Upcoming shows: Week of April 9th, 2012 (Highlights!)

Many shows will be hitting Maryland this week and I made a list of all the ones that sound like they would be a great time. This is a preliminary list, there are many others than just the ones I have listed - so I strongly suggest you check out every venue's website that I link from this page.

And onto the shows! (All shows are all ages, unless noted)

Monday 4/09: 98 Rock Presents Noise In The Basement hosted by Matt Davis (of 98 Rock) - Doors at 8pm | Show at 9pm (Baltimore Soundstage) - Tickets are $5.00 (including an open bar for the first 98 minutes! After the 98 minutes, there's .98 cent drink specials!)This Monday night check out the sounds of Niki Barr Band, Sin 4 Sin, Defiant Calibur, Black Dog Prowl, and Knockout Victory. If you've never been to a Noise in the Basement before, let me give you a jist - you can check out some of the area's hottest local bands and have some good drink deals while doing so! Also, great news if you're in a local band - you can give Matt your demos in person! (Matt arrives around 8pm)

When it comes to my personal opinion of the local bands to check out, I sadly haven't gotten the opportunity to see Defiant Calibur, Black Dog Prowl, and Knockout Victory. However, I have been seeing Niki Barr Band since I was 18 (2003) and I've been a big fan ever since! I don't get to see them too often, but when I do they always put on a great show! When it comes to Sin 4 Sin, I recently saw them open the Sebastian Bach show at Rams Head Live this past February and their live show was great! It was my first time seeing the band and totally brought me back to the 80's. With influences like Skid Row, Motley Crue, and Kix, you should know what you're getting yourself into!

You can purchase tickets at the door or online at http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/91951, whichever suits you!

Baltimore Soundstage is located at 124 Market Place Baltimore, MD 21202

Numerous parking garages within walking distance of Baltimore Soundstage.

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Tuesday 4/10: We Were Promised Jetpacks - Doors at 8pm (Talking Head Club - next door to Sonar) - Tickets are $12 in advance or $14 at the door (you can purchase them online throught the website link provided above for Talking Head Club). We Were Promised Jetpacks are from Edinburgh, Scotland and it's not everday they're in Baltimore, or even the states for that matter! The band has two albums and an EP that are available. Their influences are by the likes of Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad.

Be sure to check out the openers Bad Veins and New Cassettes!

Talking Head Club is located at 407 East Saratoga Street Baltimore, MD 21202.

Parking lot directly across from Talking Head Club/Sonar. Also, nearby garages on the same street.

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Wednesday 4/11: WPOC presents Rodney Atkins - Doors at 7pm | Show at 8pm (Rams Head Live!) - Tickets are $25 in advance and are also available at the box office. Also available online from Rams Head Live!'s website). Country star Rodney Atkins will be taking the Rams Head Live! stage Wednesday night with four albums and countless number one singles, Rodney will be sure to put on a great show. Opener for Rodney is Nashville singer Greg Bates.

You can win tickets to the show and even a meet and greet with Rodney himself from the WPOC website! For more information and contest rules, check out: www.wpoc.com/cc-common/contests/index.html?id=174594.

Rams Head Live! is located at 20 Market Place Baltimore, MD 21202.

Numerous parking garages within walking distance of Rams Head Live!

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Thursday 4/12: Mixtapes - Doors at 7pm | Show at 7:30pm (Charm City Art Space) - OH based - No Sleep Records artist - Mixtapes will be playing Thursday night at Charm City Art Space. Openers include - Fake Boys, Light Years, Trashkanistan, and The Eubonics.

For more information on the show, check out the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/113926072064349/

Charm City Art Space is located at 1731 Maryland Ave. Baltimore, MD 21201.

Street parking! Sometimes it's free, sometimes there's meters. It all depends on where you park. There is also a garage a block over near the Charles Theatre, as well.

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Friday 4/13: Raekwon - Unexpected Victory Tour - Doors at 8pm - (Sonar) - Tickets are $20 in advance and $23 at the door. Wu Tang's Raekwon will be performing Friday night on Sonar's mainstage. If you somehow have been living under a rock and don't know who Raekwon is, he's got about 5 solo albums (2 of which were certified GOLD) and 11+ mixtapes. Don't forget all of the Wu Tang jams there are and additional collaborations, including some with Justin Bieber, Nas, Estelle, Yelawolf, and many more! Openers for the evening include Maino, JD ERA, Kofi Black, Only, Trace Blam, and Disturbed Invdividuals. Including 92Q DJ’s AJ & LIL’ BLACK.

I wonder if I should just change my name to Lex Diamond?

Sonar is located at 407 East Saratoga Street Baltimore, MD 21202.

Parking lot directly across from Talking Head Club/Sonar. Also, nearby garages on the same street.

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Saturday 4/14: The Ting Tings - Doors at 8pm | Show at 9pm - (Rams Head Live!) - Tickets are $25+ tax in advance and are also available at the box office. Also available online from Rams Head Live!'s website). Lex Diamond is not my name and The Ting Tings will sing about what is not their names either. The Ting Tings are from England, they've got two albums, and Jay Z backs them. However, the last thing I heard about the Ting Tings was Charlie Day breaking into song while waiting in the getaway Prius during Horrible Bosses.

If you haven't seen Horrible Bosses, you're doing it wrong.

Openers for the evening: MNDR.

Rams Head Live! is located at 20 Market Place Baltimore, MD 21202.

Numerous parking garages within walking distance of Rams Head Live!

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Sunday 4/15: The Pretty Reckless - Doors at 7pm | Show at 8pm (The Ottobar) - Tickets are $15+ tax and available online and at the door. Taylor Momsen's band The Pretty Reckless will take the Ottobar stage on Sunday night. If you don't know who Taylor Momsen is, think back to Gossip Girl, or even How The Grinch Stole Christmas' Cindy Lou Who (with Jim Carrey). She's got her own band now, they've been touring for a while - including gigs on Warped Tout and with artists of the likes of Hole and Marilyn Manson.

Openers include: The Hollywood Kills and Frederick's own Cyrenic.

The Ottobar is located at 2549 N. Howard St. Baltimore, MD 21218.

Parking lot (FREE) behind the venue.

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Remember when parking anywhere, lock up your vehicle and hide all your valuables. If you don't do this, you might be hurting yourself in the end. I feel like this should be common sense, but just in case you don't have that, here's your advice.

More advice, this is my opinion of where you should be. All information listed for the above shows was taken directly from the venue's respective websites. Prices, times, and more can all change - so please check out the websites before heading down to the show!

The music scene is alive and well in Baltimore and you should support it!

To better prepare you for the week, I made one crazy Spotify playlist to prepare you for all the pop punk, fake metal, country fame, rap, and much more that you can handle. If you have Spotify, you can listen to the playlist here: Week of April 9th, 2012

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SOME MORE SHOWS TO CHECK OUT THIS WEEK

(not including 12090128 more that are listed on the venues websites)

4/12: We Came As Romans - Rams Head Live!

4/12: Rocky Loves Emily - The Ottobar

4/13: Rasputina - The Ottobar

4/14: Ballyhoo! - Recher Theatre

4/14: Peelander-Z - The Ottobar

4/14: Protest The Hero - Sonar

4/14: Of Monsters & Men - The Fillmore