Tonight marks the last show by Sick Weapons, a band that's been blasting ears and spilling drinks for the past couple years here in town that will surely be missed.
Even though tonight at the Golden West is their last show, there's still talk of their debut album being released at some point on Reptilian Records. The track above is a taste, and was shared with us earlier this year when I had the chance to interview Ellie Beziat.
They'll be joined by the stellar support of Witch Hat and Beyond Say. Starts at 10 PM.
This weekend there's a few solid options for musical endeavors to partake in here in Baltimore. Tonight you can head to the Golden West to hop on board the chill wave of Small Black, who just put out a full length on Jagjaguwar. Backing him will be Class Actress and the always awesome Talk To Animals.
Tomorrow night you've got more options starting with an excellent benefit at the Metro Gallery put on by Iraqi Student Project Baltimore. Headlining will be our friends INEVERYROOM, and also playing will be Romantic States, Dustin Wong, and Yeveto. Go support a good cause with some equally excellent tunes.
Also Saturday night, our favorite party rappers and our favorite punk rockers Rapdragons and Sick Weapons will be playing for the masses at Rams Head Live. They'll be opening for the pop-punk breakouts Matt & Kim.
This year's Hampdenfest goes down next Saturday, September 11. The festivities take place from 10 AM to 7 PM on the avenue, with three stages for music.
Expect sets from Double Dagger, Arbouretum, Sick Weapons, Mickey Free, Witch Hat, Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, Surroundings, Rapdragons, and plenty more. The event is totally free, and this year also includes a "Toilet Race" and the "Charm City Beard & Mustache Championship". Better start grooming those 'staches now.
Get the full schedule for Hampdenfest 2010 after the jump. ATOMIC BOOKS STAGE (36th & Falls Rd) 11AM - The Stents 12PM - Yeveto 1PM - Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez 2PM - The Snowmen 3PM - Witch Hat 4PM - Red Weasel 5PM - Sick Weapons 6PM- Double Dagger
MONSTER STAGE (36th & Chestnut Ave) 11AM - The Matrimonials 11:50 - The Slow Jerks 12:40 - The Convocation 1:30 - Dead Mechanical 2:30 - Deep Sleep 3:10 - Surroundings 4:00 - The Pilgrim 4:50 - Desert Boys 5:50 - Arbouretum 6:30 - Mickey FreePARTY STAGE (36th & Elm Ave.) 11AM - ex-Replicas 11:30 - Sister Ex 12PM -The Remingtones 12:30 - June Star 1PM - Sal Bando 1:30 - Bad Liquor Pond 2PM - Garage Sale 2:30 - The Mill Billies 3PM - The Go-Pills 3:30 - The Jennifers 4PM - 5PM - The Charm City Beard & Mustache Championships 5:15 - Rapdragons 6PM - Landspeedrecord 6:30PM - Slow Jets
DJ TENT (36th & Roland Ave.) 11 - Ryan Nation & Patrick Brander 1 - Dan Wylie 2 - King Gilbert 3 - Djeneral Mayhem 4 - Craig Sopo 5 - DJ Exclaime & DJ Fleg
Another weekend in Baltimore, and another overly healthy portion of shows to attend. My apologies for the sparse content this week, as I've been obsessing over getting the Friends Records website ready. Looks like we're launching it Monday, so look out for some fresh sights/sounds to come then. But for now, this weekend rules...
Tonight the Golden West features Gunslingers and Liturgy. In a weekend chock full of really loud things, this one will help get you nicely prepared for what's to come. Gunslingers refer to themselves as "massacre-rock" and are from France, while Liturgy are fairly inventive dark metal from New York. Also awesome and from New York, A Place to Bury Strangers are in town tonight opening up for The Big Pink at Rams Head.
Friday night, Ruintown hosts the DNA Test Fest pre-party with Pfisters, Twin Stumps, The Chickens, Mother Sun Flower, and more. This one's $5 or free with purchase to Test Fest the following night at Sonar. Also Friday, the Fiery Furnaces are at the Ottobar.
Events and happenings for Saturday and Sunday after the jump.
DNA Test Fest III is Saturday, going down in two rooms at Sonar. There are alot of bands playing, and many of which don't come through these parts too often. The hype for this show has been across the boards on a regional and national level, and many kudos to Fan Death for making it happen. Highlights include, and are not limited to, Lamps (above) Pissed Jeans, Twin Stumps, Sightings, Psychedelic Horseshit (above), Neon Blud, and yeah... lot's more.
Over at Floristree Saturday, Josh Dibb is back in town and is now referred to as Deakin again (as opposed to Deacon when he played at the Ottobar on New Years). He'll be joined by The Present, Ecstatic Sunshine, Vows, and Salamander Wool. And lastly, for the more conventional songwriting type, Caleb Stine is at the Golden West with Among Wolves and Noble Lake.
And this weekend's grand finale, a rager of a release party at the Hexagon Sunday night with Double Dagger, Sick Weapons (above), Hollywood, and Dope Body. Bring cash for this one, because you'll surely want to grab Masks, Birthday Gift, and Some Stunts. I spoke with Ellie of Sick Weapons a few weeks ago, and it'll be good to see them after their run around the states.
Tomorrow Sick Weapons head out on a tour with Hollywood. When they get back, they play a show with Double Dagger, Dope Body, and Hollywood at the Hexagon where they'll release their debut LP. Below is a brand new track, an unmastered version of "Anthony Bourdain's Earring", which will appear on Birthday Gift:
This week I had the privelage of interviewing singer Ellie Beziat. Ellie was kind enough to provide her thoughts on the their upcoming tour, the new LP, Fugazi, "wet-humping", and much more. Here's a taste and get the rest after the jump:
You guys exploded in Baltimore last year, favorite moments of 2009?
Exploded? Are you talking about the time we all cried? Because that never happened. I can only speak for myself. My favorite shows were Whartscape, The Reptilian Records Closing Party, and the recent show with Dan Deacon. But our crowning moment might have occurred outside of the Ottobar's front door, as a drunky-crow Dan Evans poked his head out and vomited on the sidewalk just as Peter rounded the corner, belly-flopped into it and then dry-humped it...or wet- humped it, to save face. Is there 'wet-humping'?
Jason Dove filmed a short feature on you guys when you played at the Copycat recently, why is there no wet-humping?
The Ravens had just lost to the Colts in the play-offs and I think we were all felling the blues a little. Its hard to wet-hump things when your team just lost to those Colts. Plus it was an all ages show. We held it together.
How do you think his short portrays Sick Weapons?
I think the film proves that we are just as worshipable as Fugazi. Let's see Ian McKaye make up a word like 'worshipable'. He's probably not stoned right now and slowly realizing that if you just pull 'worshipable' apart then you have something that makes sense. None of this is true.
What other bands have you all been involved in?
Peter is in Blood Baby and Hollywood and was once a member of The Death Set. Sean played Drums in Warpriest. Dan Evans and Jesse were both members of The Exploder and lots of other bands worthy of tattooing on your body. And I was in Dracula Mountain and Fascist Fascist until they kicked me out.
You guys are on your way to SXSW this week, who are you playing with down there?
I don't know who with, but I do know that we are playing a pizza parlor. That should be amazing. We like pizza.
Along with Texas, you're touring a few other states with Hollywood, what type of adventures do you expect to encounter together?
8 of us in a van.
I'm scared.
Hollywood is crazy.
Is Texas ready for Sick Weapons?
Texas who?
Birthday Gift gets released at the end of the month on Reptilian, what can we expect from you first recorded output?
We tried and we love you.
Who helped out with this record?
Recorded by Adam Cooke at Lord Baltimore and J Robbins at Magpie Cage. Mixed by Chris Freeland at Beat Babies. Drums by Evan Tanner, Trombone by Timothy Doscher, and additional vocals by Tina Kalakay. Chris X (Reptilian) is responsible for putting out this record and has been amazingly patient with us.
You used to teach children, did you ever play them your music? Do you think Sick Weapons caters to the youth of Baltimore?
Fuck no and fuck no.
What else you all have in store for 2010?
A few birthdays and a lot of masturbation.
Favorite Baltimore bands?
Hollywood, Double Dagger, Future Islands, Blood Baby, Beard, Vincent Black Shadow, Arboretum, Dope Body.
Friday night's show at the Ottobar was a make-up date for a show that was supposed to happen late last year, and props to all involved for delivering on their promise. This was a super great lineup, and had all the makings for an enjoyable Friday evening.
Sick Weapons continue to be, well... sick. They get tighter and tighter with each and every performance, as Ellie gets more fun to watch along the way too. Expect a big 2010 from these folks, and hopefully their first proper release. Nuclear Power Pants' sounds of funky synths and acid-drenched pop sludgery were bigger than ever Friday night. Their stage show was as lively and entertaining as I've seen, so be sure to check them out as they head out on a national tour with Height with Friends in late March.
The last time we covered Dan Deacon playing solo in Baltimore the vibes were not great due to a push-happy younger audience. This was not the case Friday, as Dan set up on the stage but allowed anyone to join him up there. It was good to see him back in action and doing the things that got him to where he's at today, and it was equally as good to see a crowd that showed support and respect. I've heard some rumblings of future things to come from Deacon, and I look forward to keeping folks informed on said things.
Get Chrissy's full photo set of the evening after the click. Sick Weapons
This weekend is the first clusterf*ck of 2010, and likely to be the first of many here in Baltimore. While there are a hefty amount of musical things to choose from, schedules don't get really cluttered until Saturday night.
Saturday night also plays host to a football game, as the Ravens battle a team that stole football from Baltimore just a month after I was born. Man, was I one pissed off little dude.
Find out what else is up in the city that reads this weekend after the click. The highlight of Friday night is in Hampden, where the Golden West is offering "Freak Rock on the Cheap". For just three dollars you get three great rock bands, including Vincent Black Shadow, Hollywood, and Pilgrim. Not a bad way to spend three bucks on a Friday, and all three bands should be sure to get your ears nice and blasted.
Height with Friends is at the Hexagon Saturday night, and as if his supporting cast wasn't already strong enough the bill also includes Moss of Aura, Food for Animals, Mickey Free, and American Folklore. Look for some super exciting things to come from Height with Friends in 2010, as I'll have some info on this for you in the coming months.
Also Saturday, you can catch Dope Body and Sick Weapons at the Penthouse Gallery. Both acts are quickly becoming among some of our favorite live bands in Baltimore, and this show should prove to be a good time. If you need your eardrums damaged at an even higher level on Saturday, hit up the Zodiac to catch the dark metal Brooklyn band Liturgy.
Sunday night also has a good one at the Penthouse Gallery, as Jason Urick and Ecstatic Sunshine help you wind down after a fun weekend. This is their tour send-off show, before they head up to NYC and onward to tour Europe together.
We went to a lot of shows in 2009, covering as much live music as humanly possible. I decided to list 10 sets that stand out in my mind, only qualifier being that it had to have been covered on bmoremusic.net.
This left out a few sets that would have surely made it, but I still think this is a solid representation of how much fun I had in Baltimore this year. I didn't rank these, because well... who cares. They were all fantastic, and here's to many more. Extra Golden at Floristree Floristree was nice and sticky that night, as this collaboration of musicians from both DC and Kenya took it by storm. I believe the singer's feet in this photo never actually touched the ground throughout the entire set, tons of energy.
Animal Collective at the Ottobar Animal Collective were once just a couple dudes that went to The Park School of Baltimore. In 2009 Merriweather Post Pavilion jump-started their voyage of world domination, and this was their first night of a massive tour. This was easily one of the biggest shows at the Ottobar this year.
Sick Weapons at Hampdenfest While this may not have even been Sick Weapon's best set I saw this year, this set was priceless. Seeing toddlers dance around to Sick Weapons was pretty much the coolest thing I saw all year, and Ellie honking the horn instead of cursing appeared to be an epic test of will on her part.
No Deachunter at Sonar When Dan Deacon, Deerhunter, and No Age all started playing a unified song at once from different ends of the room at Sonar to start this show, it pretty much sealed the deal of making it to this post. This Round Robin style show was a whole mess of fun.
Celebration at Load of Fun This was the "Earth" show for their element series, a string of shows here in Baltimore that took place throughout the year and included some great ones. You can still download the full set audio right here.
Sri Aurobindo at the Metro Gallery This was the album release party for Return into Earth, an epic 30 minute journey of a track. This set captured what that release was all about, and was easily one of the best improvs I witnessed all year.
Ponytail at the Ottobar Another mind blowing set from Baltimore's favorite pixie dust-infused rock band. New material was played, and showed sure signs of the next album being just as good as Ice Cream Spiritual.
Future Islands at Floristree This was quite possibly my favorite Future Islands set ever. The energy was fierce, the sound was booming, and the trio was tighter than ever. Look for gigantic things to come from these guys in 2010.
Dan Deacon w/Ensemble at Whartscape This set managed to embody all that is right with music here in Baltimore, and package it in a one hour chunk of music and fun. This was one of the many highlights of Whartscape 2009, a festival that truly represents how it feels to be a part of community like Baltimore. Every single person in that North Avenue parking lot that night left the show smiling, and with good reason.
Saturday night the Ottobar had a stacked lineup, headed by a force from Japan known as Melt Banana. They began their set with a handful of electronic-based noise songs in the dark while wearing headlamps, but when the lights came on they defaulted to their signature style. These Japanese noise punkers completely leveled the crowd, and Chrissy took the photos to prove it.
Melt Banana had one of the strongest supporting casts I've seen in awhile, with Sick Weapons, Dope Body, and dd/mm/yyyy all opening the affair. You can peep the evening's full photo set and more words below. Dope Body are one of Baltimore's more promising newer bands, a bass/drums/vocal trio that sport a splintered style of thrashed-out punk. You can tell there's a heavy electronic influence with these guys, certainly a unique take on their style. I'd recommend grabbing their tape, Twenty Pound Brick, from Watercolor.
Sick Weapons were fantastic as usual, as the trio of guitars paired with Ellie's antics always make for a great time. Toronto's dd//mmm/yyyy were also worth noting, a spazzed out version of math rock that were another great addition to the show.
You can scope out Chrissy's full photo set of the evening below in the flash gallery.
Hampdenfest 2009 went down Saturday, and even with mother nature giving her version of a mist tent all day long it was a grand ol' time. This is easily the best neighborhood festival Baltimore has to offer, always displaying a diverse array of quality music.
Sick Weapons (photo set below) are quickly becoming one of my favorite local live acts, and seem to get tighter each time I see them. They were an intriguing crew to catch in the family-friendly environment, and had to build some new tweaks into their set. In particular, there was a new horn section made up of Ellie Beziat's fist which substituted for curse words. I think it helped to bring in a wider audience, as I even witnessed a five year old pulling some nasty breakbeat hanstand twirls in cadence with the raging guitars. The photo set up top is of Vincent Black Shadow's excellent performance. These guys have been pretty fantastic the last couple times I've seen them, and Saturday's jaunt in the dreary overcast setting proved no different. Their persistent mastery of psychedelic punk continued heavily last weekend, and checking them out with Monotonix down in DC October 13th would be worth heading south down the BW Parkway.
Hollywood were also pretty stellar on the Roland Ave stage. Dude's all ripped it pretty heartily, as they thrashed some gutter rock riffs that kept things nice and dirty. Hollywood's got another show coming up at the Golden West on the 24th. Buzzing guitars were certainly a theme of this year's Hampedenfest, and I'm all for more of it next year.
Hampdenfest is back, and the music lineup is chock full of some of the city and region's finest. The festivities go down this Saturday, September 12th on the Avenue.
Festival organizers did a great job picking out bands this year, and with three stages there are some tough decisions to make. Imperial China and Vincent Black Shadow both play at 3 PM, and choosing between these two face-melters should prove difficult.
Three of the biggest genre-leading projects in music today took Baltimore by storm Friday night. With a collaborative round robin style promised, anticipation and hype would have been glaring understatements.
Dan Deacon was in the back of Sonar, No Age took the floor on the side, and Deerhunter set up shop up on the main stage. When their collaborative set took off with all 3 bands playing simultaneously, PBR-induced waves of "Hell Yes" washed over the masses. The euphoric noise hitting the crowd in a surround sound feel was the intro to Deerhunter's LP Cryptograms, and lead into them rocking the title track off their fantastic 2007 record. Bradford Cox and company sounded terrific all night, as tracks like "Nothing Ever Happened" swirled with faded pop bliss. These guys are easily one of the best live indie bands today.
Dan Deacon's last outing at Sonar was a bit of a debacle, but thankfully the crowd had no choice but to respect the synthed electronic genius with him being on a raised platform. Friday night was nothing but love, as the hometown crowd danced and surfed their way through his portions of the set. Familiar favorites were played, and he even took a stab at some Bromst material without the ensemble.
No Age sparked the rowdy type, with their noisey pop punk played nice and loud for the kids. While I lost a beer or two getting in the mix of things during their turns, certainly no complaints from my end. The evening rocked something for everyone, with never any moments of boredom. Despite a few glitches expected with the first night on a tour of this nature, each of the artist's efforts flowed seemlessly into the next one's. And at times, with the help of everyone.
This tour is sure to get its fair share of press, and I for one hope it helps to get the round robin style to become more of a trend. Forget the whole headlining hierarchy. This was just two dudes from L.A., a band from Atlanta, and someone who calls Baltimore their home, all playing music and loving it.
Oh man. This one week tour was announced a couple months back, originally not plotted to roll through these here parts. Surpise! Just announced last weekend, next Friday Sonar welcomes the Dan Deacon/Deerhunter/No Age Round Robin to Baltimore.
This one is an ADD-friendly, round robin style setup, with the artists circling the crowd and taking turns doing their thing. Also promised are collaborative performances, offering a chance to catch one of a kind joint ventures likely to never be seen again. So if you've ever wondered what Deacon's electronics sound like jamming out to "Nothing Ever Happened", or how Bradford Cox's vocals might spruce up "Ripped Knees", this could be your night.
This is only hitting a few select east coast-ish cities, including a stop the next day in New Jersey at a hotel with a giant pool shaped as an airplane. That show's got a pool party, we get something even better. One ticket gets you into all three rooms that night, including the Taxlo dance party and the Talking Head. The Talking Head has a superb lineup with Future Islands, Sick Weapons, The Art Department, and Love or Perish. I've already gabbed about how sick three of these bands were at Whartscape, and Future Islands just put out an absolutely stellar double a-side 7 inch called Feathers and Hallways. If you feel like dancing, the club room's got Dave Nada, Cullen Stalin, and Simon Phoenix.
You officially have no excuse not to be there, mainly becuase there's something for everyone. And also, because I am giving away a pair of tickets. Blast an email to bmoremusicallyinformed@gmail.com, letting me know who you want to see the most that night. I'll pick a winner at random next week, and get their name on the list. Be sure to check your email Thursday morning the 30th to see if you've won. See you there!
Oh, Whartscape. I've already shared my love for Friday and Sunday's happenings, and alas we now have a ton of visuals for Saturday. Day two in the MICA parking lot was more than solid, with a wide array of sounds and vibes.
I stumbled up just in time for The Art Department, a band that I've yet to check out live. Their songs left me confused, as I knew they were played all wrong yet I was oddly attracted to them. Their knack for creating quirky pop songs backwards and upside down was truly unique, leaving me repulsed yet wanting more all at once. Weekends rocked from the pavement, playing right in the middle of the early crowd as they prefer. One of Baltimore's best new bands, they sounded as tight as ever surely winning over some new fans. Sporting some new songs called "Roomate" and "Raingirls", I was pleasantly surprised that these new jams were readily available in CDR form. The new EP is called Suburban Dome, and it comes highly recommended.
The Woes bluesy New Orleans style rock were a welcome surprise, as was the marching band shenanigans of the What Cheer! Brigade. This was a full on marching band that completely stormed Station North, leaving nothing but dancing Whartscapers in their wake. Certainly a new twist on the collegiate sport genre, and a whole mess of fun.
Sick Weapons were fantastic and rocked pretty hard, almost as hard as Vincent Black Shadow. These guys completely leveled the crowd, scorching from all angles with their brand of psychedelic punk metal. Vincent Black Shadow completely ripped it, leaving you feeling all kinds of rowdy and wanting more. A stellar addition to the lineup.
This concludes our Whartscape 2009 coverage. Much thanks to Wham City for putting together such an awesome event, and here's hoping for many more years to come.
Quality lineup at the Ottobar Friday night too, with Obits, Sick Weapons, and Sal Bando filling the bill. Obits were unveiled to the world last year as Rick Froberg's new outlet for rock and roll music.
Rick is originally of Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes fame, but now is joined by drummer Scot Gursky of D.C.'s Shorstack, guitarist Sohrab Habibion of Edsel, and bassist Greg Simpson. Obits just dropped their debut on Sub Pop.
I Blame You displays a much calmer side of Froberg than when in Hot Snakes, but this allows for more climatic progressions and more of that 60's garage punk sound we all know and love.
The dueling guitars line up real nice with the rhythmic swagger of the bass and drums throughout the affair, leaving it feeling nostalgic yet set very firmly in the present. Great listen from start to finish, and should translate even more solid in a live setting with more energy to put forth. Stream a taste on my green playlist.
Check out our pictures of Sick Weapons opening for Double Dagger a few weeks ago, a solid reminder not to miss them as well Friday night. Show starts at 10 folks.
Excellent show at the Zodiac last night, the pictures above pretty much tell the story. Double Dagger absolutely killed it, blasting through some ridiculously promising new material and some old favorites. Sick Weapons were great as well, and should be added to the top of your local must see band list. And New Flesh put on a ryhthmic display of energy, with their drummer stealing the show. Fun night all around.
Double Dagger'sMoreis looking to be one of the year's most anticipated local releases, and will hit us May 5th via Thrill Jockey. Don't plan on missing their next show around town at the Zodiac on March 21st, with Future Islands teaming up the bill.
Double Dagger are playing the Zodiac next Thursday, March 5th. My excitement for their new album has now grown to epic proportions. The band is currently finishing up with mastering and artwork, and we can all assume the album art will be brilliant yet again.
Sample the most important song to come out of Baltimore in 2007 below. If you're not already familiar, "Luxury Condos for the Poor" rocks everything wrong with urban renewal and Baltimore's real estate landscape. One can only hope the new album will include More intellectually luminous attacks on our society's missteps.
Stream"Luxury Condos for the Poor" below, download more free DD tracks here.
Longtime local record slinger Reptilian Records is shutting down shop January 18th. With the new location never quite taking off, the record shop is forced focus efforts digitally.
In a recent press release, Chris X claims "Major changes, tectonic shifts, secret machinations, and evolution revolution are taking place!" The record label and book publisher will be still be in tact, while the online store is beefed up so the kids can download songs to those new-fangled iPod thingamajigs.
Hit the store up for a blowout sale January 18 that will be capped off by a show at the Ottobar that boasts Sick Weapons and Hollywood.
