On Wednesday night I stood ten feet away from Morrissey for 90 whole minutes, and well, there is really nothing higher to aspire to in show going—that is, unless Joe Strummer came back from the dead. If you weren’t as lucky, may I suggest these three shows for your long Inaugural weekend and journey towards reaching your show-going Holy Grail? I give you punk in Baltimore, dirty folk, and a soft moon to land on.
Friday: Möbius Strip with Sick Sick Birds, Advlts and Musicband at Sidebar Tavern in Baltimore
If you didn’t snag tickets to the sold out Blonde Redhead show, throw up your hands in defeat and get out of the city. Take the short drive to Baltimore for a punk rock bill that is sure to please your palate to include DC band, Möbius Strip.
Möbius Strip started in 2009 and are a trio of pro-animal activists, Shane Carwile, Mark Kennedy, and Pitt Stains. Unlike the physical appearance of a Möbius Strip, the DC punk band does tend to have only one surface when it comes to animal cruelty. The outspoken vegans are sure to begin the bill with their crusading lyrics in our sister city, releasing their last album Escalate in 2011. Show your support and let’s show Baltimore that we know how to drive over the bridge and maybe they’ll start to do the same.
Baltimore’s Sick Sick Birds won’t give you a virus, instead they will fill your Friday night with their bright pop punk. The foursome is led by Mike Hall, whose vocals at times are reminiscent of Robert Smith. Their last album, Gates of Home, was released in 2012 on Toxic Pop Records. Stay healthy and check out Sick Sick Birds, worth a trip to Baltimore on a Friday night.
Saturday, January 19th: Silent Old Mtns with Holy Mtn and Heavy Lights at Velvet Lounge
Silent Old Mtns are a six-piece “Downtown Dirty Folk” band from Frederick, MD. The unsigned, fairly new band released their first album, Velvet Raccoon in the summer of 2012, with ambitions to release an EP this year.
Catch them Saturday night at the Velvet Lounge. I hear their performance is rather unique, to include poem readings in between songs.
Sunday, January 20th: The Soft Moon with Majical Cloudz at Black Cat, Backstage
Captured Tracks artist, The Soft Moon, originally started as a personal refuge in the confines of Luis Vasquez’s private residence, but soon escaped to the public sphere. Vazquez’s solo project developed into a full touring band, adding Justin Anastasi (bass), Damon Way (synthesizers), Ron Robinson (visuals), and Keven Tecon (drums).
The Soft Moon released their 2nd album, Zeros in 2012. It was recorded in a much different style from their first self-titled LP, yet still exposes the pureness of Vasquez’s raw self-reflection, but leaving out the uncontrolled dread of getting there in private. The Soft Moon, like their label mates, Beach Fossils, DIIV, and Wild Nothing, have been successful in creating an original sound that cannot be easily defined or ignored. Catch them in the intimate backstage setting of Black Cat Sunday night.
Get out DC and enjoy the long weekend you music freaks, I give you Monday off to fend off the happy tourists.
