Baltimore Book Festival
Starting tonight, going until Sunday! Books, authors, free wine, parades and stuff for the kidlets.
http://baltimorebookfestival.org/

BHG Outing: We Invade Renfest!
Interested??? We are looking at Saturday, October 6th to attend the MD Renaissance Festival b/c on that day along with jousting and other fantastic performances…it will be there Oktoberfest, so tons of German music, dancing and bratwurst (giant turkey legs will still be available, I’m sure). This event is open to BHGers, their SO’s, and children. Because of the amount of little ones joining us, the time for this event is 1PM-5PM.

York Bike Night
Presented by Harley-Davidson

This street party surrounding the Harley Open House weekend features a 2,000 motorcycle parade, live entertainment on three stages, and food vendors.

Friday, September 28, 2007
6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Continental Square in Downtown York.

Parade line up begins @ 5:00 p.m. at the York Expo Center.
Parade will depart from Gate 6 (near Memorial Hall) @ 6:00 p.m.
Parade route - W. Market Street into downtown York through Continental Square to Broad Street

Schedule Entertainment to date:
Guitarist Bubby Jackson
Head Case
Farmers Daughter
And the comic stylings of Pete Geist

http://www.yorkcity.org/webcom/PDF/pw/Bike%20Brochure%2007.pdf

And for a little something else to do, there is the

Mother Earth Harvest Festival!
http://www.motherearthharvestfair.com/index.html

Time to Take Part in the Community
Stepbember 17th, 2007

If you are a fan of cheap alcohol--check out dollar days at Cranbrook Liquors!

Cranbrook Liquors Fall Dollar Days are Here!
By: (Tue, Sep/18/2007 04:42PM)
Dollar Days - SEPT. 25th & 26, 2007

Cranbrook Liquors biggest sale and most popular event. Held twice a year in the Fall and the Spring, just about everything in the store is sold at just $1.00 above cost!

You won't find prices like these for your favorite wines or liquors anywhere.

Mark Your Calendar - Don't miss it!
* Some rare whiskeys/spirits excluded. Debit card, cash and check only - prices too low for credit card purchases!

Maryland Race for the Cure - Sunday, October 14th - Hunt Valley


Several friends from our other area gaming companies have orgnaized a group named Gamers Unite with the goal to gather all of us in the gaming industry from Maryland, DC, and Virginia to come together for a social event that also helps out the community.

The first event: you guessed it, the 2007 Susan G. Komen Maryland Race for the Cure which is on Sunday, October 14, 2007, which will be held this year in Hunt Valley. All events start on Shawan Road just east of McCormic Rd, so it's not very far from work.

The 5K run (3.1 miles) will begin at 8am; the 5k Walk & 1 Mile Family Fun Walk will begin at 8:45AM. Run, jog, walk or skip to help raise money for the cause. Or, if you can't make it or are not up to it, you can donate towards the team donation goal. Family and friends of Big Huge are more than welcome to join. Kids, too!

This year if you register online before October 1st you can get your shirt and race bib mailed for free. Also, before a certain date you can get light rail tickets for free. This year's race will be up in Hunt Valley so we could meet up at work before the race to avoid parking issues and head over.

Also, I will be keeping you updated on future Gamers Unite events; not all of them will be sports related, but they will all involve one main goal: Giving back to the community.

The registration fee is $30 per person, $10 for kids.
If you decide to join in late, no problem! You can mail in your registration with a $5 mail in fee but will have to pick up your t-shirt at a mall location.

This is all for a great cause so come run if you can and if you can't come out then please consider donating for the cure. Thanks so much!

- Jessica Hara & Monica Zamora

The kids going back to school and the chill of autumn threatening to strip bare every tree limb can mean only one thing:

It’s time for High Zero to get under way in Baltimore!
High Zero kicks off this Thursday with a FREE reception, performance and unveiling of sound-based installations by Laure Drogoul, Neil Feather, Dylan Hay, Asa Osborne and Barbara Schauwecker.

Thursday, September 20 - 6PM/ $FREE
Current Space
30 S Calvert St.
Baltimore, MD

Bern Nix Trio
Bern Nix: guitar
Francios Grillot: bass
Jackson Krall: drums

Get your harmolodic fix with Bern Nix as the former Prime Time guitarist brings his own trio into An Die Musik.

Saturday, September 22 – 8PM/$20
An Die Musik
409 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD

Relache & The Zs.
Need to get out of town this weekend? There’s plenty of experimental music spilling out all over the Mid Atlantic region. And the season opener of Philadelphia’s long time New Music Ensemble Relache is particularly notable. I once saw these guys send the mayor of Philadelphia screaming into the streets long before intermission. This time out they’re premiering a brand new work by Christian Wolff. And if that’s not enough to make the drive, they’ll also be joined by New York’s The Zs, a no-wave/post-jazz/brutal-chamber/brutal-prog/post-minimalist outfit. I don’t know what that means, but I can’t wait for the inevitable post-[no-wave/post-jazz/brutal-chamber/brutal-prog/post-minimalist] movement that will inevitably follow in their wake.

Sunday, September 23 – 2PM/$20
Fleisher Art Memorial
719 Catherine St.
Philadelphia, PA

If Philly isn’t really your scene, you can still catch the thrilling Relache only half of this program one day earlier in nearby Delaware.

Saturday, September 22 – 8PM/$20
Wilmington Music School
4101 Washington St.
Wilmington, DE

And if Delaware is still too far out of the way, there’s always subversive sound to be found in our nation’s capitol:
Contemporary Music Forum @ the Corcoran Gallery of Art
The season-opening concert kicks off with music for computer, piano and flute written by Benjamin Broening, Patrick Chargueron and Corte Lippe. Also on the program is a work by Dan Visconti for the classic Quatour pour la fin du temps instrumentation of clarinet, violin, piano and cello. And be sure to check out the amplified string quartet piece from Ned McGowan. Sonic subversion just kitty-corner from the White House!

Sunday, September 23 – 4:30PM
Armand Hammer Hall/ Corcoran Gallery
17th St. & New York Ave. NW
Washington, DC

Don’t get too crazy this week. Next week will be the real tsunami of musical activity with the convergence of the High Zero concerts and the Baltimore Symphony Season Premier converging upon the same block of Cultural Center.

Local Autumn Hotspots Alert!
Stepbember 10th, 2007

Interested in seeing the best of local foilage this autumn? Be sure to check out these beautiful places!:

Abingdon, VA has a reputation for beautiful fall seasons. They have converted lots of old railroad trails into casual biking/hiking through the heart of the mountains. (Plenty of places to rent bikes for cheap plus shuttles). Abingdon is also a very historic town and the location of the theatre of Virginia. Quite the haul, about 420mi (6.5 hrs).
- Matt Dickenson

Behold, New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley in Autumn!
- Sean Murray

You are in the right part of the country for “fall colors” as they call it. For great views head an hour or so west to Harper’s Ferry, or even more dramatically to the slightly-more-distant Shenandoah Valley in Virginia – go to Skyline Drive. My intuition is that about 2/3 of the way through October is about the right time.

- Brian Reynolds

I’ll second Brian’s recommendation for Harper’s Ferry.

Also, one of the best day hikes anywhere is Old Rag Mountain, near Luray, VA in the northern Blue Ridge mountains. Great view, tons of boulders to clamber over, and awesome trails.

Travel-Travel-Travel.com - Ragged Out
LocalHikes.com - Old Rag Mountain

This is very popular during peak foliage times, so you may want to take a weekday off so it’s less crowded.

If you want to do the classic New England autumn tour with the covered bridges and such, you’ll want to go a bit further north. This is a good year to consider a New England swing, because the drought down here will probably lessen the quality of the colors in MD. Check out:

http://www.foliage-vermont.com/

http://gonewengland.about.com/cs/fallfoliage/l/blfoliagecentrl.htm
- Tim Train

Places within 500 miles that have extreme movie-style fall where leaves fall hard and fall often: small towns, cities, whatever. Or places that are especially picturesque and charming in the winter.

15 minutes up the road, the first three or so miles of the Gunpowder River just below Prettyboy Reservoir Dam is convenient to BHG and has outstanding fall foliage and wintertime scenery. There’s good parking access and the trails stay well-worn by fly fishermen. These photos were taken by yours truly on fishing excursions…

- Dave Inscore

Now onto local happenings this week!...

Serenissima: The Worlds of Rick Shelley
Reception: Sat Sep 15, 4-6pm
Rick Shelley is a master of mosaics, a peerless puppeteer, and a sculptor of imaginary spaces. Theater Serenissima itself is a golden "toy theater" in which elaborately painted paper figures just inches high spin fantastical stories, recreating the intimate glamour of Victorian parlour entertainments. See tales of ancient Italy, the birth of Venice and the quest of a huntress in tiny audiences of no more than 28 at a time. Or simply stroll the galleries surrounding the theater - glittering mosaics recall ancient Roman bathhouses, and detailed architectural models depict medieval cathedrals. Uncertain games of Shelley's invention are played with bejeweled wire insects on stone-inlaid boards, and rarely seen objects from his personal collection test the limits of belief: a pine cone from ancient Olympia; holy water from the Basilica of San Marco; or a vial containing the last breath of Marcel Duchamp.On view Sep 8-Oct 27

Theater Serenissima Performances:

Sat Sep 22, 2 & 4pm
Sun Sep 23, 2, 4 & 6pm
Thu Sep 27, 7:30pm
Fri Sep 28, 7:30 & 9:30pm
Sat Sep 29, 7:30 & 9:30pm
Sun Sep 30, 2, 4 & 6pm
Sat Oct 6, 2 & 4pm
Sun Oct 7, 2, 4 & 6pm
Sat Oct 13, 2 & 4pm
Sat Oct 20, 2 & 4pm

Click here for ticket info!

- Marla Kanefsky

With September comes the onset of a new season of live music with the promise of the new Symphony Season, new Opera Season and a new round of Avant Jazz around the town as things build up toward the High Zero Festival. But before those highbrow and high profile events get under way there’s a couple of good shows coming up this weekend:

The Vincent Courtois/Sylvie Courvoisier/Ellery Eskelin Trio
8PM Friday, September 14 @ An Die Musik $18

Vincent Courtois: cello
Sylvie Courvoisier: piano
Ellery Eskelin: saxophones

Baltimore native and Towson University alumni Ellery Eskelin has long been a significant fixture on the New York “Downtown” jazz scene and he’s been an obsession of mine for several years. By applying Arnold Schoenberg’s theory of klangfarbenmelodie toward an omnivorous range of jazz styles Ellery Eskelin can run through about 100 years of jazz history within five minutes of music, spinning off some beautiful textures and ideas in the process. His writings are a wonder to read as well. Some YouTube samples from an Ellery Eskelin documentary can be found here. I also have 40+ CDs of his music if you develop an insatiable appetite for his music (as I have). He puts on a good show.

Sylvie Courvoisier is another key figure from the New York “Downtown” scene. She is known primarily for her work with violinist Mark Feldman and the incredible Mephista Trio with drummer Susie Ibarra and laptop musician Ikue Mori and is emerging as a band leader/jazz pianist to keep an ear on. Youtube goodness here.

Vincent Courtois is new to me. Ellery Eskelin discovered him in France and they’ve been touring for a few years now. The fact that he’s playing with Eskelin and Courvoisier is reason enough to check him out. Youtube sample here.

Electric Junk Band - Link
6PM Saturday, September 15 @ Atomic Stage, Hampdenfest $FREE

Quirky, fun and noisy, this trio of would-be one-man bands makes a return visit to Baltimore since their spell-binding, blues-infected Exotic Hypnotic appearance at the last Artscape. They seem to hold their groove together with duct tape and chewing gum as their sound seems to constantly flirt with falling apart, yet never does.

- Devin Hurd

Attention Comic Collectors!
September 3rd, 2007

Baltimore Comic-con is this weekend (9/8 – 9/9). While it isn’t an opportunity to see big name stars (San Diego this is not) , it’s great if you’re looking for deals on trades, trying to round out a collection, or finding a bootleg DVD of the frightening Donnie and Marie Star Wars special.

http://www.comicon.com/baltimore/

Noise In the Basement
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A Creative Conference celebrating the creativity, ingenuity, and all around greatness that is Baltimore. A week's worth of events featuring the best of Baltimore (Raheem DeVaughn, All Time Low) and the most exciting elements of the movie, music and video game worlds. Check out what's in store in Baltimore September 18 through 22:

NOISE IN THE BASEMENT EVENT CALENDAR:
ALL WEEKEND LONG: GREAT SPECIALS ON CLIPPER CITY BEER AT FLETCHER'S AND MAX'S!
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TUESDAY 9/18 ROCK BAND video game demo
MTV presents ROCK come get a sneak peek (and rock out!) with MTV and an early look at the hottest video game at this year's E3!
@ Fletcher's 9 PM FREE!!!

WEDNESDAY 9/19
GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS LIVE! In-store performance
@ The Sound Garden 5 PM FREE!!!

THE AVETT BROS. LIVE! In-store performance AND RECORDING!
Be part of a recording for an upcoming EP
@ The Sound Garden 6 PM FREE!!!

REGINA SPEKTOR LIVE! www.ramsheadlive.com for tickets and info
@ Ram's Head

**NOISE IN THE BASEMENT SHOWCASE!
@ Fletcher's 8 PM (EXTREMELY LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE)
---featuring: SIAH from TEARS OF MARS, BEN JELEN, RUE MELO, INNERPARTYSYSTEM and FLYLEAF

THURSDAY 9/20
ATMOSPHERE and BROTHER ALI with GRAYSKUL and MAC LETHAL LIVE! www.ramsheadlive.com for tickets and info
@ Ram's Head

**NOISE IN THE BASEMENT SHOWCASE!
@ Fletcher's 8 PM (EXTREMELY LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE)
--featuring FIGHTING ZERO (from Pennsylvania), LUNA HALO, JOSH RITTER and RAHEEM DEVAUGHN

FRIDAY 9/21
ALL TIME LOW LIVE! In-Store performance and CD signing
@ The Sound Garden 6 PM FREE!!!
AESOP ROCK LIVE! www.theottobar.com for tickets and info
@ The Ottobar

**NOISE IN THE BASEMENT SHOWCASE
@ Fletcher's 8 PM (LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE)--featuring SERENA RYDER, THE HINT, TEARS OF MARS and more

SATURDAY 9/22
BALTIMORE DOCUMENTARY FILM PREMIERES! www.creativealliance.org for tickets and info
@ Creative Alliance at The Patterson 9 PM
--featuring DAFT PUNK'S ELECTROMA, LYNCH2

Ticket info for Noise In the Basement events and showcases:

Tickets for shows at the Ottobar and Ram's Head available at club box offices and online at www.theottobar.com and www.ramsheadlive.com.

Tickets for movie screenings at Creative Arts at the Patterson available at the box office or online at www.creativealliance.org.

** Tickets for Noise In The Basement Showcase nights at Fletcher's are EXTREMELY LIMITED, and tickets for wednesday and thursday nights can only be had with the purchase of a CD from one of the artists on each night's bill at the Sound Garden (1616 Thames St., Fells Point 410.563.9011)

Tickets for friday night Noise In The Basement showcase at Fletcher's are available at www.fletchersbar.com or at the door.

-Tim

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