Our Favorite Up-and-Coming DJ
Sounds by Seven
With family roots from the Black Belt to Brooklyn, Xavier Walker is picking up undeniable steam as a newcomer to Baltimore a little over three years ago. Known by many as Sounds by Seven, Walker proudly embodies the role of the DJ as archivist, curating spaces for Black queer joy, community wellness, and artistic excellence that we count ourselves lucky to have been able to experience at our Summer Jam this July.
From June through September, Seven organizes the beloved party, The Function, to paint the summer with a calendar of Black, queer parties that turn the garden of Our Time Kitchen up. The yard drifts away into a utopic sea of euphoria, sweat, and good will.
When not spinning classic house cuts along the East Coast, Walker works with fellow artist-archivists preserving music and culture — don’t miss his radio show, “Chicken Grease,” on Perfect Memory Radio all winter long. Seven is proof that music is the tie that binds, that we’re all welcome somewhere. Maybe even right here, at a kickback-meets-cookout-meets-dance-party under the stars.
Most Moving Museum Display
“More Than Conquerors: A Monument for Community Health Workers of Baltimore, Maryland 2021-2022” at the Baltimore Museum of Art
Keeping the culture alive means keeping us alive. “More Than Conquerors: A Monument for Community Health Workers of Baltimore, Maryland 2021-2022,” LaToya Ruby Frazier’s recent installation at the Baltimore Museum of Art, reminded us to recognize the workers of color, predominantly women, who do the damn thang.
These workers administered life-saving vaccines and medicine to Black and brown communities in working-class neighborhoods during the initial breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent waves. Frazier’s project combines photography, public health equity research, and oral histories to honor the labor and care of these frontline workers while they are still counted among the living.
Curated by Jessica Bell Brown, the display of 18 socially-distanced, stainless steel IV poles (a nod to their profession) bearing proud images of Community Health Workers was a sight to behold this past spring. Their stories turned the contemporary wing of Maryland’s premier art museum into a space for Baltimore’s overlooked heroes to be seen and embraced, momentarily shaking the art world down from its elite perch and into a love-grounded celebration of the workers who keep Baltimore living.
Best Gallery With Its Finger On The Pulse
Galerie Myrtis
In a city full of creative momentum, Galerie Myrtis is the space that consistently leads the conversation. Led by founder and curator Myrtis Bedolla, the gallery brings a sharp, intentional focus to artists of the African diaspora and to work that confronts history, identity, and power with clarity and force. Bedolla’s vision has shaped the space into more than a gallery; it functions as a connector, placing Baltimore artists in national and international conversations while giving local audiences access to museum-level exhibitions right in the heart of the city.
What sets Galerie Myrtis apart is its commitment to artists who push culture forward. The programming is rigorous, beautifully presented, and rooted in the belief that Baltimore deserves a gallery operating at this level of excellence and ambition. Whether you are a collector, an artist, or someone who just wants to stand in front of meaningful work, Galerie Myrtis consistently delivers a space where art, history, and community converge with purpose.
Art in a Non-Traditional Space
“Sanctuary City Parts I and II” at Govans Presbyterian Church
Photo Credit: I.H. Webster III.
Sure, museums are swell. And white cube galleries gleam. But sometimes those expected spaces can blunt the impact of the art, especially if it has political, as well as aesthetic, aspirations. You walk in knowing what to expect and then you see it.
So check this: You walk into a church whose congregation is overwhelmingly white — and was historically entirely so, due to intentional segregation — and you see two stunning paintings representing people of color on either side of the stain-glass. And keep in mind that this isn’t 2020, when everything from churches to corporations were attempting to prove that they were down. This is the year of the racist backlash, when most white Protestant churches are busy ironing their white sheets. The unexpected jolt of new art in a gothic structure might not fully change the world, but it can take your breath away and provide a jolt of inspiration to keep fighting on.
And that is exactly what is happening at Govans Presbyterian Church, which in February unveiled two eight-foot-tall acrylic panels shaped like gothic stained glass windows, entitled “Sanctuary City Parts I and II.” Created by mixed media artist Ky Vassor, the works were commissioned as part of an ongoing effort by the church to address issues of diversity, racial disparity, and the church’s own role in historic oppression. “The mural’s panels acknowledge that Govans is situated on lands that were formerly part of a plantation, as illustrated by the map integrated into the gothic arches,” Vassor said at the unveiling. “At the top of each arch, the names of thirty enslaved individuals are prominently displayed.”
We need more of this.
Best New Radio Launch
Perfect Memory Radio
Perfect Memory Radio recently launched in early November with a Memory Lounge and listening event with celebrated London-based musicologist Lynnée Denise. The station currently has three shows on Wednesday nights from 8 to 10 p.m. — “Weather Report,” “Chicken Grease,” and “Merge.” After February, the collective will take submissions for shows and programming from local Baltimore DJs.
Perfect Memory Radio is a volunteer-run collective of Black and gender-expansive archivists, artists, and turntablists living in the city who bring people together to commune over sounds, lyrics, and memories that return us to our culture and the knowledge within. Extending this digital program, they plan to activate gatherings to incite critical conversations exploring the history of Black music, rhetoric, and poetics.
The online radio platform is a response to the existential threat of direct and indirect attacks on Black history and cultural archives and a systematic erasure campaign fueled by a total disregard for the brilliance, beauty, appreciation and safety of our artistic treasures.
A Lasting Legacy
Jazzy Summer Nights Ends
Known for bringing acts including Leela James, Raheem DeVaughn, and Biz Markie to Hopkins Plaza, Jazzy Summer Nights held its final show this fall after a fruitful 25-year run. LaRian Finney, the founder and creative mastermind behind the outdoor summer concert series, reflected on the magic of the series in a recent conversation: “It’s an intimate scene,” he said. “You’re surrounded by the buildings, and as you transition to nighttime, you have the lights of the city. The music has a richness in texture because of the surrounding environment. And it’s Baltimore. You could stay in nice hotels and travel around the world, but it’s nothing like going home, being in your own bed, opening your own refrigerator, and drinking your own bottle of wine. That’s what Hopkins Plaza is for Jazzy Summer Nights.”
A Bright Idea
“Inviting Light”
Station North, which is already known and loved as one of Baltimore’s art meccas, got a whole lot brighter this year with the debut of “Inviting Light,” a luminous five-installation, neighborhood-wide art showcase. Curated by Baltimore artist Derrick Adams, the $1 million project (funded by a Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge grant awarded to Baltimore in 2023) explores light’s effect on Baltimore at nighttime and how it functions as a source of comfort, grounds us by establishing a sense of place, and keeps us safe. Featuring everything from mural installations to illuminated statues, the exhibit goes to show that bright ideas go a long way when it comes to making Baltimore a better place.
Best Place to Run Into Everyone You’ve Ever Met
Turnstile show
If you weren’t at the big, free Turnstile show in the Wyman Park Dell in May, you were about the only one. Officially, 10,000 people donated to help Healthcare for the Homeless raise more than $35k, but it felt like, with people coming and going, that the entire town passed through the Dell that afternoon. From stage-divers to people with kids on their shoulders, people were out in full effect. And it wasn’t just the whiter crowd you might expect at a hardcore show. Somehow, this band has managed to do what breakout bands so often fail to accomplish: they speak from the city and to the city, while also going global, with Grammy nods, big arena shows, and all that. “We’re just so happy to be home,” Brendan Yates, the band’s frontperson said. And looking at so many friends and familiar faces in the crowd, it felt real.
Unregistered Nurse, which has been booking banging Baltimore shows for years now, managed to book this miraculous show — what wrangling with the city did that take? — and we can only hope there are more shows like this in the future, because when it comes to 10,000 friends in the park with great music, it’s never enough.
The Kids Are Alright
Teen Takeover at The Walters
This spring, The Walters Art Museum launched “Teen Takeover: Mythology Mayhem,” a 13+ event shaped by artist and educator Safiyah Cheatam. The event shifted the museum into a youth-focused space filled with music, art-making, performance, and creative experimentation. Cheatam, the museum’s assistant manager of teen and career development programs, brings a deep commitment to youth-centered arts education and Baltimore’s cultural landscape, creating a space where participants can experiment, collaborate, and see themselves reflected in the collection. The result was an invitation to rethink what a museum day can be, giving emerging creators the room to shape the experience on their own terms.
Best Occasions to Wear Your Finest
Nas and Jeezy in Baltimore
Hip-hop is aging, which means its fans are aging, which means that people who may have once shown up to a concert in a tall t-shirt and a pair of Jordans might now be showing up in a tuxedo and well…a pair of Jordans (some things never change). Baltimore cleaned up real nice for shows from rappers Nas at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in July and Jeezy at The Lyric in August.
Nas performed hits from his 1994 album “Illmatic” with a full orchestra. Jeezy performed a variety of his own hits with his own live musical accompaniment before taking off his tuxedo jacket and performing with a DJ.
Best Thing to Happen to Downtown
Artscape
When city leaders announced that Artscape was moving from the area around Station North, Bolton Hill, and Mount Vernon to downtown Baltimore, it seemed like everyone had an opinion.
The move, part of Mayor Brandon Scott’s Downtown Rise Initiative, felt abrupt, leaving organizers of the event scrambling and businesses and artists in Midtown, who had come to count on the Artscape bump, bereft. Just as drastic, Scott’s seemingly sudden decision also included changing the festival’s date, which has traditionally always been on the world’s hottest weekend in July, to Memorial Day weekend — the same time Sowebofest has been happening for decades. So, the mayor was seemingly helping downtown rise while cutting out other parts of the city.
Still, it was good for downtown and it was maybe the Blackest Artscape in modern memory — and maybe the most art-y, too, with the War Memorial repurposed into a vast cavern of galleries, which is surprising from a mayor whose view of art seems to begin and end with Wu Tang.
Tonya Miller, who has since resigned as senior advisor of arts & culture in the mayor’s office, pulled off an almost impossible undertaking that platformed many local artists for their first Artscape. And it all happened during a weekend of sunshine and mid-70s to low 80s temperatures, a welcome change. The reimagining of the area left the space under the Jones Falls Expressway with new murals and colorful lights that accent a previously dismal part of the city.
Baltimore on the National Stage
Pinkshift
One of the highlights of 2025 was walking into CBGBFest just as Pinkshift launched into “Love It Here,” shouting out Baltimore under Brooklyn’s K Bridge, where they shared a festival bill with up-and-comers like Iggy Pop and Johnny Marr. One week later, they kicked off their “Earthkeeper” national tour by filling the Inner Harbor with sweaty, moshing punks for Ottobar’s 28th anniversary party. “Believe in a dream ’cause the system is weak,” sings Ashrita Kumar, and we believe we’re seeing another Baltimore band rise to deserved acclaim.
Brandon Woody
In the 10 years since musician Brandon Woody swept the Baltimore jazz scene at 17, he’s made impressive strides. Last year, the trumpeter, bandleader of UPENDO, and composer made a splash when he was signed to Blue Note Records, where jazz giants Miles Davis and John Coltrane once made music. And this past spring, two days after he was profiled in The New York Times, the native Baltimorean released his debut album. “For The Love Of It All” is a collection of fan-favorite tunes remembered and requested during shows at local jazz venues. If that isn’t a testament to Woody and UPENDO’s staying power, we don’t know what is.
Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals
This year alone, Rolling Stone counted Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals among the “echoes of rap’s golden age and voices of its future” and then, along with Spin magazine, named the duo’s latest release, “A City Drowned in God’s Black Tears,” one of the best albums of 2025. They toured the US and Europe, bringing their ferocious beats and blistering bars to packed houses, proving that artists don’t have to pull punches to make music for a revolution we all can dance to.
Lafayette Gilchrist
When we’re thinking about Baltimoreans on a larger stage, there’s the national level and then there’s the spaceway, which is exactly what Lafayette Gilchrist — stalwart piano player, band-leader, composer, and arranger — travels in his side gig as sometimes pianist for the Sun Ra Arkestra, the 50-plus-year experimental ensemble, led by 101-year-old Marshall Allen — who is still more spry, and sequined, than many a musician of 20 — since Sun Ra, the eponymous bandleader, left this plane in 1993. Ra, a genius of afrofuturism, created an entire cosmic philosophy surrounding Blackness and space, but he was also an amazing piano player. It is a special honor that Gilchrist, who is no stranger to the national stage, isn’t just playing in the band, but pounding on the founder’s keys.
Gabby Samone
The 23-year-old singer stole hearts as a contestant on “American Idol” this year, wowing viewers with her powerful performances and vocal chops, and ultimately rising to the top seven. Samone, who grew up singing with her family at home, and later on, at church, spoke with Baltimore Beat earlier this year about the journey: “It was probably one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had — and one of the best experiences I’ll ever have. Growing and learning, both about myself and about my artistry, was a major piece of this whole experience.” We can’t wait to see what next year has in store for the gifted young artist.
Lawrence Burney
Credit: Photo courtesy of Sydney J. Allen.
Sometimes, hyper-local heads will give Lawrence Burney shit for his position in the seemingly never-ending “is-Baltimore-part-of-the-DMV” battle, but, whether he occasionally reps artists from PG County and Northern VA or not, the truth is, in terms of literature, no one has represented Baltimore fucking City better than Burney this year. Locals have long known Burney for his visionary zine “True Laurels,” his much-missed dance party Kahlon, and his work for local pubs like the City Paper, but Burney’s voice has grown sharper and more incisive as he began covering national and not just local artists for national magazines (check the piece, originally published in 2017 in Vice, on Satanism in Three 6 Mafia). It all exploded onto the national stage in “No Sense in Wishing,” a mash-up of memoir and criticism that serves simultaneously as the coming-of-age story of a critic in the city and a reminder of why music matters. It has the lyricism of a collection of essays, but the vision of a manifesto. The essay “Two Pillars,” which details the era of Young Moose and Lor Scoota among many other things, captures that moment so well that it will get you sneezing anthemically again. But it goes beyond simple nostalgia to show something about what makes the city unique. And the book goes beyond music. No other writer has captured that quintessentially Baltimore fact of a job at Social Security with such comic and Kafkaesque aplomb. That’s a piece people will be reading for generations.
Best Rapper
John Wells
John Wells continues to raise the bar lyrically. Impeccable storytelling and bar structure afoot, his EP “I don’t wanna die (Pt. 1)” was comfortably on repeat when it dropped in September. Wells’ ability to articulate the human experience is worthy of study. Baltimore is a tough city to shine in, not just because of lack of opportunity but because of the abundance of talent. Wells has seemed to find his place as a leading voice of reason in a world full of fake-it-til-you-make-it, clout-chasing, unoriginal, mimic-geared rap aspirers. His “Less Funerals More Birthdays” imprint has racked up a solid list of projects since 2021 and plans to continue with “I don’t wanna die (Pt. 2)” expected to be a second release with his deal with Fat Beats. We’re on board and very much enjoying the ride so far.
Best Festival That’s Ready to Level Up
AFRAM
We want to start off by saying: this is not a slight to AFRAM. We know the team behind this almost 50-year-old festival works very hard to put on a free festival that includes entertainment from local and nationally known acts, food, and more.
Instead, this is a call for more resources. It wasn’t a bad thing when then-Mayor Catherine Pugh made the call to move AFRAM from the asphalt of downtown to considerably greener pastures at Druid Hill Park.
Now, we think, is the time to think even more expansively. More people are coming to Baltimore, which is a good thing, but this year’s festival felt a touch overcrowded (organizers say it draws crowds of over 150,000 both days of the festival). Is there a way that the city can make better use of the 745 acres they have access to for next year’s festival? We spotted lots of teenagers and saw some complaints about them making trouble at this year’s festival. Can the city consider more intentional programming to keep them engaged and entertained?
Best Alternative Band
Astronaut Symphony
In July we wrote about “Cloud Nebula,” the collective’s debut album. Later that month, we witnessed them live at the National Aquarium for Voyages. The band was part-family-business as bandleader Scott Patterson brought out two of his children playing like 20-year rock veterans. Astronaut Symphony is a class act, with a carefully and meticulously executed stage presence. Costumes, a full band, background singers, and charismatic comical commentary in-between songs are all the ingredients on display and more. We look forward to more from this crew in the coming years.
Best -Scape in Station North
Subscape
Station North may have lost Artscape this year, but that didn’t stop the celebration of art and music in the area. Subscape, a celebration of metal, punk, indie, experimental, and hardcore, ran from October 10 through 12, included over 40 bands, and spread across three venues in the area.
The festival was organized by Andy Phillips, owner of the record store Wax Atlas; Kim Te, a guitarist in several local bands, including Natural Velvet, and a promoter for local venues; and Michael Habif, who runs Baltimore Showplace, an online music and events calendar.
Best Beats of Baltimore Bandcamp
Daniel Ek, the cofounder and CEO of Spotify, is a billionaire who probably couldn’t write a song to save his fucking life. If you are not a musician, you might not know that we are currently living in a time where artists are making less money than ever from their music. On Spotify, artists get an average of $0.003 to $0.005 per stream, which is determined by a pro rata system where Spotify distributes a pool of revenue based on an artist’s share of total streams. But on Bandcamp, if someone pays $2.00 for a project, the artist receives $1.55. The consumer’s convenience of having music available at their fingertips through streaming has come with a price. In most cases, without selling merchandise, touring, or going viral as an influencer, artists rarely see a return on investment. Bandcamp is the only site that pays artists the majority of the income they generate. This year, Baltimore made some very solid contributions musically. Here are a few projects we highly suggest you support on Bandcamp.
- “Loosies from the Westside” – PeaceRussie x Miss Kam: West Baltimore producer PeaceRussie beautifully remixes freestyles from Baltimore powerhouse emcee Miss Kam.
- “2.22FM” – DJ Dolla: DJ Dolla sprinkles Baltimore Club music over some of your favorites.
- “Cloud Nebula” – Astronaut Symphony: Musician Scott Patterson leads a cosmic voyage through symphonic performance art, storytelling, and soul.
- “Sound Of The Beast” – DJ Beast: Baltimore Club music and EDM collide on this track. Dj Beast’s full digital discography is also available for purchase.
- “Arrest God” – Muscle: Baltimore hardcore punk trio deliver 11 tracks of power and grit.
- “MAGIC MAN” – NVSV: The budtender and super emcee brings us top-tier lyricism and storytelling on this 13-track album.
- “Meet The Bysons” – The Bysons: Musical duo Mike and Jadie Byson give us traveling music inspired by their adventures abroad.
- “You, Me, the Reign” – Micah E. Wood: Baltimore-bred photographer and musician Micah E. Wood makes anti-capitalist music sound like the self-love and respect we should all have for ourselves.
- “Baltimore For The Holidays” – Mighty Mark & Eze Jackson: Mighty Mark and (Beat distro chief and Best Beats impresario) Eze Jackson team up to bring new holiday music with Baltimore flavor. Features from Sunny Cowell, Kay L.A., Black Assets, and saxophonist Tim Green.
- “Spectrum EP”- S.Dot: The Baltimore Club producer/ DJ’s two-track EP will fit perfectly in your dance playlist to get the blood flowing.
Best Literary Champion
Carla Du Pree
If you know anything about Baltimore’s rich literary scene, you have to also know Carla Du Pree. The writer and executive director of CityLit Project is a powerhouse: connecting writers with resources, cheering them on, and pulling the city’s literary community forward by any means necessary. Every year, Du Pree makes magic, putting on the one-day CityLit Festival on a shoestring budget. She also helps ensure the CityLit Stage at the Baltimore Book Festival is stacked with smart conversations with important writers.
“My thing is championing those voices that are not heard. They have stories that we need to hear,” she told BmoreArt a few years ago.
Unwavering in the Face of Hate
Trans History Project at Center Stage
Baltimore Center Stage doubled down in 2025, first scorning the blatant transphobia of the Trump administration and its subsequent arts funding restrictions, and then launching the Trans History Project, an initiative to create new works by trans playwrights about trans historical figures in live theatres nationwide. The first cohort is already off and running (including Yona Moises Olivares’ “miss EMERICA,” currently in development at Baltimore Center Stage), and we are excited to experience these undertold stories over the next two years.
Can’t Miss
August Wilson’s American Century Cycle
The Baltimore August Wilson Celebration, a trip through Wilson’s American Century Cycle, is a massive feat of theatrical performance and logistical collaboration. Together, theatres across Baltimore have committed to performing works of one of America’s most lauded playwrights, decade-by-decade. Having seen “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at ArtsCentric, and “The Piano Lesson” at Everyman Theatre, we cannot recommend attending these shows enough. Each performance is a riveting opportunity to see Black actors immersed in whole, devastating yet intimate worlds. The next performance is “Seven Guitars” presented by Spotlighters Theatre in January.
Best King- and Queen-Maker
Chin-Yer Wright
Creator, poet, and curator Chin-Yer Wright is the brain, muscle and engine behind The Baltimore Scene, which hosts The Baltimore Crown Awards every year. The event is focused on highlighting and uplifting the hard work of Baltimore’s creatives in a wide range of categories. Wright began organizing what has become an annual-family-reunion type of event in 2006. It began simply as a labor of love that has now become a goal to achieve for many. “I started it because I love Baltimore. It’s a Mecca full of genius, talent, love, authenticity and unity. I noticed that when I travel outside of Baltimore, the city isn’t seen accurately from a very limited perspective.” she told us back in January. Recently, she took things to the airwaves, hosting The Baltimore Scene Radio Show on Morgan State University’s WEAA 88.9 FM. The radio show focuses on giving people their flowers while they’re living. Today, we want to give her flowers. Thank you Chin-Yer. Baltimore is better because you’re here. Look out for our January issue where we will list all of the winners of this year’s awards.
Best Party
Break A Leg
The Break A Leg collective, led by Tromac, DJ-SUN, and Flotussin, continues to grow since we featured them in our Best/Worst of Baltimore issue in 2023. The open-format dance party platforms some of the best DJs, well-known and up-and-coming. In April of this year, they welcomed comedian, rapper, DJ, and “Abbott Elementary” TV star Zack Fox to Baltimore. Fox was featured in their Instagram stories having the time of his life, as one often does when they come to Baltimore. In August, Break A Leg had its first show at Baltimore Soundstage, stepping away from its usual venue The Compound for a night. The party welcomes a demographic that varies in age, style, and culture, leaving no human who wants to party out of the loop. The two parties in April and August further solidified Baltimore’s Club culture and built alliances with DJs around the country. There’s scuttlebutt whispers of possible future collaborations with Fox and a major event in the works for April 2026. Look out for their annual NYE party.
A New Staple in the Film Scene
New/Next Film Festival
Cinema is so back, and the New/Next Film Festival is here to stay! Three years in and it’s living up to the hype, becoming the spot for exciting, thoughtful, and challenging film programming; impeccable vibes; and vital communion with filmmakers and filmgoers alike. Save the dates next October, and while you wait, treat yourself to their newly unveiled New/Next Home-Viewing Archive, where you can reconnect with your festival favorites from the comfort of home.
Best Way to Connect With Neighbors
Baltimore Trinket Library
A splash of pink and cockroaches has landed on Elm Avenue in Hampden. We’re, of course, talking about the Baltimore Trinket Library (formerly the keychain library), a new Little Free Library-inspired addition of rotating miniature public art to this residential block just off the Avenue. Pre-loved keychains and original creations alike are welcome at this trading post for tiny objects, which has turned into an opportunity for many to flex their artistic skills — including an art class at Friends School of Baltimore, each of whom created a keychain inspired by their summer break with the intention of donating it to the library. It’s also become a place to drop off trinkets to be made into keychains for the library, as well as a site for food drives and grassroots zine distribution.