Rams Head

Chef Brent Shellem reflects: Being from Annapolis and growing up on the Chesapeake, rockfish is what we know. Just the thought of rockfish reminds me of fishing on the bay, and what better way to fish than with a cold beverage in your hand? I decided on Carolina Iced Tea because the Carolinas have great fishing as well, but mainly because my wife loves it and it pairs well with the citrus and the light nature of the fish.  Pokomoke rockfish Ingredients: •    8 ounces rockfish •    1 ounce extra-virgin olive oil •    Juice of 2 fresh oranges •    2 ounces vodka (3 if you're thirsty)

Yes, there was live music Sunday night besides BRUUUUCE . Contributor Jeremy Trucker reviews the Blue October show at Rams Head Live. Blue October's Sunday night show at Ram's Head live began with an acoustic set by the band's lead singer and songwriter Justin Furstenfeld.  Striking an Aaron Lewis-esque look in baggy jeans and a baseball cap, Furstenfeld strummed a few open chords and added an electronic drumbeat for portions of...

Reporter Matthew Hay Brown took a break from covering military affairs and national security to review the Psychedelic Furs' show at Rams Head on Stage Monday night. Is there anyone having more fun at a Psychedelic Furs show than frontman Richard Butler? His lyrical sophistication and that buzzsaw voice have always given the band's work a certain gravity, but Butler spent so much of their performance in Annapolis on Monday hopping, grinning, beaming that the main impression he conveyed was of a guy having the time of his life.

If you could care less about this year's Grammys (wouldn't blame you there) or the Allen Stone show at the 8x10 isn't your thing, there's the Umphrey's McGee show at Rams Head Live on Sunday night. I've made the mistake of calling Umphrey's a "jam band" - a label for bands I say I'm allergic to because I never got into Phish. But I have persistent friends (the same friends that drop whatever they're doing whenever Umphrey's McGee is in the area) that told me they weren't Phish-lite.

Third Eye Blind performed Monday night at a sold-out Rams Head Live. Frequent Midnight Sun contributor Jay Trucker has this review: As with its music, there is nothing particularly ornate about Third Eye Blind's stage show, which features a gigantic block-lettered Third Eye Blind banner and a small oriental rug at center stage. The band, which features former "TRL" heartthrob Stephan Jenkins, sounded well-rehearsed. Although Jenkins is the sole original member performing in the current lineup, his bandmates sounded professional and seemed content to defer the small, carpeted center of the stage to Jenkins.    The sound at Rams Head further garbled the already obtuse delivery of Jenkins' vocals, but that didn't seem to bother the sold-out crowd on hand for a Monday night show, as they sang along to every “whoa” “woo” and occasional falsetto chorus from the first line of opener “Thanks a Lot” through the set's end. Casual fans of Third Eye Blind may be surprised by the number of hits the California alterna-pop group have in its catalogue.

When Elton John played 1st Mariner Arena last year, his first Baltimore performance in more than a decade, more than 12,000 fans turned out. Sade, opening her first American concert tour in just as many years, drew an audience just as big later in the summer, and it became 1st Mariner's highest-grossing show of 2011. The demand to see pop singer Robyn, who was playing her only regional show at Rams Head Live , was so large that some bus companies set up trips from Washington to Baltimore for the night.

Unlike seasoned musicians, NFL players don't have much experiencing working a stage - they tend to get a standing ovation just for walking into a room (or a stadium). So the Tuesday night Gridiron Singoff at Rams Head Live, featuring several Baltimore Ravens, was less of a polished musical revue than simply a chance for fans to be in the same building as a few home-team players in the middle of a very exciting season. Running back Ray Rice was the host of the event, which was originally scheduled for Dec. 16th.

Dec. 25 is still a quiet dining day. Eichenkranz (611 Fagley St., 410-563-7577) will be open again on Christmas Day, from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. The German restaurant in Brewers Hill serves what may be the currently longest-running Christmas dinner in the Baltimore area. Regi's in Federal Hill is serving a Christmas Day brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sotto Sopra is open on Christmas Day from noon to 10 p.m. Wit & Wisdom is serving a $105 fixed-price, three-course menu from noon to 8 p.m., and Bistro 300 (300 Light St., 410-528-1234)

Erykah Badu performed at Rams Head Live December 2. Reporter John-John Williams IV reviews the performance. Erykah Badu's live performances have been lauded for years. Fans praised her for connecting with the audience, performing a set list of recognizable favorites, and showcasing her enormous musical gifts - whether that be singing, rapping, or DJing. What fans got Friday night at Rams Head Live, though, was an eclectic mess, a snoozefest that had the audience scratching its head.

They didn't want it to end this way, but it will. After 10 years, five albums and roughly 1,500 shows, the Bridge - one of Baltimore's most successful bands - will take the stage one last time on Thanksgiving Eve. Without any opening acts, the final show will simply be 41/2 hours of the band's trademark mix of folk, rock, blues and improvisation. Though never mentioned alongside high-profile Baltimore acts such as Dan Deacon and Wye Oak, the Bridge has accomplished what many bands from the area haven't: an annual set at the All Good Festival, a slot at Bonnaroo, international gigs, an album produced by Los Lobos' Steve Berlin (this year's "National Bohemian")