Tour diary: Pontiak
I'm collecting good on-tour tales from local bands. If you're in a band or know someone who is, leave a comment, or email me -- sam.sessa@baltsun.com
Today's Meet the Band, Pontiak, just got back from a national tour with a couple great road stories:
Story 1:
When they pulled into Little Rock, Arkansas, the promoter said they would be playing at a pavilion down by the Arkansas River. They ran an extension cord 200 feet to this municipal power outlet, set up a couple lights and a PA and plugged in, said bassist/keyboardist Jennings Carney.
"We literally played a concert at 10:30 p.m. on a Sunday night on this pavilion overlooking the Arkansas River," Carney said. "It was awesome."
Story 2:
Pontiak also played in Tulsa, Oklaholma the same night Bright Eyes lead singer Conor Oberst was performing at a nearby venue. When Oberst's set ended, more than 1,000 people streamed into the Pontiak show, Carney said.
"Faces were melted," he said. "It was funny -- we got done with our first song, and we thought we were playing loud, but people were like, 'TURN IT UP!' We were like, 'OK ...'"
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.
