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.  

How was your Restaurant Week? Delicious? Dull? I'm hitting Brasserie Tatin Friday for lunch to do up the week in as low-key a manner as possible, despite all the nice invites to go out at night.

Saturday or Sunday, you owe it to yourself to go see "Mother Goosed: The Nurseryland Campaign Tales" in Patterson Park. It's the Fluid Movement people. Even if you hate it, you'll feel so rad afterward about how much cooler you are than a bunch of grown-ups who roll around and make asses of themselves in front of an audience.

If you've managed to resist seeing the Batman movie no one will shut up about and it's a hot weekend, get your tickets early. We aren't the only ones who thought of this.

 

 

 

Thursday's Ponytail show at Floristree was funny. I've never seen so many people holding their ears (at Bear and Pieces high-pitched squeals) and simultaneously say they were enjoying themselves.

Saturday had me swallowing my pride at the Charm City Roller Girls bout as the Mobtown Mods kind of kicked our Junkyard Dolls' collective ass.  

This week is Restaurant Week, yum. So get out there and eat at places you normally can't afford. And for God's sake, tell me about it so I can live vicariously through you.

Reminders: This Saturday is the Charm City Roller Girls bout and the Bicyculture event is all weekend. Tonight means Joan of Arc at Floristree...oooh secret locations make me shiver;)

Virgin Festival is coming back very soon (August 9 and 10), which I guess would be exciting if I weren't going to be at my damn cousin's wedding. They also seem to be scrimping on the infield entertainment this year, which I'm sure is not the way to attract the added ticket sales they definitely need if they want to keep things rolling. Then again, when was the last time big corporations ever thought about the bottom line? um, wait...

If I were going this is who I'd see: Gogol Bordello, She & Him (that Zooey Deschanel is too cute), Foo, Bloc, and not Moby...perhaps that's not all, but there are only so many hours in an imaginary day, you know?

Who are your V-fest picks?

Well, how was Artscape? Any amazing things you have to share? I'm still in the Big Easy...and, yes, it's effing hot.

This week we're looking forward to Joan of Arc on Thursday at Floristree Space. Plus, Saturday the Charm City Roller Girls bout it out again at Du Burns Arena. Also Saturday is the Bicyculture event...very strange thing where bike messengers race eachother in a scavenger hunt-like way but with the added high-stakes challenge of not being killed by traffic and crappy drivers. A challenge I surely wouldn't take on.

Miss you. brb from nola...haha.