Brakemen to Rock Ecofestival
BALTIMORE FOLK ROCKER CALEB STINE, LEADER OF THE BRAKEMEN
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If you want to hear music that will lift you up and make you feel like summer's here and will never leave, come to Baltimore's Druid Hill Park on Saturday, April 26. Baltimore singer/songwriter Caleb Stine and The Brakemen are playing at the Ecofestival.
About 8,000 people are expected from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at a free outdoor celebration of music, art, food and educational activities with a theme of environmental awareness. The art will be crafted from recycled materials. The snacks will be organic and locally-grown. And there will be yoga sessions, acupuncture, message therapists, games for kids and even a "toxic tour" of Baltimore pollution sites.
But even if you drive a Hummer and love greasy bacon cheeseburgers, you should come to hear Caleb Stine. Everyone should hear Caleb Stine. I've heard him close up, when we played together during a few jam sessions last year at The Evergeen coffee house on Coldspring Lane in the city (with walking blues encyclopedia Bob Friedman of Mambo Combo, and harmonica great Tom Chalkley, the cartoonist and City Paper writer).
Stine is a rare talent. He writes old-timey, bare-bones acoustic rock songs that tell stories about America, kind of like Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen, except less grim than Springsteen's later albums. Stine has an earnestness about him that makes him a real pleasure to listen to. His voice is soothing and powerful.
The Sun's music critic Roshod Ollison put it best, writing: "His songs - evocative of campfires and sparse windswept landscapes - echo his influences, namely Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie."
You can listen yourself by going to Stine's website. Or in advance of the big Ecofestival, you can check them out this weekend. On Friday, April 4, they're playing at 9 p.m. at The Talking Head Club, 203 Davis St. in Baltimore. And on Saturday, April 5, they're playing at 9 p.m. at The Austin Grill, at 2400 Boston St. in Baltimore.
Stine's lyrics aren't political. He's not going to sing you a song about impeaching George Bush or storming the Maryland State House to force the legislature to pass the Global Warming Solutions Act (without the Exum amendment). But his tunes celebrate the beauty of the American landscape and imply this is something valuable that we should save. Stine said playing at the Ecofestival is one way he's helping promote conservation.
"America is an amazing, amazing country, with a lot of beautiful vistas and a lot of beautiful countryside and natural resources," said Stine, who lives in Baltimore's Remington neighborhood. "I grew up in Colorado, surrounded by all that beauty. And if you even read one newspaper, you realize that there's an environmental crisis in our country, and there has to be a direct and creative response to that. This is our small way to contribute to that cause."
THE BRAKEMEN (photo by Dan Stack). Left to right: Burke Sampson, lead guitar; Caleb Stine, vocals and guitar; E.J. Shaull-Thompson, drums; and Nick Sjostrom, bass.
Stine and his band tour the country a lot. He came to Baltimore on a road trip eight years ago, and fell in love with the city. He's an example of the large and growing number of artists who are making the city home because of its affordability, history and rich cultural scene. "I really was charmed by Baltimore -- it's authenticity, and the spice of Baltimore living," he said.
His first album with the Brakemen, called October 29th, came out in 2006 and can be purchased through the web site of Baltimore's Atomic Books (among other places). Their second CD, called "I'll Head West Again," is coming out on May 17 and will be available through Atomic Books or through the Brakemen website.
Carol Silldorff, program director of Baltimore Green Week, a nonprofit organization running the Ecofestival, said they picked the band because they're becoming very well known and are expected to draw a diverse crowd.
Silldorff said Baltimore Green Week is in it's fifth year, and will present a variety of events to teach people how to live with sustainability in mind. You can check out the schedule for the Green Week, which runs April 26 to May 5, by clicking here.
The Ecofestival starts the whole Green Week shebang. At least 100 vendors and exhibitors will be at Druid Hill Park on April 26, selling veggie burritos, soups and bread, as well as clothing and crafts. People can also learn about how to add solar panels to their homes and make them more fuel efficient, among many other subjects.
"The goal of the Ecofestival is to educate people about environmental options that are available, and help them live a healthier life," said Silldorff.
Mayor Sheila Dixon is expected at Noon.
Caleb Stine and The Brakemen are scheduled to play at 4 p.m.
Also in the musical lineup are (in reverse order):
For the People Entertainment - 3pm to 3:40pm
86 the Effort - 2:00pm to 2:40pm
Ed Schrader of Wham City - 1:00pm to 1:40pm
Steve Hefner and Friends - 11:45 to 12:30
Swing States Road Show - 11am to 11:35am
