SĒN Baltimore Magazine - Nightlife, Local Music, Events and Podcasts

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Wednesday is not a night you expect much of anything to happen in Baltimore. Wednesday is one of those days best reserved for meeting up with a friend to have a drink or two in anticipation of the coming weekend. If you were to drive the streets of Baltimore on a Wednesday, you would start to believe that it is the sleepy southern town that so many who hail form northern cities like Boston or New York claim it to be. Wednesday is definitely not a night that you expect there to be anything of note taking place. Well I was proven wrong about Wednesday on my most recent trip to the newest addition to the Station North Arts District, the Windup Space.

The Wind Up space joins the ranks of the Metro Gallery, Joe Squared, and Loads of Fun as some of the most recent additions to an area of Baltimore that has been, for as long as I can remember, in need of an infusion of life. The Wind Up being fairly new never has much of a crowd inside. This can kind of make you feel like one of the early gold prospectors in California before the big gold rush of 1849. You and those around you know you have found something special, but the masses have not yet heard about the gem that is the Wind Up Space. Nestled along North Avenue just one block west of Joe Squared and about two blocks north of the Metro Gallery and Club Charles the Wind Up Space could very well be considered central to this newly redeveloping area of Baltimore. It is very much like it counter part the Metro Gallery. It is part art gallery, part bar, and part music venue. I would not describe this place as cozy, but what it lacks in warmth is makes up for in its cultural offerings. This location host art shows, bands, and movie nights. The Wednesday night I was there to see my friends’ band. The bands performing were Person Parcel, David Celia, and the Jennifers.

I can’t say much about Person Parcel considering that I showed up after they had played their set. When I arrived David Celia, of Toronto, had taken the stage accompanied by Michael Holt, of the Mommyheads. Earlier I said that you can’t expect much to happen on a Wednesday in Baltimore. These two musicians have made me believe that from now on I need to think twice before I assume nothing special can happen in Baltimore on Wednesday night. These two musicians approach song writing in a way that seems as if they have channeled their inner children. Their songs were simple and populated with "la las" and "da di das" like so many of the made up songs of a five-year old. Anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time with children knows what I’m talking about. Their song writing had a prepubescent innocence about it, but they sung about crushes, love, and break ups with the adult wisdom of only someone who has loved and lost. This coupled with piano and guitar arrangements that do much more then pull at your heart strings made for pure magic. Their music was the highlight of my evening.

Next up were the Jennifers, a Baltimore mainstay and favorite since the early nineties. This makes me feel very bad for what I’m about to write. This was my first experience with the Jennifers and I had heard many a good thing about them. Unfortunately I was left unimpressed. They just simply were not my thing. Anyone who knows me knows that I am much more a singer song writer/folk fan. Don’t get me wrong that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good rock band. I felt they were pretty much hit or miss. I thought that they didn’t rock hard enough. They had moments when their rock chops were showing through and they hit a grove that had me bobbing my head and tapping my feet, but then they move away from something that appeared to work so well and try to work in this arty sound. I was left feeling that if they stayed with what rocked, this band could contend with the one band that I know comes to mind when you thing guitar rock, The Hold Steady.

I found all this on a Wednesday in Baltimore. I drank Natty Boh (in a can), hung out with friends, and had a good time. My only hope is that this area of Baltimore continues to improve, and places like the Wind Up Space benefit from that improvement. After all this is a block on a street that fifteen years ago as a teenager I was scared to walk down.