Episode 8- Missing Baltimore, Finding Displaced Souls of NY Friends

On Wed night I dropped in on David Morreale to catch him at the "open mic" he hosts regularly at Ryan's Daughter, a great casual-but-upscale roomy Irish restaurant/bar in Belvedere Square.

David is the musician who plays the third song in my "LoisLife Baltimore Blogshow Playlist" (found to the right of this episode), titled "Missing Baltimore."

Unlike many of the sadly-themed songs with "Baltimore" in their titles highlighted in a recent article by Sam Sessa of the Baltimore Sun, and discussed by local HFS DJs Kirk and Mark next day, David's focuses not on Baltimore's too-obvious problems, but on his vast love for Baltimore and his longing to return during much-regretted absences, to which sentiments I strongly relate.

In meeting David I found, to my surprise, that he quite vividly resembled--both in looks and in personality--one of my oldest, and closest friends from New York, a very talented musician and all-around "renaissance man" Kal.

This was so startling and unexpected that I had to remind myself not to stare. Before he performed, we hung out some and talked and I noticed so many eerie similarities not only in his mannerisms but the kinds of stories he told and the jokes he made, right down to the occasional whimsically-crafted fib. Really these things put me so much in mind of my friend Kal, I would have found his presence positively unnerving were he not so funny and 'Kal-lishly' easy-going, too.

Then he sang and strummed some tunes including the 'Missing Baltimore' one, alternating both humorous and romantic themes and tales along with the songs, and this was also so very 'Kal-like' at times I wondered if this were not all a dream, and I were not somehow magically transported North to a small coffeeshop in Allendale, NJ (Beantown, where Kal regularly plays) rather than a largish Baltimorean Irish brew pub.

Now this would all have seemed strange enough, even without any premonition that I would experience something strangely similar two nights later, at Tony Calato's "Tony Unplugged" show at Tyson's Tavern. I came out to the show that night with my cousin Lori and friends and new acquaintances from the recently-formed 'Charm City Social Club' Meetup group, which had gathered quite a large mass of people actually to see and hear Tony perform.

I had met Tony at least twice before and recognized something warmly-familiar in him, but it was only while hearing him sing and strum his guitar for the first time that I realized, quite suddenly, just what it was.

The thing of it was, Tony reminded me of another of my very close, musical friends from New York--actually, a close friend of Kal's and mine both--Brian, who is also a comedian often enough (and sometimes a trickster, and a skilled impressionist too), though at other times, I have often thought, the far dreamier, more contemplative one.

The longer I watched and observed Tony, both during his performance and during the ride back in one of the organizer's cars (he treated us to many colorful expressions of his appreciation for an unfortunate towing incident involving his car, which forced him to 'hitch' a ride along with us too)--the more I felt, however unlikely, that I was in the company somehow of one of my oldest and most fiercely loyal childhood friends.

Now this is just one of those 'Seinfeldian' and also 'Watersian' circumstances that I really could not--and still can not--for the life of me, explain. That is, how it should fall out that I would meet up with two very new Baltimorean musician-acquaintances, in the space of a week, seemingly possessed with the spirits and essences of two of my closest, long-time New York friends.

For Kal and Brian have, for the longest time, been the 'Jerry' and 'George' to my 'Elaine,' and though I have been many places and met many people in the years since high school, this sort of thing has really never happened before.

In the sobering light of a Monday morning, I am not quite sure what it all means. Except I think that it may have something to do with the strange vortex I have opened as I burrow more deeply into the crevices of this very peculiar town and its local music-and-arts scene.

Copyright 2008 by Lois

The pic is of some folks I snapped at yesterday's Baltimore St. Paddy's Day Parade as I headed across Mt. Vernon Square to drag my poor exercise-deprived body to the gym.

More Bmore St. Paddy's Day Parade pics, and also some I took of historic and picturesque buildings on my south-bound walk to my gym on Cathedral Street Sunday (to avoid the crowds), can be viewed at the Lois.Life Flickr account or by clicking here. You can also see the photos I uploaded from the City Paper's Cosmic Cocktail Party March 6th (that incredible orgy of fun, food, drink & dance for only $30-what an incredibly smashing deal!), link to this set is here.

Tonight (Mon, March 17th) I will be at my friend Woody Lissauer's St. Paddy's Day concert at Tyson's Tavern, 2112 Fleet Street. I will be there as the Assistant Organizer for the Baltimore Live Music Meetup btwn 8:30 pm- 12 am, if you come by please be sure to stop by and say 'hi!'

Guess what?! LoisLife is now on MySpace! Find many of your favorite local Baltimore musicians, performers, and other favorite "LoisLife" characters right here! Check out pics, profiles, music, videos, concert dates & more. Don't forget to "friend" us, say "hi," & send us more cool, fun, creative ideas! ;)

Episode 7- Rollin' in to Work with Dirty Marty

On my ride in to work via MARC train Tues morning, I met the Charm City Roller Girls' announcer, 'Dirty Marty.'

This is the name with which he introduced himself, without a touch of irony. He was easy to spot, in his 'Roller Girls' jacket actually.

He seemed genuinely puzzled when I asked for a name that was a bit less 'stagey.' Only with some reluctance did he allow that I might call him 'just Marty.'

This is something I rather love about Baltimore actually. Here it is nothing unsual for our performers and 'non-performing civilians' alike, to identify themselves both 'on' and 'off set' with names such as 'Trixie' and 'Sahffi' and 'JAR Horseman' and 'Teporah/ 'Tepi' and 'Woody' and, yes, 'Dirty Marty.'

These are not necessarily all names given at birth, but they are not quite 'stage names' either.... They are names worn as comfortably about Btown by their owners as a favorite pair of jeans, and every bit as casually.

Actually I pondered this interesting & peculiar 'Baltimorean naming' custom while at the Roller Derby two Sundays ago, at the 5th Regiment Armory with my cousin Lori. I was watching the Roller Derby gals skimming across the rink, when I felt a touch of jealousy.

Who could blame me for envying them? They were so visibly enthusiastic and carefree--plus so wonderfully absorbed in their 'body-slamming' activities.

And those names, printed in the Roller Girls' brochure and announced by 'Dirty Marty,' struck me particularly: 'Rosie the Rioter' and 'Pixie Rocket;' 'Cheeta Torpeda' and 'Harly Go Hardly.' The names said it all, they so vividly & perfectly announced the Roller Girls' identities.

"Can't I have an alter-ego?" I complained to my cousin. "Why shouldn't I have my own cool, body-slamming name, and identity?"

True to form, Lori just laughed, and rolled her eyes at me. "You don't need an alter-ego," she said. "You're already a character. There's only one Lois. ...Thank goodness."

I tried to hold on to my delusions a while longer, but it was no good. Had to admit, there's really no point--my character, I guess, is pretty well-formed already, and my name kind of 'fused' onto it too. Trying to separate them at this point would seem a rather fruitless endeavor.

I suppose, all is not lost--I do feel, these days, that special 'Bawlmorean' magic clinging to my name, as it seems to be also infecting my life and, indeed, my Blog-life-stories.

So maybe I really have no need for a more quirky, Bawlmorean-sounding moniker. Perhaps there is enough of the 'quirky Baltimorean' in me, without it--so adding on would be simply even more silly.

The woman in the pic is "Linda" in real life, "Virtual Linda" in her website & Blog. I just met her Wed but can tell she must be as fun, creative & colorful as her glasses. Linda is the 3rd person I've blogged about who has seen or met John Waters recently as he strolled through Hampden.

The pic was taken in Ryan's Daughter, this wonderful Irish restaurant/ pub which is a great live music/ performance venue. Every Wed night it has an open mic at which performers of all stripes--musicians, comedians, poets--can come. It is mc'd by a musician named David Morreale, whose 'Missing Baltimore' song can be found in my 'LoisLife Baltimore Blogshow Player' at the top-right of this Blog (being one of my favorites).

Another of my favorite Blogshow musicians, Bobby Smith, is having a CD release party Thurs March 13th, 7-11 PM at Club 347. I call him my Blogshow 'theme song' musician actually, since his 'Full Moon in Baltimore song'--a very wacky, unique song--is first in my "LoisLife player," and meant to be listened to while reading my Blog.

My friend Woody's song 'Roses' is sandwiched between David's 'Missing Baltimore' and Bobby's 'Full Moon in Baltimore' in my LL Blog Player. 'Roses' will air tomorrow, March 1st, btwn 4-5 PM on WLOY (1620 AM or TV channel 50). You can stream the radio broadcast by clicking here.

The Charm City Roller Girls will be back at the 5th Regiment Armory on March 15th. Details can be found here. To see a recent WBAL TV spot on the CCRGs, go to the YouTube feature on the right-side of my Blog or click here. 'Blow-by-blow' Charm City Roller Girl action reports can be found at their Blog here.

Not sure who to "roll in" to the event with? The Charm City Social Club, a very new (and very cool) Baltimore social networking group (for singles & couples both) has organized a Meetup around it. Lots of great people in this group with lots of great events planned already. To sign up for the event & "roll in" with the CCSC, click here.

Copyright 2008 by Lois