An alternate flyer for the 7/27/1998 concert at Small Intestine. This “Sg.t Pepper”-esque collage piece was collectively created, designed, and lettered by members of the quintet Mach Schau! The original flyer and more info about the groups who performed at this event can be found via the “Odds & Ends – part 2” post here. A photo probably taken in the fall or spring of 1994 during a Towson High School art class field trip to Hunt Valley’s Oregon Ridge Park. (Left to right) multi-media artist Spence Holman (presumably) modeling for fellow artist/writer Laura BurkeBaltimore city nightlife in the mid 90’s didn’t experience much crossover with the Towson-Glen Arm scene. This was mainly due to the city’s extreme lack of all ages venues. Outside of the infamous west Baltimore squat The Loft, there just weren’t many places that would regularly cater to the predominantly underage teen audiences and artists that comprised the north county underground. One of the few legit urban Baltimore venues that did support TGA during its heyday was the Maryland Institute College Of Art. The photo above shows The Unheard Ones performing live at MICA in 1996. (left to right: Tim Kabara, Eli Jones, Lisa Starace)An understated flyer created by Ben Valis circa 1997 or ’98. The art and design here doesn’t reflect the TGA aesthetic, but nonetheless this piece and the show it advertises both came from one of the scene’s most unique historical moments. The band credited here as “The Permits” was a short lived project featuring members of Freedom Riders and Spontaneous Gyrations. Along with The Decency Squad, The Permits were the only live band ever to perform the songs of Drew Bena; the singer/songwriter played in both groups. Soon after this gig Bena would begin recording a series of poetic experimental folk rock albums under the name Luxuous.*The preceding two shots are the only known photos of (top) Engine Killer and (bottom) Grrrls Of The Grid Iron. Engine Killer was a self-described “Beefheart punk band” featuring members of The Preschoolers, The Six O’Clock Alarm, Lard Star, and Husky Youth; Grrrls Of The Grid Iron was a trio whose members went on to form Behind Closed Doors, Husky Youth, and Manisexdestiny. Both groups existed briefly during 1994. This photo comes from the Labor Day ’94 gig put on by The TGAUC at Scott Gilmore’s family home in Hunt Valley, Md.
In 1998 The Small Intestine suddenly shuttered its doors; soon before that several of the major north county DIY venues closed***. Many late 90’s events originally booked at Small Intestine and other TGA-friendly spaces then had to be rescheduled and moved at the last minute. Small Intestine svengali/Baltimore music impresario Ben Valis made sure to find new homes for most by re-booking them at some of Baltimore city’s bars and indie rock clubs. The Ottobar frequently played host to these displaced gigs.
Towson-Glen Arm Freakouts 