If the concept of a gigantic, trash-collecting, rotating water wheel having its own dedicated band of musicians performing songs composed in its honor seems strange to you, then you, my friend, have never experienced the true spirit of Baltimore.
Meet The Lost Pythons, the world’s first rock band dedicated to Mr. Trash Wheel. They will be performing at Baltimore Fishbowl’s Oyster Shellebration on Oct. 16.
That’s right, The Lost Pythons comprises five band members, all committed to creating and performing music honoring Mr. Trash Wheel, the garbage-gobbling gizmo commissioned by the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore to help keep the waterways clean. At the Shellebration, attendees will see and hear these rock stars performing musical tributes to our friend and googly-eyed garbage guy:
- Adam Lindquist, vice president at Waterfront Partnership – guitar and vocals
- Jonathan Jensen, retired Baltimore Symphony Orchestra bassist – bass and vocals
- Bridget Parlato, graphic designer at Waterfront Partnership – vocals
- Chloe Qualls, program coordinator at Waterfront Partnership – ukulele
- Allison Blood, senior program manager at Waterfront Partnership – keyboards
“We are a pretty low-key band,” Lindquist told Baltimore Fishbowl. “The band first formed in the summer of 2023, but really only got serious this summer when we went into the studio and recorded professionally for the first time.”
So far, their repertoire consists of three songs, and we cannot wait to hear them. The first one is well-known to many Trash Wheel fans, as we sing it on his Earth Day Birthday and we also sang it last year at our inaugural Oyster Shellebration.
- “Mr. Trash Wheel (hero of the harbor)” (original song by Jonathan Jensen)
- “Trash Wheel Groove” (original song by Bridget Parlato)
- “Tiny Dumpster” (parody of “Tiny Dancer”)
And who is more deserving of musical appreciation than Mr. Trash Wheel, who since 2014 has diverted and removed millions of pounds of trash and debris from the Inner Harbor? Because of him we have an entire Trash Wheel family, with Professor Trash Wheel and her love of Eleanor Roosevelt, Captain Trash Wheel and their conscious refusal to adopt gender-specific pronouns, and Gwynnda the Good Wheel of the West with her love of purple and Erykah Badu.
Why, you may ask, are they called “The Lost Pythons?” Well, early in Mr. Trash Wheel’s young life in August 2015, he unintentionally scooped up a large python while performing his regular cleaning functions after a thunderstorm.
The snake was five feet long and survived the ride just fine. A curator from the National Aquarium came over and identified it as a ball python, which is not poisonous or aggressive. Lindquist promised to find it a home, and ever since, the python has become as closely associated with Mr. Trash Wheel as his trademark googly eyes.
Make sure to get your Oyster Shellebration tickets soon, because early-bird pricing only lasts until Sept. 30. A portion of every ticket sold is donated to Mr. Trash Wheel, helping keep our Inner Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay clean.
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Venue: True Chesapeake Oyster Co.| 3300 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 400
Tickets: Early Bird Pricing – $75 each; after 9/30 – $100 each
