Sam Sessa didn’t always dream of being on the radio—at least not in the role he plays today, as a DJ with Towson’s own WTMD. “Sometimes sports writers are failed athletes, and music writers can be failed musicians—that’s definitely me,” says Sessa, who cut his teeth as a journalist before becoming the Baltimore Music Coordinator and host of Baltimore Hit Parade.

He grew up playing the accordion, eventually pivoting to the keyboard and organ bass during college at the University of Maryland, where he performed with a local jazz and cover band. Upon graduation, the journalism major went on to cover the entertainment beat at The Baltimore Sun from 2005 to 2013, which “just happened to be at a time when Baltimore’s music scene became one of the best in the country. I got really lucky,” Sessa says, pointing to the storied rise and record deals of artists such as Beach House, Future Islands, and Dan Deacon at the time.

“In the ‘90s, we had Dru Hill and Sisqó, which were incredible success stories for the city,” he says. “But we didn’t have as large of an audience, with attention being spread out on so many different bands, like it was in the mid to late 2000s. It was like your home team coming out of nowhere to win the Super Bowl.”

On Thursday, May 19 at The Charles Theater—in the first of what will be several free public screenings in Baltimore—this historic arch will be on full display in Sessa’s directorial debut, Do Whatever You Want All the Time: The Baltimore Music Scene 2005-2020. Created during the pandemic and named after an album by local art-rock band Ponytail (one of Sessa’s favorites), the short documentary film chronicles how Baltimore made its way onto the national stage, from the late aughts, when the city’s musical milieu was dubbed the best in the country by Rolling Stone, through the 2015 Baltimore Uprising, which, Sessa says, “changed the whole conversation on the local scene.”

“The uprising was a reckoning for a lot of different communities, including the Baltimore music community,” he says. “We made the film in the year of George Floyd’s death, and to compare what was happening in the rest of the country to what happened in Baltimore in 2015—that gave us chills.”

Despite the challenges, there’s an overarching theme of optimism as Baltimore’s musicianship continues to evolve. “Between artists like Micah E. Wood, Outcalls, Super City, and Modern Nomad, we’re seeing collaboration in ways that weren’t that common in the mid to late 2000s for a bunch of different reasons—that really gives me hope,” Sessa says. “The Baltimore music scene is perhaps more connected now than it has ever been.”

The film features up-and-coming indie bands like Snail Mail and Peach Face, as well as veteran artists such as Abdu Ali, Lafayette Gilchrist, and Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak (plus images by Baltimore contributing photographer J.M. Giordano and an appearance by senior editor Lydia Woolever.)

Local cinematographer Julia Golonka, who filmed, edited, and co-produced the documentary with Sessa, wanted to make sure that every topic—in particular, racial themes—would resonate with viewers.

“I hope that people feel we did the scene justice,” says Golonka, who went to the same high school as Snail Mail’s Lindsey Jordan. “Growing up in Ellicott City, I’ve been listening to a lot of these artists for a while now. My Spotify Wrapped for last year was mostly the bands that are featured in the film. I just kept listening to them as I would edit. I hope the viewers feel inspired to do that too. This was a dream-come-true project.”

The same goes for Sessa, who refers to the film as “the bookends of my career, distilled into 24 minutes.”

“In 2005, we still had yet to even realize that the scene was a scene,” he says. “But to watch it coalesce over the years has been fulfilling to me. We’re thrilled to share this little time capsule.”

In the latest iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we found five local songs to listen to now, ranging from eclectic art rock and anthemic rap to a catchy surf-infused tune. Check back each month for new top tracks of the moment, and follow our Spotify playlist as we continue to build a soundtrack for our city.

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“Goddess of The Baltimore in Your Mind” by Boister*

In the history of Baltimore music, there have been many leading ladies, and one, undeniably, over the last two decades, has been that of Anne Watts. Frontwoman of art rock collective Boister, the singer-songwriter, alongside her seven bandmates, to make eclectic, transcendent music—yes, boisterous, imaginative music—all for music’s sake. Across eight album, she has ruminated on heady themes like life, death, war, peace, and love, while the band’s new ninth, Goddess of The Baltimore in Your Mind, is a timely collection of songs for and about women. With backing vocals by War On Women’s Shawna Potter, this title track is like a Second Line rallying cry for women everywhere to fearlessly come together, find their inner strength, and rise up. Even Baltimore itself is personified as a goddess. We couldn’t agree more.

“Pull Up” by DDm

Beautiful Gowns was definitely one of the most fun records out of Baltimore this year, and local rap star DDm is keeping the party going with a just-launched video for this big, bold song, featuring captivating dance moves by local R&B artist Rovo Monty (see for yourself in the link above). The bouncing, club-ready beat and confident, commanding rhymes are pure swagger, speaking to swatting away haters, playboys, and punks, and never backing down. It’s an infectious anthem that makes one thing clear: in the streets or on the stage, don’t mess with DDm. Oh, and that, as his star continues to rise, the Baltimore-born artist won’t be shying away from his local roots.

“For The Go Go” by Lafayette Gilchrist

Speaking of important figures in Baltimore music history, Lafayette Gilchrist is high up on that list. The piano master is well-known for his iconic compositions as heard as the score of David Simon’s HBO series The Wire, Treme, and The Deuce, but those in the know are also keenly aware that his music runs far deeper in a lively fusion of jazz, blues, and funk with a touch of go-go acting. Earlier this year, the 2018 Baker Artist Award winner released his second solo album, Dark Matter, recorded live and rooted in sense of place for his main cities, his home of Baltimore and his native Washington, D.C. This buoyant track might be about the latter, where the genre was invented, but in the midst of ballads, it is a clear star for its jubilant energy and virtuosic keys.

“Oh No” by The Dune Flowers

New band alert! And just as we discover the catchy tunes of The Dune Flowers, they’ve already up and left us for Nashville, Tennessee. But the Westminster-bred duo makes music that is noteworthy, and also well beyond the twenty-something years of songwriters Tyler Drager and Oscar Schoenfelder. It’s a 1960s-inspired, early-rock-and-roll sound, founded in fuzzed-out surf guitar, steady drums, and vocal play. A perfect example: this mellow melody that evolves into a rollicking, retro first track off their self-titled, second album. Speaking of young love, night drives, and city lights, it’s an addictive song, at any age.

“Fortune” by Wye Oak

And just like that, Wye Oak comes crashing back into our lives with this turbulent standalone single. It’s a moment of reunion after a period of focused energy on the bandmates’ own respective side projects, with drummer Andy Stack releasing his first solo LP as Joyero this summer and frontwoman Jenn Wasner becoming a part of Bon Iver’s live band. After years apart, they also have come together again in the same city—sadly not Baltimore—but Durham, North Carolina. The moody melody builds, churns, and burns out in a fiery blaze, while, as on their last record, The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs, Wasner’s labyrinthine lyrics address change, considering both the joy and the struggle that come with it.

*Not yet on Spotify. We will add when it becomes available.

In the latest iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we found five local songs ranging from mesmerizing pop and melancholy indie to avant-garde neo-soul. Check back each month for new top songs of the moment, and follow our Spotify playlist as we continue to build a soundtrack for our city.

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“Chastity” by Abdu Ali

The first single off the much-anticipated upcoming album from Abdu Ali is a journey through space and time. This fiery, neo-soul melody zigs and zags, pushing and pulling with “the struggle of feeling free,” as the artist puts it. “Do you love me? Do you hate me?” they pose, moving between doubt, affirmation, and discovery in this candid quest for self. An energetic beat unravels into a sparse, jazzy soundscape fueled by the artist’s signature scat and disparate streaks of saxophone. In the end, they find their own place, free of questions and limitations. Watch for yourself in the dance sequences of its futuristic video.

“C.Y.K.U.?” by Hunter Hooligan

If you were in search of an anthem for 2019, look no further than this new single off Hunter Hooligan’s new Child of Venus. The title acronym—“Can you keep up?”—is mantra-worthy and the beat should be blared out of a boombox held on our shoulders at all times this year. In typical fashion from this electronic artist, it’s a club-ready and contagious pop song, full of sparkling energy, thumping bass, Hooligan’s honeyed vocals, and all-around feel-good vibes. The rest of the EP (act one of a forthcoming two-part project featuring production by James Nasty and guest appearances by the likes of TT The Artist) is equally enticing.

“Speechless (Hurts So Bad)” by Lor Choc

Love Is Love, the second full-length record from Lor Choc, has arrived with a lead single with the fixings of an instant hit. (The track was first released last year and has now quickly surpassed her 2017 breakthrough “Fast Life” in online listens.) Where the West Baltimore rapper’s past successes were more an outward display of swagger, this new song, like the rest of the record, grapples with the complexities of the heart, using her candor and earnest verses to help fill the void of queer love songs in the realms of rap and R&B. The production is velvety and effusive, and Choc’s vocals might be her tightest and most soulful yet.

“Stay” by Outcalls

The girls are back. Pop-opera duo Outcalls has released their first new single since last spring. What starts as a heartbreak ballad builds into a funky song of empowerment—slowly taking off the rose-colored glasses of a past relationship as they move through the emotions of breaking up. Come for the trademark ethereal harmonies of singers Britt Olsen-Ecker and Melissa Wimbish, stay for the fast-flying playful verses in the middle of the song, building to a synth-studded vocal crescendo at the end.

“Evergreen” by Wye Oak

While many of these songs have us jonesing for warm weather, we can’t help but admit that we’re still stuck in the winter rut. So it’s a fitting time for this first new track from indie duo Wye Oak since the release of their stunning The Louder You Call, The Faster It Runs last spring. A sonic ode to seasonal depression, it’s a jangly reckoning with self-doubt. “Tell me what’s missing in my mind,” sings frontwoman Jenn Wasner as drums crash and reverberating guitar ambles out into space. “I’m taking everything back.” There’s no clear resolution, which is highly relatable, especially with snow now looming as we speak.

This was a big year for Baltimore music. A decade after Rolling Stone dubbed our city the best music scene in the country, local artists continued to make great music—in some ways better than ever—and they got recognized for it, both through local listeners and on the national stage.

Locally, Baltimore artists released a record number of highly anticipated albums over the course of the last 12 months, and in doing so, also treated us to a heap of had-to-be-there concerts on our hometown stages, from Snail Mail making her debut at The Parkway to DDm transforming the Soundstage into a fashion runway to one very memorable night starring TT The Artist at Union Collective during our first-ever Baltimore magazine Music Festival. (Be on the lookout for its return in 2019.) Nationally, it seemed as if every time we went online, another local musician was being recognized by a top tastemaker, from The Fader and Vice (both thanks in no small part to True Laurels’ Lawrence Burney) to, yes, Rolling Stone, plus NPR, Billboard, and The New York Times, with one especially deserved piece on local artists of color. Hearing this music, seeing these concerts, and reading these headlines amidst the chaos of 2018 gave us a glimmer of hope.

Picking favorites from this past year has felt nearly impossible—we simply didn’t know where to begin, or end—so to help narrow our focus, we’ve chosen 20 songs off those aforementioned new albums, which includes everything from fresh-faced folk and up-and-coming hip-hop to the rebirth of indie veterans and the solidification of new rock stars. Hear for yourself, via our Spotify playlist below, but in this age of quick consumption, we encourage you to listen to these records in full, and to find your own favorites. And to continue to follow the local music scene, these artists and others, into 2019 and beyond.

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“Dive” by Beach House
We’ve learned to no longer sit on the edge of our seats for a Beach House album as over the last few years the duo has continued to drop a sudden new song here or full-blown record release there without so much as a whiff of Internet buzz. But their seventh record, aptly titled 7, did serve as a solid reminder of the band’s ability to surprise us. It’s a hazy, haunting evolution in their decade-long perfection of shimmering, fuzzed-out dream-pop, with the new songs bringing a fresh sense of urgency and innovation, as heard in this second single. It builds in Beach House’s signature slow-burning way before erupting in a potent moment of thunderous live drums and lustrous guitar. This newfound clarity only further cements Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally as indie rock royalty, in Baltimore and beyond.
Honorable Mentions: “Lemon Glow,” “Drunk In LA,” “L’Inconnue.”

“Feel Nobody” by Butch Dawson

One of the biggest breakthroughs of the year might belong to Butch Dawson (and one of the biggest oversights of the year likely belongs to leaving him out of our Music Issue’s list of top 50 bands to watch). This mosh-ready single off the West Baltimore rapper’s autumn debut, Swamp Boy, was undoubtedly one of the most beloved songs in 2018, bringing his punkish, smoke-swirled brand of hip-hop to the forefront of the local music scene. Dawson’s unbridled fire was also recognized by The Fader and that aforementioned article in The New York Times.
Honorable Mentions: “Division St. Blues,” “Liberation,” “Distances.”

“Hollow Imitation” by Caleb Stine
Long before the birth of the Charm City Bluegrass Festival and the region’s recent folk music renaissance, there was Caleb Stine, stoking the flames of his genre and its deep ties to Maryland through Americana tales over the course of the last two decades. But Moon, the rustic raconteur’s first new solo record in some time, turns its attention away from the road and religion, toward the ground-shaking, all-consuming power of love. This reverential ballad is Stine’s storytelling at its very best, with saturated imagery unfolding like an old film.
Honorable Mentions: “Higher Ground,” “Garden,” “Bodhi Tree.”

“Rude” by DDm
Okay, so we know this record hasn’t officially dropped, but anyone who’s seen DDm perform over the last several months has already fallen for the new tracks off his upcoming Soundtrack To A Shopping Mall, due out in the new year. DDm, aka Emmanuel Williams, aka Unkle Lulu, aka the Secretary of Shade, is the master of bona fide swagger, side-splitting braggadocio, and Beyoncé-worthy production, as showcased on this track. We can’t think of many (or any) other local artists who put on a performance quite like DDm; he brings it to everything he touches.
Honorable Mentions: “Ready To Wear,” “Try Me On,” “Forever 21.”

“Riddles” by Ed Schrader’s Music Beat
After a decade of cutting their chops and gaining a loyal following on the local scene, Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice finally got their national due this year, with the post-punk duo’s spring album, Riddles, via Car Park Records, lauded by the likes of NPR, Spin, and Rolling Stone. We could say it’s about time, but those years allowed ESMB to find new footing in this cathartic triumph, produced by friend and fellow local institution Dan Deacon. Out of 10 bold songs, this twinkling title track is the unrivaled star—swelling in synth-fueled emotion and ’80s-pop euphoria—speaking to facing your fears and, in turn, yourself. Just be sure to watch its Best of Baltimore-winning music video as well.
Honorable Mentions: “Kid Radium,” “Dunce,” “Tom.”

“Knock the Man Down” by The High & Wides
Yes, the city’s bluegrass scene has been growing like kudzu over the last few years, but few new bands have caught our eye—and ear—quite like this Baltimore-by-way-of-Eastern Shore string quartet. Their spring debut, Lifted, was met with critical acclaim for its reverence to, revolution from, and revival of the Americana genre; thought rooted in tradition, the band reimagines bluegrass for the 21st century. This track is all grit and gumption, from its jangly melody to its howling vocals and expert instrumentation—a back-woods boot-stomper for modern day.
Honorable Mentions: “Rake Out The Nails,” “Ballad of Caulk’s Field,” “Dark Blues.”

“Water” by Joy Postell
Diaspora, the full-length debut by Joy Postell, only affirmed what we already knew: the twenty-something soul powerhouse is a forerunner of the local music scene and a force to be reckoned with. Drawing inspiration from legends of the past (Nina Simone, Billie Holliday, Sarah Vaughn), Postell looks toward the future as a black woman in America in 2018, and each of the album’s tracks tackle the African-American experience, from freedom to love. With a rippling jazz melody and the singer’s mighty vox, this second single is an especially poignant portrait, presenting young black minds as the seeds of future change. Indeed Postell, also featured in the summer New York Times feature, is one herself.
Honorable Mentions: “Consciousness,” “North Star,” “Free Black.”

“1539 N. Calvert” by JPEGMAFIA
Heading into 2019, JPEGMAFIA is definitely one of the city’s—and country’s—top wavemakers, thanks to a record year riding on the success of his boundary-pushing spring Veteran, with fiery live performances at the likes of Afropunk and spots in a slew of end-of-year best-of lists from Stereogum to Pitchfork sold. Though he now lives in L.A., we continue to claim the rap provocateur as our own. After all, this first track off the sophomore record is an ode to the former Bell Foundry art space in Greenmount West that abruptly closed after the Ghost Ship fire in California. The murky melody is a no-holds-barred stream-of-consciousness, best listened to alongside its dystopian Last Supper music video featuring other fellow Bell regulars.
Honorable Mentions: “Baby I’m Bleeding,” “Rock N Roll Is Dead,” “Macaulay Culkin.”

“Assume The Position” by Lafayette Gilchrist & The New Volcanoes
There are few living legends left in Baltimore quite like Lafayette Gilchrist. The Baltimore-by-way-of-D.C. jazz and 2018 Baker Artist Award winner is revered by critics and listeners alike for his dynamic domination of the keys, easily recognized on his iconic scores in David Simon’s HBO series, from The Wire to The Deuce, but the. On his latest EP, Deep Dancing Suite, Gilchrist and his 10-piece New Volcanoes bring back the uncontainable energy of jazz-era improvisation with a dose of modern danceability. Notably, this long-held hit gets new life at nearly double its original length, where keys, brass, and percussion take part in a lively jive. The reinvention stands testament to the artist’s freestyle fluency and finesse.
Honorable Mentions: “Deep Dancing Suite,” “Ping Pong,” “Return of the Inchworm.”

“Where I’m Bound” by Letitia VanSant
In her spring album and follow-up to 2015’s Parts & Labor, Gut It To The Studs, folk singer-songwriter Letitia VanSant crafts a thoughtful opus on new chapters and change, with this first melody being a love letter to that of personal growth. On it, VanSant’s mellifluent voice rolls bright and clear along a hearty river of acoustic guitar, upright bass, and old-school fiddle, setting the stage for the rest of the record and embracing the yet-to-be-seen discovery that still lies ahead of her. In the end of both this song and the entire record, she emerges newly powerful and perceptive. We’ll be anxious to see how she channels that newfound purpose on her next release.
Honorable Mentions: “Gut It To The Studs,” “Wild Heart Roam,” “Sundown Town.”

“Winning” by Peso Da Mafia
Last summer, Northeast Baltimore rap group Peso Da Mafia launched onto the local airwaves and, shortly thereafter, national stage with their come-up single turned viral dance video “Money Man.” It would be a tough act to follow, but by early 2018, the trio would drop this sneak peek off their debut Never A Drought via Warner Music subsidiary Asylum Records. With more than a million Spotify listens and YouTube music video views for this track, it’s safe to say that their slow-burn beats, confident rhymes, and catchy hooks are in anything but short supply. And with slots at SXSW and the BET Awards preshow, plus shout outs in Complex and XXL, it seems the big-wigs are watching, too.
Honorable Mentions: “Money Man,” “TSAY,” “About Us.”

“Homeward Bound” by Sean K. Preston & The Loaded Pistols
We’ve heard this ballad around the Fells Point dive bars for a few years, but newly produced on the fall full-length, Forgive, by Sean K. Preston and his band The Loaded Pistols, the country blues number has taken on new meaning. This song details the heartache, hard luck, and hungry dreams that it takes to be a full-time musician, and in term, captures the essence of one of Baltimore’s most dogged performers and true-blue, truth-speaking storytellers. After more than a decade on the local scene, this ballad and its accompanying record not only document but put on full display the hard-earned talents of Preston and his bandmates.
Honorable Mentions: “Last Call,” “Barnburner,” “Life’s a Bitch.”

“cherubim” by serpentwithfeet
This spring, the unexpected sound of serpentwithfeet, aka Baltimore native Josiah Wise, brought the country’s top music critics to their knees. The avant-R&B artist’s debut soil was considered a singular tour de force—absorbing in its theatricality, moving in its occult spirituality, liberating in its effusive emotion—transcendent of all boundaries. In short, it’s unlike anything anyone had heard, as showcased in this devastatingly intimate devotional. The holy roller brings the multitudes of love, specifically queer black love, to light, melodically marching uphill to the pedestal upon which we humans put our lovers, chanting a declaration of dedication through an intricately layered chorus of Wise’s vibrato vocals and soaring tenor with every step along the way.
Honorable Mentions: “whisper,” “bless ur heart,” “mourning song.”

“Play Hard” by Soul Cannon
Seven years is a long time for any band to not release new music but still maintain its relevancy in the music business. But rules don’t apply to the hip-hop collective of Soul Cannon, which remains a vital force on the local scene for its explosive experimentation and fiery live shows. And MC Eze Jackson and his three classically trained comrades have only solidified that status through this winter’s self-titled record on which the quartet continues to break new ground through old tracks and new. Exhibit A: this agile sprint of a song that we can’t get enough of, founded in the tight tango of Jackson’s urgent, poetic vocals and his bandmates’ wily, propulsive instrumentation. The band is a well-oiled machine that inspires any listener—music, writer, whoever you are—to play harder, too.
Honorable Mentions: “Hospital Records,” “F Sharp,” “Talk Less.”

“Pristine” by Snail Mail
We wish Snail Mail had been around when we were in high school. Has there ever been a band that so perfectly bottles the essence of the teenage heart? Have there every been any lyrics—“Don’t you like me for me?” or “I know myself and I’ll never love anyone else”—that so captured and catapulted out into the world the hidden thoughts and emotions of that tumultuous time of life? Maybe that’s why this has been the year of Lindsey Jordan, with the Ellicott City 18-year-old, her debut Lush, via Matador Records, and this first single featured in nearly every noteworthy publication and best-of end-of-year list on record. And rightfully so—Jordan is the brooding, heart-on-her-sleeve rock star we needed in 2018. And next year, too.
Honorable Mentions: “Heat Wave,” “Golden Dream,” “Full Control.”

“Vulture” by Super City
To get a dose of the infectious energy and undeniable chemistry of Super City, pick any song off their fall Sanctuary—the indie (or “freakwave,” as they’ve been called) quintet’s new fall record. Though not one of the band’s first singles, we find this breakneck anthem to be a good starting point. Co-frontman Greg Wellham commands the mic on this pop-punk-go-go melody, riddled with livewire guitar, punchy drums, and one epic buildup starting at the 2:25 mark as they swat away negative energy. For the full effect, see it live for their fancy, fame-worthy footwork. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: these are the local rock gods you need to know now.
Honorable Mentions: “Sanctuary,” “Artificial Sin,” “Ghosts of Love.”

“I Lost You” by Surf Harp
Eighties kids will feel instantly drawn to Surf Harp’s Mr. Big Picture. Maybe it’s because of the indie quintet’s visuals, reminiscent of the early Macintosh computers and MTV music videos of our youth. Likely it’s their post-punk-meets-new-wave sound, as creative and off-kilter as a Talking Heads hit. This band finds their own lane, though, with each of this spring record’s 10 songs keeping their own unruly pace. For us, this shadowy ballad felt like the album’s diamond in the rough, building from windswept melancholia into a swirl of momentum, spinning out before the story ends, leaving you wanting more.
Honorable Mentions: “D.I. Cig,” “Catholic Glass,” “Homework Program.”

“Payroll” by TT The Artist
We’d like to put it on record: Baltimore Club queen TT The Artist is one of the hardest working musicians in the business. In 2018 alone, she premiered the trailer for her upcoming directorial debut, Dark City: Beneath the Beat, a full-length documentary on the city’s music and dance genre of Bmore Club; she moved to L.A. and launched her all-women Club Queen Records, still with frequent stints back east for filming and fiery performances; and she dropped the label’s first Club Queens EP with New Jersey’s UNIIQU3. But one listen to her label’s first single—full of unabashed bravado, electric beats, playful creativity, and featured on heavy rotation this summer on 92Q—and you’ll see that TT is just getting started.
Honorable Mentions: “Off The Chain,” “Freaking in the Club,” “Fall Back.”

“It’s Okay” by Wume
We knew we couldn’t wait for new music from experimental duo Wume after their mesmerizing 2015 EP, Maintain, but this fall, their new full-length record left us completely dazzled. In a quest for deeper truths, Toward the Shadow, via Northern Spy, offers a moment of reflection and introspection. Combining sparkling electronics by keyboardist Albert Schatz and newly prominent vocals in the form of philosophical incantations by drummer April Camlin, the band takes listeners on a trip into even more immersive soundscapes, urging them to dig deeper, to push further, to shift and breakthrough, just like the band has. This track is a rejuvenating listen in the chaos of our modern times.
Honorable Mentions: “Shadow,” “Walled Garden,” “Ravel.”

“The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs” by Wye Oak
We could feel something stirring in Wye Oak’s 2016 release of Tween. A transition. A simultaneous closure and commencement. A reawakening. And now, with this gorgeous spring record, it all makes sense, as the band has emerged as a stunning new version of itself—and yet after 12 years, we’ve maybe never felt more in tune with music by Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack. Out of a dozen deeply human songs, this title track is an illuminating crescendo, revealing the beauty of the journey toward yourself. We still find ourselves pouring over its lyrics for answers, ultimately finding some sort of solace in the song’s—and life’s—elusions. As Wasner concludes, “Sometimes it takes a long, long, long time,” and if Wye Oak’s long game is any indication, the wait is certainly worth it.
Honorable Mentions: “The Instrument,” “It Was Not Natural,” “Lifer.”

War On Women

Capture the Flag  (Bridge Nine)

It has been three years since War On Women released its last record, which, with the Women’s March, the #MeToo movement, and every scandal in between, must have felt like an eternity for a hardcore feminist punk band. Indeed, there couldn’t be a better time for new music from these Baltimore rabble-rousers who have been tackling sexism, inequality, and oppression since 2011. Through frontwoman Shawna Potter’s ferocious verses, no topic is left untouched—from catcalling and wage gaps to abortion and rape. Their shredding (and NSFW lyrics) might not be for everyone, but it’s hard to deny their fearlessness. In this fieryalbum, filled with scalding guitar, full-tilt drums, and Potter’s outright rage, the band turns its focus toward politics, confronting the likes of gun violence, neo-Nazism, and the gutting of Obamacare. Across 12 tracks, they create an anarchistic call to action. “YDTMHTL” (You Don’t Tell Me How To Live) might be our new favorite acronym, urging women to exist in whatever ways they want to. “Write a letter to your idol,” shouts Potter, “and then cross out their name and write yours in.”

Read our interview with Shawna Potter. 

Wye Oak

The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs (Merge Records)

In retrospect, it seems that all that came before for Wye Oak—all 12 years, six records, and a few shapeshifting evolutions—has been building up to this very moment. This is the album we never knew we’d always been waiting for, and here it is, with a dozen tracks that brilliantly break apart the old Wye Oak and put the pieces back together in a stunning, triumphant new form. What remains is the best of the duo’s abilities, a fusion of their shimmering dream-pop present and their propulsive indie-rock past that blossoms like a dream. Wye Oak revels in reinvention, and in this earthy synth-forward shift, Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack embrace the only certainty: change—that our former selves are inescapable, but there’s also no turning back. Wasner’s trademark guitar returns in radiating waves, and her voice—crystal-clear, even when shrouded in layers of distortion—is on full display as one of the finest in the business. Her lyrical prowess dazzles, too, with meditative wordplay embarking on a quest for deeper truths, while Stack’s energetic drums bring focus and intensity. Through each saturated melody, they push forward. The band’s future is here, now, but the journey inevitably goes on.

In the latest iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we found five local songs ranging from shimmering dream-pop to inspiring, world-infused soul music to New Wave post-punk. Check back each month for new top songs of the moment, and follow our Spotify playlist as we continue to build a soundtrack for our city. 

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“I Am” by Ama Chandra*

Ama Chandra is a local treasure, her story and message of survival showcasing the full potential of the human spirit. The local indie-soul singer’s music has long been focused on messages of love, but following a brutal assault in the summer of 2015, she has emerged with newfound purpose, transforming that traumatizing experience into a joyous celebration of life that permeates this song off her first full-length album since 2013. Recorded live at The Owen Brown Interfaith Center in Columbia, her masterful vocals soar to new levels—her soulful pipes floating in, light as a feather, before climbing up to powerful peaks. With the pitter-patter of hand drums and hearty plugs of upright bass, she creates her own world rhythm and makes a healing declaration that resonates with any listener: Despite all hardships, you still exist. You can start over. You will once again be free. Chandra, and her music, are living proof.

“Lemon Glow” by Beach House

On Valentine’s Day, Beach House gave us a glimpse of their upcoming spring album with this dreamy new number. “Wishing everyone out there love tonight,” they wrote on Instagram, and the Internet went wild. Everything that the Baltimore-based duo does is instant indie gold, and the song immediately skyrocketed into a slot under Pitchfork’s list of Best New Tracks. The band’s lush, lilting music is easy to get lost in; you come to, unsure of where the last song ended and the next one began. But on this new track, there’s a distinct fresh energy that propels the pulsing melody forward. The glitchy beat permeates outward but stays in tight, staccato lines as singer Victoria LeGrand’s ethereal vocals gain new lyrical clarity, and Alex Scally’s searing guitar builds heat toward a crescendo that never quite peaks. This shimmering tease—no doubt a love song—ends abruptly, leaving us wanting more.

“Simple Light” by Brendan Sullivan

The loss of Brendan Sullivan to Brooklyn was a big one for the Baltimore music scene. As GM (and just generally super nice guy) at The Crown, Sullivan had built the Station North venue into a living room for the local arts—where, on any given night, you could experience a witch’s brew of homegrown talent, from indie shoegaze and thrashing punk to experimental hip-hop and electronic R&B. Luckily, he’s still regularly booking Baltimore talent in New York. But on his solo debut, out now via Friends Records, Sullivan stands alone, having stripped away the vocal distortion and gritty, grunge guitar of his past work—having been one part of the much loved art-rock duo Weekends—to bare his soul. Recorded right here at home, this haunting, heart-aching hymn features a few simple guitar chords, a shimmering tap of hi-hat drums, and the smoldering slow burn of saxophone by Microkingdom’s John Dierker. Biggest of all, there’s Sullivan’s gravelly baritone. A la Nick Cave, a little late-life Leonard Cohen, we were instantly bewitched.

“D.I. Cig” by Surf Harp*

If you’re anything like us, once Surf Harp’s new album, Mr. Big Picture, drops this weekend, you’ll have it on constant rotation. The indie quintet brings it on this second full-length record. Exhibit A? This first single—a rhythmic, rolling avalanche of New Wave, post-punk, and pop. It shifts between freewheeling melodies that are at once meticulous and outside the box, with each exploding in jubilant, energetic bursts. Eighties-infused verses fly over urgent drums. Anthemic crescendo choruses soar above wily guitar riffs that we simply applaud. Electronic touches twinkle in and fritz out. This new album plays with the mundane structures of and societal emphasis on work. It’s almost too fitting that this rollicking number makes it hard to sit still in your seat.

“The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs” by Wye Oak

This gorgeous new song, off an equally gorgeous new album, feels like the Wye Oak we never knew we’d always been waiting for. A cascading sweep of percussion, live wire guitar, and twinkling electronic tones, it marks a new beginning for the 12-year-old Baltimore-born band. It’s a fusion of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stacks’  propulsive rock past with their shimmering synth present into a future that blossoms like a dream. Poetic verses reveal a moment of self-discovery—the realization that, however hard we try, we can’t hold onto the past, and yet, we can’t outrun the future, which can only truly be seen in the rear-view mirror, anyways. We are always at once both the old and new versions of ourselves. Embracing both speaks to the indie duo’s progression: reinvention, evolution, all leading to here and now (also heard on their second single, “It Was Not Natural,” out today, which we also highly recommend). This revelation—and this new music—seems to set the stage for all that is to come. 

*Not on Spotify. We’ll add it to the playlist when it becomes available.

In this next iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we found five local songs we can’t get enough of, ranging from star-quality country music and jazzy R&B to experimental instrumentals with a touch of spoken-word poetry. Check back each month for new top songs of the moment, and follow our Spotify playlist as we continue to build a soundtrack for our city. 

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“Not That Into You” by Emma White

It’s not often that a Baltimore singer makes it big in Nashville. For starters, we’re just barely below the Mason-Dixon line, and our music scene is better known for its bluegrass roots, hip-hop heritage, and DIY devotees than its country stars. But Towson native Emma White has changed all that, with her pop leanings and stellar pipes leading her to be dubbed one of the “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know,” according to Rolling Stone magazine. White breaks the mold of heartbroken love songs and odes to Mr. Right with this righteous number about skipping games and not settling for anything less than what she wants. With fresh vocals, original lyrics, and hearty acoustic strums, she has all the trappings of a future—though all her own—T. Swift.

“Stay On It” by Horse Lords

We’re a few months behind on Horse Lords’ latest Mixtape IV, out this past May, but when we finally heard this compelling number, we were completely mesmerized. The experimental quartet takes their instrumental grooves to a new level with this adaptation of “Stay On It,” created by composer Julius Eastman in 1973. With its original political undertones and brazen departure from the mainstream, this homage couldn’t be timelier, and Horse Lords carries on those same themes as it transforms Eastman’s minimalist layering of vibes, strings, and brass into a sax-funked, festive dance number. Moving from syncopated rhythms to a beautifully dissonant chaos, it questions the norms and rethinks the very nature of sound. Best of all is the introduction, as Eastman’s program notes are turned into spoken-word poetry by the one and only Abdu Ali.

“Gut It to the Studs” by Letitia VanSant

It’s been five years since we’ve heard new music by Baltimore’s Americana darling, Letitia VanSant, and boy are we glad she’s back. The folk singer-songwriter returns with a full-length follow-up album (out February) that quietly rivals her already accomplished debut. On this rich single, VanSant announces a sort of rebirth—having quit her job to become a full-time musician, watching the world and her city change along the way. This title track uses her trademark harmonies, heartfelt storytelling, and authentic acoustic sound to start over, to reemerge with fresh eyes, to expose and embrace her truest self. It arrives just in time for the New Year, reminding us to do the same—gut it to the studs—while showcasing how the tumultuous times of 2017 have led to the creation of some pretty great art. 

“FreKweency” by MovaKween

One of the smoothest voices to come out of the woodwork this year is that of MovaKween. The local singer-songwriter has just released her first full-length debut, featuring this infectious single. The slow jam doubles as a freestyle jazz number, with MovaKween’s voice swinging between cooing neo-soulful lows and urgent hip-hop highs. In the vein of Erykah Badu or Jill Scott, she uses her honey-coated vocals and sharp rhymes to tackle larger topics, like the importance of female empowerment, creative freedom, and feel-good vibrations for the hardship-riddled city of Baltimore. Mark her down as an artist to watch. 

“Spiral/Wave Is Not the Water” by Wye Oak

Wye Oak might no longer live here full time, but they’ll always be a Baltimore band to us. The indie duo came home for the Ottobar’s 20th birthday this fall, and lead singer Jenn Wasner’s solo Flock of Dimes show before that. And who could forget their performance at BSO Pulse. (We know we never will.) It’s been a long year since their last album, Tween, but the band now gives us a possible sneak peek of its upcoming record with this new double release. Sure, they’re essentially two separate songs, but they compliment each other like no one might have guessed in the five years between their creations. “Spiral,” circa 2012, is a rolling, chord-running number that stems from the band’s early days—back when they first started adding electronic touches to their rock-forward sound—while “Wave Is Not the Water” is a song of 2017: blossoming, powerful, introspective. If it’s any indication of what’s to come, we can’t wait for 2018. 

Blacksage

Shivers (Friends Records)

Blacksage’s last album, Basement Vows, was the kind of breakout record that would be hard to follow. With a fusion of luxurious vocals and deep, dark, drip-dropping beats, the local duo found their own unique sweet spot in the evolving genre of modern R&B. Turns out that breakthrough was also a breakup—the embers of a relationship between singer Josephine Olivia and producer Drew Scott. In its cathartic wake, a clearing was created for this next album, filled with room for both artists to grow. Freed of those leftover emotions, this new record reveals a much more sparse, sophisticated Blacksage. Themes remain the same—desire, romance, heartache—but each song slows down, spreads out, and oozes with newfound confidence and ease. With technical prowess, Scott builds up and breaks down sounds into undeniably captivating beats, creating an open-floor plan for Olivia’s voice, which is at once vulnerable and in complete control as it unfurls each high hymnal cry or low purring coo. With an emphasis on jazz, the duo becomes a modern version of the past: a new ode to old styles, a fruit of their former selves. With the title track, they declare themselves a powerhouse of the local music scene.

See our full interview with singer Josephine Olivia and producer Drew Scott of Blacksage.

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Flock of Dimes

If You See Me, Say Yes (Partisan Records)

This has been quite a year for Jenn Wasner. From shows at the Meyerhoff and BWI to a new album with her 10-year-old band Wye Oak, the Baltimore singer has reached a pinnacle in her already accomplished career. And now, five years after emerging as a solo artist under the Flock of Dimes moniker, and a year and a half after leaving Baltimore for a North Carolina bungalow, Wasner releases her FOD debut. Across 12 songs, Wasner—who wrote every lyric, played every instrument, and even manned the entire production—sings about the duality of moving forward and looking back, most apparent on her aptly named single, “Semaphore.” She connects the past and present, and the Land of Pleasant Living with the Old North State, and seems to discover herself along the way. There are small, introspective moments, and bright, buoyant ones, too, and in the end, she emerges more assured and empowered than ever before (the word “moxie” comes to mind). Maybe she hasn’t found all the answers, but with notes imbued with both an undeniable lightness and a grounded dose of gumption, she makes the case that maybe she doesn’t have to.

Other Colors

Natural Motion (Friends Records)

From the first beats of the first track of this new album, you immediately think: Okay, I’m listening. Within seconds, “Return to Life” blossoms into a beautiful spell, enchanting you as it dances across a vivid landscape, swinging between the sweeping desert twangs of a dusty spaghetti western and the sultry bossa nova of Copacabana on some 1960s summer night. Each song on this radiant record unfolds like a film score, layered and complex, evocative of some distant time or place. For us, for some reason, the instrumental intro for “You Know the One” really strikes a chord. But throughout, the local duo gently melds tender vocals into these vintage-tinged tunes, finding a happy place between genres—psychedelic pop, lo-fi indie, and easy listening—fittingly drawing inspiration from “forgotten AM radio hits and the smoother side of krautrock.” The result is a lush, atmospheric dream—one where you’re almost able to follow the pluck of fuzzy guitar chords with your fingers, or feel the steady punch of drums in your gut. You’ll find yourself not wanting to wake up.

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Abdu Ali

MONGO (self-released)

Over the past few years, Abdu Ali has been knighted a king of the Baltimore DIY scene. His bi-monthly, boundary-breaking Kahlon parties at The Crown garnered diverse crowds and national attention, and his smattering of mixtapes grew exceedingly more accomplished as they straddled the line between aggressive dance music, earnest rap, and avant-garde performance art, all on the back of his hometown genre, Bmore Club. But on his new record, the 24-year-old has begun a metamorphosis, evolving from an intrepid prodigy into his full potential. Through passionate words, fearless beats, and unapologetic vigor, he hones his bold, unbridled sound into a mighty tour de force. He runs headfirst into the dark cloud of existential questions and battles heady topics like race, sexuality, love, hate, and survival. In the clearing, he finds himself lighter and stronger than ever before, recognizing and celebrating the pieces of his identity: being black, queer, young, an artist, from the city streets of Baltimore. In these times, his powerful messages of empowerment (“Keep movin’,” he chants) and acceptance (“I’m alive!” he shouts) are more important than ever before.

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Wye Oak

Tween (Merge Records)

This is not an album. According to Wye Oak bandmates Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, it is a “not-album,” born out of other lifetimes and past experiences—leftovers from the cutting room floor, melodies that never made it there in the first place. But all eight of these songs had a moment, however fleeting, when they had meaning, and now the local duo has given them room in which to exist. The album is not meant to be cohesive; it’s not supposed to be the Wye Oak you’ve come to know and love. At times, Wasner sings so softly you can barely hear her. At others, she growls like a deep, dark, slow-rolling thunder. Even still, there are explosive moments, and those that shimmer and shine. These new-old songs are a testament to the band’s 10 years together, having grown from indie darlings into accomplished, self-assured artists. This is not the band’s much-anticipated fifth album, either. It is a cathartic vessel to get them to the next place they want to go.

Read our interview with lead singer Jenn Wasner.

After 10 years as a beloved Baltimore band, local indie-rock duo Wye Oak has just released a new record (of sorts), Tween, in preparation for their fifth album. Having recently relocated to North Carolina, lead singer Jenn Wasner discusses the beauty of moving away and how Baltimore will always be home.

You guys don’t live in Baltimore anymore.
As of right now, Andy lives in Marfa, Texas, and I just moved to Durham, North Carolina, about a year ago. It was tricky for me because all my family and friends are in Baltimore and I’ve lived there my entire life up until this point, but! Now I have this really nice quiet peaceful little house that I share with no one. It’s just me, and I’m kind of tucked away in the woods, and can make music any time of day or night.

So yeah, technically neither of us live in Baltimore at the moment, but there’s a lot of weird baggage that’s comes along with staying and with leaving. In my mind and in my heart, I’m still very Baltimore-based and I fully expect that I will return.

I don’t think most people would even know you’ve left. You’ve had such a remarkable presence here over the past year, from BSO Pulse to BWI Live to your album release at the Ottobar.
I’m around all the time. When I first found this house, I had this theory that if I just didn’t tell anybody, then nobody would notice—and nobody did! Which doesn’t surprise me that much, because I’m a bit of a hermit, and I tour a lot.

Do you feel a big difference in your work, being away from the bumper to bumper of Baltimore?
Honestly, the biggest thing is just being alone. And not just “alone,” as in having your own room, but having your own space where you know no one can hear you and you’re not going to disturb anyone at any time. It’s changed the way that I work and my productivity has never been higher.

No more neighbors banging on the ceiling with a broomstick.
The real trick was that Baltimore is my favorite place, full of my favorite people, and creatively, it’s so inspiring, so overwhelming, there’s so much happening. But if you’re like me, and you’re bad at saying no to things, you are constantly doing things, and the one thing that always takes the back burner is your own time, spent alone with yourself. If you don’t take that, you’re never going to make anything. So I thought, well, I’ll just put myself in a new place and be better at making time for my own process and wellbeing, and it’s working! I do get homesick, but then it occurred to me: just go get in the car and drive to Baltimore. Once I realized that, this became a really wonderful gift that I gave myself.

Does the move have anything to do with the release of this “not-album” of songs from your past? Was putting them out in the world a sort of catharsis for the band?
Absolutely. Making a record is, in a lot of ways, comparable to writing a novel: you have a theme, you have a message, you make aesthetic decisions to group everything together in a cohesive way. But sometimes you write great songs that don’t really fit into any of those categories or don’t really make sense as a part of the larger whole. They’re like the short stories of song making.

So after two years, we had all these short story songs, and we took some time to really sit down and assess everything we’ve done and want to do. At the very least, we figured out what these songs were, and realized that even though they don’t necessarily fit into the classic “album,” even though they fall outside of a really rigid structure that is set up to sell music as a commodity, they are still something we’re proud of. We were able to zero in on what makes them different and come to terms with the fact that we want share them.

Were there moments where you were thought: I don’t know if it’s going to come together?
Yes! I think most of the time we felt that way, because Andy and I are both really hard on ourselves, and each other, as far as making sure our work is the best it can possibly be. But in a lot of ways, the purpose of this whole thing was to take some of the pressure off our process and off creating “the next Wye Oak record.”

We’ve been a band for 10 years, which is insane, and just like any relationship, a creative relationship has to evolve in order to stay vital and interesting. It’s easy to lose sight of the reason why you make music in the first place once you’ve become this kind of music making, performing, touring machine. So this album is just a reminder for us to enjoy the process, and to make whatever music we make, and to let it be whatever weird, imperfect thing it is in the end.

The distinct and different natures of these songs meld together in such an oddly beautiful way. It makes you stop and listen.
When you’re known for giving people a certain thing, there’s nothing more powerful than defying their expectations. At a certain point, we came to a crossroads where we were like, okay, here’s what we do, and here’s what people think we do, so we have a choice. We can go the route of continuing to give people exactly what they expect, or we can try and run the horizons of what our band is capable of in hopes that people will follow.

For me, if I’m going to keep making music under this banner, it’s really important from a creative standpoint that all possibilities are available. A lot of people got fixated when we switched to keyboard on Shriek, like you’re over the guitar! You’re done with the guitar! And I was like, no, I just want to have a broader palette. Now we have this whole spectrum available to us for everything we do in the future, and that’s really exciting.

Along the same vein, you’ve been involved in some pretty exciting new projects over the past year. How was performing Pulse with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra?
Oh my god. It’s very rare that I have an experience where I know, as it’s happening, that it’s going to be one of the best experiences of my life. That day was so stressful and nonstop craziness. We got there at 9 a.m., spent the entire day sound-checking and rehearsing—most of those songs had never been run through with the musicians before—and then suddenly, it was show time.

And I was petrified, absolutely petrified beyond belief. But then I’m not sure what happened, but when I walked out onto the stage, the second I started playing, my nerves vanished. I could have been in my living room. I just instantly felt so peaceful, in control, and present in a way that I never have been on stage before. I just had this feeling that everything was going to go really well. It was really otherworldly, and borderline spooky. I think I just knew it was such a special thing and would likely never happen again. All my family was there. My friends were there. My hometown. It was such a magical experience.

Chills, is all we can say. And how was playing at the BWI Airport with WTMD?
That was an incredible experience for a totally different reason. I’ve been playing shows for a decade, and when I started out, I would basically be sitting in a room playing songs in front of a few people, being able to look at them in the face. But as your career stretches on, you get bigger and bigger crowds with more and more levels of detachment from the people you’re playing for. So before BWI, I wondered, if I was just in a room with some people, could I still entertain them, or do I need all this bullshit—the lights, the smoke, the big PA. If you strip all of that away, what can I do? What am I actually capable of? I went in not really knowing what to expect.

And not only that, but you have to play to people who are just getting off of planes!
No one knew what to expect. No one knew why I was there. And it was immediately apparent what each person was thinking. It was written all over their face.

Either “this is awesome” or “what the fuck.”
At times, it was devastating, because someone would look at you like you’re human garbage and ruining their day. But then a minute later, somebody would wander by with their daughters and stop and watch and hug each other. It was the highest highs and lowest lows on a constant loop for hours. But it was really empowering and I met all these interesting people, like a woman from Iran who said it was so amazing to see something like this because in her country, a woman could never do that. And it was so great to get all the trappings of professional musicianship stripped away and just play songs for people again.

You released the “not-album” at the Ottobar in June, too. Is it nice, after big venues and big U.S. tours, to be able to come home and play small, familiar venues?
As magical as the Meyerhoff was, playing a small rock club is a totally different experience. That space. That size. It’s kind of our natural element. It’s where we spent much of our lives. And it’s a great chance for us to test the waters before we go into full-on writing mode for the next record.

Which is part of what you’re working on in your little pastoral home down south.
I’m also excited to announce that my first full-length Flock of Dimes record is coming out in September. It’s taken me years and years, and years and years and years, but I’m super, super, super excited about it—I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

It sounds like North Carolina has been doing wonders for you.
I’m getting a lot of shit done, you know? Making anything takes a whole lot of time doing nothing, and then eventually, all of that nothing adds up into something. Right now, it’s very important that I have this place and peace of mind, but Baltimore is always at the forefront of my mind and heart, all the time.

The Book of Mormon
Nov. 3-15. Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. Times vary. $58.50-147. 410-837-7400. Simply put, The Book of Mormon is not for the faint of heart, but we heartily recommend you see it. Hailed “the best musical of this century” by The New York Times, the nine-time Tony winner and Broadway smash hit follows two young missionaries on their quest to convert African citizens to the Mormon faith. Throwing politically correct niceties to the wind, it tackles religion, race, and sexuality through satire, song-and-dance, and a dash of explicit language. From South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, it’s a bold, witty show unlike anything on the stage before it.

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Zadie Smith
Nov. 3. The Johns Hopkins University, Hodson Hall, 3400 N. Charles St. 6:30 p.m. Free. 410-516-6286. When we look back, Zadie Smith—alongside the likes of Jonathan Franzen, Michael Chabon, and Junot Díaz—will be one of the authors who helped define the beginning of the 21st century. Born in London, the young writer graduated from Cambridge before penning her remarkable, award-winning debut, White Teeth, in 2000. Tackling topics of race, identity, history, and culture through elegant prose, acute wit, flirting plotlines, and magic realism, her social dissection of modern London inspired critical comparisons to Charles Dickens, Martin Amis, and Salman Rushdie. This month, hear Smith discuss her writings as part of the President Speaker Series at JHU.

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Baltimore Blast
Nov. 7-Feb. 2, 2016. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. Times & prices vary. 410-347-2020. Indoor soccer season is back, and its time to kick things off with our oft-overlooked hometown team, the Baltimore Blast, as they return to Royal Farms Arena at the beginning of the month. Starting with Saturday evening matches against Chicago, IL, Syracuse, NY, and Harrisburg, PA, see this year’s stellar lineup, with the top three point producers Tony Donatelli, Lucas Roque, pictured, and Pat Healey all back for another shot at the Major Indoor Soccer League championship.

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Jerry Seinfeld
Nov. 6. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. 1212 Cathedral St. 7 and 9:30 p.m. $65-155. 410-783-8000. What’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld? In an era when it seems like every entertainer is trying to “expand their brand” and diversify into some kind of performer/diet guru/fashion designer/tech visionary/chakra healer, Seinfeld has, thankfully, kept it simple. Sure, he has made forays into film (the 2002 documentary Comedian; 2007’s animated Bee Movie), and yes, he can be found tooling around town with his funny friends in the delightfully idiosyncratic web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, but he has never strayed far from his core talent: He tells jokes and he does it well.

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Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, & Poets at the Great Islamic Courts
Nov. 8-Jan. 31, 2016. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 410-547-9000. thewalters.org. In this new exhibit at The Walters, explore the exotic treasures of the great Islamic empires with over 100 artworks dating back to the 16th century. Through three vignettes of paintings, ceramics, textiles, and luxuries, delve into their rich cultural history and discover the relationship between imagination, collaboration, and creativity.

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Charm City Fringe Festival
Nov. 8-15. Locations, times, & prices vary. Now in its fourth year, the Charm City Fringe Festival
returns to Station North to celebrate Baltimore’s diverse performing arts
community. Starting on Thursday with an opening party at Joe Squared, this
weeklong event features a medley of 20-plus performances by local and regional
talent, including Baltimore Improv Group, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, and
Gilded Lily Burlesque. See theater, comedy, improv, and dance at venues like
Terrault Contemporary, Mercury Theatre, Gallery 788, and Church & Company,
followed by after-parties with shows, music, and drinks at Liam Flynn’s Ale
House and Joe Squared each night.

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Waterfowl Festival

Nov. 12-15. 40 S.
Harrison St., Easton. Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free-$15.
410-822-4567
. Head across the bridge
and celebrate the Eastern Shore for one fall weekend full of wildlife arts,
tidewater culture, and local activities in the historic town of Easton. Now in
its 44th year, the Waterfowl Festival attracts thousands for its esteemed
artwork, with paintings, photography, sculptures, and carvings on view and for
sale. Also, don’t miss its bucolic, bay-oriented activities, like goose- and
duck-calling contests, dock-jumping dog competitions, and retriever, live bird,
and fly-fishing demos, all of which you can observe or participate in.

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BSO Pulse: Wye Oak
Nov. 12. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. 5 p.m. $35. 410-783-8000. We have to hand it to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and WTMD for their cool new music series, Pulse. The pairing of BSO musicians with rising indie-rock bands creates one-of-a-kind concerts that connect the present to the past and takes another step in the symphony’s ongoing quest to evolve with modern times. In this second installment, see local duo Wye Oak perform a night of genre transcendence or listen live via 89.7 FM.

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Bazaart Holiday Art Market
Nov. 27-28. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Fri. 5:30-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free-$20. 410-244-1900. This holiday season, it’s time to boycott the big boxes and instead buy your loved ones some unique local gifts. At AVAM’s annual holiday market, browse original works by more than 40 regional artists and craftspeople, including paintings, sculpture, paper crafts, metalwork, jewelry, textiles, and apparel, with early-bird shopping at the First Dibs preview party on Friday.

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Miracle on 34th Street
Nov. 28-Jan. 1, 2016. 700 block of 34th St. Free. 5-11 p.m. Christmas comes early in Hampden again this month, just as it has for the past 67 years. Shortly after Thanksgiving, the festive neighborhood tradition of Miracle on 34th Street returns with the entire block decking their digs in bright holiday lights, sporting everything from illuminated Bohs and Miss Utz to crabs, flamingos, and the famous hubcap tree. Through New Year’s Day, join the throngs of locals and tourists alike to get in the holiday spirit with this Baltimore classic.