The Ottobar

Last updated

The Ottobar
Ottobar wall 06082017.jpg
Ottobar wall, June 2017
The Ottobar
Location2549 North Howard Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Type Music venue
Opened1997 [1]
Website
http://www.theottobar.com

The Ottobar is a music venue in the Charles Village neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. In 2018 the Ottobar was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by Rolling Stone Magazine. [2] The Washington Post describes it as a "bastion of sub-mainstream music...where the insular community of artists and scenesters flock to hear the best touring bands." [3] It also hosts theme events, dance parties, and an occasional burlesque show. [3] [4]

Contents

History

Long considered one of the top music venues and one of the top indie and alternative music venues in Baltimore, Maryland, [1] [5] the Ottobar was opened in Downtown Baltimore by Michael Bowen, Todd Burger and Gillian Gabrielle in September 1997. [6] It was originally located at 203 East Davis Street in the former Chambers Nightclub. [7] The venue, which was named after Bowen's cat, Otto, was very small, providing an intimate setting for live music and performance art. [6] Despite its size, it attracted national acts such as Blonde Redhead, Bright Eyes, Death Cab for Cutie, Fear, Jimmy Eat World, Lamb of God, Le Tigre, of Montreal, Queens of the Stone Age, Spoon, The Rapture, and The White Stripes. It also supported local artists of the time, such as Daybreak, Goliath, Lungfish, Oxes, The Goons, and The Oranges Band. [7] The Ottobar has booked more than 12,000 acts since it opened rein 1997. [1] Performance art showcased included The 80's Prom, Salute To Satan, Tiny Couch Night, and The Death of Vaudeville Night. The Davis Street location closed on November 17, 2001. [7]

Jenn Wasner and Flock of Dimes performing at the Ottobar, June 8, 2017 Ottobar Concert Hall 06082017 LHCollins.jpg
Jenn Wasner and Flock of Dimes performing at the Ottobar, June 8, 2017

The Ottobar reopened the same month at its current 2549 North Howard Street location in lower Charles Village, south of the Johns Hopkins University campus and the Baltimore Museum of Art with owner Michael Bown and new partners Craig Boarman and Brian Deran. The Charles Village location is considerably larger, but still provides an intimate listening experience by permitting fans to be close to the bands. [7] The venue is valued by artists for its clientele and sound system. [8] Food is not served at the Ottobar. [4] There is a bar and concert area on the main floor, a balcony with seating and a good view of the first floor, and an area for dance parties on the second floor. [5] The second floor also has pool tables, a sofa, a small performance space, and a bar. It has been reported that there is a secret passage to the apartment next door which functions as the dressing room. [8]

Ottobar crowd in bar area, June 2017 Ottobar crowd 06082017 LHCollins 500.jpg
Ottobar crowd in bar area, June 2017

The new Ottobar also showcases emerging musical artists as well as national acts. [5] Some of the artists who have performed at the Ottobar include national artists Animal Collective, At the Drive In, Atmosphere, The Black Keys, Bouncing Souls, Coheed and Cambria, Damnwells, David Cross, Death Cab for Cutie, Dinosaur Jr, Drive-By Truckers, Father John Misty, Jimmy Eat World, Jonathan Richman, KRS-ONE, Maroon 5, The Melvins, Michael Ian Black, Queens of the Stone Age, Quiet Riot, Sharon Van Etten, Supersuckers, TV on the Radio, The Breeders, Brand New, Movielife, Saves the Day, Frank Turner, Samiam, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The venue also supports and showcases local artists such as Celebration, Lake Trout, Misery Index, Ponytail, and Thrushes. There are theme nights such as Underground Dance Party, Pet Wedding, Butcher Knife Throwing Contest, Spelling Bee, Ottobar Boys and Girls Choir, and Book Burning For Peace. [4] [5] [7] [9]

Ottobar bar, June 2017 Ottobar Bar 06082017 LHCollins.jpg
Ottobar bar, June 2017

It is the longtime home of Super Art Fight, hosting regular competitions since the event's inception in 2008.

In 2014, tragedy struck when Thomas Malenski and another employee were stabbed by Nicholas Heath after they escorted a friend of Heath's outside. [10] Malenski later died of his wounds. Musicians, patrons, and employees were surprised and said they had never felt unsafe coming to or being inside the Ottobar. The only other reported issues had been neighbors occasionally complaining that patrons were noisy as they left the bar. [11]

The Ottobar also hosts fundraisers and other events for various causes. In 2017, supporters of Planned Parenthood of Maryland met at Ottobar in Baltimore the day before the Women's March on Washington. [12] [13]

2018 sale

On November 2, 2018 the owners of Ottobar announced on Facebook that they planned to sell the bar and seemed to suggest that they had found a buyer. They refrained from naming the potential buyer. A real estate listing indicated a price of $1.25 million dollars for the real estate, liquor license, and a permit for daily live entertainment on all levels, as well as the furniture and sound equipment. [14]

In May 2019, it was announced that Ottobar was sold to long time employee Tecla Tesnau, a bartender who had been with the Ottobar since it opened. “To be honest with you, I really don’t want to change a single thing,” Tesnau told Sam Sessa of WTMD, “At all. Except for maybe clean the bathrooms.” [15]

COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Ottobar closed its indoor space to the public in March 2020. [16] Ottobar launched a GoFundMe campaign in August 2020 to cover "employee payroll, rents, basic operations, and supplies needed to protect all staff and guests to ensure their safety." [16]

In November 2020, Ottobar released "No Stagediving", a two-volume compilation featuring and benefiting Baltimore musicians. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DNA Lounge</span> Nightclub and pizza restaurant in San Francisco, California

DNA Lounge is an all-ages nightclub and restaurant/cafe in the SoMa district of San Francisco owned by Jamie Zawinski, a former Netscape programmer and open-source software hacker. The club features DJ dancing, live music, burlesque performances, and occasionally conferences, private parties, and film premieres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Cat (Washington, D.C., nightclub)</span>

The Black Cat is a nightclub in Washington, D.C., located on 14th Street Northwest in the Shaw/U Street neighborhood. The club was founded in 1993 by former Gray Matter drummer Dante Ferrando, along with a group of investors and quickly established itself as a venue for independent music. While the Black Cat is most known for its support of indie rock, featured musical acts include metal, punk, and electronic, as well as DJ/dance nights.

Pupa's Window is a lo-fi singer/songwriter pseudonym from Baltimore, Maryland.

WHFS was the call sign for three different FM stations in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, markets on various frequencies for nearly 50 years. The first and longest run was a progressive rock station and was usually, and affectionately, referred to as 'HFS. For many local residents, it was the first place to hear such bands as R.E.M., The Specials, Pixies, The Smiths, The Monochrome Set, The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, Stereolab, New Order, 311, Sublime and more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howl at the Moon</span>

Howl at the Moon is an American chain of live music venues, generally referred to as piano bars, established in 1990. As of 2024, the franchise had 14 locations in U.S. cities, plus locations on Norwegian Cruise Line ships. The company has also produced a traveling version of their dueling piano concept, which has been used for entertainment at charitable fundraising events.

WBAL-TV is a television station in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is the flagship property of Hearst Television, which has owned the station since its inception, and is sister to the company's sole radio properties, WBAL and WIYY. The three outlets share studios and offices on Television Hill in the Woodberry section of Baltimore, near the transmission tower that WBAL-TV also shares with WIYY and several other Baltimore television and radio stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WYPR</span> Public radio station in Baltimore, Maryland

WYPR is a public radio station serving the Baltimore, Maryland metropolitan area. Its studio is in the Charles Village neighborhood of northern Baltimore, while its transmitter is in Park Heights. The station is simulcast in the Frederick and Hagerstown area on WYPF and in the Ocean City area on WYPO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Seldon Plan</span> Musical artist

The Seldon Plan is a post-rock pop band from Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The group is primarily associated with the indie rock scene in the Northeast U.S.

The Mid-Atlantic music scene consists of mostly unsigned bands from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia. However, there have been some success stories of bands that worked hard over the years to achieve commercial success such as Jimmie's Chicken Shack, Good Charlotte, SR-71, and Nothingface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bottom of the Hill</span>

Bottom of the Hill is a concert venue located at the corner of 17th and Missouri streets in the Potrero Hill district of San Francisco, California According to Rolling Stone, the Bottom of the Hill is the best place to hear live music in San Francisco. It has repeatedly won the Readers' Poll Best of The Bay award for Rock venue, including 10 years in a row from 2003 to 2012. Bottom is described as the heart of San Francisco's indie rock scene and is among the most active venues in the city, usually holding shows seven nights a week. The venue contains a large antique bar, kitchen serving hot food, and patio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Chicago</span> Music venue in Chicago, Illinois, US

Metro is a concert hall in Chicago, Illinois, United States, that plays host to a variety of local, regional and national emerging bands and musicians. The Metro was first opened in 1982. The capacity is 1,100, divided between the main floor and the balcony. The building housing Metro also houses Smart Bar underneath the main venue.

WTMD is a non-commercial public radio station licensed to Towson, Maryland, and serving the Baltimore metropolitan area. It broadcasts an adult album alternative (AAA) radio format and is owned by Your Public Radio, along with NPR affiliate WYPR 88.1 FM. It holds periodic on-air fundraisers and seeks donations on its website.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noise Pop</span> Music promoter in California, US

Noise Pop is an independent music promoter established in San Francisco in 1993. Noise Pop's namesake festival, the Noise Pop Festival, has featured artists such as the White Stripes, Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, The Flaming Lips, The Shins, Fleet Foxes, Bright Eyes, and Yoko Ono.

Hammerjacks was a music venue in downtown Baltimore which operated from 1977 to 2006. It was founded by Louis J. Principio III. The club attracted many big-name national acts, but also showcased many rising stars in the music world. The bands ranged from punk, glam, thrash and heavy metal acts most commonly associated with the venue to pop and alternative rock groups. The club was often frequented by hard core patrons and musicians donning big hair, leather, lace, spandex, and heavy makeup, and was considered a "hard rock shrine." Hammerjacks, however, attracted audiences with other attire as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recher Theatre</span> Concert venue in Towson, Maryland, US

The Recher is a concert venue in Towson, Maryland. It is located at 512 York Road in the building previously operated as the Towson Theatre, a one-screen movie theater. The Towson Theatre was designed by architect John Ahlers of the George Norbury MacKenzie III architectural firm. It cost $100,000 to build and opened on March 1, 1928. The theatre was sold to the Recher family in the 1950s, who continued running the cinema into the 1990s. They then converted it into an upscale billiard parlor. The building was later transformed into The Recher Theatre, a concert venue, which opened in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beechfields Record Label</span>

The Beechfields Record Label was an American independent not-for-profit musician's cooperative record label, from Baltimore, Maryland, noted for an artist-centered approach to releasing records.

Jammin' Java is a music club and coffee bar in Vienna, Virginia, which focuses on local and independent musical acts. The 200-seat venue has hosted eminent artists such as Nick Jonas, Paramore, Bon Iver, Owl City, Meiko and Ingrid Michaelson. It was founded in 1999, and in 2001 was bought and revamped by the Brindley brothers who currently own and run it. According to Pollstar, it has become a top-100 club in ticket sales in the world since its Brindley ownership. It was also named one of the top 40 music clubs in America by Paste magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Vitus (venue)</span> Bar and music venue in Brooklyn, New York

Saint Vitus is a bar and music venue located in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Opened in April 2011, the 2,500 square feet (230 m2) venue is known for its heavy metal atmosphere. Some notable metal bands that have played there include Pentagram and Black Anvil. In April 2014, the surviving members of Nirvana performed at Saint Vitus with Joan Jett and Kim Gordon. Pitchfork writer Brandon Stosuy has also booked bands at the venue, such as Converge, Iceage, and Deafheaven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tate Kobang</span> American rapper from Maryland

Joshua Dai’Quan Goods, known professionally as Tate Kobang, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer. Although active in the Baltimore hip-hop scene since 2011, he rose to prominence with "Bank Rolls (Remix)", a 90-second promotional single for his April 2015 release "Live Hazey", released on YouTube on April 19, 2015, in remembrance of his mother. In 2020, he co-wrote the single "Mr. Right Now" by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Liquor Store</span> Defunct bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon, US

The Liquor Store was a bar, restaurant, and music venue in Portland, Oregon. Established in 2015, the business operated in a space previously occupied by the Blue Monk, a jazz club and restaurant, in southeast Portland's Sunnyside neighborhood. It was named the city's best new bar in Willamette Week's annual readers' poll in 2015 and 2016. The Liquor Store's upstairs had a bar and the owner's large vinyl record collection on display. The downstairs venue hosted live music and disc jockeys, playing a variety of genres, especially electronic music. The Liquor Store closed temporarily in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and two former employees filed a lawsuit claiming sexual harassment one month later. Sometimes confused for an actual liquor store, The Liquor Store closed permanently in September 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Staff (May 22, 2011). "Baltimore's Best in Indie & Alternative Music". CBS Baltimore . Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  2. ↑ Staff; Grant, Sarah (December 13, 2018). "10 Best Live Music Venues in America. From big rooms to intimate spaces, here's a selection of some of the country's best live music spots". Rolling Stone . Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Ramanathan, Lavanya (December 5, 2013). "A side of Baltimore you've never seen: where to eat, sip and see art now". The Washington Post . Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Fleishman, Tamar Alexia (June 16, 2015). "Baltimore's Ottobar Hosts Cool Events for Grown-Up Fun". USA Today . Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Staff (August 5, 2012). "Baltimore's Best Live Music Venues". CBS Baltimore . Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Waldman, Tyler (November 2, 2018). "Ottobar, Landmark of Baltimore Music Scene, To Change Hands". WBAL News Radio. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Staff. "History". Ottobar. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Staff (June 29, 2007). "Big Business". Billboard . Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  9. ↑ Staff (October 25, 2014). "Concerts". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  10. ↑ Anderson, Jessica (December 2, 2015). "Trial opens in fatal stabbing at Ottobar concert venue Murder trial under way". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  11. ↑ Staff (September 27, 2014). "Man arrested in fatal stabbing of Ottobar employee 2 stabbed outside popular north Baltimore bar". WBAL TV. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  12. ↑ WMAR Staff (January 20, 2017). "Planned Parenthood of Maryland supporters rally before Women's March". ABC News . Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  13. ↑ Mayhugh, Jess (September 29, 2014). "After an Ottobar staffer was killed, the bar releases a statement and hosts a fundraiser". Billboard . Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  14. ↑ Reed, Lillian (November 5, 2018). "Owners of Baltimore's iconic Ottobar searching for a buyer to 'carry on the tradition'". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  15. ↑ Sessa, Sam. "Exclusive: New Ottobar owner announced". WTMD. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  16. 1 2 Yeager, Amanda (August 10, 2020). "Ottobar, 'under very real threat' from Covid-19, launches $200K fundraiser". www.bizjournals.com. Baltimore Business Journal. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  17. ↑ December 2020, Lydia Woolever | (November 20, 2020). "Baltimore's Biggest Music Acts Team Up on Ottobar Benefit Album". Baltimore Magazine. Retrieved January 10, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

39°19′08″N76°37′10″W / 39.318802°N 76.619511°W / 39.318802; -76.619511

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.