For the past 15 years, Patrick McAvinue has been a rising star in the bluegrass world, first finding his string instrument at age six in Baltimore County before joining some of the region’s best string bands (see Smooth Kentucky, then Charm City Junction) and ultimately working his way to to the national stage and being named Fiddle Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2017. In fact, fusing his traditional sound with a medley of other influences, many consider the virtuosic musician a sort of best-kept secret of Americana. Though he now resides in Nashville, where he’s a regular at the Grand Ole Opry, McAvinue can still often be found in Baltimore, which he continues to credit as his home. On the heels of the release of his third solo record, Perfect Fit, we caught up with the fiddler to talk about his musical upbringing and evolving his old-school genre outwards for the entire world.

What does Perfect Fit refer to?
It’s a culmination of all the things that have come together in my life up until this moment. All the people I’ve met and artists I’ve been able to work with. I’ve been on the road since I was a teenager. My first tour was with Audie Blaylock at age 16. Then in college at Towson University, where I studied music, I learned about Bach and Coltrane and all these different techniques that I would then try to play at bluegrass festivals. In Charm City Junction, we tried to explore each other’s music in ways that respected tradition while pushing boundaries to create something new. I got the call from [national bluegrass band] Dailey & Vincent in 2016, so I moved to Nashville. I bought a house and just got married. All of these things have formed me as a musician. I’ve learned so much. And these tunes are diverse, but somehow, they fit together.

Do you consider this a bluegrass record?
It’s an expansion. No matter what, I’m a bluegrass musician. That’s what I’ve done all my life. But the music has to evolve. Bluegrass is still alive, still growing, and it’s made up of so many amazing pastimes—Old-Time Appalachian music, Celtic and [British] Isles music, the Mississippi Delta blues. Even Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music, was just trying to form his own sound. I don’t want to be a torch-bearer, but I am by default because I’ve been playing this for a long, long time. The music I’m creating is music of the people . . . That’s something I want to champion for myself and for my own music students: keep your ears open and let the outside world influence what you do and how you create.

You discovered bluegrass at a young age, when so many other kids are fawning over electric guitar. What was it about the genre for you?
To me, it was electric. When you listen to Earl Scruggs’ banjo, it is as exciting as a Keith Richards or Eric Clapton guitar solo. It’s like Stevie Ray Vaughn music to me. It’s got that explosive power, and when I was a kid, that’s what I heard. But what really got me was when I was about six years old; I was at my friend’s house and his father yelled to him, ‘Hey Wills,’ grab your fiddle, let’s play something for Pat.’ They played the mandolin together and I thought, ‘I want to do that.’ From there, I went down a rabbit hole, then I went to college and studied music, and my interest exploded even more. It was coming into a consciousness. Your mind starts to expand, and you start getting a wider perspective of the world, and what your part is.

Speaking of the world, you include a number of other musical influences on this album outside of traditional bluegrass.
I spent a month in Ecuador on tour in 2012 and I got to work with these musicians and see how they feel rhythm in choro music. And at Towson University, my classical professors had a huge impact on me, too. I would listen to Bach, Debussy, Beethoven, even early Gregorian chant. I had a chance to study other worlds of music that are completely separated by culture and time and let them influence what I do. That was something I really wanted to champion for myself, and that I now want to champion for my own music students: keep your ears open and let the outside world influence what you do and how you create. It’s really important for me to be a broader part of the world community of music.

That being said, you’ve seen Baltimore’s music scene evolve so much over the last 15 years. Do you still find inspiration here?
I’m continually inspired by the artists and people who are creating in Baltimore and getting to see so many of my friends taking their own approach to music continues to influence me, too. The people of Baltimore are very open and appreciative of art and self-expression. They let you be you, and have a good time doing it. Those are traits I take with me everywhere I go. At the end of the day, even though I hang my hat in other places, Baltimore is my home and always will be.

EAT

July 14: The Night Brunch at South Point

South Point, Port Covington, 101 West Cromwell St. 6-11 p.m. $10.

We love a good brunch, but who says you can only eat eggs Benedict and bacon in the morning? Step outside the norm with this popular evening brunch series which, for the very first time, will host local foodies for brunch cocktails and eats on a Sunday night instead of its usual weeknight slot. Head to South Point in Port Covington to sample bites courtesy of the seasonal waterfront location, and, if that’s not convincing enough, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Night Brunch Summer Lunch Program that distributes meals to Baltimore City kids.

DRINK

July 13: Lee’s Christmas in July

Lee’s Pint & Shell, 2844 Hudson Street. 11 a.m. Free.

Are you already counting down the days until it’s socially appropriate to wear Christmas sweaters, hang red-and-green decorations, and sip holiday ales? Well, look no further than this boozy Christmas in July celebration. Don your (most lightweight) festive garb and revel in the holiday cheer at this Canton corner bar with $1 Rumple shots and $5 Mad Elf drafts all afternoon long. Come dressed to impress (antlers encouraged) and bring a new unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots for the chance to win a $100 gift card.

SEE

July 14-Jan. 5, 2020: Isaac Julien: Baltimore and Every Day: Selections from the Collection

Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.

This Sunday, the Baltimore Museum of Art will unveil two new exhibitions, Isaac Julien: Baltimore and Every Day: Selections from the Collection. Explore the past, present, and future of African-American culture with filmmaker Isaac Julien’s video installation about two individuals making their way through Charm City’s significant cultural sites, such as the Walters Art Museum and the Great Blacks in Wax museum. The BMA will also debut the first reinstallation of its contemporary collection about the black artistic imagination—showcasing nearly 50 photographs, sculptures, videos, and prints that emphasize how African-American artists have shaped modern art.

HEAR

July 14: Charm City Junction

Ladew Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike. 6-8 p.m. Free-$9.

This Monkton topiary garden will be hosting outdoor jams all summer long, but we’re particularly excited to hear bluegrass group Charm City Junction take on the laid-back soiree. The acoustic quartet is sure to get you groovin’ in the grass with old-time rhythms and foot stomping Irish melodies. Find a space on the picture-perfect garden to hear the folksy band take roots music to new heights with the sounds of the fiddle, expressive clawhammer banjo, harmonic button accordion, and upright bass.

DO

July 13-14: Baltimore Washington One Carnival

Lake Clifton Park, 2801 Harford Road. 12 p.m. $15-20.

Experience rich Caribbean culture during this two-day festival at Lake Clifton Park, featuring energetic music beats, international flavors, and, of course, tons of feathered and sequined costumes. Don’t miss the Saturday parade featuring color-filled masqueraders, drummers, stilt walkers, floats, and steel bands. After sampling authentic eats such as mouth-watering jerk chicken, spend the afternoon jamming along to live music by Pan Masters Steel Band, Trinidadian singer Nadia Batson, and Strykers Posse Reggae Band.

DDm

Soundtrack To A Shopping Mall (TBD)

We’d been waiting on the edge of our seats for this first full-length record from Emmanuel Williams, aka DDm. From one of the city’s most spirited performers, it promised to be swimming in swagger and subtle wit, and DDm’s solo talents—honed on the battle-rap circuit before forming his beloved duo, Bond St. District—are on full display. But this album is so much more than its fearless energy, irreverent humor, and abundant pop culture references. The creation of an ’80s child born and bred in Baltimore, it takes a thoughtful look at capitalism, celebrity, and excess in an age of ever-growing economic disparity in America. Across 14 tracks, it shines brightest in its buoyant, braggadocious moments, such as “Ready To Wear” and “Try Me On.” But its true strength lies in the final tracks, like “Forever 21” and “Closed,” in which he removes his armor of bravado to reveal a complex portrait of growing up as a young black boy in a generation of broken promises. With an uncanny awareness of city and self, DDm stares down those lost hopes and uses his own ambitious talent as living proof that you should never give up.

See our full interview with rapper DDm.

Charm City Junction

Duckpin (self-released)

Over the years, Charm City Junction has become an integral part of the city’s swelling Americana music scene. Following their stellar 2015 debut, this new sophomore release showcases the quartet’s genuine chemistry and growth. Rooted in the acoustic traditions of their old-time genres, these 11 tunes are a tight display of passion and precision, using hearty melodies to flaunt their intuitive instrumentation, whether they’re harmonizing on vocals or strings—fiddle, mandolin, banjo, upright bass, and even one achy-breaky, breathy accordion. From Celtic jigs and coastal ballads to Appalachian stomps, each song unfurls with an organic momentum. Sometimes, they roll like a train, big and bold and building in tempo, while at other times, they’re more like a river, gentle and lush with a lilting rush of emotion. It’s the kind of music that can only be made by old friends—and old souls—and is best listened to outside in the open country air. Hold onto the season with personal favorites “Duckpin” and “Farewell Tennessee.”

In the latest iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we round up five local songs we can’t get enough of right now, ranging from idiosyncratic R&B to finger-picking Americana to summery indie-rock. Check back each month for new songs of the moment, and follow our Spotify playlist as we continue to build a soundtrack for our city.

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“Jaybird” by Charm City Junction

The high heat of summer calls for a back-porch hootenanny with friends and family, and Charm City Junction’s new album, Duckpin, makes for the perfect soundtrack. The Baltimore acoustic roots quartet has become an integral part of the city’s flourishing bluegrass and folk scene, honing their skills at local jam sessions, intimate house shows, and toe-tapping dance parties, as well as big-stage festivals like the Charm City Bluegrass Festival. After years of gigging together, the band’s kinship and chemistry is stronger than ever, as shown as in this first tight, timeless tune. It’s a beautiful, backwoods instrumental, with expert fingerpicking of old-time strings—heavy plugs of upright bass, plucky picks of banjo, plus a few breathy pulls of accordion—rooted in tradition yet driven into the 21st century with creative flair.

“Score” by Lor Choc*

Last summer, Lor Choc made local and national waves with the release of her summer jam, “Fast Life.” With some 77,000 YouTube views, the infectious track would be a tough act to follow, but the 20-year-old rapper is now back with another new warm-weather hit. On it, she returns with her bright, buoyant melodies, elevated with the ring of sharp piano keys and rooted in a beat of snappy snare drum and heavy bass. Wavering between singing and rapping, her warm vocals and measured flows showcase her growth as an artist, as well as the inevitable changes that come with success and even fame. Specifically, she speaks to the struggle of severing ties with toxic relationships in order to truly succeed. Simple and sparkling, this song is all good energy, so we can’t wait to see what comes next.

“Whisper” by serpentwithfeet

We don’t know how to prepare you for this song, let alone its boundary-defying artist, now based out of Brooklyn but born and raised in Baltimore, so we won’t—just go ahead and listen. It would be easy to call Josiah Wise, aka serpentwithfeet, experimental or avant-garde, but this boundary-defying artist, born and raised in Baltimore and now based out of Brooklyn, refuses to stay inside those lines. Combining the gospel roots of his choir-boy childhood and a collection of goth, atmospheric soundscapes, he creates his own hauntingly beautiful amalgam of R&B. It’s theatrical, it’s spiritual—devotional, even divine—and yet it’s tempestuous and wayward, all at once. With a singular display of the human voice, his tenor flitters and flutters—low, tender, ethereal, building in texture then soaring up, mountain by mountain, to new zeniths, to other worlds—always speaking to the multitudes of love. Get lost like we have in the vivid scenes of his just-released debut record, soil, as well as the video for “Cherubim.”

“Heat Wave” by Snail Mail

We couldn’t think of a more fitting song for the dog days of July. Hey, Rolling Stone named it the song of summer, after all, and if you saw Snail Mail perform at The Parkway last week, it’s already at the top of your “recently played” list. It’s a universal song about heartbreak, the self-destruction that can come with it, and the moment of glory when you finally, triumphantly, decide to move on. It unfolds in the same slow and steady way a summer-break morning might do, bedraggled by young romance, stifled with ennui, before Lindsey Jordan and her prodigious indie-rock band decide to kick her heartache’s ass. They do so with a rocking dose of guitar, a shimmering crash of drums, and her howling vocals that stare down “sometimes” and “maybe” and make their own destiny instead. It’s a song that has the power to help mend a million teenage hearts.

“Go Ahead” by Thunder Club

As we get older, this season seems to hold less and less of that romantic sentiment that it did when we were young. Whatever your age, let this new song from these pop-infused indie-rockers take you back to the sweet, nostalgic salad days of summer—sticky afternoons that seemed to go on forever, moonlit nights that felt like they would never end. In this bright groove, the quintet proves to be the king of infectious guitar riffs. The melody releases like a sundrenched wave, rolling forward with undulating bass, punchy drums, and golden harmonies, crashing through old memories and conjuring up forgotten emotions with its all-around youthful buzz. Nominated as a best new artist in WTMD’s Alternative Music Awards this spring, the band has just released this song on Summer Vice, their sophomore EP.

*This song is not on Spotify. We’ll add it to the playlist if or when it comes online.

EAT

July 13: Harbor Market

McKeldin Square, 101 E. Pratt St. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. 443-743-3308.

Whether you’re on your lunch break or cutting out of work a little early (we won’t tell), start your weekend with bites from Harbor Market, a bi-weekly pop-up marketplace at McKeldin Square. This Friday’s lunchtime lineup includes eats from Mt. Vernon favorite Dooby’s, barbeque fare from The Smoking Swine food truck, and foodie-approved drinks from Le Monade. Stick around to hear live music and play lawn games like corn hole and can jam during this afternoon escape.

DRINK

July 14: Das Bier Haus Block Party

Das Bier Haus, 1542 Light St. 11 a.m.- 2 a.m. Free. 443-708-8854.

Oktoberfest is still three months away but fear not—Das Bier Haus’ annual summer block party will have enough beers to tide you over until then. On Saturday, the South Baltimore beer hall will take over Light Street for eine feier with live music by Baltimore-based acts Mike Manos and The Readys, drinking games, and, of course, tons of ice-cold beer. With free-flowing brews like Devils Backbone, Goose Island, and Hofbrau, raise a giant stein and revel in this third annual al fresco street party.

SEE

July 14-15: Baltimore Caribbean Carnival

Clifton Park, 2801 Harford Rd. Sat. 12-10 p.m., Sun. 12-9 p.m. Free-$20. 410-362-2957.

This weekend, experience the sights, sounds, and flavors of the 37th annual Baltimore Caribbean Carnival at Clifton Park. The highlight of this two-day festival is hands down Saturday’s must-see parade, featuring a mile-long procession of fluorescent costumes, masked revelers, and pulsing calypso and reggae beats. Join thousands of attendees at this can’t-miss tradition for tons of authentic eats, live music by jab jab superstar Tallpree and socasinger Patrice Roberts, and the chance to see one of the city’s most colorful parades.

HEAR

July 15: Charm City Junction at Ladew Gardens

Ladew Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton. 6-8 p.m. Free-$15. 410-557-9570.

Pack up the lawn chairs, a pair of shades, and a picnic basket—that’s all you’ll need to enjoy this Sunday’s Charm City Junction concert at Ladew Gardens. This beloved local acoustic quartet released their sophomore album, Duckpin, on Thursday, so think of this outdoor concert as a release party of sorts. Their plucky, Americana sound is ideal for all ages, so bring the kiddos and dance along to tunes like “Frog on a Lily Pad” and “Train on The Island.”

DO

July 14: Derby Daze

R. House, 301 W. 29th St. 12-5 p.m. Free. 443-347-3570.

Remington’s R. House has become a local staple for its rotating food stalls and themed cocktails. But this weekend, the popular food hall will become part-baseball stadium and part-roller skating rink during this first-of-its-kind fundraiser to benefit MissionFit Baltimore. Grab a hot dog from White Envelope and enjoy the family-friendly fun, including a dunk tank, a skate party in the parking garage with beats by radio station WTMD, and a home-run derby. Best of all, the guest of honor at Saturday’s celebration is none other than the Orioles Bird.

Thrushes
Exposing Seas (New Granada Records)

This Baltimore band is aptly named. Thrushes are small, simply colored songbirds known for their sweet, sometimes-melancholy sounds, and this four-person flock is known for its similarly sweet brand of somewhat-melancholy music, under the genre of shoegaze pop. Like those little birds, this band has caught the attention of local passersby, becoming a regional favorite for more than a decade now with its heart-aching homage to late ’80s, early ’90s alt-rockers like Mazzy Star, Sonic Youth, The Pixies, and My Bloody Valentine. This past fall, after a half-decade hiatus, the band returned with a new record—its fourth—on which lead singer Anna Conner’s low, longing voice lilts as softly as ever between the thick-as-molasses reverb of grunge guitar. The album is steeped in that beautiful contrast, and, through roaring rock anthems (“Joan of Arc”), badass breakup ballads (“Salt & Stone”), and rumbling nostalgic knockouts (“Katydid”), Thrushes reasserts itself as a band that never left—and one that is certainly here to stay. We could listen to “Night” any day.

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Charm City Junction
Charm City Junction (Patuxent Music)

From local legends like Caleb Stine and Bumper Jacksons to talented newcomers like Letitia VanSant and The Manly Deeds, the Baltimore folk and bluegrass scene has grown into a mighty, talented guild that won’t be putting its fiddles down anytime soon. Meet the newest addition: Charm City Junction, which released its debut album this past fall. The young acoustic quartet combines traditional instruments—namely accordion, banjo, fiddle, and upright bass—into a pretty, pastoral medley of Celtic, folk, and bluegrass music. Largely instrumental with perfectly placed vocal passages throughout, the group has an accomplished sound that’s well beyond the players’ years. At times, the songs are pure backwoods Americana (“Last Chance”), straight-up Appalachian mountain music (“Frog on a Lily Pad”), or the kind of boot-scootin’ stomp heard at a country dance (“Train on The Island”). At others, they’re old-timey and Irish, evoking the plucky ditties of a cozy corner pub (“Torn Jacket”) or some seaside ballad from the shores of Galway Bay (“Joe Bane’s Barndance”). It’s the perfect music for the approaching spring days.

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Symphony Number One
Symphony Number One (self-released)

In an era of uncertainty for orchestras across the country, we are pleased to introduce Symphony Number One (SNO), the latest addition to Baltimore’s already accomplished classical music scene. SNO isn’t simply the stuff of white-haired, blue-blooded music halls; instead, it looks forward, forging a road ahead by combining great compositions of the past with expert performers of the present and promising composers of the future. Founded in 2014, the 30-member collective (many from Peabody) has just released its debut album, Symphony Number One. It starts in the late 1700s, with Mozart’s bright Concerto for Flute and Harp, before moving into the 19th century, with Gabriel Fauré’s graceful Pavane, which acts as a tribute to innocent lives lost as the album was recorded at the Baltimore War Memorial in the days following the Freddie Gray unrest last spring. Though we didn’t want it to end, the album finishes in the future, with the world premiere of Pittsburgh composer Mark Fromm’s Symphony No. 1, a dark opus that twists and turns in an ominous instrumentation that will haunt us for some time to come. See the ensemble perform April 2 at the inaugural Light City festival and look out for its second album, coming this month.

See our Q&A with Symphony One founder Jordan Randall Smith.