The writing on the wall
Saturday night, Amie and I dropped by Dionysus for drinks with friends, and I ended up putting some graffiti on the wall.
There's a basket of chalk in the bathroom, and if you want, you can scribble your heart out.
I haven't seen another bar in town do this, and being a natural exhibitionist, I really like it.
I wrote "OMG!"
I told my friends about the chalk, and it got us asking the age-old question about bathroom graffiti:
Who just randomly has a Sharpie in their pocket and suddenly decides to tag a wall with it?
(Photo by me)
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.
Comments
Nacho mama's has chalk too.
Posted by: TS | March 10, 2008 1:07 PM
Nacho Mama's had chalk in the bathrooms and Kisslings used to encourage grafitti as well. I haven't been to either in a while, so I don't know if they still do this.
Posted by: Rick | March 10, 2008 1:12 PM
I can't imagine having enough time to do this in bar bathrooms.
Posted by: Drew | March 10, 2008 1:48 PM
They don't offer chalk or markers, but the Lo Fi Social Club encourages patrons to mark up the bathrooms.
Posted by: Jeff | March 10, 2008 3:17 PM
The Waterfront has chalk.
Both the Wharf Rat and Cat's Eye have annual paintings that are quickly retagged by locals.
Posted by: Mike | March 10, 2008 3:35 PM
Best Graffiti-
On condom machine " For refund insert baby here".
Another on same condom machine "This gum taste's like rubber."
Both from the Wharf Rat in Fells Point. Ah the classics...
Posted by: joe | March 10, 2008 3:51 PM
Sorry Sam, I walk around with a Sharpie in my pocket most of the time. I'd like to say it's because I'm an engineer and I'm cool like that, but really I'm more likely to use it to label a CD than to sketch out a design for something amazing. It does not get used on bathroom stalls though.
Posted by: MountainBrit | March 10, 2008 9:35 PM
dude. please. stop. you're in danger of sounding like B-Rag. "We found this AWESOME little place near the Lyric called the Mount Royal Tavern...we hear all the artists go there!"
Dio's has had chalk since it opened like 5 years ago.....
Oh yeah my fav B-room graph "Don't leave, I'll be right Back--Godot" @ the Tavern of course.
Posted by: jmgiordano | March 10, 2008 9:57 PM
At first I thought that was a basket of candy next to the toiletpaper roll before reading the intro - whoops!
Posted by: Bob W. | March 12, 2008 1:22 PM
Props to Dionysus, too, for being an awesome low-key first date place. In addition to decent beer and tasty pizza, those chairs in the back are perfect—very comfy and encouraging of one-on-one conversation. Every date I've spent there has landed me a second (compared, for instance, to Teaism's 0-2 and Cafe Japone's 1-1 record).
Posted by: Patchen | March 12, 2008 2:13 PM