The old sign's still there, but it won't be for much longer.

Soon, the new sign -- Taps Baltimore -- will go up in its place.

Taps Baltimore (formerly the Fort Charles Pub) is under new ownership, and has a soft opening at 7 p.m. tonight.

Construction crews have worked around the clock the past couple of weeks renovating the inside of the place.

And in the near future, co-owner Dave Holter plans to install 40 draft beers and -- get this -- draft wine.

Yes. Draft wine.

The wine is dispensed through taps using a nitrogen injection system that preserves the wine's freshness, Holter said.

"It's a pretty slick system," he said. 

And Taps will be the first in Baltimore to have it.

But for now, Holter is focusing on the soft opening and getting some feedback from neighborhood folks.

So if you're in the area and want to stop by, tell him what you think.

He told me he'll be the shortest of the three bartenders tonight. 

Talking to him over the phone, I could tell he's pumped.

"It feels good," Holter said. "It feels really good."

(Photo by me) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Here's a good way to gauge how many indie kids and hipsters read this blog:

How many of you were at last night's Beach House show at G-Spot? 

Half the hipsters and indie kids in Baltimore were there.

I heard it sold out, and I'm not surprised.

Beach House was there too -- I think. I could hear them, but I sure as heck couldn't see them.

The lights were dimmed so low and the stage was so low to the ground, it was hard to tell if there was a band playing or not.

"It's like listening to a stereo in a dark room," said Wye Oak singer/guitarist Jenn Wasner, who was in the audience. 

At least the sound was good. 

Beach House singer/keyboardist Victoria Legrand's breathy, beautiful voice was wrapped in reverb, and guitarist/singer Alex Scally backed her up with harmonies.

Beach House has a brand new album called Devotion, and they played a few songs from it, such as the single "Gila."

They even covered Daniel Johnston's song "Some Things Last a Long Time." 

The duo closed their roughly hourlong set with "Tokyo Witch," off their self-titled debut. 

It was a hypnotizing performance that deserved a better venue. 

(Photo by Chiaki Kawajiri/Sun Photographer)

Posted by Sam Sessa at 3:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Among Wolves is headed back to the studio soon to record some tracks for a new album, band member Jason Butcher said.

Steve Wright, who has worked with Lake Trout and the Flaming Lips, is producing the record. 

"It's a little more rock-oriented than the old stuff but still with the old feel to it," Butcher said.  

The new album should be finished by mid-summer, Butcher said. 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Putting together this list of the best TV bars was a bit trickier and a lot more fun than I originally thought it would be.

Thanks for all your suggestions. 

At first, I didn't want to include the Drunken Clam from Family Guy. 

But after reading some of your comments, I reconsidered.

Here's my list of the five best TV bars. 

1. Cheers from Cheers

The king of TV bars. How many scenes were actually filmed outside the bar? Everybody knows your name at Cheers, and no other TV bar could ever match it. 

2. Moe's Tavern from The Simpsons

No Moe's makes The Simpsons something something. 

3. The Drunken Clam from Family Guy

Dan Thanh was right. God drinks at the Drunken Clam. Talk about a powerful patron. 

4. Ten Forward from Star Trek: The Next Generation

Where else could Capt. Picard turn when things went awry? Whoopi Goldberg was there with good advice and occasionally even a glass of illegal Romulan Ale.

5. Kavanagh's from The Wire (pictured)

A bar where dead police men are laid on the pool table before their funerals? That's old school, and I like it.

(Photo by Paul Schiraldi/HBO) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 7:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
                    

I'm working on a story about the best songs with the word "Baltimore" in their name.

I just listened to Randy Newman's "Baltimore" (chilling) and 50 Cent's "Baltimore Love Thing" (boring) back to back.

Weird.

The Extra Glenns, the Counting Crows, Graham Parsons, Among Wolves, Darkroom Productions and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks are also on the list.

What am I missing? 

(Photo of Randy Newman circa 1999) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (47)
                    

The poem I wrote memorializing Baja Beach Club came out in today's LIVE section.

Check it out here.

Posted by Sam Sessa at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

MS reader Mary Hartney was at Tuesday night's St. Vincent show.

Here's her report: 

Watching a St. Vincent show is a bit like being in a high school music class, with a dainty, young teacher who encourages effervescent flute and violin playing and whistling -- except that every now and then, she raises a single eyebrow, pauses, and proceeds to completely destroy the guitar that just moments ago looked like it would consume her.

Annie Clark, the force behind St. Vincent, has the resume to prove her musicality: She was a member of Polyphonic Spree and has toured with Sufjan Stevens and gives off the vibe that she's spent a lot of time teaching and learning all kinds of music.

But for every "Now, class, pay attention" look she gives the audience (and pay attention we do), she has a quirky comment to balance it out.

Last night at the Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington, the stage was decorated with small trees and a vase of flowers she carried out as the band took the stage, so "we can all feel like we're giants in a psychedelic forest."

I saw her almost a year ago at the same venue, when she opened for Midlake, and Maryann and I had spent the past few weeks obsessively listening to her songs on her MySpace page. We were two of about 10 people really focused on her playing at that show (and the first ones there because we are ultradorks). Now, her album's been out for some time, and we could barely cram onto the floor -- and spent most of the time craning our necks around a guy wearing a sweatband and another taking the exact same picture over and over (dude, get a better lens).

But she's still more than worth it. A year later, Clark's sound has changed, too -- she now has a full band, instead of her spare voice and an organ and guitar, and the highlight for me was a complete restructuring of "Paris Is Burning." If it can be made any more haunting, it was, with voice distortion and dramatic slow-downs.

She finished with a single-song encore, kind of an anomaly these days, doing "What Me Worry?" solo -- just like in the old days.

(Photo by Tod Seelie) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Starting in March, there will be less live jazz at the city's renown New Haven Lounge.

For at least the near future, the lounge will not host live music on Saturday nights.

"We're in a slump there," said promoter Mike Cherigo, who books shows there. "But Fridays are still going." 

(Photo by Christopher T. Assaf/Sun Photographer) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 7:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

I'm not surprised the Washington-based indie rock duo Georgie James is performing on Late Night With Conan O'Brien tonight.

But it still feels pretty weird to type it.

I interviewed them for Baltimore Unsigned more than a year ago, before their first album Places came out.

I thought Places was one of the best albums of 2007, and I'm glad they're getting some recognition for it.

Last year they signed to Saddle Creek Records, and tonight they'll be on national television.

(Photo by Shervin Lainez) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Muggsy's Mug House has opened in the Light Street building that formerly housed Clayton's Tavern and Sean Bolan's.

The bar's new owners, Danny Young, Brent Putman and Ryan Cooper, plan to steer it back to the Sean Bolan's days, when the focus was on beer.

Of the 16 drafts, about a dozen will be area brews like Clipper City, Dogfish Head and Yuengling, Young said.

"We're not on Cross Street, so we're not going for the kids who are going to slug 20 Miller Lites in a night, Young said.

"We want to be the neighborhood hangout."

Muggsy's grand opening is 8 p.m. Friday, which features $1 off all drafts and a free panini buffet

Paninis will be Muggsy's menu specialty.

Here is a link to Muggsy's Web site.

Muggsy's phone number is 410-528-9111, the address is 1236 Light St. and the hours are 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Mondays-Wednesdays and 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Thursdays-Saturdays.

(Photo by Getty Images) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
                    

At first, I was going to put the Drunken Clam (the bar from Family Guy) on this week's Fab Five Friday list.

But I thought about it some more, and changed my mind.

Unlike Moe's from The Simpsons, the Clam doesn't have a bartender who consistently adds color to the show.

The Clam is just a place where we get to see all the guys hang out.

I like the moving neon clam sign on the outside of the place, but aside from the episode where the English take over, the Clam itself doesn't bring much to the show.

Your thoughts? 

(AP Photo) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
                    

Yes, you read that right.

Last night a few of us went to the Kitty Kat Bar on West 23rd Street.

No, it's not a strip club.

After one night there, I'll easily vote it my favorite Remington bar, hands down.

The Kitty Kat is the first Baltimore bar I've seen to have absinthe, which was legalized in the U.S. last year.

And, they have a pink Jesus Magic 8 Ball, where you ask it a question, turn it upside down and it gives you a random answer.

We asked it if we should order a glass of absinthe and it said "Believe."

Blasphemous, yes, but also awesome. 

(Photo by me)

Posted by Sam Sessa at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
                    

What do you think is the coolest bar on TV?

I want to make this week's list the five best TV bars.

Hit me with suggestions. 

By the way, the picture is of the Boston bar that was the inspiration for the TV show Cheers.

(Photo by St. Louis Post-Dispatch) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 4:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)
                    

Earlier when I posted about Baja Beach Club's imminent closure, somebody wanted to know when their last night would be.

It's this Saturday, March 1.

Doors open at 8 p.m.

To commemorate the club's 16+ year history, I wrote a rhyming poem called "An Ode to Baja Beach Club."

It should be published in this week's LIVE section. I'll link to it when it comes out. 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

I don't know if this loophole exists in the Baltimore smoking ban, but bars in other cities are holding 'theater nights.'

Apparently, if everyone inside the place is declared an 'actor' than everybody can smoke.

Here's a link to an article about it. 

Have you heard about anything like this happening in Baltimore? 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

What is it about the movie Jurassic Park that people my age find so awesome?

Is it the special effects?

Possibly the most authentic special effects to ever appear in an action film?

All I know is, when I heard Wham City had come up with a theatrical adaptation of the movie called Jurassic Park: The Play, I had to write a piece on it.

I went to dress rehearsal last night at the H&H Building, and everything is coming together for the cast and crew.

The Baltimore shows are Friday and Saturday.

Then the cast and crew take it on the road to Philadelphia and New York City. 

(Photo by me) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
                    

Whew.

This was a tough one.

But I'm going to have to call JTK the winner of the Barguments Fab Five Friday.

He gave the funniest responses, and thusly, wins a copy of the book.

Congrats, buddy. Send me your address, and I'll send you a copy.

Posted by Sam Sessa at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

When I posted the photo of my desk from a while back, you probably didn't notice the best toy on there:

A magnetic Simpsons living room set, complete with magnetized characters.

I can arrange them at my will.

It is ... awesome.

And, I will never be giving it away as a prize.

Because it is ... awesome.

I'm waiting for a jealous comment from JTK, who I know loves The Simpsons.

(Photo by me) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

People ask me that a lot.

And the answer is, yeah, sometimes.

I give up a lot of weekend and weekday nights to report nightlife columns.

Occasionally, I can persuade some of my friends to come along with me.

But some of them are sick and tired of getting dragged out to weird spots around town.

So I end up going to a lot of these places alone.

Sniffle. 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

The other day I drank what I'm told is the original Red Bull Energy Drink.

JS brought me some from a small Asian store on Park Avenue downtown.

The cashier told her it was the real deal, which makes sense, because I believe Red Bull originated in Thailand.

As you can see, it comes in a small brown bottle, and the logo is the same.

The liquid inside was more syrupy and less carbonated than regular Red Bull.

And it gave me wings all right. I usually drink a half pot of coffee in the morning, a soda at lunch, and then cool down in the afternoon.

I drank this baby around 5:30 p.m. and my heart almost exploded. 

(Photo by me) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 7:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

I've been invited to speak at a high school Career Day in April.

Instead of giving a speech, I think I'll just play this video clip: 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

In case you're curious what happened to last week's desperate plea for Spice Girls fans, here is a link to the article, which ran in Thursday's LIVE section.

Thanks again for coming through when I needed you, guys. 

Side note: I'll come clean with all of you.

I was once a Spice Girls fan.

It was 8th grade, I thought they were hot and bought Spice.

So there. I said it. 

And you know what?

I still think "Wannabe" is a fun pop song. 

(AP Photo) 

Posted by Sam Sessa at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)