I was born and raised in Ohio. I’ve been a Cleveland Brown’s fan from birth. As such I hate Baltimore, Maryland with a passion. My hatred of the city of Baltimore existed long before they stole Cleveland’s football team.
Baltimore Maryland also happens to be the place where one of my favorite poets, authors and literary critics, Edgar Allan Poe, died. Poe had the misfortune of dying in Baltimore, and even now, 169 years later, the circumstance of his death remain mysterious.
Not only did Baltimore kill Edgar Allan Poe, they buried him twice! Buried him twice, which of course means, they had to dig him up at least once to do it.
Baltimore! To add insult to injury, or insult to insult to injury, after they stole Cleveland’s football team, they stole Poe’s “Raven” for their misbegotten team’s new name.
So yes, I hate Baltimore! I have visited the city only once, to visit Poe’s grave. That visit was at his second grave, you know, after they dug him up from his first. That was it for me and Baltimore, no need for me to ever step foot in that city again.
And then I went to Nighthawk’s Punk Rock Burlesque: Sunny Parker’s Birthday Show and met a band by the name of Community Center.
Community Center is a touring band that makes you feel right at home. You can’t help but smile when they play. They play with such joy and passion a deaf person would be smiling right along with you, and them.
They throw everything but, no, everything plus the kitchen sink at you! Rock, Jazz, Folk, Funk, Southern Gospel, Hymns and anything else the story cries out for. They knocked me off balance from the beginning. Who expects to hear Amazing Grace or Baby Grand in a Punk Rock Show, even from an Indie Rock Band? And it wasn’t delivered in any sort of preachy way, just as part of the story.
Every time I thought they’re this, or they’re that, they pulled something else out of their hat.
Are they musicians? Storytellers? Kids doing a skit? Improv? Theater?
Then I realized I had not been knocked off balance, or if I had they caught me and swayed me back the other way, and again, until I was in rhythm, until I had joined Community Center.
Community Center is made up of a multitude of instruments, songs, styles, characters, both in their stories/songs and in the band itself. They have a Classical pianist, a Punk drummer, a Jazz saxophonist, and a Folk bass player. There are six musicians who play at least 13 instruments between them, maybe more. They change instruments so many times it’s hard to keep up because you’re busy having fun!
They played a second gig at Shantytown Pub the following Monday and I went to see them again. Had there been a third gig I would have gone to that as well.
They make you feel that you’re part of Community Center, both onstage and off.
It’s a heartwarming thing to hear a touring band call out to audience members by name. Even more heartwarming; giving local music legend, Charlie Shuck shit (jokingly) as well as credit (honestly) for doing a better cover of their song than they could play and watching Charlie’s face fill with love and tears when they asked him to join them in performing that song.
And guess where they’re from? Baltimore!
Community Center! Damn, I love that band! I especially love the people that make up that band. They are not just insanely talented musicians, they are insanely good people.
They’ll be back in Jacksonville again soon, I hope. If not I may have to catch them on tour in another city or go visit them in their home city of Baltimore, Maryland. I hear it’s a real nice place.
Community Center
Albums
Those Animals
Horns & Thorns
The Band
Brian Loeper
Instruments: Guitar, Vocals, Piano
Danny “Dbow” Benbow
Instruments: Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Vocals, Penny Whistle
Lacey Loeper
Instruments: Accordion, Violin, Piano, Vocals
Jeanette Lynne
Instruments: Bass, Guitar, Vocals
Amanda Rife
Instruments: Vocals, Trumpet, Auxiliary Percussion
Matt Stoner
Instruments: Percussion, Vocals
Bobby Moody
Instruments: Sound Engineering
