By Elyse Wanshel

	(from left to right) Josh Weiss, Michael Lilov, Adonis Cross (squatting), Andrio “Rio” Chavarro with arms spread, and Fiorella Podesta    Photo: Roderick Deal

Once upon a time and many moons ago, in an era the ancients like to call 2005, a gypsy and yoga instructor met in a castle—literally.

“I was basically living like an artist, like a gypsy,” recalls actor Andrio "Rio" Chavarro of his free stay in the fortress-shaped Ashran on the corner NW Miami Court and NE 20^th Street, a building known to many as Castle Yoga. “I was doing a play at the GableStage, and I was homeless, and doing yoga,” perfecting crouching dog poses and refreshing his spirit (Castle’s Mantra) thanks to guru Josh Weiss, a Columbia University graduate, a fellow Castle squatter, and arts enthusiast, who gave Rio free lessons in exchange for performances. “Josh loved to hear my monologues, and plays, and short stories,” Chavarro says proudly.

Weiss apparently also loved organic foods, resulting in a trip to Wild Oats, where he found a newsletter with apartment listings. One address in particular seemed very familiar, and very close.

	Jesse Jackson belts out a song    Photo: Elyse Wanshel

“So he’s sitting in the Castle, looking down at this piece of paper and he says, ‘I’m going to walk outside and see if I can find it.’” Being loyal to his proclamation, Weiss walked out the doors of Castle Yoga, into the sweltering-armpit-melting-heat of a South Florida day, and trekked the hefty one block journey east to N. Miami Avenue where he discovered a white, two-story building on the southern tip of the Wynwood Art District and knew he had found his new home. Soon after, in May of 2005, on his birthday and with the help of Jesse Jackson, Rio also moved into the building with Weiss.

A month later, while jamming and busting out some poetry with Rio, Weiss divulged a brewing idea to facilitate the first-floor of their building, which at the time was nothing more than a large, barren space. Initially inspired by Churchill Pub’s Theater de Underground, “I started getting visions of having a gallery,” expressed Weiss. “He wanted to open it up, have a rehearsal space,” adds Rio, “A week later we’re coming up with names, a month after that, we found bank rolling.”   

	Raffa Jo Harris plays for the audience at Cornerstone Photo: Elyse Wanshel

With a generous benefactor, Michelle Ubertino (a fellow yoga student) and the creative diversity of Weiss’s girlfriend, visual artist and singer/songwriter, Fiorella Podesta, Cornerstone—a forum for the melding of local artistic endeavors, with an experimental, folksy, hippy, twist—was unleashed upon Downtown Miami in July of 2005 with an Alec Rubin “authentic improvisation” workshop inspired event entitled “Childlike” in which Rio appropriately wore a giant diaper.  

Since its opening in July of last year, the once desolate space changes in decor with each artistic venture that swaggers through its front door, be it a portable amp in hand, a pocket full of magic tricks, or a painted canvas. The walls have been completely covered in black curtains for performances, “The artwork’s been all over hanging” describes Rio, and the stage is constantly shifting location, resulting in a minor visual shock whenever you push through Cornerstone’s stubborn door.

	Stevie B. Photo: Elyse Wanshel

Although interior embellishments are temporary, Cornerstoners can always depend on the venue’s constants—an attentive, loyal, and boisterous audience, inspiring performances, spontaneity, bare feet, and its weekly events.      

Every second Saturday of each month Cornerstone hosts a themed art show and their last exhibited a series of paintings by Podesta called Blue to Yellow in which Weiss explains that Podesta is “representing the universal goddess.” Wednesday nights, hosted by Rio, are open mic and are pumped full of spoken word, poetry, a capella serenades, and random announcements such as musician Adonis Cross’s recent shocker (complete with a loud gasps) that his band was just signed to Geffen Records. Thursdays home a singer/songwriter night which include their currently featured artists, Isa Alfonso and Michelle Forman, local amateurs, Podesta, Stevie B., Raffa and Rainer, and Jesse Jackson.

	Paintings by Fiorella Podesta, on display at Cornerstone Photo: Elyse Wanshel

Personally, being able to catch my first performances of two of the New Time’s Best of Miami winners Jesse Jackson (best solo musician) and Raffa Jo Harris (best songwriter) on my first visit to Cornerstone on Raffa’s birthday, May 11, was a unique and engaging treat.

Raffa and Rainer pluck free happy and occasionally quirky acoustic melodies that are complemented by Raffa’s unique voice that I overheard an audience member behind me describe sounding “just like Ella Fitzgerald”.  Although their sound is a rare gem, the aspect of their performance I cherished the most was the genuine connection shared between Raffa and Rainer as they played together like two lifelong friends, sweetly singing lyrics like they were reciting childhood songs; unpretentious, lovely, and strangely familiar, although I had never heard any of their songs before.

Jesse Jackson got the party started, spewing pure energy all over the audience like a possessed Linda Blair. As he played, chairs were shoved aside as a free, spinning, dance-groove was sparked by Raffa and a fairy-winged pal. While the audience danced, Jackson, who blew through a harmonica, strummed a guitar, and banged on the side of his drums, was accompanied by Rainer, a cellist, and a variety of horns, playing a fresh variety of songs topped off with clever lyrics that mock goths and metaphorically compare intoxicants to women.

	Fans enter Cornerstone, the new downtown Miami hotspot for art and new music Photo: Elyse Wanshel

“Eventually people are going to say ‘Where is that little hole in the wall that really started it all?’”  Rio says when I ask him about Cornerstone’s main objective. “In a sense, we’d like to be that.”

For more information on events at Cornerstone, call 305-299-5919 or 786-426-YOGA or visit cornerstonemiami.com or myspace.com/cornerstonemiami