Baltimore’s own “oddball subculture” will be featured this Friday on episode two of the IFC’s “Young, Broke & Beautiful,” which follows host “Broke-Ass” Stuart as he “visits cities, unearthing the oddball subcultures and experiences that make them excellent places for broke-ass travelers.”
So, despite the name, don’t expect Friday’s episode to focus on the city’s chronic poverty. Instead, prepare to view a moderately exploitative representation of local “broke-ass-ness” of a more glamorous, collegiate type.
My own cynicism notwithstanding, this episode could give those of us who don’t know the address of the secret warehouse venue (or which buzzer to press) a glimpse into just what has been putting Baltimore on the youth-culture map in recent years. Viewers will get a chance to see a warehouse performance by world class art-punks Double Dagger, as well as a basement “round-robin” style show from the headline-grabbing music and arts collective Wham City. (John Waters alum Mink Stole also makes an appearance.)
Just be sure to take the show’s representation with a grain of salt. At least some of the performances featured were specifically staged for the taping, and ultimately this picture of Baltimore’s underground music culture is subject to the whims of the show’s editors and producers. To what degree the final product will reflect reality, and to what degree it will just be some interesting television, remains to be seen.
The Baltimore episode of “Young, Broke & Beautiful” will air this Friday, July 1, at 11:00PM Eastern on the IFC channel.
