For the second year I was privileged enough to take a camera with me through the labyrinth of discovery that is known as the ROOMS Play. Organized by Baltimore's renegade theater folk, the Copycat Theater Company, the production involves well over a hundred actors and artists. As an audience member you are also a participant, traveling through different environments, each with its own story. I did my best to capture it as a participant would experience it. This is the performance in its entirety, recorded on May 1st.
ROOMS was part of the Transmodern Festival this year, which has always been an innovative and thoroughly entertaining weekend. I grabbed a camera with me as I wandered about Saturday, April 30th in the evening and the video below is a few highlights.
Baltimore's alt-art-rock-tribal-indie-jammers Thank You returned triumphantly from a European tour and played the Metro Gallery on June 18, 2011. It was an epic set, and an especially long one. I ended up working the door, so was unable to monitor the recording. The last song and a half of an hour-long set are missing, but the set was so great I had to post it. Please forgive this and the usual lack of track listings. Natasha Tylea engineered sound. Thank You 06-18-11 by Guy Werner
Back in March the Metro Gallery hosted a couple of talented acts from Brooklyn, NYC. Sharon Van Etten is a singer and songwriter that speaks of truths that seem beyond her years. It was a phenomenal set and I have posted it below. As usual there are no track listings. If you happen to figure them out, let me know and I'll post them.
I was given the opportunity to collaborate with Celebration in the production of their Hello Paradise record release show here in Baltimore this past March. It was held at the 2640 Space; a beautiful, old, crumbling, decommissioned church. Katrina Ford and the band had some ideas about how the decor ought to look, and it was left to me to realize the lighting and video aspects of the show. The band made a bunch of huge clouds that were suspended over the crowds, and with video of birds and skies playing over these giant white amorphous forms the room was transformed into an open sky. That sky was then filled with the music of Arbouretum, Future Islands and Celebration. It was a beautiful night, and one of the best experiences I've had working with local talents.
Recording the event was a no-brainer and an A-list of other guys was brought in to assist. Huge thanks to Allen Johnson and the Plural MC for their assistance with lighting, Rob Hatch for shooting the show, and David Carter for recording the sound. The products were given to Brett Yale and Friends Records, who was the producer of the whole show and the guy who made things happen in general. Brett just posted a video of three songs from the show up on his column on Impose which you'll find below. It was to coincide with the release of a new Future Islands track as a free mp3. It seemed natural that the performance of the song itself be released as well, so the second video below was just posted by myself and has the new track called "Before the Bridge", as well as the crowd favorite "Tin Man".
There were a lot of people involved in making that evening special. It was one of those nights the communal aspect of what is going on in Baltimore was pretty obvious. Future Islands killed it, and these videos are a nice reminder of that.
Vandaveer, the folk duo from DC known for beautiful harmonies and superb songwriting, performed at the Metro Gallery in Baltimore. I mentioned this show before, recorded the set, and in typical fashion I offer it to you now with no track listing. It doesn't matter. Once you start listening you won't need to skip around.
It has been too long since I've posted. Events conspire to keep me from getting caught up with the numerous events I've taped and projects I'm supposed to be done with already.
David Carter, whom I've mentioned a few times now, is a Baltimore taper that is generally a bit more organized than I am. He posts stuff on Aural States' Livewire page. I also have his site featured amongst those I visit regularly in the toolbar on the right. He recorded Lands & Peoples play at the Metro Gallery this past weekend and posted it yesterday. The group downsized from a three-piece to a two-piece and debuted a new batch of songs along with their new sound. From what I've heard, the new direction is pretty killer. Check it out here.
