Live Baby Live

June 14, 2008 @ Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN

So I’ve obviously been neglecting this site for the past few months, much of that having to do with being busy with other things in my life. I’ve also been going through quite a spell of not enjoying the editing process, so I’ve done as little of that as possible. This Cat Power set from Bonnaroo is actually the first group of photos I’ve truly enjoyed editing in a very long time.

Chan Marshall is known for being pretty camera-shy, so it was surprising that we were allowed to shoot most (all? I can’t remember) of her Bonnaroo set, and she seemed comfortable with it. She paces back and forth on the stage quite a bit, so that was a bit of a challenge, but we were pretty lucky with the lighting. Bonnaroo’s lighting rigs are some of the best I’ve seen, producing really saturated, rich colours, like the ones seen in this set.

Stay tuned over the next few days for my attempt at a top 10 live show list, like the one I did last year.

Full Cat Power set here.

December 13, 2008 @ Sound Academy - Toronto, ON

“Help, I’m alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer…” I have this new Metric song stuck in my head all the time. I’m talking everyday, all day. From the very first time I heard “Help, I’m Alive” I instantly remembered the lyrics and found myself singing along when they opened with this song at the Jingle Bell Rock show at the Sound Academy a few weeks back–after only hearing it twice, ever (I don’t listen to the radio, cut me some slack).

While I didn’t stay for the whole show, I’d dare to say that what I did see was one of the best Metric performances I’d been to in quite some time, and I regret not sticking around. They always put on a great show, but this one had a little extra sumthin’ sumthin. Maybe it was the new songs?

In terms of shooting the show, the light was hit and miss, but I managed and am fairly satisfied with what I got. Can’t say the same for the opening bands (The Dears and Tokyo Police Club), unfortunately.

Full Metric set here.

I thought I’d switch things up a little here, and instead of featuring a band, I’m going to feature the people who keep those bands in business–the fans. I will probably do a few posts on fans in the next few months, but today I thought I’d feature a special breed of them…Warped Tour fans!

I’ve shot the Vans Warped Tour for the past three years and the fans never disappoint. You end up with this mixed bag of (mostly) kids, ranging from punks to emo girls to skaters to your average run of the mill teens, all pressed up against the barrier together. While each year seems to bring out less and less mohawks, there’s still a lot of great fashion (and passion) to catch with the lens. It’s fair to say that Warped fans are my favourite to photograph, and it’s something I look forward to each year.

Full gallery here.

June 14 2008 @ Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN

I never thought I’d have the opportunity to see/photograph the legendary blues man B.B. King, so when I found out he was playing Bonnaroo this year, I was ecstatic. King’s arrival on stage was greeted with thunderous applause from the crowd and a committee of Manchester officials there to present him with the key to the city. After a few minutes of acknowledging and throwing guitar picks to the crowd, King took a seat and began to play. His 82 years may be evident in his ailing health, but you’d never know it by the way he plays and his jovial sense of humour. The passion he still has is awe-inspiring…and that’s why he’s one of the greatest blues guitarists of all time.

Photo gallery to come.