Please allow me to apologize for the momentary lapse in posting yesterday afternoon.
I was under the gun to turn around a centerpiece for the Today section on large scale music festivals.
I talked to Seth Hurwitz, who booked Virgin Mobile Festival, MS poster ryan97ou and some industry folks for the piece.
Seth didn't think the new All Points West Music & Arts Festival will compete with the Virgin Mobile Festival. What do you think?
(Photo by Kenneth K. Lam/Sun Photographer)
Three cheers to Sarah M. Williams for keeping the Metro Gallery up and running for a year.
She's celebrating at 7 p.m. tonight with an art show titled Moist Hierarchy featuring works by Seth Goodman and Greg McLemore -- the first two artists the gallery exhibited.
Congrats, Sarah. Many more to come.
(Image courtesy of the Metro Gallery)
You all know of my affection for the Washington band Jukebox the Ghost.
Here's a clip of pianist Ben Thornewill and his friend Seth Kallen playing the lounge version of "Hold it In." Enjoy!
I have a question, and I'd like an answer.
I saw tons of concerts in college.
On the day of the show, my friends and I would never, ever play the music of the band we were going to see that night.
I'm not sure whether they thought if you played the band's music the day of the show then the show itself would be bad or if it was as toolish as wearing the band's T-shirt to the show.
But I'm curious. Have any of you ever heard of this before?
(AP Photo)
Baltimore Unsigned held its first live taping at The 8x10 Monday afternoon.
Fools and Horses were the guest, and about 200 people showed up to see the local rock band run through some songs from Pop Filter and their new album, tentatively titled I Am the Ghost.
A lot of good news has come out of the Fools and Horses camp lately.
They're playing Summerfest (the world's largest music festival, taking place for 11 days in Milwaukee) in late June. I've heard they were also voted onto an emerging artist compilation CD the festival is releasing.
(Photo by Courtney Block/Block Design & Photography)
Forty Acres, the local rock band fronted by John Allen, changed its name to Chosen Son and signed to Eleven Seven Music last week.
Eleven Seven, a record label run by Nikki Sixx, currently represents Buckcherry and Drowning Pool, among others.
To celebrate, Chosen Son is throwing a party Friday at the Black Hole Rock Club (216 German Hill Road in Dundalk).
Congrats, John!
(Photo courtesy of John Allen)
A while back, local jazz bassist Slim Manicotti sent out an email blast.
In it, he casually mentioned the time he met Jimi Hendrix.
Yesterday, I emailed him back and asked him to tell me the story.
Here it is ...
The Get 'Em Mamis got some more recognition in the May 15 issue of Rolling Stone.
Stone gave their single "Cold Summer" four stars in its Downloads section.
Here's a bit of the review:
"These Baltimore ladies outshine their male counterparts with clipped double-time rhymes and a beat that belongs on boomboxes at barbeques across America."
I couldn't agree more.
Congrats, Mamis.
(Photo by J.M. Giordano)
Last week was pretty action-packed.
The Wind-Up Space had a soft opening, with none other than Mobtown Molly behind the bar. From now on, it's open Thursdays through Saturdays at 8-10 W. North Ave. It was Molly's first time serving drinks, I believe and left her worn and weary. Here's her full report.
The Talking Head Club reopened in Sonar's former lounge space. From City Paper's review, it sounds like renovations are still under way there. ...
Mike McFadden taped a Baltimore Unsigned session at WTMD recently.
His interview and live performance air at 8 tonight.
Here's a video of the song "Standing Here":
Remember a few months back when we drug out dozens and dozens of songs based on Baltimore or with the word "Baltimore" in their title?
Well, the folks at Quarter Life Party put together a Baltimore Edition of their Mobtown Mix.
You can see it and download tracks here.
It's a pretty comprehensive list, from local favorites like Celebration and Caleb Stine (pictured) to national acts like Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks and Randy Newman.
(Photo by Chiaki Kawajiri/Sun Photographer)
Here's a local band to keep an eye on: Ms. Sara and the Help.
The group is currently recording its first full length album at the Millersville studio Waterford Digital Inc.
Waterford is owned and operated by Frank "Magic Ears" Marchand, who also ran sound for Ms. Sara and the Help at a recent 8x10 gig.
Ms. Sara has one heck of a voice.
I like the song "Try."
Teavolve, the popular Fells Point teahouse and lounge, will be opening a second location in Harbor East as early as June. ...
Punk outfit The Death Set is responsible for some of the freshest music coming out of Baltimore these days.
And tonight, the band is stopping by for a show at Sonar before resuming an international tour in support of its Counter Records debut titled Worldwide.
If you like punk and electronica, you'll probably like these guys.
Here's their MySpace site.
(Photo by Josh Sisk)
Have any of you guys been to Bobby's Jazz Club & Cigar Bar?
Being a fan of both jazz and cigars, I'm gonna check this place out soon. It's at 1140 S. Paca St.
The club's website says you can smoke cigars on the second floor and outer deck because the business is technically a tobacco retailer.
Hmm.
It must have opened fairly recently, because there was construction there until a few months ago.
I'll let you know how it is when I go.
Some of the story behind why the Lo-Fi Social Club closed went dark is starting to emerge.
Peter Goode, who booked the club for about six months, sent me an email statement Monday with his side of the story. ...
Saw this on the City Paper's blog last night, and confirmed it with promoter Adam Savage this morning.
Effective immediately, the Talking Head Club is moving into Sonar's lounge space. ...
Dropped by the Metro Gallery (1700 N. Charles St., pictured) Saturday to check out Videopolis and chat with gallery owner Sarah M. Williams.
In the coming weeks, she plans to install a new bar and stage. I'll keep you posted as things progress.
Little known fact: Over the years, Williams has developed a case of slight claustrophobia. She hates being wedged between concertgoers at clubs around town.
Instead, she brings bands she wants to see to the Metro Gallery.
Then, when the place is packed with patrons, she either hides behind the soundboard mixing levels or serves drinks from behind the bar.
"I can’t handle it," she said. "I have to corner myself off."
Goodness!
J-Roddy Walston's gone hair-crazy!
With that massive mustache, those long frizzy locks and that evil stare, he looks like David Crosby after a meth binge.
I wonder if it's just tour growth or a permanent thing.
Anybody know?
I mean, it's his Business, not mine.
But I'm still kinda curious.
What if you could see one of the nation's best unsigned piano rock bands play live for free in a beautiful park?
I'll bet you know where this is going.
Yes indeed, it's time for WTMD's 1st Thursday Concerts in the Park.
Tonight, Jukebox the Ghost (from nearby Washington) and The XYZ Affair are playing in Mount Vernon Park.
The music starts at 5:30 p.m.
Don't know Jukebox? Here's their interview and live performance on Baltimore Unsigned.
(Photo by Shervin Lainez)
I'm really looking forward to covering this fall's Virgin Mobile Festival.
Promoter Seth Hurwitz, who booked the bands for the two-day extravaganza at Pimlico, took a different approach with the lineup this year.
He's betting that two full days of engaging acts like Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (pictured), KT Tunstall and Gogol Bordello will bring more people than one or two big headliners.
I think it's a good strategy.
Pimlico holds 60,000 people, give or take.
Last year, the Police -- one of the hottest touring acts out there -- couldn't fill the place.
All of these smaller (but still formidable) bands just might.
(Photo by Laura Hanifin)
According to Juan Donovan Bell from Darkroom Productions, the Get 'Em Mamis will be in US Weekly this Friday.
I have to say, this is the first time I've heard of any Baltimore rap group in a gossip mag since Sisqo.
After hearing "Cold Summer" and "Joc'n," it's clear any attention they get is long overdue.
I also hear Darkroom is thinking of taking GEM to Alaska to shoot the video for "Cold Summer" because it's actually cold in the summer up there.
(Photo by J.M. Giordano)
It's been a big month for Floristree.
The DIY art space was name-checked in Rolling Stone and Blender for contributing to the awesomeness of Baltimore's scene.
So I called Floristree member Jason Urick, who also plays in WZT Hearts, to find out what he thought of the props.
"It definitely caught us off guard a bit," he said. "I think it's more humorous to us than anything else at this point."
Urick hopes both pieces will help people associate Baltimore with positives like arts and music as opposed to drugs, crime and the Inner Harbor.
"I glad people think we've contributed something. we've definitely tried to contribute something to the scene. In the end, we're just doing what we're doing. The last thing we're after is attention."<
