Bottoms Up Bagels: New Jersey natives Michelle Bond and Joan Kanner, who have both lived in Charm City for more than a decade, certainly know a thing or two about a good bagel and schmear. Since 2016, they have been serving their hand-rolled, boiled beauties—in varieties like sesame, poppyseed, salt, pumpernickel and Old Bay—at local farmers’ markets and pop-up events. Now, the duo is getting ready to start a new chapter with a brick and mortar coming to the Greenmount corridor in 2020.

“We’ve always believed that there was interest in a simple, quality made bagel experience,” Bond tells us. “Over the last few years we’ve been able to test that, getting feedback along the way and constantly tweaking. We’ve tried to be strategic and bring folks along with us as we’ve grown, and this includes setting up on Greenmount Avenue and being at the forefront of the good things happening there.”

Though details about the space haven’t been announced yet, it will act as both a production kitchen and a retail shop for locals to get their fix of fresh bagels topped with house-cured gravlax, as well as spreads like veggie, sesame-Sriracha, sugar butter, and house-smoked jalapeño cream cheese.

BAR BULLETIN

Bluebird Cocktail Room Releases Fall/Winter Menu: It should come as no surprise that this literary-inspired Hampden hangout is taking inspiration from Grimms’ Fairy Tales for its new seasonal menu. The roster includes 18 clever drinks that are each derived from a different tale. Among them are the “Briar Rose” (housemade grapefruit kombucha infused with tequila and borage flowers), “Rapunzel” (Distillery Lane Ciderworks’ rum-finished Celebration Cider), and “Rumplestilskin,” which incorporates Ricard pastis and chocolate from Pure Chocolate by Jinji at Belvedere Square. To pair with the drinks, the bar is also releasing new noshes like fried Brussel sprouts with fermented garlic honey and a cheeseburger topped with caramelized onions.

Baltimore Spirits Company Unveils Skeleton Spirit Gin: This Union Collective-based distillery is celebrating the spooky holiday next week by debuting its new Shot Tower Skeleton Spirit Gin—the teams’ first expansion of the popular Shot Tower gin line since they began distilling in 2015. At a 45-percent ABV, Baltimore Spirits Company’s (BSC) second-ever botanical gin is made with ingredients like juniper, eucalyptus, and aloe vera. “We wouldn’t have considered releasing a new gin unless we were sure we had something really special on our hands,” BSC co-founder and CEO Max Lents said in a statement. “We wouldn’t want to compete with Shot Tower Gin, so it had to be something remarkable and different on the gin spectrum.” A dance party at Union on November 1 will celebrate the release, as well as BSC’s fourth anniversary. The celebration will feature a full cocktail bar by Sugarvale, eats by Dooby’s, a costume contest, and live music spun by DJ Cian Noteman.

Idle Hour Featured by Eater: One of the city’s most beloved corner bars—best known for its vinyl nights and walls lined with Chartreuse bottles—received national attention this week when Eater published an excerpt from author Brad Thomas Parsons’ book, Last Call, in which the author interviews bartenders across the country about what they would choose as their last drink. Of course, Idle Hour co-owner Brendan Finnerty chose Chartreuse. “Chartreuse slows you down and warms and loosens you up,” he told Parsons. “If you spend an entire evening sipping on the Green, you find yourself a little bit lighter and a little bit brighter. You tend to float.” Read our review of the South Baltimore staple, here.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

10/24: Chicken and Champagne at Chez Hugo
It might be tough to think about Champagne and fried chicken as one of the world’s greatest food combos, but Chez Hugo’s annual celebration of the two might just change your mind. Settle in at the French bistro to enjoy a special selection of bubbles by the glass or bottle alongside a feast of fried chicken drizzled with Espelette honey or house hot sauce. There will also be fitting sides such as buttermilk biscuits, twice baked potatoes, collard greens, cole slaw, and caviar if you’re feeling bougie.

10/31: Baolloween at Ekiben
Don’t be surprised to see a line of colorfully dressed patrons wrapped around the 1600 block of Eastern Avenue on Halloween next week. Ekiben’s cleverly named “Baolloween” tradition of serving discounted steamed buns and rice bowls to costumed customers will continue starting at 4:30 p.m. on October 31. Diners who show up in costume will receive $1 buns or $4 rice bowls throughout the afternoon, and the rest of the menu will be available at regular price. The tradition is one of many initiatives that Ekiben has launched to engage with the community, the most recent being a recurring pop-up series featuring visiting chefs like Carlos Raba of Clavel and Johnny Spero of Reverie in Washington, D.C.

As for many of us, 2017 was a year of introspection and growth for the Baltimore music community. Familiar faces returned home, launched new ventures, or released seminal albums. New artists popped out of the woodwork and made their mark on the local scene. Collaboration was prolific, emotions were liberated, and a sort of homegrown catharsis ensued. A sense of change is in the air, and with the amount of talent we saw this year across all genres, we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for 2018. We couldn’t fit them all, but here are a handful of our favorite musical moments from the tumultuous past 12 months.

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Abdu Ali launches a podcast.

This fall, Baltimore native/rapper/writer Abdu Ali got to add a new title to his resume: radio show host. In October, the local artist launched his first-ever podcast, DrumBooty Radio, in iTunes via Mask Magazine. Using his background in journalism, Ali talks with fellow creatives of color about the African-American experience. With five bi-monthly, hour-long segments now under his belt, Ali has interviewed the likes of local writer/editor Lawrence Burney of True Laurels, writer/social justice advocate Bilphena Yahwon, and writer/filmmaker Nia Hampton on topics such as the importance of therapy, being black in the DIY scene, and owning your own narrative. Through this new medium, featuring one special song per episode, Ali continues to craft compelling art in the audible form and shine a spotlight on our city.

Brooks Long sings “Blues for Freddie Gray.”

Local jazz legend Lafayette Gilchrist released a new album this spring with a powerful single titled “Blues for Freddie Gray.” Riddled with Gilchrist’s pounding piano keys, a full brass section, and the soulful vocals of old-school virtuoso Brooks Long, the song is post-2015 Baltimore in a bottle. The lively, driving number is full of energy and emotion, with audio samples from actual television footage following the death of Freddie Gray and subsequent officer trials. But despite the opening police sirens and closing whirr of a Foxtrot helicopter that both speak to the lack of closure in Gray’s case, Gilchrist ends on a hopeful note. “I want to know that there’s a day that’s coming soon and fast,” howls the ever-talented Long. “I want a justice and a peace that’s made to last and last. Don’t ya tell me that we can’t all get it done.” 

Dan Deacon celebrates Spiderman of the Rings.

A lot has changed for Dan Deacon since the release of this seminal record some 10 years ago. He’s grown from a quasi-known experimental musician to a nationally acclaimed artist. His music has become a soundtrack for the New York City Ballet; his mad-scientist compositions have scored award-nominated documentary films. And yet, to celebrate the anniversary of this record, Deacon returned home to perform at the kind of DIY space that started it all. At 2640 inside St. John’s United Methodist church, his exuberant melodies led the city’s most die-hard music lovers through a journey back in time. They danced. They sweat. They stood in awe of Deacon’s humble musical mastery, along for the ride and forever thankful that he is and maybe always will be ours.

Future Islands performs four nights at the Ottobar.

When Future Islands announced a series of shows at the Ottobar this spring to commemorate the release of The Far Field, it seemed like the whole world was vying for a golden ticket in the heart-racing online lottery. When it was all said and done, Pitchfork was there, tuning the entire country in to hear the trio’s heartbreaking new record, but Baltimore was all in tow—John Waters and a medley of other notable hometown musicians included—to welcome the boys home. Through new hits (“Ran”) and old favorites (“Little Dreamer”), frontman Sam Herring sashayed across the stage, William Cashion plugged those iconic riffs on bass, and Gerritt Welmers let that swirling synth fill the sold-out room, it felt like our old hearts—full of local love—just might explode.

Good Fridays makes Baltimore dance again. 

Over a year ago, then-Baltimore arts and culture editor Gabriella Souza was on the phone with John Waters when she got an idea. The local auteur noted that his hit film Hairspray! had been inspired by the variety and dance television shows of the mid-20th-century that had sadly gone the way of the buffalo. Wouldn’t it be great, they mused, if people could get together—regardless of age, race, or class—to just dance like that today? With the help of PipeDreamz’s AC Miller-Abdullah and Baltimore contributor Cassandra Miller, Good Fridays Baltimore was born, bringing all walks of city life together for live music by the likes of Al Rogers Jr., Wendel Patrick, and Eze Jackson, local art by Shan Wallace and Aaron Maybin, and a free-for-all dance party featuring local DJs into the wee hours of the night. As the event continues to grow, we can’t wait to see what—and who—comes next.

J Pope and the HearNow release its long-awaited debut.

After years of performing around town, this alt-soul collective released its debut in June. Produced by local beat wizard Wendel Patrick, Soul Searching captures the dynamic sound of this prolific live-performing sextet—a unique fusion of soul and hip-hop with a touch of R&B and blues. The record highlights the honey-coated lyrical flair and fast-paced finesse of frontwoman Jasmine Pope and showcases the masterful improvisations of her dexterous band mates. From the highs of frenzied funk rhythms to the lows of slow burning jazz numbers, the HearNow touches on the ups ands downs of living as a working artist. This album is Exhibit A of the talent, dedication, and hard work it takes. 

Local musicians spin at Idle Hour.

Last fall, Friends Records began a new residency at our favorite vinyl-slinging dive bar, Idle Hour, in Riverside. With the watering hole newly reopened, we weren’t sure if the famed record player would live on, but thanks to the bar owners and Jimmy MacMillan’s roster of local artists, the ones and twos are alive and well curated. Hometown favorites like Blacksage, Natural Velvet, and Surf Harp have spun handpicked selections from their various genres of electronic R&B, post-punk, and indie rock. In 2018, we’d buy the bar a round of pickle backs to hear Bond St. District’s Unkle Lulu, Microkingdom, or Peals.

Micah E. Wood makes dating easier.

Perhaps our favorite album of the year goes to See Me by Micah E. Wood. On this new record, the local songwriter and music photographer tackles the trials of modern love, pulling our heart strings as he rolls through the tribulations of 21st-century romance with honesty, humility, and humor. In the poignant “Match,” Wood candidly delves into the brutal honesties of online dating. In his first single, “Without You,” his anthemic chorus sums up the jubilant feeling of finally getting over a breakup. In the buoyant “Something,” his bubbly beat embodies the beauty of letting your guard down and liking someone again.  We especially love the additions of fellow heart-pullers Joy Postell, :3ion, and the aforementioned Al Rogers Jr. Through tender electronic melodies and charming talk-sing vocals, Wood and company make our stone cold hearts—thanks a lot, Tinder—finally feel human again.

Natural Velvet drops a timely album on feminine rage.

We couldn’t have realized how much Natural Velvet’s new Mirror to Make You would resonate in 2017. But with a strong focus on “feminine rage,” as frontwoman Corynne Ostermann puts it, coinciding with the nation’s “silence breakers” that have shed fresh light on widespread sexual harassment and assault throughout multiple industries, we can’t help but find new meaning. Each song is a rebellious declaration of feeling and fury with unabashedly frank lyrics that dissect femininity and endorse the power of the female. Whatever your gender, listening to these songs is cathartic. You finish with the full weight of three small lyrics to live by from “Kronos.” “I am. I choose. I chose.”  

Opera singers unite to form Outcalls.

We love the ladies of Outcalls. With their glittering get-ups, engaging social media presence, and ambitious attitude, Peabody grads Britt Olsen-Ecker and Melissa Wimbish have catapulted themselves onto the local arts scene and created their very own genre along the way. While the band has been around since 2015, the classically trained singers have carved out a sort of baroque indie-pop music on this debut-like record, combining the classics of shimmering synth and shoegaze guitar with ethereal soprano harmonies and robust electronic rhythms that are as hypnotic as they are awakening. Witchy, somewhat tribal, and even a little bit dusty old Spaghetti Western, “Skip to Sunrise” has become one of our top songs of the year. 

Snail Mail shoots to stardom.

It wasn’t long after the 2016 release of Snail Mail’s debut album that Lindsey Jordan and her two band mates started to get national attention. The band’s lo-fi indie rock music was suddenly in the web pages of Pitchfork and, before long, sprawled across a feature in The New York Times. The trio sold out the Ottobar, recorded a NPR Tiny Desk Concert, went off on tour with indie darlings Beach Fossils, and then signed a deal with Matador Records. (We also awarded them a Best of Baltimore for “Rising Star.”) Fresh out of high school and already well beyond their years, it’s safe to say that they are, officially, the next big thing.

Super City get synchronized in infectious music video.

This year, the Baltimore music scene has really upped the ante when it comes to music videos, with few more shining examples than that of this playful spring take on Super City’s most recent single, “Artificial Sin.” The indie slow jam gets star treatment with fresh outfits and unexpected choreography as the band’s five musicians don white jumpsuits and leather Chelsea boots and use coy dance moves to tap, twirl, and even, in one moment, drop it like its hot in a room full of turtle-necked backup dancers. Special guests include Paul Hutson of Bond St. District and Olsen-Ecker and Wimbish of Outcalls, to name a few. You can’t watch it without wishing you were there, too. 

The Cardinal Sheehan Choir performs “Rise Up.”

In September, Baltimore middle schoolers went viral after a video of their choir rehearsal featuring a powerful performance of Andra Day’s “Rise Up” made its rounds, in the millions, around the Internet. Within a couple of weeks, they were performing live on “Good Morning America,” with Day herself responding with a special message for the students: “Your video was so powerful and moved me so deeply and is moving the entire nation right now…We appreciate you so much.” One of the more heartwarming moments of an otherwise turbulent year, the students later performed for Baltimore in their Loch Raven gymnasium, while choir director Kenyatta Hardison shared the back-story of their shot to fame. This below video went viral for us, too.

The Ottobar turns 20.

Two decades is an eternity in the lifetime of a rock club, let alone one in Baltimore where it seems like every old-school establishment is quickly being replaced with a glitzy sky-rise apartment building. But this September, the Ottobar turned a whopping 20 years old. From the rabblerousing rock years downtown on Davis Street to the wide-ranging lineups on Howard Street in Remington today, our dark, dingy, perfectly-imperfect music venue has remained the go-to spot for artists of all genres, still sticking to its unapologetic, underdog guns as more massive arenas open in D.C. and across the country. To celebrate, legends of the past—J. Roddy Walston, Wye Oak, Roads to Space Travel, Candy Machine—stepped back onstage to relive, and continue, the glory days.

WTMD launches kid-friendly Saturday Morning Tunes concert series. As a young father himself, Sam Sessa saw the conundrum: what happens when music lovers grow up and have kids?  They can’t just go see a show any old night of the week anymore. They have bedtimes—and pajamas to put on. Can they not have fun anymore? Enter Saturday Morning Tunes, Sessa’s brainchild concert for both the young and the young art heart. With a smattering of sold-out shows at both the Towson studio and Senator Theatre, and future plans to include more notable Baltimore bands that are otherwise not associated with the “kindie” genre, these weekend morning shows have quickly become a new favorite family ritual. Best of all, like sifting through an old record collection with your mom or sharing that old cassette tape with your son, it’s even an better opportunity for parents—however cool they used to be—to bond with their (hopefully) music-loving kids. 

What is it about Baltimore and its corner bars?

No matter how sleek our skyline gets or how posh our bars become, we can’t quite part with our watering-hole stalwarts. When Idle Hour (201 E. Fort Ave., 410-468-0357), the South Baltimore dive that opened in 2003, announced it was closing due to a structural issue in December 2014, the community came out in droves. Customers wrote hundreds of comments on Facebook including, most memorably, “We’re all pulling for you, from the bottom of our livers.” There were fundraising parties at Little Havana and the Ottobar. And fans donated more than $48,000 to an Indiegogo campaign.

Overwhelmed by the generosity, Idle owners Brendan Finnerty and Randall Etheridge agreed to match nearly all of the funds and give back to the community the only way they knew how: by reopening their sticker-covered doors.

After months of build-out, permit pains, and delays, Idle Hour reopened in June. The best part? Not much has changed. The narrow bar is still dimly lit, the record player is still spinning vinyl, the bathrooms are still painted red, and the signature Chartreuse bottles are still lined up behind the bar.

In this town, the green, herbal liqueur that hails from France is practically synonymous with Idle Hour. (They’ve even started a Chartreuse Bottle Club.) It’s an acquired taste, but your best bet is to just order a shot of the pine-flavored stuff with a beer. Though there is no formal menu per se, Idle Hour’s inventory is thoughtful with local beer options from The Brewer’s Art and Union Craft. Another pioneering pairing is Idle’s pickle back, aka a shot of Jack Daniel’s followed by a shot of pickle juice. Trust us, it’s delicious.

Of course, the bar underwent a few changes, like replacing gas lines dating back to 1916, refinishing floors, installing new lighting, and adding an autograph wall that people who saved Idle Hour can sign. Among the doodles and hearts, someone scrawled a simple message: “Welcome back boys. It’s been too long.”

Velvet Elvis

December 15, 2013
E. Fort Avenue

The
slightly battered, retro, red-leather stools are filled, but turned
away from the bar as patrons peruse the rear “gallery” wall. At the end
of Idle Hour’s narrow corner bar, DJ Mike Yonko spins 45s, including
“Blue Christmas” and “Suspicious Minds,” in keeping with tonight’s
“Velvet Elvis Off”—a combination art competition and charity auction.

Bartender/curator
Jen Gallia explains that the 14 works (starting bids range from $2.99
to $250) will be sold to raise money for BARCS, the Baltimore animal
rescue shelter. Meanwhile, themes in the kitschy paintings swing wildly
across the pop-cultural spectrum.

“That’s Tebow-Elvis,” a customer
swilling a beer notes to his girlfriend, pointing to a painting of a
solemn Elvis in a pose made famous by the former NFL quarterback.
“That’s Jimi-Elvis,” he continues, gesturing to a psychedelic portrait
of the King, “and at the end is Hound Dog, Poker-Playing Elvis.”

Other
works include a glimmering, velvet-pompadoured Elvis next to a tray of
deep-fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches and a surreal cutout
featuring Elvis’s face, Lou Rawls’s body, and Phil Ochs’s guitar with
Graceland in the background. Ultimately, Joe Glorioso, an ad agency art
director, wins Best Work—receiving a tiny cut of the canvases’ sales.

“Painting
on velvet is hard, like painting on a sock. Just absorbs everything,”
Glorioso says, referring to his silhouette of the icon, circa 1971, in
cape and faux rhinestones, spreading his arms beneath a spotlight
pouring down from above. Upon inspection, a crucifixion image of Jesus
is revealed on the King’s plastic, oversized belt buckle—reconfigured
from a dime-store bracelet. “Elvis is like a religious figure to
people,” says Glorioso, who grew up watching the singer’s movies with
his mom. “I just wanted to take it up a notch.”

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Neo-Burlesque

December 20, 2013
Eastern Avenue

The
Creative Alliance is packed for the third show in a five-performance
burlesque run, and the tassels will be twirling soon enough, but first,
emcee Murray Hill—a tuxedoed “drag king” channeling a Catskills-era Don
Rickles—wants to get to know the crowd. “The woman in the ‘I Love Female
Orgasm’ T-shirt, are you with the guy on your left or the woman on your
right?” Hill asks of an audience member near the stage. “Both,” the
woman replies. “This is my husband and she’s my girlfriend. It’s a
polyamorous relationship.”

“You gotta love Baltimore,” Hill says,
smiling mischievously as the crowd breaks up. “A polyamorous . . . so
does he get to watch when you two . . . or join in?” The women, who’ve
had a few drinks, laugh nervously, and then stammer briefly before
responding.

“C’mon ladies,” Hill (real name: Betsey Gallagher) chides. “Get your story straight. He’s sitting right here.”

After
Hill’s opening shtick, the night’s first exotic dancer, Perle
Noire—shimmering red dress and feather boa—va-va-vooms down the runway,
leaving behind one long white glove at a time. She’s followed by a tap
dancing, bare-almost-all flapper named Gin Minsky.

Eventually the
show’s stars, 6-foot-6 inch “Mr. Gorgeous” and 5-foot, flame-haired
powerhouse Trixie Little, take the stage together, mixing acrobatics,
dance, and sex appeal like a pair of campy, X-rated figure skaters.

This
is the ninth year that Trixie, aka Keri Burneston, has brought the show
here, which Creative Alliance co-founder Megan Hamilton calls “a
bedrock of our holiday programming.” Asked how, exactly, burlesque
reflects the holiday season, Hamilton says many Baltimoreans have made a
tradition of bringing family members who return home this time of year.
“And,” she notes after a pause, “there are the twerking gingerbread
men.”

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True Meaning

December 28, 2013
E. Lombard Street

“Habari
[How are you?],” Maulana Karenga booms in Swahili, greeting the
overflowing Kwanzaa crowd inside the Reginald F. Lewis Museum’s theater.
“Nzuri! [Good!]”

Born Ronald Everett, not far from the Eastern
Shore birthplaces of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, Karenga
founded the weeklong celebration of African culture 47 years ago. Active
in the Black Power movement and a scholar with two Ph.D.s, Karenga
explains Kwanzaa is a means for African-Americans to “reaffirm our
rootedness” in African culture and “reintroduce African communitarian
values.”

Karenga’s African-wisdom teaching is followed by
Baltimore’s Sankofa Dance troupe, local beatboxer Shodekeh, and Griot
storytelling. Throughout the day, “Mama” Sallah directs crafting
workshops, including weaving traditional red, black, and green Kwanzaa
mats.

“I’ve celebrated Kwanzaa since 1976,” Sallah says. “In West
Baltimore, in those days, you went house to house celebrating Kwanzaa
every night.

If you did it right, it took three days of cooking to
prepare—chicken, fish, collared greens, sweet potatoes, corn bread,
bread pudding, rice pudding, banana pudding, apple pie—150 people might
come by. At every house, there was one room to put the kids, and it
would be a party all night,” she continues with a laugh. “Now it’s too
commercial.”