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Neil Fallon of the band Clutch performs at Artscape 2012 on Saturday, July 21, 2012 in Baltimore, MD.

Artscape 2012, “America’s largest free arts festival”, once again brought large crowds to Baltimore’s arts district. Even with the on-again off-again rain showers on Friday and Saturday, the festival still attracted large crowds. The one benefit of the rain was that it kept the temperature at a comfortable level. Usually, Artscape has a couple of days in which the temperature is in the mid to upper 90’s. Not this year.

Sunday the largest crowds of the weekend came out in force as the rain showers stayed clear of the area. It was a bit warmer, but nothing like in previous years. The streets were filled with the usual diverse Artscape crowd. The organizers of the festival always have a tough job trying to match the diversity of the crowd with a diverse selection of activities, music, dance, performance art, exhibits, theater, street performances, opera, and more.

The usual highlight for many festival goers are the concerts that take place on three different stages, the Wells Fargo Stage, Festival Stage, and Station North Stage. This years main stage was sponsored by Wells Fargo. Headling the main stage this year were Brian McKnight, Cluth, and Rebirth Brass Band.

One of the changes that the festival organizers made this year was turning what was a jazz themed concert stage into the Station North Stage. The stage was named after the Station North Arts & Entertainment District. Most of the arts & entertainment district served as a background for the stage which sat on the corner of Charles St. & North Ave. A number of indie bands and DJs from the region performed there throughout the weekend.

One of the new editions to this years Artscape was Squonk Opera’s GO Roadshow.

The GO Roadshow is described as “a musical street spectacle on wheels”. The show takes place on a 34-foot long monster truck that is outfitted with truck horns, a spinning grand piano, a drum-set, and what can only be described as a backdrop of sprockets and rotors. A full band along with a lead singer dressed in road worker gear put on an impressive show. The group performed multiple shows each day of the festival and the audience in attendance at the two shows I saw seemed to enjoy each performance thoroughly.

Just north of the GO Roadshow was Baltimore’s own Baltimore Rock Opera Society (BROS). It was interesting to see two very different non-traditional versions of Opera on Charles St.

As always, Artscape offers more than one can handle or see in a three day period. Artscape is not only “America’s largest free arts festival”, it is one of America’s top arts festivals.

Enough, enjoy the photos.

More Photos:



Artscape 2012 – Images by Anthony Washington

More photo galleries from Artscape can be found here.