Local
Piano bar returns to Grand Central
Renovations follow car accident that damaged building
Grand Central on the night that a car wrecked into the popular Baltimore venue. (Photo by Rusel Marcum)
Immediately following a multi-vehicle accident in September that sent white paint splattering onto the exterior of Grand Central and damaged the front entrance, owner Don Davis used the opportunity to make extensive renovations to the bar. One of the changes was to install a piano bar on the street-level pub side, which made its debut on Dec. 18.
Grand Central, one of the region’s most popular clubs and a fixture in the Mount Vernon neighborhood, had been without a piano bar for 10 years. When it existed, it was located on an upper level that now houses the Sappho’s bar. Davis said that following the death of his pianist Carl Barnwell in 2003, there was a succession of pianists who were “not so good, and it was not the same.”
Now he feels the time and the new pianist are right. “After all the years of not having a piano, I am real excited to have the piano in the pub,” Davis told the Blade. “And we are so lucky to have a friend and excellent pianist and entertainer to perform here at Grand Central, Matthew Kenworthy.”
Kenworthy, a self-taught pianist and vocalist from Richwood, NJ, is no stranger to Baltimore as he performed at Jay’s on Read and other venues. He has also appeared in New York, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Chicago, D.C., Rehoboth Beach, and just completed a two-year stint at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City.
Kenworthy performs a broad range of music that caters to a more diverse and demanding audience. He performs selections from nearly any genre from rock ‘n’ roll to Broadway, jazz, pop, and, of course, the standards.
“I am more than excited to return to Baltimore’s music scene,” said Kenworthy. “In 16 years of performing, I never had a more warm, supportive, and caring audience as I have in this city.”
The piano bar entertainment will be featured Wednesdays and Sundays, 8 p.m. to midnight.
Grand Central is located at 1001 N. Charles St. For more information, call 410-752-7133 or visit centralstationpub.com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR_YzobL9tw
Virginia
VIDEO: LGBTQ groups march in Va. inaugural parade
Abigail Spanberger took office on Saturday
The inaugural ceremonies for Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger were held in Richmond, Va. on Saturday. Among the groups marching in the parade were Diversity Richmond and the Virginia Pride project of Diversity Richmond.
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Virginia
Va. Senate approves referendum to repeal marriage amendment
Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin introduced SJ3
The Virginia Senate on Friday by a 26-13 vote margin approved a resolution that seeks to repeal a state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Outgoing state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) introduced SJ3. The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on Wednesday approved it by a 10-4 vote margin.
Same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in Virginia since 2014. Outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2024 signed a bill that codified marriage equality in state law.
A resolution that seeks to repeal the Marshall-Newman Amendment passed in the General Assembly in 2021. The resolution passed again in 2025.
Two successive legislatures must approve the resolution before it can go to the ballot. Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates have said the resolution’s passage is among their 2026 legislative priorities.
“It’s time for Virginia’s Constitution to reflect the law of the land and the values of today,” said Ebbin after Friday’s vote. “This amendment, if approved by voters, would affirm the dignity of all committed couples and protects marriage equality for future generations.”
Maryland
Layoffs and confusion at Pride Center of Maryland after federal grants cut, reinstated
Trump administration move panicked addiction and mental health programs
By ALISSA ZHU | After learning it had abruptly lost $2 million in federal funding, the Pride Center of Maryland moved to lay off a dozen employees, or about a third of its workforce, the Baltimore nonprofit’s leader said Thursday.
The group is one of thousands nationwide that reportedly received letters late Tuesday from the Trump administration. Their mental health and addiction grants had been terminated, effective immediately, the letters said.
By Wednesday night, federal officials moved to reverse the funding cuts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, estimated to total $2 billion, according to national media reports. But the Pride Center of Maryland’s CEO Cleo Manago said as of Thursday morning he had not heard anything from the federal government confirming those reports.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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