The Benefit Show for Baltimore at the Ottobar

On Sunday, June 7th, I was able to catch the “Benefit Show for Baltimore”, hosted by local musicians Jerrit Decoursey and Isaac Shane at the popular Baltimore rock venue, the Ottobar. As a result of the tragic actions that turned into nationally publicized uprisings in Baltimore this past April, many around the area have taken the matters of helping to rebuild the city into their own hands. This benefit as an event was an accurate representation of the local drive needed to clean up a city from the outburst of anger based on decades of racial tension. Based on the friendliness of musicians and concertgoers alike, the genuine feeling of a gracious atmosphere made this a nice way to end the weekend.

Before I go into the mix of reviews and short quotes from featured musicians, I want to make a point to talk about the style of music itself. As someone who has been listening to a wide array of styles and artists, I was not fully prepared for the sound of the groups playing. These groups were heavy. Like, really heavy. If you, the reader, were not into what I believe to be some kind of a mix between the post — hardcore, metal, and trap scene, this definitely would have been a different experience for you, to say the least. The cacophony of sound was definitely bumping, but the combined atmosphere of raw energy, gratitude, and fun, made for an exciting night. As soon as the sound check started I knew I made a mistake not bringing ear protection. This was going to be a loud one.

Pictures paint more words than writing, and one only needs to take a look around and soak in the site of the Ottobar to enjoy it. Reminiscent of the famous clubs sitting right on the Sunset Strip, the Ottobar is a great venue for smaller shows. While the capabilities of space are nowhere near any of the larger, surrounding venues, like the Royal Farms (Formerly Baltimore) Arena, Merriweather Post Pavilion, or D.C.’s Verizon Center, the atmosphere created by the open audience area and physical closeness to the bands is quite comfortable. Combining the “no stage diving” signs and easily accessible bar in the back, the Ottobar has the same kind of charm synonymous with the Charm City itself.

As soon as the first performer started, both the audience and I were eager to start listening. The first act of the night was Daniel Thompson, the sole artist of his own project, “My Heart, My Anchor.” Using a signature pleasant, tenor voice, Thompson played a mix of originals and covers, including hip-hop artist Drake’s song “Marvin’s Room”. While only using his voice and acoustic guitar, Thompson’s style was much better than the usual “open — mic nighter” or any other similar musician who happens to play in the same manner. Because of the clean tenor of his voice, the audience applauded his efforts and cheered Thompson’s performance as a success. His closing comments at the end of his performance easily reflected the gratitude he showed towards everyone coming out and supporting this local benefit.

The second act of the night and first act publicly billed through the event information was local artist Eu1ogy. Combining a mix of experimental rock, rap, and trap music, Eu1ogy kicked off the night of billed performers with a loud bang. Starting as a solo act and working his way to inviting friends to join him on stage, this politically charged piece of art was something very different to experience from the metal acts that would perform later in the night. Using an Akai drum machine and OCD effect pedal to electronically produce sounds closer to something heard in a rap album than traditional rock and roll, the chaos coming from the speakers shook the room. Commenting on his own work, Eu1ogy (known as Radell to his friends, or Isaac Shane, one of the co-hosts of this event) stated that “I feel like everything has a meaning at the end of the day, so I don’t want to say that it stands for anything. It is just is how I feel. It’s just real. I’m not consciously saying that’s what I’m going to write. That’s what is coming out because that’s where I live and experience.”

After Eu1ogy came, D.C. based group In Your Memory. Like the rest of the bands appearing that night, they played an energetic set of originals that was well received by the audience. Consisting of five instruments, In Your Memory moved around from heavily distorted funk beats to melodic heavy metal. Combined with the back and forth of lead singer Omar Veras, In Loving Memory was able to play to the crowd and present an entertaining set. I had a chance to talk to Omar afterward, and speaking on behalf of the benefit, he stated: “First thing is, after looking at all the mess, Jerrit reached out to a bunch of us. And the cool thing is, it’s a bunch of friends. A certain percentage of our merchandise is going to donations, and as far as who supported us first, even though we’re from D.C., Baltimore is really who put us out there. We were all like, that is the least we can do.”

Following In Your Memory was local group Fadest — a band similar in style to those performing throughout the night, but able to putting a personal spin on their work through their creative use of dual guitar rhythms. Driven by two guitars, like the rest of the bands playing, Fadest was able to play their first show ever (!) like it was nothing. If they had not announced it was their first show, I would not have been able to tell based on their tightness playing as a group. I would definitely recommend taking a look at these guys. Based on their first performance, I believe that they could go a long way playing the local circuit and beyond.

The band Haunt came next, and this group featured one of the two people responsible for setting this whole event up — Jerrit Decoursey, on the electric guitar. Taking the stage past 8 O’clock, it was clear that the audience had picked up by this point of the night. While I am not the one to say that this was the group to catch tonight, it was clear that these guys were tight. Well rehearsed and polished work made for an exciting set, featuring sample work of what seemed to be older songs electronically tinkered with, for artistic purposes, to kick off each original piece played. With a full-length album coming anytime between Christmas and February of 2016, Haunt is another band I would definitely recommend checking out soon. With a substantial amount of work already available, it should be very easy for a listener to pick up and go. An exciting live set made for yet another highlight of the night.

Following Haunt were the last two bands of the night: Birthright and Dreamcatcher. Both played equally energetic performances to the last members of the audience and rounded out what I thought was a successful benefit. I was able to take a step back from the balcony I sat and observed to the back of the venue itself, right near the bar. Taking everything in, I was able to think about not only how much the music means to the people willing to come out and support local artists, but also how much this city means to its inhabitants. It was very clear to see how important Baltimore is to the people that inhabit it, even if I happen to be viewing it through the lens of a deeply rooted, personal football rivalry. To say that any group of people would be understandably upset over the disturbing actions committed against Freddie Gray is an understatement. The actions that occurred in April are nothing short of tragic, and it still echoes in the city today. That tragedy called locals to action, and I believe I speak on behalf of the audience members who attended and those being helped by the donations collected that thanks to hosts Jerrit, Isaac, and the Ottobar itself, for another successful benefit.