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YOUR FIRST SCENE REPORT [Anything for a Weird Life] Oct 1, 2024 Columns

You are in a basement in Pasadena, Maryland in a house off Goose Neck Road. The basement is large but spare and well kept. It is Friday, March 19th,

SCENE REPORT: Twig Harper @ Current Space [Anything for a Weird Life] Sep 24, 2024 Columns

No matter which calendar you follow, as of this weekend, it is officially fall in Baltimore. This can only mean one thing: more events, festivals,

IN PRAISE OF BALTIMORE SHOWPLACE [Anything for a Weird Life] Sep 17, 2024 Columns

On the heels of the DIY show listing's fifth anniversary, Tim sends up a vital Baltimore institution

IMPRESSIONS OF SHINY FEST 3 [Anything for a Weird Life] Sep 10, 2024 Columns

It is the day after the third Shiny Fest, and I can’t stop thinking about balloons. Shiny Fest’s intent was not only to tout its own roster and

BRUISER showcase at the Baltimore Book Festival - Saturday 9.28 Sep 5, 2024

Join a murderer's row of Baltimore bruisers on Saturday 9.28

SUMMER 2024 RECAP [Anything for a Weird Life] Sep 3, 2024 Columns

Tim's back from his summer sabbatical with a look back at a busy summer in Baltimore music.

MY SISTER WAS TELLING ME THAT OUR FATHER HAS CANCER NOW by David Gladfelter Aug 30, 2024 Fiction

My father considered himself a pagan christian. A wiccan of some kind. Adjacent to a wizard or a shaman. I was eleven and my stepmom nineteen when

Truth Cult (Last Show) [Anything for a Weird Life] May 28, 2024 Columns

Tim's elegy for a standout Baltimore band

Reflections on Series Two: How Does He Do It? [Anything for a Weird Life] May 21, 2024 Columns

Tim's thoughts on wrapping up another marathon run for his weekly column

Steve Albini 1962-2024 [Anything for a Weird Life] May 14, 2024 Columns

“Rules be: No past, only present. No cheating; if it doesn’t happen that day, I won’t write about it. No explanations; if it doesn’t make sense to

Some Things are the Same Everywhere [BRUISER Field Report] May 13, 2024 Music

the bruiser-in-chief attends a punk gig in Osaka, Japan.

Mayday [Anything for a Weird Life] May 7, 2024 Columns

It is clear: we are so back. In Baltimore City, every weekend and weekday there are multiple cultural events to choose to attend this month. This

A User's Guide to Universal Order of Armageddon (Numero 221) [Anything for a Weird Life] Apr 30, 2024 Columns

Tim's notes on Numero Group's double vinyl release of the indispensible Baltimore hardcore band's underappreciated catalog.

Tape World: O.K. Let's Rock with... Nirvana Apr 9, 2024 Columns

Tim returns to Tape World to examine a mysterious Nirvana bootleg

On the Importance of Infrastructure [Anything for a Weird Life] Apr 2, 2024 Columns

Tim illuminates the importance of our unseen support structures

Spring Break Scene Report [Anything for a Weird Life] Mar 26, 2024 Columns

Tim surveys some of the Baltimore music that deserves your attention

"Rows of Jaw Bones and Worn Down Teeth" by C. Morgenrede Mar 21, 2024 Fiction

years ago today, in the past, seven orange cones set on top of a wet tarp for a burial ceremony, a fog rolls in, rocks tumble, things become blurry,

Social Media and its Discontents [Anything for a Weird Life] Mar 19, 2024 Columns

The internet as we know it won't last forever. Tim investigates.

In Praise of Phantomime [Anything for a Weird Life] Mar 12, 2024 Columns

Saturday night remains a potential portal to other realms.

How to Write a Song [Anything for a Weird Life] Mar 5, 2024 Columns

After listening to some old songs and writing some new ones, Tim has a few thoughts on the process.

Tape World: The Six O'Clock Alarm S/T Feb 27, 2024 Columns

You can't find everything online.

A Return to the Arbutus Record Show [Anything for a Weird Life] Feb 20, 2024 Columns

I returned to the record show a new person, transformed by years of questing that began here, back in the 1990s.

In Praise of Black Celebration [Anything for a Weird Life] Feb 13, 2024 Columns

Tim visits a new Baltimore institution

Impressions of Disturbin' the Peace 2024: Day Two [Anything for a Weird Life] Feb 6, 2024 Columns

What a difference a week makes. Baltimore City was on the edge of pandemonium on the afternoon of Sunday, January 28th. And I had to get down close

Impressions of Disturbin' The Peace 2024: Day One [Anything for a Weird Life] Jan 30, 2024 Columns

It is 10 AM the day after Day One of the Fest, and my body and my mind are reeling. What I did, essentially, was stand alone in the back area of

In Praise of ROCKER [Anything for a Weird Life] Jan 23, 2024 Columns

Now is the winter of our discontent. First Bandcamp, now Pitchfork. A universe of eulogies, think pieces, and final heckles swirl around this newly

Tape World: Death Grips, Exmilitary CS [Anything for a Weird Life] Jan 16, 2024 Columns

Tim remembers the early shock of Death Grips' debut mixtape

In Praise of the Matinee Show [Anything for a Weird Life] Jan 9, 2024 Columns

I kept confusing people. I said I was going to a matinee. They thought I meant a movie. But the band Body Farm was returning to town and they were

I Sing the BODY Electric [Anything for a Weird Life] Jan 2, 2024 Columns

Let Tim have this one thing, please.

In Praise of Novelty [Anything for a Weird Life] Dec 19, 2023 Columns

On Wednesday, December 13th, the show’s flyers started to appear, altered, on my timeline. The venue had been crossed out and a dreaded phrase had

In Praise of Repetition [Anything for a Weird Life] Dec 12, 2023 Columns

Imagine a crowd gathered, chanting, one person leading the chant below over a bullhorn. “What do we want?” “Small, incremental but meaningful

Impressions of Acme Corporation's The Lights Went Out Because of a Problem [Anything for a Weird Life] Dec 5, 2023 Columns

With the lights out, it's less dangerous

Tape World: Evil Spirits S/T Cassette [Anything for a Weird Life] Nov 28, 2023 Columns

Tim's Proustian remembrance of Baltimore Past, spurred by a 2009 noise-sludge cassette

"Warpig" by Anthony Neil Smith Nov 27, 2023 Fiction

Warpig don’t care what you think of his mullet. People here in Minnesota call it “hockey hair” but Warpig never gave one shit about hockey except

The Thanksgiving Truce Holds...for Now [Anything for a Weird Life] Nov 21, 2023 Columns

It is that time of the year again. The “last show for a while” local band shows have happened, the “in town for the holidays” one-off shows are

When Should Your Band Break Up? [Anything for a Weird Life] Nov 14, 2023 Columns

Bands break up. Tim surveys the possibilities.

See You at The Bean: Impressions of Tripper's EP Release Show [Anything for a Weird Life] Nov 7, 2023 Columns

You know a Baltimore venue has come into its own when it has a nickname.

Tape World: Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation [Anything for a Weird Life] Oct 31, 2023 Columns

Tim remembers a 1989 cassette purchase

Why Bandcamp Matters [Anything for a Weird Life] Oct 24, 2023 Columns

A eulogy of sorts

"Superimposition" by Rebecca Gransden Oct 18, 2023 Fiction

I drove through the drive thru five times because I fell asleep at the wheel and dreamed I was being indecisive on a roundabout. In the dream the

When should a band record in the studio? [Anything for a Weird Life] Oct 17, 2023 Columns

Tim's sage advice for young bands

An Open Letter to the Person who Mugged Me [Anything for a Weird Life] Oct 10, 2023 Columns

Hello, How are you? We met about a week ago, on a Monday evening. You know where. You were the one that was hit by a car and then heckled by the

Found Sound Reviews [Anything for a Weird Life] Oct 3, 2023 Columns

If you would like your release to be reviewed by Tim Kabara, donate it to your local thrift store.

Whartscape: A Look Back [Anything for a Weird Life] Sep 26, 2023 Columns

As Baltimore City wades through the remnants of a tropical storm no one could have predicted as statistically likely and begins to process a

Artscape: A Look Back [Anything for a Weird Life] Sep 19, 2023 Columns

This week Tim looks back at Artscape, a legendarily mismanaged Baltimore institution.

Men's Recovery Project, or The Pain of Being Pioneers [Anything for a Weird Life] Sep 12, 2023 Columns

On Sunday, July 17th, 1994, I made my way to Richmond, Virginia to see my friends’ band open up for Bikini Kill. In 1994, pre-Internet, info was

What I Did on my Summer Vacation [Anything for a Weird Life] Sep 5, 2023 Columns

Hello my name is Tim Kabara and I am going to write about what I did on my summer vacation. I filed my last BRUISER column on Memorial Day weekend.

"The Journal of Mary Gurney" by Nathan Perrin Jul 7, 2023 Fiction

Michelle smiled as she was shown into the library archives. “What are you studyin’?” asked the librarian. “Mary Gurney,” Michelle sat at a table by

Confessions of an Authorized Schriftsteller [Alternative Currents] Jun 2, 2023 Columns

In his first column for BRUISER, Thomas Huntington lays out his plans for a series on history's artists working on the fringe and the creative life of Berlin

Loners Club: A History in Three (or Four) Shows [Anything for a Weird Life] May 30, 2023 Columns

Tim wraps up Series 1 with a retrospective on one of Baltimore's many short-lived but vital show spaces.

Time to Say Goodbye for the Summer [Anything For a Weird Life] May 23, 2023 Columns

I was eating Indian buffet with some old friends when the topic of this column came up. I broke the news. The last column in “series one” will be

How Not to Go to Shows [Anything for a Weird Life] May 16, 2023 Columns

Tim reviews the proper way to take a rain check

Going Underground at the Undercroft [Anything for a Weird Life] May 9, 2023 Columns

Tim visits Baltimore's only all ages venue

Fiction: "Strangely Colorado" by John Yohe May 8, 2023 Fiction

Power out for the whole town of Strangely, Colorado tonight as happens tho thankfully not this last winter during the two weeks of below zero when

Fiction: "So..." by Jake Williams May 4, 2023 Fiction

So I just got out the shower and I’m in my bathrobe and the neighbours have walked right in and they’re dragging this old lady through my hallway.

Found Sound Reviews [Anything for a Weird Life] May 2, 2023 Columns

If you would like your release to be reviewed by Tim Kabara, donate it to your local thrift store.

Jamie Stewart in Conversation with Kelly Xio [Alive at the Same Time] Apr 28, 2023 Interviews

After a week of bad news—and it was only Tuesday—I found myself on a beautiful spring day slugging my way through Washington, DC, my spine

So You've Been Memed [Anything for a Weird Life] Apr 25, 2023 Columns

It’s finally happened. You did not plan for it, as you can’t, but you always knew it was a possibility. You have entered into the realm of Meme!

Finding Peace in the Valley [Anything for a Weird Life] Apr 18, 2023 Columns

Tim surveys the fresh happenings of Le Comptoir Du Vin's back bar

Old Man/Young Boy: An Interview with Pro Wrestler Dan Guiterrez Apr 12, 2023 Interviews

Baltimore 's own Madison Coan finally gets a pro wrestler to answer all her burning questions

How Many Times Should a Baltimore Band Play Baltimore? [Anything for a Weird Life] Apr 11, 2023 Columns

The answer used to be easy.

You Are Not What You Own [Anything for a Weird Life] Apr 4, 2023 Columns

You can't Fugazi the Internet.

Spring Show-verlode [Anything for a Weird Life] Mar 28, 2023 Columns

Baltimore music blooms in spring. Take your anti-histamines.

Leaves Turn Inside You: Seeing Unwound Live 1993-2023 [Anything for a Weird Life] Mar 21, 2023 Columns

The flyer came in the mail. Universal Order of Armageddon was playing with some band called Unwound in the basement of the 169 house on Friday, July

Underground Show FAQ [Anything for a Weird Life] Mar 14, 2023 Columns

So you’re decided to go to a show at a non-traditional venue in the Baltimore underground. Great! Here are some of the questions you may have.

A Valentine's Day Interview with Muscle by Kelly Xio Mar 10, 2023 Interviews

My first interview for BRUISER features the band Muscle from Baltimore, MD. I meet Muscle on a rainy Valentine’s evening and we are blurry eyed —

Found Sound Reviews [Anything for a Weird Life] Mar 7, 2023 Columns

If you would like your release to be reviewed by Tim Kabara, donate it to your local thrift store.

Welcome to Uzumaki [Anything for a Weird Life] Feb 28, 2023 Columns

A girlfriend once said to me “Experimental music? That’s a stupid name for it. Isn’t all music an experiment?"

Past, Present, and Future [Anything for a Weird Life] Feb 21, 2023 Columns

Tim scans the changing tides

How to Use Spotify [Anything for a Weird Life] Feb 14, 2023 Columns

We know you've heard vinyl is making a comeback, but what about streaming music? How does that work?

I Hear Vinyl is Making a Comeback [Anything for a Weird Life] Feb 7, 2023 Columns

Is it, though?

Scene Report : Saturday, July 2nd, 2016 [Anything for a Weird Life] Jan 31, 2023 Columns

The first preview of Tim's book-in-process about the Baltimore Music and Arts Underground spring 1993 - fall 2016. This passage covers a surprise Dan Deacon show at the Crown.

Haunted by a Friendly Ghost: The Return of The Hated [Anything for a Weird Life] Jan 24, 2023 Columns

“On April 18, 1918, a meeting was held at the home of Joseph Urban of Earleigh Heights for the purpose of establishing a Volunteer Fire Department.”

Fiction: "How High the Moon" by David Hay Jan 23, 2023 Fiction

5 His plane landed in Manchester. He loved the feeling of those first moments when the wheels met the ground and the slight jolt it gave you, as if

Recent Show Observations [Anything for a Weird Life] Jan 17, 2023 Columns

Tim Kabara went to two very different shows in the first weeks of the new year.

Found Sound Reviews [Anything for a Weird Life] Jan 10, 2023 Columns

If you would like your release to be reviewed by Tim Kabara, donate it to a local thrift store.

Tear Sponsor CS by Tear Sponsor [Baltimore Sound Document] Jan 6, 2023 Music

A new cassette from the burgeoning synth punk duo

TOP TEN [Anything for a Weird Life] Jan 3, 2023 Columns

Tim Kabara's Top Ten retrospective

In Praise of Bella Hayes [Anything for a Weird Life] Dec 20, 2022 Columns

The Pandemic has sucked. The Pandemic continues to suck. But some artists have pushed and made and made-do and somehow even toured while underground

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning [Anything for a Weird Life] Dec 13, 2022 Columns

Tim Kabara's lament for a great show that didn't happen.

Eight Days a Week? [Anything for a Weird Life] Dec 6, 2022 Columns

Tim Kabara considers show scheduling in the weekend-focused Baltimore scene.

Found Sound Reviews [Anything for a Weird Life] Nov 29, 2022 Columns

If you would like your release to be reviewed by Tim Kabara, donate it to a local thrift store.

The Nowhere Feeling of Holidays [Anything for a Weird Life] Nov 22, 2022 Columns

Tim Kabara ruminates on the Baltimore DIY scene's holiday season

Letter of Recommendation: Suzanne Doogan [Anything for a Weird Life] Nov 15, 2022 Columns

Tim Kabara sends up Baltimore poet, musician, artist, and quality human Suzanne Doogan

Anything for a Weird Life: "Why I Go to Shows" by Tim Kabara Nov 8, 2022 Columns

Baltimore music scene fixture Tim Kabara introduces his new column for BRUISER.

Fiction: "I became a different person" by Tony Rauch Oct 31, 2022 Fiction

I know people who go through changes (some brought on by external forces, some by accident, some by design, some gradual, some that stick, others

Fiction: "some more reasons why denby trashed your place" by Tony Rauch Oct 26, 2022 Fiction

The blue sky. The wind swirling in the leaves A platypus in the yard. A mysterious looking platypus A girl who moves away A girl he sees from time

Interview: Matthew Byars of Attorneys General and Essential Tremors Oct 24, 2022 Interviews

Toward the end of September an interesting message turned up in the BRUISER submissions: an invitation to check out a couple of upcoming