Baltimore's version of the 930 club

so last night, dude from Rise Against said "Rams Head…..its like Baltimore's version of the 930 club!"

and as i looked around i thought…maybe. a lot brighter though.

My one experience at Ram's Head was way better than any of my experiences at Sonar. I'd go back to Ram's Head in a heartbeat, but with Sonar I will avoid it at all costs.

Okay, so if…

Rams Head = 9:30 Club

Sonar = Black Cat

Ottobar = R&R Hotel

Floristree = Warehouse Next Door

…if both cities shared Merriweather…

Pier Six = Wolftrap

1st Mariner Arena = Verizon Center

What's their equivalent to the Birchmere?!?

Closest thing to Birchmere is Ramshead Annapolis, and, yes, I know that's in Annapolis and not Baltimore.

I go to Baltimore for the food.

Ramshead isn't so bad. I saw a few good shows there. I've yet to go see a band at the ottobar though. I've heard that the Ottobar is more like the Black Cat. Sonar size wise holds just as much as the 930 club. Ramshead live holds I think about 1,100 or something.

Merriweather is DC… Just ask Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode haha. When I saw dm there back in 2001, he said "What's up Washington?" to the crowd.

As for the birchmere and the orignial ramshead that match up is pretty damn close. I've noticed that they book a lot of the same shows days apart from each other.

One thing I was wondering, do they still have shows at Fletchers? I remember back in the late 90s, 930 club used to post info about Fletchers and Bohagers.

Originally posted by saintangelsin:
One thing I was wondering, do they still have shows at Fletchers? I remember back in the late 90s, 930 club used to post info about Fletchers and Bohagers.

Well see for yourself: http://www.fletchersbar.com/club-shows.php

They've got Skitzo Calypso and the Odd Girl Out CD Release Party. :roll:

Ive only been to Sonar.


And SOnar was sort of tits, insanely dark, but cool sort of.

Rams Head holds about 2,000

Originally posted by You go, Judge Alito:
Rams Head holds about 2,000

on the website is says roughly 1800.

Originally posted by saintangelsin:

Merriweather is DC… Just ask Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode haha. When I saw dm there back in 2001, he said "What's up Washington?" to the crowd.

Yeah, listen to what Dave Gahan says!!! I'm Suprised he didnt say "Whats up Cleveland!!!"

anyway, its split usually, sometimes its "whats up Baltimore", sometimes its "Whats up DC", sometimes just "Whats up Maryland".

I think Sonar is a bit dark, but it's not a bad club. I saw Interpol there back in 2005 and the show seemed pretty good sound wise and the such.

Originally posted by le sonick:

Originally posted by saintangelsin:

Merriweather is DC… Just ask Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode haha. When I saw dm there back in 2001, he said "What's up Washington?" to the crowd.

Yeah, listen to what Dave Gahan says!!! I'm Suprised he didnt say "Whats up Cleveland!!!"

anyway, its split usually, sometimes its "whats up Baltimore", sometimes its "Whats up DC", sometimes just "Whats up Maryland".

Well everyone should listen to what Dave Gahan says ;)

but really though, What's up Maryland works fine for me. I think it all depends on how aware the band is of their surroundings.

Originally posted by DeathFromAbove1979:

Originally posted by You go, Judge Alito:
Rams Head holds about 2,000

on the website is says roughly 1800.

That's what I figured. I knew it was more than what the 930 club holds. Does anyone remember how many people Nation held? I think it was close to ramshead live's numbers actually.

Originally posted by ixkpd-bk:
Well see for yourself: http://www.fletchersbar.com/club-shows.php

They've got Skitzo Calypso and the Odd Girl Out CD Release Party. :roll:

That's nice to know, but I remember when they used to have pretty well known acts play there. I suppose times have changed.

Hammerjacks was Baltimores 930 club.

Originally posted by Marty666:
Hammerjacks was Baltimores 930 club.

Wha?? You must be fairly young. From the late 70s to the early 90s, Hammerjacks was one of the premier hard-rock/metal clubs on the East Coast. It was the anti-930.

Of course, if you're considering DC as a punk/alternative/indie city and Baltimore as a hard-rock/metal city then the clubs' respective statures within each scene is comparable.

I laughed at this too. Of course, Hammerjacks had been located in a couple different places so, again, you need to consider which one is being referred to. Maybe I could slightly agree with the latter one if you totally remove the general music and type of crowd that it catered to. Even then, I would tend not to agree.

Originally posted by beetsnotbeats:

Originally posted by Marty666:
Hammerjacks was Baltimores 930 club.

Wha?? You must be fairly young. From the late 70s to the early 90s, Hammerjacks was one of the premier hard-rock/metal clubs on the East Coast. It was the anti-930.

Of course, if you're considering DC as a punk/alternative/indie city and Baltimore as a hard-rock/metal city then the clubs' respective statures within each scene is comparable.

i saw the luna chicks at hammerjacks and slayer played 930 so your genre based rules are all in your mind. bands would often play both venues on the same tour. I saw Marilyn Manson at Hammerjacks and at the 930 club.

i might also add, next time you rent or watch the dvd for the john waters film Serial Mom, fast forward to the scene with L7 playing hammerjacks as the band "camel lips". If you pause the dvd in the right place you can see me jumping up and down in the crowd.

Originally posted by saintangelsin:
That's nice to know, but I remember when they used to have pretty well known acts play there. I suppose times have changed.

thank Sonar for that one, i think.

even as back to 3 years ago i saw Von Bondies, Bravery, Ours, Wolfmother and Soundtrack of Our Lives there and i believe Twilight Singers and Keane played there too.

now a few of those bands play Rams Head Live but mostly the indie/garage bands are doing Sonar instead of Fletchers now. In fact, Seth could probably explain this one much better since it does have something to do with IMP, no?

Originally posted by Marty666:
i saw the luna chicks at hammerjacks and slayer played 930 so your genre based rules are all in your mind. bands would often play both venues on the same tour. I saw Marilyn Manson at Hammerjacks and at the 930 club.

My "genre based rules" are entirely accurate. The 90s were marked by more cross-over of genres between the venues but certainly not enough to make them similar. Lunachicks were 90s; Manson started in the 90s; Slayer has been around since the early 80s but I don't think they played 930 before '90. Both clubs established their basic identities by the early 80s; no one who was familiar with the venues would mistake one for the other. Even today, 930 is generally considered an alternative club despite booking many mainstream and classic acts.

Originally posted by beetsnotbeats:

Originally posted by Marty666:
i saw the luna chicks at hammerjacks and slayer played 930 so your genre based rules are all in your mind. bands would often play both venues on the same tour. I saw Marilyn Manson at Hammerjacks and at the 930 club.

My "genre based rules" are entirely accurate. The 90s were marked by more cross-over of genres between the venues but certainly not enough to make them similar. Lunachicks were 90s; Manson started in the 90s; Slayer has been around since the early 80s but I don't think they played 930 before '90. Both clubs established their basic identities by the early 80s; no one who was familiar with the venues would mistake one for the other. Even today, 930 is generally considered an alternative club despite booking many mainstream and classic acts.

so you admit there was "cross-over", so much for your narrowminded music classification system. the 930 club hosts shows of a multitude of genres and styles. from tony bennett to prince to james brown. they used to even have a late night gay disco night on saturdays after the last band.
the 930 club is a venue that more books based on audience size expectations then something like a radio station which use a specific musical format.
the 930 club doesn't have a specific musical format or any genre based defining rules that dictate who they book.
Don't just judge the 930 and Hammerjacks based on the shows you went to.