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Any advice about Maryland?


philbo

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I'm out here for a week to work and to scout out the place as a possible new home. I'm working in Columbia MD, but this town is a little to 'corporate' for my tastes (envision the Simpsons episode where Homer takes on the name Max Power and ends up as an executive living in a corporate community).

 

Anyway... I'm looking to find taverns with good music - blues / jazz / folk - - (none of that 125 dB subwoofer at 120 bpm & flashing strobe crap, please).

 

I'm also looking to scout out a house in the area, with maybe 2 BR & a little isolation from the neighbors.

 

Any forumites got advice for me?

 

Thanks!

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You're not far from Ellicott City, check out the Judge's Bench. It's a small club with live music seven nights a week. Fells Point and Canton in Baltimore have some pretty interesting clubs, too. Go to http://www.mdparty.com/default.aspx for a listing of local clubs and their schedules.

As far as scouting out a homesite, the farther you get away from DC/Baltimore, the more reasonable the costs will be. Rural areas of Howard and Carroll counties are pretty nice and not too far from Columbia.

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I live in Columbia and you couldn't have described it better.:thu:

 

I don't know much about jazz and blues since I play in a rock band. We are playing in Hershey PA this weekend so I won't even try to lure you out there.

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I'm in Savage, MD, not far from Columbia. I'd love to recommend the Ram's Head Tavern here, but unfortunately, they have the 125 dB systems you (and I ) abhor. But their beer is quite tasty.

 

And don't look to Savage as a place to live - we're trying to get out!

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I'm in Savage, MD, not far from Columbia. I'd love to recommend the Ram's Head Tavern here, but unfortunately, they have the 125 dB systems you (and I ) abhor. But their beer is quite tasty.


And don't look to Savage as a place to live - we're trying to get out!

 

 

I had lunch there today - you're right about the beer - it was excellent! Doubt if I could find it again... The streets are like a maze around here.

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I live in Silver Spring, about a half mile from the DC line. Between here and Columbia there are a lot of houses available and the prices still seem to be coming down. For entertainment, I usually take a look at the calendar section in the Washington City Paper or the Washington Post Weekend section.

 

Here in Silver Spring there is a great dive called the Quarry House Tavern. They have live music on Friday and Saturday nights. They lean toward rockabilly, old country music, blues and roots rock. If there is a band called the Rhodes Tavern Troubadors, I would encourage you to see them. I also really like JP McDermott and Western Bop.

 

There is also one of the last of the classic honky tonks in the near DC suburbs called Chick Hall's Surf Club. They've threatened to close but the local musicians and music loving crowd have convinced them to have music on the weekends. Anything from Cajun/Zydeco to classic honky tonk country played by Chick Hall Jr.'s House Band. Chick is a brilliant country guitar player.

 

We also have the AFI Silver Theatre which features everything from film festivals to first run art films and any number of genre that you might like.

 

I haven't spent a lot of time in Baltimore, but you're about equidistant from DC and the harbor from Columbia.

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I'm in Savage, MD, not far from Columbia. I'd love to recommend the Ram's Head Tavern here, but unfortunately, they have the 125 dB systems you (and I ) abhor. But their beer is quite tasty.


And don't look to Savage as a place to live - we're trying to get out!

 

My band has played there quite a bit. They seem to have everything from rock bands to acoustic stuff. I swear we never brought our subwoofer in.:lol:

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I had lunch there today - you're right about the beer - it was excellent! Doubt if I could find it again... The streets are like a maze around here.

 

 

Meh - you get used to them pretty quickly. The Ram's Head beers are from a brewer called Fordham Brewing. Back before the wife and I had a child, living less than a mile from the Ram's Head was very nice when they'd bring out a new recipe for a brew. Now we stay home - stumbling home is much more difficult with an infant in your arms.

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My band has played there quite a bit. They seem to have everything from rock bands to acoustic stuff. I swear we never brought our subwoofer in.
:lol:

 

The rathskeller is just so small and low ceilinged that the PA systems most bands use is almost always way overkill! Combine that with overzealous guitar players and the place is just too loud for an old fogey like me (one who zealously tries to protect his hearing nowadays).

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I live in Columbia and you couldn't have described it better.
:thu:

I don't know much about jazz and blues since I play in a rock band. We are playing in Hershey PA this weekend so I won't even try to lure you out there.

 

Hmm... I play in a rock band too. But I'm flying back to IA Saturday, so won't be able to see your gig. Sorry!

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Doubt I'll make it to Baltimore - - I don't like big cities very much. It's even sort of crowded around Columbia for a midwestern boy like me. Thanks for the suggestion tho.

 

This is my last night here (for this trip). I think I'll head out to check the Judges Bench & maybe the Quarry House too.

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Ahh, man, you got to make to Baltimore. It's the poster child for urban failure. I don't live there anymore but I still retain a lot of affection for the place. The waterfront areas are really cool, like Fells Point. But The Wire really did capture the downside, and I was only joking about West Baltimore.

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