Oh boy, Labor Day Weekend. If you're smart and not leaving town due to traffic, gas prices or a lack of a herd mentality, there's plenty for you to see and do: 

Friday there's the Little Italy open air film fest, dancing at Lithuanian Hall; the Ren Fest and the State Fair Saturday and the No Rest Fest at the Copycat Building, featuring Thrust Lab, Brendan Sullivan, Smarts, Hitty Titty, F*cking Magic and Anup Kishore Pradhan. 

Saturday, one of my favorite dudes is having a birthday party at his house, which isn't that amazing except he has a pool, which is. Happy birthday Justin!

Sunday is a crab feast for me, followed by a shift at the Endless Summer event at the Ottobar, a CCRG fundraiser from 1 p.m.-2 a.m. It is free all day inside and out until 7 p.m. when it's $10. Live music to include: Sean K. Preston, Revelevens, Atomic Mosquitos, Scary River, The Snowmen, Two if by Sea (final show), The Oranges Band. Additional entertainment to include El Pollo Diablo (insult comic), a dunk tank, water-balloon fight, carnival games, raffle, volley ball, pie-eating contest, cheeky monkey sideshow and food vendors. Still not enough for you? What the hell else could you possibly want?  

Heather's going to China party at the Club Charles devolved into another wasted Sunday of me wondering why I ate at the Ambassador and where I left my car. Hope your weekend was more productive or fulfilling.

Friday we saw some ass protesting the fois gras situation in Harbor East. Amanda rightly pointed out that there has to be something better those guys have to do with their Friday night than rant to strangers about ducks and their livers, but you never know.

This week's going to be a full one in preparation of yet another Labor Day weekend. One extra day to waste away, and we will go crazy.

 

Looks like Girlfriend in a Coma might be playing their last show at Ottobar tonight, Smiths fans:(

"Los Tenedores" is a play put on at the Strand Theater (love the unpretentious spelling) this Friday. I'm curious to see the inside of that place since the rehab. The show's at 8 p.m. and a $7 donation is suggested. Good times.

On a related note, the Zodiac is closed, citing poor city development as the cause. Reminds me of the time my friend said we should tell everyone a girl's birthday was cancelled due to lack of interest: a lie.

Also Friday is Gilbert's love of Morrissey live on stage: Girlfriend in a Coma, 23 Rainy Days, Names Can Own and The Shining at the Ottobar. Show at 9:30 p.m. Lucky you it's all ages.

Saturday the Charm City Roller Girls take on the Carolina girls and hopefully don't get spanked right here at home at the Du Burns Arena.

Geeks—the Ren Fest is back up and running. Anyone tired of it yet? Ye is.

 

Hey Baltimore! Life's been kind of a mess for me lately. But hey, the weather's been nice since I came back from San Juan, and I'm wondering how long this Indian summer will last.

Apparently I'm the most graceless girl on the face of the plant as I skinned my knees horrifically falling in the airport trying to catch my flight and just as they were beginning to heal, I fell off my bike and scraped whatever shards of skin were left from both legs! Wow, so hot. 

I did get to yell at some dude pissing on a mural my friend Emily just finished at 14 North Ave. Everyone said I was going to get shot, but I knew he didn't have a gun because when I said, "You better have a gun because if you don't, I'm going to beat the crap out of you," he ran away. Definitely go check out the mural, though.The good news: Taxlo is coming up on Friday at Sonar, plus Ponytail at Sonar on Wednesday if you like being yelled at while listening to music. Anyone check out "Tropic Thunder" yet? I heart RDJ as a black guy.    

 

Tonight, check out The Ex with Getatchew Mekurya, Double Dagger and Landspeedrecord at the Ottobar. Don't confuse Landspeedrecord with Lightspeed Champion and get all excited, though.

Saturday, go to one of the farmers' markets or see jazz in the sculpture garden at the BMA. Summer's not going to last forever. It's nice to get that wholesome feeling more than once or twice by doing these types of things during the summer.

I know, I know, next I'll be telling you to go to church. But fresh air, it helps you appreciate being indoors all winter. With the smoking ban, fresh air seems redundant sometimes, though. I'll give you that.  

 

Who likes my Rocky and Bullwinkle title? Ha. Ha.

Did everyone have a good Virgin Fest? If you didn't go, how'd you spend your weekend? 

OK, enough about you. I'm in San Juan. No, not on some island vacation getaway with a hot lover, but with my Puerto Rican family...that's right, so while you nurse your hangovers, I'm sweating it out, hostage-style with some very pushy people and NO alcoholic beverages or cancer sticks...halp!

If I were in town today, I'd be at the Creative Alliance seeing Beach House and Cass McCombs. It's a release party for a poster art book, but the bands seem like the best reason to go.

If I wasn't doing that, I'd be in someone's pool with a drink containing a few paper umbrellas.

Anyone check out that new Audrey Tautou movie "Priceless"? Pretty cute. She wears all the umbrellas from the drinks she's drinking in her hair. I'm sure the look goes a lot further on her than on me, but you never know. 

Can you say Virgin Fest? I can't because I'm out of town, and even though I'm not a fan of huge music festivals...this is the only one our city has, and it means: Local entertainment on the infield, too people!!! Get out there and drink that $9 Bud and be happy you don't—as a friend pointed out to me—have to sit through a whole concert of any one of these acts. Let your A.D.D. run wild! Or you can just go geek it up at Otakon if you're into that sort of thing, which I kind of am:) My fave photographer is giving a music panel...Japanese-style of course.

Went to the Ottobar last night for Impossible Hair (fun), Avec ('90s sounding emo, but quality) and the Duke Spirit (British). Mommy, my liver hurts. Monday, really?

Anyhow, everyone sounded great, and it was packed. I didn't know why until they played the hit song, and I was like "right, I heard them on the space radio (Sirius)." They're pretty good live, but their fancy tour bus was idling outside the whole time, which kind of makes me think they actually suck. 

Although I really like the way they sound, I get the feeling that like Blondie you could replace everyone in the band but the girl in the black catsuit and no one would give a damn or notice. They probably know that, too, and hence wear popped collars to attract attention to themselves.

Found out more people are leaving Baltimore this month. Why does everyone move to Portland? I've been there. I have friends who live there who I visit. It's cool I guess, but what's the mass appeal? Then there's that one guy who moved here from Portland. You're doing it wrong.

Brasserie Tatin wasn't bad, but I can eat French fries anywhere, right?

A weekend tour of the bars left me thinking lots of people are out of town on vacation or something. Wherever they are, they aren't at Pocket to Penis, the Sidebar (Thee Arrows still rule, though), Brewer's Art, The Club Charles, Joe's or the Windup Space. Whatever, I don't know why I'm missing crowded bars.

Batman was amazing (if you're that guy who hasn't seen it, I'm sure there's only one of you). But it's a bit bleak even for me, which is saying something.

First Thursday this week. plus a BMA movie. The upcoming weekend should be crazy with Virgin Festival and Otakon...the cool kids and the geeks will all converge on Mobtown this weekend. Be careful out there Baltimorons.