Keith S.
Yelp
As I travel a lot for concerts, both as an artist and fan, I had the pleasure of going to many an establishment....from opera houses to house parties, and in between, more dive bars than you can shake a stick at.
Now, don't get me wrong...I freakin' love dive bars.
The dark, no frills, somewhat "seedy" atmosphere of a true dive bar is a beacon, to me.
I got a chance to check out Baltimore's Ottobar while in town last year, for the Maryland Deathfest, a 4+ day underground metal music festival.
They host the Fest kickoff/prefest show, with Immolation, Misery Index, Crowbar etc entertaining the masses.
The venue has two floors, and there wasn't a bad "seat" in the house.
As I film, I opted for the upstairs area which gave me a great overhead view of the stage.
The stage itself was pretty good sized, and stood about chest high (I'm 6').
The interior in on itself is pretty bare bones, with the random band flyer/poster serving as the bulk of the interior decorating.
Despite the crowd, the layout makes it rather easy to navigate, with plenty of open unencumbered areas to walk.
The staff was friendly enough, and drink prices about average for a dive bar, though I mainly stuck to beer, so I can't vouch for liquor prices.
It did take a while to get a drink, though. Yeah, it was crowded, but it seems like attractive young women are quicker to be served than some dude, regardless of cash in hand.
Hey bartenders, not a good way to get a tip...and that girl's not going home with you; she's just working you for stronger /or free drinks...so you're losing twice.
No tip, and no action...just sayin'
Took off a 1/2 star for the repeated slight at the bar, so would give 3 1/2 stars for Ottobar.
All in all, a pretty cool dive bar/music venue that is supportive of underground music, but if you're a dude trying to get a drink, have your girlfriend order 'em, you'll get served quicker.