Sunday, January 25, 2009

Where are they now ? A view of some Dead Venues as they look today.


Ahh, probably the building where I have seen the most live music, 203E. Davis St served time under the flags of the Ottobar, The Talking Head Club and Chambers. From the late 1980's to early 2008 this little Tudor-style building has seen some legendary performances. Many of them didn't even happen inside the club. Lightning Bolt destroyed hundreds of kids in the back alley and the Bourbon Street Anti-Fest and Reverent Fog Fest were summertime traditions of drinking and music on the filthy little side street.

The former Reptilian Records space in Upper Fells Pt. is now a check cashing place serving the growing Latino community. Reptilian was not only the most important independent record store in Baltimore's history it also hosted many legendary show from the likes of The Melvins to the local metalcore legends Torn Apart.

The Polish National Hall in Fells Pt. hosted scores of punk and H.C. shows in the eighties. Today it is still a Polish social hall, not sure if they have any type of performances there anymore though.
The entrance to the building formerly known as the Congress Hotel on Franklin St. The basement housed perhaps Baltimore's most legendary club "The Marble Bar". I'm too young to have caught a show there but would like to hear from anyone who could tell me exactly where in the building the bar was and how people entered it (through the hotel or through a separate door).
The very first Talking Head Club was a very short lived spot in this building on Cathedral St. in MT. Vernon. From what I remember it seems like the space was an old speakeasy that had sat idle for many years and now it is silent once again.

The old American Revolution (The Rev) in the Station North neighborhood is now a jazz club with a pretty strict dress code .

The old Supreme Imperial / Chop Shop on Pearl St. Not sure if anyone lives there currently but it looks pretty dead.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

The Marble Bar was in the basement of the Congress Hotel. There were stairs down to a separate entrance to the left of the hotel lobby doors. There was a second venue called the Galaxy Ballroom in the Congress Hotel from about 1983 to 1985 -- in an old ballroom (I guess) off the right side of the lobby.

Ape Mummy said...

How about...

-The Bloodshed?
-Sushi Cafe?
-The Shufflehouse?

More DIY spaces, please?

Unknown said...

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