The Scene

MusicDetour.com’s commentary on music, performances, and the DC metro area music scene

One of the main ways that artists and music fans can subvert the monopolistic radio industry is to go online for radio. Fortunately, Baltimore has a great internet radio site that is focusing on the promotion of independent music. Soul City Radio is focused on non-mainstream Hip Hop, Soul, Neo – Soul, R&B or Jazz. Station founder DeWayne Alston is trying to promote both independent artists and the idea of independent music; look in the near future for more information about the panel discussions that Alston will be hosting on his show “Soul Session”. The station is live at different times, but you can always check-out the week’s shows. The station player and schedule is after the jump: (more…)

Focusing mostly on new wave and songs that established the foundation of what we used to call alternative music, a new 80s cover band is about to hit the bars of Maryland.  The New Romance will play their first gig at Sonoma’s Bar in Columbia on Saturday.  They also have a couple of shows scheduled at The River Watch in Essex, including a New Year’s party.  Check out their demos on their site and you’ll agree they are a pretty rad addition to the Charm City scene.

On Tuesday, Girl In A Coma from San Antonio came through Baltimore with their touring partners Brooklyn’s Black Gold to play The Ottobar with three local bands.  The crowd was small but those who came out saw an amazing show.  Girl In A Coma are destined for big things.  I arrived too late for Caustic Casanova’s set and only caught parts of the sets by Mason Summers, Odd Girl Out, and Black Gold.  They all struck me as groups with legitimate rock chops who can put on a fun show but rely too much upon gimmicks to make that happen.  However, I was blown away by Girl In A Coma.  Find out why after the jump.  (more…)

Big In Japan have enjoyed a kind of residency at The Windup Space in Baltimore, playing every Sunday evening in August.  Instead of merely having another band open for them each week, they have invited their guests to collaborate with them on stage.  I cannot imagine how much extra practice this entails, and when one considers that these shows are free, the monetary rewards must be even more limited than they usually are for such bands.  These shows are rock for art’s sake, and I highly recommend that you check out the final show of this series on the 30th when they will be joined by Katrina of Celebration.  This past Sunday Big In Japan’s guests were The Expotentials.  Details of the best show I have seen in a very long time follow after the jump. (more…)

Morrissey, who has cancelled shows this week in England, turns 50 next week.  Tomorrow night, fans will gather to celebrate Mozzer’s half-century at the Ottobar in Baltimore.  The debut of the newly reconsituted Smiths tribute band Sorrow’s Native Sons will be the highlight of the evening.  Chris Quinn, formerly of Girlfriend in a Coma, and still of Treading Lemmings, will reprise his role as perhaps the best ersatz Moz in the world.  Expect to hear some of The Smiths weepiest odes, like “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want This Time,” which never made a Girlfriend in a Coma setlist, mix with livelier numbers like “Still Ill.”

Will we sing “Unhappy Birthday” to Morrissey?  Yeah, probably.

This will likely be my last post on this story.  As I anticipated, the Baltimore City Council has pretty much given up on this controversial piece of legislation.  Almost every page of the new revision of the bill, posted on the City Council’s website, looks like this.  Mme. President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has insisted throughout the process that the sole purpose of this legislation was to enable small bars and restaurants to host live performance as an added value to the experience they offer their patrons, while protecting the interests of community members.  That is exactly what this revision does, amending zoning laws to allow small bars and restaurants, who currently are not permitted to host any form of live entertainment, including allowing their patrons to dance, to apply to the zoning board for a conditional live entertainment license.  That’s it.  Ever since this bill’s introduction last summer, existing live music venues have felt that their city’s government was out to get them.  Now they have every right to feel vindicated.  Yep, I’m pretty much declaring victory on this one.

Oh, and The Baltimore Sun finally decided that this story is worthy of their attention.

Baltimore City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake delivered great news at the beginning of tonight’s Community Work Session.  Apparently, existing venues will be grandfathered in, not subject to the provisions of the new bill, and newly licensed venues will not have to pay any fees.  I almost left the meeting right then, since that was all I’ve been wanting to hear since this process began, and I was not sure that I had parked legally.  The council has heard the complaints from club owners, musicians, and fans of the Baltimore music scene and taken them to heart.  Other news is that, due to the drastic changes to the bill, the final vote will not take place next week as planned.  Next Thursday’s meeting will be another hearing like the Community Work Sessions have been, but earlier and at City Hall.  Then a “final” draft of the bill will go before a Planning Commission hearing on May 14, with a final vote in June.  More after the jump.  (more…)

The final community work session on the Live Entertainment Licenses legislation is occurring tonight. It will be held at the Federal Hill Preparatory School, 1040 William Street, Baltimore, MD at 6:30pm April 23rd. If you want to have your voice heard on this landmark legislation for music in the City of Baltimore, make sure you attend this work session. The vote is taking place next Thursday, April 30th at 5pm in the Baltimore City Hall. Please attend both if you can and demonstrate that the people want an equitable path to making live music thrive in Baltimore.

The bill continues to evolve.  The City Council has posted a new version of the bill, along with a FAQ, from the desk of the Council President.  Many of the additions and changes to this draft please supporters of the Baltimore music scene.  The whole council has not voted on this draft, and I hear that other council members indicated at last night’s community work group that they do not like some of the newest changes.  That is a shame, because many interested parties find themselves in the unusual position of supporting Mrs. Rawlings-Blake.  My thoughts follow after the jump.  Almost all of my news comes from lurking on the BLAS message board, which I recommend that anyone interested in this process join.  I will be attending the final community work group next Thursday, which I expect will be some event.

Part 1 Part 2 (more…)

There were many concerned citizens in attendance for the first community work session for the new live entertainment licenses legislation, but over half of the chairs were empty, and most of the people who stepped to the microphone supported the legislation.  However, the Baltimore Business Journal reports that the fire marshall had to close the doors to the Morgan State University auditorium that hosted the second work session last Tuesday, and the minutes posted by Baltimore Live Arts Supporters (BLAS, primarily comprised of performers and music fans who frequent the clubs owned by the members of BLABA) describe a contentious meeting, with applause following several testimonies against the legislation.

This post tells you of new sources of information on the issues, with some further ruminations after the jump.  Although the Baltimore Sun continues to ignore the issue, the Baltimore Business Journal and Maryland Daily Record each published stories last week.  I will continue to file reports here, but if you would like to connect more directly to grassroots organization you can join the BLAS Google group or join this Facebook group organized by students at the Maryland Institute College of Art.  An alliance of the live music and fine arts communities (which of course overlap anyway) will be crucial to shaping the new legislation into something everyone can live with.

Part 1 of the story (more…)