Though yesterday's Opening Day wasn't technically at night, I want to write about it to let you guys know that I'll be blogging various Orioles games throughout the season. As any of my friends, family, or coworkers can attest to, I've been an O's fan since, well, since I started having memories really. I went to games at Memorial Stadium when I was a wee one, saw Cal's record-breaking game in '95, and have been with them through thick and thin ever since.

Since we were playing the Yankees for the season opener, I had a feeling it would be crowded. But I apparently had no idea. I stopped by the Pickles/Sliders/Gino's area outside the stadium before going in and it was pure chaos. Not just regular Opening Day chaos, either. I think since the game time was 4:05 (and the rain pushed it to more like 4:30) people had plenty more time to drink. And the intermittent showers only made things crazier.

After getting out of the mosh pit-like atmosphere, I headed into the stadium and stood in the biggest line I've ever experienced to get in. There were plenty of Yankees fans, for sure (a New Yorker to my left was singing the praises of Camden Yards to his son), but Orioles pride was alive and well. People were donning the new, yet retro, Baltimore jerseys, while others were wringing out their bright orange ponchos when the sun finally decided to come out.

Once seated, it was clear that we were in a heavily filled Yankees section—we were sandwiched between two families rooting for the Pinstripes. The ceremonies were pretty much par for the course: razzing the opposing team, welcoming new players as they jog down the orange carpet, and "o"ing during the National Anthem. But the boos for Severna Park-native Mark Teixeira were definitely the most intense I think I've ever heard, and they didn't let up. Jim Hunter's voice went hoarse just trying to compensate. And I have to mention Vice President Joe Biden's great arm, as he threw out the first pitch well over the plate.

I'm not going to do a play-by-play of the game, there's plenty of places to read that. But I will tell you some things that stuck out to me. Jeremy Guthrie is still going to be our ace. Though the cold weather stiffed up his arm, he only allowed three earned runs and seven hits over six innings. The top of our order is full of rockstars. Brian Roberts and Adam Jones, the first two hitters, combined to go 6-for-7 with two RBIs, five runs, and three walks. Melvin Mora had an awesome, diving catch, making him look way younger than his 37 years. Our relief pitching is still shaky, with returning pitcher Chris Ray allowing a two-run homer. But our offense prevailed and newbie Cesar Izturis hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

As far as off the field, some new stuff this year was of course the locally written "How 'Bout Dem O's" song playing before game time and a bit on the jumbotron called "Be the DJ" where each player is asked to pick between three songs and whichever gets the most votes gets played ("Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" won yesterday). And we found out that we were part of the largest Opening Day crowd in Camden Yards history: 48,607. But don't worry, the crab shuffle, hot dog race, and John Denver are still all there.

It felt good to pound C.C. Sabathia and ultimately come out on top 10-5. It felt really good to unmercifully boo Teixeira (who went 0-for-4, by the way). But what felt awesome was really owning our stadium, which tends to get hijacked by Yankees or Red Sox fans when they come to town. Not yesterday. The idealism of a brand new season, and such a positive start, was enough to silence any loudmouth out-of-towner.

[Image: courtesy of me.]

Growing up in Baltimore, I remember discovering the night. Once we got our licenses and earned our parents' trust, my friends and I would roam from high-school parties to coffee shops to diners, feeling incredibly liberated by the idea that we didn't have to go home if we didn't want to. My favorite spots at the time (the early 90s) were Funk's Democratic Coffee Spot on Eastern Avenue and Steak and Egg in Pikesville. Neither joint served alcohol, but as with the dudes from Diner, those nights were more about spending long hours talking with your friends, growing up, and exploring adulthood and freedom from parental bondage. (And besides, the high-school parties usually had Coors Light or small doses of SoCo served in plastic cups.)

I moved to New York for college, where 24-hour life was the norm, and returned to Baltimore just last year to discover that, sadly, both Funk's and Steak and Egg are gone now. With two young kids, I don't stay out too late much anyway, but I'm curious to check out what late-night and 24-hour spots exist in the city these days.

This weekend I'm going to try and hit a few places and I'll report back on Monday. I plan on stopping by the after-hours Club 1722 in Station North (I figure drinking can be part of the equation at this point) and Michael Phelps' favorite, Pete's Grille on Greenmount Ave., which is open 24 hours, as is Sip and Bite in Canton. I know Papermoon Diner isn't open all night anymore, but we might stop there too.

I need suggestions: What are your favorite places to hang out at 2, 3, or 4 a.m.?

[photo courtesy of Michael (mx5tx)]

After spending the weekend in Brooklyn, New York, it got me thinking a lot about dance parties. Of course Brooklyn (Williamsburg, in particular) is one of the hipster capitals of the world so dance parties abound. And not just 80s-themed or house music events, but there are really creative, pretty much constant dances parties going on.

Now I know to compare the two areas is a little apples and oranges, but Baltimore does have quite the scene despite its small size. We do have our fair share of dance parties in the city. TaxLo is about to turn 7, which makes me feel old, and they've been doing some awesome things lately (see upcoming appearances by MSTRKRFT and Simian Mobile Disco). Of course there's also Reaction!, Dig, and 80s Night dance parties at The Sidebar, Joe Squared, and The Depot, respectively. Red Maple throws creative events together and has a decent schedule of dancing from Wednesday-Sunday (everything from Middle Eastern to neosoul). And I know there are probably tons of other spaces hosting dance parties pretty regularly, so feel free to let me know in the comments section.

I guess my biggest complaint, in general, is there doesn't seem to be enough variety in town. I mean how many times can I go to the same Prince vs. Madonna vs. Michael Jackson night? Don't get me wrong, it was awesome at first. I went to a couple, but there's only so many times you can dance to "Borderline" and "Billie Jean" in one night. And, to top it all off, one of my (and many others') favorite dance parties recently changed venues, which negates a lot of the charm, intimacy, and dirt-cheap drinks that I liked about the event in the first place.

I say the more dance parties in this town, the merrier. But I would love to see some more unique themes (90s, disco, Motown, big band, to name a few) in more intimate spaces than big music venues or warehouses. What do you guys think? Could Baltimore's dancing scene use some improvements or is it doing just fine?

[Image: courtesy of icanhascheezburger.com]

Last night I got back to Baltimore just in time to catch the free Hold Steady show at the Recher Theatre in Towson. If you didn't know before, you certainly would have realized immediately that the event was sponsored by Jack Daniel's. Outside the Recher, they laid out a red carpet and had velvet ropes lining the entrance way. The girls taking tickets were all donning Jack Daniel's hats and shirts, and there was even a raffle for a guitar emblazed with the famous whiskey's logo. And obviously the drink menu was all Jack, all the time (whiskey and ginger ale, lemonade, and Coke drinks were being served).

Tennessee transplants J-Roddy Walston and The Business started the show off and they definitely set the tone. Their raucous southern rock was amplified by their headbanging, high-energy stage presence. J-Roddy Walston turbulently pounded on his piano and his raspy voice dished out lyrics like, "I got this gun, and girl it don't miss." They closed with the crazy infectious "I Used to Did," leaving the crowd incredibly amped for The Hold Steady.

This was the first time I've ever seen The Hold Steady, but I've always liked their music. They're like the happy-go-lucky love child of Bruce Springsteen and Social Distortion. And their stage show did not disappoint. You could tell that they all were genuinely having a blast up there and feeding off the crowd's energy. Frontman Craig Finn was swaying all around, dragging the mic stand with him, and pointedly rattling off lyrics to the faces of his fans. On keys, Franz Nicolay (who almost had an Edgar Allan Poe look to him) never let up, encouraging hand claps from the audience and even breaking out an accordion for a few songs. The highlights for me were "Constructive Summer," "Chips Ahoy," "Sequestered in Memphis," "Hot Soft Light," and "Party Pit" (which caused the whiskey-filled crowd to repeat "Gonna walk around and drink some more, gonna walk around and drink").

All in all, the show and atmosphere were very high-energy and positive. It was definitely the most crowded (and diverse) I've seen Recher on a Sunday in, oh, ever. I guess in this economy, a free show (especially with this lineup) is just too good to pass up.

[Image: courtesy of theholdsteady.net]