Hollywood, Dark Star Orchestra, Wise Eyes, and more

By Michael Byrne

Dec 28, 2011 3:00 AM

WEDNESDAY:

Dark Star Orchestra

does the Grateful Dead at Rams Head Live;

Project/Object

does Frank Zappa at Baltimore Soundstage. New Jersey grind band

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Budd Dwyer

makes hell at the Sidebar with

Downfall of Gaia

Vestiges

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, and more. Pianist

Marc Irwin

pairs with theater vocalist

Daniel Schwait

at An die Musik.

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Don't miss:

Singer/songwriter/MC/beatboxer

Queen Earth

performs at the Bohemian Coffee House.

THURSDAY:

[Most read] Orioles trades with Angels providing plenty of promise on farm: ‘We’re happy with the transactions that we made’

Halestorm

, an area major-label rock band in the same broad category as Buckcherry, et al., plays Rams Head Live with

Ashes Remain

and

Cold Harbour

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. Gubernatorial Celtic rock band

O'Malley's March

plays Annapolis’ Rams Head Tavern. South Carolina’s

Forgetting Fera

brings its bounce-along pop-punk to the Sidebar with

Brigades

A World Away

, the

Zits

, and

Wise Eyes

. The jamgrass notables of

Infamous Stringdusters

play the 8X10 with

Wes Swing

. Scenic Route Recordings moves its live recording event, Songwriter Sessions, down to the Windup Space with

Yellow Raincoats

, the

Plastic Traps

Eureka Birds

, and

Minimus the Poet

. The

New Deal

returns prosperity to Baltimore Soundstage with

Eliot Lipp

and

Fractal

FRIDAY:

Ibot Records, a local digital-only label started by a fellow from the band Wakefield, hosts an early New Year’s Eve party at the Ottobar with

A Cool Stick

Doopadooz

, the

Herd of Main Street

Deuce Deuce

, and more. A whole bunch of bit-music/electronic-music trippers take over the Metro Gallery for the Cytoplastik East and West Smorgasbord, including

DJ Romulus

Megadrives

, the

Intergalactic Council of the Intergon

Fractal Cat

Turbomatic

, and

No Dancing

. Baltimore hair band-of-yore

Child's Play

reunites at Rams Head Live. The

KREation Ensemble

eight-piece plays a homecoming show after a year out of Baltimore at An die Musik. Baltimore’s free-jazz/new-music scenes come together for reed wizard

John Dierker

’s yearly holiday show at the Red Room at Normal’s Books and Records: Dierker plays with

Adam Hopkins

Chris Pumphrey

Will Redman

, and

Marc Miller

Don't miss:

Snails

, a rarely seen supergroup of sorts from folks in bands such as Future Islands, Nuclear Power Pants, and Small Sur, oozes through the Windup Space with

Great Tap Root

Andy Abelow

, and

Wing Dam

SATURDAY:

The Ottobar splits in a few different directions for its New Year’s bash, with

DJ Craig Boarman

helming the “Girls Rule” Gaga/Britney/Beyonce/etc.-themed party up till midnight and TaxLo taking over late with DJs

Simon Phoenix

and

Stereofaith

Get the Led Out: The American Led Zeppelin

does you’ll never guess what at Rams Head Live. Blues singer

Deanna Bogart

rings it in at Rams Head Tavern. The Sidebar hosts a relatively please-all New Year’s bash with Brooklyn, N.Y.’s

Y-Love

making “global hip-hop,” club regulars

Thee Lexington Arrows

, the

Evokatones

, and more.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

make “fun funky electro-jazz rock” at the 8X10 with

Jesters of Kindness

, the

Deaf Scene

, and

Segway

. Arlington reggae band

SOJA

, aka Soldiers of Jah’s Army, performs at Baltimore Soundstage with

I-Wayne

and

Jah Works

. A New Year’s edition of weekly funk/breaks party Dig takes over Joe Squared Station North with the

guesting.

Don't miss: Ben Frock's Love Unit

, featuring some 15 players from in and around Baltimore’s thriving out-jazz scene, returns to the Windup Space with the

Chris Pumphrey Sextet

, and

Interstella Live Live Live Live

.The Golden West Cafe and punk booking force Unregistered Nurse does New Year’s right with a free garage/punk show courtesy usual suspects the

Matrimonials

Hollywood

, and

Murder

SUNDAY:

Pianist

Sarah Wagner

plays a broad combination of classical art songs, jazz standards, and showtunes at An die Musik.

MONDAY:

James Nasty mans

the decks (laptop?) at Joe Squared Power Plant.

TUESDAY:

Vowel-challenged indie-something band

Nghbrs

play the Ottobar. Ray Rice hosts the Gridiron Sing Off at Rams Head Live, which is football players singing songs for charity.

Young Adult Fiction

, a fairly straight-ahead indie-rock band from Richmond, plays the Sidebar with

Jim From the Moon

Basmati

, and

Robert Mitchell

. The Dig with

Landis Expandis

and

DJ Napspace

rests for nothing at Joe Squared Station North.

Scottie B

DJs Joe Squared Power Plant.

WEDNESDAY:

Don't miss:

Baltimore doom/thrash/noise/black-metal band

Pleasure Wizard

makes hell at the Sidebar with

Left and Right

Atlas

, and

Tendrills

IN THE WINGS:

The two-day Ice Jam takes over Sonar with a great deal of only the finest in latter-day emo, “crunkcore,” and metalcore on Jan. 14 and 15, including

August Burns Red

Attack! Attack!

I See Stars

, and much more. (For more information visit sonarbaltimore.com or call [410] 783-7888.) The Where’s the Band Tour stops off at the Ottobar Jan. 21 with guys from bands like Bayside, Saves the Day, and the Get Up Kids, all going solo. (For more information visit theottobar.com or call [4210] 662-0069.)

Crowded Streets