I attended the Ravens' first pre-season game last night against the Carolina Panthers and, despite the gross weather, it was clear that football excitement was in the air (among the 70,000 in attendance). Because of the rain, I didn't get to do much tailgating, but I wanted to let you guys know about Gameday Warehouse—a new bar on Warner Street just 200 yards away from M&T Bank Stadium.

Gameday Warehouse, sponsored by 105.7 The Fan and Charm City Hospitality, seems like the best of both worlds. It combines the tailgating aspect (it's directly across from Lot J) with a bar experience. Gameday Warehouse can hold around 750-800 people and has 20 TVs. The place serves typical football fare (hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages) and has multiple bars throughout. Drinks are a little steep ($4 domestics, $7 mixed drinks), but not nearly as bad as the outrageous prices inside the stadium.

"Basically, there's not much around the stadium," says Robert Phillips, senior vice president of operations for CBS Radio in Baltimore. "Most people head to Federal Hill for the bar scene. We wanted to improve the game-day experience and make it fun for all the fans. So many people come down without tickets and we wanted to create a fun atmosphere for them, too."

The concept of Gameday Warehouse seems like such a no-brainer, it's a wonder that no one thought of it sooner. Phillips explained that they've always been focused on improving the parking-lot tailgates (particularly Lot O). I'm excited to check out the new addition to Ravens pandamonium—hopefully in dryer weather next time.

[Image: courtesy of CBS Radio]

Usually, when you step into Max's Taphouse—with its 102 rotating draughts and 1,000 bottles in stock—you're bound to try something different. And that will certainly be the case starting next Thursday, August 12, and running through Sunday, August 15, when Max's holds its Rare and Obscure Beer Festival, which will feature dozens of unique brews, some making their first-time debuts in the U.S.

Thursday will feature cask beers, and then throughout the weekend Max's will have 45 rare and obscure brews on tap, including Brew Dog Mikkeller Divine Rebel 2010, Hof Den Dormaal Blonde, Jolly Pumpkin Barn Biere, Mikkeller It’s Alive, Allagash Bourbon Black, Stillwater Love & Regret, The Bruery Coton, Troubadour Magma, and Beer Here Dark Hops.

In a press release, Max's cellerman Casey Hard said he has searched the world to try and find the most out-of-the-ordinary brews. "Many brewers from afar had heard of my quest to provide beer lovers with the rare and obscure and have provided us with these beers," he says. "It is an honor to have them at Max's.”

[Image: courtesy of hellobaltimore.com]

This year’s Artscape, starting Friday and running through Sunday, is sure to be another great event filled with local artisans and crafters selling their labors of love, as well as some big-name musicians taking the stage. This year’s festival features artists like Gov’t Mule, Cold War Kids,Jackie Greene, and Wale.

But, a lot of times, the beauty is in the lesser-known local acts. Damn Right! is an electronica three-piece with members hailing from Baltimore (keyboardist Blake Mobley), Annapolis (drummer Tommy Bradel), and Philadelphia (bassist Johnny Fissinger). The band’s been on the scene for the past three years and I got a chance to chat with Fissinger about what it will be like to play the main stage at this year’s Artscape.

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Can you describe the sound of Damn Right! to our readers?
We started out as an improv band. I actually met Tommy on stage at our first show and I went to college with Blake at St. Mary’s. We just started playing songs on the spot. That got a little bit boring, and I’m a producer so I would send out email tracks that I produced. We would load them onto a drum machine and sample stuff and play on top of stuff live. We’re refining this live electronic production performance, so you get kind of a studio performance with more live elements.

It seems like you guys kind of blew up in the past year or so. How does a band today do a lot of its marketing?
I think we mainly rely on our keyboardist, Blake, who’s worked for various production companies in Baltimore, likeWalther Productions. He’s booked a lot of gigs and then the rest is really word-of-mouth. We have a lot of musician friends and they offer us a lot of high-profile gigs. It’s been kind of an organic process, we don’t market ourselves—we don’t have an album out yet. It’s more about playing gigs that are highly publicized through different promoters. This is the first time I’ve ever been able to have that with a band.

You guys must be psyched be playing the main stage at Artscape.
We’re really happy to be a part of the biggest free arts and culture festival in the country. The fact that we’re playing just a few hours before Gov’t Mule is crazy. I saw them when I was a teenager in high school. And I’ve been following the Cold War Kids for years. Shook from Baltimore is, I think, a great young band coming up. Other than that, I’m just excited to be hanging out and listening to new bands out there.

Do you take a different approach to your set list when you’re playing on a big stage?
Our approach is mainly to create a set that’s a little more crowd-friendly at first. We’ll probably start a little more accessible, just bass, piano, and drums. And then we’ll work our way into more progressive stuff using synthesizers and sampling. We’re used to playing hour-long sets, which we like because we can put our best stuff out there.

How do you like the Baltimore arts scene compared to your hometown of Philadelphia?
I think the scene in Baltimore is really communal. There’s the whole Wham City production with Dan Deacon and they have a really tight group. I think the fans really support the artists in Baltimore. And they’re willing to go see a band on Tuesday night. In Philly and New York, it’s tougher to get people to come out. Baltimore seems to have people who really like music and really let loose after a hard day’s work. We always want to thank all of our fans who have supported us in the Baltimore area. I consider it to be my second home because of Damn Right! I love everyone in Baltimore.

What’s next for the band?
That is an interesting question because Blake, our piano player, is moving to Denver in September. So we might be moving to Denver. Tommy and I are definitely going to be working on some sort of project in my studio in Philadelphia. We’re going to come out with some kind of release—whether it’s under Damn Right! or not—hopefully by the end of the year.

Check out Damn Right! at Artscape on the Wachovia Stage at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

[Image (left to right) Johnny, Blake, Tommy: courtesy of Damn Right!]

On July 3, Luckie's Tavern (in Power Plant) will be hosting a city-wide scavenger hunt called the Baltimore Challenge. Baltimore is one of 10 cities participating in these scavenger hunts, put on by Challenge Nation. The one-day urban race starts at 3 p.m., but you can show up to Luckie's as early as 1 p.m. to pick up your pre-race packet (with clues, race-number bib, and t-shirt).

Teams of two or more individuals run around the city and try to determine the next destination by solving puzzles and deducing clues. There are a total of 12 clues in the Amazing Race-style challenge that all lead to the finish line, back at Luckie's. The first-place team is awarded with $200.

After the race, all participants are invited to an after party and awards ceremony at Luckie's, which will have food and drink specials and a chance to win additional prizes (like best costume). Proceeds from the race benefit CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Baltimore, a nonprofit agency that advocates for troubled children in the juvenile court system.

Perhaps the best part? Today, there is a Groupon available for the race—which normally costs $70 to participate—for a mere $25. (For those that don't know, Groupon is a website that offers a deal-a-day for everything, including local restaurants, bars, spas, golf courses, and, apparently, scavenger hunts. Sign up if you haven't already). Sounds like a fun way to explore the city and kick off Fourth of July weekend.

[Image from D.C.'s Challenge: courtesy of challengenation.com]