There’s been a definite disconnect lately between me and punk music– well, to be fair, music in general. Still, it’s bands like the newly-formed Beau Navire that are making it nigh impossible to remain apathetic towards the sudden influx of new punk/hardcore/emo related music.

Sun soaked, acid washed, bubble gum surf rockers who smoke weed are all the rage right now, and the release of DOM’s Sun Bronzed Greek Gods is just another example of that. So the ultimate question is whether all these bands are adding something to a fairly shallow industry, or if they’re just a dime a dozen hack jobs?

We all know that this city loves its lacrosse, and lucky for us the season is almost underway. Come down to M&T Bank Stadium on March 12th for the 5th annual edition of the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic for a lacrosse triple-header in order to kick off the season. Lacrosse powerhouses Syracuse, Virginia, and Johns Hopkins will all be returning to the field, yet with new opponents to ensure an exciting event.

The nationally ranked Men’s Lacrosse Greyhounds will be taking on the Towson Tigers this Saturday at noon. The Hounds are 1-0, earning their first victory against Navy in a 9-8 win at the beautiful Ridley Athletic Complex. As the Hounds travel north on Charles Street to play the Tigers, they will have huge expectations riding on their backs. After finishing in the 1st round of the NCAA Championship losing to Cornell, they have the expectations of the Coach Charley Toomey, who in his sixth season is 28-7, and the fans at Loyola University who care so much for the Division I Lacrosse Team.

For those of you with champagne taste and a healthy appetite, the time has come to see exactly what it is Baltimore has to offer. On Saturday, March 5th, the Harbor Magic’s Culinary Events 2011 series kicks off with the “Best of Baltimore” Food and Wine Dinner. Combining the efforts of chefs from McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, Little Italy’s Aldo’s Ristorante Italiano, and MELI American Bistro, Harbor Magic Executive Chef Bryan Sullivan has cooked up an amazing menu exclusively for this event. Tickets are $75 a person, yet they promise a welcome reception, a multi-course dinner, wine pairings, and a beautiful view of Baltimore’s own Inner Harbor.

Spring break approaches, and the music is reflecting it! Catchy, warm, and poppy music dominates the charts again… with the unusually charming Conor Oberst coming out on top. So enjoy the weather getting warmer, and enjoy this week’s Top 40. We don’t have many newcomers, leaving the spaces wide open for next week’s new music.

The likes of Dawes, Deer Tick, and Delta Spirit have joined to form—for lack of a better term—a folk supergroup. Unlike 2009’s Monsters of Folk, this less ambitious effort sounds like a more rootsy Deer Tick album, rather than a combination of the three artists perspective bands. That being said, the album is very enjoyable because of McCauley’s gravely voice, Goldsmith’s soft croon, and the group’s playful lyrics.

Tina Howe’s “Approaching Zanzibar” is sure to shed some light upon our nightmarish childhood memories of countless hours spent in a car with our parents. The play deals with an American family from the East Coast, traveling all the way from New York to Arizona to visit a dying family member. With a minimalist set and a tight-knit ensemble cast, Howe takes the situation one step past the “are we there yet?” humor in order to explore the arguments, the boredom, and the hopes of a family temporarily on the move. Complete with a classical music composer father, a caring mother, a motormouth teenage girl, and a guitar prodigy son, the Blossom family offers an eclectic collection of outlooks on life.