The 'Ol PMB Crew
The Pat McGee Band scheduled a New Year's run for another year. My crazy friends did not rent a tour bus this year. That is probably a good thing. I would not be allowed back on the bus. Either way, they went to a few of the shows. The date scheduled for December 30 was at the new Rams Head Live in Baltimore. Of course, I had to make an appearence.
Avi reserved a suite at the Tremont Park Hotel on East Pleasant Street. The hotel is .96 miles from the venue, and the suite is 800 square feet. We could do some damage with that setup. I drove up to Baltimore around 4pm. The vallet service out front was impeccable. I walked into the suite with a party plater from Wawa and a case of Yuengling. Morgan, Steve, Ben, Avi, and Becca had already arrived. We had more beer, apple pie, wings, and a wing making machine in the kitchen. Avi gave me the grand tour in his robe. The suite had a West Wing. Crazy.
We commenced the pre-game and talked for a few hours. Others began to arrive including Andrew, Fetus, and some girls. By the time everyone parked, we had more money sunk in valet parking then the room. We received a call from the front desk before 6pm. That is dangerous. Everyone was getting real excited for the show. I was more excited to hangout with the crew. All these kids are so cool. We have been friends for five years just from going to shows! Granted, PMB is decent, but it has never been the same since the first few years. We cabbed it over to my favorite spot in Baltimore - The Power Plant.
I haven't been to this tourist trap in over a year, but the venue was already acclaimed. It has only been open for two weeks. The goal is to put Baltimore on the map as a major tour stop for those bands looking to sell 1500 plus tickets. I'll tell you what, it is gorgeous. The main stage area is boxed in by a balcony. Stage left, the balcony tails off, and I think the sound could be iffy, but the acoustic design easily tackles the problem. Stage right, there is a bar area that is wide open for mingling and drink purchasing. I really like the silhouettes that appear randomnly on the wall of bands, instruments, and people dancing. The bathrooms are extremely large and clean. Indeed, it is a sweet venue.
I was not impressed with the opening band. All the concert going has taught me one thing: there are millions of good bands out on the road and making records. It is the select few that have the nitch to make it big. I don't remember their name, but maybe they'll find it one day. For now, it was just noise I heard while Avi setup his rig. The group congregated infront of the board and continued sipping cocktails till the main show.
Before PMB took the stage, I had a chance to say hi to Chardy. It was great to see him, and he introduced me to his girlfriend. They are not on the road much, but he seems to still be having fun. That is the goal, right? When PMB finally took the stage, the venue was pretty full. I was suprised to see that many people. I guess, I am out of the loop. People still love to see PMB shows. Becca and I pushed our way to the front for the end of a new song and "Haven't Seen For Awhile." We were screaming for "Girl From Athens," but we did not get it. At this point, I took a hiatus for a phone call. I was outside for rest of the set. >From what I saw, it was decent, but I can't make a true judgement.
I walked back inside to find the show finished. I really didn't care. The venue was letting everyone stay! What a great idea! It was around 11pm. There is no reason to kick everyone out of the building. They kept the bar open and played Achtung Baby. We spent time talking to members of the band and each other. It was such great fun. More reminiscing. I can't believe the Pat McGee Band Christmas Extravaganza was four years ago!
We went back to the hotel in waves. No one wanted to upset the front desk. Back up in our suite, I ate a few sandwichs and chilled for a few hours. My plans had been to sleep there, but the hotel caught on to our act. I got my car early in the morning and drove back to Annapolis. It was awesome to see everyone! We need to get together for some more shows. Well, some of these people still do crazy amounts of shows. I have tailed off my obsessions since college. Anyway, good to see y'all. The summer is around the corner. The summer concert season purchasing time is almost upon us. I can't wait.
