Fab Five Friday
This list of the five best places to see a rock band was one of the toughest ones I've put together yet. As always, feel free to debate my choices:
1. The 8x10, 8-10 E. Cross St.
My favorite place to see live music in this city -- whether rock, bluegrass or what have you. There is hardly a bad sightline in the club, and the dance floor is springloaded so it bounces slightly when it's packed.
2. The Talking Head Club, 203 Davis St.
The quintessential rock club: that musky odor of cigarette smoke and spilled beer, a busted pool table, the unswept floor. And most importantly, the solid sound system.
3. The Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.
I'm not sure how the city's music scene could live without a venue like the Ottobar, which pairs Baltimore bands (like the Oranges Band, pictured) with nationally touring rock acts. The parking lot next door is a definite plus, too.
4. Sidebar Tavern, 218 E. Lexington St.
The Sidebar's owner Richard Ashburn called me once to chide me for calling his club dirty. But I don't know what kind of rock/punk club the place would be if the walls were graffiti-free and I could eat off the floor.
5. Fletchers Bar, 701 S. Bond St.
This list wouldn't be complete without Fletchers. It's home to Noise in the Basement, an awesome local rock showcase, and also has the feel of a classic rock club.
(Colby Ware/Special to the Sun)
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
sonar may not be the best as far as sight lines or sound, but they bring acts that several years ago wouldn't have come to Baltimore, instead skipping right over us going from Philly down to DC. I've seen Son Volt, Gomez and the Black Crowes there in the past year and enjoyed every show.
Posted by: sdr | October 5, 2007 8:53 AM
This is a good list of the top five places for local music, which it seems to be focused on. It's hard to argue with any of these, aside from the exclusion of Sonar, as well as Rams Head Live (aimed at national touring acts). The Waterfront is another good place to hear live music from local bands, though you can't necessarily see them! There are several clubs outside Baltimore that should be covered in a future Fab Five.
Posted by: ColumbiaBill | October 5, 2007 3:49 PM
I personally enjoy seeing shows at Ram's Head Live. The sound system is state of the art and any band I've ever seen there sounds great. They get national recording artists as well as regional cover bands.
Posted by: Dave | October 5, 2007 4:14 PM
The Talking Head Club is closed.
Posted by: Len Dillon | October 5, 2007 4:39 PM
Hey Len,
The Talking Head Club re-opened about a month ago.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | October 5, 2007 5:39 PM
Soul Cannon is a really hot up and coming band that will be at The Talking Head on Oct. 19. They are performing at The Turntable club on Saturday which is also a great venue. The Talking Head has really great energy coming to it this time around. Look for great things.
Posted by: Chantia Jackson | October 5, 2007 7:22 PM
Cool blog.
Posted by: Jim Baldwin | October 6, 2007 6:36 AM