Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.04.2005, Qupperneq 44

It used to be that being from
Baltimore gave you a certain degree
of street cred. Even people from
neighbouring urban death mazes
like Philadelphia and Washington,
D.C. would nod their heads with
approving respect if you said you
were from Baltimore. Our streets
were meaner, our hardcore punk
shows were bloodier, and the general
consensus in the mid-Atlantic region
was that people from Baltimore
were, at best, homicidal maniacs.
Bands like Torque, Lumber and Iron
Boss helped foster this reputation.
Yeah, those were the days.
Well, I just got back from Baltimore,
having spent a week there after a
nearly six-year absence, and I’m
here to tell you: those days are over.
Baltimore – which used to be called
(some thought ironically) “Charm
City” – might have traded in their
blood for a kinder, gentler city.
Baltimore has officially turned, well,
nice.
To put this change in context, let me
give you an example of a typical show
from about ten years ago. I went to
see The Uniform play at Chambers
(now defunct), a tiny, smoke-filled
box downtown. After a couple rapid-
fire songs, the singer for the band
addressed the audience:
”Um, excuse me, but do you think
you all could cut back the smoking a
little bit? I have to sing, and I have
asthma, so – “
“FUCK you, pussy!,” barked a voice
from the crowd. End of discussion.
The band played on, a furious mosh
pit commenced, and I went home at
the end of the night sweaty and sated
with a busted lip. Another great
show.
Ten years later, I headed to the
Ottobar (2549 N. Howard St.),
a small but enduring venue.
Headlining the show that night was
rock outfit Liar’s Academy, who put
on a great show despite the absense
of a mosh pit. But something else
was missing; something I couldn’t
put my finger on until I took a deep
breath and noticed my lungs weren’t
burning. That’s right – the Ottobar
is now virtually smoke-free, with
smokers coralled in a tiny area in the
back, huddled together like refugees.
You’d think the extra quantities of
relatively cleaner air would encourage
people to expend the aerobic effort
to slam dance, but no. At least the
band rocked.
The following night I went to
Fletcher’s (701 S. Bond St.) in the
fratboy quarter known as Fell’s
Point. To be fair, the scene at
Fletcher’s has always been mixed
– everyone from techno DJs to
grindcore bands have played there
– and you never know what to
expect. On this night I was assured
by my music-starved companions
that Fletcher’s was having a “punk
rock” show. The first sign that things
had drastically changed was when
the headlining band introduced one
song by announcing, “This next song
goes out to all of you who’ve had a
bad break-up!”
Had Baltimore gone and turned nice
on me while I was away? I decided to
field the audience.
“Baltimore’s music scene sucks,”
Jason, 24, of New Jersey told me.
“There’s not enough blood. Where is
the blood?”
“Baltimore’s music scene rules,” said
Baltimorean Ed, 27. “There’s a lot
of activity here, a lot of new sounds.
It’s kind of soft here tonight, but I
usually go to the Thunderdome to
see shows anyway.”
In the end, any change to Baltimore’s
music scene over the past six years
remain superficial: small bands are
still working hard at getting heard,
the clubs are still packing them in
and whatever your tastes, you still
have a lot to choose from. That
much, at least, remains the same
about my hometown. Baltimore is
still the best town for music, lack
of bloodshed on the dance floor be
damned.
on tour BALTIMOREUnited States of America
CITY OF LOST SONGS
It was owner of Full Moon Saloon (1710 Aliceanna St.) Ezekiel Phelps reminded me of what’s truly great about
Baltimore’s music scene. “A lot of big name bands stop here on their way to New York,” he said. “and they often use
Baltimore as a testing ground for new material. They’ll be playing great songs here you won’t hear at venues in
other towns, sometimes songs that don’t even make it onto their albums. Baltimore is the town where these lost songs
are played. Plus, we got a lotta blues and jazz.” This is certainly true. You can find a blues or jazz show going on
somewhere in town just about every night of the week. Flip through the listings in Baltimore’s free weekly, City
Paper, and your music choices on any given weekend are mind boggling.
THE CHEAPEST
WAY TO GET TO
BALTIMORE:
Iceland Express and British Airways 45,000 ISK
Icelandair
54,000 ISK
Grapevine consumer service note: Female crabs are cheaper than male crabs.The U.S. national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner“ was written near Baltimore.
Baltimore’s Music Scene Trades in Blood for Charm
by Paul F Nikolov
The Uniform. Short songs big on melody,
this veteran band is still cranking out 40-
second songs for ten years running.
Motor Morons. Combining rock and
power tools - literally. Band members employ
drills, grinders and saws to complement the
instrumentation.
SisQo. Yes, that SisQo. Originally from
the R&B outfit Dru Hill (named after the
neighbourhood where they grew up, Druid
Hill) and former Fudgery employee, SisQo
is responsible for “Thong Song,” which still
beats anything Usher ever did.
Toni Braxton. Still one of the best soul
singers out there.
All Mighty Senators. A mix of funk and
pop, these guys are veterans of the scene
and have had anywhere from three to eleven
members at any given time.
Kelly Bell Band. Considered by many to be
Baltimore’s best blues band, and they always
put on a great show.
David Byrne. The guy who wore the giant
suit in the Talking Heads documentary “Stop
Making Sense” is still making good music as
a solo act.
Skizz. Skizz is a music personality who first
made a name for himself in the 90s with the
band Berserk and today has a band called
the Jennifers. If Berserk is any indication, the
Jennifers should promise good things.
Jimmy’s Chicken Shack. Another veteran
band, their style is psychedelic rock with punk
accents. Their last big hit was “What Do I Do”
in 1999.
The Phil Cunneff Trio. Experimental jazz
outfit led by trumpet virtuoso Ben Frock that
employ very mellow and sometimes disturbing
compositions.
With the exception of Byrne, Braxton and
Sisqo, you can see when and where any of
these musicians will be playing next at www.
citypaper.com.
Baltimore’s Music Legacy,
For Better or Worse