Posts tagged with "Baltimore"

Lids Foundation × Boys & Girls Clubs

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore joined elected officials and community leaders to break ground on the new Mace’s Lane Community Center. The state-of-art Center will be home to a one-of-a-kind, a generational project that is designed to honor the history of the African American educational experience in Cambridge, while inspiring the next generation.

The groundbreaking ceremony included guest speakers Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland, LajanCephas, Acting Mayor, and Cambridge Commissioner, Pastor Keith Cornish, President, Mace’s Lane Community Center, Inc., Jeff Breslin, President, and CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan. Baltimore, and Nik Tatum, Chair, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore Board of Directors.

“This new community center is just one of the many important redevelopment projects happening in Cambridge, and another way that we are honoring the commitment we made eight years ago when I was first running for governor,” said, Governor Hogan. “I said then that if I was elected, the war on rural Maryland would be over, and communities that had been ignored and neglected would no longer be forgotten. I meant what I said, our administration has consistently proven that over and over again, and we are doing that once again here in Cambridge.”

The new Center is designed to foster inclusive community participation and provide an environmentally safe and friendly facility for the arts, education, recreation, celebration, and locally based human services to increase opportunities for the personal and collective growth of the Dorchester County community.

The former Mace’s Lane High School building will be repurposed and redeveloped to serve as a 16,000 square foot community center. The facility will include multiple meeting rooms to facilitate training as well as organizational meetings, a full-size gymnasium which can also be used as an auditorium for larger events such as concerts and banquets, Incubator space for local community-based programs, and a museum depicting the history of Maces Lane High School and the education of the African American community during segregation and after integration.

“Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore is proud to partner with the Cambridge community, the Mace’s Lane Community Center, Inc., and the many alumni that are helping to bring the vision for this state-of-the-art facility to life. We stand ready to continue our support of the Cambridge community and look forward to expanding Boys & Girls Club programs in the renovated Mace’s Lance Community Center and Boys & Girls Club.” said Jeff Breslin, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore. Guests received a commemorative hat, provided by LIDS. The LIDS Foundation is a supporter of the Mace’s Lane project.

Once known as Mace’s Lane High School during times of segregation, the facility was an all-African-American high school that opened in 1952, and continued to be a segregated high school until 1969. During that time, all African-American students that lived in Dorchester County, MD were required to attend this school, until the County was forced to integrate in 1969, this would later become a junior high school until 2004. Eventually, a new middle school was built from the ground up and since then, the original Mace’s Lane High School has been abandoned and empty.

“We are preserving our rich history, inspiring our community, and empowering our youth for success,” said Tyrus Farrow, Sr. Project Manager for Mace’s Lane.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Maryland

Boys & Girls Clubs of Maryland (BGCMD) is a relentless champion for youth across the entire state, doing whatever it takes to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full
potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

Local Boys & Girls Clubs across Maryland play a critical role in meeting the needs of youth and families in their communities at more than sixty locations in thirteen counties, with plans to expand our footprint
to reach more than 45,000 youth in all 23 counties.

Consisting of nine independent organizations, BGCMD exists to unite and strengthen the efforts of individual Boys & Girls Clubs by enhancing our shared brand, facilitating collaboration, securing large-scale financial support, and identify ways to serve more young people in Maryland.

Learn more and get involved HERE

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore (BGCMetro) ensure every child has access to a great future by providing caring mentors, a safe environment, high-quality programs, and unique experiences. BGC Metro’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. BGC Metro serves over 650 youth annually in nine Club locations including Baltimore City, Salisbury, Laurel, Pocomoke City, and Cambridge.

Preakness LIVE Festival

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1/ST EXPERIENCE, curators of world-class entertainment and hometown hospitality for Preakness 147, announces a collaboration with Baltimore’s own Kevin Liles, CEO and Chairman of 300 Entertainment and Elektra Music Group, to launch Preakness LIVE Culinary, Art & Music Festival as part of an expanded Preakness entertainment and cultural celebration set to take place on Black-Eyed Susan Day, Friday, May 20. The festival is just one part of 1/ST’s new long-term campaign, Baltimore 1/ST, kicking off this year.

In consultation with Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and in collaboration with Baltimore notable Kevin Liles, Preakness LIVE will be the first event to take place as part of Baltimore 1/ST, a holistic new campaign that heralds the Preakness’ lifelong home and represents a commitment from 1/ST, owner and operator of the Preakness, to support and build on the optimism and enthusiasm for the future of the city. Baltimore 1/ST will champion the race’s connection to Baltimore by leveraging the Preakness platform to highlight and impact local culture year-round across the pillars of music, art, fashion, culinary, sports and community, featuring both international and local Baltimore talent.

“I am incredibly excited about this new collaboration being led by a true son of Baltimore. This will not only improve the Preakness experience, but also support and elevate Baltimore culture through art, sports, fashion and food year-round,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott.”I look forward to the profound impact this new focus on Baltimore art and culture will have on our city’s next generation of creative minds. I want to thank Kevin Liles, 300 Entertainment and Elektra Music Group, and 1/ST EXPERIENCE for their investment in our city and it’s unique cultural fabric.”

Taking place in the iconic Pimlico Infield, Preakness LIVE will feature performances by GRAMMY Award winners Ms. Lauryn Hill and Megan Thee Stallion, NAACP Image Award winner D-Nice and Baltimore-bred talent including rising singer Brittney Spencer, Darin Atwater and The Soulful Symphony, plus a performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by WanMor and more. Local talent will also perform on the Charm City Stage throughout the evening. Preakness LIVE is produced in collaboration with Karlitz & Company.

“Baltimore is more than a city, just as Preakness is more than a race,” said Kevin Liles, CEO and Chairman of 300 Entertainment and Elektra Music Group. “What we’re building with Preakness LIVE is a movement, not a moment. As a native son of this great city and a life-long fan of Preakness, I’m so proud to help bring an event of this scale and scope home, creating a cultural milestone both for residents and visitors rediscovering Baltimore’s charms.”

Celebrity chefs Tom Colicchio, Marcus Samuelsson, Gail Simmons and beloved Baltimore chefs Saon Brice of BLK Swan and Mario Moise of Bar ONE will perform culinary showcases on the main stage. Chefs Colicchio, Samuelsson and Simmons will collaborate to develop unique offerings for guests in the Finish Line Suites, Turfside Terrace and the Home Stretch Pavilions. Preakness LIVE will also debut Restaurant Row, made up of a diverse group of local eateries featuring regional culinary delights serving fans on both Black-Eyed Susan Day and Preakness Day.

Baltimore’s vibrant art scene will be given a showcase in the Pimlico infield during Preakness weekend with unique installations throughout the art garden, curated by acclaimed Baltimore multidisciplinary artist and founder of “The Last Resort Artist Retreat” Derrick Adams. The art garden will display works from a multitude of local artists as well as entrants of the Preakness 147 Art of Racing campaign, among other exciting activations.

To further connect the Preakness weekend celebrations to Park Heights, Park Heights Renaissance will sponsor and lead the first annual George “Spider” Anderson Preakness Music and Arts Festival in recognition of the first African American jockey to win the Preakness Stakes in 1889. The day-long festival on May 21st will feature live music, arts & crafts, the days’ races live-streamed, top food trucks and will highlight community businesses and partners.

Park Heights Renaissance Executive Director Yolanda Jiggetts says, “We are committed to engaging the community in the history of Preakness. This will be a celebration of the Preakness in a way that’s groundbreaking and we hope connects residents and local businesses like never before. 1/ST continues to show its commitment to strengthening its reach in the community through its growing relationship with Park Heights Renaissance.”

During the third running of the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, the recipient of the George E. Mitchell Park Heights Community Fellowship Grant, awarded by Park Heights Renaissance, will be recognized with a special presentation from the Winner’s Circle. The iconic race was renamed in 2020 to highlight the extraordinary legacy of Mitchell himself and to create a platform for the recognition of those in the Park Heights community who share in Mitchell’s vision and leadership towards revitalization of the Park Heights community.

“The Preakness 147 celebration, including everything we are doing on Black-Eyed Susan Day and on Preakness Day, will bring together entertainers, artists, lifestyle, hospitality and culinary leaders, and the community for weekend of events that will put Baltimore front and center,” said Jimmy Vargas, CEO, 1/ST EXPERIENCE. “We are thrilled to be working with Mayor Scott, Kevin Liles, Yolanda Jiggetts and some of the city’s top cultural shapeshifters to reaffirm and evolve the connection between the Preakness and the people of Baltimore.”Tickets for Preakness LIVE go on-sale April 13th and range from $49-$175. These and other Preakness weekend tickets can be purchased online by clicking HERE. As part of the ongoing partnership between 1/ST and Park Heights Renaissance, tickets for Preakness LIVE and for InfieldFest will be distributed to the Parks Heights community through Park Heights Renaissance.

Boston Manor Tour Dates

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Boston Manor has announced they will be headlining their first North American Tour this year with support from Trash Boat and Higher Power. Tickets are on sale now HERE.

They have also released an acoustic rendition of their recent single “Algorithm.” It’s a delicately lush, piano-led iteration of the track which is a rumination of the burden to perpetuate “content” beyond art, that creators are laden with these days. Fans can listen to the new acoustic single HERE.

Boston Manor 2022 North American Tour Dates

April 4 – Toronto, ON – The Velvet Underground

April 6 – Boston, MA – Crystal Ballroom

April 7 – Boston, MA – Crystal Ballroom

April 8 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theater

April 9 – Philadelphia, PA – Foundry

April 10 – Baltimore, MA – Ottobar

April 12 – North Carolina – Blind Tiger

April 13 – Orlando, FL – Abbey

April 14 – Tampa, FL – Orpheum

April 15 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade

April 16 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge

April 18 – Dallas, TX – Dada

April 19 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live

April 20 – Austin, TX – Come and Take It Live!

April 22 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel

April 23 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room Highland Park

April 24 – Orange County, CA – Chain Reaction

April 26 – Berkley, CA – Cornerstone

April 28 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon

April 29 – Vancouver, BC – Hollywood Theater

April 30 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne

May 2 – Salt Lake City, UT – Loading Dock

May 3 – Denver, CO – Marquis

May 4 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck

May 6 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge

May 7 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick

May 8 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland

May 9 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird

Boston Manor relished their return to live music in 2021, delivering incendiary sets at the landmark Download Pilot, Reading & Leeds, and Slam Dunk Festivals. They also made it back out to North America as main support to Neck Deep with a setlist for both new and old fans alike.

Along with their headline North American 2022 tour, Boston Manor is also set to headline the UK in February at some of their biggest shows to date and this summer will see the band return to Download Festival, as well as playing Rock Am Ring, Graspop, and more.

The original version of “Algorithm” features on Boston Manor’s Desperate Times, Desperate Pleasures EP which was released in October 2021 via SharpTone Records. The EP is now available on 10″ vinyl, following its digital and cassette tape formats.

Desperate Times, Desperate Pleasures marks a concerted step into the future for Boston Manor. It’s the coining of a bold, bright new sound, building upon the bruising pop-punk of their earlier work and the big moves of their last album GLUE, to compose music that’s both heavier and more unabashedly accessible than that which preceded it. Hook-laden, coherent, blackly witty, and with a molten emotional core, it’s the opening of a new chapter, hinting at even greater brilliance to follow. This latest collection sees Boston Manor tapping into teen influences of the late 90s—The Cardigans, the Cranberries, later-era Depeche Mode. They recorded their new material at Stu Stu Studio in Brixton with Larry Hibbitt.

ASHLEY KUTCHER × ONE EIGHTY LIVE

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Up and coming pop singer-songwriter Ashley Kutcher just announced her first live tour dates in both Los Angeles and New York City. The upcoming two-night tour is set to begin in March 2022 and will feature performances of Ashley’s debut EP One Eighty. For a sneak peek at what is to come from the tour, watch Ashley’s live performance of “The Night You Left” HERE. Tickets for the tour are available on January 14, 2022, at 10AM PST.

One Eighty includes Ashley’s first song that went viral with a total of 58M audio streams, “Love You From a Distance.” After the success of “Love You From a Distance,” Ashley landed a deal with Darkroom/Interscope Records. The EP symbolizes Ashley’s rising success collected in the past year that accumulated millions of streams. When considering the EP, Ashley says, “One Eighty is a collection of songs I wrote as my life took a complete turn. It’s a project of discovering who I am as an artist. Together these songs tell my story and I could not be more excited to share it.” One Eighty is available HERE.

About Ashley Kutcher

Ashley Kutcher is a 23-year-old rising singer, songwriter and artist originally from Baltimore, Maryland. Ashley originally went on to chase a nursing degree at Towson University after high school. During her time at school, a local bar discovered a video of her singing online and asked her to perform on their stage. This single opportunity opened Ashley up to the world of music and songwriting, as she quit her waitressing job and began playing sets at the bar, playing for around four hours per each night. When Ashley’s senior year came, she began posting her singing talents on TikTok. Ashley posted a demo of “Lust,” which captivated the attention of over thousands of people. Continuing off this momentum, Ashley soon after posted another demo “Hands to Myself” to streaming platforms, with the song accumulating over 1 million streams on Spotify.

While continuing to grow her emerging fanbase, Ashley noticed a tweet from blackbear that stated, “hit me up if you don’t like me.” Ashley took inspiration from this tweet, and formulated her own song called “HMU if U Don’t Like Me,” similar to the tweet by blackbear. The song rapidly gained another million streams, and Ashley realized the true talent that she possessed. Ashley, again, took to TikTok with another one of her songs “Love You From A Distance,” produced by Eric Taft. The song surpassed 9.5 million Spotify streams while she signed to Darkroom/Interscope Records (with now over 58 million audio streams). Ashley’s creative and sincere point of view attracted her audience, leading to the success of her debut EP One Eighty. Ashley now is getting ready to perform her music for the first time in Los Angeles and New York.

Ashley Kutcher One Eighty Tour Dates:

March 8 Los Angeles, CA Moroccan Lounge

March 10 New York City, NY Mercury Lounge

Geppi Collection Opens at LOC

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A new exhibition at the Library of Congress explores how comic books have permeated popular entertainment and influenced U.S. culture, highlighting selections from the Stephen A. Geppi Collection that was generously donated to the national library in 2018.

“Geppi Gems” is now open in the Library’s Graphic Arts Gallery through mid-March 2022. A second rotation with different items is planned for spring 2022. The exhibition now features 33 items from the collection of more than 3,000 cartoons, comic books and related items in the Geppi Collection.

The wide range of rare comics on view span genres including Walt Disney’s iconic characters, westerns, superheroes, science fiction, horror, sports, music and entertainment.

“Popeye, Superman, Wonder Woman, Black Panther — some cartoon characters have become both instantly and internationally recognizable, but they didn’t get their start on television or in the movies, but rather on the pages of newspapers and comic books,” said Sara Duke, curator of popular and applied graphic arts, who wrote about the exhibition on the Library’s Picture This blog.

The exhibition explores the role of early newspapers in the development of comic books and characters. As a nod to the collection’s founder, the exhibition also represents the major themes of the former Geppi Entertainment Museum in Baltimore, which operated between 2006 and 2018.

“It’s so gratifying to see more of the Geppi Gems collection made available to the public in this exhibition,” Geppi said. “This and future displays will continue to expose new fans to the rich artistic history of pop culture started here in the United States. I’m more excited than ever and want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to my dear friend and Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, for her vision, as well as the curators and conservators who have worked so hard to make this possible.”

Over the years, Geppi has amassed one of the largest individual collections of vintage comic books and pop culture artifacts in the world.

Highlights of the exhibition include:

Popeye in an early syndicated newspaper comic strip from 1931 when the character’s popularity was exploding.
Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck during their rise in popularity as animated characters. Walt Disney understood the role of marketing his characters so that they would be instantly recognizable.
Annie Oakley, Wyatt Earp and Steve McQueen as characters from America’s Wild West translated from Western novels to radio, comics, film and television.
Superman’s history with Action Comics and the birth of the comic book superhero from DC Comics, along with examples from the history of Batman and Robin and Wonder Woman.
Black Panther’s self-titled debut from Marvel Comics in 1977 and the story of Captain America in The Avengers before he became one of the most popular comic book characters today.
Science fiction’s history in comics with examples of dramatic visual expression, including Weird Science and Science and Invention.
Terrifying creatures of horror that were brought to visual life through comics in magazines like Creepy.
Sports as represented through comic books and cartoon art, including Babe Ruth Sports.
Pop culture represented in posters, magazines and collectibles promoting musicians through graphic art, including Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, The Jackson 5 and more.

Free timed entry tickets are available for visitors to the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 4

p.m. To plan a visit and reserve tickets, go to loc.gov/visit. Tickets will be released on a rolling 30-day basis. For online versions of the Library’s exhibitions, visit loc.gov/exhibits.

Geppi is the founder, owner, chairman and CEO of Geppi Family Enterprises, a Baltimore-based network of pop culture companies including Diamond Comic Distributors, Diamond UK, Gemstone Publishing, E. Gerber, Baltimore Magazine, Diamond International Galleries, Diamond Select Toys, Alliance Game Distributor, Diamond Book Distributors, Hake’s Auctions, Art Asylum, Gentle Giant, Sapphire Studios and the recently acquired Collectible Grading Authority.

About the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States—and extensive materials from around the world—both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

Ashley Kutcher – Fake Bitches

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Rising pop singer/songwriter Ashley Kutcher unleashes her explosive new single Fake Bitches with accompanying music video out today on Interscope Records. The 22-year-old artist holds nothing back on the track, using her soaring vocal melodies to tear into fakes, flakes, and haters.

“The idea for this song came about after talking about my transition from nursing to signing a record deal” says Ashley on the creation of ‘Fake Bitches.’ “While it’s an exciting stage of my life, I have also received a lot of unwanted “feedback” from people around me. This made me realize that as I’ve gotten older, I really only have a couple of real friends that truly have my back. I wanted to make a fun song that people can relate to when it comes to knowing who the real people in your life are, and of course, knowing who’s definitely not.”

The scathing, yet sincere track starts on the defensive. “I know I got a couple things to prove,” she admits in a bold, breathy croon. A moody guitar builds into a fist-pumping chorus as Kutcher flexes her vocals and shows her teeth. “One more basic conversation. Fuck no baby, I can’t take it,” she sings. With production by Los Angeles duo Afterhrs (who’ve co-written and co-produced tracks for artists including Louis Tomlinson, Maroon 5, and One Direction), “Fake Bitches” is a fun, feisty spin on Kutcher’s poignant, confessional songwriting.

“Fake Bitches” arrives amid a productive streak for Kutcher. She recently shared the sentimental single “Favorite What If” and the softly cinematic “If I Could,” the latter of which has gathered nearly 2 million Spotify streams since its April release. This recent run follows Kutcher’s breakout debut song, “Love You From A Distance,” which has amassed over 36M combined streams across Spotify and Apple Music, and earned placement on highly coveted playlists including Pop Rising, Fresh & Chill, Alone Again, and more.

With nearly 36K TikTok creates under her belt and radio placement from BBC Radio 1’s “Best New Pop” and Sirius XM’s “The Pulse,” the Baltimore native has started to embrace her place as one of pop music’s most affecting newcomers. Tracks like “Fake Bitches” show her songwriting prowess and range, something she’ll only continue to develop as she works on her debut EP, which is due to be released later this year on Darkroom / Interscope.

About Ashley Kutcher

Baltimore, MD, singer, songwriter, and artist Ashley Kutcher distinguishes herself as the kind of raw talent equally at home on the stage of a neighborhood watering hole or live on social media. Post-high school, she pursued a nursing degree at Towson University. While at Towson, a local bar came across a video of her singing online and invited her to perform on their stage. This opportunity opened the floodgates as Ashley quit her waitressing job shortly after and logged regular marathon sets, often playing four hours per night. During her senior year, she uploaded a demo of her original composition “Lust” to TikTok. The video instantly gained traction and garnered thousands of views in just 48 hours. To sustain this momentum, she released a follow-up demo called “Hands To Myself” to streaming platforms and the song quickly surpassed 1 million streams on Spotify. While her nascent fan base continued to grow, Ashley came across a tweet from blackbear that read “hit me up if you don’t like me.” As her creative neurons began to fire, she used the tweet as inspiration and responded with her own song similarly named “HMU if U Don’t Like Me,” which went on to quickly rack up another million streams. At this point, she realized the power of transforming a post into a song and did the same thing with “Love You From a Distance,” setting TikTok on fire with just a D.I.Y. performance clip from her bathroom. Produced by Eric Taft, the song quickly eclipsed 9.5 million Spotify streams as she signed to Darkroom/Interscope Records (now at over 36M combined). Amassing 20 million streams independently and 20 million TikTok views, Ashley’s heartfelt honesty captivates on a series of singles for Darkroom/Interscope and her forthcoming 2021 debut EP.

BUTCH DAWSON RELEASES SINGLE × MUSIC VIDEO – GET MONEY

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Rapper, producer, songwriter and “a leading voice in Baltimore’s evolving music scene” (Baltimore Sun) Butch Dawson unveils his latest single “Get Money” with accompanying music video. Self-recorded and produced, “Get Money” is raw and textured while showcasing Butch’s dexterous flow. The catchy single follows on the heels of “Hummer,” the lead track off his highly anticipated EP Stardust, out later this summer via Asylum Records.

Co-directed by Khufu Najee and Loris Russier, the “Get Money” video takes the viewer on a first-hand journey of a day and night in the life with Butch and his crew. Blending fast & eccentric footage with still photographs the visuals simultaneously create a real time and nostalgic adventure.

Click here to listen to “Get Money.”

Click here to watch the “Get Money” music video.

“Get Money was made last year. It’s about getting money any way possible and just the perfect montage to get money to,” Butch explains. “The inspiration came from a Kendrick Lamar cadence on ‘ELEMENT.,’ and I created the beat around my vocals. This song feels like an anthem for Baltimore and reminds me of the late single from Tim Trees called ‘Bankroll.’ It’s a simple beat but creates room for a catchy wordplay.”

Merging at the intersection of music and fashion, the West Baltimore native’s braggadocious bars and experimental perspective are all the right elements for a promising career. On his major label debut, Butch shares, “Stardust is about my transition into becoming a household name. The name derived from a project that I wanted to put out before covid called “Jazzstar.” Conceptually, I wanted to highlight all the qualities that makes me a star, and an interesting person. I want to leave my mark in the industry by setting an example and always doing something that breaks barriers. I’m dropping that star dust on the game.”

Stardust EP Track List:

Celebrate
Hummer
All Mine
One Heaven Away
Sutter Hoe
Get Money
Momentum

“Maintains his inner punk side, continuing with his experimental energy, relishes in a more jazz-focused approach to raw hip-hop.” -HYPEBEAST

“Butch Dawson has long been at the forefront of Baltimore’s eclectic DIY rap scene.” -DJ Booth

Butch Dawson is a Rapper You Should Know Right Now – Read More Via DJ Booth

ABOUT BUTCH DAWSON:

Butch Dawson’s artistic journey is a testament to what can happen when someone doesn’t place any parameters around their creativity. The West Baltimore native has been a pivotal figure in his hometown’s hip-hop scene for a decade, starting as a battle rapper while still in high school. In the years following those embryonic stages, Butch’s artistry began to blossom as he developed his skills in constructing songs, producing for himself and others, while also finding innovative ways to promote what he and his peers were making. In the early half of the 2010’s, his music reflected the shit-talking, bounciness that rappers trying to get crowds to jump and down to their songs reflected at the time. But towards the middle of the decade, with songs like “Red Leather Chair,” his sound started to trend more towards a jazzy, melancholy direction where he was able to peel back his emotional layers in a way that he hadn’t before. As time progressed, Butch’s music has become a down-the-middle split between making you want to punch a hole through the wall and inspiring you to sit back and gather your thoughts about life, past, present and future.

And while his career evolved over this span of time, Butch was simultaneously helping usher in an alternative route for rappers trying to break out of Baltimore. He hails from the Pennsylvania Avenue section of West Baltimore, an area steeped in musical history. Clubs like the former Royal Theater regularly hosted Black musical icons like Billie Holiday and visiting artists as they hit the Chitlin’ Circuit. But during Butch’s lifetime, though still an essential part of Black Baltimore culture, Pennsylvania Avenue regressed into a shell of its former self, with the majority of nightlife destinations vanishing, while crime and dilapidation rose considerably. This pushed a young creative Butch who was hungry for inspiration to start looking past his neighborhood and other familiar parts of the city. What he found was Central Baltimore’s transplant-heavy alternative DIY scene, and it opened his mind to a new way to approach his work.

Getting into that scene helped me evolve artistically because, you know, I was more open to different shit, he says. Living in the hood and shit all day, you can be close-minded a little bit if you don’t go out and just see the world for yourself. So for me, just going out there and just seeing people soak all this music up, it allowed me to just open my mind creatively, and it made me become more experimental with my music.

As he was making his way in the alternative scene, tirelessly releasing collaborative projects with others in that orbit, establishing the Basement Rap collective with like-minded friends, and getting coverage from national music platforms, Butch was inspiring other kids from inner city Baltimore to spread their wings. It also made Baltimore a much more enticing destination for artists from elsewhere, like standout rapper and producer JPEGMAFIA who moved to the city in 2014 and began collaborating with Butch almost instantly. For this, Butch Dawson is already a pioneer, which makes his recent accomplishments all the more special.

In 2018, he released his breakout project Swamp Boy, an eight-track album that is the most complete representation of what makes him exceptional. It features songs like Division St. Blues, a somber ode to the street he grew up on and how it’s changed over the years. Around the same time, he began to model for and collaborate with fashion designer Telfar Clemens. In 2019, he followed Swamp Boy with Ollieworld, a more high octane project that felt like it was made with performing live in mind (he toured with JPEGMAFIA across North America that year). The majority of this was accomplished from Butch’s home studio in Baltimore. And now as he’s newly signed to Asylum Records, it feels like the rest of the world will finally be hip to the gifts that he’s been sharing for over ten years now.

Connect With Butch Dawson:

Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | Soundcloud

SAINT MOTEL ANNOUNCES U.S. AND EUROPEAN TOURS

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Elektra recording group Saint Motel have announced U.S. and European tours in support of their forthcoming album The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The band’s U.S. tour will kick off this September with three special hometown shows at Los Angeles, CA’s The Roxy Theatre, and wrap on Halloween at Madison, WI’s Majestic Theater. In March of 2022, the band will return to the road for a European tour. The upcoming dates mark Saint Motel’s first live shows since their sold-out U.S. tour wrapped in March of 2020. Pre-sale tickets for all dates will be available beginning tomorrow, and general on sale begins this Friday, June 11 at 10:00am local time here.

Saint Motel’s highly anticipated new album The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will be released on June 25, 2021. The album is available for pre-order now here. The band recently unveiled an official music video for the album’s current single “It’s All Happening”, co-directed by Saint Motel front man A/J Jackson and Mario Contini. Watch it on the band’s official YouTube channel here.

On The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack the Los Angeles-based band dreams up their own cinematic experience in album form, as its songs cycle through stories of love, danger, and impossible triumph. The album also embodies an opulent sound true to its ambitious scope. Co-produced by front man A/J Jackson and Grammy Award-winner Mark Needham (The Killers, Dolly Parton, Chris Isaak), The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack continues the Saint Motel custom of joyfully blurring genres, bringing in elements of everything from symphonic pop to big band.

Audiences began experiencing the album with the release of a pair of EPs: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Pt.1 and The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Pt. 2. Among many highlights, “Van Horn” has amassed nearly 20 million streams, while the band performed it on ABC’s JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! Receiving critical acclaim, Dujour described “Preach” as “a bop,” while American Songwriter poured over the album’s concept in an in-depth interview with A/J. Further looks came from Ladygunn, Hollywood Life, and more. Now, fans get the full picture of Saint Motel’s vision with the complete The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack studio album.

In the lead up to the album, Saint Motel made history as “the first band to open their own virtual metaverse” powered by Mozilla Hubs. The virtual world is designed as a motel with each room dedicated to a song on The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The quartet’s launch of “New World” welcomed fans to the virtual space where Jackson performed a live acoustic set. In this 3D VR chatroom enabled for all headsets and browsers, audiences can enter an exclusive, immersive environment to engage directly with the band through virtual meet-and-greets and intimate, live performances, consume exclusive video content, and much more. Additionally, it doubles as a space for fans to congregate and get to know each other. Saint Motel’s “New World” upholds what has become a tradition of engaging with groundbreaking technology for the guys. Visit Saint Motel’s website to explore the “New World.” In 2016, they dropped their Elektra full length debut saintmotelevision as the first-ever Virtual Reality album and first-ever Augmented Reality album and accompanied the record with the free saintmotel AR/VR app.

Saint Motel U.S. Tour Dates

September 30, 2021 – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy Theatre

October 01, 2021 – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy Theatre

October 02, 2021 – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy Theatre

October 04, 2021 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theater

October 05, 2021 – Santa Ana, CA – Observatory

October 07, 2021 – Salt Lake City, UT – Depot

October 08, 2021 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater

October 09, 2021 – Fort Collins, CO – The Aggie

October 11, 2021 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown

October 12, 2021 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note

October 13, 2021 – Urbana, IL – The Canopy Club

October 15, 2021 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl

October 16, 2021 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theater

October 17, 2021 – Knoxville, TN – The Mill & Mine

October 18, 2021 – Asheville, NC – Orange Peel

October 20, 2021 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom

October 21, 2021 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater

October 22, 2021 – Harrisburg, PA – Harrisburg University

October 23, 2021 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Sound Stage

October 26, 2021 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall

October 27, 2021 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground

October 29, 2021 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom

October 30, 2021 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection

October 31, 2021 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theater

Saint Motel European Tour Dates

March 31, 2022 – Berlin, Germany – Franz Club

April 02, 2022 – Hamburg, Germany – Stage Club

April 03, 2022 – Cologne, Germany – Luxor

April 05, 2022 – Munich, Germany – Hansa 39

April 06, 2022 – Milan, Italy – Circolo Magnolia

April 08, 2022 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso Noord

April 09, 2022 – Brussels, Belgium – Botanique The Rotonde

April 10, 2022 – Paris, France – La Maroquinerie

April 12, 2022 – London, UK – Islington Assembly Hall

April 13, 2022 – Manchester, UK – Academy 2

Projecting pop hooks through an alternative lens with a flair for dramatic presentation, Saint Motel make music worthy of the big screen. Streamed and viewed over half-a-billion times, the platinum-selling Los Angeles quartet magnify this vision with immersive live experiences and one unpredictable move after another. The group initially came together at film school before introducing themselves on 2012’s Voyeur. Signing to Elektra Records, their 2014 My Type EP boasted both the gold-certified title track “My Type” and fan favorite “Cold Cold Man.” In 2016, saintmotelevision yielded the smash “Move.” Flipping the script once again, the musicians reimagined the record with a series of history-making first-of-their-kind innovations: an award-winning Virtual Reality version and an Augmented Reality version. In 2019, Saint Motel launched their most ambitious undertaking yet, unveiling their third full-length album in three parts. First up, they uncovered The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Pt. 1 powered by the shimmy and shake of Alternative Top 15 lead single “Van Horn.” Between packing houses coast to coast on headline jaunts and earning acclaim from People, Billboard, and more, the four-piece rolled out Pt. 2 throughout 2020. In addition to unforgettable sets everywhere from Coachella and Lollapalooza to Bonnaroo, the boys lit up shows such as NBC’s TODAY, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and CBS’ The Late Late Show with James Corden, among others.

Saint Motel is: A/J Jackson (vocals), Aaron Sharp (guitar), Dak Lerdamornpong (bass), and Greg Erwin (drums).

Connect With Saint Motel

Saint Motel Website

Saint Motel – New World

Vaughn Hebron QxA

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“The Oval,” the hit BET show from Tyler Perry, will return to homes for its second season in Oct., and Vaughn Hebron is front and center.

Playing Barry, a man whose daughter was kidnapped by his ex-girlfriend, Hebron finds himself in the middle of a show about an interracial family living in the White House. Perfect on the outside but full of lies on the inside, the family brings some of the best drama to television.

Hebron was born in Baltimore and attended Pennsylvania’s Lafayette College on a Division 1 football scholarship. At Lafayette College, he joined Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Business and minor in Africana Studies.

He began a career in pharmaceuticals but eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Early on he booked commercials, and he’ll appear in the Will Smith-led “King Richard” in 2021.

Hebron answered a few questions for 360 MAGAZINE regarding “The Oval,” the entertainment industry and his future.

360: Tell us about “The Oval” and your character and what we can look forward to in season 2.

Hebron: “The Oval” is a Tyler Perry soap, set in the White House, that centers around the First Family and their staff. Well, at least it did in the first season. The series has expanded and plunged into the personal and dramatic lives of each individual and is now a whirlwind of dramatics and juicy story lines. I play Barry Hallsen on the show, the son of the White House Head Butler. Barry is a young man in his early 20s trying to establish himself while providing for his daughter, Callie. In the first season, he faces extreme challenges in and out of the White House, namely having his daughter kidnapped by his baby mother, Ruth, who is part of a vicious cult. The first season follows his journey to finding his daughter and the many problems he creates for himself in doing so. What viewers can look forward to in the second season is Barry getting closer to finding his daughter but also getting closer to the imminent danger that surrounds her.

360: Before you became an actor, you were in pharmaceutical sales. How was the transition, and are you excited about the career change?

Hebron: The transition was a big adjustment, going from a steady, regular paycheck and working every day to not knowing when the next time I’ll be working but still getting paid for it. Basically, I had to start all over from square one and figure things out each step of the way. It was intimidating and uncertain, but it’s also been very fulfilling. It feels like I am being driven by something that I never felt in my corporate career: a new sense of purpose. The unknowingness was both scary and exciting.

360: What has been your biggest challenge thus far in the industry?

Hebron: Coming from a corporate background, I was used to a lot of structure. There were always deadlines, expectations that would be met, structured and upkept working conditions, and if there were any questions, someone there to help. There’s almost none of that in the industry. There are no set timelines on when we book jobs, no set path on how to be successful and reach a certain level in your career and no formal performance evaluations. Even asking for help could be just as bad as not asking for help. The biggest challenge for me was adjusting to this space of having to completely trust in the process and letting God take the wheel. I had to surrender to the journey and have faith that the things I was doing were going to work out the way they were meant to. I really had to believe that everything would happen for a reason. It was a complete mindset shift; a completely different life. I still struggle with it at times.

360: Where do you see your career in 5 years? 10 years?

Hebron: Well, one of the first lessons I learned in this industry is that you can’t put a timeline on things. At all. They could happen way sooner, or way later than you think, so just be open and ready when the time comes. My ultimate goal in this industry is to become an A-list storyteller. That’s the level I want to be at. However, storytelling comes in many different forms. Obviously acting is the main form of storytelling that I’m doing right now, but I’ve also written and pitched TV shows and see myself dabbing in that. I also see myself directing and producing one day as well. Additionally, I have a lot of ideas outside of the industry for my fitness and business, and of course I want to have a family one day.

360: Do you have any future projects that you’re allowed to talk about?

Hebron: Yes, I will be in the upcoming feature film “King Richard” starring Will Smith, as one of the main antagonists, hitting theaters Nov. 2021. We are working a couple other projects that are under wrap right now.

To learn more about Hebron, you can click right here.

You can also follow Hebron on Instagram and Twitter.

4th of July Violence Across America

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By Eamonn Burke

This year’s Fourth of July, while stifled by the coronavirus concerns and pleas from officials to stay in, was still a violent one.

39 people were shot in New York City on the night of July Fourth, including three confirmed deaths. All three victims were in their 20s, and two were in Harlem; the other in Brooklyn. One of the deaths, a 23 year old man, was the result of a party and the product of much confusion amidst fireworks. “You didn’t know where it was coming from because they were running this way and that way,” said a witness.

Among the other non-fatal violence was a 34 year old woman struck by a haywire bullet while walking her dog in the Bronx, a group of four men and one woman shot in Manhattan, and a man walking in Brooklyn with a friend who was shot and killed. Additionally, there were 13 reported stabbings in the city that night. The violent night comes after an overall above average level of violence in the city throughout the month of June.

Chicago saw an even bloodier night, as 67 people were shot over the weekend, killing 13. Two of the dead were children, 7 and 14, prompting a statement from Mayor Lori Lightfoot:

“As a city, we must wrap our arms around our youth so they understand there’s a future for them that isn’t wrapped up in gun violence.”

The death of the teen late Saturday resulted from the open fire that a group of four men unleashed on a large crowd, killing four people total. The 7 year old girl was shot in the head on the sidewalk outside a party at her grandmother’s house.

While LA seems relatively unscathed by gun violence over the holiday, the emergency services nevertheless had their hands full dealing with over 3,000 calls to the fire department, despite banning fireworks due to the coronavirus. The most severe of the cases was a fire that had engulfed an apartment complex in Northridge. The extensive use of fireworks in the city also lead to decreased air quality. It was one of worst firework cases the city had seen in years, according to air quality management executive Philip Fine.

Baltimore shootings over the weekend claimed the life of one in a double shooting, shortly after a quadruple shooting injured four more, and two other unrelated shootings, bringing the total injured to eight.

A family of five was shot in Detroit, killing the 39 year old mother and injuring four others. Two shootings injured four people in Philadelphia on Saturday night, and more violence followed on Sunday, including a six year old boy who died. A child is in critical condition after being shot in the head in St. Louis, and an eight year old girl was shot and injured in Cleveland. A nightclub shooting in Greenville left two people dead and injured eight others.

So far, no arrests have been made in the wake of any of these shootings.