
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 "
simulated sex with a potted palm tree." Before The Sun, he was a reporter at the Miami New Times. He's also written for Miami magazine, the Orlando Sentinel, the Sarasota Herald Tribune and the Gainesville Sun. Got tips? Gripes? Pitches? He's reachable at
erik.maza@baltsun.com. Click
here to keep up with the dumb music he's listening to.
Midnight Sun covers Baltimore music, live entertainment, and nightlife news. On the blog, you'll find, among other things, concert announcements, breaking news, bars closings and openings, up-to-date coverage of crime in nightlife, new music, round-the-clock coverage of Virgin Mobile FreeFest, handy guides on bars staying open past 2 a.m. on New Year's Eve and those that carry Natty Boh on draft. Recurring features include seven-day nightlife guides, Concert News, guest reviews of bars and concerts, Wednesday Corkboard, and photo galleries, as well as reader-submitted photos. Thanks for reading.
Comments
Does that happen a lot Sam? It wasn't a bad review for the bar. I wonder why they wouldn't talk to you.
Posted by: Drew from Greektown | April 3, 2008 12:37 PM
The owner wasn't there and the bartender didn't have his phone number, which I was kind of surprised to hear.
It doesn't happen a lot, thank god. But I do get bar owners who are leery of talking to me once I tell them I'm a journalist.
I'll do a post about my first conversation with Jim Quigley, which was possibly the most awkward conversation I've ever had with a bar owner since I've been writing here.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | April 3, 2008 1:04 PM
You really didn't get any sort of vibe from the Kitty Kat (the scene, specifically, which I'm surprised you didn't mention) to give you a clue as to why they might be leery?
Posted by: gofreescout | April 3, 2008 1:34 PM
Yuppies, in Remington, yeah I don't think he's got much to worry about.
Posted by: Evan | April 3, 2008 2:18 PM
To the Kitty Kat Bar! gofreescout, I'll drive! C'mon!
Posted by: JTK | April 3, 2008 3:29 PM
No, that's cool -- I'm in pretty easy walking distance.
Posted by: gofreescout | April 3, 2008 4:34 PM
sam, we need a place to talk about happy hours that can be consistently updated. metromix and bmore live have them, but they are lacking in sessa cred.
Posted by: bill | April 3, 2008 11:44 PM
Bill, the problem is, it takes way too much time to stay on top stuff like that.
Even Midnight Sun's staff would be stretched thin to undertake such a daunting task.*
*The straight answer: I'll do it if they pay me more. But it's not fun calling bars all day. I'd rather be patronizing them.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | April 4, 2008 11:38 AM
Mike/Sam
Not to pimp my own site here but since it came up I guess I will. For the past couple months i've been working on www.baltimorespecials.com
Several bar owners/managers have been providing me with updates via the site. The rest I've gotten from visiting the bars and typing them in or from their respective web pages.
This is not a money making thing for me. I'm just trying to find where the specials are too.
Posted by: locust point man | April 4, 2008 1:43 PM
I was at the Federal Hill spring block party yesterday, and this kinda dirty hippie looking guy came up to a group of us with a Polaroid and wanted to take our picture. I thought "Eh, good way for him to earn a buck or two" - well he takes our picture and just says "JUST GIMMEE SOME BEER" and picks up a floater cup ...off of the ground, pours that beer out, takes some beer from my friends, and says "Hey thanks guys, come to my bar." Hands everyone a business card for the Kitty Kat Bar.
I couldn't make this up if I tried.
Posted by: Evan | April 28, 2008 11:21 AM
Evan, City Paper music editor Michael Byrne also had a weird run in with that guy.
http://www.citypaper.com/clubs/review.asp?rid=13171
Posted by: Sam Sessa | April 28, 2008 11:38 AM