing,” said Newman, originally from Kansas City.
One attendee had come to Miami with a more serious mission, and did care about the outcome of the big game.
Anthony DeMaio, from the San Francisco Bay Area, came to the party and plans to go to the Super Bowl with a group of friends. They had gotten party tickets through a work connection.
Leaning close to share his story through the loud music, DeMaio explained that he was the lone Chiefs fan in a group of 49ers fans taking in the game.
“My little brother was a die-hard Chiefs fan,” DeMaio said. “He passed away on Christmas morning 2010 and I said if the Chiefs ever made it to the Super Bowl I’m there.
“And I’m here 10 years later.”
This story was originally published February 1, 2020 at 12:19 PM.
