Hi Sam!

Friday night - saw Tamerlano in DC. Obscure Handel opera. Didn't know the music. Why'd I go? Placido Domingo, that's why. Still has the pipes.

Saturday - bought gear, bought food, bypassed Free Comic Day as there's just enough shame in my comic fandom to keep me from wanting to go to something that involves people dressed as Spiderthings. Got my copies of the beechfields comp.

Saturday night - acoustic gig, Java Mamma's, with friends Ilyaimy. Good acousti-times.

Sunday - tracked for our album that may come out one day. Watched the O's hand over a game to the Angels, had some Consolation Rice, watched some of Cubs/ Cards, sleep.

- Chris
The Honest Mistakes (formerly The Chris & Joylene Show)

Saturday afternoon I hit the Hamilton Arts Crawl in the parking lot of St. Dominic's and taped the sets of Engine, Pat Grant & The Blown Fuses, and Bad Liquor Pond. This was the first time I ever saw a band take a 50 minute break in the middle of their set so as not to disturb 5:30 mass. Music was cool, though not very well attended.

After a quick stop home to walk my dog, it was off to The Depot for Rosemary Krust and Heroin UK. I was too tired to go on, so I left before The Pleasant Livers and Rotten Mind ... played.

Spent the bulk of Sunday either working on the recordings from the previous night or at the dogpark.

Thurs night: Saw/took pics of Jukebox the Ghost in Mt. Vernon Park.

Fri: Lexington Market at noon to hear my friend Jeremy sing jazz standards backed by a quartet. Headed up to the Flower Mart before getting back to work.
Fri night: Marshall Crenshaw outdoor show in Canton, then up to Recher to catch a fabulous performance from Jackie Greene and his band.

Sat: I was the Yard Queen...planting more flowers.
Sat night: photo editing show pics and recovering from my non-stop Fri.

Sun: Planted a tree. Ran errands.

Thursday: Jazz Fest New Orleans
Friday: Jazz Fest New Orleans
(Stevie Wonder!!!!!)
Saturday and Sunday: Jazz Fest
New Orleans.

I met alot of Baltimore transplants. I saw ALOT of great music and ate alot of amazing food at the fairgrounds and in the Quarter. I'm here one extra day by myself and I'm going to have some crawfish and a beer and have fun. See you tomorrow Baltimore!

Friday: Watched my cavs embarrass the wizards to go on to the second round (i'm from ohio...sue me)...then headed out to meet friends at the under-appreciated/over-lighted Mughai Garden (or as we call it, "the garden") for 22 oz. bottles of Taj Mahal Beer, "slow brewed for the connoisseur". Then ended the night at Brewer's Art.

Saturday: Helped a friend move, then headed to philly for a friends going away party.

Sunday: Walked around the neighborhood enjoying the inevitably soon to be over great weather. Headed out to Ambassador Dining room for more indian beer and food. Looks like they finally raised their prices ($21 for Chicken Masala...ouch)

Friday- Ran around like a maniac setting of for Videopolis. Kicked off Videopolis and the Protomen played a killer show!

Saturday-VIDEOPOLIS

Sunday- I went to the Silent Film at the Maryland Film Festival and The Allloy Orchestra played. It was awesome, then more Videopolis. I quickly shut down Videopolis and headed to the Pow-Wow. Great weather, awesome food, and Baby Aspirin played an awesome set as did Plans Plans.

I went by Taps to check for taps. Alas, still no taps. I almost wish I didn't know we were getting wine on tap in my neighborhood. The taunt of the name coupled with the lack of the namesake - it's too much.

Friday was low-key for me b/c I ran in a 5K from Power Plant early Saturday. That got the juices flowing for a great block party near Highlandtown all day. Then hit up Three... near Patterson Park for a light dinnner (good stuff) before getting to Fed Hill, where this great reggae band named "See-I' from DC.

Then rooftop drinking and grilling on an awesome Sunday. Great weekend.

I also was @ Jazz fest in New Orleans w/ a buncha people from B-more. That city is crazy! We went to the Festival on Friday and Saturday and saw Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Buffett, The Roots, Steel Pulse, Art Neville, and a ton of lesser known acts.
At night we went out in the French Quarter and had dinner and partied it up along Bourbon St. The best part about the city is the clash of music, food, and easy going culture!
Sunday I didn't go to the festival, but rather walked along the riverfront and saw the Jackson Sq. area. A lot of people were out and about- just walking the streets.
We did see a lot of the remnants of Katrina, like the X's on the front of houses that were damaged in the storm, but there were a lot of people who told us they had come back. There was also a lot of talk about "re-New Orleans" which is the slogan they have embraced.
I had A LOT lot of Marylanders came up to me 'cause I was wearing an O's hat and Ravens camo shorts- it was surprising how well B-More was represented.
Overall, it was one of the best weekends I have had in a while!

its an espresso martini. made with real espresso!!! apparently, i need to spend more [of your] money on them so you will remember correctly!

Just back from a trip down to South Carolina for a wedding. Charleston is fantastic. Reminds me a lot of Fell's Point.

Interesting note: Charleston has a bar called Mad River. The interesting part is that is a bar converted from an old Church. It has stain glass windows still! Sam, do you know if Mad River is a chain? The one in Federal hill was converted from a bank, so maybe this is a theme?

It is.

Drew, GF is right. Looks like there are five locations nation-wide, Charleston being one of them.

http://www.madrivergrille.com/river-friends.asp

You're right though -- the one here and the one in Charleston seem like they're far from the typical soulless chain setting.

Mad River is a chain. There is no theme about coverting spaces like churches or banks. They simply look for large building which to convert. They tend to be things like banks, churches, former retail establishments etc.

Saturday was all about Free Comic Day. My LCS was giving out 5 per customer (not sure if this is the norm) so I took about 4, and felt guilty so I bought the first two issues of "Superpowers". Sat. also included Towson Fest. and Iron Man

Sunday me and the girlfriend tried making sushi. It did not go so well.

Friday: Nothing. It was wonderful.

Saturday: DJed, Free Comic Book Day, drinks at Sly Fox, caught the tail end of the Kinetic Sculpture Race, watched my old roommate be Penalty Mistress for the Charm City Roller Girls (go, Flux Incapacitor!).

Sunday: Sushi lunch in Annapolis, drinks on my roof-deck, Sin Sundays (biweekly film noir hosted by me for my peeps).