Jason Zink has settled the lawsuit five former employees brought against him two years ago.

Under the settlement, which was filed Tuesday in federal court, Zink agrees to pay his former employees and their attorney $115,000.18. 

The payment is to be made in several installments of several thousand dollars over the next two years. 

Under the settlement, Zink and the former employees also agree to a confidentiality agreement that bars them from discussing the details of the case. The Daily Record first reported the settlement news.

Continue reading "Don't Know Tavern lawsuit settled for $115K; in shocker, lawyer grabs most of it" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

This week's bar review is on Baltimore Taphouse, a low-key Canton bar with 14 rotating drafts and 25 bottled beers.

After spending some time there, I've become a big fan, and will come back soon.

Here's an excerpt from the review:

Baltimore Taphouse in Canton looks just fine when you walk in. It's a long, narrow hall, with plenty of beer on tap and a pool table at the back.

But the first sign that you might be in better hands than you thought is found above the cash register. There, owner John Bates has propped up a dog-eared copy of Michael Jackson's "Great Beer Guide."

Jackson is the elder statesman among beer and whiskey writers — the Julia Child of beer lovers. His place above the bar suggests that the Taphouse serves one master: beer.

The rest of the review is here.  In Canton, there are lots of other beer bars - Mahaffeys's, Hudson Street Stackhouse - which one is your favorite?

Posted by Erik Maza at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

For the summer, Power Plant Live has started a happy hour for all its bars – which include Luckie’s Tavern, country-western bar PBR Baltimore (at right, as if you didn't know already) and Angels Rock Bar.

Called “Downtown is Happy,” Cordish Companies spokesman Chris Furst brags it’s intended to be “Baltimore’s biggest office happy hour.”

A venue-wide promotion is a first for Power Plant, which is just putting finishing touches on a multi-million dollar renovation that will also bring a Joe Squared Pizza and a Leinenkugel's Beer Hall to the Inner Harbor.

The happy hour, which had a successful try-out at Cordish Companies’ Kansas City Power & Light District last summer, started June 3 and is scheduled to run in Baltimore  every Friday this summer.

“It did very well [in Kansas City],” Furst said. “With a lot of the renovations, we decided to add it here as well.”

Continue reading "Power Plant Live offering $1 Miller Lites at new Friday night happy hour" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

When the first tax hike on alcohol in a generation takes effect Friday, expect some bars to bump the price of beer by at least 25 cents, not the three cents that the lawmakers asked for. 

That's what Annie Linskey reports in today's paper.

"Bar owners, who typically include the sales tax as part of a beverage's advertised price, don't like dealing in pennies, nickels or dimes. Prices, particularly at the local joints, are set in 25-cent increments.

"If you are tending bar, and it is a Saturday night, you can't make change," explained Andrew Burke, the owner of John Steven Ltd., a bar in Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood. "The guy at the bar isn't going to count out 86 cents while three more people are waiting for a drink."

 For some bars, like Slainte in Fells Point, it'll be the first time in three years they'll touch prices, and employees aren't happy.

But some drinkers say a 25-cent surcharge is too small to notice. Thoughts?

Continue reading "Thanks to new alcohol tax, expect a 25-cent bump on beer Friday" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

We've been keeping a close eye on Barfly's Pub since owner Mike Leeds first mentioned it. It's finally open, and reviewed in today's paper.

Here's an excerpt:

"[Rafters] has been remade as a casual neighborhood bar with an ample beer menu and several wine options. Already, it's drawing small crowds, even on the Monday night I went.

Owner Michael Leeds bills it as an "upscale dive bar," but Barfly's still needs some time to develop the personality of a dive and spruce itself up to be "upscale."

This might be a question of time, and since the project is clearly a work of love for Leeds, Barfly's could eventually reach that goal."

The rest of the review is here. 

Continue reading "Barfly's Pub, the new Rafters, is reviewed" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Jason Zink has sold Don't Know Tavern, the South Baltimore bar he's owned for four years, likely the result of the financial burden of a lawsuit he lost in March.

A federal judge ruled then Zink was in violation of federal labor law by participating in the tip pool of his employees at Don't Know and No Idea, Zink's other bar. 

Zink told the Daily Record at the time attorneys' fees on the lawsuit could exceed $100,000. 

Writing on Facebook, Zink said June 26 will be his last shift at the bar. 

"As many of you have already heard, I have sold Don't Know Tavern. I want to personally invite you to my last shift there and to have a drink with me," he said.

Continue reading "Update: Jason Zink sells Don't Know Tavern following lawsuit loss" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Barfly's, the old Rafters, is finally open, a few months after it was originally supposed to debut.

The bar, located in the Fort Avenue-Riverside neighborhood (620 E. Fort Ave), had a soft opening last Friday and will have its grand opening on Friday. 

The bar carries eight drafts, as owner Mike Leeds had promised, 20 bottled beers, and 12 wines. It is also serving food. 

The old Rafters, known for its formstone interior, closed in August. Leeds took it over and started renovating in late December with an eye towards opening in March. 

He said he gutted the old bar and made it more upscale. Some of the formstone interiors have been covered up with raised wood panels. 

Continue reading "Barfly's, the old Rafters, is finally open" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Hampden's The G-Spot, which has hosted a variety of performances and events in its ten years in business and most recently the inaugural Scapescape festival, is likely to close October 1.

Its landlord is seeking to transform 2980 and 2981 Falls Road, the two warehouses where Scapescape took place, into a restaurant-condo complex, says venue promoter Dave Underhill, who was also one of the organizers of the festival.

The venue's landlord, Douglas Carroll, first told venue manager Reuben Kroiz that June 1 would be the G-spot's last day before the space was turned over to developers.

Scapescape was supposed to be their farewell concert. 

Continue reading "Hampden's The G-Spot likely to close October 1" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Red House Tavern, which I reviewed last week, has received its entertainment license from the Baltimore Zoning Board, owner Ron Singer says.

Singer had been waiting for the license, which had already been approved by the liquor board, to start hosting live music and karaoke nights, a tradition at the bar. 

The license was a foregone conclusion, it seems. When I was there, a piano and a microphone already occupied a corner right next to the bar.

The zoning board approved the entertainment license two days ago. Red House also got the greenlight to offer outdoor seating, and the use of the upstairs for catering, pool and dart leagues. 

Singer said the upstairs should open within the next two to three weeks.

A schedule of live performers will be posted by July 1.

Singer didn't say, but a website is hopefully next on the list of additions.

Posted by Erik Maza at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Red Maple will have some competition this Fall. A new lounge is expected to open in Mt. Vernon in September, said its owner.

E-Villa, located at 917 Cathedral St., a block away from Red Maple and City Cafe, will be "a lounge with dancing," said owner Harold Edwards.

He said it's modeled after Washington's Marvin's. 

The two-floor bar, which Edwards said holds around 150 people, will be open five times a week and have nightly DJs, or at least that's the plan so far. 

It will also have a menu that's a combination of Latin and Ethiopian food.

The property, which Edwards said used to be a bar called Gaslight, has been in disrepair since the 80s. "Horrific" is how Edwards described it.

He said he bought it a couple of years ago, and has been slowly renovating it.

Continue reading "New Mt. Vernon Lounge E-Villa to open this Fall" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

It didn't bode well for Red House Tavern when owner Ron Singer described it in a press release as "a Boulder Colorado Ski Lodge."

First of all, that's just uninviting copy.  Secondly, Singer, there aren't ski lodges in Boulder, so the press release didn't just make the bar sound pretentious, it also made it sound imaginary.

But, it turned out that Red House, which re-opened under Singer's management in March after a year closed, is a great bar, and certainly one of the best to have opened so far this year. 

I review it in today's paper. 

Check it out. Try the duck nachos, maybe pour some vinegar on those fries with the caked-on Old Bay.

Singer says the barbecue he hosted a while ago to introduce himself to the neighbors might become a regular thing. Let's see if he sticks to that. 

He's planning on keeping the karaoke nights the bar was known for, pending a final entertainment license approval from the zoning board sometime later this month.

Continue reading "Canton's Red House Tavern is one of 2011's best new bars" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Congrats are due to the Shamrock Inn in Hamilton. In a just released list of the 169 best bars in the country, Esquire magazine has voted it 78th best.

The magazine comes out with the list every year, and this year, it focused on bars that are two years old or younger, the authors write in an introduction. 

Shamrock has been around for at least that long if not longer. A couple of years ago, Esquire's readers voted it, with Brewer's Art, to the same list.

At the time, John Waters praised it in an accompanying blurb.

In Esquire's most recent, traffic-baiting reader poll, Brewer's is still in the No. 2 spot.

The magazine's official cut did not include any other Maryland bars. But, there are a few regional bars that were included: Dead Presidents Pub & Eatery in Wilmington (#39), The Tune Inn in Washington (#40) and Helen Back Cafe (#41).

Posted by Erik Maza at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Bar stories, Bars & Clubs
        

The Hexagon Space, the Station North gallery and music space, will close in July after losing its lease.

The announcement was made on the venue's website. 

"Baltimore has supported us through thick & thin, and we thank every band, artist, volunteer, and audience member who has helped us survive to this point," the statement said.

Only four events were scheduled past July 1, including a volunteer meeting.

We'd gotten a tip about the possible closing earlier this week, but a request for comment from manager Stephanie Refo was not returned. 

The Hexagon Space, which is run by a collective of volunteers, had been at 1825 N. Street, for nearly three years, taking over from the Lo-Fi Club, which closed in July 2008. 

In that time, it hosted art exhibits as well as musicians, most recently, the rapper Height in April. 

After ASCAP threatened the venue with a $3,000 fine for improper use of copyrighted songs, volunteers took it non-profit last year and stopped paying ASCAP fees, becoming one of the only music venues in the country to do so. 

Until its July 1 closing date, volunteers will continue booking shows. 

Continue reading "The Hexagon Space loses its lease, to close in July" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

The Black-Eyed Susan has been the official cocktail of the Preakness Stakes since time immemorial. At least since the 1950s, estimates Pimlico Race Track historian Joe Kelly.

The cocktail has been re-invented over the years, but not enough to satisfy people's complaints. Back in 1985, reporter Rob Kasper ran a contest to replace it with a new cocktail. 

It's time to give a coup another try. It's not like there isn't precedent. The White Carnation had been the official cocktail of the Belmont Stakes for years, until master mixologist Dale DeGroff suggested a change to his version of whiskey punch, which he called the Belmont Breeze. It’s now been the race’s drink of choice for 13 years.

In a long-shot appeal to the Maryland Jockey Club to replace a cocktail that’s ran one too many laps, we asked five of Baltimore’s best mixologists and bartenders to come up with a new official Preakness drink.

The recipes by B&O American Brasserie's Brendan Dorr, Bad Decisions' John Reusing (at right), Vino Rosina's Tiffany Haleamau, Idle Hour's Randal Etheridge (an excellent chartreuse-and-Pikesville rye cocktail he dubbed "Pikesville Palomino), and Holy Frijoles' Aylen Beazley-Maquehue can be found here.

After the story went to press, I got another recipe from Blackwater Distilling, the new Maryland distillery responsible for Sloop Betty Vodka.

Continue reading "New Preakness cocktail recipes from B&O American Brasserie, Idle Hour, Sloop Betty, and others" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Club One has closed, management has confirmed.

It's not clear if the shutdown is due to the club's violent history or tax problems. 

Billed as "an upscale nightclub with four levels: Earth, Water, Fire, Air," the downtown club  was most known for a 2009 double shooting. 

Club One's managers had been leaving hints of the imminent closing on Facebook for a couple of weeks. 

 On Monday, someone responsible for the club's email account confirmed the news, but did not give any reasons, or even his or her name.

The email simply said: "Yes, Club One property has been sold. Thank you!" So polite!

Club One, located at 300 E. Sarasota, had a violent history. In 2009, a 29-year-old man opened fire on a crowd outside the club, injuring two women. The club had been over capacity that night. 

Continue reading "Club One has closed; club was site of 2009 double shooting" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Sonar has regained its liquor license. That's it at right. Club management posted it on Facebook Monday, lest there be any doubt about its validity.

The new license allowed the club to start selling alcohol immediately. Michael Stewart, who had been involved with Sonar since its Canton beginnings, is the new licensee, taking over from founder Lonnie Fisher. 

The renewal fulfills at least one of Dan McIntosh's promises. The club's acting general manager said last week the license would be renewed by Monday. 

It also closes a fevered chapter in the club's history that began with an announced shutdown in early May, alarm over sold tickets, a re-opening, and then uncertainty about upcoming shows. 

Sonar's liquor license expired on May 1 because of a business dispute between Fisher, the license holder until now, and the club's owners.

There are still disagreements between Fisher and the club's current management, which includes McIntosh. Fisher has said the club has a tax liability, while McIntosh insists taxes have been paid off. 

"We had an attorney look at the process and found a way to get the license to the new holder and allow Sonar to return to business as usual, which benefited all parties," Fisher said Monday night.

Continue reading "Sonar regains liquor license; books Yob for July show" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Bars & Clubs, News
        

Redwood Trust, the historic downtown building that housed mega-club Palma and now Dubai/Velvet Rope, failed to sell at auction last week.

The building at 200 E. Redwood St., which had a starting bid of $1.2 million, received 11 registered prospects, according to Leo McDermott, who was handling the sale.

But, the offers were not acceptable to owner Nicholas Piscatelli.

Piscatelli has now extended the online auction by 30 days and slashed the starting bid to $800,000.

It's a dramatic retreat for the developer, who spent $2.5 million to renovate the building in 2000 and has been trying to get rid of it since 2004, when it was listed at $3 million.

Continue reading "Redwood Trust fails to sell at auction; downgraded to $800K" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Bars & Clubs, News
        

Joe Squared and Leinenkugel's Beer Hall will join Power Plant Live by this summer.

The two are the latest additions to the complex's $10 million upgrade, its first in a decade, that was announced in December. For the Station North pizza joint, it will be its second location in the city.

The news was expected to be confirmed this morning at a press conference celebrating the upgrade that was to be attended by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Downtown Partnership president Kirby Fowler and developer David Cordish.

As part of the upgrade, Power Plant Live has also added a permanent outdoor stage; a new valet entrance; and some new tenants - The Comedy Factory, Tatu Asian Grill, and PBR Baltimore, a country-western bar/club.

Cordish Cos. is also close to signing a deal with a restaurant to take over the space Babalu vacated a year ago, said company vice president Reed Cordish, who declined to give the name of the restaurant.  

The upgrade was a necessary renovation for a valued property for the company, Cordish said.

"We wanted to re-invent at a time of strength, not when it was faltering," he said. 

Power Plant Live now draws an average of 3 million visitors a year, according to Cordish Cos., and the company expects an increase in attendance as a result of the upgrade, though he declined to give benchmarks.

But, by adding more restaurants and bars, the company doesn't want to just increase overall attendance, but also how long visitors stay at the complex, Cordish said.

"We want to create an environment that is appealing from 9 to 5," he said. 

Renovations at Power Plant have been on going for months, and won't be entirely completed until this summer. About 100 workers were hired for the project, Cordish said. 

Joe Squared, the Station North pizza joint, will take over the space now occupied by Two Boots, which is near the end of its lease.

The beer hall will be erected in a brand new glass-and-steel pavilion covering 3,500 square feet that is to be located near the entrance fountain, right across from the Port Discovery Museum.

Continue reading "Joe Squared, Leinenkugel's Beer Hall to join Power Plant Live" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Bars & Clubs, News
        

Canton Arts and Entertainment will get an Irish pub this summer, said Marc McFaul, who is looking to start managing the sprawling complex on Boston Street.

The new bar also means the nightlife entertainment complex, which has been mostly closed for renovations since March 2010, will be again open to the public some time in the future. 

The pub, to be called Finnegan's Wake, has a tentative opening date of June 16, the same day as Bloomsday. 

McFaul, who runs Stalking Horse, Delia Foley's and Ropewalk Tavern with his family, said he wants to split Canton Arts and Entertainment into two spaces. 

One will have the Irish pub, and the other will be a Southwest BBQ restaurant.

Update: McFaul sent in an update; the BBQ restaurant will be called the Dark Horse Saloon. 

Continue reading "Irish pub to open at Canton Arts and Entertainment " »

Posted by Erik Maza at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Sonar has re-opened, acting general manager Dan McIntosh said.

The announcement first appeared on the club's Facebook page late on Friday, as abruptly as the news that the club had shut down in the first place. 

"I think Sonar will be able to open within 2 weeks and many if not of the all of shows scheduled from that point on should be able to occur as originally planned. Its definitely a fight but we are still in it!" the update read.

By Saturday, the announcement was definitive: "Sonar has been reopened! We are working hard at getting our liquor license back in place, this should be resolved very quickly!"

The re-opening means that the Maryland Deathfest and Deftones, along with a handful of shows that would have been stranded by the shutdown, won't have to relocate.

Saturday's Steve Ignorant show, which was announced as a cancellation, went on as planned. 

McIntosh said the club is trying to recover its liquor license, and should have it within a week.

Continue reading "Sonar re-opens, for the time being; Maryland Deathfest, Deftones to go on as planned" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

No, in short.

The Baltimore Business Journal's Scott Dance reported the number on a story published Thursday about Sonar's shutdown.

"Comptroller Peter Franchot’s office is holding 274 [liquor licenses] in Baltimore in suspension because of unpaid tax bills, according to a Franchot spokeswoman," Dance reported.

But that number comes from a list, compiled by the Comptroller of Maryland, that is out of date and riddled with inaccuracies.

Midnight Sun received the list Monday, but chose not to publish it at the request of the liquor board, which said it had not been cross-checked with its own more up-to-date records.

In fact, as of Monday, there are only about 50 bars and restaurants that the board has flagged for in-person reviews before their licenses are renewed, including some whose managers have said in interviews they have already received their 2011 licenses.

Every year, before liquor licenses are due for renewal on May 1, the Comptroller of Maryland sends the Baltimore Liquor Board a list of bars and restaurants that may not have paid the previous year's state sales taxes. The point is to hold up the license renewal until the bars settle their debt with the Comptroller. 

This year's list, which actually included 276 bars and restaurants, named Henninger's Tavern, Corks in Federal Hill, Donna's in Mt. Vernon and Clutch in Canton, among others.

But liquor board chairman Stephan Fogleman said that while some of the establishments on the Comptroller's list may in fact be late with their taxes, it is typically inaccurate because it is not cross-referenced with the board's records. Liquor inspectors only use it as a starting guide for face-to-face reviews.

By the time the liquor board decides whether or not to renew a license, many of the business have paid their taxes already, or at least established a payment plan with the state.

Continue reading "Are 274 liquor licenses suspended because of overdue taxes?" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Sonar has shut don, effective immediately, said acting general manager Daniel McIntosh.

The end of the club, a fixture downtown for over a decade, is the result of a business dispute between McIntosh, his partners and Sonar founder Lonnie Fisher. 

A show by Talib Kweli, which was scheduled for Wednesday night, has been cancelled. The fate of all upcoming shows is unclear, McIntosh said. The club's booking agents are trying to reschedule the appearances, which included, among others, Odd Future.

Update: The Talib Kweli show scheduled for Wednesday night has been moved to Bourbon Street, the rapper tweeted. Pre-purchased tickets will be honored.  

McIntosh did not know if tickets that have already been purchased for future shows will be refunded, nor if the club's owners and investors will resolve their differences.

"With a shutdown, it's kind of hard to know what's going to happen at all," McIntosh said. "We have no idea what's going to happen."

The club's liquor license expired on May 1, according to the Baltimore Liquor Board. The application for a renewal should have been filed by April 1, or by late deadline April 30.

News of the club's shutdown first appeared on Facebook, where a status update posted late afternoon read, "We here at Sonar regret to inform you that we are no longer able to operate as a venue."

The update went on to suggest that Fisher, who is now the executive director of the Baltimore Grand Prix, refused to renew the liquor license this year, and as a result effectively shut down the club. 

Continue reading "Update: Sonar closes; status of upcoming shows is unclear" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Redwood Trust, the downtown building that once housed Palma and is now the home of Dubai, the former Velvet Rope, is up for auction again.

The starting bid is $1.2 million, a steep decline from the $3 million owner/developer Nicholas Piscatelli asked for in 2004.

It is expected Dubai won't be affected.

The deadline to submit bids for 200 E. Redwood is Thursday 5 p.m. Bids are submitted online at the property listing on Freedom Realty Exchange. 

The building at 200 E. Redwood has had many names and owners over the last 100 years. Midnight Sun posted a brief history around the time Dubai was reviewed. 

Piscatelli bought the historic building in 2000 and spent $2.5 million to renovate it.

Continue reading "Dubai's home, Redwood Trust, up for auction again; price reduced by $2 million" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bars & Clubs, News
        

A fan of No Way Jose Cafe has called on some 500 fans of the Federal Hill bar/restaurant to boycott neighboring Ryleigh's Oyster starting tonight.

In a Facebook event he created, Freddie Lang alleges Ryleigh's bought No Way Jose's building, blind-siding the Mexican restaurant' owners, who had been trying to buy the building for themselves. If Ryleigh's has purchased the building, Lang writes, it would push out No Way Jose Cafe.

The building at 38 E. Cross Street is owned by Killian's LLC, according to Maryland property records. Representatives for the company were not available for comment. Neither was management at Jose Cafe or at Ryleigh's, which is run by Brian McComas. 

One rationale for expanding Ryleigh's is to keep up with other bars in the neighborhood that have expanded in recent years, like Mother's, MaGerk's, and the Stalking Horse, which recently added a two-story addition called 30 East.

Curiously, the liquor license of Stalking Horse and Ryleigh's was protested by the Federal Hill Neighborhood Association, but as Sam Sessa reported earlier this week, the petition against Ryleigh's was eventually dropped. On Thursday, Stalking Horse's license was renewed by the liquor board.

 Lang, who identifies himself as a close friend of Jose's owner, finishes his note - found here - by asking fans of Jose to boycott all of McComas' establishments, which used to include Billabong Bar, but are now down to Ryleigh's and Taverna Corvino.

There are 500 attending the boycott so far, and more than 3,000 awaiting reply. 

Monday Update: Facebook event taken down. 

Continue reading "No Way Jose Cafe calls for Ryleigh's Oyster boycott" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 4:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (28)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

A couple of weeks ago I posted the beer menu at Oriole Park on the blog, but not the beer's price, which I hadn't received from the concessionaire.

Well, here it is:

Domestic Draft (20 oz) 7.50 (PBR, Coors, et al)
Premium Draft (16 oz) 8.00 (Heavy Seas, Fordham, et al)
Small Domestic Draft Beer (16 oz) 6.50
Domestic Can Beer (16 oz) 7.50
Premium Can Beer (16 oz) 8.00
Domestic Can Beer (24 oz) 10.00
Domestic Bottle Beer (12 oz) 5.75
Premium Bottle Beer (12 oz) 7.00

I was at the ballpark last week for a column about its beer,  and found the selection to be varied, but still expensive, sometimes gallingly expensive. A glass of Natty Boh is $7.50, for instance. 

The Orioles won Tuesday night, but when I was there the team trailed the Twins by three runs and eventually lost the game. As Peter Schmuck writes today, it doesn't look entirely promising that they'll stray from that recent streak in the near future.

While expensive concessions are a trope of modern stadium sports, they become harder to accept when your team is faltering. The question then becomes, can Oriole Park justify six bucks for a can of Bud? Should a ballpark's prices compliment its stats?

Fat chance of that happening.

The Wall Street Journal asked that question a couple of years ago, positing that if that were the case the Washington Nationals would be giving away their food and beer.

You can at least rest assured that Oriole Park is not gouging fans with these prices.  

Continue reading "So you went to the Orioles and paid $8 for a beer" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Red House Tavern in Canton, closed since 2009, has re-opened as a bar resembling "a Boulder Colorado Ski Lodge," according to the bar's recent press release.

Ron Singer, who bought the bar last July, said the Canton bar re-opened earlier this month. 

The Red House Tavern was owned by John Harris and his family for four years starting in 2005.

But, business was so slow in 2009 that the family first organized a fund-raiser for the bar, and later closed it. 

Last year, Singer bought Red House for $325,000, according to property records, with plans to renovate it and turn it into a casual corner bar with regular acoustic music and dart leagues. 

Renovations at the bar started in July 2010. Singer, who also manages Leon's and Triple L in Mt. Vernon, said he added tin ceilings, a book exchange library, and restored a fire place and a Victorian-style bar.

On April 1, the bar was "reborn as a boutique restaurant and bar with a decor and ambience (sic) resembling a 'Boulder Colorado Ski Lodge,'" according to the press release. On Saturday and Sunday, the bar will have a free BBQ meet-and-greet from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. to introduce itself to the neighborhood. Attendees also get one free Natty Boh.  

Continue reading "Red House Tavern re-opens in Canton" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

If anyone could will the sun into coming out after a week of crummy weather, it would be William Donald Schaefer.

The former mayor, governor and comptroller's last tour of Baltimore was a warm, cloudless Monday that saw hundreds come out to say their goodbyes to a towering figure they all knew for his tenacity and for his love of the city.

At Fells Point, where I was covering the motorcade, Donald Graham remembered Schaefer as a no-nonsense governor who got things done. 

"I've been in the construction business my whole life and things never move quickly," the 69-year-old, who lives in Fells, said. "But he cut through the red tape and the bureaucracy and pushed projects through."

When longtime Schaefer aide Lainy LeBow-Sachs emerged from the motorcade, the crowd waiting outside Jimmy's restaurant, where Schaefer was a regular, greeted her to cheers of hip-hip hooray and "For he's a jolly good mayor." LeBow-Sachs chatted with the crowds for several minutes, hugged Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, and accepted two potted African violets, Schaefer's favorite from Nick Filipidis, co-owner of Jimmy's.

Sun reporters where covering the motorcade's progress through the city; their dispatches, mine included, are collected here.

Events commemorating Schaefer continue today. Phillips Harborplace will host a happy hour organized by WNST starting at 5 p.m. and until sunset. City offices are also closed for a mandatory furlough in Schaefer's honor. His public funeral will be held Wednesday at the Old St. Paul Church.

Continue reading "Phillips Harborplace to toast William Donald Schaefer tonight" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Readers, where are the best jazz and blues bars in Baltimore? Jana, a reader, wants to know.

She writes:

I'm hoping you'll take the time to recommend your favorite blues/jazz venues in Baltimore.  I live in DC and know all the places here, but am at a total loss up there - would love to have a place to take my husband for his birthday.

 There are several established choices for Jana. There's Club 347, right near the newsroom, which opened in 2005 and hosts regular jam sessions Monday and Tuesday nights.

Established jazz musicians also perform at An Die Musik on a regular basis. Honey Ear Trio, which mix rock, jazz and soul, will release their new CD there on Saturday.

Where else should Jana go?

Posted by Erik Maza at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

The Baltimore Comedy Factory has now been open in Baltimore for 25 years.

In that time it's survived management changes, several presidents, a couple recessions, and lots of competition. 

Now at Rams Head Live, it's bought the real estate to match its seniority, and becomes, through sheer size, the largest comedy club in the city.

A story in Sunday's paper looked at its history, and Baltimore's shifting comedy scene.

Even if were its old size, the Comedy Factory would be the only standing comedy club within city limits.

There are still places in the city that showcase stand-up, but comedy-only clubs are a thing of the past. Some of the remaining options are below.

While changing audience habits and trends in the business have weeded out city comedy clubs, when comic Marc Unger started, he recalled Baltimore had "a booming comedy scene." Here's a short history:

Continue reading "Where are all the comedy clubs in Baltimore?" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Tributes to William Donald Schaefer started Monday night at Harborplace and Camden Yards.

They were modest and personal, reporters Jean Marbella and Julie Scharper write. Tokens of appreciation for the way he championed the city for so long. The former mayor, governor and comptroller died Monday at 89.

No doubt, those tributes continued with toasts in his honor at bars all over the city, and will likely continue tonight.

But if you wanted to pay your respects at a bar Schaefer patronized himself, there aren't many options anymore. Not that there were many to begin with.

Schaefer was not a big drinker, recalled Liquor Board chairman Stephan Fogleman. 

Retired Baltimore Circuit Judge Thomas Ward tells Laura Vozzella Schaefer was a loner, despite his flamboyance.

"On trips together, I never saw him gamble, drink, carry on or misbehave. He was essentially lonely. For all his publicity stunts, it's hard to believe he was essentially a shy guy," Ward said.

Continue reading "A toast to William Donald Schaefer at Mama's on the Half Shell" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

At around 4:30 today at City Hall, a handful of cranky, loud critics and supporters of the Tiki Barge will speak before the Baltimore Liquor Board to discuss the floating barge's future.

It was so long ago that they crammed #215 at City Hall to argue for four mind-numbing hours, that it's hard to remember what exactly they were arguing about that March 3.

Before I checked in with the petition that some of the barge's neighbors filed with the board, all I remembered was the phrase "public urination" being uttered every ten minutes.

So, because I hadn't posted it before, below are the ten most egregious complaints from the Tiki Barge liquor board petition. 

At the last hearing, the liquor board ordered critics and supporters to come to an agreement about the bar's future. If they haven't by today, the liquor board will make a decision about renewing the bar's liquor license. The hearing today is not expected to be as contested as the last, which could easily be qualified a clusterflux.

The Tiki Barge has not been fazed by the criticism. It has already planned on re-opening Friday.

Continue reading "Ten greatest hits from the anti- Tiki Barge complaint petition" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Fells Point's The Whistling Oyster has closed temporarily.

Judie Butler, a part owner of the bar, is being evicted by her landlord, Amanda Sanchez, because she's behind on rent. 

Sanchez said the bar will re-open in the future, but doesn't know when. 

Butler, who started leasing the bar with her then boyfriend Pat Butler a year ago, said the bar officially closed last Tuesday. 

She posted the sign at right on the bar's window announcing the news. 

"I'm sorry but we are closed due to evil forces beyond my control. Thank you so much for your support and patronage," it reads. 

The 'evil forces' are not a reference to the bar's reputation for being haunted, Butler said. But to her landlord and her relationship with her ex-boyfriend.

She and Pat separated a month ago and she's been running the bar by herself since.

She acknowledged she's been behind on rent for three months.

"It's such a shame. I love this place so much," she said. "I really felt it was getting back to the way it hasn't been in years."

She said her ex-boyfriend might re-open it in a month. 

Sanchez, however, said that's not the case and she hasn't had any conversations with Pat Butler. She's not looking to lease the bar again because she says she's had bad luck with tenants. She confirmed Butler owes February, March and April's rent. 

Sanchez is now looking for managers to run the bar. She doesn't know when it'll re-open, but when it does, it'll have a larger menu and better service, she promised. 

Continue reading "The Whistling Oyster closes temporarily; owner is evicted over late rent" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Don't wanna pay $7.50 for a Natty Boh at Oriole Park? Well, there's a lot of other overpriced beer to choose from.

Delaware North Companies Sportservice just sent me the beer menu for the ballpark this season.

It includes six regional brews - from Fordham, Heavy Seas, Flying Dog, Dogfish, Evolution, and the Raven.

And 13 domestics, 6 imported beers for sale and one that's gluten-free, Redbridge. 

The menu I got doesn't say what's on draft or what's by the bottle, and is also missing prices. No doubt it'll be as overpriced as the Natty Boh.

Will update when I have those details.

The full list is below:

Continue reading "The definitive Oriole Park 2011 beer menu: Heavy Seas, Flying Dog, even gluten-free beer" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Bond Street Social, the bar that has taken over DuClaw Brewing Company's former home in Fells Point, is expected to open in September, owner Mike Mastellone said.

The new bar will be similar to Ladder 15, the Philadelphia bar that he and some of his partners have run for several years.

"It's the same concept, but with a different name," Mastellone said. 

Mastellone, and John Durkin, who also runs Mad River Bar & Grille, had been pursuing the 901 S. Bond Street bar since last year. In December, they filed an application with the Baltimore liquor board.

The license was transferred in February, and the partners signed a lease on the property this Monday. Mastellone declined to talk about costs.

Mad River notwithstanding, Durkin has said they wanted the space because there was a void in the Baltimore market for a bar that was both upscale and casual. Mastellone echoed his sentiments, saying they were pursuing the "after-work corporate clientele." 

"We're filling a void in the Baltimore market," he said. "There are lots of places for young professionals to go, but once you go above 25 into your 30s and early 40s, there's no good casual bar or restaurant concept."

He continued, "Harbor East has a lot of white tablecloth places. Fell's Point is too casual. We want to mesh what we saw on both sides."

Continue reading "Bond Street Social to open in September" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Power Plant Live's new country-western bar/club, PBR Baltimore, is reviewed in today's paper.

If you'll remember, PBR is billed as the place where "cowboy cool meets urban chic."

But, upon inspection, PBR has as much cowboy cool as a bucket of KFC has real chicken. 

It's not so much a country-western bar, as a mall-ified version of it. What Hot Topic is to punk, PBR is to country music.

The club's modest stabs at authenticity were seen on the walls - where they framed Jeff Foxworthy-isms - and on the waitstaff.

From the review: 

 The female bartenders' outfits were of the sexy Halloween variety. They wore Daisy Dukes and plaid shirts tied at the chest. There was another waitress, wearing leather chaps and red lycra gym shorts, who walked around with shots on a tray.

The hardest-working member of the staff is the mechanical bull, which must give more rides to incoherent drunks in one night than a Charlie Sheen goddess. The line to ride it went around the padded, plush red square where it's stationed.

On the club's music, there's this to say, which didn't make it for space reasons to the final edition: Of the few country songs I heard in the hours I was there - Jason Aldean's "Hicktown;" Dierks Bentley's great "Sideways" - none were by female vocalists. Here was a club with plenty of female customers, and a Carrie Underwood girl-power anthem couldn't even make an appearance? It was a missed opportunity.

The songs that did get played - Enrique Iglesias, the Black Eyed Peas, "Like a G6" - could have been listed from Jean-Ralphio's playlist on "Parks and Recreation."

The rest of the review is here. 

Your thoughts?

Continue reading "Review: Power Plant Live's country-western PBR Baltimore" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

The Wharf Rat in Fell's Point is organizing an absinthe night tonight revolving around Lucid Absinthe, a brand that bills itself as the first genuine wormwood absinthe available in the United States.

Though absinthe was banned in the country for decades, it's been widely available since 2007, so that absinthe happy hours and promotional events are commonplace. The Kitty Kat Bar used to serve it. And the Wharf Rat itself hosts absinthe nights the first Thursday of the month.

But besides there, where is it available in Baltimore? And why was it banned for so many years?

Absinthe aficionado Cliff Long, who's hosting the event tonight, answered those and some other questions.

What does it taste like then? Properly mixed, absinthe should have a very pleasant, slightly sweet, herbal flavor.  If a more encompassing physical image would help, many people compare it to what you might smell or feel lying about in a spring meadow.

Continue reading "Absinthe aficionado Cliff Long answers all your dumb questions about the notorious spirit" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Four men were stabbed early Saturday morning at Bourbon Street Live, and one of them, a 24-year-old, died from his injuries, police said. The others have been transported to area hospitals and are expected to survive.

The club will be open tonight, said a spokeswoman for one of the events on the club's schedule. 

The stabbings took place in the ballroom side of the Bourbon Street complex, which was offering all-you-can-drink specials for women. 

The Sun's Jill Rosen reports:

David Adams, one of the club's managers, said Saturday morning that the violence erupted in the ballroom where ladies night was happening. He declined to elaborate on what happened, but said the bar was immediately discontinuing the popular promotion.

Earlier that night, the club also hosted a "Zombie Strippers and Beer" event, which promised a "killer night." The promo video is here. David Adams, a manager at the club, said the "Ladies Night" event will be discontinued immediately.

There are two events scheduled for Saturday night, a demo release party for the band Echoes in the ballroom and a 4th anniversary party for the adult store Sugar in the Quarter.

Continue reading "Update: Quadruple stabbing at Bourbon Street Saturday morning; club to stay open Saturday night" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)
Categories: Bars & Clubs, News
        

It's opening day!

The first couple of games started about a half hour ago - I can see the Yankees v. the Tigers on the sports desk's TV from where I'm sitting. 

While the Orioles won't play their first game until Friday, today bars all over the city will have their own TVs set to ESPN.

The network is broadcasting three out of the six games taking place today.

For those ditching work to go watch, where are the best bar specials?

And, which bars will have the best specials during the Orioles' home opener on Monday?

So far the only special that's been brought to my attention is Elliott Pour House's $70 opening day bus trip.

Make your suggestions below: 

Photo: Showalter last year before his first game as manager (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)

Posted by Erik Maza at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Contributor Jeremy Trucker reviews recent addition to Locust Point, Barracuda's.

I haven't spent a lot of time in South Baltimore's Locust Point neighborhood, but I would go back for a dinner or drinks at Barracuda's, one of the neighborhood's newest haunts.

The evening at Barracuda's wasn't without its minor setbacks, but overall, the casual restaurant/bar seems to have a winning formula. To begin, free street parking on Fort Ave was plentiful on a Friday night, which is a major plus.

(Ed. For my most recent Locust Point bar crawl, where I also visited Barracuda's, click here)

On this particular night, the bar was full though not packed and the crowd was both racially and age-diverse, hosting men and women from their 20s into their 60s and white, black, and Latino customers. This is an occurrence rarer than it should be in Baltimore.

Call drinks were $4.50 a shot and well poured by the friendly if overworked bartender/server. Apparently, the place was short-staffed on Friday, which led a neighboring table to complain.

But the same server didn't seem frazzled as she hurried around the rest of the table and bar area on the first floor. Additional seating is available upstairs, but going out of sight seemed a bad idea on a busy, understaffed night.

Continue reading "Review: Barracuda's Locust Point Tavern" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Woodberry Kitchen, Kooper's Tavern are some of the first local restaurants selling Sloop Betty, features writer Jill Rosen reports.

Maryland's first distillery in nearly 40 years has begun to bottle its flagship spirit.

Blackwater Distilling, the company of Eastern Shore natives Christopher and Jonathan Cook, reports that its Sloop Betty vodka is available in the area.

Though widespread distribution is set to start on Friday, the premium wheat vodka can now be found at some Baltimore-area restaurants and retailers.

For instance, they're pouring it at Woodberry Kitchen and Kooper's Tavern.

It's retailing for about $32. It will be available throughout Maryland, DC and Delaware.

Continue reading "Blackwater Distilling's Sloop Betty Vodka hitting stores, restaurants Friday" »

Posted by Sam Sessa at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Bars & Clubs, News
        

The Baltimore Comedy Factory will officially re-open in April at its new location in Power Plant Live, management said Wednesday.

The club, which has had many different owners but held the same name for over the 30 years, moved from its location above Burke's downtown in January, when the restaurant closed.

Owner Matt Weber said he signed a long-term lease with Power Plant Live in February, and has been quietly renovating the space since. 

He'll join an $11-million upgrade the whole complex is undergoing, its first in over a decade. 

I toured the site yesterday. Weber has added a bar to place, and renovated the lobby with a new, nautically-inspired decor. The theater will still hold some 250 guests.

The club has been in a soft opening since the beginning of the month, and anticipates having a grand opening in April, most likely with a performance by comic Bill Bellamy.

Weber said cover will stay at $17. 

The club is expected to be open Thursdays through Saturdays, and sometimes Sunday.

Its home at 6 Market Place has hosted several comedy clubs over the years, starting with Slapstix almost a decade ago, and later the Baltimore Improv and Rascals.

The space has been vacant now for at least four years. 

Photo: via

Posted by Erik Maza at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Liam Flynn, who used to run the Pint-Size Pub, adding a medallion logo to his new, self-titled place on Station North, which I wrote about back in October.  Like several other local bar owners, Flynn is using architectural salvage to renovate and decorate the old building. Under wraps since at least last Spring, it looks like Flynn's Ale House is finally coming together.

To see your nightlife and music photos on Midnight Sun, join our flickr pool or e-mail me directly. Photo: Flynn in front of his bar (Jessica M. Beil, via)

Posted by Erik Maza at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Bars & Clubs, Last Night's Photo
        

Tipsy? Taxi! did a better job on St. Patrick's Day than on New Year's Eve, a spokeswoman for sponsor AAA Mid-Atlantic said.

The service, which offers free cab rides to residents too drunk to drive on certain holidays, had been barraged by complaints over dropped calls and shoddy service in December.

But this time, 190 cabs were dispatched to service Tipsy calls, a 10 percent increase over last St. Patrick's Day, according to AAA spokeswoman Christine Delise.

While AAA qualifies the number as a success, the number is relatively small in context, and begs the question, why aren't more people using a free cab service when they're drunk?

The service, sponsored by AAA, Yellow Cab, and the State Highway Administration, is now in its third year.

 In December, it stumbled badly. Operator Yellow Cab dropped 18 percent of calls on New Year's Eve, and the waiting time for one of its cabs was 45 minutes in some instances. As a result, only 92 rides were given, and consumers responded with intense criticism.

After the complaints caught the attention of the SHA, Yellow Cab pledged to improve service going forward, and this year, they added an additional operator dedicated to Tipsy calls.

Continue reading "Tipsy? Taxi! improves service on St. Patrick's Day, except between 1 and 2 a.m. " »

Posted by Erik Maza at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Bars & Clubs, News
        

Surely that's the first question to ask about the return of the free cab rides on St. Patrick's Day.

AAA Mid-Atlantic and Yellow Cab sponsor the rides on drinking high holidays to stem drunk driving.

But on New Year's Eve, the service received so many complaints that representatives of the State Highway Administration, a sponsor of the program, said they would have to re-examine how Tipsy? Taxi! is run.

In December, Yellow Cab missed about 18 percent of all Tipsy calls. And the waiting time for one of the cabs was as long as 45 minutes. As a result, there were only 92 rides on a free cab service that picks you up in front of a bar and drops you off in front of your house.

On Tuesday, AAA Mid-Atlantic announced an improved service would return for St. Patrick's Day. 

"Following the discussion on your blog regarding Tipsy? Taxi!, we wanted to reach to you directly as we gear up for St. Patrick's Day," AAA spokeswoman Christine Delise wrote Midnight Sun in an e-mail. "We've been working with our partners, [the State Highway Administration] and Yellow Cab, to discuss program enhancements, and in the short-term (sic) have added more staffing at the dispatch center to reduce call hold times."

The enhancements?

"Yellow Cab will be increasing their dedicated Tipsy? Taxi! phone operators from two to three," Delise wrote.

Continue reading "Tipsy? Taxi! returns for St. Patrick's Day; How many calls will it drop this time?" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Bars & Clubs, News
        

In response to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that have devastated Japan, a couple of Baltimore bars are raising money to help with relief efforts.

Pratt Street Ale House will give the American Red Cross $1 for every pint of Strongman Pale Ale it sells. The beer was hopped entirely with Japanese Sorachi Ace.  Co-owner Justin Dvorkin said the bar has about 15 kegs of the beer, a batch that should last until the end of the month.

At Slainte Irish Pub, $1 of every pint of Guinness sold on St. Patrick's Day will go to the Red Cross as well.

Money raised by the Red Cross - $10 million so far, the organization said today - will go towards helping victims of the natural disasters, as well as to the hundreds of thousands who have been evacuated as a result of what may be the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl. 

Also, several charities, including the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and the International Medical Corps, are taking donations directly at their respective websites. (via BiB and D@L)

Update: U Street Music Hall in DC also said Tuesday that it will donate all door proceeds from March 26 to the Red Cross and ongoing relief efforts. DJ Tittsworth will be appearing that night, when the cover will be $10. 1115 U Street NW.

Photo: U Street Music Hall Facebook

Posted by Erik Maza at 3:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

From today's Live!: Michael Clarke has been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at his Canton bar, Claddagh Pub, for 16 years now.

It used to be a small gathering — the crowds could fit inside a portable tent bought from the Home Depot. But over the years, his Meet in the Streets have mushroomed into elaborate productions that more or less anchor St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the neighborhood. The party is attended by people from all over Maryland, Clarke boasts, as well as Virginia and as far away as Ohio.

Joaquin Phoenix, in town filming “Ladder 49,” came there once with Gov. Martin O’Malley and Balthazar Getty tagging along. Clarke claims Donna Rice’s buddy, presidential candidate Gary Hart, visited one time, and Hootie the Blowfish himself, Darius Rucker, came another.

“We went from a hundred or so the first year to several thousand last year over the three days,” Clarke says.

The big attendance at Claddagh’s suggests more about the holiday than it does about the bar itself. St. Patrick’s is the one time of the year where everyone is united not by race or creed but by a common passion: drinking — especially if there are shamrocks and other green-tinted concoctions involved. Gary Hart and Hootie!

“It’s a good way to blow off steam, to stop worrying about your problems, especially in this economy,” Clarke says. Every March, “everybody seems to want to be Irish.”

This year, 13 bars will participate in the annual Irish stroll in Federal Hill. And at the Canton stroll, there were will be 11 other bars offering up specials and giveaways. Out of all the pubs in Baltimore and the surrounding counties, we think these are the best to go to spend the night, or, as no doubt some of you will, the whole day.

Continue reading "Where to spend St. Patrick's Day in Baltimore? Ten suggestions" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Bars & Clubs, Live!
        

No, in a word. In the past week, some bar owners have written with alarm about a Senate bill (#844) that would ostensibly ban people under 21 from bars and clubs. Thursday morning the Examiner had an editorial about it.

Well, it turns out the language in the bill contained a typo. The bill would ban underage people from attending adult entertainment venues, not live entertainment venues. Reporter Chris Kaltenbach has more: 

Despite appearances to the contrary, state senators from Baltimore city are not looking to keep people under 21 from seeing their favorite bands live. They just want to keep them from seeing naked women.

A senate bill introduced last month, primarily designed to ensure clubs with liquor licenses have a police-approved security plan in place, had some club owners crying foul earlier this week. Under wording that was still in place this morning, clubs with liquor licenses – and this would have included The 8x10, Rams Head Live, Ottobar and others – would have been prohibited from allowing anyone under 21 inside.

No more all-ages shows, no more hands being stamped at the door to separate those old enough to drink from those who aren’t, no more bands with members younger than 21 even playing inside a club that serves liquor.

“That’s huge,” a shocked 8x10 co-owner Brian Shupe said when told of the bill. “This bill will definitely put me out of business.”

Continue reading "Will the Maryland Senate ban underage people from Baltimore clubs?" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Pairing food and beer is not a new concept; Hugh Sisson at Heavy Seas Beer has been doing beer dinners for almost fifteen years.

But it's still a tricky undertaking, even for experienced craft beer drinkers. Though Kevin Berry has been a home brewer for six years, pairings still elude him.

So when DuClaw Brewing Company hosted its first beer breakfast in December, the Glen Burnie engineer went for tips.

He and others have more suggestions on successful pairings in today's Taste section. Here's an excerpt:

In coming up with a pairing, [DuClaw president Dave] Benfield suggests trying flavors that play off each other rather than share a common flavor. If you pair a hoppy beer with a dessert, the sweetness might be canceled out.

The DuClaw chefs also found that some pairings that might have worked — steak with the grapefruity Venom Pale Ale — failed because the beer had too much bite. Instead, his chefs tried it with the maltier flavor of their Devil's Milk and found it to be a success.

"It gave the steak body, where with Venom it felt thin and sharp," Benfield said.

The rest of the story is here. 

Below are upcoming food and beer pairing events in Maryland: 

Continue reading "Pairing food and beer, plus upcoming beer dinners" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

John Householder and Tom Pomroy, the owners of Five Points Tavern in Locust Point, opened the bar in November, taking over the space where Aloha Tokyo used to be.

They say the nightlife here is still sleepy, but that they see potential in the condo developments that have been buzzed about in recent years. 

"The neighborhood in general is growing and getting more populated," he said. "As more people come to the area, we'll see success."

In addition to Five Points, Barracudas Tavern also opened recently, giving the neighborhood some much-needed new blood. 

Though the definitive Fort Avenue bar crawl ran four years ago, when this paper still ran 5,000-word features, the new bars demanded another go of it.

For tomorrow's paper, I went to the Sly Fox Pub, Five Points and Barracudas Tavern.  Here's a part of the column:

Barracudas Tavern is the Buckcherry to Five Points' Creedence Clearwater Revival. 

It's loudly decorated, with stuffed sea creatures hanging everywhere inside. And, unfortunately, a big, bosomy novelty mermaid hanging above one of the entrances outside — not the kind of message you want to send out to potential female clients.

At about 10:30 p.m., a fight almost broke out between a couple of young men; I didn't overhear the reason but chances are it wasn't over the virtues of taxidermy. There were also no taps here, but prices were cheap: $4.50 for three Bohs; a 20-ounce glass of rum punch for $7.50.

The bartenders were casual and quick, but the restless crowd and the loud music — Usher, again — made me want to go back to the relative peace of 5 Points, or at least the better bars in the area, like J. Patrick's or Down the Hatch.

The rest of the column is here. 

Continue reading "The new Locust Point bar crawl: the Sly Fox Pub, Five Points Tavern, Barracudas Tavern" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Power Plant Live's country-western bar, PBR Baltimore, announced its grand opening today.

It will be March 4. Not surprisingly, it already has a twitter page; I'll let you find it on your own. The bar's publicists describe it, steel yourself, as the place where "cowboy cool meets urban chic."

Power Plant Live is making room for the bar as part of its $11 million expansion, which also includes the construction of an outdoor stage and the addition of some new venues,  like the Baltimore Comedy Factory, which is moving from downtown after Burke's closed.

The Factory's move hadn't been confirmed until recently. Chris Furst, director of marketing at Power Plant Live, said this week the outdoor stage should be completed by Preakness.

Posted by Erik Maza at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Contributor Alexander D. Mitchell IV, who writes for trade publication Mid-Atlantic Brewing News and blogs regularly about beer, sums up Max's Belgian Beer Festival, which ended its three-day run on Sunday.

After six years, is there really anything that can be added to what is arguably the largest presentation of Belgian beer in one location in North America? Not really, but that doesn’t keep the crew at Max’s Taphouse from trying.

With a recent expansion - from 70-some draft lines to 97 (plus five cask-ale hand pumps) - the venue was able to offer an initial 102 beers on draft, plus a stunning 192 in bottles. 

By the time the doors opened at 11:01 a.m. Friday morning, there was a line of nearly 200 eager beer fans waiting outside.

(A complete photo gallery of the festival is here)

The pleasant weather and an eager crowd kept the scene chaotic almost all weekend. Spread over three downstairs rooms and an upstairs lounge, the crowd at times resembled the worst of an Irish pub on St. Patrick’s Day. 

But just how many beers were there? Believe it or not, folks are still counting. 

Continue reading "Review: Max's Belgian Beer Festival 2011" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Some 14 neighbors of the Tiki Barge want its liquor license revoked.

They've asked the Baltimore Liquor Board for a hearing to discuss the floating barge, which opened last Memorial Day and includes a swimming pool and two tiki bars.

The official item on the docket, which hasn't been released yet, says the neighbors want the bar's license revoked for "false statements made by the licensee in his 2010 renewal application" and also to "promote the peace and safety of the community."

The hearing has been scheduled for March 3 at 3 p.m. The City that Breeds posted an item about it earlier today.

The Tiki Barge, in anticipation of the hearing, is going on the offensive.

Continue reading "Tiki Barge's neighbors want bar's liquor license revoked to "promote the peace and safety of the community"" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

DuClaw Brewing Company's old Fells Point storefront has a new tenant.

It is the the Philadelphia restaurant and bar Ladder 15, just like Midnight Sun reported in December. The new owners got the liquor license last Thursday.

They plan on renaming the space at 901 S. Bond Street. It won't be a Ladder 15 after all, but will instead be called Bond Street Social.

It's not clear when it will open; the new owners haven't responded to several requests for comment.

DuClaw closed its location in Fells Point in December 2009 because business had been sluggish. 

Continue reading "Ladder 15 takes over DuClaw's Fells Point location" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

The Velvet Rope re-opened in late January under a new name, Dubai. It's the latest name for 200 E. Redwood, a building that has had many tenants in over 100 years and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Here's a brief history:

1885: opens as Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust Co. branch, featuring the highly ornamental design of Baltimore firm Wyatt and Sperry.

 1904: survives the Great Fire

1960: undergoes renovation that damages original plasterwork. 

1993: Mercantile branch closes, leaving building vacant for seven years. 

2000: Baltimore developer Nicholas Piscatelli sinks $2.5 million on a renovation, one of the most significant in the city's history. Opens Redwood Trust, a megaclub. Cover was $10. VIP Access? Anywhere from $250-500.

Continue reading "Dubai, Velvet Rope, Palma, Redwood Trust: a brief, 100-year history of 200 E. Redwood" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Troubled club the Velvet Rope re-opened a couple of weeks ago under a new name, Dubai, which must rank as the second worst bar/club name in Baltimore behind Garbo.

Management is eager to disassociate themselves from the Velvet Rope brand that had become so well known in headlines. When I tried to get a greenlight for our photographer to stop by, the club's attorney, Paul Gardner II, agreed to, but only if the name "Velvet Rope" didn't appear in the story.

We declined the offer.*

I still snuck in Saturday for the review in tomorrow's Live section. Here's the top:

Last Saturday, I went to Dubai. No, not the glitzy metropolis in the United Arab Emirates. But the club on 200 E. Redwood Street, which opened in late January under a new name after two years as the troubled Velvet Rope.

With the change, the owners hope to distance themselves from tarnished old name and associate themselves with the luxury that the word Dubai brings to mind.

But those might be too lofty aspirations.

If rebranding was all that a bad reputation needed, Hosni Mubarak might still be in power. And while in popular culture, Dubai might be linked to unlimited decadence, it's now a city burdened with a not-so-sexy $80 billion debt and a collapsed real estate market.

Dubai's owners might as well have called theirs Club Countrywide or Lehman Brothers VIP Lounge.

The club benefits from its still handsome historic location, and what seems to be improved security, but its insistence on passing itself off as an upscale club in a city that seems to be allergic to them raises doubts about its longevity.

The rest of the review is here. 

Photo*: Colby Ware photographed the club from outside. 

Posted by Erik Maza at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Bars & Clubs, Live!
        

Maryland home brewers, there's a contest with you in mind. 

DuClaw Brewing Company is looking for participants for their first home brewing contest. The winner's recipe will be brewed by the company.

The brewery will accept recipes from April 1 to April 8. All beer styles are welcomed except "wood-aged, lambics, sours and beers that utilize bacteria in the brewing process," according to the submission form.

Competition might be intense. Maryland has at least nine home brewing clubs, including, Baltimore's Chesapeake Real Ale Brewers Society and the Cross Street Irregulars Brew Club.

The submission form can be found here.

On February 27, there will be another competition: the annual Federal Hill chili cook-off. BeerinBaltimore has the official announcement. 

This year's contest will be held at Metropolitan at 6:30 p.m. If you're interested in participating, email ncsugiantsfan@yahoo.com recipe information. Rule of thumb: minimum entry is six quarts or more.

Posted by Erik Maza at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

The Canton sports lounge Clutch has closed.

The news came via a reader, who noticed on the Canton Community Association's calendar a meeting Monday night to decide what to do with the lounge's former space.

Clutch opened in Spring 2009 billing itself "Baltimore's premier sports bar and lounge."

It replaced the decidedly more low-key Tiburzi's Cafe.

I'd heard rumors that Clutch was closing earlier last month. But when I spoke in early January with Trevor White, one of the guys running it, he contradicted the rumors.

Yet, a few weeks later Clutch had shut its doors. On January 29, the bar hosted a farewell party.

"Sadly, like all parties. It must come to an end," its Facebook page read.

It's not clear what prompted the closure. 

White told me earlier today he didn't have time to comment; and John Calvin, the other owner, hasn't responded to requests for comment either. 

The bar's phone number is already disconnected. 

Continue reading "Canton's Clutch is closed" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Max's Belgian Beer Festival begins on Friday. For three days, the bar will only serve some 120 Belgian (and Belgian-style) beers on their extensive draft lines and about 175 bottles of Belgian beer.

In addition, it will have on hand about six casks from Brewer's Art and Stillwater Ales, including that microbrewer's most recent collaboration with Mikkeler, Our Side.

The festival is now in its seventh year, and has become a must on any beer lover's calendar. Admission is free. 

What's the deal about Belgian beer, anyway? Well, for starters, it's an acquired taste. Even Pratt Street Ale House's Steve Jones told me during Baltimore Beer Week he only started experimenting with them recently.

 What makes Belgians taste different is the way they're brewed. Belgian brewers typically use their own house yeast to make their beer, giving it a taste that's radically different from commercial American lagers and even traditional English Ale, Jones' specialty.

Max's cellar master Casey Hard sent me their most recent draft and bottle beer menu for the festival; Beer in Baltimore had also posted it over the weekend.

Here it is in an easily printable Scribd document, posted below:

Continue reading "Max's Belgian Beer Fest full draft and bottle menu" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

In mid-January, a new bar opened in South Baltimore that its owners might call Delia Foley's, but that, after all the name changes, we might as well keep referring to as new Taps.

It's decorated in shamrock green, carries the usual beers - Guinness, Kilkenny, Smithwick's - and pretty much plays the role of Irish pub so well, that it might as well be in a Jim Sheridan movie.

Here's the top of the review from today's Live: "Anyone in the market for a movie-perfect Irish bar won't have to make any changes here. New Taps looks and sounds like a prototype, which is a good thing if you're looking for an Irish Olive Garden, and a bad thing if you're looking for something more personal."

It's especially easy to be a cynic about this place knowing its owners have already listed it for sale, as if all along, it had been simply groomed to be a big box Irish pub to be passed along to the highest bidder.

So if there's nothing here you won't find at any of the city's other established pubs, it raises the question: does Baltimore really need another Irish pub?

Photo: Delia Foley's (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun)

Posted by Erik Maza at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (36)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Illusions Magic Bar faced off against the Federal Hill Neighborhood Association in Baltimore circuit court today. The venue, which is owned by magician Spencer Horsman, had its entertainment license challenged by the neighborhood association, which claimed its members were adversely affected by "noise, parking and crime from Illusions and other nearby bars and clubs."

But the court sided with the magician, reports John-John Williams IV, and allowed him to keep the license:

Judge Audrey J.S. Carrion dismissed the association's motion, citing that a number of the complaining neighbors lived too far — one as many as three blocks away from Illusions— to be negatively affected.

The neighborhood association, headed by Paul Robinson, will meet soon to plan its next move. With this challenge, Robinson has distinguished himself as a hater of both magic and beer pong. Two years ago he pushed for a ban of drinking games at Baltimore bars.

Posted by Erik Maza at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

The three Baltimore bars will change their longtime look this year.

The 67-year-old Racers Café in Parkville will serve food for the first time, and add a new bar.

At the 3-year-old Don’t Know tavern in South Baltimore, owner Jason Zink is adding more drafts.

And Pratt Street Ale House, formerly the Wharf Rat, will expand into the building next door.

Food at Racers, which has been owned by the Osenburg family for generations, has been in the works since 2000, when owners bought the property next door with plans to build a kitchen. Beerinbaltimore tipped me to the news.

General manager Donna Preisinger updated me though, and told me Racers will now include not just a kitchen, but a lounge area, and a brand new bar. All and all, it should double Racers’ interior, she said.

The new bar will allow Racers to add seven new draft lines, for a total 20. It should come online no later than this year, Preisinger said, and will be followed by the kitchen. She is not sure yet what the menu will be.

Zink said he wanted to expand his bar to compete with the neighborhood’s new bars. The Park Bench near Riverside Park opened in November, and Barfly’s Pub, formerly Rafters, is set to open in March, according to its owner.

Specifically, Zink wanted to keep up with the new Taps, Delia Foley’s, owned by Chris Reda and Ropewalk Tavern's Marc MacFaul.

Continue reading "Don't Know Tavern, Racers Cafe, Pratt Street Ale House plan expansions" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Today is Chinese New Year, the official start of the year of the Rabbit.

If you're celebrating here in Baltimore, you might not know right away where to go.

So I made some phone calls, and made an initial list of suggestions. Pitch in with others.

Tsingtao beer, which according to its owners is the number one Chinese beer in the United States, is sold at 12 different locations in Maryland.

In the city proper, it's available at P.F. Chang's, Ding How, and Wells Discount Liquors.

A list of the others locations is below.

If you don't like Chinese beer, or care about Chinese new year, but instead prefer Japanese beer, Sticky Rice in Fells Point tells me it carries three types of them: Kirin, Kirin Light, Sapporo on draft and cans, and Asahi. 

Continue reading "Corkboard: Where to find Chinese beer in Baltimore for Chinese new year" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

The Baltimore Police department was sued Monday for $420,000 by three men who allege they were "unlawfully" arrested outside South Baltimore's Don't Know Tavern last year. 

The lawsuit, filed with the Circuit Court for Baltimore City January 24, also names two officers, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and the Baltimore City Council.

The plaintiffs, which include Don't Know's executive chef Chad Novak, seek $210,000, plus $70,000 each in damages.

Baltimore police declined to comment on the lawsuit.

According to the complaint, police officers, including Andre Smith and Stephen J. Sloan, turned up at Don't Know around 7:50 p.m. in late January of last year to respond to a call.

Novak, a chef at Don't Know for nearly two years, said in an interview Smith and Sloan were questioning his 13-year-old brother.

When Novak tried to ask if his brother was in trouble, he was brushed off by the officers, he said.

Continue reading "Baltimore Police sued for $420,000 over "unlawful arrest" by Don't Know Tavern chef, two others" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (98)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Last night's snowstorm disrupted air travel, shut down some schools early, and generally made it a dogfight to get home, even if you lived inside the city.

But, as always, if there was one sector that was seemingly unaffected by the multiple inches of snow it was nightlife. Few venues closed, and others even offered snow day specials.

That will continue tonight, when it seems the only the only canceled nightlife-related engagement is the Liquor Board hearing. 

On Wednesday, the only show I saw canceled was O Pioneers!!! at Charm City Art Space, which notified attendees via Facebook a half hour after 3 p.m. But Red Maple was closed, Club Hippo also canceled its bingo night, and in Columbia, Victoria Gastro Pub closed early.

Still, Joe Squared, Mothers, the Falls, Rocket to Venus, Roy's, Talara and Crush all stayed open.In Hampden, Golden West status updated: "Open for all your thundersnow burrito needs."

In Bolton Hill, people still flocked to the Tavern. And in South Baltimore, Elliot's Pour House wrote on Facebook: "Snow makes us all feel like boozin.'" Crude, but true. 

"Last night was good," he writes. "Most of the bars were open and pretty crowded."

For tonight, here's a list of some of the bars offering specials and venues that are staying open: 

Continue reading "Baltimore's bars and clubs unaffected by snowstorm; offering snow day specials tonight" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

This is today's first post. No, it's not the mixer's fault, like some of you guessed. Not entirely anyway.

Despite two beers, two shots of mysterious components, and a pickle back, I still made it early to work this morning.

But all day I've been finishing up a story for Sunday's paper about Lower Dens, Future Islands, Weekends and other young Baltimore bands.

I definitely needed more coffee than usual this morning, but I had worse hangovers in grade school. 

I got to Don't Know a little bit after seven last night. Evan, of The City that Breeds, and Jason Zink were already there drinking with Sessa. I checked into foursquare, and from then on, I must have gotten drunker, or just really enjoyed the conversation, because it was my last check-in of the night on any social media.

By the time I had swapped my Blue Moon for a Loose Cannon, Ryan, of Quarterlifeparty, had shown up. So had Alexander D. Mitchell IV (whose pictures you see above), Cyclops' Andy Rubin (pictured on the right), friend and coworker June Torbati and Angela Devoti, formerly of Atlas bar, sporting a leopard-print trench. Tif Saleem showed up later, with his wife Micki. At some point Evan iced Sessa in revenge.

Continue reading "Midnight Sun Mixer: the morning after" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 5:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

So late last week a small brouhaha rightfully erupted at the liquor board meeting.

Pigtown residents brought to the board's attention that one of the agency's inspectors was consulting for a proposed bar, a no-no according to the city charter. The agency immediately began an investigation into the matter.

So far, as Investigative Voice has reported, the inspector, Don Fitzgerald, has been assigned to desk duty.

But speaking to chairman Stephan Fogleman recently, there's this update: Fitzgerald has decided to take a personal, unpaid leave for a week or two.

And Fogleman said the investigation should be wrapped up by the end of next week.

The problem started at a Pigtown community hearing  for a proposed 5,000-square-foot club called Ambrosia that's partially owned by the controversial Damian Bohager, formerly of Fells Point's defunct Bohager's, and one of Maryland's top 50 tax scofflaws last year.

Bohager owed the state nearly $600,000 in unpaid taxes. 

At that meeting, veteran inspector Fitzgerald said he was consulting for Ambrosia to help them navigate the tricky process of opening a new club, the residents said. 

Residents then presented video of the meeting to the liquor board last Thursday, which began an internal investigation that resulted in Fitzgerald's assignment to desk duty the following day. 

By Tuesday morning, Fogleman said, the inspector had decided to take time off on his own dime until the investigation was completed. Executive Secretary Samuel T. Daniels Jr. and chief inspector Ralph Gilliam are conducting the probe.

Continue reading "Liquor Board inspector accused of consulting for Damian Bohager's newest club" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 3:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

It's been a damn long week, even though it was actually a damn short work week.

With deadlines pushed up, tons of print stuff to get done in a shorter time, interviews to conduct (Girl Talk, among them, you'll be happy to hear), it's been manic around Midnight Sun HQ.

I hardly even had time to rile up anonymous commenters, though, apparently, I somehow accomplished that too.

So, for that, I've been looking forward to tonight's mixer, and a very tall pitcher at tonight's mixer, all week long.

Hopefully you all have too. I've already met some of you, and I'm looking forward to meeting the rest.

There's no agenda for tonight - just conversation, swapping stories, and answering questions if you're sober enough to ask them.  

We will be at Don't Know Tavern, 1453 Light St., starting at 7 p.m. 

Owner Jason Zink is offering complimentary cocktails to Midnight Sunners who get there between 7and 8 p.m.

This is the first mixer of the year, and I'm certain, not the last. If you can't make it tonight, I'll see you at the next one.

Posted by Erik Maza at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Delia Foley's, whose development Midnight Sun has been watching closely since it took over Taps' former space in August, is officially open.

Blog The City that Breeds checked it out over the weekend, and came away impressed with the new decor and the menu. 

Chris Reda and Ropewalk Tavern's Marc MacFaul bought the nearly 5,000-square-foot property, which used to house the notorious Taps, in August for $450,000.

They have since re-listed it for sale on Craigslist, for $525,000. Reda has said they're "not actively" selling the bar, just taking a look at offers.

Credit that with the major makeover the location has received. Judging from the early review, the owners haven't just renovated the exterior, as Reda had said, but added new murals and updated the bathrooms.

Continue reading "Delia Foley's, the new Taps, is officially open" »

Posted by Erik Maza at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: Bars & Clubs
        

Club Phoenix is a dumpy two-floor bar in Mount Vernon that’s forgotten for most of the week, even by the crowd of older gay men that frequent its downstairs regularly.

But on weekends, it’s become known for hosting well-attended dance parties on its rickety, unvarnished upstairs floor.

Most Saturdays, a bunch of MICA students serve as DJs for the Dance Your Ass Off party.

And this Friday, it will host, for the second time, Ice Age, a monthly party dedicated to obscure, atmospheric music that marries Goth rock and New Wave — something that might sound like a cut from the Cure’s “Seventeen Seconds.”

It’s DJed by, among others, Cullen Nawalkowsky — aka Cullen Stalin — and this Friday, also by Katrina Ford, of the Baltimore band Celebration. 

The artists the DJs will play are largely unknown or have become cult figures only recently, Nawalkowsky said. The playlist will run the gamut from proper industrial to “dark” punk to almost-poppy New Wave.

Continue reading "Cullen Stalin, Katrina Ford spin at new 'coldwave' party at Club Phoenix" »