Express Live
Columbus, OH
The things I go through to photograph a good performance! I had been waiting to photograph this band all day! And it was a long day! I left work a squeak early to get on the traffic-filled roads which still made me too late to capture one of the three opening bands.
Waterfront Park
Louisville, KY
Have you ever marveled at the improbable stacking of smooth and heavy rocks by an artist? It takes planning, balance, and an understanding of how to make them all fit together. It’s amazing to see everything come together in such harmony. That was Louisville, Kentucky’s Forecastle Festival this year.
I first met Joey and Tanner of To Kill a Monster heading back to our cars in the rain outside of Rock on the Range. They gave me their card and we made arrangements for me to photograph one of their performances.
The sun shined in full force as 17-ear-old Daya performed at the Rose Music Center at The Heights on Friday July 1st to a sold out crowd. She’s the voice behind the Chainsmokers current #1 Pop and EDM hit “Don’t Let Me Down”.
Their voices are strong and distinctive, working together like all the different scents of a Thanksgiving dinner. You may have your favorite, but together, you get something that is worth celebrating.
Part of what makes them such great performers is how genuine they are. They love the crowd, and are pleased to be out there working the fans. This is work for them, and it never seemed laborious.
There’s one thing I’ve learned from playing Rock Band—when you’ve hit every note and have done right by the audience, the crowd gets energized and sings along. Frank Turner didn’t miss a note. His fans took his request from his song Four Simple Words to heart and didn’t let him sing a single song alone at his Columbus, Ohio performance.
For a massive 3-day rock event of this size, there was a lot more going on than what you saw on those three stages.
When you see an artist perform live, they often throw in only one or two heartfelt tunes. They opt for the crowd-pleasers and more upbeat selections. Fortunately with Dawes, their music is all three.
You don’t have to believe in magic to appreciate Ellie’s 90 minute, 21-song performance, but everyone in attendance left a bigger fan than when they arrived. Which is saying a lot.
Bebe has been working on her vocals since she was 4 years old. She’s had success writing for Eminem (“Monster”), Gomez (“Like a Champion”), and recording with Cash Cash (“Take Me Home”) and David Guetta (“Yesterday” & “Hey Mama” also featuring Nicki Minaj). The success of those songs has lead to the start of her own solo career.
Ending the night with a cover song, especially one from the Beatles doesn’t sound like sound advice. When you bring the other performers from the evening on stage for With a Little Help from My Friends (and you kill it), it’s a perfect way to end a great night of solid performances.
Most of the time, if something rocks, it just rocks. There are different genres and flavours, and sounds (Try telling that to Gene Simons or Ice Cube). At Columbus’ A&R Bar, Slaves and Wolf Alice proved to be the perfect combination to cover all bases for all rockers.
You don't often see lights like this at a show of this size, but Dr Dog is not new to touring.
Photographing Angela Perley, Chris Connor, and Billy Zehnal 3 times in the last 2 years has created a sense of community and friendship with the artists and the fans. Before even arriving, Angela heard I was going to attend her show, and surprised me by added me to the guest list. The fans recognized me, and doled out the compliments.
On Monday morning, I found out about a show I wanted to photograph. I wasn't shooting for anybody, and it was in 2 days. The following email was sent:
I was invited to a special holiday CD release party for Angela Perley & the Howling' Moons on December 8th. I had to see Star Wars late the night before to make this happen. It was a good decision. The entire show was great.