Ottobar – Baltimore Magazine

Into the Groove: Baltimore’s Vibrant Dance Scene in Photos

Aaron Hope — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 15:00:57 +0000

Arts & Culture

Febuary 2025

ONE NIGHT back in 2015, I was walking home from work when I heard a hum coming from the corner of Ann and Fleet streets. I poked my head inside the brick building, the American Legion, Post Number 95, and found the small room packed with a five-piece band and several dozen dancers of all ages, swinging and spinning and dipping in time with the music’s swift tempo, as they did most Wednesdays.

The sight was mesmerizing, as if I had stumbled upon a secret society and, in many ways, I had. After all, one doesn’t usually think of the mid-aughts as one of America’s iconic dance eras—we tend to think of 1920s swing, 1970s disco, or even the techno, house, and Baltimore Club waves of the 1990s, when it was a part of everyday life.

And yet there in Fells Point, in the early 21st century, both stresses and smartphones were cast aside to partake in this deeply human pastime. A moment of uninhibited movement. Of rug-cutting abandon. Of connection and community. And for a brief spin, even bliss.

Undoubtedly, we could all use a bit of those feelings as we brave the ongoing winter and weather this new year. And luckily, as that fateful weeknight foreshadowed, it turns out that this city is full of dancing. On any given evening, Baltimoreans are two-stepping, lindy-hopping, crazy-legging, and moshpitting their way around town at a range of recurring dance nights, dance parties, and even dance classes.

And anyone can join them. As Alex Lacquement, host of the monthly Baltimore Honky-Tonk once told us, “I always tell people, if you can move your feet back and forth, and if you’re having fun, you’re dancing,”

Below, turn up the volume on our playlist—curated by Version DJ Kotic Couture—and feel the rhythm of the local scene. Then, whether you’ve got minimal skills or serious moves, find your own way to one of these very dance floors, too. —LW

Above: Version, a monthly queer and trans dance party, at The Compound. Opener: From left, Rocking out to disco-punk at the Ottobar; the Deep Sugar house-music dance party with DJ Ultra Naté at Club 1722; Background: DJs and disco ball on weekends at The Royal Blue.

Above: Scenes from the Ottobar, which hosts myriad dance nights, including Metal Monday moshpits; Version DJ Kotic Couture; DJ Rob Macy spins during the monthly Save Your Soul vinyl dance party at Lithuanian Hall; Version; The Royal Blue; Deep Sugar; Dancing beneath the disco ball on a recent winter night at The Royal Blue.

Above: Scenes from the weekly Lindy Hop at Mobtown Ballroom, which starts with a lesson for beginners; Boot scooting during the monthly Baltimore Honky-Tonk at Waverly Brewing; Showing off swing moves at Mobtown; The dance floor at Lithuanian Hall.

Above: Indie Sleaze Night at the Ottobar; the stacks at Save Your Soul; into the groove at Deep Sugar, which takes place on the Lord Baltimore Hotel rooftop during the summer; on the ones and twos with vintage 45s at Save Your Soul; spinning at Save Your Soul.

Into the wee hours of the night.

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Girl Wonder

Aaron Hope — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 15:20:54 +0000

By Lydia Woolever

Photography by Micah E. Wood

Hair and makeup by Perryn Morris
Photography assistance by Grace Campbell
Shot on location at the Ottobar and Beyond Video in Remington

Arts & Culture

By Lydia Woolever

Photography by Micah E. Wood

Hair and makeup by Perryn Morris
Photography assistance by Grace Campbell
Shot on location at the Ottobar and Beyond Video in Remington

February 2022

LINDSEY JORDAN LOOKS A LITTLE LOST.

At 10 a.m. on the Monday after Thanksgiving, she pokes her head through the side door of the Ottobar with a quizzical look, as if unsure that she’d come to the right place.

She’s been to this veteran Remington rock club many times before, even as recently as two months ago, but not this early, or empty, with the crowds that usually file in under the dusty disco ball either back at work or still in bed after the long holiday weekend.

Then she spots us and walks in.

“Hi, I’m Lindsey,” says Jordan, extending her hand with a casual warmth and half-smile, seeming every bit the ordinary 22-year-old—a backpack slung over her shoulder, dressed in a white turtleneck, vintage blouse, slate-gray track pants, and Onitsuka Tiger sneakers, which altogether feels like a fashion nod to her birth year, 1999—even as a hot-pink photo shoot backdrop awaits her beside the stage.

She’s been home to visit friends and family, catching up on rest in her Ellicott City bedroom, where old Polaroids, concert ticket stubs, and Beach House posters still speckle the turquoise walls, where she practiced her first guitar chords, wrote her first songs, and eventually formed her first indie-rock band, Snail Mail.

“Sometimes I get really depressed and am like, ‘Maybe it’s because I haven’t been to Maryland in a while,’” says Jordan. “I miss it all the time. The nature, my parents’ cats and dogs, driving my car. I am, like, so into driving, which is hilarious, because I live in New York.”

Tonight, she’ll be returning to the Big Apple, where she’ll spend the next few days moving into a new apartment and preparing for surgery to remove the vocal cord polyps that have come to strain her singing. It’s a bit of a nerve-racking moment—with the procedure forcing her to postpone her North American tour, and having the potential to change her voice, though there’s comfort in knowing that Adele and Miley Cyrus have also gone under the knife.

“You know what makes me feel better?” says Jordan, sitting beneath the Hollywood-style lightbulbs of the venue’s backstage hair-and-makeup room. “Julie Andrews had it, and she’s a legend—the queen! I think it’s going to be a good thing.”

Best to get it out of the way, really. Especially as Snail Mail’s star only continues to soar, with Jordan having just wrapped her band’s sophomore album, Valentine, plus a photo shoot with Vogue, and a musical guest set on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

At this point, she’s no stranger to bright lights or big cameras, with her likeness plastered across Brooklyn rooftops and in the heart of Times Square. But for a small-town songwriter thrust from Baltimore’s DIY scene into the national spotlight all before she turned 18, it still takes some getting used to.

“The first time I sang, I was like, ‘This is sick’—I wasn’t nervous, I was a bold, brash kid,” says Jordan, recalling one of her earliest sets at a local sports bars around age nine. “I’m way more nervous now.”

Opening spread: Jordan peers thorugh lights on stage at the Ottobar. Above: Hanging in the venue’s recently renovated green room.

“THE FIRST TIME I SANG, I WAS LIKE, ‘ THIS IS SICK’—I WASN’T NERVOUS, I WAS A BOLD, BRASH KID. I’M WAY MORE NERVOUS NOW.”

Lately it seems like everyone wants a piece of Lindsey Jordan. Which makes sense—she’s a great American rock star story.

Jordan grew up in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood in the Baltimore suburbs of Howard County. She has one older sister, her mom owns a lingerie store called Bra La La, where her dad handles bookkeeping. Neither parent was musical, but they supported their youngest’s inclination from an early age, buying her a guitar and classical lessons at the age of five, allowing her to play in their friends’ cover band pre-adolescence, and, before she got a driver’s license, toting her to concerts in Baltimore and D.C.

“It was a nice place to grow up,” says Jordan, who is both earnestly serious and charmingly silly, with her youth still lingering in each skaterese dude and for sure. “I’m glad I got the whole good-old suburban public-school upbringing. I liked sports. I loved prom.”

Music was a constant, from performing in church and middle school jazz bands to a theatrical production at Mount Hebron High School. She also played forward on the ice hockey team and spent Thursday nights at the local skate rink, even considering joining a roller derby team after graduation. A quintessential childhood, in many regards—with boredom creating the space for her to blossom.

“So much of being my own person and knowing myself and having a distinct identity has been forming it in the suburbs, you know, because everybody is ‘normal’ and straight and stuff,” says Jordan, who came out to her parents one Christmas during high school. “It definitely creates an ‘I’m different’ complex that can turn into some real originality if you don’t get angry or weird or jaded about it.”

Instead, she focused on her songwriting, which was imbued with all the teenage feels: angst, ennui, and, especially, all-consuming heartache. While she’s spoken about the rock industry’s lack of openly gay female role models during her own upbringing, there were still many artists who offered inspiration, from indie pioneer Liz Phair and Paramore’s Hayley Williams to Baltimore’s Victoria Legrand of Beach House and Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak (not to mention her former guitar teacher, D.C.’s Mary Timony of Ex Hex).

“Dana Murphy is the G.O.A.T.,” says Jordan, referring to the founder of local booking company Unregistered Nurse, who gave Snail Mail its first official concert at the beloved punk-rock U+NFest in 2015.

“As soon as I saw her live that first time, it just clicked—like, oh, she’s definitely going somewhere,” says Murphy, referring to a performance that can still be found in part on YouTube, where Jordan, on a cherry-red Fender, howls low, gritty, gargantuan vocals up into the Ottobar rafters. “It was just that mix of raw talent and the fact that you could immediately tell she considered herself a serious musician.”

WTMD radio host Sam Sessa heard the same thing when he discovered Jordan while searching for new music on Bandcamp, the online music platform where so many young artists self-release their songs. “It’s like walking into a swamp with a metal detector—a lot of rusty nails, but every once in a while, you find a real gem,” says Sessa, who played the first Snail Mail song on 89.7 FM in May 2016, two months before the release of their Habit EP, with its defining single, “Thinning,” written when Jordan was just 15. “Lindsey has a way of tapping into feelings and experiences and channeling them into her music in a way that’s so rare, especially for someone her age. It is just instantly relatable. It strikes a chord with people.”

By the time the station invited her in for a live show the following spring, Jordan, now a bleach-blonde high school senior, had already toured with D.C.’s post-punk Priests and performed at the SXSW festival, flanked by friends-turned-bandmates, bassist Alex Bass and drummer Ray Brown. An NPR Tiny Desk Concert and a Matador Records deal were not too far behind.

“She’d already become indie famous—it happened that fast for her,” says Sessa, who remembers label scouts in the Towson studio’s sold-out audience. “And less than a year later, The New York Times is calling her a rock star.”

“It kind of just came out of nowhere,” says Jordan. “I was a high schooler. I had plans to go to college. I wanted to write. I was kind of not thinking about it like, ‘Oh man, this is going to be my career.’... Then there started being label and manager and agent offers, and finally there were resources to record. It was super overwhelming, but also the most exciting thing—ever.”

In 2017, she got her high school diploma, Bass and Brown dropped out of college, and the trio got to work on their debut album, Lush. Rave reviews poured in for its 10 tight, triumphant tracks, lauded for their wise-beyond-years lyrics and reverberating guitar, cementing Snail Mail’s status as the next great indie-rock darling. Jordan was hailed a “prodigy” on more than one occasion.

This was a time when a number of young female musicians had begun climbing the ranks of rock ‘n’ roll. That fall, Jordan was included in a Times feature titled “Rock’s Not Dead, It’s Ruled By Women,” which declared that a new generation of “female bands are making some of the most urgent, politically relevant music around,” including other indie artists like Soccer Mommy, Sheer Mag, Vagabon, and Waxahatchee, who Jordan considers a friend and mentor. As Sessa says, Jordan seemed like “the tip of the spear.”

But from a flash in the 1970s punk scene to the trailblazing Lilith Fair era of the 1990s, this wasn’t the first time that tastemakers had mused about the future being female for a genre forged by men in the 1950s.

In fact, a 2018 University of Southern California study sent shockwaves throughout the music industry when it reported that, of the top songs on the Billboard Hot 100 over the last six years, a mere 22.4 percent were performed by women (with only 12.3 percent written and 2 percent produced by them). That awards season sparked the hashtag #GrammysSoMale and record labels promised change, but when new figures came out last spring, they remained largely the same, if not worse. Today, only 7.7 percent of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees are women, and the disparities leave female musicians frustrated over the persistent focus on their gender.

“There’s a lot of ‘You go, girl!’ energy out there right now, and, in a way, it’s kind of infantilizing,” Jordan told us in 2018. “It puts forth this idea that girls are born with an actual disadvantage. In music, young girls are not encouraged to play the guitar, and I definitely grew up in gaggles of boys, struggling to figure out what it meant to me to be a musician and a guitar player and where I stood in the equation.”

Jordan’s music spoke for itself, with Lush landing the band opening gigs for veteran indie artists such as Kurt Vile, Mac DeMarco, and Parquet Courts, plus a spot on the Coachella lineup and their own world tour. She had already started writing songs for Snail Mail’s second record when COVID-19 hit in 2020, sending her back to her childhood bedroom, where she read books, played Xbox, and fleshed out melodies on a new Minilogue synthesizer for much of the pandemic.

JORDAN PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VALENTINE, COURTESY MATADOR RECORDS; SNAIL MAIL PERFORMING AT U+NFEST IN 2015; A POSTER FROM THE BAND’S WTMD CONCERT IN 2017, ILLUSTRATED BY BALTIMORE ARTIST ALEX FINE.

“All of a sudden, I had all this time—and quiet,” says Jordan, who found herself working through the night, delving deeper into themes of love, loss, and life-changing success. “I’m superstitious about the fact that I’ve basically written all of my albums in that room. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, like, shocker! Of course I’m writing my best songs here at my parents' house.”

“LINDSEY HAS A WAY OF TAPPING INTO FEELINGS AND EXPERIENCES AND CHANNELING THEM INTO HER MUSIC IN A WAY THAT’S SO RARE...”

During this time, she also spent 45 days in an Arizona rehab, which she references on the record’s bass-heavy second single, “Ben Franklin.” While private about the circumstances, she alludes to the navigational challenges of sudden fame at such a young age. “I just had a lot of really crazy experiences in the year leading up to it,” says Jordan. “I needed very distinct professionals to know what I was going through; people around me were like, ‘I don’t know how to help you, dude.’ . . . Entering into something like this, I was nervous, I felt depleted, disappointed about a lot of things in the music industry. I was getting a little negative.... I have a way different mindset now, and the mental health education of, like, a junior professor.”

Which can’t hurt, as Jordan admits to putting an “inhuman” amount of pressure on herself. The self-proclaimed perfectionist refuses ghost writers, has a heavy hand in production, and conceptualizes her own music videos, like Valentine’s title track Victorian bloodbath, inspired in part by her love of horror films. She taps into an encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture—be it cinema (her album cover was originally going to be an ode to John Waters’ Cry-Baby before pop star Billie Eilish released hers featuring a single tear), music (from Bill Evans to Nirvana), or literature (like Ocean Vuong or E.E. Cummings)—and incorporates it, and every decision, into her music with great intention. Her diction is deliberate, her chord arrangements meticulous, all shades of a five-year-old who forced herself to practice guitar for two full hours every day.

“I am not a big fan of help,” says Jordan. “I’m very in touch with myself, about why I’m in the position I am, and why I even like doing it. It’s very much because I’m a writer and I love music. . . . It comes off a lot more complicated now, but everything else is kind of silly to me.”

Between an onslaught of interviews, she tries to avoid the press, and the internet, for that matter, as she takes criticism to heart, especially since each song carries such a personal meaning. Feedback is sought from her bandmates, who still reside in Maryland, where their basement serves as the band’s practice space.

“It’s taken me years to put into words how special Lindsey’s songwriting is, and I still haven’t been able to do it,” her drummer, Brown, told The Washington Post in 2018, noting a “weight on her shoulders.” Neither he nor Bass was available for comment.

“I don’t know if I would be as happy if Alex and Ray weren’t in the band, because they’re like my best friends,” says Jordan. “I trust them. They’re honest with me. We’re definitely a team. Our crew is bigger now, but it’s all within the homie network. No randos or old heads. The audition process for new members is 90 percent, are they cool? You never want a weirdo in the van.”

Actually, Snail Mail gets driven around in a tour bus these days, but the band did haul itself up and down the East Coast and around the country in the early days, one time breaking down in Orlando on the way to Austin, booking its own shows along the way.

This bootstraps ethic, born out of the all-encompassing Baltimore DIY scene, has undoubtedly helped the band cut its chops for bigger stages. The first shows were performed as teens at small Station North clubs like The Crown and The Windup Space. In September, as fresh-faced twentysomethings, they’ll play the 2,000-person Fillmore in Silver Spring.

“We played a lot of house shows, we slept in basements,” says Jordan. “I feel self-righteous about the fact that we were really a DIY band. I just see the difference in how it teaches you—how to book shows, how to pay the opener fairly, how to assert yourself. I have a lot of respect for people who can create something out of nothing, and that’s a big part of what we were doing.”

While Jordan is admittedly out of the loop with the latest local lineups, a number of Baltimore artists stay in her rotation, from Horse Lords to Lower Dens to JPEGMAFIA, who she’s run into on the road. When in town, she has been known to hit the bins at The Sound Garden in Fells Point, where she held her album release party in November, even collaborating with The Charmery to create her own special ice cream flavor for the occasion: strawberry, rose, and marshmallow with chocolate cake chunks and chocolate chips, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting local antiviolence program Safe Streets. She also loves Hunting Ground and Atomic Books in Hampden, and, though it’s been a while, the Sip & Bite Diner in Canton, relishing her relative anonymity here, though people still recognize her and ask for the occasional autograph.

“It’s cute, I like it—it feels genuine,” says Jordan of her Maryland fans, with Manhattan folks more likely to snap less subtle photographs, which she imitates in an awkward close-to-the-chest phone hold. “I can see it from a mile away.”

Those interactions will likely become more frequent in the days and months ahead, as this winter, Valentine made more than a dozen end-of-year lists as one of the best albums of 2021. But for now, she’s heading out into an empty Remington parking lot by herself on a bright, brisk afternoon—no managers, no agents, no entourage. If all goes well, she might see a concert with a friend in New York tonight. But she’ll be back in Baltimore soon.

“I’m sure!” exclaims Jordan, her coat tucked under an arm and her slicked-back hair windswept as she walks off into the sunlight—knowing exactly where she’s going.

Behind-the-scenes photos of Jordan at the Ottobar and outside Beyond Video in Remington. —Photography by Grace Campbell

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Baltimore’s Biggest Music Acts Team Up on Ottobar Benefit Album

Lauren Cohen — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 14:00:06 +0000

—Illustration by Devin Watson

It has been a quiet year without the hum of live music reverberating across Baltimore. The city’s iconic scene was largely halted with the arrival of COVID-19 this spring, with shows canceled and venues closed as cases mounted across the country. Many artists took to the internet to eke out some remote semblance of their livelihoods, while clubs found ways to pivot or launched fundraisers to avoid a complete shutter.

In an effort to keep the sounds of the city afloat, the Ottobar has released a compilation album of Baltimore artists who graced local stages over the last 20-plus years and will split 70 percent of the proceeds. They include Future Islands, Wye Oak, Butch Dawson, Abdu Ali, Lafayette Gilchrist, Mary Prankster, and Double Dagger, to name a few. Across more than 90 previously unreleased tracks, No Stagediving, named for the notorious sign over the venue’s mosh pit, is an eclectic soundtrack to the city, serving as a reminder of what we are capable of during these dark times. We caught up with its organizers, Ottobar bookers Todd Lesser and Dana Murphy, about how it all came together.

No Stagediving: Volume 1 by Bobbi Rush

How did this album come to be?
TL: Shortly after Ottobar set up its GoFundMe in August, longtime bartender Jerrod Sydnor asked what else we could do to help the venue and mentioned the possibility of pulling together a fundraising compilation of music. What I didn’t know was that he had already started it. We decided to rework the idea a bit to help artists in town who have lost so much with no gigs or venues to play. We wanted to help sustain the Baltimore scene until the day comes that we can open our doors again. We cast a wide net, and then the hard part was that we had so many confirmations.

How did it feel to get that kind of reception?
DM: We’re so grateful that so many artists wanted to be involved in this project and for all of their support. We have more than 90 artists on board who have each cultivated their own distinct sound and present a unique perspective. There’s a little something for everyone.

TL: It’s all over the place by design, because it’s representative of the diversity of the music that has come out of Baltimore and been on our stages for years. There’s jazz, there’s metal, there’s hip hop, there’s punk rock. On top of that, they’re all exclusive, unreleased tracks. Some were actually live Ottobar recordings. That really hits you in a soft spot when you realize we can’t do that right now—be in that room seeing a show together.

After all these years on the local scene, has it been an emotional process pulling this all together?
TL: When everything shut down, it made you realize how fragile it all really is. Things can disappear in the blink of an eye. No one is really sure how many venues will have the opportunity to reopen whenever that day comes. After all of those 23 years that Ottobar has been around, at this point, we’re at ground zero, we’re starting over. There’s a lot of history, a lot of memories. All we can do is reminisce and hope right now, and that’s what this playlist is about—all the music that has happened in Baltimore, and all the music that hopefully will happen again one day when this is over.

How will it be released?
DM: We’re using Bandcamp, which is such a great platform for streaming music. They’ve done a lot for independent artists with their Bandcamp Fridays [when fees are waived to increase musician revenue]. We also had a big conversation about being mindful that, while we want people to hear this, they aren’t in great economic shape because of the pandemic, so we decided to do a pay-what-you-can model. We’re hoping that people with the ability might be willing to chip in a little bit more.

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Running List of Baltimore Programming and Events Impacted by Coronavirus

Evan Greenberg — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 16:00:00 +0000

EDITOR’S NOTE 3/16: Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has ordered the closing of all bars, movie theaters, restaurants and gyms across the state until further notice, effective 5 p.m. Monday. Drive-thru, takeout, and food deliveries will be available. Additionally, in keeping with the latest Center for Disease Control guidelines, he has also prohibited gatherings of more than 50 people.

“We have never seen anything like this before,” Hogan said in a press conference announcing the changes. “By these actions, we’re going to stop the spread and we’re going to save lives.”

The butterfly effect surrounding the rising cases of coronavirus across the state of Maryland and the United States has been far-reaching. Among the first public institutions that made the decisions to close earlier this week were local colleges and universities. At the University of Baltimore, students are being prepped to take online classes from their instructors, as they will not return to campus after spring break as a precaution—a measure that will likely be in place for all universities in the Maryland state system.

“It’s become a new reality,” says Darlene Smith, the executive vice president and provost of the University of Baltimore. “We’re planning for an extended period of this, and we’re reaching out to students to make sure that they’re prepared. Our teams come into work every day, even before we get to the office, wondering what’s next and what’s changing.”

Indeed, the developments and updates surrounding COVID-19 are coming minute by minute, prompting many of the city’s public institutions to act in an effort to inhibit patrons’ exposure. In some cases, spaces around the city are closed altogether. Here is a running list of gathering spaces whose operations have been impacted by the virus:

MUSEUMS

Earlier this week, member organizations of the Greater Baltimore Historical Alliance met to discuss best practices in the wake of the coronavirus. Many museums in the city are remaining open, instituting double cleaning measures to ensure a safe environment for guests. However, large events and public exhibitions at the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, and the JHU Museums have been cancelled until April 12.

On its website, the Baltimore Museum of Industry posted a statement detailing its close-monitoring of the situation, reiterating its commitment to hygiene.

Port Discovery Children’s Museum is temporarily closed to the public. A reopen date has not been announced.

The Walters Art Museum has announced its closure from March 14 through March 31.

The Baltimore Museum of Art will be closed until April 12.

The National Aquarium announced in a statement that will be closed from March 14 through at least March 27. All employees will be paid during this closure.

“The aquarium believes it is their ethical responsibility to adhere to the scientific community’s recommendation to limit large social gatherings at this time,” the statement reads.

SPORTS

March marks what is supposed to be the beginning of the Orioles season, as spring training nears its end and Opening Day approaches. But Major League Baseball has cancelled the remainder of spring training games, as well as the first two weeks of its regular season. At this point, it is unclear when the season will begin. The news also means the cancellation of the Orioles’ planned exhibition game against the New York Mets at the Naval Academy in Annapolis.

“The Orioles organization is fully supportive of Major League Baseball’s decision to suspend Spring Training games and to delay the start of the 2020 regular season by at least two weeks,” the team said in a statement. “The health and safety of our players, fans, staff, and partners will always be our top priority.”

The Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum will remain open. According to executive director Shawn Herne, the museum is also instituting double cleaning measures and being vigilant about maintenance. The museum has an outdoor event planned around Orioles Opening Day, which will be postponed until the season officially begins.

RECREATION AND PARKS

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced Thursday that while Baltimore County parks will remain open, events managed by the county’s Recreation and Parks Department will be cancelled.

Baltimore Recreation and Parks has suspended all recreational programs, rentals, permitted events, and recreational facility services from March 16 through March 27. Additionally, with the exception of the Frederick, Dorothy I. Height, Cahill at Edgewood Elementary, Walter P. Carter at Guilford Elementary, and Ft. Worthington centers, food will be served from 2-7 p.m.

SCHOOLS

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Maryland Superintendent Karen B. Salmon announced that all public schools will be closed for two weeks starting Monday, March 16th until March 27.

PUBLIC GATHERINGS

On Friday, The Guinness Open Gate Brewery announced that it will be closed until further notice. The Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day Parade has also been postponed, as has the Under Armour Kelly St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced at the same Thursday press conference that all gatherings of 250 people or more are banned until further notice.

Additionally, the Sole of the City originally set for April 11 has been postponed until July 25.

The Theater at MGM National Harbor has cancelled its scheduled shows through March, and a Michael Ray and Carly Pearce Show at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races has been postponed until October 17. Tickets will be valid for this rescheduled date.

Fells Point spots Max’s Taphouse, Kooper’s Tavern, Slainte Irish Pub and Restaurant, Woody’s Cantina, Poppy & Stella, The Admiral’s Cup, The Horse You Came In On Saloon, and DogWatch Tavern have all voluntarily closed until further notice. The Admiral’s Cup’s sister property, Bookmaker’s Cocktail Club in Federal Hill will also be closed.

A number of Little Italy restaurants are also voluntarily closing, but are offering curbside and delivery options.

Hersh’s in Federal Hill has closed temporarily, and Golden West Cafe in Hampden is switching to delivery and pick-up only until further notice.

Governor Hogan has ordered the closing of all casinos, racetracks and off-track betting facilities for a to-be-determined timeframe.

Metro Gallery has postponed its weekend shows as well as a scheduled show next Friday.

The Parkway Theatre is closing from March 13 through March 26.

VOLO Baltimore, which hosts recreational sporting and bar leagues, has postponed all scheduled events through March 30.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore announced all public Masses are cancelled until further notice.

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland has cancelled public worship services beginning March 15 until at least March 27.

The Maryland Zoo is closed until further notice.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND BOOKSTORES

In a message posted to Facebook, Enoch Pratt Free Library CEO Heidi Daniel announced the cancellation of all public programs until March 31. City libraries will remain open in the meantime. Daniel added that cleaning materials and hand sanitizer have been provided to Pratt staff to have on hand.

“We feel this is in the best interest of keeping both our staff and customers safe,” Daniel said.

Elsewhere, local bookstore Greedy Reeds announced on Instagram that it is temporarily closing its stores. The shops are offering same-day delivery orders of $25 or more for those within 10 miles of its Fells Point store. Staff from both shops will be on call during business hours to answer questions and accept orders by phone or email.

Hampden’s Atomic Books is taking a similar approach, closing to the public until the end of March and shutting down all events until mid-April. Employees will still be at the store for those with any questions or requests and to fulfill online orders. The shop is also offering deliveries for those living within two miles.

The Ivy Bookshop and Bird in Hand will remain open, and are taking a fluid approach to upcoming events, urging those interested to check their calendar.

PERFORMANCE SPACES

The Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center has responded to questions surrounding coronavirus with a statement as of March 12: “We intend to stay the course with our programming schedule. Extra precautions like sanitation stations, extensive cleaning and disinfecting protocols are in place. We will remain vigilant and are prepared to make decisions based on current needs, as well as in response to changing conditions.”

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) announced that it is calling off all public events until March 21. Its ticket office will contact patrons who planned to attend these events for further instructions: “Given the seriousness of this evolving situation and concern for the health and well-being of our audiences, musicians and staff, the organization has cancelled these public events as the best course of action for our local and global community, as the institution does its part to minimize the spread of this virus,” the statement reads.

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum, Baltimore Improv Group, The Strand, Arena Players, Vagabond Players, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Rams Head Live!, Fells Point Corner Theatre, and Creative Alliance have issued similar statements.

Additionally, Creative Alliance has put a new full refund/exchange policy in place during the month of March, delayed the Baltimore Old Time Music Festival—likely until the summer—and fully cancelled the March 21 performance by the Marja Mortensson Trio. Everyman Theatre has waived ticket exchange fees and upgrade charges for the remainder of its New Voices Festival. Charm City Players has halted pre-show activities, but performances will continue as scheduled.

In a Facebook post, Ottobar announced that all events until April have been postponed.

“This was not an easy decision but felt to be the correct one,” the post reads. “The threat that COVID-19 poses is much greater than anticipated, we cannot in good conscience put the public, bands, and our staff in harm’s way.”

This post will be updated with further developments.

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Making Space

Lauren Cohen — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 10:51:00 +0000

Since 2016, Baby’s on Fire, the cozy coffee spot/record store in Mt. Vernon, has been a haven for vinyl lovers and chai latte-sippers alike.

So when it was announced that owners David and Shirlé Koslowski were partnering with Michael Bowen (formerly of the Ottobar) to bring their musical minds and cafe fare to Fells Point in November, there was plenty of local buzz. Combine that with a location in the former vinyl room of seminal record store The Sound Garden and a new bar program, and you’ve got a recipe for an irresistible all-day hangout. In a neighborhood with plenty of options for beer, wings, and a raucous evening crowd, Baby’s offers a calmer, more conversational atmosphere.

The Sound Garden’s records have been cleared out (not to worry, they still fill the back half of the store) to reveal a large space filled with comfy window seats, a tall communal table, and a custom bar. Local art hangs on the walls, and a chalkboard calendar gives a run-down of the week’s events: karaoke, a free art opening, industry night. It’s a small sampling of what the Koslowskis and Bowen want to do with the space.

In December, The Sound Garden hosted alt-rockers Silversun Pickups ahead of their Rams Head Live! stop, bringing fans into the cafe for a sort of intimate pregame with the band, including a performance and record signing. Events like that—as well as singer- songwriter performances and residencies, art openings, and trivia nights—are fun additions to the everyday vibe of Baby’s Fells Point, which has managed to mimic what makes its big sister spot so good: It’s for everybody.

“We want to get back to that sense of community,” says David. “It’s been really rewarding for us, and it sort of like feels like we can give back to our city by feeding them, keeping them caffeinated, or giving them a safe space to hang out and meet people.”

Affordable quality was top of mind when David and Bowen developed the new bar program, which is unique to the Fells Point location. Old world wines and local beers dominate the bar menu, but no glass will set you back more than $12. When it comes to breakfast and lunch, omnivores have plenty of options, but vegetarians and vegans will welcome Shirlé’s menu of plant-forward sandwiches, salads, and even a rotating twist on vegan mac and cheese.

“There’s a few things that Baby’s has wanted to do from the get go, and we’re continu- ing to do them here. One is to have a really friendly staff, two is to deliver quality food and drink, and three is to do it in an unpretentious way,” David says. “Everybody can enjoy good things.”

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Weekend Lineup: January 10-12

Kaitlyn Pacheco — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 17:22:00 +0000

EAT

Jan. 10-18: Baltimore Restaurant Week

Locations & times vary. $15-45.

To understand just how much locals love the city’s Restaurant Week, please direct your attention to the clock on the event’s website that counts down how many days, hours, minutes, and seconds are left until the deals begin. Through next Saturday, more than 90 local eateries will serve up fixed menus at a sweet price: two-course brunch or lunch for $15 to $20 and three-course dinner for $25 to $45. Map out a game plan, make your reservations, and prepare to indulge in a week of special selections from newcomers like Orto and True Chesapeake Oyster Co. and city staples like Tio Pepe Restaurant and The Prime Rib.

DRINK

Jan. 11: Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans

Locations, times, & prices vary.

There’s no doubt about it: Baltimore is ready to paint the town purple and watch Lamar Jackson lead the Ravens into the playoffs. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the number of options for where and how to cheer on the 14-2 giants, no worries, we rounded up the best pre-games, parties, and Ravens Flock festivities for you. Check out our picks for the best spots to throw on a jersey, crack a beer, and celebrate the Ravens’ stellar season, including stand-out favorites like the Purple Patio at Mother’s Grille and Charles Village Pub in Towson.

SEE

Jan. 11: Harbor Point Ice Festival

Harbor Point, 1310 Point St. 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Free.

It’s that time of year when Baltimoreans typically stay inside to avoid the blustering wind and bitter cold, but the Harbor Point Ice Festival gives locals and visitors alike the chance to wrap up and come together in this magical winter wonderland. Visit Harbor Point during this one-day affair to marvel at handmade ice sculptures, enjoy live music, explore eats from area food vendors, and participate in tons of family-friendly activities.

HEAR

Jan. 10: Music Under the Dome: Ziggy Stardust

Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St. 9-10 p.m. $15.

Even if you’re the biggest David Bowie fan out there, you’ve (probably) never experienced his cult-favorite album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, quite like this. Head to the Maryland Science Center on Friday night to experience the museum’s popular Music Under the Dome series, where the 360-degree sights and sounds of this out-of-this-world album will fill the planetarium dome. Since the first showing is already sold out, snag tickets to the 9 p.m. seating and then prepare to fly through galaxies and constellations during this alien-rock show.

DO

Jan. 11: Girls Rule! Dance Party

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 11 p.m-2 a.m. Free.

The first full work week of the new year has been long, to say the least. If you’re in need of a serious pick-me-up, end your Saturday night on the Ottobar’s dance floor, belting out the lyrics to “Truth Hurts” and “Call Your Girlfriend.” DJ Pancakes will be spinning the latest and greatest hits from all female artists until closing time, so dance off the week’s stress with three hours of tunes by the likes of Madonna, Missy Elliott, and more.

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The List: January 2020

Angeline Leong — Mon, 30 Dec 2019 11:12:17 +0000

Black & White Party
Jan. 25. When it comes to planning and executing The Pratt Contemporaries’ annual Black & White Party, Alexa McCulloch and Lindsey Stone, co-owners of Union3 Event Productions, jokingly refer to themselves as the “conductors of that crazy symphony.” This year, the duo will orchestrate the two-day overhaul that will transform the Central Library into the iconic land of Oz on January 25. It’s all to honor the fundraiser’s “no place like home” motto that revels in its return to the downtown library following two years of renovations. And while the pair is excited to see their creative takes on the Emerald City and Munchkinland come to life, McCulloch, left, says her favorite part of the event is watching the main hall fill up with guests ready to dance the night away. “The best thing about this event is that it’s a party for party’s sake,” she says. “Watching people let loose on the dance floor and have a good time in support of the library—there’s nothing better.” Enoch Pratt Free Library. 8 p.m.. $175.
—KP

Polar Bear Plunge
Jan. 23-25. Over the past 23 years, the ice-cold waters of the Chesapeake Bay have become the site of one of Maryland’s most anticipated charity fundraisers, thanks to the Maryland State Police. To become one of the brave souls that throws their near-naked body into the frigid waters at Sandy Point State Park, fundraise ahead of the plunge and help Special Olympics Maryland meet its $3-million goal. Sandy Point State Park, 1100 E. College Pkwy., Annapolis. Times vary. $75.

Elizabeth Catlett: Artist as Activist
To March 1. If you’ve driven or walked past the Reginald F. Lewis Museum lately, you’ve already seen one of the standout pieces, “Sharecropper,” from this exhibit draped over the side of the downtown museum. Revered as one of the most important artists of the 20th century in both the U.S. and Mexico, Catlett’s portrait of a woman gazing into the distance is one of 20 prints and 14 sculptures on display through the start of spring. Walk through this thought-provoking exhibit to learn how the award-winning artist used her work to confront injustice in 1950s Mexico, with particular attention to the plight of sharecroppers. Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Times vary. Free-$8.

Baltimore Crankie Fest
Jan. 3-5. Rediscover the art of storytelling through crankies—scrolls that are hand-cranked to show one illustrated scene at a time—during the seventh annual Baltimore Crankie Fest. Head to Creative Alliance for this celebration of the niche visual medium, featuring four performances with handmade crankies accompanied by musical guests. Watch as these hand-drawn stories unfurl before your eyes, and participate in workshops on how to make your own crankie. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Times vary. $18.

Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week
Jan. 10-19. Start scouring menus and planning your meal schedule now to prepare for Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week, the biggest buzz in Charm City’s cuisine scene. Brave the icy weather for hot deals at nearly 100 local dining gems, such as two-course lunches for $15 or three-course dinners for $25. Break bread at up-and-coming spots such as Orto and Noona’s, or revisit old haunts like Tio Pepe’s and Alexander’s Tavern. Locations, times and prices vary.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade
Jan. 20. Honor the icon of the Civil Rights Movement during this 20th-annual parade along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, where thousands of onlookers will gather to commemorate the reverend’s lifelong fight for racial justice. This year, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts will invite an honorary grand marshal whose work embodies King’s legacy to lead the proceedings. Find a spot along the parade route to watch as floats, marching bands, and community groups trek through the city streets to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King. Location varies. 12 p.m.-2 p.m.. Free.

Harbor Point Ice Festival
Jan. 11. It’s that time of year when Baltimoreans typically stay inside to avoid the blustering wind and bitter cold, but the Harbor Point Ice Festival gives locals and visitors alike the chance to wrap up, come together, and warm our hearts in this magical winter wonderland. Visit Harbor Point during this one-day affair and spend the day marveling at handmade ice sculptures, enjoying live music and eats from area food vendors, and participating in tons of family-friendly activities. Harbor Point, 1310 Point St.. 12 p.m.-6 p.m.. Free.

CATS
Jan. 21-Jan. 26. With the live-action adaptation of this award-winning musical now playing in theaters, most audiences are already familiar with the weirdness of a show dedicated to a tribe of cats prowling around at night. Hear iconic songs like “Memory” and “Jellicle Cats” live when the national tour stops at the Hippodrome Theatre this month. Although this set of six shows will feature the original score and costume design from the musical’s first years on Broadway, awe-struck audiences will experience the classic tale with brand-new sound design, choreography, and direction as CATS gets an update for the new generation. The Hippodrome Theatre, 12 N Eautaw St. Times vary. $52-201.

A Beautiful, Terrible Thing
Jan. 23. Calling all local musicians! This month, the Stoop Storytelling Series is partnering with legendary rock club Ottobar to give space to stories about the pitfalls and triumphs of life as an independent artist. Whether you have experiences to speak on or would rather sit back and listen, grab a drink and prepare to hear live retellings of musicians’ best and worst gigs, most meaningful sets, and everything in between. The Ottobar, 2549 N Howard St. 8 p.m. $15.

Chesapeake Oyster, Wine, & Beer Festival
Jan. 25. What’s the best way to wash down a bushel of world-class oysters? Heavy Seas beer, of course—and the two dozen other wines and spirits you will find at this 13th annual, adults-only seafood extravaganza. Blend briny bivalves and boozy flavors downtown at The Assembly Room, where tickets give you an all-access pass to a shuckin’ good time. The Assembly Room, 318-316 Guilford Ave.. 12 p.m.-4 p.m. $69.

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The Top Baltimore Music Moments of 2019

Lydia Woolever — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 08:00:00 +0000

Every year, we’re seriously impressed by the amount of artistic talent in Baltimore, and 2019 was no different, with top-notch music coming out of the city—making its way onto both the local and national stage. It also felt like a year where the musical community came into its own. No, Rolling Stone didn’t name us the best music city in America again (not that we need that recognition to know that we are), but there were numerous moments of reckoning, if you will. Rising artists finally got their due. Established acts performed epic homecoming shows. Hallowed institutions wrestled with their futures. There were both losses of legends and celebrations of lifetimes, and each reminded us of the great impact this city has had, and continues to have, on the musical form. Here, we round up some of the most memorable moments of 2019. And we recommend keeping your ears perked for all that is to come in 2020.

Ethel Ennis passes away.
This past February, Baltimore’s “First Lady of Jazz” passed away at age 86. During the late 1950s and 1960s, the West Baltimore singer recorded for major labels, toured Europe, headlined the Newport Jazz Festival, and performed regularly with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Duke Ellington. As a child, she learned to play piano at the Ames United Methodist Church in Sandtown-Winchester and later became a mainstay at the Red Fox on Pennsylvania Avenue. Disillusioned by the music industry, Ennis ultimately eschewed national stardom and returned to Baltimore for a more simple life, where she performed until her later years. Her mark on the greater musical world remains.

Dan Deacon performs with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
It felt like fate had somewhat of a hand in the moment when Dan Deacon first took to the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall stage with members of the BSO this spring. At the time, the orchestra was in the midst of a contentious contract dispute that would eventually lead to a summer-long lockout of the musicians by the organization’s management (see below), while the electronic artist—15 years after moving to Baltimore and forever changing the local music scene—was quietly working on a new record about overcoming doubt, and reckoning with age and death and time. For a few hours, the two iconic musical acts, seemingly from opposite of the sonic spectrum, though Deacon studied composition in college, came together for a night that would become a gift to the city. The musicians filled the halls with hope, as concertgoers got out of their seats, ran down the aisles, and started an impromptu dance party in front of the venerable stage.

Abdu Ali releases FIYAH!!!.
Over the last several years, few musicians have been as influential and integral to the Baltimore music scene as Abdu Ali. From the glory days of their all-inclusive, underground Kahlon dance party at The Crown to national coverage by the likes of The New York Times, The New Yorker, and NPR more recently, the avant-garde rapper has helped put Baltimore’s DIY culture on the map, remaining deeply rooted to their hometown city along the way. This spring, the release of their studio debut, FIYAH!!!, took their artistry to a new level, fusing hip-hop and Baltimore Club music with jazz and punk. The record and its release solidified Ali’s star power with a full-band lineup, led to a sold-out show at the Ottobar, and helped them nab a well-deserved “Artist of the Year” award from City Hall.

André De Shields wins his first Tony.
As a cherry on top of a 50-year acting career, 73-year-old Charm City native André De Shields took home his first Tony Award in June, winning best featured actor in a musical for his performance of the god Hermes in Hadestown. De Shields grew up in West Baltimore, one of 11 children, and graduated from City College before moving from regional theater to Broadway. He would go on to gain renown for his roles in shows like The Wiz and The Full Monty. A few weeks after the Tonys, he was also presented with a mayoral salute and key to the city by Mayor Jack Young. “This is what you get when you blow them out of the water,” he said during his acceptance speech, showing the crowd his Tony. “I did it the only way you could—the Baltimore way.”

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon slays on American Idol.
If you don’t watch American Idol, you might have missed, in our opinion, one of the most special stories of the television show’s history. If you do watch American Idol, you’ve already been a Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon fan for months. The Catonsville singer-songwriter placed sixth in the competition, wowing judges and viewers with his sensational falsetto, his original song “Almost Heaven,” and his backstory, the son of a Baptist pastor who discovered he was gay at age nine. This fall, Harmon released his debut album and this winter, graduated from Towson University, where he studied vocal performance.

Beach House gets sentimental at the Hippodrome.
In June, dream-pop duo Beach House returned to the city for their first big hometown performance since the Windjammer music festival at Pier Six in 2015. Taking over the hallowed stage of the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, singer Victoria LeGrand and guitarist Alex Scally put on a powerful show to promote their latest album, 7, with some old favorites thrown in along the way. Typically stoic performers, they both spoke sentimentally about the city, even referencing the Orioles. Opening acts were also must-see sets by Dan Deacon and Future Islands’ William Cashion.

The Ottobar persists and, as The Windup Space closes, Rituals opens in its stead.
Two big changes took place at local music venues this year, with the announcement of sales and closures stirring fear for a scene that already lamented a dearth of creative space. But a few months after the Ottobar announced that its longtime owners were selling the business, it was revealed that longtime bar manager Tecla Tesnau would be taking over the Remington rock club in late summer, keeping it in local hands, and it seems that little has changed. And just weeks after word surfaced that The Windup Space would be closing its doors, news broke that the location would be reopened as Rituals, a bar and venue that would keep the same all-inclusive, DIY tradition alive and well, allowing the arts community to let out a collective sigh of relief. There, lineups have included local favorites like Lower Dens, Eze Jackson, and Chiffon.

TT The Artist pays homage to Baltimore Club.
This summer, TT The Artist made her directorial debut with the sneak peek premiere of her upcoming music documentary, Dark City: Beneath The Beat. Despite relocating to Los Angeles, the beloved rapper has long been a fierce advocate of, and an active participant in, the city’s hometown musical genre, Baltimore Club—the story of which she tells in her unique, colorful film. Featuring cameos and music by fellow local artists such as DDm, Eze Jackson, Mighty Mark, and Rufus Roundtree, it now enters the finishing-touch and fundraising stages in hopes of joining the festival circuit in 2020.

DDm drops Beautiful Gowns.
This summer, DDm released his debut full-length album, Beautiful Gowns, which, unsurprisingly, turned out to be one of the most fun, infectious records to come out of Baltimore this year. That’s thanks to the pure showmanship of the city-born rapper who has brought bravado, wit, humor, and heart to his music and live performances across the city for years, from the local battle rap circuit through his Bond St. District duo and now in his solo career. A year after his planned debut, Soundtrack To A Shopping Mall, was nixed, these 13 tracks stood testament to DDm’s determination and dauntless creativity. Self-released, locally produced, and spread without the help of local radio, singles like “He Say She Say” and “Pull Up”garnered thousands of listens on Spotify and views on YouTube all on their own. We personally love the bright, buoyant ballads of “Hooray” and “Forever 21.”

Future Islands rocks out at Union Collective.
In early September, thousands of Baltimore City music lovers packed into the parking lot of Union Collective for a night to remember by local dream-pop darlings Future Islands. Much like their impromptu Hampdenfest performance in 2014, the band’s free live show took place outside as the sun set, featuring both new material off their upcoming album and fan favorites like “Seasons” and “Balance,” with frontman Sam Herring’s mercurial dance moves out in full force. Opening acts included Baltimore artists Smoke Bellow, Joy Postell, and DJs Jason Willett and Jay Buim, and the brewery’s neighbor, The Charmery, sold three Future Islands-themed flavors of ice cream to support city non-profits.

The BSO survives a tumultuous year.
It was a long, strange trip around the sun for the century-old Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: ongoing contract negotiations that tumbled into labor disputes, the cancellation of the summer season, a highly publicized lockout of the musicians by BSO management, followed by months of player protests outside the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. But this fall, both parties reached a one-year agreement that resulted in the meeting of many players’ demands and the on-time opening of the fall schedule. The organization has also since launched their newly formed vision committee and brought in outside help from arts-org “turnaround king” Michael Kaiser, so things are looking up. (Except for maestra Marin Alsop hinting at her departure.)

JPEGMAFIA continues to soar.
It’s been another big year for JPEGMAFIA. The alternative rap artist, known as Peggy, toured the U.S., to many sold-out crowds. He performed at the likes of Afro Punk, Firefly, and Coachella, where rolling stone called his set one of the best of the festival. He opened for big-name acts like Vince Staples and Flume. He garnered national press and profiles by the likes of Billboard, The Guardian, and Paper. And this fall, he released his latest album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs, to national acclaim— a colorful, cacophonous collage that takes us on a trip into his beautiful, manic, often NSFW dream world. All the while, even though he has since relocated to L.A., Peggy always gave love back to Baltimore, his former city, selling out two nights at the Ottobar, hopping on Abdu Ali’s latest record, and bringing fellow rising local rapper Butch Dawson along on his tour. For that, for as long as we can, we’ll continue to claim him as our own.

Morgan State’s marching band leads the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The holidays came early this year when it was announced that Morgan State University’s Magnificent Marching Machine would be leading the iconic procession of marching bands in the 93rd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, making MSU the first of Maryland’s historically black colleges to perform in the parade’s history. Ahead of a giant Snoopy balloon, the college band, led by band leader Melvin Miles Jr., marched triumphantly in blue and white uniforms for nearly three miles from the Upper West Side, around Central Park, and down to the famed namesake department store on Herald Square. Millions of viewers watched from the city streets and on their television sets at home.

A star is born in Maggie Rogers.
In the 12 months of 2019, Eastern Shore native Maggie Rogers released a debut album via Capitol Records, starred as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, sold out her U.S. tour, performed at the likes of Coachella, attended the Met Gala, and garnered her first Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. While still a student at NYU, the singer-songwriter got her first taste of fame serendipitously, when a video of Pharrell Williams going ga-ga for one of her songs went viral. But everything that came next, and all that lies ahead, has undoubtedly been the result of her own talent and star staying power.

Check out our Spotify playlist below for Lydia’s Top 30 songs of 2019.

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Weekend Lineup: November 15-17

Kaitlyn Pacheco — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 14:33:00 +0000

EAT

Nov. 16: Oyfest 6

Union Craft Brewing, 1700 W. 41st St. 12-5 p.m. $15-50.

This annual oyster palooza checks all the boxes for a standout day of shucking, slurping, and sipping. Let’s go down the list: Bivalves from the bay sourced from regional farms; superior shuckers from The Local Oyster and True Chesapeake Oyster Co.; the fan-favorite oyster-eating contest; live funky sounds by Rufus Roundtree and Da B’more Brass Factory; and tons of beer from host Union Craft Brewing. Need we say more?

DRINK

Nov. 15-17: Rare & Obscure Beer

Max’s Taphouse, 737 S. Broadway. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Free.

For almost 35 years, Max’s Taphouse has been a mecca-like destination for local beer lovers, with thousands of bottles in its collection and a draft list so long that it practically nudges you to try something new. This weekend, the Fells Point staple will temporarily add nearly 100 rare and obscure beers to its menu, with more than 60 deep-cut drafts and a growing list of bottles and cans. Take this opportunity to sip on something new because, who knows, “That’s the Kind of IPA That Makes You Wish You Spoke French” or the “Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2009” could be your new favorite beer.

SEE

Nov. 14-Dec. 1: Aladdin

The Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. Times vary. $52-175.50.

On the heels of the live-action version of this classic Disney film, the story of Aladdin will come alive on The Hippodrome stage—minus the presence of Will Smith. Bring the whole family to the historic downtown theater to experience the adventures of a street urchin who falls in love with the princess of Agrabah, with plenty of songs, colorful characters, and romance to keep audience members of all ages entertained. Catch this eye-popping musical during its almost three-week run and get ready to go on a magic carpet ride for the ages.

HEAR

Nov. 16-17: Stop Making Sense

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. $15-50.

Whether you were in the crowd at the Talking Heads’ 1983 performance at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater or have watched the concert film “Stop Making Sense” a few times over, we can almost guarantee that you’ve never experienced the legendary show like this before. For two nights at the Ottobar, more than 25 Baltimore musicians and performers—including the likes of Landis Expandis on the drums and Jasmine Pope and Amy Reid as guest vocalists—will perform a full-throttle rendition of the epic concert with a light show and lamp-dancing included. Pack the Remington club for this do-good show, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition.

DO

Nov. 16: Holiday Bazaar

Belvedere Square, 540 E. Belvedere Ave. 12-3 p.m. Free.

Get into the (early) holiday spirit this Saturday at Belvedere Square’s family-friendly market, packed with handmade gifts by local artists and makers. In between browsing through wares by vendors such as Scarvelous and Allison Fomich of Tigerlillyshop, grab a sweet treat from Sofi’s Crepes or Chocolate by Jinji, bop along to live music, and spend the afternoon reveling in the start of this chilly holiday season.

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Weekend Lineup: July 26-28

Lauren Cohen — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 14:08:00 +0000

EAT

July 27: Trifecta Food Truck & Music Festival

Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium. 12-11 p.m. Free-$20.

Whether you’re in the mood for a gourmet grilled cheese, some tasty empanadas, or just a good old-fashioned Baltimore crab cake, you’ll be able to satisfy your hankering here. With more than 40 different food concepts showcased, this massive gathering at the Maryland State Fairgrounds bills itself as the state’s largest food truck and music event—so you’ll certainly get the full taste of what the mobile eateries of Maryland have to offer. Kids get in free, and there will be a bevy of activities for them, such as a dunk tank, inflatable slides, and even a mechanical bull. The best part? You can enjoy the all-day live music lineup in between meals.

DRINK

July 27: Union Craft Brewing’s Anniversary Celebration

Union Collective, 1700 W. 41st St #420. 6-11 p.m. $35-110.

Come out and party with Hampden’s hometown brewery as it rings in its seventh year. Held in Union Collective’s spacious taproom, the birthday bash will feature perhaps the most expansive beer selection yet with more than 50 to peruse over. (Be on the lookout for a few new brews, as well.) Attendees will enjoy eats from likes of The Local Oyster, Snake Hill, Ekiben, and Clavel while dancing to tunes provided by a lineup of live performers including James Nasty and Yellow Dubmarine.

SEE

July 27: Fluid Movement: The Water Ballet Opening

Druid Hill Park Pool, 2645 East Dr. 5 p.m. $5.

Whether you’re a tried-and-true fan or a first-timer, come experience this joy of a show that commemorates Fluid Movement’s 20th year. This local performance art group walks the line between complex themes and delightful mediums in its productions, and the mesmerizing combination of synchronized swimming, water ballet, and community theatre is truly one of a kind. Of course, there will be the necessities: comedy, choreography, and a smidge of drama. If you can’t make it this week, Patterson Park Pool will host a series of shows next weekend, as well.

HEAR

July 26: Butch Dawson’s Ollieworld Release Show

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m.- 12 a.m. Free.

Don’t be surprised if you start hearing more and more about Butch Dawson. His new mixtape proves the Charm City rapper is a force to be reckoned with. Stop by the Ottobar this weekend to hear bangers like “Trigger,” “This Is Your Hood,” and “Word on the Block” at Dawson’s official album release show. Other featured artists will include Ghostie, Shido, and Station North Sadboi.

DO

July 26: Baltimore’s Birthday Bash

The Assembly Room, 316 Guilford Ave. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. $65-125.

Although Baltimore doesn’t look a day over 289, make sure to show your love for Charm City on it’s 290th birthday. There will be open bars stocked with local brews and spirits, locally baked birthday desserts, and a lively dance party headlined by DJ Impulse. If you’re feeling extra generous, consider buying a Good Neighbor ticket, which covers admission for yourself and another Baltimorean active in the community. Proceeds from the party will benefit Live Baltimore’s promotion of Baltimore City’s residential neighborhoods.

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The List: January 2019

Kaitlyn Pacheco — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000

Polar Bear Plunge
Jan. 26. Sandy Point State Park, 1100 E College Pkwy, Annapolis. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Prices vary. Ever since Stephan Timchula adopted his “Major Offense” superfan persona 10 years ago to honor the Baltimore Ravens’ (sometimes) strong offense, it has become his way of reminding fans that sports go beyond wins and losses. A longtime member of the Ravens Roost 115 and the Pro Football’s Ultimate Fan Association, Timchula shares the Special Olympics Maryland’s creed—that sports create new opportunities for people with disabilities—and he’s supported the nonprofit by proudly wading into the chilly waters at Sandy Point State Park for the past five Polar Bear Plunges. “Most importantly, it’s a day dedicated to the Special Olympic athletes, and watching them have fun rubs off on everyone else,” says Timchula, who will take the plunge again on January 26. “It makes jumping into the icy-cold water worth it.”

Getty Images

Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan. 21. 830 E Pratt St. Times vary. $5. In honor of what would’ve been Martin Luther King Jr.’s 90th birthday, commemorate the life and legacy of one of the most influential civil rights activists in American history at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum’s annual remembrance. Bring the whole family to the downtown museum to celebrate King’s powerful vision of freedom and peace through music and dance performances by local acts, readings by Baltimore-based author Kevin Shird and Baltimore Center Stage actors, and kid-friendly activities.

Delita Martin

Between Spirits and Sisters
To Feb. 2. 2224 N Charles St. This month at Galerie Myrtis, view works by mixed-media artist Delita Martin that explores womanhood and the power of narrative impulse. Inspired by oral traditions and vintage photographs, this Texas-based artist uses printmaking, drawing, sewing, collaging, and painting techniques to bring portraits of African-American women to life.

Howard Korn

Black & White Party
Jan. 19. The Assembly Room, 316 Guilford Ave. 8 p.m.-midnight. Since the Pratt Contemporaries’ first Black & White Party a decade ago, this all-night affair has become one of the city’s most anticipated see-and-be-seen parties of the year. This year’s theme of Studio 54 will transport guests back to the disco days of the iconic ’70s nightclub with live music, festive eats, and themed cocktails flowing all night long. Pro tip: Mark your calendar for January 4—the day tickets go on sale—as general tickets typically sell out within minutes.

Baltimore Restaurant Week
Jan. 11-20. Prices vary. After a whirlwind year of openings and closings in the area dining scene, the city’s winter restaurant week is the perfect time to try out new spots, revisit neighborhood standbys, and get your foodie fix without breaking the bank. Nearly 60 local spots will be on board for this 10-day deal, which offers prix-fixe menus priced between $12-20 for brunch and lunch and $20-35 for three-course dinners. Map out your must-try meals, make your reservations early, and take advantage of this annual culinary celebration.

Courtesy of Super City

Super City
Jan. 26. 2549 N Howard St. 9 p.m. $12. After playing their latest album, Sanctuary, to audiences in every corner of the country, this Baltimore-based “freak wave” band is back home and ready to remind us what we were missing. Pack the Ottobar to hear this rising indie-pop group play showstopping hits such as “Artificial Sin” and “Find You,” and get there early to catch sets by homegrown acts including songwriting duo Chaunter and hip-hop collective Soul Cannon.

Theo Anthony

BSO Pulse: Dan Deacon
Jan. 17. Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. 8:30 p.m. $25-55. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has collaborated with acts ranging from big-name indie artists to up-and-coming groups for its BSO Pulse series, but this month’s joint performance with local legend Dan Deacon is a can’t-miss marriage between two iconic figures in the city’s music scene. Hear this genre-defying artist debut several new joint compositions with the BSO during this electronic-acoustic performance.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade
Jan. 21. Locations vary. 12 – 2 p.m. Free. For the past 18 years, the city of Baltimore has commemorated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with an all-out parade that starts on King’s namesake boulevard and winds down to Baltimore Street. Find a spot along the parade route to wave to local community bands, color guards, dance squads, and other civic organizations as they pass by.

Courtesy of The Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Jan. 22-27. 12 North Eutaw Street. $72-199. Times vary. Gather your everlasting gobstoppers, Oompa Loompas, and golden tickets for the sweetest production of the season. For six days, the Hippodrome Theatre will transform into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for this family-favorite musical that brings new life to songs from the original film such as “The Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination.”

Baltimore Orioles FanFest
Jan. 26. 1 W Pratt St. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. $12. As the saying goes, there is no offseason in baseball. Put last year’s abysmal season in the past and kick off the Orioles’ 2019 season with a day-long celebration at the Baltimore Convention Center. Orioles FanFest offers games and press conferences for kids, one-of-a-kind memorabilia for purchase, and autographs and Q&A sessions with select players from the team.

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Baltimore New Year’s Eve Events That Fit Every Mood

Lauren Cohen — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 17:07:00 +0000

Typically, New Year’s Eve goes one of two ways. Either you keep it casual and watch the ball drop from the comfort of someone’s living room or you dress to the nines and head out for an extravagant evening on the town. But part of the beauty of being in Baltimore on December 31 is that there are plenty of opportunities to do something that falls somewhere in between.

If you want to go out without getting too fancy, you can hit up a neighborhood bar or head to a concert at an intimate venue. Or, if the goal is to do something outside of the box, there’s even a dog-themed dance party and a Divine-inspired fête.

From dinners and dance parties to open-bar bashes and big she-bangs, here are our picks for the best ways to ring in 2019.

PUB PARTIES

One Star Country Club

This Federal Hill favorite is known to get rowdy after an Orioles or Ravens win, and we can only imagine the energy will be exactly the same when the clock strikes twelve. One Star is inviting revelers to pregame for the big moment with a premium open bar from 9-10 p.m. for $10. Afterwords, enjoy a complimentary champagne toast at midnight and cash bar until 2 a.m. 38 E. Cross St. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. $5-15

Sir Duke Bar & Liquor Store

The drinks will be flowing at this artsy Fells Point hangout, which is opening all three bars for a two-floor dance party with DJs spinning all night. Attendees who buy tickets early will be able to roll up and skip the line when they arrive. 701 S. Bond St. 9 p.m.-4 a.m. $10

The Chasseur

Head up to the third-floor skybar at this Canton corner spot to ring in 2019 with friends and neighbors. Admission to The Chassuer’s annual party includes passed hors d’oeuvres, party favors (who doesn’t love a shiny headband?), and plenty of bubbly at midnight. 3328 Foster Ave. 10 p.m.-1 a.m. $40

Hair of the Dog

South Baltimore watering hole Hair of the Dog is pulling an all-nighter with festivities running until 8 a.m. on New Year’s Day. The main event begins at 9 p.m. with $40 open-bar access that includes live music spun by DJ Eden, and a full-blown buffet by chef Kenya Butler. The spot will open to the public at 1 a.m., and keep the party going until sunrise. 1649 S. Hanover St. 9 p.m.-8 a.m. $40

Alexander’s Tavern

Alexander’s in Fells Point is going all out with bottomless eats and drinks from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Line your stomach with buffet fare like crab dip, soft pretzels, gourmet pizzas, signature tots, and mac and cheese while indulging in open bar access all night. 710 S. Broadway. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $65

MIDNIGHT MUSIC

Big Vibe NYE 2018 at The Crown
Mr. 14th, D.K. the Punisher, and other surprise guest performers will be providing the soundtrack for this New Year’s Eve rager. Take advantage of the positive energy and start your year on a high note at The Crown, which is offering pay-what-you-want tickets until the night of the event. The Crown. 1910 N. Charles St. 9 p.m.-3 a.m. $5-10 at the door.

New Queer’s Eve at the Windup Space
Say goodbye to 2018 at this all-night show spotlighting bands from the local LGBTQ community. The lineup features favorites like experimental rockers Joseph & The Beasts, Manners Manners, Sybling, and Dreambush. The Windup Space. 12 W. North Ave. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $10

A Mobtown New Year’s Eve
The annual soiree at Mobtown Ballroom in Pigtown will begin with cocktails and live jazz before guests make their way to the dance floor for Sarah Sullivan and the Honey Guzzlers. Other live entertainment throughout the evening will include burlesque performances and post-midnight DJ music. 861 Washington Blvd. 7 p.m. $50

2 K9 TEEN: BROS New Year’s Eve Bash
A group of Baltimore greats—including Outcalls, DJ Pancakes, and Joe Keyes and the Late Bloomer Band—are set to take the stage at this dog-themed dance party hosted by the Baltimore Rock Opera Society (BROS). In between the tail-wagging sets, BROS members will be performing their best tricks for (human) treats. Ottobar. 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m. $20

NYE Soul Train ’69 at the Creative Alliance
It might be 2019 at midnight, but the Creative Alliance is hosting this funk-fueled bash for anyone who wants to travel back in time 50 years. Get down to Motown jams by DJ Landis Expandis, DJ Rob Macy, and The Jonathan Gilmore Experience, who will be covering James Brown, The Supremes, and everything in between. Creative Alliance. 3134 Eastern Ave. 8:30 p.m.-3 a.m. $30-35

Better Off Dead New Year’s Eve Bash

Rock out to familiar Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia anthems with local tribute band Better Off Dead at The 8 x 10. An opening set by progressive funk collective Squaring the Circle will get the party started off right. The 8 x 10. 10 E. Cross St. 8 p.m.-1:30 a.m. $30

FIREWORKS FESTIVITIES

Baltimore’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular
Gather around the Inner Harbor Amphitheater for live music and dance performances before the annual fireworks display at midnight. The nearby Pandora Ice Rink will be open until 12:30 a.m. for those hoping to catch the show while practicing their triple axel tricks. Inner Harbor. 9 p.m.- 12:30 a.m. Free

Wit & Wisdom

It’s going to be a bittersweet evening at this seven-year-old staple inside the Four Seasons Baltimore in Harbor East. New Year’s Eve marks the restaurant’s final night of service as it prepares to transition into a new concept, but it’s going out with a bang. Enjoy light bites and a ringside seat to the fireworks show while toasting Wit’s run. 200 International Drive. 8:30 p.m. $250

Minnow
Not only is this Riverside seafood spot offering a Mediterranean-inspired prix-fixe menu on New Year’s Eve, but it’s also hosting a rooftop soiree for guests who have other dinner plans. The party starts with hors d’oeuvres, beer, and wine in the bar at 10 p.m., followed by a trip up to the roof just before midnight to watch the fireworks light up the sky. 2 E. Wells St. 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m. $60

Vida Taco Bar

Vida is celebrating its first-ever New Year’s Eve in Harbor Point accordingly with all-you-can-eat street tacos, oysters, shrimp, ceviche, crudite, and more. There will also be an open bar (with plenty of tequila) and live music by DJ Rolo. The best part? The spot is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows with killer views of the Inner Harbor fireworks. 1401 Point St. 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. $100-125

Constellation Deck Party

Climb aboard the Inner Harbor’s USS Constellation for unlimited gourmet eats, picture-perfect views of the fireworks, and, of course, plenty of bubbly to go around at midnight. Pier 1, E. Pratt St. $25-85

BAR-HOPPING BASHES

Barcocina and Bond Street Social
Hop back and forth between these sister spots overlooking the water in Fells Point. A $40 ticket includes admission to both bars, passed bites, noisemakers, and a champagne toast at midnight. 1629 Thames St. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. $40

NYE: Charles Street Block Party
South Charles Street neighbors Bandito’s, Wayward, and 101 Baltimore are hosting this joint celebration in Federal Hill. Dance your way into the New Year at all three bars, which will offer three-hour open bar access and plenty of light fare to keep you going well past midnight. “Fast Pass” ticket options are available for those who want to jump the lines. 1117-1118 S. Charles St. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $79

New Year’s Eve at Tagliata, The Elk Room, and Italian Disco
The cluster of Atlas Restaurant Group concepts on Fleet Street in Harbor East are coming together to throw one massive party. Wander around to enjoy piano music at Tagliata, a full jazz band at The Elk Room, and live DJ entertainment at Italian Disco—which will also air the Times Square ball drop on its big screens. All of the eateries will offer bottomless eats and drinks. 1012 Fleet St. 7 p.m.-3 a.m. $175

NYE: Live 2019
Make your way around 10 different bars inside Power Plant Live to take advantage of all-inclusive eats and drinks with live music at each venue. The downtown nightlife district is also hosting an epic countdown with lasers, confetti, and tons of balloons. 34 Market Place. 9 p.m. $95

FANCY FOOD

A Divine Pretty in Pink New Year’s Eve at Encantada
The whimsical restaurant inside the American Visionary Art Museum is dedicating its New Year’s bash to the legendary Divine with pops of pink, a themed buffet, and open bar access. There will also be a live DJ, photo booth, and Divine impersonator to make it a New Year’s Eve for the books. 800 Key Highway. 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m. $130

Charleston

Treat yourself to an elegant, prix-fixe meal prepared by chef Cindy Wolf at this waterfront destination in Harbor East. The restaurant is offering two seatings, both including four savory courses and dessert. 1000 Lancaster St. 5:30 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. $149-319

La Cuchara

Chef Ben Lefenfeld is whipping up a four-course, Basque-inspired meal with dishes such as bluefin tuna crudo, duck magret with huckleberry jus, rockfish with heirloom carrots, and banana rum cake with coconut buttercream. 3600 Clipper Mill Rd, Ste. 125. 5 p.m.-12 a.m. $99

Cosima
Before those New Year’s resolutions go into effect, spend your final meal of 2018 eating Italian comfort foods at this Woodberry restaurant. Chef Donna Crivello’s special menu highlights roasted butternut squash bisque with duck confit, stuffed branzino with lobster couscous, porcini-crusted tenderloin, and a chocolate chestnut cake with sweet mascarpone. 3000 Falls Rd. $100-135

Chez Hugo
A seven-course menu of innovative French fare is in store for diners at this downtown bistro. The meal will begin with crab cakes and sunchoke hummus before chef Steve Monnier moves on to serve carrot tartare with radishes and sorrel, halibut in gremolata butter, and duck breast with persimmon jam. 206 E. Redwood St. 5-11 p.m. $85

Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen
Chef John Shields’ 20-year-old favorite at the Baltimore Museum of Art is taking on a supper club vibe for the big night, offering two seatings at 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Both will include vegan and vegetarian options, and live jazz and guitar music. Dishes to look out for include lobster bisque, baked wild oysters, rockfish imperial, seafood linguine, and chocolate toffee crunch pie. 10 Art Museum Drive, 5 p.m.-12 a.m. $49-95

Rye Street Tavern
Foodies will flock to this Port Covington party featuring buffet fare around every corner. Spend the final hours of 2018 indulging in endless passed canapes, fried chicken, carved meats, and raw bar favorites. Rye Street is even devoting an entire room to desserts. Other highlights will include live music and a champagne toast overlooking the water at midnight. 13 Rye St. 7 p.m.-1:30 p.m. $140

BIG BLOWOUTS

New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball at the Sagamore Pendry

Throw on a vintage mask and head to the luxury hotel on Broadway Pier in Fells Point for a Venetian-themed evening. Sip unlimited drinks, snack on light bites, and dance in the historic ballroom before watching the fireworks blast over the water. 1715 Thames St. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. $139

New Year’s Eve Party and 90th Birthday Bash at the Lord Baltimore
To celebrate its 90th birthday, the Lord Baltimore Hotel is paying homage to its roots with a live swing band in the historic Calvert Ballroom. The combined birthday and New Year’s Eve celebration will also feature a spread of oysters and hors d’oeuvres, as well as holiday cocktails and French sparkling wine at midnight. A portion of all ticket proceeds will benefit the Baltimore National Heritage Area. 20 W. Baltimore St. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. $75

The Bygone Ball
There’s nothing quite like the panoramic views from the 29th floor of the Four Seasons Baltimore. Bygone will be celebrating in style with a black-tie ball offering premium open bar service, and a standing buffet with caviar, raw bar staples, and a meat-carving station. 400 International Drive, 29th floor. 7 p.m.-3 a.m. $375

Charm City Countdown: Midnight in Hollywood
Pose for cameras on the red carpet before entering this massive affair at the Hilton Baltimore in Linthicum. Equipped with 12 different party areas—including its own silent disco—the Los Angeles-inspired blowout will feature unlimited eats and drinks, five regional DJs, and a festive balloon drop at midnight. A portion of proceeds will benefit local charities CityFam and Caring Communities. Hilton Baltimore BWI. 1739 W. Nursery Rd. Linthicum Heights. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. $109

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Weekend Lineup: November 23-25

Kaitlyn Pacheco — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 10:04:19 +0000

EAT

Nov. 23-Dec. 24: Christmas Village in Baltimore

West Shore Park, 501 Light St. Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free.

Save the leftover turkey and stuffing for another day and spend the rest of the weekend sampling authentic German fare at the annual Christmas Village. From grilled-to-order bratwurst and Bavarian burgers to sweet tooth staples like lebkuchen (German gingerbread) and strudels, this traditional holiday market is packed with enough German delicacies to pull you out of your post-Thanksgiving food coma. Don’t forget to snag holiday gifts like homemade hot sauce and marzipan on your way out.

DRINK

Nov. 23: Black Friday Celebration

Diamondback Beer, 1215 E. Fort Ave. 12-11 p.m. Free.

Whether you’re looking to get out of the house (aka away from your extended family) or need a reprieve from the Black Friday madness, Diamondback Beer has you covered. Stop by the Locust Point brewery for buck-a-shuck oysters, slices by BricknFire Pizza Company, and free-flowing pours of seasonal brews like Maple Thief, an oatmeal stout, and a Kolsch called Atmospheric Conditions. After warming up with a beer or two, head out to the patio to hear live music by local group Gene & Friends.

SEE

Nov. 24- Jan. 1, 2019: Miracle on 34th Street

700 W. 34th St. 5 p.m.-12 a.m. Free.

Although Hampden is known as a neighborhood that marches to the beat of its own drum (see Hampdenfest and Honfest), it does follow the unwritten rule against displaying holiday decorations and lights before Thanksgiving. But two nights later, the entire 700 block of West 34th Street will come alive with decked out digs and displays including illuminated Bohs, flamingos, crabs, and, of course, the famous hubcap tree. In this weird and wonderful Charm City tradition, join tons of locals and visitors alike in admiring the “most outrageous Christmas lights” in Maryland.

HEAR

Nov. 23: Joy Postell

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m. $12.

We’ve been eagerly anticipating this powerful singer’s debut album since her first single, “Consciousness,” dropped more than two years ago, and it was well worth the wait. This Friday, hear this rising local artist perform brand-new tracks from her full-length album, Disapora, and experience how Postell’s fusion of jazz, soul, hip-hop, R&B, and spoken word creates a moving commentary on love, growth, and injustices faced by the African-American community. Be sure to get to Ottobar early to hear sets by noteworthy locals like rapper Butch Dawson, genre-bending artist Josh Stokes, hip-hop mainstay Al Rogers Jr., and singer-songwriter Bobbi Rush, as well as DJ sets by Loc Spice, Styles b0nd, and Jacob Marley.

DO

Nov. 23-24: Bazaart Holiday Art Market

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Fri. 12-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free.

Start the holiday season off right by supporting local artisans during the American Visionary Art Museum’s annual art market, featuring tons of one-of-a-kind items that make early-bird shopping special. Held on Small Business Saturday, the market will highlight original creations made by more than 40 regional artists such as paintings, textiles, and jewelry. After you’re shopped out, take a free tour of the acclaimed Jim Rouse Visionary Center.

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Culture Club: Artesanas Mexicanas, Joy Postell, and Drunk Shakespeare

Christine Jackson — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 12:19:00 +0000

Visual Art

Artesanas Mexicanas y Artesanitos
Don’t miss your chance to view and purchase handmade piñatas, corn husk flowers, and traditional embroidery from the talented women of Creative Alliance’s Artesanas Mexicanas program and their child apprentices, who are part of a year-long program to learn these intricate arts. Stop by opening night for a reception that will include a traditional Mexican dinner and performances. Reception from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 16; On view from Nov. 16 to Dec. 1. Amalie Rothschild Gallery at Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Baltimore Beneath the Surface
This exhibit pairing Baltimore-based street photographers Lashelle Bynum and Angelia Carter has been extended through the end of November, meaning there’s no reason to miss this series of portraits of the city and its people. Covering both individuals’ stories and the communities that surround them, these images offer a look at the many pieces that create the whole of Baltimore. On view through Nov. 30. Eubie Blake Cultural Center, 847 N. Howard St.

Lizzie Fitch/Ryan Trecartin
Longtime collaborators Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin have shown their videos, sculptures, and installations around the world, and their latest stop at the BMA brings all those elements into the museum’s hallowed halls. Venture into either of the sculptural theaters (one made to look like a bar and the other a sort of gymnastics center) to view films exploring the ideas of technology, identity, and communication in the 21st century. On view through Jan. 6, 2019. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.

Music

The Art of Prelude and Fugue
This brand-new concert series from the Peabody Institute pairs Russian composer Dmitry Shostakovich’s book of Preludes and Fugues with the Baroque Bach compositions that inspired it. Join pianist Lura Johnson at the intimate Leith Symington Griswold Hall for the first of four explorations of these two composers and how their pieces, created 200 years apart, can work together. Pre-concert lecture at 6:30, Concert at 7:30, Nov. 19. Leith Symington Griswold Hall, 1 E. Mount Vernon Pl.

Joy Postell Album Release Show at the Ottobar
Local indie R&B artist Joy Postell has had a big year, and she’s closing it out with a bang. New music, new videos, and a mention in The New York Times’ piece “The Changing Sound of Baltimore” have all created buzz around the local singer, and now her debut album, Diaspora, is finally here. Get in line early to catch this free performance to celebrate the release. Doors at 8 p.m., Show at 9 p.m., Nov. 23. Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.

Theater

A Wonder in My Soul
In a story that feels rooted firmly in the world around us, two Baltimore beauty shop owners must weigh their love of their neighborhood against moving away from the pressures of crime and the rising cost of gentrification. Friendship and community anchor this work from celebrated playwright Marcus Gardley. Nov. 29 through Dec. 23. Baltimore Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St.

Drunk Classics: Shakespeare
Watch as the cast at Single Carrot and their guests deliver their tipsy interpretations of some of the Bard’s greatest scenes. Enjoy a live Drunk History-style biography of Shakespeare to start, and then who knows what the night will bring? A blitzed Benedick and Beatrice? A plastered Puck? An intoxicated Iago? Only the Carrots know what’s coming. 8-11 p.m., Nov. 17. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.

Film

Baltimore’s Strange Fruit Film Screening & Celebration
Celebrate the Black Yield Institute’s third anniversary this screening of the group’s documentary, Baltimore’s Strange Fruit: A Story of Food Apartheid and the Struggle for Sovereignty at the BMA. The event, which will also include entertainment and and a discussion with the filmmakers, will benefit the BYI’s food sovereignty work throughout the city. 3-6 p.m., Nov. 17. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.

Literary Arts

Writers LIVE: Antero Pietila
Antero Pietila’s new book, The Ghosts of Johns Hopkins, may not include any spirits. But the ghosts examined in these pages are still haunting the city nearly 150 after the death of the Baltimore titan. Join Pietila to discuss the complicated legacy of Johns Hopkins and how his institutions helped shape the problems of the city we live in today. 7 p.m., Nov. 28. Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles St.

Festival of Jewish Literature
Catch the final weekend of this two-week celebration of Jewish literature throughout the Baltimore area. Head to Beth El in Pikesville Thursday night for a community reading with Eternal Life author Dara Horn, take in a Jewish Variety Hour Saturday night at The Ivy Bookshop, or bring the kids to a series of children’s programs at Chizuk Amuno Congregation on Sunday evening. Through Nov. 18, Times and locations vary.

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Culture Club: Fluid Movement, Surf Music Showcase, and Art/Sound/Now

Lauren LaRocca — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 16:39:00 +0000

Visual Art

First Fridays Free Curatorial Tour: Meleko Mokgosi: Acts of Resistance
As part of a free series at the Baltimore Museum of Art, curators give tours of exhibitions they curated and explain the shows in further detail, providing rich insight into the artists and their work. This month, senior curator of contemporary art and department head Kristen Hileman will lead a group through the much-talked-about show Meleko Mokgosi: Acts of Resistance. Mokgosi explores race and gender through intimate yet larger-than-life portraits and paintings of domestic environments. Curatorial tour from 2-3 p.m. Aug. 3; the show remains up through Nov. 11. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive.

We Are Everywhere: Travels of the African Diaspora
Photographer Schaun Champion will show images from Baltimore and around the world that represent the African diaspora in her exhibit We Are Everywhere: Travels of the African Diaspora at Ida B’s Table, a beloved Southern soul food restaurant in downtown. The show is part of the monthly series Necessary Tomorrows, created by resident curator Sharayna Christmas to feature work that complements the visit and mission of the restaurant. Opening reception and artist talk, 5-8 p.m. Aug. 7. Ida B’s Table, 235 Holliday St.

Counterweight
Sera Boeno, Cevahir Özdoğan, and Noa Heyne examine concrete as a material and as a gender—its cultural and sociological implications and history—in the show Counterweight. Artist talks, a printmaking/archiving workshop with Lebanese archivist and artist Celia Shaheenon (Sept. 9), and an exhibition catalogue release on Sept. 21 will accompany the show. Aug. 10-Sept. 21, opening reception from 7-10 p.m. Aug. 10. The Menial Collection, 243 W. Read St.

Music

Summer in the Squares: Symphony Number One
Pull up a chair (or blanket) for the finale of this season’s Summer in the Squares. Symphony Number One will perform at Mount Vernon Place for the free series of shows that bring the work of emerging composers to the stage alongside beloved pieces by classical greats. During this show, the Baltimore-based chamber orchestra will feature the Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” alongside new works and pop favorites. 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 29, Mount Vernon Place, 699 Washington Place

Baltimore International Surf Music Showcase
Four instrumental surf acts from around the world will take the Ottobar stage this month for a totally tubular night. Headlining the show will be Surfer Joe, based in Italy and often called the “international surf ambassador.” The legendary California surf band The Volcanics, and Les Agamemnoz (France) will also perform alongside local surf rockers the Flying Faders. 8 p.m. Aug. 15. Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.

Art/Sound/Now: Suldano Abdiruhman and The Compositions
In collaboration with the High Zero Foundation, The Walters Art Museum will present its annual ART/SOUND/NOW, featuring artists creating soundscapes throughout the museum’s various gallery spaces. This year’s event highlights work by interdisciplinary artist Suldano Abdiruhman, a member of the artist collective BALTI GURLS and cofounder of 4c Gallery. 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 23. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.

Film

High Fidelity / Empire Records Double Feature
When a beloved music shop in Baltimore turns 25, a nostalgic screening of two cults classics is in order. The Sound Garden was born in 1993, and shortly thereafter, the films Empire Records and High Fidelity were released—in 1995 and 2000, respectively—both set amid the backdrop of record stores. And if watching these back-to-back on the big screen weren’t nostalgic enough, please note they’ll be screened on 35mm. 7-11 p.m. Aug. 30. The SNF Parkway Theatre, 5 W. North Ave.

Theater

Variations on Sacrifice
Rapid Lemon Productions will present its annual Variations Project this summer with Variations on Sacrifice. Eleven 10-minute plays by local authors will premiere during two weeks, followed by a third week (new this year) of staged readings of eight additional plays. Audiences of 2017’s Variations on Magic voted to select this year’s theme, Sacrifice. Plays, Aug. 3-12; staged readings, Aug. 16-19. Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St.

Literary Arts

‘Sentiments’ by Press Press: Baltimore Book Launch
What could be better than a summertime potluck? A summertime potluck hosted by Press Press, with readings to satiate your palate. The launch of “Sentiments: Expressions of Cultural Passage,” the latest publication by Press Press, will feature readings about creating sanctuary, by Bilphena Yahwon, Rami Karim, and others, beginning at 5 p.m., plus a reading of “Manifesto for Sanctuary-Building & Sanctuary-Keeping.” Bring along a snack or something to grill at this community potluck of Baltimore creatives. 3-7 p.m. Aug. 11. Press Press, 427 N. Eutaw St.

Miscellanea

Comedy, Music and Poetry Showcase with Heda Rose and Guests
A lineup of Baltimore talent will take the Motor House stage for an evening of poetry, standup comedy, and music, headlined by vocalist, songwriter, actress, model, activist, and film producer Heda Rose. The remaining lineup includes comedian Larry Lancaster, comedian Ebony “Miz Jaxxxn” Jackson, comedian Ray Diva, and poet Gradalove. Heda will perform a comedy set and music set with a live band. 8-11 p.m. Aug. 31. The Motor House, 120 W. North Ave.

Fluid Movement’s ‘The Water Ballet’
The Baltimore-based performance art group Fluid Movement channels the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock for its latest production, “The Water Ballet” at Patterson Park. Take a deep dive into all that horrifies you. Day and night shows, Aug. 3-5. Patterson Park.

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The Launch: March 2018

Aaron Hope — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 08:30:00 +0000

Expressions

Mar. 3-4, 6. Baltimore School for the Arts, 712 Cathedral St. Sat. 6:30 p.m., Sun. 2 & 5:30 p.m., Tues. 6:30 p.m. $15-375. 443-642-5165. At the end of every winter, there comes a bright moment in the form of the Baltimore School for the Arts’ annual fundraiser, Expressions. Support the local art school during one of four awe-inspiring student shows—plus a cocktail party and evening gala—which we consider among the don’t-miss performance art events of the year.

Stephen Towns: Rumination and A Reckoning

Mar. 7-Sept. 2. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 443-573-1700. In late 2016, Stephen Towns became an official artist to watch in Baltimore with the debut of his Take Me Away to the Stars exhibit at Galerie Myrtis. Towns’ installations were used to draw parallels between Nat Turner’s historic slave rebellion in 1831 and the modern violence and inequities that still plague African Americans today. Many of these profound textile works are now on display at the BMA, continuing both the conversation and the artist’s compelling reputation in Baltimore.

Intercambio

Mar. 9. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. 8 p.m. $25-30. As part of Stoop Storytelling’s “Stoop Special Engagement” series, and coinciding with the closing of the BMA’s Mexican modernist print exhibit, these two cultural institutions are teaming up for a night of positive foreign relations. Seven Baltimoreans will share personal stories about exchange and inspiration found across the U.S.-Mexico border.

National Cherry Blossom Festival
Mar. 20-Apr. 15. Tidal Basin, 1500 Maine Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. Times & prices vary. 877-442-5666. In the DMV, spring is marked by a bounty of flowers— including daffodils, dogwoods, and, of course, an abundance of cherry blossoms. At the end of the month, those blooms reach their peak in Washington, D.C., with the entire tidal basin turning pale pink and pillowy white. For nearly four weeks, admire their beauty and celebrate the new season with a variety of festivities, including a pink-tie party, parade, kite festival, and world-renowned performances.

Snail Mail

Mar. 21. Ottobar, 2549 N Howard St. 8:30 p.m. $10. 410-662-0069. It wasn’t long after the 2016 release of Snail Mail’s debut album, Habit, that Lindsey Jordan and her two bandmates started to get national attention. The band’s lo-fi indie rock music was suddenly getting written up in Pitchfork and, before long, sprawled across a multi-faceted feature in The New York Times. The trio sold out local shows at WTMD and the Ottobar, recorded an NPR Tiny Desk concert, signed a deal with national label Matador Records, and then went off on tour with indie darlings Beach Fossils. (We also awarded them a Best of Baltimore for “Rising Star” this past August.) Fresh out of high school and already well beyond their years, it’s safe to say that they are officially the next big thing to come out of Baltimore. See for yourself as the trio returns home to perform at the Ottobar on March 21.

BSO Pulse: Valerie June

Mar. 22. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. 8:30 p.m. $35-55. 410-783-8000. After three short years, the BSO Pulse concert series has become a beloved arts institution here in Baltimore thanks to its unlikely fusion of classical music and indie rock that features artists from near and far. This time, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and WTMD team up with June, the vibrant singer-songwriter from Tennessee whose Memphis roots shine in her soulful blend of gospel, folk, and blues. Before the show, be sure to catch a performance in the lobby by local Americana musicians Nick and Luke.

Mobile Unit: Twelfth Night

Mar. 22–25. Various Locations. $25. 410-332-0033. They say that all the world’s a stage, and Mount Vernon’s Center Stage takes that adage literally. In 2017, the local theater company launched the Mobile Unit, a free-wheeling production project, in the belief that everyone deserves access to the arts. For those who don’t have the option to enjoy a night of theater, the Mobile Unit brings it to them, and to date, actors have delivered dramatic, whimsical, and comedic performances in such unconventional spaces as shelters, jails, retirement homes, and recreation centers in underserved communities. From March 22-25, a cast of five will perform Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at various sites around the city. Center Stage calls these shows “minimal,” but we think they’re pretty grand.

Annapolis Oyster Roast & Sock Burning

Mar. 24. Annapolis Maritime Museum, 723 Second St., Annapolis. 12-4 p.m. $25-75. 410-295-0104. Every March, it’s worth the drive down I-97 for this spring tradition in the state capital. For the 40th year, celebrate the spring equinox with roasted oysters, live music, and an oddball sock burning (literally) in Annapolis to welcome the beginning of boating season (for brave, blanket-wearing souls) on the Chesapeake Bay.

Crowning Glory: Art of the Americas

Mar.-Oct. 7. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thurs. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Free. 410-547-9000. The exhibits at the internationally renowned Walters have long traversed the globe, from the tapestries of Medieval Europe to the textiles of the Middle East. In this new exhibit, the museum stays close to home with a collection culled together from North, Central, and South America. Some 20 objects spanning thousands of years will explore the two continents’ various cultures and their relationships to power, spirituality, and identity through head-worn decorations.

Jimmy Buffett

Mar. 30. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. 8 p.m. $52.50-152.50. 410-347-2020. For one evening at the end of the month, Baltimore will transform into the blue waters of the Florida Keys with the island-themed country-pop music of the legendary Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band. Whatever the weather—lion or lamb—imagine sun, sand, and margaritas in hand during this feel-good Friday night show.

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Culture Club: The Cone Sisters, The Community Project, and the African-American Arts Festival

Lauren LaRocca — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 08:30:00 +0000

Visual Art

Reflections: Intimate Portraits of Iconic African Americans
Photographer Terrence A. Reese’s career has led him to take portraits of such stars as Lauryn Hill and George Clinton. The artist, who goes by TAR, will exhibit a selection of his work at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum this month in the show Reflections: Intimate Portraits of Iconic African Americans. Black-and-white images will depict such luminaries as the Nicholas Brothers and Gordon Parks in their natural environments and living spaces so as to better reflect who they are, through their personal objects, style, and the context of their lives. Wednesdays through Sundays, Feb. 1 through Aug. 12, at Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.

Artist talk with Shirin Neshat
Iranian artist Shirin Neshat explores gender, identity, and politics in her work, as well as the differences in culture between the West and Muslim countries. Because she tackles such complex themes, there is no shortage of questions and discussion surrounding her work. It also makes her a perfect candidate for MICA’s Mixed Media lecture series, which brings to Baltimore artists from across the globe. For this installment, Neshat will be in conversation with Baltimore Museum of Art Director Christopher Bedford. 7 p.m. Feb. 15 at Falvey Hall, Brown Center, 1301 W. Mount Mount Royal Ave.

Music

Charm City Django Jazz Fest
Nothing like some live gypsy jazz to add a little heat to a cold winter’s day. Creative Alliance has got us covered with not one but three days of its annual Charm City Django Jazz Fest, which will bring in acts from across the region and world, including headliner Samson Schmiit, a legendary Manouche gypsy guitarist from France. Swing on by to see Sara L’abriola, Ultrafaux, ‘Nuff Said, and others, to experience a range of styles within the genre. Feb. 23 to 25 at the Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

Out of Darkness: Two Remain
A new opera looks at what you might consider atypical Holocaust survivors: one, a political prisoner, and the other a homosexual Protestant, both of whom used words to overcome the traumas of captivity during the war. World-renowned composer Jake Heggie developed the two-act opera based on the true stories of these characters who “survive through their poetry,” says Garnett Bruce, stage director of the Peabody Chamber Opera’s production of the piece. Feb. 8 through 11 at Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St. The composer and librettist will attend opening night, with a talk following the show.

Theater

Constellations & Crossroads
Constellations & Crossroads is a theatrical double-header steeped in American history and exploding with life. Baltimore Rock Opera Society partnered with Arena Players, Baltimore’s historic African-American community theater, to present two short musicals in their entirety, backed by a live band. The Determination of Azimuth tells the story of Katherine Johnson, a black mathematician who worked for NASA and was responsible for comp[uting paths for rocket ships sent into space. Battle of Blue Apple Crossing leans more on fiction to tell the tale of blues legend Robert Johnson, said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for musical ability. The score follows America’s musical heritage from field spirituals to rock ’n’ roll to garage rock. 8 p.m. Feb. 9 through 18 at Arena Players’ venue at 801 McCulloh St.

All She Must Possess
The Rep Stage premiere of All She Must Possess tells the story of Baltimore’s famed Cone sisters, Claribel and Etta, extravagant world travelers and collectors of art and curios. During the early 20th century, they stored thousands of paintings—including work by Matisse and Picasso, among other greats—in their homes, amassing what would become one of the world’s largest collections of modern art (a large portion would eventually be housed at the Baltimore Museum of Art, where it is today). In the theatrical version of their lives, written by University of Maryland Baltimore County professor Susan McCully and directed by Rep Stage artistic director Joseph W. Ritsch, paintings come to life and Gertrude Stein—Etta’s lover—makes an appearance. Coinciding with the play is an exhibition of historical women’s clothing from the Cone sisters’ time, on display at Howard Community College’s Rouse Company Foundation Gallery through March 11. The play runs Feb. 8 to 25 at Rep Stage at Howard Community College.

Dance

The Community Project
Each year, The Collective pulls together dancers from the community and pairs them with a professional choreographer to develop the Community Project performance. This year, 22 dancers—ranging in age from teens to baby boomers and across all skill levels—met on several cold January weekends to rehearse under dancer Caitlin McAfee for this year’s show, which is but one component to the Baltimore Dance Invitational. Set to Indian Wells’ song “Cascades,” the group will show through movement how the mind races, gets distracted, and follows its own trails of thought. Gordon Center for Performing Arts on Thursday, February 15, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Gordon Center for Performing Arts, 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave., Owings Mills.

Beyonce vs Rihanna Dance Party: Round 2
The Ottobar event flier states it best: “Are you ‘Drunk In Love’ or ‘Drunk On Love’?!” At the Beyonce vs Rihanna Dance Party, that is precisely the question. And also, are you ready to duke it out—through dance, of course, to support your diva de jour. The dance party battle will light up with Beyonce tracks from DJ Mills and Rihanna tracks from Ottobar owner Craig Boarman. 9 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St.

Miscellanea

African-American Arts Festival
The University of Baltimore helps us to celebrate Black History Month specifically through art at its annual African-American Arts Festival. Its offerings span an array of artistic mediums: film, visual art, music, theater. Some highlights: a panel with Black Ladies Brunch Crew of D.C., an African drumming circle, readings of Langston Hughes poetry spliced with live, improvised jazz piano, and a screening of Jonathan Demme’s film of Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. Feb. 15 to 18 at the University of Baltimore, 1420 N. Charles St.

Exhibit of Original Costumes

We may be 2,500 miles from Hollywood, but John Klisavage brings us a touch of its wonder by way of costume. At his bookstore in Havre De Grace, he’s displaying several outfits worn in major motion pictures, including Hunger Games and The Notebook. February and March at Washington Street Books & Music, 131 N. Washington St., Havre De Grace.

A culinary documentary on Basque cuisine
Parkway Theater has teamed up with a local restaurant to bring a food and film pairing, naturally. After a screening of The Txoko Experience: The Secret Culinary Space of The Basques, scriptwriter Marcela Garces and director Yuri Morejon will answer any questions the audience has, and then . . . everyone can partake in the food portion of the evening: passed pintxos from the Basque-inspired La Cuchara restaurant. Renowned Basque chefs serve as narrators of the culinary documentary, which explores Txokos, groups of people who gather to explore innovative and experimental ways of cooking. As Morejon puts it, “Txokos represent a distinctive, albeit enigmatic element of Basque gastronomy. As the private temples of traditional Basque cuisine, they captivate people with their warmth, ambiance, and great respect for fresh products.” 7 p.m. Feb. 22 Parkway Theater, 5 W. North Ave.

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Best Music of 2017

Lydia Woolever — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 16:11:00 +0000

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.

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag62tRhgkf8

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.

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Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast Talks Personal Style

Lauren Bell — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 12:20:00 +0000

Since coming together in 2009, Best Coast has frequented our playlists with their dreamy, lo-fi California indie pop melodies and relatable lyrics. Along the way, the band’s songwriter, guitarist, and lead singer Bethany Cosentino has made a name for herself not only musically, but as a sartorial obsession to her fans and beyond for her impeccable style on and off stage.

With a show at the Ottobar on September 12 and a North American tour on the horizon with Paramore, we talk to Cosentino about her personal style, what it’s like to pack for tour, and how she has evolved over the last decade.

How would you describe your day-to-day style?
Functional, sexy, and casual. At any given moment I could nap in my daily outfits, but there’s always a little skin showing.

Packing for a tour seems like a daunting task. How do you go about editing what you bring?
I used to try and bring enough stuff so that I never had to wear the same outfit onstage twice, but that got way too complicated. I try and bring a bunch of different tops and a few set bottoms. I usually wear the same pair of boots onstage—gold Saint Laurent boots—and then I always bring casual shoes for days off on top of running shoes for when I workout.

Who is your style icon?
Debbie Harry, Rihanna, Stevie Nicks, Cher in the ’70s.

Do you have a favorite or least favorite trend that is popular right now?
My current favorites are jumpsuits, high waisted wide-leg pants, athleisure—because I’m lazy sometimes—and pantsuits. My least favorite trends are jeans that have like half the leg cut open intentionally and pom-pom earrings.

When you are on tour and traveling, do you ever get the opportunity to shop? Any favorite stores you’ve discovered?
Portland, Maine is one of my favorite cities we’ve ever played in. I walked around all day and found so many cute vintage shops and an amazing crystal store where I got a great Tarot reading.

What is your favorite article of clothing and why?
A vintage 1976 Joni Mitchell tour letterman jacket. My mom got it for me off eBay for my birthday about five years ago. It’s so old and incredible. People have offered to buy it off my back, but I could absolutely never part with it.

How has your style evolved over the last 10 years?
I’ve become more confident and I think my style shows that. I was 20 years old then and my style was so confusing. I look back on photos now and I’m like, ‘What was I thinking?’ My style was like very ’80s, but the bad era of ’80s fashion.

As a woman in the entertainment industry who deals with unfortunate criticism, what’s your advice for people to stay true to themselves and not care about what others think when it comes to style?
Just remember that your opinion of yourself is the one that truly matters. People will always criticize you—regardless of who you are and what field you’re in. As long as you’re confident and comfortable, that’s what matters.

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Weekend Lineup: September 8-10

Lydia Woolever — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 16:34:00 +0000

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

EAT

Sept. 9-10: Baltimore Ukrainian Festival

St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church, 2401 Eastern Ave. 12-6 p.m. Free.

Baltimore is the home to one of the Mid-Atlantic’s largest Ukrainian community, and this weekend, there will be a celebration of that rich Eastern European heritage during this 42nd annual festival near Patterson Park. For two days, celebrate beneath the golden domes of the St. Michael church, with live music, folk dancing, arts and crafts, a Ukrainian beer garden, and a hefty dose of traditional cuisine, such as kielbasa, latkes, borscht soup, homemade breads, and, of course, sweet and savory pierogis. On Saturday, even watch in awe or test yourself during the much-loved, highly competitive pierogi-eating contest.

DRINK

Sept. 9: Mommies & Mimosas

Dovecote Cafe, 2501 Madison Ave. 12-4 p.m. $35.

When you become a new mom, it can be hard to get out and socialize, let alone find time to eat a warm meal. But this Saturday, thanks to the Mommy Up meet-up and Best of Baltimore-winner Dovecote Cafe, local mothers can gather together for a three-course brunch featuring fellow inspiring women. Over Dovecote’s home-cooked fare and a few rounds of much-needed fresh mimosas, you can network and talk about the joys and challenges of motherhood. Bring your babes or come solo, but biggest of all, sit back, relax, and soak up some you time.

SEE

Sept. 8-10: Little Italy Madonnari Arts Festival

Little Italy. Fri. 5-10 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Free.

Madonnari art is an age-old practice of street painting, still found commonly along the cobblestones of Italy and, for one weekend, alongside the byways of Baltimore’s Little Italy. This weekend, watch master Madonnari artists from around the world—and right here at home—set up shop in the heart of the Italian neighborhood, where they’ll create beautiful works of chalk art on the city streets. With a sunny forecast, things look brighter than last year’s rainy weather. Stroll the streets to listen to live music, indulge in carbs at neighborhoods enotecas, and kick things off early during a cabaret dinner on Thursday at Germano’s Piattini.

HEAR

Sept. 8: Underground Dance Party

The Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. $6.

This month marks the 20th anniversary of Baltimore’s beloved Ottobar (see our September issue, on stands now, for more), and to ring in the two decades, the Remington rock club has brought back some of its old favorites. J. Roddy Walston recently performed a few rabblerousing sets, and later this month, Candy Machine and Roads to Space Travel will be perfomring a throwback combo, as both bands performed during the Ottobar’s first month downtown on Davis Street in September 1997. This weekend, the venue is also reviving its “Underground” dance party, featuring classic Brit-pop, indie, and new wave anthems on the ones and twos all night. Think James, Blur, Oasis, Daft Punk, Depeche Mode—with drink specials to boot. A regular favorite for the last 10 years, this former monthly ritual is sure to pack the house. We only have one request: “Age of Consent” by New Order.

DO

Sept. 9: Hampdenfest

The Avenue, W. 36th St. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free.

There are few neighborhoods in the city more quintessentially-quirky Baltimore than that of Hampden. On Saturday, head north and celebrate the hons and Hampdenites of its eclectic avenue with an end-of-summer block party, full of fun for the whole family. As you wander 36th Street, dig into eats from local restaurants, including slices by Paulie Gee’s, shucks by The Local Oyster, scoops from The Charmery, and a pie-eating contest with Dangerously Delicious, and sip on local beer, including the special Brewer’s Art/Union Craft Hampdenfest collab, Hampden On Rye. With three stages for live music, you can catch more than 20 homegrown bands, such as Snakes, Wume, Raindeer, and the inimitable headliner, Bond St. District. Just don’t miss the annual toilet bowl races, as porcelain flies past the colorful rowhomes of Chestnut Avenue.

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Culture Club: C. Grimaldis, J Roddy Walston and the Business, Mt. Vernon Literary Walking Tour

Gabriella Souza — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 16:27:00 +0000

Visual Arts

Summer ’17 at C. Grimaldis Gallery
Through Aug. 26, 523 N. Charles St. Catch some of Baltimore’s biggest artistic names at this group show, including the works of Sondheim Artscape prize finalists Zoe Charlton, Wesley Clark, and Hasan Alahi.

Concrete/Complex: a portrait of McKeldin Fountain
Aug. 12-Sept. 3, Current Space, 421 Howard St. Using photography, video, and sound, Baltimore-based artists Shannon Collis and Liz Donadio documented McKeldin Fountain’s last days. Their portrait of the once-functional space culminates in an immersive installation that conjures a meditation on the essence of this urban landmark. The installation’s sculptural forms reference the fountain’s Brutalist design, and celebrate its minimalism and strong angles; video shot on site traverses each of these surfaces. Collis and Donadio’s abstract, visual, and auditory impressions offer a sensory memorial experience of McKeldin Fountain, opening a layered engagement with viewers.

What We Learn While Waiting
Aug. 14-20, Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center, 847 N. Howard St. Inspired by Baltimore City’s public benches, “What we learn while waiting” – a conversation with Baltimore, the greatest city in America; is a gallery exhibition that explores the many experiences, dynamics, and realities that exist within our city’s parameters. The works curated by Malaika Aminata Clements, with Shan Wallace and LieAnne Navarro, are inspired by public space, human interaction, mass transit, and Baltimore city’s benches. This event is sponsored by

Our Right To Smile
Opens Aug. 26, Dovecote Café, 2501 Madison Ave. This exhibit from painter Jerrell Gibbs provides a glimpse into his world through recreations of childhood photographs and memories. Gibbs bestows viewers a lens into the everyday life of the community he’s familiar with. He gives the audience a sense of the traditional Baltimorean family functions. His use of elongated figures, inspired by Ernie Barnes, and expressive gestures allows him to convey a feeling of liveliness in the form of two-dimensional paintings.

Performing Arts

Super City/ Chiffon/ Twen
Aug. 14, Ottobar, 2549 Howard St. Catch Baltimore rockers Super City and Twen as they head out on tour. Ultra-smooth R&B group Chiffon joins them for this show.

Ultrafaux
Aug. 20, An Die Musik, 409 N. Charles St. Fresh off their new album release, Ultrafaux—an acoustic trio that presents original music rooted in the authentic technique of 30’s French guitarist Django Reinhardt—will present a set of Reinhardt’s songs exploring the evolution of the gypsy jazz style.

Summer in the Square with Symphony Number One
Aug. 23, Mt. Vernon Place’s West Square This performance from the Best of Baltimore winning chamber orchestra that specializes in substantial works by emerging composers includes 15 pieces, 14 of which are new compositions that have never before been played in public. The works feature spoken word poetry by Eubie Blake, a toy piano, dub-step influences, selections from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Saint-Saens, a taste of patriotic flair, and a piece inspired by the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy’s discovery of the Washington Monument cornerstone.

J. Roddy Walston and The Business
Aug. 24-26, Ottobar, 2549 Howard St. J. Roddy Walston and The Business are returning to Baltimore (they are now based in Richmond) for this three-day residency at the Ottobar. Specializing in a classic-sounding Southern rock/Americana style that emphasizes songwriting and danceable kinetics, they are about to release their fourth studio album this fall and have a new single, “The Wanting”, their first four years.

Events

Throwback III: A 90’s hip hop party
Friday, Aug. 11, Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Curators of Hip Hop and Creative Alliance are partnering for a 90’s R&B, soul, and hip hop party, with two dance crews one dance floor. Bmore Than Dance and local Bboy and Bgirl crews will be there along with artists Eze Jackson, Jahiti of Brown FISH, Joy Postell, Al Rogers Jr. and Bobbi Rush, who will be performing your favorite 90’s hits.Throwback gear highly recommended but not mandatory.

Literary Mt. Vernon walking tour
Aug. 19, meet at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral St. Follow in the footsteps of Baltimore’s literary luminaries on this Maryland Humanities tour. Discover the elegant brownstone mansions and majestic cultural institutions built by Baltimore’s successful 19th century merchants and industrialists on . Learn how a neighborhood of scholars, struggling artists and authors, newspaperman, philanthropists and social reformers offered rich opportunities to discuss and debate ideas and open new literary avenues.

News

On August 12, 1992, the American Visionary Art Museum became a United States Congressionally designated national museum. Though it wouldn’t open its doors for another three years, founder and director Rebecca Alban Hoffberger recalls, “That early and unanimous official recognition gave AVAM the imprimatur of credibility to flourish that which has since wildly exceeded even the sweetest of all our dreams. We say on the eve of our 25th Anniversary as a beloved national museum, God-speed the rapid return to united and Bi-Partisan Congressional care and action to impact the greater good. We sure need their urgent visionary action to repair infrastructure, healthcare, climate, and create the jobs of the future, now.”

Source

Weekend Lineup: July 14-16

Lydia Woolever — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 10:42:00 +0000

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

EAT

July 14: Jumbo Gumbo

Union Craft Brewing, 1700 Union Ave. 5 p.m. $5.

If you haven’t heard the whispers yet, our favorite seafoodie, The Local Oyster, has something new in the works. Think jumbo gumbos, crawfish boil, local oysters (naturally), and the sounds of the Big Easy. We know where we’ll be hanging out when Second Line opens its doors in Remington in early 2018, but this Friday, get an early taste at our beloved Woodberry brewery. Throw back pints of Duckpin, slurp down True Chesapeake oysters, and crush New Orleans-style eats with a special NOLA collaboration between The Charmery and Center Cut Doughnuts. (Beignet scoops, anyone?) To step up the experience, Rufus Roundtree and The B’More Brass Factory will be on hand for that full-on second line vibe. Here’s hoping they’ll even start their own procession around the UCB parking lot.

DRINK

July 15: Mood Swings at Boordy Vineyards

Boordy Vineyards, 12820 Long Green Pike, Hydes. 6-9 p.m. $20.

There’s something about summer that makes us nostalgic. We yearn for the berry pies of our grandmother’s kitchen and the big band music of stereo on hot sticky nights. This Saturday, quench that wistful thirst by making your way to the county for a throwback evening, filled with fine wine and the sounds of old standards echoing across the rolling countryside. At Boordy Vineyards, the 20-plus-piece Mood Swings will be in tow for a show for all ages, with ice-cold whites, summery roses, and warm-weather reds flowing into the night. Get a little tipsy, dig into local ice cream, and dance under the stars.

SEE

July 15-16: Baltimore Caribbean Carnival

Clifton Park, 2701 St. Lo Dr. Sat. 12-10 p.m., Sun. 12-9 p.m. Free.

The Baltimore Carribean Carnival might just have the city’s best parade. During this weekend-long celebration of tropical paradise, transport to the islands without even hopping on I-95. Join thousands of attendees to soak up the sounds of steel drums, snack on endless authentic eats, and best of all, see the colorful costumes as you follow this loud, lively parade.

HEAR

July 14: My Morning Jacket with Gary Clark Jr.

Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pwky., Columbia. 5:30-11 p.m. $46-76.

My Morning Jacket is an instant feel-good show. At any given concert, winding jams like “One Big Holiday” will have you forgetting your weekday worries, and a coterie of cover songs will have you crooning to the likes of Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, and Erykah Badu. For one Friday night, catch old MMJ favorites and maybe even a few new hits from James’ latest stellar solo album, Eternally Even. The group will also be joined by guitar virtuoso Gary Clark Jr., whose rock skills are revered by the likes of The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. Simply put, he’s likely to steal the show. Just listen to “Bright Lights” to see what we mean.

DO

July 14: Bey vs. Ye vs. Jay Dance Party

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Free.

We’ve all picked sides during the whole Carter Family debacle over the years. You might side with Jay-Z. Your girlfriend might side with Beyoncé. Her best friend might side with the West-Kardashian clan. (We’ll always stand by Solange.) This Friday at the Ottobar, you can finally pick a winner with a dance-off to support your team. For four hours, get down on the dance floor as DJ Mills spins your favorite tracks from Queen B, Jay, and the crazy-but-genius Kanye. Open to all genders and ages, it’s one of the best dance parties in the city. We’ll definitely be trying to sneak in a stray “Losing You.”

Source

Weekend Lineup: June 2-4

Lydia Woolever — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 16:23:00 +0000

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

EAT

June 3: Taste of 3 Cities

Patterson Park, 2806 Eastern Ave. 12-9 p.m. $15-65

If you consider yourself indecisive, prepare to be put to the test this weekend on the hills of Patterson Park. The grassy knoll will transform into a glutton’s paradise as a hoard of food trucks parks along the edge of Highlandtown. Dig into more than 40 mobile munchies hailing from Philly, D.C., and Baltimore, including hometown favorites Kommie Pig, Grr Che, Gypsy Queen, and the one-and-only Miss Twist, with beer, wine, margaritas, and crushes on tap as well. Whatever your pick and poison, set up shop at one of three stages to catch regional dance performances and, best of all, to hear live local music like headlining act Bond St. District.

DRINK

June 2: Station North Tool Library Happy Hour

Station North Tool Library, 417 E. Oliver St. 5-8 p.m. Free.

If you’re looking to meet fellow creatives or just start your weekend with a cold beer, throw away the workweek and throw back a Union Craft this First Friday at the Station North Tool Library. The mixed-use makerspace is a community hub for everyone from amateur builders to accomplished woodworkers, with classes ranging from home repair to knife-, cutting board-, and coffee table-making. Sip a UCB can, sign up for some workshops, and scramble down the street into the warm late-spring night.

SEE

June 2-3: Nights on the Fringe

Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St. 7:30 p.m. $20-35.

Charm City Fringe—best known for its 10-day fall festival celebrating untraditional, independent performance—is taking the stage early this season during its third annual Nights on the Fringe. For two nights, immerse yourself in a medley of artistic acts in the vein of vaudeville with hosts Aaron Henkin of WYPR, Umar Khan of Gin & Jokes, and Josh Kuderna of BIG Improv. On Friday, catch performances of spoken word by Baltimore’s 2015 youth poet laureate Derick Ebert, aerial stunts by In The Dark Circus Arts, and shadow puppetry by the Lantern Sister. On Saturday, stop by for hip-hop dance moves by Bmore Than Dance, slam poetry by Grim Jackson, and live music by Afro House’s Astronaut Symphony. Whether you come for one show or all, it will be an unexpected weekend to remember.

HEAR

June 2: Natural Velvet

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 8 p.m. $10-12.

We can’t give away how much we love the new Natural Velvet record (you’ll have to check out our July issue to find out more), but let’s just say: You don’t want to miss this local post-punk quartet. They’re one of the best young acts in town, with a fearless flair and ball-of-fire energy thanks to the wiry guitars of Kim Te and Spike Arreaga, guttural drums of Greg Hatem, and amorphous howl of captivating frontwoman Corynne Ostermann. This new album (their second with local label Friends Records) is their most fierce release to date, so see it live alongside fellow local opening acts, electronic R&B duo Blacksage, beatmaker Infinity Knives, and trance-noise group Halloween Tres.

DO

June 2: Good Fridays Baltimore

EMP Collective, 307 W. Baltimore St. 9 p.m. $10.

Almost seven months ago, Baltimore arts and culture editor Gabriella Souza was on the phone with John Waters when she got an idea. The local auteur had mentioned how The Buddy Deane Show, a teen dance show that aired on WJZ in the late 1950s and early 1960s, had inspired his most mainstream film, Hairspray! Over the years, similar variety shows and dance programs, like The Shakedown, had all but disappeared. Wouldn’t it be great, mused Waters and Souza, if people could just get together today—regardless of race, class, age—and dance? With the help of PipeDreamz’s Ansar “AC” Miller-Abdullah and City Paper and Baltimore contributor Cassandra Miller, Good Fridays Baltimore was born. This Friday night, don’t miss its inaugural dance party, be it live at E.M.P. Collective in the Bromo Arts District or live-streamed on YouTube from your own home, to hear live music by rapper Al Rogers Jr., see local art by Shan Wallace, and a throwback video countdown to the main event. Best of all, be sure to get down—even abashedly in front of your computer or TV screen—during the two-hour dance party by DJ JaySwann.

Source

Weekend Lineup: April 7-9

Lydia Woolever — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 12:10:00 +0000

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

EAT

April 8: Center Cut Doughnuts

3528 Chestnut Ave. 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

After the closure of B. Doughnut in Hampden last fall, we feared for the future of our Saturday morning sugary fix. Luckily, Center Cut Doughtnuts swooped in to save the day, and this weekend, they open their new digs on Chesnut Avenue, featuring pillowy pockets filled with delicious and unexpected flavors. Think Brown Butter, Cannoli, Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel, and, our favorite: The Orioles Magic, complete with Grand Marnier and orange juice icing. The opening party will include giveaways, prizes, and new menu selections. But don’t be late; the first person in line will win a dozen free doughnuts, while the next four people will receive a half-dozen fritters.

DRINK

Crossbar der Biergarten

18 E. Cross St.

After four years of work, the Crossbar der Biergarten has finally made its debut in Federal Hill. As soon as it opened, lines formed down Cross Street as rambunctious residents were eager to down the giant German beer hall’s overflowing steins and Bavarian soft pretzels. This weekend, grab a seat at the communal tables, soak up the sun from the glass ceiling, admire the bar’s living ficus tree, and cheers “prost” with half liter and full liter draughts, as well as ambitious two-liter boots, filled with both German and local beers.

SEE

April 7: Out of Order

218 W. Saratoga St. 7-10 p.m. $40-45.

One of the most anticipated art events of the year, Out of Order is back in Bromo this weekend for the 20th year. The annual spring benefit exhibition and silent auction will feature the works from more than 250 emerging, student, and professional artists from around the region. Event-goers have the chance to acquire unique contemporary art, enjoy an open wine-and-beer bar, try specialty cocktails from Baltimore Cocktail Week, and snack on light bites, with proceeds directly benefitting the programs, exhibits, and artists of Maryland Art Place.

HEAR

April 7-10: Future Islands

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 8 p.m. Sold out.

This weekend will be a night—er, four nights—of epic proportions. In the midst of their new tour, Future Islands will be swinging into town for a long weekend of shows for their hometown crowd. From Friday through Monday, the local synth-pop band will perform its new album, The Far Field, at the city’s quintessential rock venue with your favorite old songs, some kickass new ones, and, in true F.I. fashion, special local guests each night, like funk group Soul Cannon, 83 Cutlass, and soulful singer-songwriter Joy Postell. Despite skyrocketing to indie stardom after their 2014 album, Singles, the trio remains exceedingly proud of its Baltimore roots, and we couldn’t be more honored to call them our own. For four nights, see Sam Herring sashay across the stage and let their dreamy dance music pull at your heartstrings until last call.

DO

April 8: Opening Day for Trails

Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Ave. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.

As we pray for an end to April showers, celebrate the full bloom of spring on some of Baltimore’s best outdoor trails. This Saturday, the Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition hosts the opening day for trails with guided walks, bike rides, and hikes along the Jones Falls, Gwynn Falls and Herring Run trails. To commemorate the fifth year of this green gaiety, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy will be on site with giveaways from Fuji Bikes and Performance Bicycle. Grab your sneakers, some sunglasses (the clouds will finally part!), and get outside.

Source

Weekend Lineup: Dec. 30-Jan. 1

Lydia Woolever — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 17:11:00 +0000

Charm City Pays Tribute to Prince

Lauren Cohen — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 14:17:00 +0000

Music lovers all over the world have been spinning their favorite Prince records on repeat to mourn the loss of the legendary pop artist, who died Thursday at the age of 57. But Charm City has an extra special attachment to the musician, after he stepped in to promote a message of peace and healing in the wake of the civil unrest surrounding the death of Freddie Gray. It was nearly a year ago when thousands of locals flocked to Royal Farms Arena for the superstar’s impromptu “Rally 4 Peace” concert, where he first performed “Baltimore,” his ode to rebuilding our city. Prince donated some of the proceeds from the performance to various organizations committed to uniting the community. Now, tons of local establishments are paying homage to the pop icon, offering everything from raspberry berets to Purple Rain-inspired cocktails.

The Senator Theatre: Shortly after the news broke, The Senator announced special screenings of Purple Rain, Prince’s first film that scored him an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1984. Screenings are scheduled April 29-30 at 8 p.m., and on May 4 at 7 and 9:45 p.m. Tickets range from $9-12. 5904 York Road, 410-323-4424

B&O American Brasserie: A special Purple Rain-inspired cocktail is featured on the spring menu at this trendy spot inside the Hotel Monaco. Post up by the bar to sample the drink, which combines lavender Novo Fogo cachaça (a Brazilian rum with hints of banana), lemon juice, and honey-apple shrub, and is garnished with crème de violetta and a fresh lavender sprig. 2 N. Charles St., 443-692-6170.

Milk & Ice Vintage: This vintage boutique and antique store on the Avenue in Hampden is highlighting pieces that commemorate Prince’s eclectic style. Stop by to browse its collection that features items like a raspberry beret and matching scarf, suede blazer, and a purple parasol. 833 W. 36th St., 410-889-1009

Mother’s Grille: In addition to blasting Prince’s hits throughout the restaurant, Mother’s will be pouring $5 Purple Crushes at all of its locations tonight. Multiple locations including 1113 S. Charles St., 410-244-8686

The Crown: This Station North hangout, known for karaoke and late-night dance parties, debuted three cocktails inspired by some of Prince’s most well known songs in its Red room last night. Sample the “When Doves Cry” cocktail, which combines Bombay Sapphire gin, absinthe, tonic, lavender bitters, and lemonade ($8); the “Raspberry Beret” made with Cassis liqueur, Campari, grapefruit vodka, and Sprite ($8); or the “I Would Die for You,” a duo of Miller High Life and Pikesville Rye ($6). 1910 N. Charles St., 410-625-4848

The Rowhouse Grille: This multi-level Federal Hill bar is hosting a Prince-inspired party on Sunday, April 24 at 5 p.m. Gather your friends, don your best purple attire, and sip drink specials while getting down to his greatest hits. 1400 Light St., 443-438-7289

West Madison Craft Beer & Wine Bar: Curate your best Prince playlist and head over to this recently rebranded Mt. Vernon spot, which will host a special event to honor The Purple One on Saturday, April 23 at 6 p.m. West Madison is encouraging diners to create the soundtrack for the soiree by plugging in their own devices and playing their favorite songs. The customer with the best playlist will win a $25 gift card to the restaurant. 311 W. Madison St., 410-949-6609

Ottobar: Known for its frequent “Prince vs. Michael Jackson” dance parties, this indie rock club will be paying tribute to the late musician with a few special events in the coming weeks. To kick things off, James Nasty will be spinning Prince’s music in the venue’s upstairs bar tonight starting at 9 p.m. Mark your calendars for another special show in the downstairs concert hall on May 14, which will feature the likes of Nasty and DJ Mills playing sets fusing the best of late artists Prince, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, and Michael Jackson. 2549 N. Howard St., 410-662-0069

Source

Weekend Lineup: Feb. 12-14

Lydia Woolever — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 16:55:00 +0000

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Valentine’s weekend.

EAT

Feb.14: Mother’s Pajama Brunch

Mothers Grille, 1113 S. Charles St. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. 410-244-8686. mothersgrille.com.

Ah, love is in the air, and so is the smell of breakfast this Sunday
with last night’s beer and this morning’s bacon wafting through the Federal
Hill air. Spend your Sunday Funday at Mother’s Grille with the boisterous bar’s
bi-annual pajama brunch. Come in your PJs—onesies highly encouraged—and get
half off your entire check, including some breakfast booze. With bacon, eggs
Bennys, and Bloody Marys, you’ll eat your heart out in no time.

DRINK

Feb. 12-14: Max’s Taphouse Belgian Beer Weekend

Max’s
Taphouse, 737 S. Broadway. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Free. 410-675-6297. maxs.com.

Our best advice to you is: Arrive early. Because as soon as Max’s opens
its doors tomorrow, lines will wrap down the street for the bonanza that is the
annual Belgian Beer Fest. Now in its 12th year, the corner bar will once again
teem with local beer lovers for an A-Game gathering of rare and virtually
impossible-to-find bottles from across the Atlantic. They’ll be tapping some
100-plus drafts, carrying more than 250 bottles, and, best of all, there will
be a full Belgian-inspired food menu, so expect waffles, frites, and brats to
accompany your bier.

SEE

Feb. 13: Gilded Lily Burlesque’s Tassels & Champagne

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 7
& 10 p.m. $20-550. 410-276-1651. creativealliance.org.

Get in the mood
this weekend with the bawdy belles of Baltimore’s Gilded Lily Burlesque. This
year during their annual Valentine’s celebration, the titillating troupe
transports you to the red-hot rhythm-and-blues clubs of 1940s Chicago. That iconic
era will inspire the costumes, sets, and music of the evening. Think Muddy
Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Slim Harpo, Buddy Guy, Bo Diddley—to name a
few. So wear your best FDR-era garb, indulge in some bubbly, and let loose to
the moves of these hometown starlets with the rock-and-rolling sounds of Jonny
Grave and the Tombstones.

HEAR

Feb. 13: Valentine’s Day Dance Party: A Moveable Feast Benefit

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $10. 410-662-0069. theottobar.com.

For the third
year, spend your Valentine’s Eve at the Ottobar to benefit the great cause that
is Moveable Feast. Local musicians like electronic artist Dan Deacon, DJ James Nasty, futuristic R&B duo
Chiffon, and many more will show their support for the local effort to put
healthy food on the table for people in Maryland with AIDS, cancer, and other
life-threatening illnesses, already difficult in a city where 1 in 4 residents
lives in a food desert. Beyond that, it’s a perfect excuse to warm up on a
frigidly cold winter weekend.

DO

Feb. 12-14: Anti-Valentine’s Day

Mobtown’s Anti-Valentine’s Day Extravaganza: Mobtown Ballroom, 861 Washington Blvd. 8 p.m. Free. facebook.com. The Bitter Heart Club: Ware House 518, 518 N. Charles St. 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Free. 443-869-3381. drinkablegenius.com. Cupid is Stupid: Banditos Bar & Kitchen, 1118 S. Charles St. 12 p.m. Free. 443-835-1517. banditosbk.com. Galentine’s Day Dance Party: Sticky Rice, 1634 Aliceanna St. 10:30 p.m. Free. 443-682-8243. facebook.com. Galentine’s on Valentines: Church & Company, 3647 Falls Rd. 7 p.m. $7. 410-493-0441. churchandco.org.

Whether you hate Hallmark holidays, are a sentiment sourpuss, or find yourself single and ready to mingle, there are plenty of ways to buck the te amo trend this Valentine’s weekend. At Mobtown Ballroom, skip the packed bars and restaurants of Baltimore and instead bring a date or ride solo for a night of drinks and dancing in Pigtown. At the Bitter Heart Club, listen to angsty music like Alanis Morrisette and Joy Division, crush cocktails made with Charm City Meadworks, D.C.’s True Syrups, and try tiki-inspired concoctions like the “Tinder Special.” At Cupid is Stupid, drown your sorrows or imbibe with besties as the Fed Hill hangout will feature $5 bombs, tequila, beer, and discounted carafes of sangria and wine. At the Galentine’s Day Dance Party, gather your gals for all-night drink specials and music, while at Galentine’s on Valentine’s, you can head bang to all-female rock bands as they perform their indie dream-pop or dark punk sounds.

Source

Weekend Lineup: Jan. 15-17

Lydia Woolever — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 16:45:00 +0000

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

EAT

Jan. 15: Art After Hours at the BMA

The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. 7-10 p.m. $20-25, with cash bar. 443-573-1700. thebma.org.

Nothing says its the weekend like drinks after work on a Friday night. This weekend, the BMA is offering you the best new way to get rid of your work week, as the museum launches its all-new Art After Hours events, with an evening of eats, drinks, and activities inspired by the BMA’s impressive collection. It’s a hot ticket, with the party selling out just one week after it first went on sale, but it’s no surprise with delicious bites from Blacksauce Kitchen (including the roasted apple, cheddar, micro green biscuit sandwich that we drool over at the JFX Farmers’ Market), micro-brewed beers from the recent Woodberry addition of Waverly Brewing Company, and a mix-your-own-spicy dry rub with local condiment maker Haute Mess Kitchen. Listen to live music from The Crawdaddies, help build a giant fort (a giant fort!) made out of pillows, and browse the Imagining Home exhibit, now open in the BMA’s new education center.

DRINK

Jan. 16: Rye Rocks at The Walters

The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. 7-10 p.m. $75. 410-547-9000. thewalters.org .

Call it a comeback, but rye whiskey is all the rage these days. You might not know it, but from the 19th century through the 1970s, the spirit had a major moment in the Maryland sun with a bounty brands like Boulevard, Browne Jug, Hunter, and our still-going-strong Pikesville Rye. Vodka and rum took over in the ’80s and ’90s, but in recent years, thanks in part to the craft cocktail trend that has consumed our country, rye’s future is once again shining bright. In fact, volume has grown 536 percent over the last half-decade. So toast to its local roots this Saturday at the second annual Rye Rocks party at The Walters, whose founders had ties to the early whiskey trade, as seen in the museum’s “From Rye to Raphael” exhibit. Warm up with wintry cocktails mixed with some 12 American-made whiskeys (from Copper Fox Distillery of VA to High West Distillery of UT) and craft by 12 of the city’s most beloved bartenders (from Aaron Joseph of Wit & Wisdom to Chelsea Gregoire of Pen & Quill), alongside hearty artisan fare. As the event is co-sponsored by Kevin Plank’s Sagamore Spirit, you’ll also get a first look at the upcoming plans for its Port Covington distillery.

SEE

Jan. 17: B’More Bowie

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 7 p.m. $10-12. 410-276-1651. creativealliance.org .

If you’re anything like us, or the rest of the world for
that matter, you’ve been listening to “Heroes” on repeat
all week long, letting that swirling guitar pull at the strings of your breaking
heart. Just days after his 69th birthday and the release of this 26th album, Blackstar,
David Bowie passed away from cancer this past Sunday, and fans came out in hoards to
show their love, grief, and tributes to Ziggy Stardust, Thin White Duke, The
Goblin King. This weekend, celebrate the rock icon’s legacy in true Bowie fashion—with a
dance party at an all-are-welcome, outside-the-box art house, the Creative
Alliance. Come dressed in the lightning bolts, pant suits, and hairdos of your
favorite Bowie-era and listen to local bands perform their own Bowie best, featuring Guides By Wire, Home, and bandmates from Future Islands, Animal Collective, the Jennifers, and many more. But leave your sorrows at home;
he may be gone, but he’ll be a hero, forever and ever.

HEAR

Jan. 15-16: Lower Dens

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 8 p.m. $13-20. 410-662-0069. theottobar.com .

Over the past year, Lower Dens has been making quite an international name for itself, with an acclaimed new album, Escape From Evil, a big tour, and frontwoman Jana Hunter speaking with everyone from Pitchfork and CNN to Cosmopolitan and the BBC about topics like gender, race, and politics. The local indie rock band’s third record is robust and undeniable—a warm, aching album of echoing guitar, shadowy synth, and Hunter’s inimitable voice full of hope or heartbreak, falling away in abandon or howling out in despair—and we think “Sucker’s Shangri-La” is one of the best songs of 2015. See for yourself this weekend, as the Baltimore band returns home for two nights at the Ottobar. On Friday, they perform with futuristic R&B artists Chiffon and Elon, as well as electro-experimentalist Cex. On Saturday, also hear local Bmore Club artist Abdu Ali, improv jazz trio Microkingdom, and DJ Isabejja.

DO

Jan. 16-18: MLK Weekend at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum

Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St. Sat. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun. 12-5 p.m., Mon. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $5. 443-263-1800. lewismuseum.org.

This weekend, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum devotes three full days to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In light of the country-wide events of the last year, there’s no better time to pay homage to the civil rights leader and his calls for peace, justice, and equality. Spend your Saturday celebrating MLK’s birthday (he would have been 87 on Friday) with cupcakes, craft activities, choral performances, a film screening and discussion of Profiled (a documentary about racial divide in America), and the opening of the museum’s annual High School Juried Art Exhibition, featuring works by teenage students from throughout the state. There will also be a presentation of “Da Up Raise,” a choreographed poem by Baltimore’s Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts, combining theater, spoken word, dance, and song aimed at understanding, healing, and hope. On Monday—Martin Luther King Jr. Day—attend one of two readings of The Meeting, a play by Jeff Stetson about an imagined conversation between MLK and Malcolm X, and stick around for afternoon films on the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout the weekend, be sure to swing by some of the many other events taking place throughout the city.

Source

Weekend Lineup: Dec. 4-6

Lydia Woolever — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 16:06:35 +0000

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

EAT

Dec. 5: Fells Point Old Tyme Christmas

Fells Point, S. Broadway & Thames St. all day, with breakfast at Barcocina, 1629 Thames
St. 9 a.m. $8-12. 410-837-9305.
fellspointmainstreet.org.
.

This weekend, the cobblestone streets of Fells Point go back in time to the era of Ebenezer Scrooge. At the 12th annual Olde Tyme Christmas, the historic ’hood will be decked in green garlands, lit up with twinkling lights, and pulsing with local throngs in tow for a full day of merriment. In the morning, bring the kids for breakfast with Santa at Barcocina. (Festive breakfast tacos? We don’t hate it.) Or head over to the holiday market for yuletide treats, crafts, music, and entertainment starting at 9 a.m. Stick around for the eggnog contest in Broadway Square, which starts at 11 a.m. with winners announced in the evening, or stay even longer to see the Parade of Lighted Boats, with illuminated schooners and skiffs sparkling off the Inner Harbor waves at 6 p.m. If the spiked eggnog leaves you extra merry, throw on your ugly sweater for the Reindeer Pub Run, with check-in at Dogwatch Tavern at 7 p.m. Just beware: this convivial bar crawl is much more naughty than it is nice.

DRINK

Dec. 4: Station North Tool Library Holiday Cheer, Beer, and Fun

Station North Tool Library, 417 E.
Oliver St. 5-8 p.m. 410-347-0850.
stationnorthtoollibrary.org.

Not only
should you skip the big boxes to shop local this year, but you should also get out there
and
make your special someone, well,
something special, too. The Station North Tool Library is the perfect place to do
so, as the nearly three-year-old studio, workshop space, and lender of
everything from wrenches and rollers to sanders and saws was hailed by us here
at
Baltimore mag as a DIYer’s dream. This Friday night, you can pair
hammers with ales at their holiday happy hour and open house, featuring Union
Craft brews, hot cider, seasonal fruits and veggies, and a make-your-own cookie
station. Meet the makers, buy your loved one an upcoming woodworking class, and
partake in the neighborhood’s awesome Alloverstreet art walk with local
galleries and studios open late and to the public.

SEE

Dec. 5-6: Home Alone at The Senator

The Senator Theatre, 5904
York Rd. 10 a.m. $5-9. 410-727-3464.
thesenatortheatre.com.

We’re gonna give you to the count of 10 to get your keister
up York Road for the 25th anniversary of the holiday cinema classic
Home Alone. As if you don’t already
know, the 1990 film follows the misadventures of 8-year-old Kevin McCallister
(remember Macaulay Culkin?) after his family accidentally leaves him home alone over
Christmas vacation. In typical John Hughes fashion (think
Breakfast Club, Pretty in
Pink
, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off),
the movie became an instant timeless classic, and over two decades later, it’s still a
countrywide favorite come the month of December. See it again in all its big-screen glory during
special morning shows this weekend at The Senator. With matinée prices, bring
the family to get in the holiday spirit and keep the change, ya filthy animals.

HEAR

Dec. 4: Among Wolves

The Ottobar, 2549 N.
Howard St. 8 p.m. $10. 410-662-0069.
theottobar.com.

Since 2005, this Baltimore-by-way-of-Jersey band has become an alt-rock city stalwart, writing dozens of original songs, releasing five accomplished albums, and gaining a loyal local following from live sets at the likes of The 8×10, Baltimore Folk Fest, and WTMD’s First Thursdays. With five members on guitar, bass, drums, and keys, the band melds indie with Americana, hi-fi with lo, and all the while retains the rock-and-roll urgency of eras past. On their new, sixth project, Separation and Other Loves, the group returns with that same fervor, whether it’s the beautiful slow burn of “Separation/Love Pt. 9,” the gentle ache of “Long Time,” the rough-and-tumble “16,” or the bourbon-bottle blues of “5 Weeks.” This Friday, help them celebrate their new EP at The Ottobar, performing with other beloved Bmore bands Super City and Caleb Stine and The Brakemen.

DO

Dec. 6: Mayor’s Christmas Parade

Starting at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, 1400 W. Cold Spring Ln. 12 p.m. Free. mayorschristmasparade.com.

This weekend might not feel very wintry, with highs in the 50s and clear, sunny skies, but on Sunday, you can still bundle up, head outside, and get all the festive feels at the 42nd annual Mayor’s Christmas Parade. Join tens of thousands of Baltimoreans on a 2.5-mile route that meanders from North Baltimore to Hampden, heading down Falls Road and finishing at 37th Street. See Santa Claus’s sled, hoards of holiday floats, dozens of marching bands, more than 100 Harley Davidsons, local TV and radio personalities, the Mummers of Philadelphia, and this year’s Miss and Junior Miss Yuletide.

Source

Q&A with Wyatt Cenac

Gabriella Souza — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 11:07:00 +0000

[Wyatt Cenac’s show at Ottobar has been moved to July 11. Tickets will be honored, and refunds are available at place of purchase.]

Comedian Wyatt Cenac, best known for his stint as a correspondent on The Daily Show, brings his stand up to the Ottobar on Thursday. He hasn’t spent much time in the Charm City, but mentioned he’d like to feast on a crab cake while he’s here—we pointed him in the direction of Faidley’s. He talked to Baltimore magazine about life after The Daily Show, Twitter, and that one time he (almost) sold a joke to Saturday Night Live.

What can the audience expect from the show Thursday night?

That’s a good question. My hope is that they will enjoy it and that they will laugh, but I don’t want to make any guarantee because that puts way too much pressure on me. I don’t want people like, “You said I’d laugh 79 times and I only laughed 76, you owe me.”

How would you describe your stand up to people who haven’t seen it before?

A lot of me crying. That’s always a weird question . . . I kind of put that on other people to describe and explain . . . I’ve got some dumb jokes, I’ve got a couple smart ones. Sometimes I’m silly. I’m hopefully entertaining. But yeah, tough to describe.

What’s life been like for you post The Daily Show?

It’s been interesting, it’s definitely different . . . I did a lot for The Daily Show, but now I’m traveling doing stand up, so I get a little more time in places, I get to see cities a little bit more. I was just in Australia for the Melbourne Comedy Festival . . . Something like that, where I was gone for two weeks, I couldn’t have done that when I was on the show . . . But I loved working on the show and I definitely miss the speed with which you could respond to things. You saw something strange or amusing or maddening in the news and you had an outlet where you could almost immediately go and write something about it and make a joke about it . . . The rush of doing the show is not the same as writing a concise little quip on Twitter and then checking in with it every two minutes to see if people have favorited or retweeted it.

Have you brought any of The Daily Show to your stand up?

I haven’t too much. As a stand-up comic, I was always talking about things that were topical, so I don’t know if that’s changed too much . . . If anything, it’s been refined by having been at The Daily Show . . . You want to be able to talk about things that people have some frame of reference for. And the challenge for anybody, but especially the stand up, is you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re like, “Ok, now I have to give you the back story and all the players.”

What did you think about the outrage that surfaced regarding new host Trevor Noah’s tweets that were seen as offensive to women and Jews?

Twitter’s one of those things that’s a very strange medium. It’s one that I’ve not tried to engage in that much because it feels like, oh yeah, it’s a platform where people can tell jokes, but it’s not a comedy club. You’re preforming for an audience you don’t actually know you’re preforming for . . . Especially for comedians, I feel like they end up throwing everything out there because they want the response . . . I’ve seen Trevor do stand up, and he’s a very thoughtful and funny stand up . . . I’ve never heard him do stuff like that on stage. I think Jon [Stewart] said it best, I don’t think that those Tweets are all of who Trevor is, or are the most representative of who Trevor is. He’s got the show and in time he will hopefully earn the trust and appreciation of his audience.

Is doing stand up where you want to be, or are you working towards another platform?

The hope is always to try to get another platform. I have ideas that I’ve had for television. I love television as a medium; I’d like to go back into it. The difficulty is finding a partner, a network [that] wants to work with you and the specific idea you have. Since I’ve left the show, I’ve probably sold five pilots . . . they just haven’t moved forward.

Can you give us an idea of what the shows are like that you’re pitching?

They’re ideas that I love, but are technically failures, so it’s kind of a strange thing to talk about . . . I sold a scripted show to AMC that didn’t move forward that . . . took place at a car dealership in Texas. It definitely had some influence of both having lived in Texas and my time at King of the Hill. I pitched a pilot of a puppet show to BBC America . . . I still love animation and I pitched a puppet show because it seemed like a perfect combination of work in both worlds. It takes a long time to make an animated show and with puppets I can do all the things I want to do in an animation show, but a little faster . . . I sold a topical show to Comedy Central a few years back . . . that was a show about social issues and that didn’t move forward. There’s more in the mix that have died. [laughs] I sold a show to IFC and it died, but it may get a breath of fresh air, but who knows.

Well, we’ll keep our fingers crossed for you.

Thank you, I appreciate it.

You spent some of your childhood in Dallas and now live in Brooklyn. Back when you started doing stand up in college at University of North Carolina, did your comedy draw from your experiences in New York and Dallas?

No . . . I had done an internship at Saturday Night Live and, while I was there, I would write jokes for “Weekend Update” and try and submit them. At the time, people faxed in jokes and if they used one of your jokes, you’d get $100. And when I heard that, I thought, “I want to make money.” They would send you set ups, and set ups would just be first sentences from USA Today and you’d write the punch line. A lot of my jokes early on were just failed “Weekend Update” jokes and then occasionally just a weird, venty rant from my own life. At the time I was working at a sporting goods store. Just a lot of failed “Weekend Update” jokes and the complaints of a man who sold sneakers to people.

Did any of your submissions ever make it on Saturday Night Live?

I had one joke that made it, but somebody else in the writer’s room had made the same joke, so I didn’t get credit for it . . . the punch line was almost identical. On some level, $100 would have been nice, but I remember taking some sort of pride that me in North Carolina and this guy in New York, there’s a parallel thought that happened there. There’s a sign that…I can do this.

Tickets to the Thursday show are still available here. Doors open at 8.

Source

Ottobar – Baltimore Magazine

Into the Groove: Baltimore’s Vibrant Dance Scene in Photos

Arts & Culture

Febuary 2025

Above: Version, a monthly queer and trans dance party, at The Compound. Opener: From left, Rocking out to disco-punk at the Ottobar; the Deep Sugar house-music dance party with DJ Ultra Naté at Club 1722; Background: DJs and disco ball on weekends at The Royal Blue.

Above: Scenes from the weekly Lindy Hop at Mobtown Ballroom, which starts with a lesson for beginners; Boot scooting during the monthly Baltimore Honky-Tonk at Waverly Brewing; Showing off swing moves at Mobtown; The dance floor at Lithuanian Hall.

Above: Indie Sleaze Night at the Ottobar; the stacks at Save Your Soul; into the groove at Deep Sugar, which takes place on the Lord Baltimore Hotel rooftop during the summer; on the ones and twos with vintage 45s at Save Your Soul; spinning at Save Your Soul.

Into the wee hours of the night.

Girl Wonder

Hair and makeup by Perryn Morris Photography assistance by Grace Campbell Shot on location at the Ottobar and Beyond Video in Remington

Arts & Culture

By Lydia Woolever

Photography by Micah E. Wood

Hair and makeup by Perryn Morris Photography assistance by Grace Campbell Shot on location at the Ottobar and Beyond Video in Remington

February 2022

Opening spread: Jordan peers thorugh lights on stage at the Ottobar. Above: Hanging in the venue’s recently renovated green room.

“THE FIRST TIME I SANG, I WAS LIKE, ‘ THIS IS SICK’—I WASN’T NERVOUS, I WAS A BOLD, BRASH KID. I’M WAY MORE NERVOUS NOW.”

JORDAN PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VALENTINE, COURTESY MATADOR RECORDS; SNAIL MAIL PERFORMING AT U+NFEST IN 2015; A POSTER FROM THE BAND’S WTMD CONCERT IN 2017, ILLUSTRATED BY BALTIMORE ARTIST ALEX FINE.

“LINDSEY HAS A WAY OF TAPPING INTO FEELINGS AND EXPERIENCES AND CHANNELING THEM INTO HER MUSIC IN A WAY THAT’S SO RARE...”

Behind-the-scenes photos of Jordan at the Ottobar and outside Beyond Video in Remington. —Photography by Grace Campbell

Baltimore’s Biggest Music Acts Team Up on Ottobar Benefit Album

Running List of Baltimore Programming and Events Impacted by Coronavirus

Making Space

Weekend Lineup: January 10-12

EAT

Jan. 10-18: Baltimore Restaurant Week

DRINK

Jan. 11: Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans

SEE

Jan. 11: Harbor Point Ice Festival

HEAR

Jan. 10: Music Under the Dome: Ziggy Stardust

DO

Jan. 11: Girls Rule! Dance Party

The List: January 2020

The Top Baltimore Music Moments of 2019

Weekend Lineup: November 15-17

EAT

Nov. 16: Oyfest 6

DRINK

Nov. 15-17: Rare & Obscure Beer

SEE

Nov. 14-Dec. 1: Aladdin

HEAR

Nov. 16-17: Stop Making Sense

DO

Nov. 16: Holiday Bazaar

Weekend Lineup: July 26-28

EAT

July 27: Trifecta Food Truck & Music Festival

DRINK

July 27: Union Craft Brewing’s Anniversary Celebration

SEE

July 27: Fluid Movement: The Water Ballet Opening

HEAR

July 26: Butch Dawson’s Ollieworld Release Show

DO

July 26: Baltimore’s Birthday Bash

The List: January 2019

Baltimore New Year’s Eve Events That Fit Every Mood

PUB PARTIES

MIDNIGHT MUSIC

FIREWORKS FESTIVITIES

BAR-HOPPING BASHES

FANCY FOOD

BIG BLOWOUTS

Weekend Lineup: November 23-25

EAT

Nov. 23-Dec. 24: Christmas Village in Baltimore

DRINK

Nov. 23: Black Friday Celebration

SEE

Nov. 24- Jan. 1, 2019: Miracle on 34th Street

HEAR

Nov. 23: Joy Postell

DO

Nov. 23-24: Bazaart Holiday Art Market

Culture Club: Artesanas Mexicanas, Joy Postell, and Drunk Shakespeare

Visual Art

Music

Hair and makeup by Perryn Morris
Photography assistance by Grace Campbell
Shot on location at the Ottobar and Beyond Video in Remington

Hair and makeup by Perryn Morris
Photography assistance by Grace Campbell
Shot on location at the Ottobar and Beyond Video in Remington