Rams Head The Blog

One of the most talked about names on the lips of customers leaving last year’s Virgin Festival was Sharon Jones who, along with her Dap Kings, threatened to steal the show from the much more ballyhooed headliners. It would be easy to call her funky R&B sound “retro” but the appropriate description is probably “timeless.” We are so excited to be bringing her back to Baltimore May 7th. Her story, well chronicled here in a 2007 Village Voice feature, features enough conflict and strife for a James Brown-meets-Rocky style underdog pic. Really, though, dramatics aside, all you really need to know is that this lady can sing. I mean really sing, and she’s backed by a group of guys cool enough to give the Reservoir Dogs a run for their money. Showing is better than telling, of course and thanks to the gobizillions of videos online ,you don’t have to take my word for it. You can see for yourself a pretty good sample of this explosive live show below (courtesy of YouTube). See for yourself why you should take a chance on this show if you don’t it.

Historic Savage Mill will host the first Annual “GreenLife Festival” May 2 – May 3, 2009, to celebrate and educate on going green and raise money the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Weekend events feature a visit from MIX 107.3FM’s Chilli Amar, live music, beer tastings, green speakers and exhibitors, special green offers from Mill merchants, “Soaring Green” zip-line rides by Terrapin Adventures and the GreenScape Art Exhibit and Auction.

Fifty percent of the proceeds from the festival and auction will benefit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

For more information contact Amanda Christian, 240-568-9181 ext. 205, Amanda@bmcgroup.us or visit www.greenlifefestival.com

It is rumored to be true that Rams Head Tavern Annapolis is home to the oldest wisteria vine in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.   I wish I had that documented, stamped and signed so that I could really go to town on that claim and maybe get in on some horticulture tour in Annapolis, or listed in 1,000 Things to See Before You Die, or have it be part of our tagline… Food Fun & Wisteria.   But, for now… it’s just an undocumented rumor.

Regardless of documentation, these gorgeous wisteria blooms have cast great purple haze over thinkers in town… inspiring beers of Fordham past (R.I.P. Wisteria Wheat.  You will never be forgotten) and exciting writers to dream of lazy afternoons;

Sitting on the back patio under the enormous wisteria vine on a sunny afternoon is the way to properly enjoy these brews.  -Eric Brace, Washington Post

For us, the arrival of the bloom is a highlight to the spring season, marking the kick-off to warmer weather, happy hours highlighted by the sunset, longer days full of sunlight, and the arrival of a favorite Annapolis past-time: live outdoor music on the patio.

Friday, May 1st marks the arrival of our summer music calendar which includes all the local favorites… The Geckos , Dean Rosenthal, Matt McConville just to name a few.  If you haven’t spent an evening on the patio, at rams head, listening to these guys while drinking a Fordham brew, well… you just can’t call yourself an Annapolitan.  It’s a rite of passage, an Annapolis must.

So, if you’ve been waiting for your official invitation to come and see us on the patio…  it just arrived…  purple and sweet as they come, and full of hosptitality.

To the Point! I have been to many a reggae show in what I like to call the brief (ehmm) span of time I have graced this green earth. Without a doubt it’s the most enticing of music genres.  It stirs one of humanities most intrinsic compulsions. I will be the first to tell you I fully support an individual’s subscription to their own personal policy on hedonistic behavior. Maybe it fits into a spreadsheet, I dunno. Try that on for size, Excel!

Back to the point, my all-time best reggae inspired show was Reggae on the Harbor, summer of 2007 at the Pier Six Pavilion. I was electrified. My body felt carbonated.  I needed to move closer and feel those decibels really coming at me.  The irresponsible show-goer in me took over and I managed, magically, to find myself in the front row. BAM! Decibels coming at me and I was down right possessed!  Hands stretched upward to the stage, bringing those vibes right in my finger tips.

Before I knew it I was squished into a front row seat with a fellow concert-goer, stirring my watery rum runner because I couldn’t be bothered to take a sip for fear of missing a beat.  (No idea where my straw had gone.  *Note to self don’t lose your straw in the front row.)  Taking a moment to realize our surroundings this dread-doning individual and myself quickly turned towards each other, blinked once, exchanged smiles, and went right back to the vibes, arm in arm.

Remember, first, to do as I say not as I do.

The majority of people in the front row may not want a carbonated stranger in their lap. Just a guess.”

BUT the UB40 show at Rams Head Live on May 6^th is general admission so the front row is up for grabs.  Awesome! Just be careful of my elbow room, I need space to groove! And careful of my rum runner (and straw)! The rum runners are half priced for this UB40  show, as are Bud and Bud Light drafts so go Ram wild! Mwuahaha!

The ever gracious and always entertaining, Mr. Rob Timm of WRNR took a few minutes out to give us the inside scoop on his band Prozakistan.  Check out what he had to say about the band name, his music, whole body flossing, using the word ‘both’ when referring to 3 things, and more…

LW: For the folks who aren’t familiar with Prozakistan, can you tell them a little about who you are…What’s the origin of the name? What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?, etc.?

RT: Kurt says he coined the phrase Prozakistan in the 90s. It refers to the overmedication of our citizens – Prozac Nation. He swears the high rate of depression in the U.S. reflects the pharmaceutical-industrial complex. People are simply repressed and needed to get out more, more outlets -creative and otherwise. I, on the other hand, swear that he & I made it up one day when we were smoking cigarettes outside of Dermot’s house. Bands break up over stuff like this, but so far, we’ve persevered.

Our music falls somewhere between the Captain (before he met Tennille) and the Pixies. Actually, everybody has an unusually broad taste in music. So broad that I don’t even know how it influences us as a band. I do know that our songs vary so much stylistically that we’re either delightfully eclectic or disturbingly unfocused.

LW:  When and how did you form the band? What inspired you guys to make music together?

RT: Everything is an evolution. A couple of years ago our singer Kurt Samson had a project called No Ball for Lola. He became friends with our guitarist Dermot O’Sullivan, who had stopped playing for a couple years after ten years of trying to land a major label in LA/SF. (Dermot’s old band MOTRKAD put out two CDs with Chris Isaac’s producer.) I met Kurt around the same time, and when he found out I had played drums in a previous life, he encouraged me to start playing again. His argument was that I was so immersed in music every day anyway that my ability would probably come back. After a number of personnel changes we evolved into the current line-up, with Frank D. on bass and Ralph on keys. “Drive-by” Russ Jones came in later on second guitar. Initially Prozakistan was formed as a benefit band – Its in our official charter/mission statement to play benefits for worthwhile causes. Or it would be if we ever wrote anything down. We’ll be playing a We Care benefit on June 20th.

LW:  You spend a lot of time spreading the music love on air…but what aspect of making music excites you the most?

RT: In addition to being a creative outlet, something happens when you’re making original good music with others that is like driving 100 mph with the top down. It’s both liberating, transcendent and noisy. Can you use the word “both” when referring to three things?

LW:  What musical periods or styles do you find yourself most drawn to as a listener? (Old or new music? Music like yours or different from yours?)

RT: I believe that there is good stuff in (almost) every genre. I grew up in a very musical extended family – lots of pickin’ & piano playin’ & singin’ when we’d get together with the cousins and such. From a very young age I was exposed to everything from classical (Mom made me attend The Boston Symphony – I hated it & I thank God she did) to my older sibling’s rock & roll 45′s & LP’s. I can sing The Music Man in it’s entirety, saw Frank Zappa live thirteen times, and my favorite opera is Bizet’s “Carmen” (this causes strife in my home – my wife is more of a Verdi chick). I love punk rock, T.Rex & Hank Williams Senior. I believe Auntie Mame: “Life is a banquet & most poor suckers are starving to death”.

LW:  In what ways does Annapolis (or other places you’ve lived), affect the music you create, or your taste in music?

RT: Being involved in the Boston music scene in the 80′s was enormously influential. Every night there were fabulous bands – local, national & international - at over a half dozen venues. I was in the clubs four or five nights a week. It was just fantastic, both as a fan & as a player.

For a long time, Annapolis had a very limited number of rock venues for original music. That’s changed, especially with the Ram’s Head. It’s still a very small town, though. Fortunately, DC and Baltimore are within spitting distance. I don’t think where I live has much influence over what I listen to- that’s the point of music – to take you where the artists are.

LW:  What’s the most unusual place you’ve ever played a show?

RT: In Boston, there is a very famous club called “The Paradise”. U2 played one of their first gigs there. There’s also a gay leather bar called just plain ”Paradise”. I used to be in a band called The Blue Chowder that used to play Paradise.

Prozakistan also played a benefit  the Senator Theatre in Baltimore, that Art Deco landmark, and the location of John Waters’ premiers – Pink Flamingos through Hairspray. But Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention played there back in the day, as did James Brown. It was really great to be able to play on such an historic stage before it went dark for good.

LW:  Before you start you rocking out do you have a super secret ritual you do?  Honey, lemon, & pepper tea?  Naps on satin pillows?

RT: I should eat a couple of bananas or take potassium supplements so I don’t cramp up, but I don’t. I prefer whole-body flossing followed by emersion therapy in a sensory deprivation tank.

LW: Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs?

RT: Kurt writes the really strange/funny lyrics. Dermot writes most of the melodies and a lot of the lyrics too, and has a big hand in a lot of the arrangements. We all have a say in the creative hashing out that goes into the final mix. It’s like sausage – tastes good but you don’t want to see how it’s made.

Most of our songs seem to be about the realization that none of us really have any understanding of what reality really is – more questions than answers. That, and girls.

LW:  Tell us about Prozakistan’s music-making process.

Prozakistan performs live at Rams Head On Stage April 27th

RT: Dermot has hours of recorded ideas to draw from, and Kurt can come up with lyrics almost on the spot. It’s bizarre. Never seen anything like it. Dermot usually plays an idea and we improvise for a bit. Or he has one already finished. If we think it has potential we work on it. That said, some of our material just happened. Canyon Fire grew out of Ralph playing one note on a keyboard while everyone else was outside taking a break. Kurt came in and started reciting lines from a long poem we’d written a few years back when his mother was dying. The lyrics are strange, but they seem to have an affect on people. After playing Canyon Fire there’s usually an interesting silence -from both the audience and the band members.

LW:  Describe the Prozakistan fan.

RT: Usually an unemployed steelworker with a sinus condition and dark secrets. That’s good for us, because the steel industry isn’t doing well, so we see growth potential.

LW:  What’s the ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune? Is it all about the Benjamin’s?

RT: This is all about creative expression and helping others feel good about life.Maybe not their life, but somebody’s.

LW:  As both a radio star AND a rock star, what advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

RT: Do it for love. This advice applies to most other things in life, as well. Or just do it. You don’t have to have some lofty goal of stardom. I don’t. At the end of the day, playing music is fun & gratifying. Who doesn’t like fun & gratifying?

LW:  How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?

RT: We’re finishing up a bunch of material for a CD with our dear friend/recording engineer/producer/source of great amusement Mike Zull. Until recently of Hour Haus Studios in Baltimore, now with Studio 14. Some of the demos are on our website www.prozakistan.com

LW:  Any last words?

RT: Don’t step in that.

For tickets to see Prozakistan with special guest, The Names visit www.ramsheadonstage.com or call the box office at 410.268.4545.

Alright. After an interminably long wait that I won’t reference again, Guns N Roses Chinese Democracy finally dropped this past year with a thud. Sure it sold well, and sure some crtics really dug it, and by all accounts it isn’t a bad album. But, come on, it isn’t G’ N’ R. G’N'R’ was bigger than life. They had big songs and they pretty much WERE MTV for the entire run of the Use Your Illusions albums. Their songs were anthemic; “Welcome to the Jungle” was tailor made for sporting events, and didn’t everyone play “airdrums” to the beginning of “Paradise City?” Oh yeah, and don’t forget “Sweet Child of Mine”, a rocker love ballad that wasn’t wussy. Like any iconic rock band, they also had great songs that weren’t there biggest hits. “Patience” was a great song with a memorable vocal arrangement at the end (“I’ve been walking the streets tonight”, etc.”), and “Mr. Brownstone” really rocked. “I Used to Love Her” had a sense of humor, even if you weren’t quite sure Axl was kidding. Like Led Zeppelin, they also had an overplayed, overwrought “epic” (“November Rain” ) that we had to hear over and over again at a 7:30 minute clip each time, just because they were unstoppably big.  Unlike “Stairway To Heaven”, their epic was accompanied by a massive video that was as confusing as the song, but brilliantly expensive. It is still the most requested video ever on MTV, quite a feat since it made zero sense. Doesn’t everyone remember Stephaine Seymour in the wedding dress and Slash playing that monstrous guitar solo in front of the Church?

The reason for this nostalgia is because we at Rams Head know you want to hear these songs live, but you just don’t want to pay a gazillion dollars to hear them recreated by a freaked-up Axl and four guys that aren’t really Guns and Roses – and you would like to if you knew they were going to show up. We offer a nice alternative. This Saturday night, Rams Head Live and 98 Rock want to quench your G’N'R appetite (sorry) with the hottest touring G’N'R tribute band Appetite for Destruction. They will play the Guns N Roses songs you want to hear, they will definitely show up and the tickets are only $12. (Although for an additional $5 they will personally iron their patch onto you denim jacket.) We promise a good party; we will have great drink specials, and we won’t cart any of these band members away for a celebrity intervention.

See you there?

Those faithful to this blog are probably not familiar to blips, beeps or other sounds in their music.  Although steady and very slow those blips and beeps are all around us and will pervade popular music slowly but surely.  See generally: The truth of the matter is the blips and beeps and assorted sounds are about to invade your local, favorite rock venue as well.  My job, if I do it correctly, is to reassure you nothing is going wrong and if you learn to stop worrying and love the blips and beeps everything will be fine.

Of course the blips and bleeps are electronic music and of course your favorite rock venue is Rams Head Live. How these two combine famously is the purpose of this post and, with a bit of vision, this blog’s and venue’s faithful will realize how well the two can fit. After all, electronified music’s been around well before Rams Head and arguably even Rock and Roll.  See also:

Let’s spend another minute on some history.  Nation, formerly the mid atlantic’s most prominent electronic music venue, featured a legendary Friday Night Party so popular youth from all over the Eastern Seaboard traveled without any knowledge of the performers or even if entrance was feasible.  The venue featured one main room, same as Rams Head Live, two tiers of balcony space, same as Rams Head Live, a VIP lounge with the real cushy seats, same as Rams Head Live, and an elevated DJ booth, again same as Rams Head Live.  If Nation primary flaw it was its sound which tended to rattle around the mostly cinder block walls adorning the dance floor.  Nation’s other major drawback was its location well off the Metro Line and in DC’s warehouse district.

The seedy atmosphere often became part of the draw to the electronic music crowd when Nation was popular.  But you read this blog for the music and if you got to this sentence you are at least curious about electronic music in some small way.  More importantly, you subscribe to the fact that Rams Head delivers the best music in town and would not let you down on providing the blips and beeps.  That said, Rams Head Live offers much better sound in its venue and a far safer venue (you could throw a glow stick on Police Headquarters from the door).  So in fact the experience Rams Head will provide is going to be superior to Nation while giving that atmosphere of the large vacuous club many remembered from their youth or want to experience for the first time.

So in sum Rams Head is introducing electronic music at a pace of one act per month; just enough to allow palatable digestion.  Next month’s act, the Crystal Method (american for Chemical Brothers), are a perfect appetizer for the electronic music meal.  Their dj sets invariably include popular groups like Radiohead and Animal Collective mixed with their head twisting effects and massive amount of energy.  The result is one of the most entertaining and enduring  electronic acts having sustained popularity for more than fifteen years.  Their big room sound caters perfectly to the venue and will be an experience not to be missed.

Beep Bup Bop Bop Bope Boop eternally,

DJ Associate, Guest Blogger

Our Accounting Heros, Christina & John

I think the enthusiasm must have something to do with the fact that there is unending amounts of beer, combined with complete chaos and the first days of spring.  I must highlight the fact that this is day is one of those few days out that we’re not responsible for the ordering of the food & beverages, counting the money, booking the act, staffing the event or marketing the show – can I getta WHOOP, WHOOP!

Oh yeah, and those O’s ain’t too shabby hon – they know how to throw a party & we love to attend.

This year’s celebration culminated in even finer form, with the addition of our brotherly love pouring it’s, soothing, refreshing and taste quenching drafts.  That’s right, Fordham Brewing is on draft at Camden Yards!

Annapolis Tavern Manager (Angela) & Box Office Manager (Nicole)

Fordham’s tasty suds can be found at  four easy locations for you to enjoy… it’s almost like a bar crawl in & of itself…

1. Eutaw Street

2. Lower Level Section 24

3. Lower Level Section 74

4. Upper Deck Between Section 342 and 344

hey; that's me! with other o's lovers & a fordham decendant herself. go o's!

So, the next time that you hit up the O’s game.  We might just be standing next to you in line for that tasty Fordham… we too like to take a break from life’s hustle & bustle and enjoy what springtime is all about… BASEBALL & BEER.

We have been announcing shows at Rams Head Live at such a breakneck pace recently that it has been hard to keep up. So I have decided to assist our customers by devising a mnemonic tool to help you remember whats coming up: I have assigned each letter of the alphabet to one of our upcoming shows. Each of the links below go to something special…not just a website. This whole blog entry is a great way to kill a work afternoon. Here goes:

A: is for Ani, as in Ani DiFranco, (like you didn’t know who I was talking about.) one of this generation’s most important artists. We are so proud to have her make her first appearance here July 9th.

B: is for the B-52s. Love it or hate it, don’t we all remember the Love Shack video? Amazing how synonomousa video can be witha song. Even more amazing that with 2,087 channels there is apparently no way to make a profit running a music video station.

C: is for Citizen Cope, June 6th. A Double C; if we were playing a certain drinking game it would be thrown back to you.  Cope is coming back to Rams Head Live on his way down to Bonnaroo. Click here for a free download of a new song,  ”Sideways.”

D: is for the Dap Kings, backing band of the amazing Sharon Jones. Do you know about them? You should! There are a handful of videos on their website that will clue you in. They play Live May 7th.

E: is for Erro, the psuedonym of Eric Roberson, the extremely talented soul singer who comes to Rams Head Live with Grammy nominated singer Anthony David and Angela Johnson. This is a must-see show for any soul music fans – three of the best upstart R&B/soul singers going today. Erro wrote a nice blog about John Madden’s retirement yesterday.

F: is for Face Dancer - the band recently lost Carey Kress, who lost his battle with cancer.   We extend our deepest condolences to all of his family and friends.

G: is for Guns N’ Roses. We have the World’s Greatest G’N'R Tribute band, Appetite for Destruction, here April 25th, and won’t it be nice to hear the Guns and Roses songs you want to hear?! 98 Rock Presents.

H: is for Heavy Metal, and no band exudes that genre like Testamentwho is coming here May 26. Last year they toured on the Metal Masters Tour with Heaven and Hell, Judas Priest and Motorhead. This year, they are bringing their headlining tour to Rams Head Live. Presented by 24-7 Entertainment.

I: is for Insomniac, the hilarious show hosted by Dave Attell who is coming to Rams Head Live April 18th.  Here are some great clips from the show thanks to Comedy Central’s website.

J: is for Jagermeister, who presents some of the club’s best parties each year. We always love having their shows here, and we love them even more when they are able to bring us incredible live acts like Pat Green and Randy Houser. This will be one incredible party!

K: is for karaoke. Karaoke? Yes, in case you were wondering what“Maxxtone – Live karaoke” is when you see it on our calendar, it is is what it sounds like – karaoke with a Live band. And don’t worry about being too nervous to get up there – we always have good drink specials to help with that. Good luck beating our grand champion. Hit it with your best shot May 8. (And, no Andy won’t really be there. )

L: is for Love and Politics - the incredible new #1 album by India.Arie. Did you see her tribute to performance to Stevie Wonder at the White House? India.Arie returns to Rams Head Live May 3.

M: is for McMahon. Andrew McMahon. McMahon is the voice and pianist for Jack’s Mannequin, who will get things shaking AND stirring April 29th. M could also be for Matt Nathanson who will also be on this bill. It could also be for the talented Erin McCarley, who will also be on this bill. It an amazing lineup, and will be a great night here at the club.

N: is for No Fear, as in the brand that is bringing us the No Fear Energy Music Tour featuring Lamb of God, As I Lay Dying, Children of Bodom, Municpal Waste and God Forbid.  I think three of these bands have sold out here in the past…? Yeah…its a pretty strong lineup.

O: is for the O no longer in Santigold. One of the hottest club acts right now come to Rams Head Live with Trouble Andrew and Amanda Blank.  Santigold was recently given ASCAP’s Vanguard Award.

P: is for purple, the color that Gogol Bordello will encourage you to start wearing if you go see them June 4.  Shouldn’t be too hard in Baltimore, right? This group is one of the most original and theatrical shows that we have seen…if you truly want to see something different, high in energy and abundantly creative, this is the show for you. Presenmted by Walther Productions.

Q: is for quintessential as in Mint Condition, who are one of the truly great R&B funk bands of the last twenty years. Mint Condition was signed by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis out of the same Minneapolis hotbed that produced Prince and Morris Day and the Time. They have gone on to record eight top 10 radio hits and become one of the most revered R&B bands going. Can’t wait to see them May 22.

R: is for Rise Against AND Rancid, playing together on the same bill July 24. This show is almost sold out. Better get your tickets soon if you want to go.

S: is for Silverstein, the Canadian hardcore band that keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Their live shows are face-melting. See for yourself May 2.

T: is for The Crystal Method…who will actually release their highly buzzed about fourth album Divided By Nighton the same day they are playing the club…May 12th. The album is gaining huge acclaim, and the group is playing a major festival slot at Coachella this year. If you want to know how much time there is between RIGHT THIS MOMENT and the show, click here.

U: is for UB40. Did you know that UB40 is actually the name of  a form issued by the UK government’s Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) at the time of the band’s formation for claiming unemployment benefits. Or that they were discovered by Chrissie Hynde? Or that they have 50 (!) UK Top 100 singles. Amazing what you can find on Wikipedia. You do know, of course, that they sang “Red, Red Wine” and versions of “The Way You Do the Things You Do” and “Here I Am (Come and Take Me).” They bring these songs and good times to Live May 6.

V: is for the Vibe Music awards, which nominated Chrisette Michellefor its Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award in 2007. Michelle has gone on to record and perform with Jay-Z,  Nas, Kanye and The Game and develop a loyal following. She debuts at the club April 26.

W: is for Wood, as in Medeski, Martin and Wood.  Always creative, always interesting and always mind-blowing, this trio continues to expand the scope of their music exponentially. Check out some recent video here.

X: is for X, the L.A. punk band who sit atop the Mount Rushmore of American punk bands. This show is X “TRL”, where the band’s playlist is voted on by the audience. For more info on how to vote, go here.

Y: is for Yaz, my favorite “80′s” band. You rememeber “Only You” right? (song starts at :15) I’m not sure if The Legwarmers play this or not, but I know that they are one of our most poular acts here, and put on a hell of an ’80s party. They return May 30.

Z: is for Zeppelin, and for our money nobody does Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham and John Paul Jones justice the way Get The Led Out does. They bring all your favorite Zep songs to you live June 27.

So that’s a wrap….all of our upcoming shows A-Z…(I know the Vibe Music Awards were a strecth, but since we didn’t have Victor Wooten or the Valdosta St Marching Band on the schedule I had to come up with something.) To buy tickets to any of these shows, go to www.ramsheadlive.com. Later!

Congratulations to the Rams Head Promotions team! Pollstar just released their 1st Quarter reports and Rams Head made the cut landing the #6 and #23 spots for top music clubs in the WORLD!