Tickey Giveaway: Fucked Up & Kurt Vile @ the Ottobar

I'm doing two ticket giveaways in a row, because well... we all need some inspiration to go out after what got dumped on Baltimore this week. There's a whole lot of really great shows in the wings here in town, but this particular bill is high on my radar.

Fucked Up will headline one hell of a supporting cast with Kurt Vile, Vincent Black Shadow, and The Flying Eyes all rounding out the lineup. February 16th at the Ottobar features a variety of rock and roll ranging from hardcore to psych-scorch to punk-folk to some good old fashioned psychedelic rock music.

The Flying Eyes are a young crew from Baltimore that have gotten some international recognition as of late. Germany-based World in Sound recently released their debut album, a record I've been spending some time recently. Paired with locals Vincent Black Shadow, this show is worth arriving early for.

Philly's Kurt Vile unleashed two stellar LPs before more recently relinquishing his debut album with Matador. And then there's Fucked Up, a must see live act who just last month dropped Couple Tracks, a singles compilation full of songs from 2002-2009.

Enter to win free passes and peep some videos from the headliners below.





Email bmoremusicallyinformed@gmail.com to enter to win a pair of free passes to this show next week. I'll pick a winner the night before.

Playlist: Blogtimore Pwns Weekend

There are about 30 acts playing this weekend on Friday at the G Spot, Saturday at Sonar, and Sunday at the Ottobar. Listen to 17 above. Get tickets here and here.

Photos: Vincent Black Shadow & Hollywood @ Golden West

Last Friday the Golden West offered some freak rock on the cheap, with local psych scorchers Vincent Black Shadow and garage cave brawlers Hollywood both playing some rock songs. Chrissy was there to capture the action, and you can check out her full photo set of the evening after the click.

Hollywood




Vincent Black Shadow





Photos by Chrissy

Clusterf*ck: Shows in Baltimore this Weekend

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.

Another option Friday night is at the Ottobar. Psych rock is bountiful with Bad Liquor Pond, The Flying Eyes, Whoarfrost, and Deaf Scene all sharing the bill. This one starts at 9 PM and is all ages.

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.

Photo Review: Hampdenfest 2009

Photos by Chrissy

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.

Below are the other flash galleries, but click here for links to Sick Weapons' set and Hollywood's set. Both of which are also shot by Chrissy.

Hampdenfest 2009 Schedule

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.

So hit up the Brewer's Art stand for a Resurrection or two, and watch some great live music this Saturday for free. Full schedule below:

ATOMIC BOOKS STAGE (36th & Falls Rd)
11AM - (marching through the festival) Barrage Band Orchestra
12PM -Ambuvega
1PM - Witch Hat
2PM - Sick Weapons
3PM - Imperial China
4PM - Caverns
5PM - The Jennifers
6PM - Al & The Kaydas

THE ROLAND STAGE (36th St. between Roland & Elm)
12PM - Baltimore School of Rock
1PM - Rosemary Stretch
2PM - Hollywood
3PM - Vincent Black Shadow
4PM - The Snowmen
5PM - Middle East
6PM - Caleb Stine

CHESTNUT STAGE (36th & Chestnut)
12PM - DragonSong
1PM - Surroundings
2PM -Desert Boys
3PM -The Mishaps
4PM -Sick Sick Birds
5PM - The Degenerettes
6PM - TT Tucker & The Bum Rush

Photo Review: Whartscape 2009 Day Two

Photos by Valerie

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.