Call Center Company in Baltimore, MD

Just past the half-century mark of entries in this ongoing archival series, the curators of Dave’s Picks may have outdone themselves with Volume 54. The bonus disc itself is a veritable microcosm of the main performance, a never-before-released show from Baltimore, Maryland, that is arguably the definitive release of the whole vault enterprise.

More importantly, 3/26/73 reaffirms why it is unreasonable to overlook this period in the Grateful Dead’s evolution in favor of the less adventurous output of 1972 or 1977. Pacific Northwest ’73–’74: The Complete Recordings (and its three-disc counterpart) made a similar case for this perspective, but that was back in 2018, so the refocus of attention with this exhumation from the archives is more than a little welcome.

Ostensibly available only to those who subscribe to Dave’s Picks, the bonus CDs usually punctuate the statement tendered with the primary content. 3/31/73 delivers more than just that though because, under different circumstances, it’d worthy of a standalone release on its terms: it vividly recalls the famous 1971 Grateful Dead live set (also known as Skull And Roses or Skull Fuck) and not just because a relatively brief drum solo of Bill kreutzmann’s segues into “The Other One.”

That interval mirrors the main virtues of the three CDs in Volume 54. Transitions between selections like “Playing in the Band” and “He’s Gone” are virtually indiscernible, indicative of the highly-sensitized instincts the group had developed from years of regular touring (as well as keyboardist Keith Godchaux’s integration into the lineup since his late 1971 recruitment).

It may be impossible to overstate the significance of Kreutzmann’s presence around this time in Dead history, either. His tenure as the sole drummer for the Grateful Dead—from February of ’71 to November of ’74—fostered some singular agility in the overall motion of the instrumental quintet, here clearly depicted in “I Know You Rider” and “Sugar Magnolia,” the closing of the seventy-five minutes from War Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, NY.

Over the first ten minutes of “Truckin’,” Bill is also limber in maintaining the main rhythm patterns of the composition and arrangement as he is in the accents he provides. Moreover, he is indefatigable: neither his energy nor his imagination ever flags, and in that sense, he is the focal point for the rest of the band as they bond together on stage.

For instance, in the seven-minute “Jam” section of the conclusion above, Jerry Garcia’s guitar work may have never teemed with more invention. He seems to be fielding a seemingly endless stream of ideas, fingering the notes therein without hesitation or undue effort, the fluidity of his playing matching the rapidity with which the notes occur to him.

Bob Weir’s non-conformist instincts on rhythm guitar are just as nimble. As is also the case with Phil Lesh on the bass, he remains incessantly mobile even as he hits the deepest tones he coaxes from his instrument. Unfortunately, Donna Jean Godchaux lacks a similar awareness of her surroundings on occasion. As a result, her sweet harmonies that grace “Candyman” also give way to caterwauling on “Playing in the Band,” where her voice obscures more interesting activity.

A fairly succinct rendition of Lesh’s “Box of Rain” may be the only real surprise in the setlist from the Baltimore Civic Center. But telling too is the inclusion of as-yet-unrecorded tunes that would appear in October of this same year’s release of Wake of the Flood; the collective surety evident on such familiar numbers as “Brown Eyed Women,” clearly lent itself to utter confidence in the parlay of new entries to the repertoire such as “Row Jimmy” and “Here Comes Sunshine.”.

There are at least three points in the roughly four-hour duration of this Civic Center show where the Dead might’ve concluded their performance (which they ultimately finish in somewhat surprising fashion with melancholy yet deceptively optimistic “Morning Dew”).

But to stop with “One More Saturday Night,” to name just one prospective closing, would preclude hearing how Godchaux’ piano playing can be as elegant (“Wharf Rat”) as it is earthy (“Promised Land”). Nor would excising the additional ebb and flow allow for the uncanny back and forth between the latter and Garcia or the late guitarist/songwriter’s swift, circular counterpoint with Lesh at the end of “Eyes of the World.”

Such sublime moments, abbreviated as they are, distinguish Volume #54 from start to finish. As such, this Dave’s Picks re(de)fines the concept of a whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

Related Content

Baltimore City’s “Sleepless Flower Girl” plans to create generational wealth after winning $5 million playing the $5,000,000 Cash scratch-off game.

Baltimore woman’s sick day leads to big payday from $5,000,000 Cash game

A Baltimore City woman’s sick day turned into a huge payday after scratching off a $5,000,000 Cash ticket and revealing the top prize. The federal government employee could not believe her luck after taking a day off work because of a sinus infection.

The nervous, but calm winner chose the anonymous nickname “Sleepless Flower Girl” because of her lack of sleep after the win, and her love for nature. While claiming the prize, she shared the events that led to her becoming Baltimore’s newest multi-millionaire.

On April 10, “Sleepless Flower Girl” was home sick when she decided a smoothie may help her ailments. She headed to the Safeway on Harford Road for ingredients to make her tasty treat. While there, she remembered she had a $120-winning Keno ticket that she needed to cash. With those winnings, “Sleepless Flower Girl” purchased some more tickets including a $50 $5,000,000 Cash scratch-off.

The winner returned home and scanned her tickets on the Lottery app. When she came to the last ticket, she could not believe her eyes.

“I saw the message and the confetti pop up, but I couldn’t tell if it was $5,000 or $5 million,” she said. “I kept scanning it over and over, but I still couldn’t believe it.”

The big winner immediately called her mother who was at work.

“She told me to come home right away,” said the winner’s mother who accompanied her daughter to claim the prize. “I was scared to death.”

“Sleepless Flower Girl” shared a screenshot of the winning message to her mother. When she saw all the zeroes, she told her daughter to scratch the whole ticket.

“I did and I still missed seeing how I won,” she said. “It was like my eyes were playing tricks on me.”

Finally, it registered when she focused and saw that her number matched and there was a whopping $5,000,000 prize below it.

“Sleepless Flower Girl” was so excited about her win that she could not sleep the night before claiming the prize. She was still feeling a bit dazed when she shared with Lottery officials that she plans to buy a house with her winnings and invest some. The mother-of-one son plans to create generational wealth for her family.

The winning ticket was purchased at the Safeway store at 4401 Harford Road in Baltimore City. The retailer will receive a $5,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the top-prize winning ticket. The $50 ticket still has two $5,000,000 top prizes available, seven $100,000 prizes and thousands of prizes ranging from $100 to $10,000.

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An active weather pattern returns to Maryland on Thursday before giving way to a beautiful Mother's Day weekend.

Megan VerHelst, Patch Staff

Posted Thu, May 8, 2025 at 10:31 am ET|

MARYLAND — Another severe weather system is expected to move into Maryland on Thursday, bringing with it the chance for numerous thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and possible flooding.

According to the latest National Weather Service forecast, conditions should remain dry through Thursday afternoon with noticeable humidity and temperatures reaching the lower 80s.

Forecasters said rain is expected to move into the region after 5 p.m. "Numerous" rounds of showers and thunderstorms are possible, according to the NWS.

Rain and storms are likely to continue through the overnight hours, with some localized heavy rainfall and flooding possible, forecasters said. Up to a half-inch of precipitation is expected.

According to the Capital Weather Gang, a high-altitude weather disturbance floating to the north will keep shower chances going through Friday afternoon. Temperatures will be cooler with highs only expected to reach the upper 60s.

Find out what's happening in Baltimorefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Once skies clear by late Friday afternoon, a beautiful Mother's Day weekend is in store for the Baltimore area.

On Saturday, expect plenty of sunshine with a high near 76 degrees. Sunday will be much of the same with clear skies and temperatures reaching the lower 80s.

"A Gulf storm gathers strength, dousing the Southeast on Monday, but all we see is a slow increase in clouds with highs still in the 70s," the Capital Weather Gang said about the start of the upcoming work week. "Tuesday could offer a soaking rain for all those May flowers."

Here's a look at the detailed NWS forecast for the Baltimore area:

Thursday: Showers likely, mainly after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 60. Light and variable wind becoming northeast around 5 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. High near 69. North wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday Night: A chance of showers, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Northwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Northwest wind 9 to 13 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.

Monday Night: A chance of showers after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tuesday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

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A Million Lives Book Festival? More like "A Million Lies," according to some attendees.

A romantasy book festival recently held in Baltimore has left some attendees feeling like they experienced the book version of the infamous Fyre Festival.

The event, held at the Baltimore Convention Center May 2 and May 3, was advertised as the "perfect event to make more bookish friends."

Archer Management promised prospective attendees and authors a magical evening complete with a vendor hall, panels, a content creation room, a cosplay competition and a ball. But according to various testimonials posted to TikTok over the weekend, the "A Million Lives Book Festival" was anything but.

Disgruntled attendees, many of them authors, said they felt cheated by event organizers, who failed to deliver on most, if not all fronts.

Numerous authors, including writer Perci Jay, have spoken up about the things they saw at "A Million Lives Book Festival" on social media, pointing to a lack of clear communication, materials like chairs or water and access to certain billed amenities over the course of the festival.

"It felt like Fyre Fest of book festivals. It was advertised as something really awesome and the actual execution of it was horrible," fantasy romance author Kate Disney-Leugers said in a TikTok detailing her experience. "This is my cautionary tale to you, in that, do not ever do this event, go to this event because you'll be ripped off."

Here's what we know.

Lavender Romance Ball was also an 'absolute mess,' author says

Aside from the low turnout and lack of profit, attendees, including authors, said they were especially disappointed by the ball.

"I know all of you have seen the ball at this point, but everyone was so shocked about the lack of anything at this ball that no one talked about what actually happened at the ball," Jay said.

The venue where the Lavender Romance Ball was slated to take place was bare, with very little decor or sound system. Banquet-esque tables, sparsely decorated with foam rose petals and books, and chairs could also be seen in the conference room.

Guests were welcome to feast on a selection of desserts set up at a table but were expected to pay additional amount if they wanted a drink. (Guests who attended the ball paid $250 for a ticket that included access to the event.)

"When the ball is discount ballin," one attendee wrote in the caption of a TikTok posted May 4.

A convention center security guard came through for the group, who were milling around in silence by playing music from a speaker, dubbed "Speaker Steve," he brought from home.

Another unsung hero in the situation, according to Jay, was dark fantasy romance author Kalista Neith, who allegedly confronted event organizer Grace Archeron about what an "absolute mess" the ball was and asked her to issue refunds immediately.

Archeron's apology video, posted May 4, was filmed about 30 minutes into the ball at the Neith's request, not out of the "goodness of her heart," according to Jay.

Event organizer extends apology, offers refunds

Archeron issued a formal apology, not about "A Million Lives Book Festival" as a whole but rather about the Lavender Romance Ball because it was "not set up to standards."

"There were a lot of issues with getting set up and it was not set up well," Archeron says in the video. "I want to apologize. If you would like a refund, please contact me and I will issue a refund immediately."

Archeron provided an update to attendees who requested a refund on May 6, writing in an Instagram post that they "are currently processing refunds as fast as we can."

"All refunds will be processed by May 31st," the post reads. "We thank and appreciate you for your patience!"

Archer Management did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

This story was updated to correct a grammatical error.