2008 Woodie Awards
Studious Tunes at Studio 14
New Rock Royalty Emerges from Scene
Christopher Henry
|
Past the skylines, past the harbor, and past the streets with names like Preston and Read, there is a place where the dark heart of Baltimore resides. Among streets and buildings made famous from their time on "The Wire," "The Block," and "Homicide: Life on the Streets" is the core of rock: Studio 14.
If rock can be learned, then Studio 14 is an underworld rock and roll proving ground. The gated warehouse houses over 20 studios for local and national bands and has been home to famous acts such as Nothingface, Laughing Colors, Stupid Hero and new rock royalty King Belvedere.
Bricked, dirty and littered with beer cans, Studio 14 looks as nondescript as any downtown Baltimore warehouse. Inside a sprawling complex of hostel-like tunnels and rooms is a scene like no other; on any given Thursday, the halls are alive with bands running, tuning and loading equipment for weekend tours.
A quick stroll down one hall will take you past rooms brewing funk, metal, punk and pop, while another corridor exudes sounds from national acts that are taking a quick stop to record new material at one of the mini-studios on site.
King Belvedere, new pioneers of one of the most original sounds, is emerging from the Studio 14 scene. A flashback to Angus Young's crunchy hooks married to Bruce Dickinson's soaring vocals, Belvedere is a mixed bag of tricks, transplanting New York vocalist Jeff McKeney, formerly of The Yorks, with Baltimore natives Ken Kimmel (guitar), Kevin Versak (bass), Rob Armentrout (drums) and Josh Ott (guitar).
The group has dropped guitars down stairs, played gigs in shoddy dives with mud-puddle floors, blown fuses at the infamous Brass Monkey, trash-talked West Coast punk, and worked with legendary producers such as Frank Manshan (Waterford Digital) and Frank Starchek (Tupac, John Stamos and Bob Mould).
Belvedere continues to ignite local music with insane live shows that feature kicks, jumps and stage antics that would make David Lee Roth burn out his pacemaker. The group fits right in at the Studio.
Alive with new music, Studio 14 is more than a hole-in-the-wall recording/practice space; it is a home away from home for musicians, a virtual escape without managers, promoters or sound techs.
Bands post ads for shows or auditions on the Studio's impressive 14-foot bulletin board, which is accented by classic arcade games. The vending machines sell chocolate, Cheetos, energy drinks, and 9/10 gauge high-E strings for practicing musicians.
The mini-city never sleeps, but definitely takes its fair share of Natty Boh breaks to drown the sorrow of the dirty bathrooms. On any given night past 3 a.m., the halls are filled with traveling musicians who are returning from road gigs or loading up for a long all-night haul to NYC or shows beyond.
You won't find any T-shirts proclaiming that punk is dead here. Everyone knows it is alive, doing fine, and chugging a Boh at Studio 14.
....................................................
Studio 14
239 N. Franklintown Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21223
phone–410.499.6931 or 410.831.2263
King Belvedere
e-mail–info@kingbelvedere.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
mikeV
posted 2/28/08 @ 3:07 PM EST
Been a big fan of King Belvedere for quite some time now and I what I get tired of seeing is the comparisons people always make. Guns and Roses? Iron Maiden? No way. (Continued…)
MrBryce
posted 2/29/08 @ 9:18 PM EST
I have run into this band a couple times while checking out local Baltimore music. They are high energy with their music and their stage presence and still maintain a nice tight sound. (Continued…)
Post a Comment