Bmore artists playing local shows over the next seven days include, but are not limited to: Dan Deacon, Videohippos, Ponytail, Monarch, Thrushes, Ecstatic Sunshine, Jones, Shields, Height, Double Dagger, Thank You, Tall Grass, Television Hill and The Heavycoats. Here's a super quick rundown:
With the constant spaghetti stream of Day-Glo Play-Doh being squeezed out of Baltimore recently (see: any video from Dan Deacon, Jimmy Joe Roche or of course the Video Hippos) we sat down with one of the many local artists whose work is saturated in buckets of neon paint and awkward moments from 80s bob digi pop culture.
Bmore artist Meredith Moore is most recently known for the fabulous Videohippos spot Narwhals (below) and for probably the most blinged out music video of all time, Diamondz, featuring a Crystal-laced composition by Wham City chief Dan Deacon. And there's lava aplenty in both videos, which we respect.
A quick volley and serve:
BT: How did you arrive in Baltimore doing rad video art?
MM: I was born and raised in Oklahoma, and early on I discovered the richness of creating things/worlds/on your own terms. In high schoolI I yearned for more than just getting stoned and painting self-portraits. I applied to art school and picked Baltimore because they offered me the most in scholarships. I had never been to the East Coast. Culture shock! Good for me!
I started MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) as a painting major, and was super bored with it a year later. I took a video class on a whim and fell in love. I love the accessibility of the medium - we all grew up on television and movies - AND its 4 dimensional - working with time. Making an experience. I am very in to experiences. Very awesome.
BT: How did you hook up with Videohippos and Dan Deacon?
MM: I had two video classes with the drummer, Kevin O'Meara, but we only eyed each other from afar until the last class when he asked if he could use my video (monster trucks and puppets) for a song. This lead to us becoming partners in crime (and love) and i went on a week long tour with Videohippos and Dan Deacon down to Florida where i encountered the amazing films of Jimmy Joe Roche and the man himself. After that i was hooked on Wham City, Kevin, Snake Mistakes, and audio/visual orgasms. Best times ever.
BT: How do you get hamiltons?
MM: I'm a door girl at shows, I film and edit the Ed Schrader Show sometimes, and i hawk shit and do some basic hustling. (ha!) I just got a job at Whole Foods that pays the bills but doesn't zap me of all my time and energy and allows me to not worry about money and focus on new projects - i'm too young and smart (22) to begin some sort of mediocre career.
BT: We agree. Stay on the hustle. So what's next?
MM: Well i just graduated, so now its all relatively up in the air....but me and my roommate Mark Brown (of are we not men dj status) are starting a video podcast called netdreams which i am very excited about. Also I'm working on the beginning of a super secret personal project, and later this year I'm going to be making a video for one of Dan Deacon's new songs (shhh).
Baltimore is known for its all-inclusive bootstrap DIY indie spirit - and with the number of startup artists, labels and legit/underground venues climbing faster than the city's body count (200+ this year, watch your back Detroit), we had plenty of gems to choose from for the first part of this series.
And yes, everyone that lives here wears neon fanny packs and likes to dance in sweaty sardine cans.
Wha: Among Wolves provides the perfect Grizzly Beach Boy/House harmonies to start and end your days...OCDJ makes sounds on laptop, guitar, kalimba, euphonium, bangs drums, shakes things, cites Master Blaster as a major influence...Small Sur is instantly familiar fire circle hymns...Thrushes are murky shoeglazed pop masters...Brian Adam Ant is psychedilifolk that doesn't sound like Neutral Milk Hotel...Shields drops stuttery butter for fans of Prefuse and Madlib...we'll get to some of his counterparts including Jones and Height next...Santa Dads are beatboxing ukelele costume kidz...The Death Set are brilliant noise...Ecstatic Sunshine are superbad instruminimalists...you already know and love the mazzed out Beach House...Cex changes skins regularly around experimental laptop hop...Pontytail will bite your face...The Oranges Band define their sound as "rock" so...Double Dagger will bite your leg...Basshound are a jam band that occasionally covers Daft Punk for the kids at CBGB...everybody thinks it's crazy...Video Hippos and Dan Deacon are well-known Wham City clan types and Jakuta and Carl are electronic clap clap clap clap.
All the watermelon, ice and cage fans in the world couldn't stop Saturday night's gig with Spank Rock, Dan Deacon, Video Hippos, The Death Set, Ponytail, Dirty Projectors and many more from being literally the sweatiest show of all time. Thanks to the folks at Wham City and Floristree for pulling this thing off.
As above (Video Hippos), so below (Jason Urick from WZT Hearts takes a nap with Dan Deacon wrapped in his CGI/security blanket).
We have a couple autographed copies of Dan Deacon's Crystal Cat vinyl single - just leave us a comment with your email if you want one.
We'll pick the winners on Friday 7/27 (U.S. residents only). NOTE: We picked the winners already and they are shipshape and ginny. Thanks to everyone for entering.
Dan Deacon setlist:
1. Intro>Soundcheck 2. Crystal Cat 3. Paddeling Ghost 4. Woof Woof 5. Of The Mountains 6. Wham City
Big ups to Jeff's List of Shows for the audio. Jeff taped almost every band at Whartscape and is now feverishly spooling in an underground lair complete with lab coats, beakers, schematics et al. So check back later in the week for some Spank Rock.
Later in the week our new investigatory journalist Raven Baker will give you an even heartier helping of Whartscape - the origin and roots of its hideous name and the Wham City organizers behind all this nonsense - but today we'll crack into the long list of artists that call Bmore home and will, we assume, be simply rolling out of bed in their Umbros to perform this weekend. All illustrations courtesy of the talented folks at Baltimore production/record label Wildfire Wildfire.
Video Hippos won't know if you're warming up, starting to tap the feet. To gain the attention of the Kevin/Jim duo (with occasional function button twiddling from Wham fam member OCDJ) you must cause a real fit as they operate in a dark emergency room lit only by obscure cartoon noir. A big fat gask mask ensures drummer and animator Kevin O'Meara won't make himself sick with the beats, but you're on your own. Currently touring the neon green states with D. Deacon, and playing Saturday night at Floristree.
We've all spent a few cloudless nights in vacant lots swigging NyQuil and using the B Heezy's witchy slide powers to seance mazzy stars, so, 'nuf said. They tour with Blonde Redhead in August so start perfecting your shoedaze now. Beach House plays Saturday afternoon at 120 North Ave. Buy their debut from Carpark. Beach House - Apple Orchard Beach House - Master of None Beach House - Tokyo Witch
More: Ponytail play Saturday night at Floristree. Not really our steez but you have to respect the yelling and the shouting and what not. Ponytail - Lion Down
Ecstatic Sunshine play Friday night at Floristree. We're pretty sure they now make up one Voltron portion of The Death Set, so. Pretty solid choppin. Ecstatic Sunshine - Little Big Dipper
You "may" have heard of Mr. Dan Deacon, who could eat Tang crystals and watch Rad with James Lipton as they both stare at the "classically trained composer with a Masters degree in electro-acoustic composition" nametag affixed to his ripe neon Daffy Duck tee. Get tickets to the Saturday night show, which also includes Spank Rock, at Wildfire Wildfire or Wham City before it sells out. Don't you want to be a part of the Flickr zone? Dan Deacon - Wham City Buy Spiderman of the Rings from Carpark.
