
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
where's a bar that has Brooklyn Brown Ale on tap, besides Rocket to Venus?
Posted by: Allan | November 20, 2008 9:06 AM
Also, I'd like to note that if someone else has suggestions, they can post them. By no means am I the end-all be-all.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | November 20, 2008 9:08 AM
Sam,
where can I find a bar that has affordable drinks and I can just chill with my buds and drink at reasonable prices?
Any takers ;) ?
Posted by: J.M. Giordano | November 20, 2008 10:47 AM
Hey Sam,
Since I've moved to the area, I've been trying to find a somewhat "dive", but safe, bar with talkative older locals willing to tell their stories, yet the younger drinkers come out too and have no issues mingling amongst one another, pool table(s), electronic dart board, touch screen games, juke box, that's never really packed but never really empty, and most importantly, has cheap drinks. Mainly a bar that I can just chill and have a good time, that is not really loud or packed. I'm looking for a bar that reminds me of my favorite bar from my original hometown of Hanover, PA, The Winner's Circle. If such a place exists in the area, it would be even better if in the north side of Baltimore.
Also, are there any sites or any way to get a list together of weekly specials of bars? It would be convenient, say on a Monday, to be able to look at list of bars with Monday specials and what they are to determine where to go for a cheap drink.
Thanks
Posted by: Terry | November 20, 2008 11:23 AM
Where's a bar that has a dance floor where people actually dance that is not somewhere super freaky like the upstairs of Coburns, super expensive like The Red Maple, or in Power Plant Live? (Am I too picky?)
Posted by: ero | November 20, 2008 11:58 AM
Bars with Monday specials?
http://www.baltimorespecials.com/daily/monday
Posted by: baltimorespecials | November 20, 2008 12:36 PM
Terry: In Fells, Blarney Stone & Friends
Federal Hill: Mums
ero: Nobles in Federal Hill. Reasonable, not cheap, prices plus the Friday Happy Hour ($10/all you can drink). Happy hour is over before the dancefloor gets moving, though.
Posted by: Anonymous | November 20, 2008 1:25 PM
Terry, I'd also suggest Ledbetters in Fell's.
Posted by: Allan | November 20, 2008 2:01 PM
I want my Goodlove Bar back. I want Big in Japan playing downstairs on Sunday night and chill downtempo upstairs.
Since I clearly cant have that is there any place left in Baltimore like that? Or do I have to got to D.C.?
Red Maple is ok, but the music has gone the way of top 40. I go to Idle Hour to hear good music. And I am not a fan of Eden's Lounge. Please help an old woman relive her lounge days. I miss them.
Posted by: colleen.baltimore | November 20, 2008 2:09 PM
I would like a complete list of all bars with Shuffle Bowl. The only one left that I know of is Muirs.
Posted by: Ted | November 20, 2008 2:46 PM
Thanks baltimorespecials, that's exactly the kind of resource I was looking for
Thanks goes to Anon and Allan as well, don't think I've been to any of those places, so I'll be sure to check them out...
Ohh yea, is there any place in Baltimore that puts on a good improv show?
Posted by: Terry | November 20, 2008 2:52 PM
Terry, improv music or improv comedy?
Posted by: Sam Sessa | November 20, 2008 3:52 PM
Recently relocated from the BIG city up north and needless to say I'm finding it difficult to find a number of things in Bmore. So here goes (feel free to mention something in DC if you have to).
- A good Brazilian night? Samba, forro, baile funk?
- Decent international dance music? House? Techno? Whatever else they're calling it? This obviously isn't the dancingest town in the world but any help you can give would be appreciated.
- A femme, not butch, femme lesbian night. With good looking women who do their nails, not truck mechanics.
Thanks!
Posted by: A-Pop | November 20, 2008 4:51 PM
Sam,
Improv comedy, I know there a couple stand-up comedy clubs in the area, of which I still need to check out, but I'm particularly looking for Improv nights or if there's even a good Improv troupe in the area
Posted by: Terry | November 20, 2008 5:06 PM
Terry,
A couple of my co-workers are affiliated with B.I.G., the website is below. They put on a pretty good show!
http://www.bigimprov.org/
Posted by: Allan | November 21, 2008 9:22 AM
Allan,
Have you checked your blog recently?
Posted by: GDA | November 21, 2008 11:58 AM
haha, that was indeed amusing. zippy is good stuff, although for some of the strips i feel like i need to go back to school and get my Master's.
Posted by: Allan | November 21, 2008 12:44 PM
I'm looking for a bar that has illegal monkey knife fights in its basement AND lavender-scented soap in its bathrooms. Also, I'd prefer if this place had Sam Adams Oktoberfest on tap year-round (it tastes best in the Spring you know!), but i'm willing to compromise on that.
Help me!
Posted by: BA | November 21, 2008 4:34 PM
Where's a bar that ...
Is having festivities on New Years Eve? So far I've seen info on Big Night Baltimore and the Mother's party ... what else is going on? Power Plant bars will surely have something, and Hard Rock.
Posted by: JD | December 3, 2008 11:43 AM
where is a bar that is going to hos the Midnight Sun Christmas Party with Sam Sessa guest bartending?
I nominate Muir's Tavern!
Posted by: jason | December 3, 2008 2:05 PM