For the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, playing with indie bands is a way for an orchestra to reach a young, hip audience. For indie bands, playing with a famed symphony makes you sound both good and legitimizes your music. Given the win-win, it’s perhaps no surprise that WTMD’s Pulse series will be back for another season.
In its opening year, Pulse established itself away from the gimmicky stuff that kept the orchestra in the background, like Metallica’s S&M. Before taking the stage together, both the band and the orchestra played a set of their own. The bands are not the only ones providing cutting edge music. For the coming season, the symphony’s selections are a great tour through contemporary composers, with the likes of John Adams, Arvo Part, Steve Reich. Opening bands in the lobby don’t hurt to make the atmosphere a little more casual, either.
Here’s the lineup of bands:
Sept. 22: Houndmouth
Oct. 20: Brett Dennen
Feb. 23, 2017: Lake Street Dive
May 11, 2017: Lower Dens
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 9.
