Baltimore Music Scene Vs. DC Music Scene

An article I recently read on www.citypaper.com coincides with my beat focusing on the Baltimore Music Scene.  The article, titled "Tale of Two Cities" talks about the hardships going on right now with the Washington D.C. music scene; and how many of the small venues and warehouses that have been serving D.C. local bands are either being bought out or ending their leases in these tough times.  The article goes on to explain how Baltimore is on the opposite side of the spectrum, and the music scene is striving with all of the underground clubs and the areas that are being built up that will host new bars and clubs/venues in coming years.  The article also talks about Baltimore being much cheaper than D.C., and the people in the area are much more enthusiastic about the music and the arts, so many D.C. local bands and musicians are heading North and playing their music in an array of Baltimore clubs and venues that are much different and more successful than those in D.C.

One quote that stuck out to me in the article was: "I think that [Baltimore] does attract more artists because they [can] do less and eke by here rather than what it takes to eke by in D.C."  This quote supports the idea that it is easier to live in Baltimore during these tough times.  Being in a local band can be tough and when you first start off and try to get your name out there, the money is not good, and if that is your only work it can be very tough to get by.  Everything is more expensive in Washington D.C. than Baltimore, and it is much tougher working with a local band in D.C. People are moving to Baltimore because it is more affordable on all accounts because it is not as big of a tourist attraction, and the affection for underground arts and music in Baltimore can match match any city in the country, regardless of the city's size.

I really enjoyed this article and it was a topic I have not thought about until I skimmed the site, but it does make a lot of sense.  The article could of focused on the comparisons of the mainstream clubs in both of the cities.  It really focused on the underground music and arts and the clubs and venues that host it night in and night out, but I would of added to the article by talking about some of the bigger and popular clubs that both cities host.  It would have added another spin to the story, but overall I thought it was a great story and it was nice hearing positive feedback on Baltimore's growing music scene, whether underground or mainstream.

Check out this article at:  http://www.citypaper.com/special/story.asp?id=16003