Oh I can't wait for this. Did you at least get your beer fast?

After a long Friday of sipping on beer's, Mother's almost wouldn't let me in that night b/c I apparently fumbled around in my wallet looking for my ID. Thank the lord for the back door... and copius vodka tonics.

Ravens game Saturday night, followed by the Michael Phelphs mania at M&T. For anyone that was there, how cool was the energy in the crowd every time a USA swimmer kicked off the wall?

Then, Funday in Canton Square and Bay Cafe, where this solid reggae band was playing. In fact, they were so sufficient, along with the cold Coronas, that I passed up free tix to see G Love at Pier 6.

Here's to hating Mondays...

Sara Bareilles/Maroon 5/Counting Crows at Nissan Saturday night, Eric Hutchinson/John Butler Trio/G Love at Pier Six Sunday night.

Had an amazing time all around, though some acts were better than others. And covers ran rampant!

The Good:
(Surprisingly, both of these are Beatles covers. I generally hate Beatles covers, but these both really worked for me.)
Sara Bareilles - "Oh Darling"
John Butler/G Love - "Blackbird"

The Bad:
G Love - Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side"
(To be fair, while I don't think it was done particularly well, I really liked it. It's just fun to sing along, so A+ for cover song choice, C- for execution.)

The Ugly:
Maroon 5 - Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game"
Maroon 5 - Neil Young's "Rocking In the Free World"

Sam,

Do you think making a second pass at Palma and Dubai on a Friday or Saturday will show them to be something other than White Elephants or they just are someplace that people just don't go because they targeted the wrong audience?

I went out with some friends to fell's..hit Bertha's, Wharf Rat and Max's lastly to see Phelps win his eighth..Appreciated the beautiful full moon over the harbor..staggered home...Good times.

GDA, I doubt it. Midnight on a Saturday night is about as peak a time as they're going to get to bring in people.

Amy ... to add on to your "The Ugly" section ... the Phelps wannabes who decided to go for a swim in the harbor during the G. Love show.

I listened from Pier 5 (those blinders they added are a pain), and 8-10 people decided to take a dip. Probably will take weeks to get that stench off them, not to mention any growth or rashes they'll have.

Sam,

Mea Culpa!
I skimmed over the article and missed that you said Saturday.

Since I had to break up a month ago with a man who I was madly in love with for the first time in 10 years (sadly I discovered I was just one of many women and he is a serial cheater :-( ... Friday night, I continued my 3 men a week dating marathon in the hopes the I will actually have chemistry with the next one I meet ... yet again, very nice guy and cute too but just no spark.

So on Saturday it was just me and my girls at M&T. We watched the Ravens, be the Ravens, and then we had the pleasure of watching Michael Phelps make history on the jumbotron. It was fun & exciting. I cried. I had flashbacks to those wonderful summer days on the Roland Run Swim Club ... painting my face and eating raw jello at 6 am while preparing / waiting for my first heat. What a great time it was and what an awesome groups of kids were on my team. Who would have thought that out of a tiny little community pool in Lutherville my baby brother and at least a dozen other awesome young swimmers including Olypian Julie Gorman were recruited for the original Mariners (NBAC) team by Coach Stevens.

What a great time it was growing up and having my hair turn wirey and green (although I lost most of the time against the 4 other girls in my age group who ALL made it to the olympic trials and some even to the games!) How cool that a man who really elevated the Baltimore Area summer swimming leagues into training grounds for not just one but a plethora of world class swimmers ... thought that all 3 kids of a father who never even learned to swim had the raw talent to be world class atheletes if we just disciplined ourselves and followed his rules. What a contribution, not just to the sport, but to the lives of so many young people from this town that that literally everyone I know who has ever swam for the man had the potential to be not just good but great and all received offers for either part and full college scholarships. It just made me so proud, and sentimental and it reminded me how much I am a part of this place which is why I have so much love for Baltimore ... I felt so good that I had to go to my beloved Nevins and sing a song of celebration :-) Then we moved onto another favorite dive, Maynards, to continue our Olympic karaoke tour where we all changed out of our Reavens garb into skirts and high heels heading off to Adams Morgan with a conciliatory stop off 295 at Cancun Cantina for a shot of Jack Daniels ;-) After arriving in the District just in time for a drink we blissfully ended a long, happy night talking to a bunch of capitol types about how much better B-more was than DC over jumbo pepperoni slices. Then we sang all of the way home arriving just before 6 am to sleep it off all day Sunday ... All in all a great weekend for me, for my town, for Michael Phelps and for Coach Stevens, a Baltimore Icon who sent so many local kids not just to college but off to compete against the world and ... win :-)

I know I am rambling but I may still have a little alcohol left in my system so please excuse me ... In closing, I just have to comment that Phelps is such a nice kid. Although he broke Spitz's record, what I will always remember him for best ... is the fact that even as a teenager he had such a sense of grace and generosity that he voluntarily gave up his rightfully earned spot on the gold-winning relay team during the Greek games so an older competitor could have, at least, one more chance and possibly his last chance to stand on the podium as a winner. Thats class ... and it representative of what makes Coach Steven's kids products of this town's well deserved monicker ... charm city ... no matter what anyone else says Baltimore will always be charming to me, hon :-)

JD - I suppose that explains the fire truck, coast guard and helicopter search lights goin' on. We were wondering what that was about!

We did not go out at all, and it was magnificent! We spent both nights at friends' homes in The County having dinner and wine, and watching the Olympics.

Feeling Monday like crazy today. Thinking about trying to convince my fiance to head out to dinner instead of eating the chicken thawing in the fridge.

This posting made me feel like I should be participating in "Early Evening Sun." That I'm a registered Wheel Watcher isn't helping that feeling go away.

Worked Fri and Sat nights. Was a bit grouchy on Saturday night. Sorry!!! Didn't get out until 4am both nights. I was a little tired Sunday but still made it to the pool. Sunday night was spent drinking wine and watching John Butler and G-Love from afar. What were those people thinking swimming in the harbor? Nasty. Monday afternoon I attempted to play tennis at the courts in Latrobe Park. So if I'm limping behind the bar tomorrow night...it's cuz I tripped over my own two feet. I'm currently icing my ankle while posting this.

Saterday-looneys..a goodtime as always for the game....sunday-deck party at the angle inn...hot bartenders and girls in the audience,Rob Byer was playng,if havn't seen him you have to...i recomend it they have another one next sunday

Maroon 5 covering "Keep on Rocking in the Free World?" I think I just vomited a little in the back of my mouth.

I did some shopping this weekend with the girlfriend. Also was at Little Havana Friday night with a friend, but didn't run into anyone. It was too packed and loud.

Sam, by the looks of your picture, you sat inside- If that's the case, I may have brought you your Mojito Friday night. I covered a shift for someone and had all the inside tables.That would bring your total to 3 Midnight Sun commentators who you crossed paths with.
As for Saturday night, I would imagine that most people who were out were in Fed Hill after the game. It was packed- actually kind of nice to see a high level of energy return, since it has seemed exceptionally mellow the last 4-6 weeks, even for Balt in July/Aug. I guess people are back from the beach and starting to get into the groove of things again. Also I'm betting Dubai et al. aren't really looking for the post-game, half hammered but jolly purple jersey wearing crowd...

Ready to vomit a little more, Sam? Here, for your viewing pleasure, is a rough idea of the experience. Clearly a different venue, etc, etc, but close enough: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMao6h1RiE8