I'd like to introduce you to the newest, coolest place to post your digital event fliers: The Baltimore phone pole.
The phone pole was the brianchild of jmgiordano, who wanted to have one place where Baltimore musicians and promoters could share their shows with everybody. Here's the link to the phone pole's Facebook page.
Last night, the Baltimore City Council passed a bill which lets more bars and restaurants bring in live entertainment.
City Council President Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake, who sponsored the measure, said it makes Baltimore "more marketable as a city."
She's right. This bill, which is a drastically scaled-back version of an earlier live entertainment initiative, is an important step for Baltimore.
More live entertainment means more opportunities for bars and clubs to bring in DJs, karaoke and live bands. Local and regional groups will have more places to perform -- even if it's just acoustic nights ...
Continue reading "I hope Mayor Dixon signs the live entertainment bill" »
Tonight, Merriweather Post Pavilion is playing host to its first Halloween festival, Ulalume (it's named after an Edgar Allan Poe piece).
Ulalume features performances by Paramore, AFI, Asher Roth and Kid Cudi. But the best part is the Halloween costume contest. The grand prize is $2,500 and two lawn seats to every 2010 Merriweather show. Second place is $500 and first place is $100. MTV will be on hand to tape the festival, too. Sweet!
Several months ago, dozens of dancers began training to zombie walk and booty swim their way through a mass synchronized performance of Michael Jackson's thriller.
The celebration, called "Thrill the World" will take place in the Inner Harbor at 8 p.m. Saturday.
As of today, about 275 have registered to perform the dance.
At the exact same time, thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) will join them around the world, in an effort to set a record for the largest synchronized dance routine at various venues ...
Continue reading "Dancers are gearing up for Saturday's mass "Thriller" performance" »
In the next few days, I'm going to put together a list of the Top 10 Most Promising Unsigned Bands in Baltimore.
Maybe that title could use a little tweaking. But you get the gist.
Anyway, I'm looking for some suggestions.
Who are some of your favorite unsigned Baltimore bands?
(Baltimore Sun archive photo)
When Splice Today contributor Zach Kaufmann announced his plans to put together a compilation of Baltimore bands covering songs by other Baltimore bands, I was pretty excited.
The compilation, "Baltimore Does Baltimore, Part 1," came out today. You can download it for free here.
After hearing "Baltimore Does Baltimore," I have to say -- it has some thrilling moments.
One of the standouts is Wye Oak's cover of Rod Lee's Balitmore Club classic "Dance My Pain Away." Singer Jenn Wasner turns a banger into something of a dirge, without losing the original song's urgency.
"Wye Oak blew my mind," Kaufmann told me today ...
Continue reading "Splice Today releases "Baltimore Does Baltimore Part 1"" »
"Don't these people have jobs?"
That was the first thing that crossed my mind when I stopped by No Rule.
The free Monday night dance party, which has been at the Metro Gallery for a couple months now, doesn't really heat up until 11 p.m. or midnight. On a Monday.
After hitting up No Rule twice in the last month, I have to say: It's Baltimore's best Monday night dance party. Not that it has a lot of competition. But still ...
Continue reading "Check out No Rule at the Metro Gallery tonight" »
Fletcher's may be down, but it's not out.
Co-owners Craig Boarman and Evan Tanner, who planned on opening a Latin/sushi spot on the first level, are no longer involved with Fletcher's. Building owner Bryan Burkert has taken over the Fells Point live music club, which he is currently rehabbing, he said.
Fletcher's could reopen as a bar and live music venue sometime in November -- but that's just a guess, Burkert said. He has to hire new staff and have the liquor license transferred back to his name.
Burkert, who also owns nearby music store Sound Garden, ran Fletcher's for several years. About 18 months ago, he transferred ownership of Fletcher's to Boarman and Tanner. Now, it's back in Burkert's hands.
"We'll see what happens," he said. "There's a lot of things you don't want to be doing, but sometimes you wake up and you're doing them. No matter what, I've got to put the business back in order."
Midnight Sun tipster jmgiordano just drove by Fletcher's, and said the long-standing Fells Point live music club looked down for the count. Brown paper was taped to the windows -- a bad sign.
I'll see what else I can find out today. I've called co-owner Craig Boarman a couple times, but he hasn't called me back. The club's Web site isn't working, either. Stay tuned.
UPDATE: Fletcher's has changed owners can could reopen as early as next month. More info here.
On paper, the Baltimore Music Conference is a great event. It features showcases of a ton of Baltimore bands, as well as seminars covering nearly every aspect of recording and promoting music.
This is something Baltimore desperately needs -- especially considering how visible our music scene has gotten, lately.
The BMC's founder, Lisa Suit, has the best intentions. But intentions only go so far ...
Continue reading "I'm not excited about the Baltimore Music Conference" »
How's this for hometown love: The brand new iPhone and iPod Touch app "Tap Tap Revenge 3" features a song by Baltimore-rocker Elise Major.
Released yesterday, the app is modeled after games such as "Guitar Hero" -- you tap the screen with your thumbs to play along with the song. I love the instructions the phone gives:
"Tap the balls as they cross the tap zone at the bottom of the screen."
Heh.
Before I tried playing Elise Major's track, "Green," I called up Elise, and asked her if she'd tried the game yet.
"I'm so lame," she said. "I don't have an iPhone, so I don't know. I want to see what level my song is going to be on. It better be on hard, because it's hard for me (to play)."
Earlier today, iPhone wizard (and books blogger) Nancy Johnston downloaded the $.99 app so we could try it out ...
Continue reading "Local rocker Elise Major featured on new iPhone app "Tap Tap Revenge 3"" »
El Rancho Grande, the cafe and live music venue in Hampden, has been closed for the past several weeks due to an unpaid utility bill, according to owner Peter Schmader.
"We've got power issues," he said.
Since it opened in February of 2008, El Rancho Grande has never been about making money, Schmader said ...
Continue reading "Unpaid utility bill shutters El Rancho Grande" »
I didn't know it was kosher to write about local electro-pop outfit Lazerbitch or not, because of the whole profanity thing. Then my editor sent me a link to Lazerbitch's new video and said "Blog about it or you'll never work in this town again, see?" ...
Continue reading "One of the funniest local music videos I've seen" »
Beau Velasco, co-founder of critically acclaimed Baltimore/New York/Philadelphia electro-punk group The Death Set, died yesterday in Brooklyn, the band's manager confirmed today.
Details of Velasco's death have not been released, but his band mate Johnny Siera posted this message on the band's Facebook page:
R.I.P. my dear brother, friend and band mate Beau Velasco. We are all so devestated that I will keep this short. We love you and you will be missed. You affected us all so much in the most positive ways. Our lives would not be as is if not for you. W...e love you. For all those who wish to pay their respects we will let the details known soon.
The Death Set came together in mid-2005 in Australia, and moved to Baltimore shortly thereafter. They released the album "Worldwide" in 2008 on Counter Records, an imprint of Ninja Tune.
Local composer Dan Deacon lived next to Velasco and Siera in the Copycat Building when they first moved to Baltimore.
"beau was the definition of a solid guy," Deacon wrote in an e-mail. "i don't know what to say beyond that. he was just a really great guy and its real shame what happened."
(Handout photo)
Bruce Springsteen's show at the 1st Mariner Arena sold out in a mere 20 minutes -- about 15 minutes quicker than teen pop star Hannah Montana, officials said.Continue reading "Bruce Springsteen tickets sell out in 20 minutes" »
Oh man oh man, it's almost time -- tickets for Bruce Springsteen's 1st Mariner Arena gig go on sale at 10 a.m.
This is the first time the Boss has played in Baltimore proper since 1973, when he performed at -- you guessed it -- the 1st Mariner Arena (then known as the Baltimore Civic Center). I wonder if Bruuuce remembers that gig.
The Nov. 20 gig will probably be a nostalgia trip for Springsteen, considering the venue has barely changed in the past 36 years. Heh.
If you end up getting tickets or have problems getting tickets, this is the place to share your experience. Let me know how it goes, and, of course, good luck!
(AP photo)
Yesterday, I traded e-mails with a reader named Charlotte, who saw Bruce Springsteen at the Capital Centre in 1980. She was even able to find her old ticket stub.
Can you believe it only cost $11 for floor seats? If you want to get floor seats for Springsteen's Nov. 20 show at 1st Mariner, they're going to run you $100.
I asked Charlotte what she remembers from the show, and she sent me this:
I was working at McDonald's making about $2.90-$3.05/hr. and going to school at Villa Julie College (now Stevenson University) in the Medical Technician program. One of my classmates either gave me the ticket or sold it to me ...
Continue reading "Seen Springsteen before? How was the show?" »
Baltimore-based ambient pop duo Beach House has signed to the venerable Seattle indie label Sub Pop Records.
Sub Pop, home to artists such as the Postal Service, the Shins and Flight of the Conchords, will release Beach House's third album in early 2010, according to Susan Busch, director of radio promotions and an A&R rep for the label.
"I was super excited to have the opportunity to talk about working with them — let alone make it happen," Busch said.
Singer/keyboardist Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally released their self-titled debut in 2006 and followed it up with a second album, "Devotion," in 2007.
The new album, which doesn’t have a title yet, was recorded over the course of a month this summer in at Dreamland Recording in Woodstock, N.Y.
It will feature 10 songs and an accompanying DVD with 10 videos inspired by the songs. Scally said the project is the band’s most "expensive and expansive" to date. ...
With concerts by Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen scheduled for 1st Mariner Arena, the second half of 2009 is already shaping up to be a big year for live music in Baltimore.
But what if we also got U2? As it turns out, we almost did. Here's Sun writer Kevin Van Valkenburg with details:
I asked Ravens president Dick Cass about potentially booking more non-sporting events at M&T Bank Stadium as a potential revenue source, since I remembered that they had Kenny Chesney play there.
Cass said that the Ravens were negotiating with promoters about a potential U2 concert this fall, was interested in doing it until the date U2 offered conflicted with the Ravens schedule. ...
There's no doubt about it: Milkshake is one of the region's most popular children's bands.
But when Lisa Mathews and Mikel Gehl founded the band, Mathews didn't think they'd make it so far. They're going to be releasing their fourth studio album this weekend at the B&O Railroad Museum.
Here's a link to a piece I did on Milkshake, which ran in yesterday's paper.
When I was writing this piece, all I could think about was that scene from "There Will Be Blood" when Daniel Day Lewis' deranged character is hollering about drinking the other dude's milkshake. "I DRINK YOUR ... MILKSHAKE!"
Hee hee.
(Handout photo)
Yesterday, I grabbed Virgin Mobile FreeFest producer Seth Hurwitz for a quick interview.
I asked him about the difference between Pimlico Race Course and Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Merriweather might have a less storied history than Pimlico, but its sprawling grounds suited this year’s scaled-back festival, Hurwitz said.
"[Merriweather] is not an exotic site, but it has its own ambiance," he said.
Just then, a yellow jacket wasp flew onto Hurwitz’s face and stung him on the forehead ...
A couple weeks ago, during the Phish Merriweather show, I needed to use the restroom.
During intermission, I got my chance. Even though Merriweather recently tripled the size of the restrooms, it was a sold-out show, and the line for the men's room was super long.
The "gentleman" in front of me, who appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s, had his own theory for how to get the line to move faster:
"USE THE SINK! GO IN THE SINK! THE SINK! USE THE SINK!"...
I can't tell you how many times people have asked me for good spots to see live jazz and blues in the Baltimore area. The truth is, there aren't many.
So I'm glad to announce that Micho's Restaurant in Reisterstown is now regularly hosting regional and national jazz and blues artists.
"There was nothing around the area for jazz or blues," said owner Micho Issa (pictured).
"Everybody had to go to Washington," he said. I figured, 'I'll do this venue to bring in people from around the area." ...
Continue reading "Micho's brings live jazz and blues to Reisterstown" »
I wonder why more bars don't do this.
When Golden West Cafe server Braegen Carroll wanted to book the bands for a mini music festival at the Hampden eatery, he didn't have to look far.
Most of the Golden West staff were in one band or another.
So instead of sending out emails to every band in town and waiting for responses, Carroll asked his coworkers if they wanted to be a part of the festival. The response was overwhelming.
The festival, which started yesterday and runs through Sunday, features performances from acts such as Ed Schrader, Matrimonials, MacGregor Burns, Mickey Free and more. It's the biggest music event ever held at Golden West, Carroll said.
"I thought it was good to put us all together and make it a collective, cooperative event," he said. "Everybody that works here is doing something for it." ...
Happy birthday, Sidebar Tavern!
If you haven't heard, the Sidebar Tavern (218 E. Lexington St.) turns 11 this month. To celebrate, the basement dive is throwing an indoor/outdoor festival Friday and Saturday. More info here.
In true Sidebar fashion, this is the first time they've ever celebrated a birthday.
I did a profile of the Sidebar, which ran in today's paper. This spot has the weirdest happy hour scene in the city.
Since it's close to city hall, they get all these government employees in suits and ties. But since it's also a punk bar, they get a bunch of hardcore kids too. Oddly enough, everybody seems to get along ...
Continue reading "The Sidebar Tavern: Home to the city's strangest happy hour scene" »
Tonight, J-Roddy Walston and the Business are playing a $5 show at The Ottobar (2549 N. Howard St.).
Ever seen these guys before? They are quite possibly the hardest rocking band in Baltimore -- not because they play super loud or super fast or super distorted. I've just never seen another Baltimore band rock quite as hard as them.
J-Roddy Walston and the Business dial up the reckless, rollicking rock 'n' roll of the 1950s, and infuse it with the fist-pumping depth and edge of 1970s rock.
With tons of hair, head-banging and righteous attitude, these guys have a riotous stage presence, too ...
Guitar prodigy Derek Trucks and Southern rock singer/songwriter Jason Isbell joined Baltimore's Old Man Brown and Tom Principato for an impromptu jam Saturday evening at Hightopps Backstage Grille in Timonium.
Trucks and Isbell were in town for the annual Hot August Blues Festival at Oregon Ridge Park Saturday.
After the show, they headed to Hightopps and jammed out for a while.
Head over to WTMD's Radio For Music People Blog for the full recap, courtesy of morning DJ Erik.
(Handout photo of Trucks by Michael Schmelling)
When Splice Today's Zach Kaufmann put out the call for Baltimore artists to cover other Baltimore artists, he wasn't sure what kind of response he'd get.
Splice Today's first compilation, "The Old Lonesome Sound," a bunch of covers of traditional tunes, was warmly received. So he had that going for him.
Kaufmann wanted the bands to keep their covers fairly recent -- say, the past five or ten years or so.
Most of the bands were cool with that idea, except for Microkingdom, who asked to cover "It's Too Soon To Know" by The Orioles (the band, not the baseball team) ...
Continue reading "The skinny on Splice Today's upcoming 'Baltimore Does Baltimore' mix" »
Since I'm seeing Phish for the first time at Merriweather tonight, I thought it appropriate to share this essay by another first-timer, Teresa O'Keefe. Enjoy:
As a 44-year old attending a Phish concert for the first time, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I felt it was going to be a great night. On June 7, with a full moon bathing one of the first balmy nights of summer in silver, my live-music buddy Travis and I drove from Annapolis to the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, N.J., just across from Philadelphia.
I get energized by live music. I see bands two or three times a month, mostly at smaller venues. I recently saw Katy Perry and Lily Allen at the 9:30 Club, Gomez and Josh Ritter at Rams Head Live and the Ting Tings at Sonar in Baltimore.
I’m usually the oldest person at a show, but somehow I missed out on Phish. Most fans first saw the band in college. Travis is 31. He’s been to 58 Phish concerts.
During my senior year in college, the band was still playing private parties and small venues around the University of Vermont, where the core members met. I was starting on a corporate track and going to graduate school at night for the next three years.
Then when the band started getting national recognition, I was traveling. I wasn’t listening to much music. Something happened after the dot-com implosion, though, and suddenly I felt I was missing out. I needed to experience a Phish concert.
We decided the day before to maybe go, then made a game-time decision. It was a Sunday night, a gorgeous boat day in Annapolis and we had no tickets. That never matters with Travis. We almost never have tickets. We just show up and generally find tickets at face value, no more than $20 over.
We paid $55, near face value, for amphitheater seats but at a Phish concert, according to Travis, the lawn is better. The event was over four hours long. That’s one of the best deals you can get in live music ...
It's a concert that was six years in the making.
That's how long Frank Remesch, the general manager of 1st Mariner Arena, has been fighting to get Bruce Springsteen to play here. He came close a couple times, but Bruuuce always ended up playing Verizon Center or another arena.
Recently, when promoters and booking agents were plotting Springsteen's 31-date tour, there was a vague possibility The Boss might come to 1st Mariner.
But Remesch didn't tell anyone -- not even the 1st Mariner staff. He didn't want to get anybody's hopes up, and he thought if he told someone, that might jinx it.
"It's bad luck," Remesch said. "It's like baseball when you don't walk on the foul line."
Springsteen has played around the region in the past. He performed at Painters Mill in Owings Mills in 1975. And he played at Towson University (back when it was Towson State) in 1977.
But believe it or not, Springsteen has never headlined 1st Mariner Arena. He and the rest of the E Street Band opened for Chicago in June 1973, but according to Remesch and a thorough search of the Baltimore Sun archives, Springsteen has never headlined the arena.
In fact, Springsteen hasn't performed in the city since the Chicago show in 1973 ...
Continue reading "Why Bruce Springsteen? Why 1st Mariner Arena? Why now? Here's the backstory." »
The Baltimore-based online magazine Splice Today has been orchestrating some pretty cool projects lately.
They just released a remix of the Wye Oak track "That I Do" by Baltimore hip-hop artist Mickey Free (dig it here).
And they just announced their second compilation album, "Baltimore Does Baltimore." In it, Baltimore musicians will cover songs by other Baltimore musicians.
Last week, I spoke with Americana singer/songwriter Caleb Stine (pictured), who is covering a song by the group Small Sur ...
Continue reading "Splice Today organizes second compilation, releases Wye Oak remix" »
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen will perform at 1st Mariner Arena Nov. 20, organizers announced today.
This is apparently Springsteen's first Baltimore show since opening for Chicago at the Baltimore Civic Center in June 1973.
Officials at 1st Mariner Arena had heard nothing about the show, which comes near the end of Springsteen's 31-date tour.
Tickets for the show will go on sale Sept. 25, according to a press release sent out from Shore Fire Media, Springsteen's publicity company. The same day, tickets will go on sale for Springsteen's Nov. 2 gig at the Verizon Center in Washington.
1st Mariner, which seats between 13,000 and 15,000 depending on the staging and seating, would be one of the smaller venues on Springsteen's current itenerary.
(Photo by Rafa Rivas/AFP/Getty Images)
How's this for a hot ticket: Indie favorites Beach House (pictured) and Celebration will perform an outdoor show near the Metro Gallery (1700 N. Charles St.) tonight.
The music starts at 10 p.m. with a set from Beach House. Then the members of Beach House and Celebration will collaborate on some tunes together. Then Celebration takes the stage.
Metro Gallery owner Sarah Williams stresses that this is not a show to miss.
"We're making this crazy projection pyramid," she said. "It's going to look cool. We have some tricks up our sleeves."
The show will be held in the parking lot, where Williams through Rufustival earlier this year. It's an all ages concert.
(Baltimore Sun archive photo)
Washington-based electronic duo Thievery Corporation will open for Paul McCartney at FedEx Field Saturday, organizers announced today.
"We're excited and honored to open for Paul McCartney in our hometown of Washington, D.C.," Thievery Corporation's Rob Garza said in a statement. "Having a chance to play to his audience is unique for us and we're really looking forward to it."
"Unique" is one way to put it. I wonder how the baby boomers are going to react to Thievery Corporation's music. I must admit -- at first, I was puzzled by the announcement.
On second thought, it does make sense: McCartney has been making experimental electronic music under his alter ego, The Fireman, since the early '90s. And according to a New York Times review, he's been performing some of The Fireman's material this tour.
I wonder if he'll join Thievery Corporation on stage, or vice versa.
(AP photo)
How's this for a recession special: From midnight tonight until 11:59 p.m. tomorrow, you will get two tickets for the price of one to all the August shows at Rams Head Live.
The folks at Rams Head are calling the promotion their Stay-cation Sale, and I don't know if there's been a deal that's quite like this at a Baltimore club since I've been covering local entertainment.
The special is only good for online orders (and, of course, while supplies last). According to promoter Mark Mangold, 50 pairs of tickets per show are being made available through the show ...
It's been more than a year since the city accepted a statue of eccentric composer and Baltimore native Frank Zappa, and city officials are still not sure exactly where to put it.
The statue, valued at roughly $50,000, was a gift from a Lithuanian Zappa fan club. And officials are looking to place it in Fells Point.
Fells Point community groups approved a location at Fleet Street and South Broadway, according to Tracy Baskerville, director of communications for the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts. But the location is being reconsidered, she said.
"We're looking for a place where people will congregate," said Baskerville.
It could be another few months before the statue finds a permanent home in Fells Point, Baskerville said.
(Pictured is a Zappa statue in Lithuania, similiar to the Baltimore statue. AP photo.)
In today's paper, I profiled the Baltimore indie rock duo Wye Oak.
Their brand new album, The Knot, came out on Merge Records today. And their CD release show is tonight at The Ottobar.
Here's a link to the piece.
(Photo by Dan Stack)
Sorry it took me a few days to get to blogging about Artscape.
These days, I'm kind of the de facto music/nightlife/local entertainment reporter, which means I've been writing up a storm lately. And that, unfortunately, has kept me from blogging as much as I'd like.
Last Friday afternoon, I took a few hours and strolled around the sprawling Artscape festival grounds.
For me, some of the most interesting, innovative stuff was on Charles Street between Mount Royal Avenue and Lanvale Street ...
Late last year, members of Baltimore's Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad were looking for new gigs and trying to reach a new audience.
But Baltimore is only so big, and DMFS was pretty lewd, which was pretty limiting.
So, in a stroke of genius/madness, the guys in DMFS decided to start moonlighting as Baltimore's only hard rock children's band. They called themselves the Hilltop Hightops (pictured), recorded an album of children's music and started booking gigs.
Here's a piece I did on them which ran in yesterday's paper.
It's a hilarious little saga. In fact, if you remember, DMFS guitarist Ryan Graham wrote a little about it a few months ago ...
Continue reading "Baltimore's only hard rock children's band?" »
All Time Low just hit an all time high.
The local pop rock group debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200.
The four-piece, based in Lutherville/Timonium, sold almost 63,000 copies of their new album, Nothing Personal.
That's huge.
When their debut full length album, So Wrong, It's Right, came out in 2007, it was ranked No. 62 on the Billboard Top 200.
Jumping from a No. 62 debut to a No. 4 debut in a couple years is quite the feat.
This isn't just a first for All Time Low. This is also the first time their label, Hopeless Records, has charted this high ...
Continue reading "All Time Low debuts at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200" »
Two area clubs ranks high on music industry trade magazine Pollstar's list of the top 100 clubs around the world for the first half of this year.
The list is based on the number of tickets sold.
The No. 1 spot is, unsurprisingly, the 9:30 Club, with more than 135,000 tickets sold in six months. That's quite a bit more over the No. 2 spot, the Belgian club Ancienne Belgique, which sold 98,215.
Rams Head Live in Power Plant Live ranked sixth with 75.460 tickets sold, the Birchmere in Alexandria was 37th with 39,755 tickets sold, Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis was 43rd with 36,736.
But wait, there's more ...
Continue reading "9:30 Club, Rams Head Live rank high on Pollstar's Top 100 Club list" »
It may be a temporary thing. But Midnight Sun reader Greg S asked me if I could resurrect Whatchadointhisweekend? -- if only for a day.
Why does Greg S want me to do that, you ask? Well, because he wants me to link to the awesome Whartscape features on his blog, Aural States.
Whartscape is the hot ticket this weekend. I'm sure thousands of people will enjoy performances by the 100+ acts on the roster (including Wye Oak, pictured). That's not to mention the oodles of shenanigans that are sure to ensue.
Tonight, I'm up to some shenanigans myself ...
I had a piece in yesterday's paper about the remarkable turnaround at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
This is an amphitheater that was on its last legs a few years ago.
Since then, promoter Seth Hurwitz has led a remarkable comeback, topped by the Virgin Mobile FreeFest, which Merriweather hosts Aug. 30.
Check out the piece.
Besides the bit about the turnaround, it has some interesting history about the venue ...
Continue reading "Resurrecting Merriweather Post Pavilion" »
You know, most days when you see the 7 a.m. time stamp on a post, I'm actually up that early blogging.
But I won't touch Midnight Sun without a large cup of hot, tasty coffee. That's my only prerequisite (a big word for 7 a.m., I know).
A brief tangent: Anybody know a local spot or distributor that carries really good coffee? Like, this stuff? I'd love to get some without paying an arm and a leg for shipping from Costa Rica.
If you notice, Midnight Sun (and the rest of the Sun blogs) got a minor face lift earlier this week.
I lobbied hard to have the blog search bar bumped up from the very bottom of the sidebar almost all the way to the top. That way, it's easier to find previous posts. At least, that's what I'm hoping.
I also created a Name That Bar category, which will (soon) have all the previous Name That Bar contests and winners, just for kicks. And I'm going to add a category titled All the Essentials (or something like that), and put some background posts about me and Midnight Sun in it ...
Continue reading "Some news, some notes, some whatnots" »
I wasn't going to post any more about this. I was more than happy to let it fade on its own accord. But today, the person who told me Eddie Vedder would be at The 8x10 came forward on his own accord with a comment about the whole situation.
That person is Brian Shupe (pictured), one of the owners of the club. Instead of publishing Brian's response as a comment, I decided to give it its own post. Here it is:
For those of you beating up on Sam, what a shame.
I was Sam's source. I am the co-owner of The 8x10 with my wife, Abigail.
This show was booked from the beginning with the intent of a shared, sit-in situation. This was discussed in-depth with the band. We were told it was 99 percent, with 1 percent being that "It's rock n roll and anything could happen so he might not make it, but he wants to do this."
We sat on that information for a month at least. The day of the show, we were told that Eddie confirmed and it was a go.
I called Sam, because of his unfaltering dedication to the Baltimore music scene. I felt he deserved the exclusive tip that this was happening, because of his efforts to help local music flourish ...
Continue reading "Let's clear up this Eddie Vedder mess once and for all" »
The Recher Theatre (512 York Road in Towson) has a new outdoor patio which seats 45-50, according to cook Damon Poremski.
The patio, which he said is "95 percent covered," also has a fireplace and a 35-foot bar. It officially opened last month, between the the concert hall and the restaurant (where a parking lot used to be).
Last month?!?! Man, I can't believe I didn't hear about this one sooner.
I'm surprised no one else has written about it already. I'm going to try and swing by there after the next Baltimore Unsigned taping and check it out. I'll see if I can bring along my little camera and get some shots, too ...
Continue reading "The Recher Theatre has a new outdoor patio" »
Like many other Pearl Jam fans, I left The 8x10 around 1 a.m. disappointed that Eddie Vedder didn't make the rumored appearance to sit in with Jerry Hannan.
The show was over around 12:45 a.m. The house music was playing and people were streaming out of the place.
Then I read Lindsey's comment this morning:
Hey- I went to the show at the Lyric last night and it was awesome. One of my friends went to 8x10 and Eddie was there afterwards.... I'm wondering where the mix-up was? He said he saw him play a couple songs, but not many because he showed up late....
were you there last night?
I freaked out. Did I leave too early? Did Vedder show up late night to toss back a few beers and and jam with Hannan? ...
Continue reading "It's official -- Eddie Vedder did not show up late night at The 8x10" »
Sigh.
Despite reports that he might, Eddie Vedder did not show up to sit in with Jerry Hannan and the Decades at their show at The 8x10 last night. Hannan left the stage for a few minutes around 11:30 p.m., and when he came back, he broke the bad news.
"I'm pretty sure he's on his bus right now on the way to Nashville," Hannan said.
Sorry for giving all you Pearl Jam fans some false hope. I'll write more about the show after I've had some coffee.
I have it on good authority that grunge icon Eddie Vedder will make a guest appearance at The 8x10 tonight to sit in with Jerry Hannan and the Decades.
Vedder is in town as part of his solo tour, and will perform a second night at the Lyric Opera House tonight. He and Hannan recorded the critically acclaimed song "Society" together for Sean Penn's 2007 film Into the Wild.
In fact, I hear that Hannan is going to sit in with Vedder at the Lyric, and then Vedder is headed to South Baltimore for a song or two with Hannan.
(AP photo)
All I have to say after spotting this vid on Gutter Magazine is, BWAHAHAHAH!
and we kinda got a mall
yeah you know you can't stop us
got everything but nothing good, man
it's kinda like tapas
Hi everyone, ellen cherry here. How are you?
Oh wait, you probably can't answer right away, but I'm hoping you are well and healthy and happy.
Sam asked me to write a little blog about how I happened to make the recent FOX45 promo spot you might have seen on television.
If you haven't seen it and you'd like some reference as to what the heck I'm talking about, click here and then click on our cheesetastic "As Seen On TV" banner. Pause and wait for it to load up (unless you don't have a Dell from 1998, then you don't have to wait) and enjoy!
So, way back in December 2008, Pete Ferraro, a producer from FOX45 Baltimore called me as I was driving home to Texas for the holidays, with an idea to create a jingle-type song for a station promo. It was based on a phrase he had devised, "We Are Baltimore." (Pete was recommended to me by my good friend in music and in life, Caleb Stine.)
Pete's idea was that the song would reflect something upbeat about the city and be inclusive of all the neighborhoods ...
This is a much less funny version of the Overhead section* of Mobtown Shank. If you've never read the Shank's roundup of wacky Overheards, you should.
The setting: Rams Head Live, about an hour before the Beastie Boys are to take the stage.
The players: A blonde woman walks up to a security staffer at Rams Head Live
Woman: Hey, what's the deal with seating here?
Security staffer: We don't have seating.
Woman, in a Legally Blonde voice: Seriously?!?!?!?
*Careful, there is some profanity in the Overheard section. Just a heads up.
My esteemed colleague Chris Kaltenbach was also at last night's Fleetwood Mac show at 1st Mariner Arena. Here are his thoughts:
Fleetwood Mac played an energetic two-hour-plus set of their greatest hits at the 1st Mariner Arena Wednesday night, clearly revelling in their status as elder rock statesmen with a boatload of crowd-pleasing standards to play for their fans.
With Lindsay Buckingham playing the role of guitar god to the hilt and Stevie Nicks basking in her role as spiritual muse, the band relied almost exclusively on songs from their monster-selling Fleetwood Mac (1975) and Rumours (1977) albums.
The result was an evening that seemed strangely stuck in time, but in the best of ways. The fans ate it up, and didn't even seem to mind it when the band dragged out two of the hoariest '70s concert cliches, the extended (and defiantly excessive) guitar and drum solos.
Opening with "Monday Morning," from Fleetwood Mac, the band quickly set the evening's tone. Buckingham played shamelessly to the crowd, pointing, cajoling, jumping up and down, making like a whirling dervish able to lay down some fairly vicious guitar licks, yet never removing the leather jacket, no matter how much the sweat came pouring down ...
Continue reading "Concert review: Fleetwood Mac at 1st Mariner Arena" »
If I'm at a concert (and I'm not reviewing it), I like to have a beer. Maybe two beers. Never any more than that, though.
I roll my eyes at people who get so smashed they can't remember the show. What's the point of going if you're that drunk?
Last night, I saw Fleetwood Mac at 1st Mariner Arena. Side note: So did Sun reporter Chris Kaltenbach, who has a live music review I'll post in a bit.
At one point, I wanted a cold beer. I was stunned by the prices. If I'm not mistaken (and I've been mistaken a lot, you know), beers cost more at 1st Mariner Arena then they do at Oriole Park at Camden Yards ...
As promised, I wanted to tell you about Biz Markie's opening set at last night's Beastie Boys concert at Rams Head Live.
In short, it was so bad it was good.
Biz Markie rolled out onto the stage (when you're as large as he is, you don't walk, you know*) around 8:15 p.m. His mouth hung open the entire time he was on stage.
Maybe he was dumbstruck by the crowd's energy. Or maybe he just needed the oxygen.
Fans of reality TV will remember Markie from his stint on the weight-loss show Celebrity Fit Club. I never saw that season, but I've been told Markie lost a fair amount of weight during his time on the show. I don't know how fat he was before the show, but he's not exactly Mr. Slim these days.
Markie started playing 30-second snippets of songs from the past couple decades. We heard from Bob Marley, Kriss Kross and Suzanne Vega, among others. Between snippets, he would ask, "Ya'll remember that?" He kept saying this over and over.
After a few minutes, Markie had a question for the crowd ...
The Beastie Boys may be best known for their brand of sharp, stinging hip-hop, but the Brooklyn trio has a surprisingly diverse discography.
Last night's choppy, spontaneous performance at Rams Head Live was a tour through the group's 30-odd years together, from the early hardcore punk to the more recent instrumental funk jams to the inevitable rap hits.
The surprise show, a warm-up for the group's Bonnaroo performance next week, had plenty of rough spots. There were false starts, missed cues and whiffed lines. But all of that came secondary to the fact that one of the biggest rap acts of all time was playing to a club that holds a mere 2,000 people, give or take. Here's a link to some more pictures from the show.
At one point, a guy standing on the first level turned to a gal next to him and said, "Can you believe it? We're, like, 10 rows from the Beastie Boys!" My thoughts exactly.
Continue reading "Last night's Beastie Boys show at Rams Head Live" »
Get there early.
Doors open at 7 p.m., and I'm not sure if there is an opening act.
But it doesn't really matter -- there are going to be something like 1,500 people waiting in the Will Call line.
So get there early. You definitely don't want to miss their set.
(Sun photo by Algerina Perna)
Since the booking and sale of tomorrow's surprise Beastie Boys show at Rams Head Live (pictured) generated so much interest/controversy, I thought I'd add my opinion to the pile.
First off, I want to give credit where credit is due: Landing a surprise Beastie Boys show was huge for Rams Head Live.
The Beasties are only playing two of these club shows (the other one is in Asheville, N.C.) before Bonnaroo. It's a score for Rams Head -- the Beasties are one of the biggest groups to have ever played there.
Now, a little criticism: It's obvious the club's Web site was totally unprepared to handle the volume of traffic it received when Beastie Boys tickets went on sale.
I'm sure there are ways to avoid this (Midnight Sun commenter Abject Disaster had a good point about renting space on outside servers to insure smooth ticket buying)
I'm intruiged by the "scalp-proof" ticket system Rams Head Live instituted for this show ...
Continue reading "My thoughts on the scalp-proof system at Rams Head" »
Baltimore's nightlife scene is too big for me to cover every corner. Fortunately, my legion of spies has my back. Josh Fink was at Bourbon Street Wednesday night for the free Drive By Truckers and J-Roddy Walston and the Business show sponsored by Jim Beam. Here is his report:
I feared that this new venue my feel hollow, too big, and lacking character, but it was actually a great time. Two separate aspects particularly piqued my interest during the night: a) The venue, and b) The actual show.
The Venue: Not that the place is officially a new force to be reckoned with, but overall, it surpassed my expectations.
I'd been to the general Bourbon Street facility only once before (Ben Lee a few weeks back), but that show was limited to "The Quarter" section, which is only 1/3 of the total square footage.
For this show however, they had the whole building opened up, which gave us the opportunity to explore the large "Ballroom" venue side, the second floor which has a huge square bar in the middle, a dance floor, and then the railing viewing area to peer down onto the Ballroom stage (somewhat similar to Rams Head, 9:30, 8x10).
There's also a pool table on the front side of the 2nd floor, which seemed out of place considering the venue only holds concerts and heavy dancing/club nights ...
Continue reading "A look at Wednesday's Drive By Truckers & J-Roddy Walston show" »
WTMD's 1st Thursday Concert in the Park, originally scheduled for 5:30 p.m. tonight in Mount Vernon Place, has been canceled due to rain.
"Mother nature hates good music," said Amy Wielunski, membership director for the station.
Philadelphia-based acoustic rockers Good Old War and indie rock group Company of Thieves were scheduled to co-headline tonight's show.
So far this year, there have been no 1st Thursday concerts. The first, scheduled for May 7, was scrubbed due to landscaping concerns.
(Sun archive photo)
The folks at Rams Head Live (20 Market Place in Power Plant Live) just dropped a sweet little surprise: Rappers the Beastie Boys will be performing at the club on Tuesday.
Tickets for the show go on sale at 4 p.m. today, and cost $40.
That's not bad, considering that if you go, you get to see a great act in a much more intimate setting than they're used to playing.
There is a two-ticket limit per person, and you can only get tickets online.
Interested? Go here.
I have a feeling this is going to be a really great show ...
Continue reading "Surprise! A Beastie Boys show at Rams Head next week" »
Since posting my uncharacteristically snarky bit about standing up during a slow song at a Billy Joel concert, I've thought a lot about what I wrote and how I feel about standing up at shows.
A lot of you frowned on what I said, and after re-reading it, you're right -- I come off as a jerk.
We paid for those seats, and if we wanted to stand, we were going to stand whenever we wanted. Is that rude? Maybe. But I don't care.
That's a rude exaggeration of how I really feel, and I'm sorry I wrote it like that. What I should have written was this ...
Continue reading "Revisiting my thoughts on standing up at shows" »
Alt-rockers Cake, R&B diva Dionne Warwick and acclaimed singer/songwriter Robin Thicke will headline this year's Artscape Festival, organizers announced this morning.
The free arts and music festival is scheduled for July 17-19 in the Bolton Hill and Station North Arts and Entertainment District.
Robert Randolph and the Family Band, a funk and soul group fronted by a pedal steel guitar prodigy, will also perform at this year's festival.
The rest of the roster, along with performance times, should be announced later today.
(Getty Images)
There's no in between with Baltimore singer/songwriter Tommy Tucker.
You'll love him, or you'll hate him.
Go here and listen to "Keep Good Time."
I love it. The beat smokes and his wailing falsetto makes me giggle. It sounds like he's singing in a bathroom.
Hee hee.
You know what this song needs? A sweet music video. Tommy, if you happen upon this blog, get on that, please.
I first came across Tommy's stuff about a year ago, and played a song or two on Baltimore Unsigned ...
Continue reading "Is Tommy Tucker brilliant or bad? You decide." »
Here's a look at that chicken I was telling you about. It's about 15 feet tall and weighs 7,500 lbs.
It's called the Great Key West Chicken, and was made by Maryland artist Derek Arnold.
This is one chicken you don't wanna mess with.
What does it have to do with music? Not much, really. But it certainly helps spruce up Merriweather.
I got a peak at Merriweather's new Music Pinball Hall of Fame yesterday, which is also pretty cool ...
Continue reading "The Merriweather chicken statue" »
When editor Sarah (of Reality Check fame) sent me this list of the 10 Worst Ways to Behave at Concerts, I chuckled in my cubicle.
The list, which was put together by Much Music's Red Hot blog, has 10 taboos for crowd members.
What's on the list?
Snapping cell phone photos and videos during the show, crowd surfing unnecessarily, elbowing your way to the front row, standing up at seated shows, talking through the whole performance, etc.
I'm guilty of a few of these offenses, but I don't feel guilty about it ...
Early this morning, I checked my work e-mail and saw the subject line "NEWS CONF: Merriweather Post Pavilion."
I thought it would be a juicy announcement about this year's Virgin Mobile Festival. False.
Instead, the e-mail was about some updates at the popular Columbia amphitheater. Looks like the rumors were true.
They range from practical renovations -- such as tripling the size of the restrooms and drastically expanding the food service area -- to green initiatives -- such as planting hundreds of trees and shrubs and adding a biodeisel fueling station.
Oh, and then there's the new pinball lounge and the 7,500-pound chicken statue ...
Five Baltimore musicians are vying to win Artscape's annual Sound Off! unsigned band competition. The winner gets to perform on the main stage at this year's Artscape, as well as a $500 check and a backstage performance for 20 fans.
The five semi-finalists are ellen cherry (pictured), For the People Entertainment, Jinxxx, Thrushes and Wordsmith.
These semi-finalists were plucked from a pool of about 85 submissions by a panel of expert judges, including Billy Zero, program director for WTMD, Bret McCabe of the City Paper and Jimmy Mac of Sound Garden.
Vote here.
I was going to put this story in my own words, but Saleem Heggins' manager Natashia says it so plainly in an e-mail she sent me:
A teacher at Cherry Hill Elementary in Baltimore saw Caleb & Saleem perform at Sound Garden a few months back. He was so moved by the music, he asked for them to speak to his class (and turns out four other classes) about their journey through music & life. Caleb unfortunately was unable to attend, but Mr. Carlberg, (yes, the teacher) suggested that he learn "Baltimore" to accompany Saleem ...
Continue reading "Elementary school kids love "Baltimore" by Caleb and Saleem" »
Our guest blogging continues with a piece from local musician Ryan Graham:
I’m Ryan Graham, the lead guitarist for The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad, one of the most offensive bands in Baltimore.
I’m also in The Hilltop Hightops, Baltimore’s only hard-rock children’s band.
Same members, different band.
The same people who sing "I Like Fat Girls" for drunken bar-goers now sing "I Like Kitties" for 4-year-olds.
I think Sam envisioned some evil plan to corrupt American’s youth when he asked me to write about this, but the reality is a little less insidious ...
Continue reading "The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad: From lewd to lovable" »
BiCoastalChickie has officially made the jump from Midnight Sun reader/commenter to Midnight Sun guest poster. Here is her first piece:
When I was in college in SoCal, we had a couple of sweet bands (and sevvvvveral crappy ones) that played campus parties each year.
One student was friends with the jam band Particle, who has since gone on to play Lollapalooza and the New Orleans Jazz Fest and tour with 311.
I still have my Linde Dorm Particle T-shirt from when they played there in 2001 ...
One of the guys in my dorm was the drummer for We Are Scientists (pictured), which developed a decent following here and a bigger one in Europe (yeah, they're kinda emo) ...
We decided to mix it up a bit this week, and instead of a bar review, I wrote about this Saturday's Station North Spring Music Festival.
This festival is a big step for the neighborhood -- especially if it's a hit. But the fact that Station North is even attempting a festival of this size is a testament to how far the neighborhood has come in the past few years.
(Sun photo by Monica Lopossay)
Baltimore Chop (pictured), the coffeeshop, bookstore and live music venue in Ridgely's Delight, has closed, according to owner Andy Rubin.
"It's been slower and slower around here over a long period of time now, and on top of that I've been busy on some major projects for Baltimore Glass Works and 31 Tigers Records, the other two things I do in life, and so I took some time to attend to them while kind of having accordioned hours," he wrote in a Facebook message ...
A couple of Baltimore-based musicians are stirring up some national buzz, according to Al Shipley over at Government Names.
MySpace Records (bet you didn't know the site had a record label, did ya?) officially releases Bossman's (pictured) single "Break Me Off" this week.
If this song and future tracks do well, Interscope will release a full album.
Pretty cool stuff. Check out Bossman's single here.
But wait, there's more ...
Continue reading "Bossman, DJ Class making national waves" »
I want to know how the show was.
I heard international superstar M.I.A. was supposed to make a surprise appearance.
Did that happen?
And how was Blaqstarr's set?
Fill me in, please.
(Handout photo)
I know, I know -- asking if there are any cool bars in Columbia is like asking if there are freeze pops in hell.
However, I thought I'd toss it out there, because a friendly (I assume) gentleman (I assume) named Todd Willis sent me this e-mail yesterday:
I was wondering if you know of any good bars or lounges(the divier the better) close to Merriweather that don’t include the likes of P.F. Changs or Clydes. I live in DC and will be heading there for a concert in August and we will be staying the night in a hotel about 5 miles from there. I am trying to figure out something do after the show.
I do have one or two suggestions ...
Continue reading "Know of any cool bars near Merriweather Post Pavilion?" »
Yesterday, I got a tip that Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia (pictured) is undergoing some renovations.
According to the tipster:
the whole west side of the property is being expanded with brand new restrooms, a pinball lounge, and new concessions stands as well as leveled out
I e-mailed Merriweather's general manager, Jean Parker, who called me back and left an obscure message ...
Continue reading "Merriweather Post Pavilion may be expanding" »
Two bands from the Northeast will perform at WTMD's First Thursday Concert in the Park May 7.
Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Matt Duke and New Hampshire-based indie rockers Wild Light (pictured) will headline the show, which starts around 5:30 p.m. in Mount Vernon Place.
As always, the show is free. And from the looks of it, this is going to be a solid kick-off to a great season of free live music.
For more information, go here.
(Photo by Ryan Nicholson)
The Recher Theatre in Towson has a brand new, state-of-the-art sound system, co-owner Brian Recher said yesterday.
Recher isn't sure of the exact brand or specs (he thinks it's a Yamaha Nexo and that it's got about 25,000 watts), but that's OK. What matters is it sounds better, he said.
"It's an amazing system," he said. "It's so crystal clear, it's unbelievable." ...
"It's the ultimate Socialist conspiracy."
That's what one of my coworkers said when I told him about the closing of Record and Tape Traders in Catonsville.
Backstory here.
Basically, it all boils down to this: There is now a generation of young adults who believe music, movies, art, photography and news should be free. Gee, thanks, Internet.
There are many other factors at play here, of course, but this is a big reason why thousands of people in the journalism and music businesses are losing their jobs.
And though I'm no political idealist, when I think about it, it really seems to be cultural socialism at its finest ...
Continue reading "I've seen the future and I'm not sure I like it." »
The folks at The Boston Phoenix have rated Baltimore-based experimental composer Dan Deacon No. 99 on their list of the 100 Unsexiest Men of the Year.
I love this line in their blurb about him:
anyone who’s met this amusing musical experimentalist will tell you that Dan needs to experiment with some deodorant.
HAHAHAHAHA! ...
Continue reading "Dan Deacon voted 99th Unsexiest Man of the Year" »
My ears were ringing before the show even started.
So many teens, pre-teens, post-teens -- all wailing like banshees for Britney Spears at Washington's Verizon Center last night.
Though piercingly painful, the crowd's gleeful shrieks for Brit-Brit only added to the excitement. And what a show it was.
Yes, Britney lip-synced the whole thing. But let's be honest -- nobody was there to hear her sing.
I'll bet nobody cared. All that crowd wanted was to be dazzled, and Britney didn't let them down. The sheer spectacle of the whole thing was stunning.
Instead of a stage, there were three circular performance areas -- modeled after a three-ring circus. The tour is in support of Britney's new album, Circus, and the show is kind of like a wicked, hedonistic night under the Big Top ...
Continue reading "Review: Britney Spears at the Verizon Center last night" »
All I need is one more for a trend.
Here are two new music videos done by two area bands ...
Continue reading "Claymation videos from two good local bands" »
This photo is from Patrick Smith (check out his site), a buddy of mine who interned at The Sun a while back and is now a freelancer. He covered the Senator Theatre conference last night for the Associated Press, and this was one of the leftovers ...
In my piece about last night's Senator Theatre meeting, I forgot to mention the live entertainment. The whole thing kicked off with a 30-minute performance by the Baltimore-based a capella group Smoothteaze (pictured).
Well, according to the members of Smoothteaze, Smoothteaze is Baltimore's "newest and hottest a capella doo-wop group."
Hmm ...
Continue reading "Smoothteaze wants you to save the Senator Theatre" »
Miss the first post about the song? Here it is. Mike Ward, one of the musicians behind the song, just send me an e-mail. It reads:
Saw your posts. Thanks so much. After I wrote you, we had a meeting with the Orioles. The production guy explained that the song being played at every game is all based on crowd reaction ...
Continue reading "Update on the Orioles and "How 'Bout Dem Os"" »
Witness the power of Midnight Sun!
Or maybe it was the power of ruthless, arm-twisting negotiations by a few local musicians.
Either way, the Orioles have agreed to play "How 'Bout Dem Os" about 10 minutes before game time at nearly every home game this season.
Did you miss the first post about the song? Dig it. ...
Continue reading "The Orioles agree to play "How 'Bout Dem O's"" »
Midnight Sun reader LiquorBoarding (the commenting name for city liquor board chairman Stephan Fogleman) happens to be a huge Morrissey fan. No, wait, make that a HUGE Morrissey fan.
This surprises me, because I thought Morrissey performs pretty much the same show every night.
Side note: The creepy thing about Morrissey is, the more you ignore him, the closer he gets.
Anyhow, I asked LiquorBoarding to write me a review, and lo and behold, he did.
Here it is ...
Continue reading "LiquorBoarding loves him some Morrissey" »
Ever wonder what Sam Chaney's been up to since becoming the general manager of Bourbon Street (316 Guilford Ave.)?
Wonder no more.
Today is the debut of The Quarter, a live music venue located inside Bourbon Street. Kinda in Bourbon Street and kinda not, actually.
The Quarter has a separate entrance, lighting rig, ticket booth, bathrooms and its own access to the rooftop deck, Chaney said ...
Continue reading "The Quarter at Bourbon Street opens today" »
I think this is the first time the City Paper has ever said anything good about something I've been involved in.
Remember the Baltimore Music Project? Here's the back story.
Now, read City Paper's review of the resulting album. Here's an excerpt:
So many rock/rap collaborations lean on either the novelty of culture shock, or the loudest each genre has to offer. But instead of combining chest-thumping rhymes and screaming guitar solos, Heggins and Stine are at their most contemplative throughout, to the point that when Stine plugs in an electric on a couple songs, it's almost jarring.
Here is their MySpace. Here is a link where you can buy the album.
A bunch of local musicians recently got together and came up with a song called "How 'Bout Dem O's." It's pretty funny, and a little uplifting too. Their goal is to get the song played at Camden Yards during an Orioles game.
"Basically, we wanted it to be hopeful and inspiring and I'm really happy with the finished result," said Mike Ward, one of the musicians involved.
They had better play this song before some of the people in it get traded. Hee hee.
Lazlo Lee and the Motherless Children (sounds like a mouthful but it's a name that sticks with you) dropped by the WTMD studios for a Baltimore Unsigned taping not too long ago. This episode aired last night. You can catch the encore broadcast Saturday morning at 9.
Lazlo Lee and the Motherless Children are a duo that plays big and blistering blues rock. Faces were melted during this taping. Thankfully, I lived. But will you?
There's a great moment at around two minutes. Check it ...
Continue reading "Video: Lazlo Lee and the Motherless Children on Baltimore Unsigned" »
Jam band the Disco Biscuits (pictured), electro-funk group Chromeo and jammers Lotus will headline this year's Starscape Festival at Fort Armistead Park.
Bassnectar, Pnuma Trio, The Bridge, Shawn Caesar, Stanton Warriors, Chase & Status, Donald Glaude and Monsters of Jungle are among the other artists on the lineup, which was announced this morning.
The festival is set for June 6. Early bird tickets are $39.50 for general admission and $129 for VIP. Soon, these tickets will go up to $50 and $139, respectively.
Click here for all the details.
(Handout photo)
Pablo Fiasco, the longtime host of a popular monthly soul, ska, funk and reggae dance party near Hollins Market, has moved the event to Sonar (407 E. Saratoga St.).
The party starts at 9 p.m. and costs $5.
I'm being a little vague here because certain members of the city's liquor board read this blog, and I don't want to get anybody in trouble.
But for years, Fiasco threw some pretty crazy parties at a semi-underground venue with the initials L.H. ...
Continue reading "Tighten Up! dance party moves to Sonar tonight" »