Baltimore House Music? I'm There!

This past weekend, a few friends and I wanted to go out bar hopping. The only requirement was that it needed to include a bar (preferably more) that we hadn't been to yet. That's how we accidentally stumbled upon the establishments Metro Gallery and Club Charles, two spots that feature Baltimore's take on House Music. It was epic!

I was a little skeptical when a friend mentioned Baltimore's house music scene. At Loyola, a lot of the bars will play pop hits, so house music and specifically Baltimore's version of house music, was a very refreshing different night out. After spending a lot of the night at Metro Gallery and Club Charles, I realized that we stumbled upon an intangible cultural heritage experience. 

Baltimore’s house music is unlike anything else I've heard. It’s fast, raw, and pulsing with life, born out of Black and queer communities that used music and dance as forms of expression and survival. This wasn’t just a night out; it was a community ritual. DJs spun tracks that mixed soulful vocals, chopped beats, and bass lines that made the entire room move as one. I quickly learned that the style here, called "Baltimore Club," isn’t really taught in music schools or formal settings. It survives because people teach each other, passing down mixing styles, dance moves, and even slang across generations.

What struck me most was the sense of urgency. From casual bar conversations with older locals, a few mentioned that there are fewer people taking up DJing as an art form, and that there are fewer and fewer spots like this in the city. In fact, one person said that The Crown, another bar known for its house nights, closed down. Without new people learning and preserving the tradition, it risks disappearing, which would be a loss for Baltimore's identity.

For me, witnessing Baltimore house music was more than just a fun Friday night. It showed me what UNESCO means when they talk about “intangible cultural heritage.” It's not just ancient dances or crafts; it's the living, fragile heartbeat of communities, right here and right now. As students, it’s easy to think of culture as something frozen in museums. But nights like this remind me: the most powerful traditions are alive, and they need all of us to dance and continue them. 

I avoid taking pictures or videos on nights out, but I highly recommend you try these bars and this genre of music out for yourself! Trust me- the vibes were there :)