Represent! Baltimore!

Two major publications feature articles on Baltimore this week. First it was The New Yorker with it’s article explaining how Baltimore is always searching for new ways to get visitors to come and enjoy the lighter side of the city. A link to the article is here. Apparently the Baltimore promotions and PR teams are trying to capitalize on John Waters’ fame and make a connection between the two Broadway shows and the real Baltimore. They want to get away from the gritty and dangerous stereotype Baltimore has been given from shows like HBO’s The Wire and Homicide. This is understandable. However, to me Baltimore is not a tourist destination. If the city is bringing in people to visit the inner harbor that’s just boring. There is really nothing to do there except see the aquarium and visit the science center and eat at chain restaurants that you could enjoy in any other city.

Luckily, the idea of this tourism campaign was different. They want create a microsite on Baltimore.org that has a tour of John Waters favorite hang outs, eateries, etc. Now to me this is a better idea. Get people away from the over-commercial and over populated inner harbor area. Except there is one flaw, Baltimore is a city that you grow to love. It’s not really ever love at first sight here. I’m sure visiting Hampden while on vacation would be great to tell stories about when you get home (just imagine describing Hampden people to people who have never seen them.) Tourists just probably wouldn’t “get” Hampden at first. I’m not sure if I still “get” it.

Also this week Rolling Stone came out with it’s Best of Rock issue and named Baltimore the “Best Scene.”

I suppose I can somewhat agree with this. Baltimore does have a lot going on regarding the music scene. A lot of really great bands are coming out of Baltimore, but seriously they probably should have given this award to Baltimore last year. I think the whole “scene” has died down a bit. Here are some of the highlights from the rolling stone article.

People and Places That Make Charm City a Hotbed for Rap and Art Rock

Darkroom Productions’ Juan Donovan and Jamal Roberts sparked the city’s rap scene with their Wire-inspired Hamsterdam mixtapes and later licensed music for the show. Deep Flow Studios owner Amotion hosts a rap show on public TV.
Electronic party-starter Dan Deacon founded the Wham City collective, staging eclectic rock shows, art installations and theater with bizarre names like Shoot Her! A Jurassic Park Play.
Dream-rock duo Beach House buy organs at local thrift shops.
Proprietors/residents of Floristree, the unlicensed space where Deacon and others play.
Double Dagger, one of many edgy acts hatched at the Mary-land Institute College of Art.
Record mecca Sound Garden hosts B-more acts and has deep punk and metal collections.
Normal’s is crammed with esoteric books and music; avant-garde artists play the adjacent venue, Red Room.

Oh and if that is not enough guess which soon to be wed couple will be moving into Baltimore?

from the sun: First daughter Jenna Bush and her by-then husband, Henry Hager, are moving into a two-story, 128-year-old rowhouse in a lively neighborhood south of downtown.