My Whartscape didn’t start until the third quarter of the evening’s festivities at the BMA. As far as Friday goes, some ludicrous logistical issues had me caught up until nine o’clock when the original plan was to arrive shortly after noon. Here’s a short rundown of what I caught on Friday Night.  Greg also popped in, and was there for a significant portion of the daytime.  All photos are his, and his segments will be in yellow.

The day was gorgeous on the steps of the BMA.  The trappings serene, with hanging greenery framing the walls of the museum behind the performers.

I was very excited to see Black Vatican, but they seemed a bit lost in this setting. Their music didn’t really connect for me.  Their spaced out garage jams felt small, tinny and overprocessed, like bits of metal rattling around a tin can.

Wye Oak however, performed a riveting, ascendant set while being dressed to impress.  They confidently lead off with a brand new track followedby a pair of tracks off The Knot and one from debut If Children showing off their new level of epic layering and big sound.  Keep an eye out for my review of The Knot.  I say without hesitation or reservation that it is easily one of my favorite albums of the past decade.

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MP3: Matmos – Orban from Supreme Balloon (2008)

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MP3: Dan Higgs – Untitled 1 from Plays The Mirror Of The Apocalypse (2005)

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MP3: Jana Hunter – Valkyries

One of our city’s finest record stores (run by two of its nicest guys) is in abit of a financial rough patch.  To this, you probably respond: “Who isn’t?!”

But consider that the True Vine is one of a quickly vanishing breed: the highly-curated brick and mortar record store.  Jason Willett and Stewart Mostofsky run a timeless institution in a refreshingly old-school manner.  Walking through their doors feels like walking into a knowledgeable friend’s house, and that’s a rare thing these days (especially in retail).  For better or worse, Spin Magazine recognized True Vine as one of its top 15 indie record stores in America.

Help them pay off some of the lingering bills so they can get back to the business of finding and providing lovingly hand-picked music to your ears, worry-free.  They’ve gathered what has already been declared an unfuckwithable bill of veritable local superstars: Matmos, CEX, Dan Higgs, Jana Hunter, Coo Coo Rockin Time, Bill Mace, Golden Birthday and Jefrey Brown.

More goodies from our vaults:

Matmos interview here

One time, CEX wrote some haikus for us

Jana Hunter, CEX and Matmos gabbed with us prior to Whartscape 2008

The benefit show kicks off at tonight at 9PM sharp, Floristree in the H&H Building. Tickets are $10, and True Vine will also be selling hand-picked and burned mix CD-Rs for $7 (which are great) and apparel for prices unknown.  Buy it all, and show Jason & Stew your love for the True Vine by making sure it weathers this financial shit-storm.

I had high hopes and expectations for this show. So high, in fact, that I skipped out on my first ever chance to see Underworld in Baltimore. I was a huge fan back when the Everything, Everything live album/dvd came out, and I was a huge fan of Trainspotting in high school. Who can forget that last monologue by Renton done over the opening chords of “Born Slippy Nuxx”? But that monologue is all about choice, and Saturday night I chose the rustic world of Bob and Small Sur over the nighttime beats of Underworld. I chose happiness and bliss.

Another huge factor in my decision to forgo Underworld was the fact that I love the 2640 space. I have never been to a poor show there. It is intimate, a place to see familiar faces and enjoy great music. This was the exact opposite of Virgin Fest, a scene resembling a Hieronymus Bosch painting, and unfortunately more often than not, with fitting music, too

It would also have been hypocritical of me not to show up. Ever since Aural States received We Live in Houses Made of Wood, we have been extolling the virtues of folky-americana-pysch-rock (not a catchy title, but I don’t know what else to call it) a la Small Sur. The band’s new album is nothing short of amazing, and I have been telling everyone who cares to listen (and some who really didn’t want to listen) how great this album is. Read the rest…

Whartscape 2008′s Friday show was at the 2640 Space, a church undergoing renovation assisted by the Red Emma’s collective. In exchange for their services, they get to hold events provided there is no alcohol sold/drunk on the premises…house of God and all.

This year’s line-up has more variety with a less shotgun-based approach of toss whoever, together whenever (as intimated by Adam in our interview). And what more perfect theme for the 2640 Space than a night focusing on folk, performance art and generally softer music and calmer music than the electronic spazz rock Wham City is better known for. The hallowed and empty space, presided over by stained glass cut with sacred and holy images, is one cavernous room. An orator’s dream, as well as any musician or vocalist.

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We’re winding down here and it’s time for the deluge of min-terviews and more. Today we’ve got Jana Hunter, DD/MM/YYYY and the Creepers featured.

Jana Hunter

First up is Jana Hunter, fairly recent Texan transplant to Baltimore, serving up some delicious, jangling, startlingly transparent and moving music. She was also the first bold soul to call us out on our slightly sarcastic costume question #5. Listen to some tunes and read on, intrepid web surfer!

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MP3: Jana Hunter – Valkyries
1. Describe your feelings on Wham City and what it means to you?

my boyfriend is in wham city and my roommates are in wham city and wham city was the first place i came to (almost) when i stayed in baltimore so i know nothing else of your town.

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To celebrate all things Wham and Whartscape, we asked some of the artists performing to answer five questions. Andy was our first test subject. Stay tuned for tons more in the week to come.

Andy Abelow is all the fuck over the Baltimore scene, loosely dubbed “the Greatest Scene in the World” or “the Scene that Reads” by Rolling Stone. Like many in the musical circles of Charm City, he is an artistically polygynous multi-instrumentalist…going it solo as well as performing with many other acts including Jana Hunter and Bob Keal-fronted Small Sur (whose delightful debut album drops later this year).

If all this wasn’t enough, he clearly counts Elvis Perkins (one of my favorite artists to emerge in the past 10 years) as a source of inspiration.

Andy performs his fractured oft haunting take on folk rock at the 2640-situated Friday night show during Whartscape. A slew of other folk-influenced rockers fill out the bill including Jana Hunter, Beach House and Arbouretum. A show that likely shouldn’t be missed, sure to be filled with transcendent moments of beauty and clarity. Plus 2640 Space is sweet.

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MP3: Andy Abelow – Not of this world

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MP3: Andy Abelow – Waking up with easy eyes

Enjoy this music from Mr Abelow and read on to his answers!

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