Guitar Licks vs. Guitar Flicks

It’s finally my favorite time of year—those few magical weeks before the heat and humidity of summer soar to oppressive heights and the evenings are peppered with short, spring squalls perfect to help my fledgling garden grow.

Nestled in the spring breezes and stormy nights of early May is the Maryland Film Festival, and all weekend long you can catch various entries at the Wind Up Space in between catching some bands and some rays.

The 13th Annual Maryland Film Festival began Thursday, and concludes Sunday. Among some of the offerings available for viewing at the Wind Up Space is Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone at 10 p.m. on Friday. Directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler (The Salton Sea) and narrated by Laurence Fishburne, Everyday Sunshine shines a light on an oft glossed over, but nonetheless significant, ska/soul/punk/funk band Fishbone. Artists ?uestlove, Gwen Stefani, Ice-T and Perry Farrell document Fishbone’s beginnings and evolution into the first punk funk band.

Formed by brothers John and Philip Fisher in LA in 1979, Fishbone was a highly influential band, melding genres as one of the few African-American bands in the post punk scene of the 1980s. Typically, they were pretty much ignored by mainstream audiences, never peaking beyond No. 49 on the Billboard Charts in the U.S. That didn’t stop them from having an effect on many bands, from the Roots to Jane’s Addiction to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

My other two must-see music docs of this year’s film festival are being shown Saturday at the Charles. At 10 p.m. in theater four is Freaks In Love directed by Skizz Cyzyk and David Koslowski, about the 25-year career of underground-but-still-around-psych-punk guru Alice Donut. Commentary by Jello Biafra and Curt Kirkwood (of the Meat Puppets) tell the story of a band that successfully adapted so that they’re still playing today, but without compromising their art.

Immediately thereafter at 11:59 p.m. playing in theater one is the long-time-coming Pentagram documentary Last Days Here, directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton, guitarists for Philly stoner rock gods Serpent Throne. The tale of Pentagram and their lead singer Bobby Liebling is a look at what happens when a lead singer doesn’t adapt and abandons his art in favor of living in the basement of his very elderly parent’s home, using drugs and losing what’s left of his mind. For complete listing of all films shown at the festival, go here.

If, however, you’ve spent your Saturday watching short films (Narrative Shorts, Documentary Shorts, We Wear Short Shorts, Drama Shorts) at the Wind Up Space, and want to hear some live music instead of watching documentaries about it, you can grab some food at Tapas Teatro, then head over to the Hexagon and check out MCs from all over the US of A demonstratin’ their style in Baltimore.

Sadistik from Seattle headlines the night of national hip-hop, along with Minneapolis’ Kristoff Krane and Nobody Cares from a little city they call Long Beach. I’m not going to pretend to know much about any of these guys, but from what I checked out online, if you’re a fan of underground/freestyle hip-hop, then Saturday night at the Hexagon is all you. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say Sadistik and Ordeal remind me of Eminem, but as white rappers with similar delivery and cadence in their voice, I’m sure I’m not the first to make the comparison. Hey, it’s better than Vanilla Ice.

To close out your Maryland Film Festival Weekend, try to catch Bad Fever at noon at the Wind Up Space on Sunday. Screened at SXSW in March, Dustin Guy Defa’s film about Eddie, a painfully unfunny loner attempting to become a standup comedian and his run-in with Irene, a female drifter without a heart of gold, is my recommendation for the day. You’ll need your spirits lifted a bit after Bad Fever’s noon showing, so stick around for the animated shorts at 5 p.m. to close out your 2011 Maryland Film Festival experience.

Later on in the week on May 11, Austin’s And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead plays at the Ottobar.  Founding members Conrad Keely and Jason Reece are joined by Autry Fulbright II on bass and Jamie Miller on drums this time around.  Expect a heavy set list from their latest album, Tao of the Dead, released earlier this year on Richter Scale/Superball Music. I asked a friend the best way to describe Trail of Dead and her one-word answer of “epic” seems the best. Think over-the-top alt indie rock with some instrument smashing thrown in for good measure. Doors are at 8 p.m. and The Dialogue, Weekends, True Widow, and Surfer Blood play first.

If that isn’t enough to keep you busy this week, here are a few other suggestions:

• Saturday at CCAS: Matt Pless & the Paper Airplane Design, Little Cricket, Weird Feelings, & the National Rifle. 7 p.m. kiddies!
• Sunday at The Hexagon: Toronto’s Bone Black (ay), Dry Clouds, & Ecco. No Bunnymen. 9 p.m.