Oh, Baltimore...

I went to The Sidebar last Thursday to see The Riot Before, a Richmond-based band who were ending their billionth U.S. tour soon after their Baltimore date. The group was joined by The Hollowpoints and Dirty Tactics, a group from Philadelphia.
Dirty Tactics is a three-piece group of twenty-somethings full of the passion that embodies the punk credo. They're young, they're loud and their music embodies the angst and energy of the group's predecessors. Nothing spoke about this more clearly than when the group performed "There's Nothing to do After Midnight in Philadelphia," which was introduced by one of the members who asked the crowd if they find themselves bored at home, quarter to midnight, with nothing to do. Everything is closed he said, which led to the basis of a song that wallows through the many disadvantages of a city with no night life.
What struck me though, is the general silence that followed the song's introduction. Aside from the obvious--The Sidebar was filled with with people who were multitasking their after dark entertainment options by patronizing a bar and seeing a rock show--no one said, "Yeah, there's plenty to do in Baltimore."
Instead the crowd nodded in their silence, indicating that the city dies long before midnight.

A quick Google search yielded plenty to do at dark: One can learn to dance and use his or her newly developed skills through the evening through Friday Night Swing Club, Maryland Nightlife, a website dedicated for Things to Do At Night in Baltimore. City Paper's website and weekly paper include an events calendar that is widely hailed for its comprehensive listing of all activities--which naturally include clubs, special events, concerts and late night debauchery. Metromix has its own club and events section which spans through all forms of entertainment. Don't feel like toiling in Baja Beach Club? Try the After Dark Horrorfest at Muvico. The website includes a Google map to locate points of interest within its calendar.
But, wait, there's more! Baltimore Fun Guide's sole purpose is to get its citizens and tourists out and about. Day or night. So what's the deal, punx? What can the city do to inspire you to nod your head and agree, Yeah, there's plenty to do!

Of course this isn't a point of contention in the media (all I yielded from that search was the Baltimore/Annapolis contestant on Project Runway, which starts tomorrow night), but it's something Baltimore seems to be suffering from. For one, it's as old and tired as finding someone to date in the city. But really, why drag it out in the press when the press is providing the reviews, calendars and ideas for the city's residents?