Important News About the Senator Theatre

Today I would like to share with you an announcement about our proposal to occupy and operate the Senator Theatre. It comes from Towson University's Vice President of Finance and Administration, James Sheehan:

"As many of you know, WTMD and Towson University responded to the Baltimore Development Corporation’s call for proposals to acquire and restore the Historic Senator Theatre in Belvedere Square.

Due to the continuing economic pressures faced by the State of Maryland and thus Towson, we have determined that it is best not to take on this complex new venture. With the added uncertainty of the economic climate that we will face the remainder of this year, we must concentrate on the needs of our students at this time.

We were pleased to be considered among the BDC's finalists and are bolstered by the outpouring of support from the community and the WTMD listeners. The enthusiasm for WTMD's proposal only reinforced what we have always known; WTMD radio is a treasured and valuable asset. We appreciate your continued support as we forge ahead with our search for the most viable option and best possible venue for WTMD."

I know this news about the Senator comes as a surprise to many of you. I want you to know that WTMD and everyone at Towson University fully believes in the station's mission, music and the need to find a new home for the station.

For now, we will focus on increasing WTMD's value in the community and we look forward to seeing you at WTMD's 7th Birthday Party and at First Thursdays Concerts in the Park.

Steve Yasko
General Manager, WTMD

Was Sinead's Challenge Prophetic?

Sinead O'Connor's infamous ripping of a papal photo during a 1992 re-worked version of Marley's "War" on Saturday Night Live, left many aghast to say the least.

But, despite seemingly near unanimous condemnation of the Irish singer's challenging, and some say, blasphemous performance, her graphic confrontation of the Catholic Church for the alleged sexual abuse of children, may be getting a little revisionist history.

O'Connor re-visited that incident and explained her relationship with the Catholic Church in a Washington Post editorial that appeared yesterday.

Whatever your feelings were then and now, there's no denying that Sinead O'Connor is an artist who challenges conventional thoughts and even taboos.

Here's my favorite from Sinead, "Black Boys on Mopeds."

RIP Alex Chilton

The world lost a trail blazer in two influential rock genres: blue-eyed Memphis soul and power-pop.

Alex Chilton died in New Orleans at the age of 59 after an apparent heart attack. He was scheduled to play South By Southwest on Saturday.

Most likely Alex didn't have the money for the upkeep of the old ticker. Such is a cult musician's life. As we even say sometimes in public radio, "If praise paid the bills...."

And praise Alex had in spades. As the teen leader of the R&B flavored rock band The Box Tops, he brought the kind of urgency to "The Letter" that made you want to cough up the very hard earned dough in the day for a plane ticket. And though he didn't write that, and songs like, "Cry Like a Baby" himself, he sold it so well, he just made you believe what he was singing was pouring out of his gut.

Later, as the front guy for Big Star, he co-wrote "In the Street," which later became the theme to That 70's Show. Records like #1 Album and Radio City (produced by the late great Jim Dickinson) were on a lot of top LP's of all time lists. Bands like R.E.M. and the Gin Blossoms have cited Big Star as an influence. And so profound was Alex Chilton musicianship in the mind of Paul Westerberg, that he named a song after him on The Replacements "Pleased to Meet Me."

Chilton's solo career was hit and miss, but I kind of liked his 90's release, A Man Called Destruction. I got a bang out of "Devil Girl" and "Sick and Tired" from it.

Alex Chilton is survived by his wife Laura and son Timothy.

Official PHISH Tour 2010

So here they are... The Official Phish dates this summer. They dates are up on www.Phish.com and mail order ticketing is underway right now. Mail order ticketing ends on friday so be sure to get your requests in soon!!!

6/11 Chicago, IL Toyota Park

6/12 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center

6/13 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium

6/15 Portsmouth, VA nTelos Pavilion at Harbor Center

6/17 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre

6/18 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre

6/19 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center

6/20 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center

6/22 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center

6/24 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

6/25 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

6/26 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion

6/27 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion

6/29 Canandaigua, NY CMAC

7/1 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion

7/2 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

7/3 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless @ Encore Park

7/4 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless @ Encore Park

8/5 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre

8/6 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre

8/7 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre

8/9 Telluride, CO Telluride Town Park

8/10 Telluride, CO Telluride Town Park

8/12 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center

8/13 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center

8/14 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre

8/15 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre

8/17 Wantagh, NY Nikon Theater at Jones Beach

8/18 Wantagh, NY Nikon Theater at Jones Beach

Here is a video from MSG last year:

Search for user pryan on youtube for more great clips.

AVAM, Ham and Fred Schneider

Fred Schneider of the B-52's may be from Georgia, but his love of Waters-esque Baltimore kitsch has been on display for years, so it's no wonder that he's coming to one of his favorite haunts, the American Visionary Arts Museum for a benefit concert and dance party.

Fred Schneider and the Mastergators play AVAM April 9th from 7pm to Midnight. There's a VIP Happy Hour with Fred from 6-7pm. That oughta be a hoot! The Mastegators, BTW, feature former Scissor Sister Paddy Boom and Rodney Henry of Dangerously Delicious Pies!

If you need any more evidence that Fred kinda digs Baltimore, check out the video to this song, which was inspired, in part, by TV Meat pitch woman Paula Deen and an incident in which she got bonked in the head by a can of ham. Avid vegetarian Fred shot the video at....can you guess where?




Oh, and a special shout-out to organizers of the Uncorked 2010 Table Design Competition, which I helped judge at AVAM last night, along with Chef Duff and other catering experts. One of the music-inspired tables that really got our attention was based on the B-52's "Love Shack". Hurry up and bring your jukebox money April 9th!

Kids Chorus Covers Phoenix

The following video from Staten Island school PS22 proves why music education is so important in our schools and how listening to a radio station like TMD in the car with your kids can lead to great things. Enjoy this waaaay-too-adorable cover of Phoenix's "Lisztomania" by the same young chorus you hear on those Passion Pit songs.

One Degree Closer to Hendrix

There's a Baltimore and even a WTMD connection to the just-released, long sought-after, posthumous Hendrix collection, Valleys of Neptune.

John Vondracek, son of WTMD volunteer (and extremely knowledgeable music head, I might add) Bob Luh runs a video-design company called The String Theory. They developed a video for the title track based on a couple of paintings by Hendrix, that were used as covers for the album and single.

Previously, John has developed video that played during a Roger Waters concert.

Enjoy the swirling colors of John's amazing work!

She and Him Go Back to School

Call it the indie rock version of the "Hit Me Baby One More Time" video, but check out Zooey Deschanel dancing in the high school halls and M. Ward looking like the detached object of her affection.

I LOVED the first She & Him record, and while this song may have lost a bit of the "golly gee" innocence, the playfulness is still irresistible.

From Volume 2, here's "In the Sun."

Muse/Silversun Pickups, First Mariner Arena, 03-03-10

Silversun Pickups opened up the show. There really weren't many people in the arena for them, but they put their hearts into it and were fantastic. The crowd that was there was totally digging it.

Muse was unbelievable and they sounded just like the CD’s. The sound at the area for Muse was perfect. We sat upstairs, but in the 2nd row right in the center so we were in a good spot for excellent sound. They came out with each member on 3 pillars lit up with red lights, and kicked the show off with Uprising, a great new song off The Resistance to get the party started, then jumped into the title track from that album. The pillars lowered and the band was able to move around onstage to entertain the crowd. Matt Bellamy was flailing around with his guitar as the rest of the band knew their role, to support the genius Bellamy.

New Born was wild. I love the guitar riff when that song gets jamming. Hysteria got the crowd pumped, not that they needed it, and when they jumped into Starlight the crowd could not stop singing “Black Holes and Revelaaaaaaaaaations”. Lasers were shooting all over through out the night, lights were flashing, and the band was performing like one would expect. The encore was awesome too. Two of my favorites by them, Stockholm Syndrome and Knights of Cydonia ended the evening. I left wanting more.

Not once did I think (and this happens to me at shows from time to time) “I can’t wait to get out of here.” They could have played all night and I would have been just fine.

One of the best all around shows I’ve seen. On a scale of 1-10, I would give this Muse performance a 10.

Next up…The Church on April 27th at Ram’s Head On Stage.

Setlist:
1 Uprising
2 Resistance
3 New Born
4 Supermassive Black Hole
5 MK Ultra
6 Interlude
7 Hysteria
8 Nishe
9 United States Of Eurasia
10 Feeling Good (Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley cover)
11 Helsinki Jam
12 Undisclosed Desires
13 Starlight
14 Plug In Baby
15 Time Is Running Out
16 Unnatural Selection
Encore:
17 Ex...ogenesis: Symphony, Part 1: Overture
18 Stockholm Syndrome
19 Knights of Cydonia

Don Rogers
WTMD

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.

Mystery Artists Revealed

You may have heard a little promo leading up to our March fund drive talking about how WTMD brings you closer to the artists you care about and want to get to know.

The spot had clips of some live music and interviews made here in the TMD studios with artists we did not identify.

So, if you happen to be playing along, here’s the big reveal!

Check out the featured artists below and remember that you make moments like this happen!

Become a new or renewing member today!


Rusted Root
Morning Sessions Air Date: November 6, 2009

The Pittsburgh-based band became a critical and commercial success with its 1994 album, When I Woke, featuring the alternative hits “Ecstasy” and “Send Me on My Way.” Last fall the band released Stereo Rodeo, its first studio album in seven years. Here they are warming up in our studios!



Lead vocalist Michael Glabicki described his songwriting process with the musical collective. “Traditionally, it’s based off the acoustic guitar—the guitar rhythm and the overtones of the guitar," he said. "I kind-of get inside that world … I scat the melodies and formulate those into words later. Then I bring the song to the band, and everybody puts their ideas into it. Then they start to feed into each other, and it turns into something different at that point.”



Eric Lindell
Morning Sessions Air Date: January 29, 2010

The New Orleans native serves up a hybrid of funk, reggae and Americana with a blues backbone. The Baltimore area is a regular stop on his endless touring, but he's still discovering incredible new venues to play.



He recounted how he wound up performing at Club 66 in Edgewood: "[The owners] followed me around for a couple of years, and said, ‘You gotta play our club!’ . . . . After a couple of years of seeing these guys at shows and [hearing] their enthusiasm, I finally get to their club. It’s one of the coolest places I’ve probably played. It’s like an old Elk’s Lodge out in the middle of the country. It’s got a big brick fireplace [and] a BYOB situation. It’s great!"



Fanfarlo
Morning Sessions Air Date: February 12, 2010

The London-based band's debut, Reservoir, was featured as WTMD's CD of the Month in January and they deliver a charming blend of orchestral-flavored art rock with a literary flair. And their live shows enjoy a little more homespun flair.



“We take our own sort-of bunting with flags and lighting," said bassist Justin Finch. "And the first thing we do when we get to a venue is set up, decorate and make it our own. And yeah, we’re into our own dust bowl carnival sort-of thing.”

All Good Festival Lineup

Tickets for the the 12th annual All Good Festival go on sale at noon tomorrow. Prices start at $129 and go up to $399 for a VIP pass.

This year's jam-packed spectacular will be headlined by Furthur, featuring Bob Weir and Phil Lesh. Widespread Panic, Parliament/Funkadelic, Dark Star Orchestra, Umphrey's McGee, Lotus and The Yonder Mountain String Band are also on the bill.

Here are some pictures from last year's festival to get you in the mood. Don't forget your Patchouli.

Keepin Up with The Jonsi's

It's hard not to get lost in the other world that is Sigur Ros. Unfortunately, the ethereal Icelandic band with the made-up language, scrapped upcoming plans for 2010 because some of the members are becoming fathers and want to enjoy time with their youngsters. Can't blame 'em!

So, while Sigur Ros is on hiatus, we can pencil in the year to enjoy the solo project of it's falsetto'd singer/guitarist, Jonsi.

Go is coming out April 5th. I played the first single from it, "Go Do" this morning. The melody explodes into this songbird-like fantasy world that only Jonsi could inhabit. As usual, it's quite magical.

Enjoy this free download of "Boy Lilikoi"

Boy Lilikoi by Jónsi

and check out this video for "Go Do"

Jónsi - Go Do from Jónsi on Vimeo.

Tony Sica Passes

We're sorry to inform our listeners that Tony Sica, the original host of Detour has passed away.  We'll have more details later, but for now we would like to direct you the Uptown Concerts web site run by Tony's wife Joyce. 

Please join theWTMD staff in thinking loving thoughts for Tony, Joyce and their family.