Reviewing concerts has always been second nature for Greg Szeto - even if no one read his work.
In college, Szeto would see shows and habitually scribble down his thoughts on whatever was on hand, including note pads and paper napkins. But he wanted to showcase his comments, concert reviews and random remarks on music.
"I wanted an outlet that was more visible and structured, so I could focus and channel those thoughts into something more interesting," he said.
Two years ago, Szeto, a 27-year-old who lives downtown, found that online when he started the music blog Aural States (auralstates.com). What started as a home for Szeto's musical reflections grew into an award-winning blog with about 10 contributors and some of the most comprehensive local music coverage on the Web. According to the description on the site, it's "written by music geeks for music geeks."
Saturday, Aural States is throwing its second music festival at Sonar and the Talking Head Club. Nearly 20 local and regional acts spanning multiple genres are on the bill. The festival is meant to showcase promising indie acts and celebrate Aural States' second birthday, Szeto said.
"I felt the need to celebrate the fact that we'd survived another year online, and I hadn't lost my motivation," Szeto said. "We're well past the expiration date for the average Web site out there."
Szeto said he sees as much live music as possible - sometimes one or more shows a night - to stay abreast of the local scene. He spends most of his free time updating Aural States with album and concert reviews, as well as interviews and streams of new songs. Later this year, the blog will launch Aural Slate Recordings, a record label.
"It's grown by leaps and bounds," Szeto said. "Any time there's space for me to breathe, I'm filling it with something for the site."
Szeto is writing about Baltimore music at just the right time. In the past several years, the city's music scene has received an unprecedented level of positive attention from the national and international press. Magazines such as Rolling Stone have lauded Baltimore musicians for their raw, experimental sound. Baltimore has just as much - if not more - exciting music than most other American cities its size, Szeto said.
"It's amazing how fertile and active music in this city is, especially when you consider the size of the town," Szeto said. "Baltimore has always been this foundry for creativity and people that think outside of the box. It's just gotten more attention lately, in a way that makes it a little more fun."
Saturday's festival features performances by rockers Pontiak, folk/Americana outfit Noble Lake and local rapper Height, among others. Another local blog, Bmore Musically Informed, is hosting a festival at G-Spot performance space Friday. Aural States teamed up with Bmore Musically Informed and called the weekend-long festival Blogtimore Pwns.
Height, whose real name is Dan Keech, said without Aural States, many local bands wouldn't be reviewed or featured.
"It's really professional and has a broad spectrum," Keech said. "There's a lot of great local bands that, the only press they've ever had was on Aural States, because they don't have professional publicists."
The Aural States Fest II is more than just a birthday celebration, Szeto said; it's also something of a send-off. Szeto is working toward a doctorate in cellular and molecular medicine at the Johns Hopkins University and hopes to finish his thesis this year. After that, he plans on leaving Baltimore and heading for the West Coast or Paris. But Aural States is far from finished. Szeto aims to move the blog with him but still provide a forum for writers who want to cover Baltimore music.
"We'll see what works out," Szeto said. "I'll definitely keep my eye on Baltimore."
If you go
Aural States Fest II is Saturday at Sonar, 407 E. Saratoga St. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $15. Call 410-783-7888 or go to sonarbaltimore.com.