Life Hit By a Rogue Wave

If there ever was a "perfect storm" for the undoing of a band, then Rogue Wave got hit by a big one.

Over the past few years, former member, Evan Farrell was tragically killed in a house fire, drummer Pat Spurgeon, who was born with one kidney, took his dialysis on the road while he desperately waited for a donor, and frontman Zach Rogue, slipped two discs in his neck, which caused him to lose sensation in his guitar-playing hand- not to mention, he was bed-ridden for some time.

The overcoming of all these things is a legendary and moving story. If you get a chance, seek out the PBS documentary D-Tour on Pat's life-affirming story to find a donor match.

The other triumph is their new album on Brushfire Records, Permalight. It's got lots of clicks, clacks and other percussive electronic touches that make it, kind-of easy to dance to. It's an honest and energetic re-emergence.

Rogue Wave play the 930 Club tonight.

Brushfire filmaker and co-owner Emmett Malloy directs the video for their new single, Good Morning

Rogue Wave - Good Morning from Rogue Wave on Vimeo.

and check out more of Pat Spurgeon's incredible story here:

D Tour trailer from Jim Granato on Vimeo.

Penn Station Celebrates "Baltimore"

Caleb Stine and Saleem's song "Baltimore" gets a new visual verse this month as Amtrak and MARC Train commuters at Penn Station, 1515 North Charles Street, will be greeted by a mural inspired by the song in the building's main entrance.

The artwork, created as part of a collaboration between students at Maryland Institute College of Art and the University of Baltimore, depicts elements of Saleem's "city of dreams" in four striking panels.

An official opening and reception will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 4th at Penn Station. And the mural will stay up through March 31st.

This is the latest chapter in a collaboration that started in the summer of 2008 when WTMD's Baltimore Unsigned introduced Caleb Stine, a country folk-rocker, to Saleem, a hip-hop artist, and challenged the songwriters to create four songs in six weeks.

The duo debuted their material, including "Baltimore," at the 8 x 10 in July 2008 and announced plans to record a studio album. The result, Outgrown These Walls, received critical acclaim.



And "Baltimore" has inspired more than a few educators to use the song as a starting point for lesson plans. Here's Saleem performing in May 2009 at Cherry Hill Elementary.