Baltimore Inaugural Grand Prix.

Baltimore Grand Prix
Danica Patrick @ Baltimore Grand Prix   Spectators watch the jumbotron @ Baltimore Grand Prix
Baltimore Grand Prix
Baltimore Grand Prix   Grandstands @ Baltimore Grand Prix
Mazda Sport winners @ Baltimore Grand Prix

This past weekend was the first Baltimore Grand Prix event, currently planned to be held every Labor Day weekend for the next 5 years. I was there for the City Paper and managed to try and soak up some of the race, my first. It seemed very crowded, at least on the actual race day, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. I heard some grumblings that some of the businesses of the Inner Harbor were seeing less foot traffic due to the race, but it’s hard to say. One thing I can say for sure is that people were covering every possible surface:

Watching from skyscraper @ Baltimore Grand Prix

Hurricane Irene : Miller’s Island.

Hurricane Irene - Miller's Island, Baltimore, MD
Hurricane Irene - Miller's Island, Baltimore, MD
Hurricane Irene - Miller's Island, Baltimore, MD

Just got back from Miller’s Island with J.M. Giordano, he was out there on assignment and I tagged along and snapped some incidental shots… Not great shots but it was raining so hard I literally couldn’t see! The wind and rain here was way stronger than in the city – when we got back in the car we heard they were starting voluntary evacuation of the island. It flooded badly during Isobel. Stay safe out there.

Tradition Dies Here final show @ the Black Cat

Tradition Dies Here.

Last week I went down to DC to catch one of my favorite bands from the “old days” of Maryland Hardcore (the early 00s), Tradition Dies Here. Mikey is leaving town for a year or two to travel the world so they had this show in case it is the last one. Good times, old friends. Good luck Mikey!

Click here for the full Tradition Dies Here set.

The Chase reunion show @ the Corpse Fortress.

the Chase.    the Chase.
the Chase.    Wall of Death imminent.

Saturday night I trucked down to Silver Spring to venerable punk house/venue the Corpse Fortress to catch the reunion show(s) of The Chase, Breathe In Breath Out, At Best & Timber. It was awesome, I hadn’t been to a punk basement show in so long. I got moshed a bit, and was slightly nervous about having my gear in the “pit”, but it went well and was a lot of fun.

Highlights included the girl who lived there loudly hinting that everyone should get the fuck out of her house and no one listening, all the sing-a-longs, AFP from the Chase demanding that the Chase replay parts of songs over and over, the wall of death, and me convincing Ari Goldman that the box of free records was actually a donation box, then realizing I just conned Ari!

Click here to view the whole the Chase reunion show set!