This past weekend I stayed mostly around campus doing Hopkins-affiliated stuff, like the Commemoration Ball plus a friend’s birthday party. But there are exciting things happening in Baltimore this weekend! I plan to try and make it to some, and so should you!
The first is a house concert which I’m going to talk more about post-concert because it’s a series, and I want to see what it’s like. If you’re curious, it’s at 1222 N. Calvert St. this Saturday at 7 p.m. and will feature Spencer Branch, a bluegrass/old time band, which I believe is from North Carolina.
Just in case you didn’t figure it out, house concerts don’t always have to do with house music. It’s called a house concert because it’s in some very nice people’s living room and is both intimate and can fit a surprising number of people. House concerts run by this musical friend group in Baltimore tend to be quite lovely, so I would highly recommend it! They also have a recommended donation instead of an actual cover charge, and are nice little potluck type BYOB deals so you don’t have to worry about spending too much money.
Anyhow, something happening a bit sooner is a talk on Prince Demah Barnes, “America’s first known portrait painter of color.” It will be at the Walters Art Museum at 7 p.m. this evening. This event should be quite educational and very interesting! Not very many enslaved persons’ artworks have survived; in fact, Prince Demah Barnes may be the only one.
Amelia Peck, curator at the Met in New York, will give the talk. She was the one who discovered his paintings and brought them to the Met. Fun fact: The reason she wanted the paintings is because she liked the way its textiles were painted. Talking about artists like Prince Demah Barnes is extremely important in order to understand race in America today. For that reason, and because it will be an interesting presentation on an interesting artist, I would recommend going!
Tonight at the Ottobar there is also a concert featuring Ratboiler, a band that Lukas Lerner, a senior at Hopkins, plays in. Their sound is fun, loud, energetic punk and their shows don’t tend to break the bank, so if you’re looking for more fun tonight you could head there!
The Ottobar is also a pretty nice venue or at least it holds up very well when compared to other venues of the same type (Metro Gallery, the Crown and the Windup Space). It certainly is better than Metro Gallery although on certain nights the Crown and the Windup Space hold their own in that regard.
If none of these events appeal to you, there’s far more happening in Baltimore this and every weekend! I recommend checking out the sidebar for more ideas.
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