Mayor Sheila Dixon signed the live entertainment bill into law today, making it easier for certain taverns and restaurants to have bands, karaoke, DJs and such.
Though neighborhood associations haven't been big fans of the bill, I think it's a step in the right direction for Baltimore. And I live in South Baltimore, which will be affected by the zoning changes ...
Continue reading "Mayor Sheila Dixon signs the live entertainment bill" »
When I first posted about the new Waterstone Bar and Grille, which is taking over from the troubled Coconuts, someone named dispatch posted an insightful comment.
I e-mailed disptach, trying to get more information on the place. Today, dispatch e-mailed me back.
Her name is actually Emily, and though I'm still not quite sure how she knows all this stuff, she sounds like she knows what she's talking about.
Here is Emily's e-mail, which has details about the opening date, as well as the owner's plans for the place:
The original owner of Coconuts took ownership back after it went downhill (basically after the stabbing some months ago). She is launching it as a higher-end lesbian bar (although I believe anyone is allowed to come, not just females) ...
Continue reading "More details about the new Waterstone Grille" »
This weekend, did you see the new biopic "The Blind Side," about Baltimore Raven Michael Oher?
If you did, you also heard a track from SoulStice, a hip-hop producer and MC based in Columbia. Soulstice teamed up with producer Mighty Wyte to write a song for "The Blind Side" -- a big boost for the on-the-move local artist.
I did a piece on SoulStice, which ran in yesterday's paper. Here's a link.
SoulStice's song on "The Blind Side" is called "That Thang," and is pretty hard-hitting ...
Continue reading "Local MC Soulstice lands song on 'The Blind Side' soundtrack" »
I'm not a huge art fanatic. But Friday evening, I helped hang one of the best more controversial art exhibits ever to appear in Baltimore.
There is a mysterious dude named John who lives across the street from the Idle Hour. He spends a lot of time peering out of his second-story window, looking down at Fort Avenue. But he never goes in Idle Hour. All we know about him is his name.
This is the part where John Woestendiek comes in. He's an incredible writer, blogger, former Sun staffer and, as it turns out, photographer. Woestendiek was fascinated by Window John, and sneakily took a bunch of photos of him in his window.
In short, Woestendiek went rogue.
Woestendiek had the photos printed and framed, and hung them at Idle Hour when the owners weren't around ...
For a few hours yesterday, I joined dozens and dozens of mustache-clad revelers for a South Baltimore swill-fest commonly known as ... MOVEMBER!
As you can tell from the photo, it was quite awesome. And money was raised to help fight the fight against prostate cancer.
I met up with the crawlers at the tequila bar Lime (801 E. Fort Ave.), which was clearly not prepared to handle the flood of 50-some wild and crazy kids. It was jammed wall-to-wall.
After about an hour at Lime, we headed down to Hideaways (1400 Key Highway), the new bar across the street from Little Havana, which recently replaced the Tavern on Key ...
Continue reading "Recapping yesterday's Movember bar crawl" »
That was the concert of a lifetime. I think that was the best show I've ever seen.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band made a triumphant return to 1st Mariner Arena last night, playing to a sold-out crowd of more than 14,000.
Here is a link to my full review, which will run in tomorrow's paper.
Wow. Consider me a convert to the Church of Springsteen. Bruce and the boys played 30 songs, and the show lasted almost three and a half hours.
If you were there last night and you want to share your thoughts, leave a comment.
Here is the set list from the show ...
Continue reading "Concert review: Bruce Springsteen at 1st Mariner Arena" »
Whether or not you're a manly man with a manly mustache, I strongly urge you to attend this awesome Movember bar crawl in South Baltimore tomorrow night. You can find all the details, including the registration, by clicking right here, right now. It's for a great cause, and it's run by a great guy -- Midnight Sunner Evan. Happy Movember, everybody!
Nils Lofgren might not be a household name, but Lofgren has played with some of the biggest names in rock.
Lofgren was a founding member of Crazy Horse, and has been playing guitar in the E Street band since the '80s. Tonight, he and the rest of the gang will be at 1st Mariner Arena. I talked to Lofgren a few days ago about the show.
Did you know Bruce and company hasn't played here since 1973.
You're kidding. I can't believe that. That's bizarre. ... I can't believe a town that big has been skipped that long. This is a momentous return.
Same venue too.
Is this is the old Civic Center? You're kidding me.
Have you played there before?
I played there in the '60s or '70s opening up for somebody like Country Joe and the Fish. I can't even remember. Way back in the '60s I went there trying to sneak backstage to see Cream and Jimi Hendrix. I used to go with my Telecaster and try and tell the security that the headline act needed it for the show, and they were expecting me. ...
A new bar named the Water Street Tavern has appeared on (you guessed it) Water Street, right across from Peter's Pub.
Midnight Sunner F. Pants McFadden sent me this photo of the spot.
Anybody been here yet?
This stretch of Water Street is like a secret cove, tucked away downtown. The best way to get there is to turn left from Light Street -- before Light intersects with Pratt Street.
I'll try and stop by sometime soon and see what the deal is.
(Photo by F. Pants McFadden)
After much deliberation, Midnight Sun as an announcement to make.
We have officially endorsed Bruce Springsteen's "She's the One."
It is -- at least temporarily -- Midnight Sun's official anthem.
Why?
Here are five reasons ...
Continue reading "Midnight Sun's favorite Bruce Springsteen song" »
Tomorrow night, comedian Jim Gaffigan is going to be in town for two shows at the Lyric Opera House (get tickets here).
It's been a few years since the last time I talked to Gaffigan, but he still plays the whiny, lovable lazy butt like few can. And his bits about food (especially bacon, bologna and Hot Pockets) are still hilarious.
Gaffigan has accepted the notion that, at this point, he's probably The Food Comedian.
"Every time there's a new bacon-scented envelope, I get 50 e-mails or messages or tweets about it," he said. "It's the same whenever there's a new Hot Pocket. ... It's very flattering."
Here is a link to my piece on Gaffigan, which ran in today's paper.
(Handout photo)
It started with a simple but spot-on Bruce Springsteen impersonation.
In the spring of 1982, Craig Hankin and a few other members of the local group The Reason were at a party when singer Tom Chalkley started singing TV show theme songs in Bruce Springsteen's voice. It was an instant hit, Hankin recalls.
"Everybody hit the deck laughing," he said. "We thought, 'Oh, this is a funny idea.'"
Hankin hatched an idea to have Chalkley use his Springsteen impression to sing "Meet The Flintstones." They called this knock-off project Bruce Springstone and recruited lead guitarist Tommy Keene and veteran jazz saxophonist Ron Holloway to record with them at Hit and Run studios in Rockville.
They took the recording to Clean Cuts, a local record label then known for its jazz recordings, and played it for label owner Jack Heyrman. (Click on this link to hear the track.)
"[Heyrman] let me know a one-off novelty single was not exactly up his alley, but he was willing to listen," Hankin said. "By the time we got to the end of the tape, he was chuckling. He said, 'I think we may have a novelty record here.'" ...
Has the whole city gone crazy? Or just me?
A new bar has replaced Leon's/Tyson Place in Mount Vernon. Guess what it's called?
Nadds.
Yeah.
Nadds.
If you notice, the "d"s in the sign are actually musical notes.
But wait, it gets better ...
I must admit, I did not have high expectations for Banners (1401 Decatur Street).
Going in, I thought the new Locust Point bar would be another one of those middle-of-the-road neighborhood spots. Boy was I wrong.
When a few friends and I dropped by Banners on a recent Saturday night, it was packed tight with people. I think it must have been somebody's birthday party, which explains the big crowd.
A middle-aged man who I took to be the owner stood inside near the door, looked us in the eye and shook our hands as we walked in. I don't think I've ever had that happen at a bar before ...
Continue reading "Banners is a surprisingly great neighborhood bar" »
If you somehow managed to swindle your way into the much-coveted general admission tickets for Friday's Bruce Springsteen show at 1st Mariner Arena, there are a few things you need to know.
Actually, kind of a lot of things you need to know. The show's promoters released a 10-point plan for a lottery among general admission ticketholders. Here it is ...
Continue reading "Got Bruce Springsteen general admission tickets? Read this." »
It might not be Tuesday anymore, but "Owl Meat's Tipsy Wednesdays" just doesn't have the same ring to it. Better late than never, right?
Here, Midnight Sun guest columnist Owl Meat Gravy takes us on a tour through some of the best music movies out there. Are you ready? I am. Let's go:
Movies: great.
Music: great.
Movies about music: awesome.
Below is a baker's dozen of music movies that bubble up in my brain now and then. I'm not saying these are the best movies ever, just some that are stuck in my gray matter ...
Continue reading "Owl Meat's (belated) Tipsy Tuesday: Music + movies = awesome" »
Since Bruce Springsteen hasn't played in Baltimore since 1973, we're pulling out all the stops and going all Bruce, all the time.
Dig if you will this entire online section devoted to Bruce Springsteen.
It has Springsteen photos.
It has a test-your-Bruce-knowledge pop quiz.
The page also has a ton of Springsteen stories. Sun researcher Paul McCardell and I spent a good deal of time yesterday digging through the vast, dusty archives looking for colorful old Springsteen stories and photos.
You would not believe how many times The Baltimore Sun has gushed about Springsteen.
Former Sun writer Rafael Alvarez called Springsteen "the messiah of rock and roll." Columnist Dan Rodricks wrote a couple columns in the '80s that were blatant ploys to get free Springsteen tickets.
Surprisingly, we could only find one actual interview with Springsteen -- back in 1975 after a show at Painter's Mill (here's a link to the piece) ...
Over the years, I've asked plenty of bar owners and bar-goers what the ideal neighborhood joint is like.
One answer that keeps popping up is Cheers. Like, the bar Cheers on the show "Cheers." You know, where everybody knows your name and stuff.
Today, I thought about "Cheers" and something occurred to me: As a bar, Cheers wasn't all that great.
Think about it: Aside from the main characters and maybe a couple random people sitting at a table in the corner, there was never anybody in the place. It was empty pretty much 24/7 ...
Faithful Midnight Sun readers know, I'm not Natty Boh's biggest fan.
I usually only drink the stuff if I'm desperate, broke, on a bender or all three.
Still, I can't deny Natty Boh's rich history here. That's why you can still get the stuff really cheap at local bars. Usually, it's as cheap as -- if not cheaper than -- Miller Lite.
It's been a loooooooooooong time since I last posted about the cheapest Boh in town. That was more than two years ago, which is an eternity on the Interwebs.
Two of the bars people suggested (Cheerleaders and Red House Tavern) on that post have since closed. ...
Continue reading "Who has the cheapest Natty Bohs in town?" »
I've been The Baltimore Sun's nightlife and local entertainment reporter for a couple years, and it's surprising how much the scene has grown in that time. Most of Baltimore's bars and clubs are unpretentious places with fairly cheap drinks and plenty of character. I like dancing and think this city needs more clubs, but nothing beats having a cold, locally brewed beer with friends in a comfortably full corner bar.
