Blank Image Arts

NKOTBSB + Britney Spears

2011-07-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time between posts on this blog. But I'm happy to report I'm getting back into shooting concerts! The film I've been working on is nearing completion of principal photography, and soon after that, life should start returning to a fairly normal state. But for right now, let's talk New Kids On The Block, Backstreet Boys, and Britney Spears...

It's Britney, bitch!

This post is actually covering two separate shows: Britney Spears did her own tour through Phoenix, and shortly after, the NKOTBSB came through. I wasn't sure when I started this if I'd have enough to say for each concert to necessitate separate posts. But let's see what happens!

Believe it or not, I'd never attended a Britney Spears show before. And I've never had the opportunity to photograph her. But I'd always heard wild stories... like: "We were only allowed to shoot for the first 22 seconds of each song, and we weren't allowed to shoot her straight on... and if you made eye contact with her you'd be escorted out of the show." So I'd never really jumped at the chance to shoot her. But I was asked to shoot her this time around and I figured it'd be a good reason to dust off the still camera... and maybe even get a snap or two for the old portfolio. It IS Britney Spears... you can't deny she's a pretty big deal for our time. Might as well put a Britney notch in my belt.

On to the show itself. The restrictions weren't too crazy, but they also meant "amazing" photos were out of the question... 3 songs from behind the mixing board. This meant the back of the house... all the way at the opposite end of the Jobing.com arena floor. It also meant shooting over the entire arena of screaming fans. This was a challenge to be sure, but luckily I'm a bit taller than most 13 year old girls, so I was able to get my shots.

Oddly, or probably not actually odd at all, the crowd was made up of girls, young and old, and really gay guys. In fact, the one person I could actually hear singing OVER the loud speakers was a twenty something dude in a bedazzled Britney t-shirt. This kid was going NUTS for Britney!

During her performance, which was basically just a lot of skin and on-display crotch, Britney called a guy up from the audience and performed a lap dance on him. Initially I thought it was a "safe pick" to grab a clearly homosexual guy... but as I looked around, I reckon she'd have had a pretty tough time finding a straight guy in the house. All that aside, the people looked quite pleased with the show. Whether or not she was lip-syncing didn't matter to these kids... it was just about the show... and seeing her up there. They definitely got that.

Next was New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys. Again... I was reminded of Stephen Fry's "Last Chance To See" program, and thought I better shoot them while they're still here. Plus my sister was a huge Joey fan. For all the snickering you could imagine I heard when I told people I was shooting this show, it actually turned out to be a good shoot. I know at least one of the photos will be going in my portfolio, and anytime I can walk away from a show thinking that, I'm pretty happy.

This was a weird show tho... don't get me wrong. It started with a screen showing a bunch of photos of the boys to get the crowd warmed up. You can imagine screaming. Especially when Donnie Wahlberg popped on screen. "Oh my gawd damn!! It's Donnie!!" Then Joey McIntyre, forget it... "Oh my holy JESUS!! It's Joey!! Joey!!!!" Then those photos stopped showing. Lights kicked on... more screaming... then another video presentation with each member posing for the camera with their name in lights flashing behind them. Again, screaming. The tired and tucked away, not to be spoken of out loud fantasies of thirty thousand girls were reignited. Then the lights went down again. Then a giant, floating frying pan carried both boy bands to the stage.

The cat walk at this show was probably the longest I'd ever seen. They put it to good use. The first song was both bands together performing a re-imagining of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida". It didn't strike me right away, but towards the end of the song, I realized what I was actually looking at was the meat counter at my local grocers. The boys were strewn evenly from one end of the cat walk to the other, and on either side, the chairs were pointed AT the cat walk. (That's never usually the case.) The boys would sing to one side, then turn like clockwork to the other side. They was like a rotating electronic tie holder of leather clad boys.

These shows were, in truth, a bit weird to shoot. But you know... it's work other people would kill for. And I like getting thrown into uncomfortable situations with a camera. I think it forces you to adapt and open your mind. Good times.

Film project... "Intersect"

2010-11-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, and random passers-by... I wanted to take a moment to post about a project I'm working on. It is a feature length Sci-Fi film called "Intersect", and I am working as the Director of Photography on it, my brother Gus wrote it and is directing. It will be shot on RED, and stars Jason Spisak of Piranha 3D and FOX's Lie To Me. Over the course of preproduction and shooting, I have been blogging about the experience on a different blog, click here to see. During the shoot, I will be curving my concert photography to focus on the film. Please check it out and feel free to comment! Here are a few pics from the set, and the most recent "behind-the-scenes" video. Thanks!

Intersect blog.

A Perfect Circle @ The Marquee Theatre

2010-11-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

I heard about this show through an A Perfect Circle super-fan. The band booked three consecutive nights at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe to welcome the fans back to the music, and to try and spark a new flame between the members themselves. Did it work?

I don't know. I wasn't able to watch the entire show, you tell me pal. Plus, sometimes it's hard to tell if band mates like each other on stage when they are performing. Especially when one of those band mates is Maynard James Keenan. Maynard has some sort of (Caution: wild outsider accusation about to fly) front-man-egomania-slash-I'm-just-a-normal-person-don't-put-a-spotlight-on-me-I-need-to-keep-my-anonymity thing going on. To be very honest, and brutal, I just don't get it. I could try to understand it if Maynard was a bigger celebrity... I don’t want to say "more relevant"... but not as obscure as he is now. Tool has a huge following, and you could no doubt argue that most people with at least a respectable working knowledge of the music world have heard of Tool. But would they know Maynard from Mike Patton? Probably not. The only image I had of Maynard for the longest time was him laying naked on top of a great big fat lady on the CD sleeve of a Tool album.

Weird band/ego/politics aside... let's talk about the gig! I was contacted by Spin Magazine to cover the show. Every time I hear from them, I'm always humbled. The first time I shot for them I was really nervous. "Can't mess this opportunity up!" But now I try to just accept things as the come. I think there is an AA mantra in there somewhere. "Lord, give me the Grace Under Fire box-set to help accept the shoddy American TV schedule that I can't change."

I was a bit confused why they chose the Marquee as the starting point for this short "reunion tour starter". But, that is really just my own personal bias. Shooting at the Marquee is never easy. The lighting is always such a struggle there. Couple that with Maynard's "stand-at-the-back-of-the-stage-with-no-light-on-me" modus operandi and you've got a pretty serious shit sandwich... then to add mustard to the mix, the front of stage is lit with red and pink lights. I don't want to wax camera operation too much, but camera's don't like the reds. Especially not BRIGHT red. You loose definition, color is blown out, and photos turn out bad. This was a tough shoot, no doubt about it. There was a lot of work done in post to make some of these photos passable. "No, Luke, we think they look great! You're being over critical." Well, thanks. That's nice, just don't look too hard.

Seeing as this ended up being one of the harder shoots I've done in a long time, and the fact that the photos only turned out "ok" by my standards, I'm curious to see if I hear from Spin again.

Here is the link to my photos on the Spin page. Words by fellow New Times-ite, and Gundam warrior, Jonathan McNamara!

Gorillaz @ Dodge Theatre

2010-10-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, upon walking down to the stage of the Dodge, seeing the lights and set up, I wasn't sure if this was going to be a cool show or not. The little I know about the Gorillaz tells me it should be.

The Gorillaz have always been very 'theatrical' with their approach to the music world, sort of a BIG art band. The idea being that the Gorillaz are a 'virtual' band, and the performers are comic book characters. Lots of neat videos, I believe all of which are cartoons... starring animated caricatures of the band mates. When the curtain fell before the start of the show, I could tell they had something neat planned. Large glowing letters that spelt Gorillaz on the back of the stage, a giant projector screen, then maybe a 10-piece brass band, a string section, 3 back up singers, and a slathering of 'other' musicians took the stage. Then a really colorful video started the show. Neat, if indie/art-band style, miniature-based sweeping footage of a sort of island fortress in the ocean played out to an excited audience. (Check out the cover art to their new album "Plastic Beach") Then Snoop-Dogg showed up on the screen and performed (via prerecorded underwater video footage) with the live band. None of which I was allowed to photograph.

When lead singer Damon Albarn took the stage, the crowd went nuts. Let's not forget he's also the singer of the seriously influential British band Blur as well. Sadly, we photographers were locked to one side of the stage, in a very tight section. Which just meant, in lay terms, the photos would suffer. Albarn stayed on the 'other' side of the stage for the duration of my shooting time, save for a few times when he hopped on a piano in the middle of the stage with his back to me. Then, the one time when he came closer to me than just middle stage, this weirdo in the front row jumped out in front of me for the shot, and blocked all the photographers. I say ‘weirdo’ because he WAS a nut job. He was taking pictures of all sorts of things with his iPhone 4. Like, the floor. After he jumped in front of me, he turned around and took my picture. I bet he drives a BMW.

The lighting was cool, but none of the band mates were actually lit themselves. It was a case of watching the spot light on Albarn, and anticipating when some of that light will spill on to the other members. I got some neat silhouettes, but an entire show of that would get boring. If only I was allowed to move around with my camera!

All in all, it was neat. I actually wished I knew the band more than I do, and that I could have watched the show. I bet it was a lot of fun. And who doesn't love that Clint Eastwood song?? Hearing that live probably made the night for a lot of people. Next time...

Jack Johnson @ Cricket Pavilion

2010-10-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

I thought America was just "going through a phase" when Jack Johnson became a hit here. That sappy, folky, pseudo-Jamaican, island music style got really old to me, and really quick. Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, and lets not forget ... actually, I can only think of two. I suppose OF the two, I'd prefer to shoot (photograph with camera) the former. Still... Cricket Pavilion? For serious?

Yes, for serious. Cricket Pavilion. Serious like cancer. A cancer that an awareness walk downtown won't cure. When I pulled into the parking lot, to where they let press people park, I was shocked at how full it was. They were actually ushering people into the press lot. Madness. Inside, the place was jam-packed. The last time I saw Cricket this full was for Jimmy Buffett... hmm. I kind of GET the appeal of this sort of music... something simple, soothing, and easy to listen to while people smoke pot all day. I get it. But I can't believe that this many stoners can remember to purchase tickets for the show, or have enough spare cash to buy an album in between purchasing bags of drugs.

But in all seriousness, I don't like this sort of thing. I don't know if I'm being clear enough. Regardless, he is a viable photo-op, so I went for it. Luckily, the other photogs in attendance were wrong in thinking he wouldn't bring any lights with him. In fact, it was a relatively easy shoot, none of the band mates really moved from their predetermined allotments... and the stage was sufficiently lit as well... I didn't use the word 'lit' as a pun for everyone on stage being high and using the same flowery style cup to drink juice from in between songs, I meant there was a lot of light... surprising a bunch of stoners would have it THAT bright actually.

Jack Hody Johnson, America's greatest American hero.

KISS @ Cricket Pavilion

2010-09-30T07:18:00.001-07:00

When I started this post I realized that it was blog #101. I've cracked 100 posts! But since I didn't notice it while I was posting #100, we aren't celebrating.

KISS, back again... feels like just last December 1st they were here. But, we wanted the best, again... right? Yeah, I'm pretty sure we did. I was up for it, but I can't speak for you. But KISS gave us the best, so stop complaining, this blog just started.

It's not until the heat from multiple 30-foot tall fire balls hit you that you realize we don't actually live on the surface of the sun here in sweaty Phoenix, AZ. While that rank smell and the pit stains on the people to my left, right, and rear would suggest otherwise, after the warmth of the flame left my face, the temperature actually resembled "cool". Thanks KISS, for that at least.

Getting to the front of the stage riding a giant floating platform with smoke shooting out from the underside of it while fire is streaming from all sides of you, is one way to start a show. Sure. But there's always the stand-by 'just walk calmly out and quietly say hello into the mic without looking and be all indie' beginning... but you know, for purposes of good photos, I'd take the platform entrance any day! So thank you KISS once again.

Boredom is not allowed at a KISS concert. Even if you don't know the songs, and God knows I don't... You can still have a pretty ridiculous time. I mean, where else can you see a dude in makeup play his guitar between his legs with his ass up in the air? "Is it Creed? That sounds like a Creed concert. Creed is so awesome." ...No, not even at a Creed show can you see that. How about a dude in 10-inch, bedazzled platform shoes doing a jump in the air after having just been doing a one legged side split at the front of the stage? "ABBA??" No, not ABBA. How about a dude who sings, plays guitar, and crawls on hands an knees to shove his face into your camera? Ok... this is all just Paul Stanley, the Star Child as I refer to him... and then there are 3 other guys in the band still! Well, they don't do as much. Let's be honest here. But still, the show is nuts.

Photo-wise, a guy can't ask for much more. "What about a girl, could she ask for more? Sexist!" When did this blog turn into a discussion? Photo-wise, conditions we're superb. Lighting was ample, the stage was giant, and the players really sell to the camera. Honestly, all I could have asked for would have been a little more room in the pit, and maybe some of those sweet platform shoes... as if I don't tower over all the other photogs already... brew-ha-ha-ha!!

Pyrotechnics, giant video screens, animated characters, and a catalog of hit songs... what more do you need? Nothing! So stop asking! Next time KISS is in town, just buy a cheap ticket and go watch them! It's real life. And whether you like them or not, this band is legendary. You might as well go see them before it's too late.

It's rare that I actually get to meet the band... and it was just as rare this time, since it didn't happen... but I got close... shaw!

Fall Frenzy @ Tempe Town Lake

2010-09-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

What a bizarre festival, right from the get-go. I was meant to cover the first two days of this event, which would have started with Shinedown and Stone Temple Pilots, however the whole thing was fubar before I even showed up.

Apparently, there was a 'bomb scare' sometime during the night... which involved an unmanned backpack near the front gate... at an outdoor event, at 100 degrees plus even after the sun went down, and drunk people at every turn... maybe someone just dropped their bag?? No.. it's a bomb. The entire front entrance was evacuated and cordoned off... roads were shut... parking was F'ed up... great start. Luckily, I parked about a mile away, not in the direction of the mayhem. But when I showed up, I wasn't allowed in, I had to wait to be brought my credentials. Which took over an hour. So I missed Shinedown's set. Bummer. (That was sarcasm there.) When I finally got in, I hung out with New Times columnist Benjamin Leatherman. We walked around the venue getting an idea of the scope of the event, and got harassed by drunk people the entire trip. It's odd, if you are just HOLDING a camera, people will ask you to take their photo. I still don't get that.

On with the show! I was told to meet a group of people from the event up near the stage to shoot STP... at 10pm. I get there, I wait, I survey. 10:45 passes, and people are launching water bottles at the stage, one guy finally hitting a crash cymbal on STP's drum kit. The photogs are told that the band is on their way, but have missed all sorts of engagements that day prior to the show. At this point, I'd be surprised if I shoot anything this night.

Eventually, the band walks on stage, and start playing like nothing happened. This time around there is no one in the pit with us ready to catch singer, Scott Wieland, should he fall off the stage. Maybe he was cleaned up for the tonight's gig. Yeah, maybe. Maybe I'm a Chinese fighter pilot. I recognized one song during my 2-song stint of shooting... "Wicked Garden"... the one song I know by STP that I can't stand. After song two, I was glad to be on my way home.

The next day would prove to be a better day. The lineup I was scheduled for was Devo, Primus, Sublime (with Rome... some guy who is not the original singer/guitarist), and Weezer. I was pretty psyched actually. Especially to shoot Primus, and be able to actually stay and watch their set. I got in the gates with minimal drama, and only caught the very end of Devo's set. I walked around and grabbed a few crowd shots, hung out in the New Times VIP lounge tent, and then made my way over to the stage for Primus.

I'm not totally current with Primus, so I didn't really know why there were two giant blow-up astronauts on stage with them, but, hey, does it NEED an explanation? When I saw Les Claypool walk on stage, I got pretty happy. What a strange dude... and what a great musician. I got to actually just chill and watch them play "Those Damn Blue Collared Tweakers" from the pit... that was probably the highlight of the entire festival for me. I ran into Randy Johnson again... he was shooting Primus from the pit with me. Neat.

Sublime "with Rome"... I don't know. I could go down a very harsh road if I say too much about this act. But let's just say, they showed up and played. I was pretty shocked by what I saw... and I'm not even a Sublime fan. I don't think many REAL Sublime fans could get behind this. Maybe I'm wrong. But how often does that happen?

The night finally started to wind down for me and Weezer was up next. I was moderately excited to shoot them. I like them... I'm not the biggest fan... but I have a two albums on my iPhone and a bunch of one-off tracks. Rivers came out looking, once again, like Buddy Holly... which, I guess you could attack him for... but that's his look. I'm glad he's back to it. It's what the fans like to see. It's that nerdy look they can relate to.

Weezer's set was unfortunately plagued with technical difficulties right from the start. During the first song, "Hash Pipe" (if I recall correctly), Rivers couldn't hear himself in the monitors... really only evident to the keen listener during the falsetto parts. He was hand-motioning to the sound guy off stage to turn certain things up, and other things down in his monitor so he could hear. Apparently tho, the guy wasn't on the same wavelength. After the song finished, Rivers explained to the crowd that they have a new sound guy and they are still working out the kinks. He went through exactly what he needed done before he started the second song. But during that song, things were still messed up, and Rivers started knocking mics over until he got it right. Bassist Scott Shriner at one point looked even more upset than Rivers when his bass went out. He just stopped playing, and they brought him another bass... which seemed to have a similar problem. He just sort of frowned the entire second song. But he and Rivers both came out of it pretty quickly, and they were on to rocking.

I didn't stay and watch the entire set... I'd had a pretty crazy weekend already at that point... but I'm sure it would have been the highlight to most people's weekend. This entire blog post, I just realized, is pretty normal. I must apologize... I promise something more interesting next time. At least you got to see some photos right?

Paramore (w/ Tegan and Sara) @ Dodge Theatre

2010-09-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Paramore with Tegan and Sara opening for the "Honda-Civic-Go-Buy-A-Fucking-Honda-Already-Damn-It!-They-Are-Green-And-Paramore-Drives-Them-What-Are-You-Waiting-For?-You-Can-Buy-One-In-The-Lobby... Tour". Yes, nothing I love more these days than going to a concert and watching car commercials for little, ugly, shit cars that run solely on clean burning Mormon sweat and say a prayer for the car behind it as it's exhaust. No 12 year old girl at this show can afford a Honda... or cares about being green. I'm even slightly older than 12 and I don't even care. I didn't take pictures of all the ads and Honda projections on the walls, cause I thought I'd be replicating their ad campaign. Somewhere... there is a guy wearing prescription-free Oliver Peoples glasses who just said "You might hate the ads, but you just talked about Honda! BOOM! The system works!"

Moving on to the music. Let me just say from the start, sometimes I amaze even myself with how limited my musical scope is. I'd like to think I was pretty diversified, but in reality I just have 16 gigs of Radiohead and Neil Finn on my iPhone. Granted, I do KNOW who both of these bands are. And I know a song or two from each. Both facts I can blame on my friend Thomas. That's all beside the point... the music... the music... yeah. I could tell that these bands know how to play their songs. They were using professional equipment. There was no one whispering in their ears which chord came next. No fake books. It was all in their heads. These bands have really practiced hard. I say well done. And any critic who attacks them, well... they probably don't know what they're talking about.

One strange fact I feel I should point out is how some people photograph so different than they actually look. I photographed Stevie Nicks a while back, and in person I couldn't even recognize her, but in the photos "Oh, that's Stevie Nicks there." It's kind of the opposite for Paramore singer Hayley Williams... when I photographed her before, and tonight as well, I get these shots that 'resemble' her, but they never seem a perfectly accurate representation. Maybe that's just me.

In a weird way, I think I'm less familiar with Paramore, the headliner, than Tegan and Sara. I don't really know what's actually 'weird' about that, but I feel like I've had more chance encounters with T&S over the years. In fact, a few years back, in a fantasy world, I almost had a cartoon show called The Zoo make it on the TV box... Tegan was going to voice one of the main characters on the show. But no, I never actually met her. Still, at that point, I did some research on them. That's just being responsible tho.

Actually, the one song I really knew from the whole night started as I was being escorted out after shooting T&S's set... "Walking with a ghost". Oddly, that was the only thing that sounded a bit off. Maybe it was me... but it sounded just a bit discordant. Like someone was off in the land of their own time signature. But, it still rocked, and the crowd loved it.

Being a photographer is always an interesting experience. Sitting in the hallway before Paramore went on, there was a huge line of fans waiting to meet one of the opening bands who was signing autographs. And amidst the young girl normalcy of the line comes this gangly drunk guy asking for random people to sign his autograph book. "This book has a lot of power" he'd tell the young girls. He even asked a fellow photographer to sign it. And I think he also asked him to write in a powerful message. Talk about pressure. You don't want to let a drunk weirdo at a concert down. I turned away and got my phone out when he was near me. Not because I didn't want to sign, God knows I've just been waiting to sign something with my new signature, but because the only advice I could think of was "Whatever you do, don't let someone throw up in your mouth. Buy Japanese."

Hanson @ Mesa Center For The Arts

2010-09-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

This is a true story, but probably not that funny of a story. Generally, every 2 weeks or a so, I make a list of concerts I'd like to photograph. Usually based mostly on the possible merits of the show itself... performer wise and production wise... and other shows get peppered in as the New Times see fit. I actually asked to photograph the Jonas Brothers this night, and the NT editor replied to me and said I was in for Hanson. Not trying to be rude, but I thought he was being sarcastic. Three of them, three of Hanson... but no. He meant actual Hanson. But in my defense, I have been pretty lazy about looking up shows lately, and I did not even see that Hanson were in town. Now that we got that out of the way, finally... on to the review. Err. On to the "I talk about stuff relating to the show and/or photography... and anything else that pops up." Don't you love grapes?

Honesty up front here... I was pretty indifferent about shooting Hanson. Initially at least, I'd rather have shot the Jonas Brothers, just because it was at a bigger venue, and will have had more stage production... meaning more interesting photos. But, I try not to complain too much. Always complain UP the chain... not... off the chain? OUT from the chain? Anyways... yeah... I can at least dig Hanson. I actually KNOW a song of theirs. Plus, Taylor Hanson plays with James Iha in the super group Tinted Windows... I think that adds a few cool notches.

As expected, the modest sized crowed went absolutely nuts when Hanson took the stage, and the boys gave them just want they wanted. A high energy, poppy rock show. Lots of jumping and singing along, and the odd harmonica why not? I got to the show a little early, just soon enough to see the opening band finish their set. The whole aesthetic of the room was a bit odd. It was filled with a fair share of youngish, elementary/middle school type girls. But also a moderate helping of high school girls... the crowd that 'grew up' listening to Hanson, and are still following the band. There were even some boy people in attendance... but if I'm honest, I felt more macho and mannish mixed in that crowd than any other concert setting. Wink wink, nudge nudge. It didn't help that security guards were all pensioners either. The band that played was like a Hanson-in-training sort of act. Every song had a clever lyric about a girl and a big smile at the end. "No, we love YOU guys!" I felt a bit like I was in an underground Disney bunker testing ground for young girls and new pop acts. I could imagine a room of sweaty, fat execs behind a panel of TV screens scribbling down notes as to what action on stage got an emotional response from the girlfolk in the crowd... and if that boy with the red highlights has a good time too, mark that down Phil.

So... Hanson. Yes. That's why we're all here. What can I say that I haven't already covered? You know what? I was surprised at all the gear Isaac Hanson, eldest, guitarist, had on stage. I mean, that was an impressive pedal board man! And if you know anything about me, that's saying something. Cause when I say something, generally I've said it, myself. Hanson. Pedal board... hmm... I think we're all lucky I don't get paid for this part. Here's a picture!

No, I had a good time. The venue was neat... I didn't really get to look around, but the architecture and the layout (same thing?) was pretty groovy. It's not the most impressive gig size-wise if you're a touring band... but I bet it was a neat visual to drive up to in the tour van. It's not an old shit hole off the side of the 202 freeway, that used to be a Country music hall, now with no A/C, awful lights, and terrible sound. That's for sure.

I think the Hanson boys are doing alright. I don't see a big resurgence in their future, but I think they've got a pretty steady following, and they seem to be able to branch out. Heads on their shoulders and what not. Speaking of heads on shoulders, while I was waiting for Hanson to go on (head firmly attached to my neck)... a peculiar head and shoulder combination parked near me at the back of the venue. It was only TV's Frankie Muniz! He's actually now the drummer in a cracking band here in Phoenix called You Hang Up. I found out later that the paper I freelance for has been slagging him off pretty regularly. I didn't know that at the time... and after the show I ran into him again, so I asked for a photo. Initially, his posse cleared out like I asked if I could perform his yearly rectal exam... and he traded a look of similar unease with his girlfriend. I offered to not take the photo to avoid ruining the evening, but eventually his band came around and they got together for a photo. Had I known the back story, I would have tried to explain that I'm not an egomaniac who publicly attacks people who are trying to further their creative career, just because it doesn't gel with me, man. I say good on ya Frankie. I don't know if were on a first name basis yet, but I did introduce myself with my first name. So... Mr Muniz it is. Anyways, thanks for the pic. If you're out there.

Greenday @ Cricket Pavilion

2010-08-31T07:06:00.000-07:00

Somehow Billie Joe still has it. I'm not saying he shouldn't have it. I don't think anyone's saying that. I'm certainly not. But, even so, it was refreshing to see someone really attempting to connect with their fans, and seriously rock the house. And in a pair of red and black striped pants and spotted socks, I think he did it.

I think some people are surprised how often I say "I'm not really a fan, but..." in my blogs... so, why stop now? In fact, I was pretty ANTI-Green Day when they really hit hard with the Dookie album. Not because I was a too-cool-for-school-hardcore-true-punk-fan-from-way-back or anything... in fact, I liked 'real' punk even less. I just never liked the 'cleverness' or goofiness to the band back then... fitting words like "melodramatic" into a pop song, and butchering the pronunciation of it to fit the timing. I always grouped them in with the way Ben Folds' lyrics turn my blood and make me want to lobotomize myself. (Or just turn the station) But, that said, I've grown to appreciate them over the years. They fill a gap. And they are very entertaining to watch live.

I shot them last time they were here, at the considerably larger US Airways Center... so they're hugeness may have waned slightly, but they still sufficiently rocked the house. The house, which was only about a quarter full while the opening band (AFI) was playing... did eventually fill up nicely. The stage show was only slightly scaled back from that of the previous show. A lot of the same lights and screens... minus a catwalk and the side perches... but Cricket sort of has those built in anyways.

We photogs were told we'd only get to shoot 2 songs for Greenday, but that the second song would be quite a bit extended. Which, it was. Billie Joe jumped off the stage and ran into the audience... he went searching for a fan and brought him on stage. The fan got to run around on stage, sing a couple of backing vocals, then Billie Joe cleared a space for him... and instructed him to dive off center stage. The kid couldn't believe his luck. I said this before I think... but Green Day had just then turned that kid into a fan for life, and probably made his whole year just then. And what did that cost Green Day?

Lighting, if I'm honest, was good, if a bit boring. Lots of white light meant you could take your time with exposure and get a nice pic... but it wasn’t anything crazy. And the city skyline and flames on the LED screens were a bit, cheesy. But, it was color... and what's the alternative? Rush's shows are crazy, but you don't even know what the hell you're looking at. To be fair, I'm sure the lighting picked up later in the show, they did have a bunch of gear. But I can't complain. This is one of those bands where, if you didn't get nice shots, you probably had the lens cap on.

Slayer / Megadeth @ Dodge Theatre

2010-08-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

SLAAAYYYEERRRRRR!!!!

Slayer fans are serious about their band. While sitting in the press holding bay waiting for Megadeth to finish their set, Slayer fans were roaming the halls shouting "Slayer!!" at each other as they entered the restrooms or cooled their devil horns down with a fresh beer.

I really don't think there are more dedicated music fans than the metal fans. These people were shouting at each other as they passed, ready to fight for Slayer's honor if anyone spoke negatively or mentioned a lesser band. I think the alcohol helped with their courage as well. In fact, out on the floor of the Dodge theatre, which already has a slippery gloss coating over the concrete and on this occasion, spilt beer and jalapenos... I'm surprised these people could manage to stay vertical. But, as if to prove their love again... the crowd on the floor started a giant mosh pit as Slayer took the stage. I really don't know how more people don't end up dead at metal concerts.

Just take a look at this guy... he's partied out, again! Imagine this dude on the floor with you.

One great thing about metal shows, from a photographers stand point, is the metal posing. I'm not making light or complaining, but I really felt that if these guys COULD get closer to the camera, they'd have their crotch sitting on the camera lens. Joking aside, they do make for some pretty great shots. And with metal songs required to be longer than 6 minutes at the minimum, the 3-song limit to shoot is stretched from the normal 9-12 minutes to about a half hour!

There is always this uneasy gathering of photographers before the trek down to the stage. Sizing each other up. Checking out each others gear. Figuring out who to avoid. Making alliances. Then we march down. On this night, during the march down to the stage I notice a really tall dude with a mullet standing near the photographers entrance. He's wearing shorts, and is outfitted in photography gear, and he's standing with his legs spread WAY too far apart, arms crossed. This man is too confident. Then I realize it's actually Randy Johnson, the "Big Unit"... world series MVP pitcher for the AZ Diamondbacks. Craziness. I've never photographed alongside another photographer before. Which was especially interesting because he was actually kneeling down the entire time. And with a 6'10" dude kneeling, there are legs practically everywhere. I managed to not trip over him, but that wasn't the case with the other photogs. I'm not a sports fan or else I would have said hello, but it was cool none the less.

This was a fairly easy shoot. The lighting was good, with the exception of all the red lights... cameras don't respond well to lots of red. And the performers played right to the cameras. There was lots of room to move around. Really, I can't say anything bad about the show. It was fun to shoot.

Meat Loaf @ Celebrity Theatre

2010-08-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

Meat Loaf... he's sort of one of those pop icons that I can identify, but can't really tell you more than one or two things about. Similar to Paris Hilton... or Ronald Reagan. However, I was kind of glad when I got the assignment. Then I heard it was at Celebrity Theatre, and I think my face sort of shrugged.

I like the Celebrity Theatre, in theory... but in practice, not so much. I've only actually sat and watched a few shows there, even tho Frankie Valli is the only one that comes to mind at present, and from a watcher's perspective it works nicely. But from a working photographer's POV, the staff is unorganized, and no one is on the same page in regards to what I'm allowed to do. So pretty much every show at least one security guard tries to strong arm me and tell me I'm "not allowed to shoot from here", or I "need to stay out of peoples way", or I "can't chew that brand of gum in the building". Bitch bitch bitch, I know.

For Mr. Loaf, the stage that usually rotates, was made stationary to accommodate a video screen at the back of the building. I didn't know what to expect from him. I really honestly only know the "But I won't do that" song... and I know his real name is Robert Paulson. So I was a bit shocked to hear the high pitched voice that came out of him when he sang some ruddy epic-sounding songs. (Reference "Bat out of Hell") He put on a good show, he was on pitch as far as I could tell... I didn't notice any dropped notes... and neither did the audience.

Lighting at the Celebrity usually consists of 3 spot lights on the lead singer, with a few scattered colored cans on the band. It was the same deal for Meat Loaf... but the added color from the video screen made for some nice contrast when I was able to squeeze it in frame. One pleasant surprise was seeing Danny Miranda on bass. He played bass on the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour. Good to see him working! He was in the dark corner of the stage, so he was hard to photograph. But all around, a pretty decent shoot.

What, specifically "won't" he do?? I never worked that out.

American Idols @ US Airways Center

2010-08-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm the only person in America who doesn't watch American Idol... but I suspect not. Regardless, I wasn't exactly "thrilled" about shooting this show, but I knew it would be at least a decently produced show.

It was sort of funny how 'precise' everything was. Before I even got to the arena I had an email detailing every aspect of the show and what I, and the others, would and wouldn't be allowed to do. Then, when we met the press contact, she had even more details for us... down to who would come out, in what order, and where they would be standing, and for how long. It really felt machine-like. I don't mean that in a bad way... well, no, I do. It IS a machine. Watching American Idol is like seeing what happens behind the curtain inside a pop music manufacturing lab. Or like watching the process of mechanically separating the gross parts of a chicken to make McNuggets. However... machines can be put to good use. Just look at the McNugget machine! And more recently, that doll that wets it's own panties. And right along those lines, the American Idol machine CAN be a good and useful thing, in that it churns out exactly what the people want, and it hard codes the importance of being entertaining and performing to a crowd.

I got to photograph the last three songs of the night. Which, for me, started with two songs by the current American Idol, Lee DeWyze, performing a few covers with a back up band. We were allowed to watch a couple songs from the side of the stage before we started shooting, and I have to say, while the guy CAN sing... I really can't imagine the word "Idol" applied to his name in any real musical arena. I'm not trying to slag him off, I'm sure he has a great personality. But to me, being introduced to him for the first time... he looked like a very normal, if thick, guy... who can manage to stay in tune, whilst singing other people's songs. And not to sound like a crotchety old man here... but what is the point of singing a cover if you're going to slaughter the original melody (which is what people attach to) and turn it into another terrible "Rock meets R&B" shit sandwich?

Ok. I'll get off my horse and put away my extendable index finger now. From a performance aspect, yes, the show was great. But that is by design. Instead of a pile of 'artists' on stage, it was more like a legion of handpicked 'experts'... pruned for their very specific and singular talents. There were no flubs. No bad notes. No mistakes from the singers, the band, or the lighting crew. Everyone was standing perfectly on their marks for maximum fan ingestion. And if it seemed preplanned, that's because it was. We were actually told up front who would stand where, and when they would approach the front of the stage, and how long they would be there. But, that's better than being let down right? (I never did make it off that horse did I?)

Well, really, what CAN I say? It was like photographing a TV show. So in that regard it was perfect. The lighting was ample, and interesting. I'm very happy with the shots I got. There were seven photographers and two videographers, and there was even plenty of room to shoot. No one could really complain. I would say, on a personal/technical note... I do wish I had a second camera again. My back-up broke, so I've been shooting solely on my 5D MkII. I really would have liked to have a 7D, for example, last night. I changed lenses a few times prematurely, and I wish I could have just swapped cameras. It would make my life so much easier... and more perfect.

Toby Keith @ Cricket Pavilion

2010-08-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

Walking up to a big country music show is an experience all it's own. Inevitably at any concert, there will always be people tail gating pre-show... drinking... stumbling over their feet before they even make it through the turnstiles. But at a country show they are all clad in straw cowboy hats... "fuck yeah" can be heard quite often... and that unmistakable sound of a steel guitar seems to echo to every corner of the parking lot.

Toby Keith. Here is what I know about Toby Keith: he was at one time, sort of a country music "bad boy". He wears a bandanna, drives a big truck, and sings songs about kickin' the other guys' ass. I will never forget the title of his war rally album, "Shockin' Y'all!". America, feck yeah!

Toby's set felt more like a giant commercial for Alfa Romeo than it did a concert. No wait... not Alfa Romeo... what's that big American car company that makes trucks that are banned in San Francisco because of size and weight restrictions?? Yeah, that one. Before Toby came on stage, the audience was subjected to, basically a shouty 10 minute truck commercial... Toby driving through middle America in his giant FU-4,000,000 crew cab truck, saving peoples lives and fighting off ninjas. Afterwards, the band took the stage, fireworks and flames went off, and then a giant truck appeared behind the drummer on a large riser... followed by another truck appearing under the drum riser, with Toby laying in the truck bed, cowboy boots up on the gate. A small person walked out, lowered the tailgate and set up a mic, Toby got out, a Marine handed him his guitar, and he sang a song from the tailgate. (None of that was made up)

You can't argue that the audience didn't get bang for their buck. In fact, during just the two songs I was allowed to photograph, as many as three bangs could have been heard... who knows how many more bangs the audiences' buck got after I left.

On another point, this was one of the loudest shows I've been to in a while. Toby's gravel filled country draw was so loud, and the frequency of his voice so shrill, that it made my brain start to revolt... it was telling my hands to abandon photographing to protect itself.

All in all I had a decent time shooting. The lighting conditions were altogether fair. Toby gave us plenty of time to get nice shots on the second song. Even tho most photographers will complain about cowboy hats blocking the eyes of the performer, you sort of just get what you can and wait for that one nice moment to present itself. Armed with my 17-40mm and my 100-400mm, I walked away not feeling I missed anything.

Scorpions @ Dodge Theatre

2010-07-28T06:32:00.001-07:00

Does rock come any harder and more awesome than the Scorpions?? No I don't think so. When you think of the best hard rock driving song, you instantly think "Rock You Like A Hurricane"... and you'd be right. The best song to pump your fist to? Naturally you say "No One Like You". Hey, I can't argue with that logic, we're on the same page here. The greatest song to accompany your animal-based, adult comedy cartoon by the same name... while driving... and pumping your fist... "The Zoo". Of course... I just about to say that, slow down!

Yes. Needless to say, last night was a total f'ing rock fest! Right from the start. The back-lighting as drummer James Kottak climbed on stage and put his sticks in the air got the sold out crowd going nuts. Moments later, his drum kit ascends 20 feet in the air, and the rocking begins in proper top form. During my three song allotment, I didn't notice a single person sitting down. These people already knew their asses were in the process of getting rocked off... and they were glad of the pain their German freunde inflicted.

Granted, I probably sound like a pretty legit Scorpions lexicon. You're probably thinking, "This guy really knows his stuff. He's probably just as much of a rocker as they are. I can't believe his wife's luck." Go on then. But honestly, I'm actually only really familiar with the radio hits from the Scorpions. But, I am REALLY familiar with them. Except for all the lyrics... I swear it goes German on me in some parts of "Wind Of Change". But that doesn't change how hard it rocks. And that doesn't mean I can't whistle right along, and air guitar all the solos. (If you're my friend on Facebook you can check out a video I made of me playing the intro to No One Like You with a loop pedal... it was my homage to the band)((Loop pedal... meaning in take I played the opening chords, then on the same take laid down the first solo, then played the harmony right on top.))

It's been a while since I've shot from the floor at the Dodge Theatre. It seems the acts that frequent that venue tend not to like a camera right in their ear... so they usually like to push us back to the sound board. But ze Scorps didn't mind. There was no pit to speak of, but I was able to hang out on the sides of the stage, and shoot from the perimeter behind the first 5 rows of seating on the floor. It wasn't a bad deal! Oddly, well maybe not 'oddly', but there were 11 photographers last night! Generally the number of photogs tells you how legit a band is. And while it wasn't Jobing.com Arena... the Scorpions still managed to dominate Arizona, and "occupy" that special place inside a hard rocker's heart.

On one brief side note... the photo pass for the Scorpions was enourmous! It is AS big as the Metallica pass I got... but it's a tie. Who could possibly top that?

Justin Bieber @ Jobing.com Arena

2010-07-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

Bieber fever! Last night was crazy. This was the first time I've shot a bona fide pop idol, literally at the top of their fame... and it was madness. Outside the gates of Jobing.com arena, the Westgate shopping center was absolutely surging with piles and piles of small young girls and their mums, in massive lines, in the 100+ degree heat, waiting to get inside and catch some Bieber.

When the lines were at their largest and craziest, Bieber could be seen causing many a panic attack as he dashed around the outside of the arena on a Segway scooter. The screaming he caused just increased over the span of the evening. Before his set, there was actually a countdown clock hovering over the sides of the stage. Random screaming would break out through the course of the countdown. Anytime a camera or a spot light was pointed at the crowd, the girls would go mental. In fact, there were no less than three girls carried out by paramedics that night for different reasons. As the countdown ended, and the lights went down, the screaming reached is most insane... the official Jobing.com Arena decibel-o-meter indicated 118 decibels! That's the actual sonic equivalent of splitting a cantaloupe in two. Crikey!

It should also be said that Bieber's openers also garnered their own share of screaming from the fans. Jessica Jarrell and Sean Kingston both went down a storm... even if they were lip syncing. In their defense, lots of big labels don't like sending out their younger artists without some help from a backing track. It could be catastrophic to their career if they don't deliver in front of a sold-out Bieber-sized audience.

This show ended up being pretty interesting. I've said it before... I like artist who are entertainers... who give the crowd what they want... and put on a real show. Without actually jumping into the audience and going home with the girls, I think Justin Bieber did all he could possibly do from the stage. When the lights went down at the start of the show, lasers danced around the arena, fog shot up from all around the stage, and Bieber rose up from under the stage into a large metal sphere. Behind him, giant LED screens covering the entire rear wall... cat walks on the sides of the stage that jutted out into the wings of the elevated seating... and all the while wearing a headset microphone so he could dance his way from one side to the other. From a fan's point of view, it was awesome. From a photog's point of view it was a great canvas to work with. I don't think anyone in the arena left unhappy that night... except maybe the older guy I saw seated on the far side of row #1 in section CCC. That guy might have been more at home watching a bit of football.

In one bizarre surprise, Shaq popped up on stage to present Justin with a Teen Choice award in the form of a white surfboard. Interesting. Bieber feigned surprise, then asked Shaq to hold onto it for him till after the show. His Shaqness obliged. In a funny side note, as we photographers were being escorted to the exit on the side of the stage, Shaq and his posse nearly tackled one of our photogs. Shaq was on his way out to boogie on the side of the stage. This is a giant man. His boogie was enormous. (That's not innuendo)

From my point of view, a 6-foot tall photographer, the shooting circumstances were nearly ideal. Loads of light, an interesting and animated subject, and I was up close. My only possible gripe was how crowded the pit area was. It was very narrow, only one person could really fit at any section of the stage. But during Bieber's set there were two film crews shooting the performance and crowd's reactions. So there were 4 press photogs, 6 security guards, 2 large TV cameras, 1 guy with a light for the camera, one guy with a mic for crowd noise, and one guy running cable. It was a bit of a mess... I tend to enjoy running around the stage and shooting from different angles to keep the photos interesting. For Bieber it was a bit of a struggle to move. Plus, the stage was nearly 6-foot tall... so even for me, I felt a bit like a small child at Subway... not quite tall enough to see all the toppings. Sure, your mom can TELL you what you're missing... but it's not the same. I like to see how fresh the tomatoes are before I have them put on.

On Day At Work - An experiment in boredom

2010-07-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

This was just some testing for an upcoming timelapse project I'll be working on. I bought a timer for my 5D and hadn't had any time at home to really give it a good run through. So bring it to work why not?

Anyways... this is just my typical day at my typical day job. Do Enjoy.

Robert Plant @ Dodge Theatre

2010-07-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think I'm the only person, or at least the only pseudo-musician, in the world who doesn't love Led Zeppelin. I'm not about to slag them off or anything, but I've just never had a connection with them. That aside, I was still jazzed to shoot Robert Plant last night at the Dodge Theatre. The man is an icon of rock, you have to give him that.

Excitement waned a touch, as it does, when I was told to "bring a long lens". (In nerd world, that means we would be shooting from far away... most photogs need to know in advance so they can rent a ridiculous lens to get them closer in.) ((And as a point of fact, they are actually physically long as well. And heavy to boot.)) But we're all seasoned veterans of the bring a long lens world... it's nothing new. Sir Plant is getting on in years and doesn't want a telephoto lens shoved in his face. Fair enough. However, upon arrival I was told we'd be actually now be shooting from the balcony of Dodge Theatre. Just imagine the very back of 5,000 capacity venue... then go up in the air 50 feet.

Needless to say, the photos weren't about to be anything remarkable. Then add to that a real lack of light on stage and it's sort of a shite sandwich from a photog's point of view. But you know... that's part of the game of it. I heard all the other photogs griping during the set... some of them with fairly low-end gear. And I'm not taking the piss with that comment. To be fair, in a situation like last night, the inexpensive gear really couldn't cut the mustard. With my 5D, I was shooting at ISO6000! My 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 was balanced on a monopod, which was leaning on the balcony railing, and I propped my body up against the piece of glass that separated the VIP suites... it's about AS stable as one can make it. I still had to have my shutter as low as 1/20 of a sec at times. That is a long time for a shutter to be open. Any judder on my part, or a twitch on stage, and the photo is blown. I'd like to imagine the experience is akin to hunting a small animal with a sniper rifle. Slow breaths, track the movement, learn your prey, then breathe out and squeeze the trigger... pray to Jebus you got the shot.

In the end... after our three songs we're up, I was at least fairly confident I got all that was possible to get. This thought was confirmed on the whinging-photographer packed elevator ride down from the top floor down to the lobby. I try not to complain in public, or at least not in front of my contemporaries... but apathy isn't very attractive. And fitting in is what it's all about right?

Kings Of Leon @ Cricket Pavilion

2010-07-13T19:00:00.001-07:00

Kings of Leon, what can I say? They are a sensation right now. A fact that was supported by the near capacity crowd at Cricket Pavilion on Saturday night. It was a muggy, hot evening... and the crowd was getting ancy by the time KOL took the stage.

Right from the get go it felt like I was at a Mariah Carey concert. "No shooting the lead singer straight on"... "Stay on either side of center stage"... "No changing sides is allowed"... "Don't stand on 1-ft tall concrete riser to get a better shot". Being sweaty, covered in camera gear, and told how much I was not allowed to do made this a pretty unexciting show to shoot. On top of that, I left my two nice CF cards at home, and only had a small 512k card to work with. So none of the photos were shot in RAW format, and I only had a few shots to work with.

I managed to skate by and get some decent shots. But you can tell from these photos how difficult it was to get any nice angles. I was positioned in front of the bass player, so I was able to shoot him all night and get neat photos with interesting lights and LED screens behind him. But getting the lead singer meant getting a stage wall as the backdrop. Again... why do bands make their photos suffer?

Erykah Badu @ Marquee Theatre

2010-06-23T23:29:00.001-07:00

To be honest, going into this the only thing I new about Erykah Badu is that she has some wild hair, and used to wear some large hats.

After the pat down and bag search I made my way to the front pit area of the Marquee Theatre. There was a band on stage that was seriously rocking the house and winning the crowd over. I found out later that it was Janelle Monae... I'm out of the loop on current music apparently. It struck me as a sort of 60's era soul with some R&B mixed in... but then throw in some melting electric guitar and live drums. A sort of novelty act, but in a good way. I came in too late and was not allowed to shoot them unfortunately. There was some serious energy here, it ended with a stage dive and the crowd going completely bonkers for her.

Before any band or performer goes on stage, I sort of hang out in the wings, off to the side of the stage. I get my camera and lenses ready for shooting and wait for the house lights to go down. Tonight when the house lights went off, I made my way to the far side of the stage, where a DJ was set up. I figured it would be a couple of minutes of him "kicking out the jams", getting the crowds pumped, and bigging up Erykah Badu... making her entrance a massive spectacle. In fact, this couldn't be more wrong. The entire intro was so bizarre to me, which made the DJ completely pointless. He played a bunch of greatest hits records from 20 years of hip hop, using his Mac to change the songs. (Don't get me started on this) TWENTY minutes later, a guy from behind the curtain walks out on to the middle of the stage, and tells the DJ to cut it. He promptly fades the music out, and hits a different button that plays some prerecorded keyboard sounds. A solid 6 or 7 minutes later Erykah Badu walks out on stage, very un-climatically, with a dim flashlight in her hand, shining it at the audience for about 10 seconds, then puts it down, and takes her positionat behind the mic. For the next 20 minutes while I was able to stay and photograph, her feet didn't move from the spot she walked out to.

Wearing possibly the most bizarre, in a bad way, outfit I'd seen in a long time, complete with bowler cap and "a smelly old blanket that a Navajo wove"... Erykah killed any 'up' mood that the DJ created by starting the show with three slow moving ballads all in a row. There had to have been 12 or 13 people on the stage... say 10 of them not put to any sort of use... and Badu lit by a spot light. It was the most underwhelming use of the beginning of a show I'd ever witnessed. I can completely understand creating a mood... but this was akin to being on a terribly unsatisfying rollercoaster ride at a ring road carnival, or simply being pushed down a hill. The show started fantastically with Janelle Monae, so much electric energy... then the DJ got everyone in the audience singing and dancing together... then Erykah Badu came out, and might as well could have started reading Pride and Prejudice. Actually, as I was watching Janelle Monae and her band... I was thinking to myself, "It's got to take a serious performer to book someone like that as an opener... she must not be able to be upstaged." Sadly, this was not the case.

I didn't set out to write a scathing review... I don't think my reviews count for much more than a few ok photos and maybe some back story on what it's like being a photographer... but I had to say something, didn't I? I'm sure the rest of the show was brilliant.

On another note, my new lens... the Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro performed amazingly! I used it almost exclusively for this shoot, save for a few wide shots with my 17-40mm. While this lens is a "Macro" lens (meaning close-up), I think it is dismissed as a nice portrait lens... but I am actually quite impressed by it! This was the first time I really got to see what it can do with light on a persons face. Luckily, the Marquee broke out with their spots for this show and I was able to play with it. The images are incredibly sharp and bokeh (blurry background) was silky smooth! Great purchase!

Cake @ Marquee Theatre

2010-06-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

"Hello Phoenix, we are CAKE, and we are here to serve YOU!" The old play on words never gets old... I thought it was a fun, lighthearted way to open the show.

I was actually moderately excited to shoot CAKE in concert. I can't call myself a "big" fan, but do become infatuated with their sound pretty heavily from time to time. In fact, it was in the latest such CAKE craze that I found out they were coming to town. I instantly emailed my editor at the New Times and said I had to shoot it.

A couple days before the show I got the call that I was confirmed to shoot... and was told there would be no opening band, and that CAKE would actually play two separate sets, with a break in between. This sounded pretty awesome! Not that I'd get to shoot the whole ordeal, but from a fan's point of view, what more can you ask for? And in fact, I had to leave after I'd shot anyways... prior engagement that evening.

The Marquee has yet to let me down. In that, every time I shoot there, I can count on the lights being terrible. I always feel bad for the bands that play there... the photos inevitably end up portraying an unexciting concert stop. As if they played in a bar along the way to the real venue. Dim light, from the back of the house is "moody" when you are there in person... but cameras need actual light to capture anything interesting. Shooting in this kind of situation becomes almost a chore. Cameras and lenses are pushed to their limits... and even "fast" lenses (or low-light lenses) generally struggle and need the assistance of a monopod, or a solid speak cabinet to lean on.

All negativity aside, it was fun. Another band I wish I could have stayed and watched, even from the back of the house. But I did get to hear them open with one of my favorites... "Comfort Eagle". It's a fun jam, and I think it is very categorically CAKE-ish. The twangy, dirty guitar riff... the near-monotone vocals... the word accentuating group yell... and the synchronous hand clap... it's all there. It's all great. It's all CAKE.

One odd note: in the moments before a band takes the stage... there is always music playing, generally chosen by the band... when I walked in that night I heard Laurie Anderson's "O, Superman!". I thought only my wife and I listened to Laurie Anderson...

Brian Wilson @ Talking Stick Resort

2010-06-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Some background... I hold the work of Brian Wilson in very high regard. "Pet Sounds" and "Smile" are two albums that I put in my top five albums of all time. I think they are basically perfect albums, and albums that should be enjoyed in their entirety.

Having shot live concerts for four years now, there is still the core group of my major musical influences I have yet to cover. Brian Wilson was one of the big ones. So of course I jumped at the chance. I'd never even seen him in concert before. I was too young when he left the Beach Boys, and I hadn't had the opportunity to make it to any of his solo gigs. So this was a real treat for me.

I was told I wouldn't have a ticket for the show, which is normal for photographers... but when I showed up to the Talking Stick Resort I met the entertainment director, who was also a big Wilson fan, and after chatting about Brian for a while, he said to just grab any open seat and watch the show. Sadly, there were a lot of seats to pick from. I don't know if it was lack of promotion, or just bad timing... but the 1600 seat ballroom at the resort was only about 3/4 full.

When Brian came on, everyone stood up and cheered... Brian was his normal cheery, if slightly awkward, and shouty self on stage... "THANK you ladies and gentlemen, THANK you!" I'd never seen him live before, so hearing him talk to the audience between songs was a real treat... and to be honest, really made me laugh. I couldn't tell if it was on purpose, but he was very goofy with the song titles and the banter, at one point he announced "This is a song... about a guy... who gets around! It's called, I get around!" When the band had finished the final chords, he shouted "That's the end of the song!"

The set list for the evening was a little bizarre, not exactly what I expected. Only a couple solo tracks... one track from Smile (Good Vibrations)... and a lot of the surf and car tunes. A particularly odd track for me was "Salt Lake City, USA". It just wasn't what I expected to hear that night, but I had an enjoyable time singing along none the less.

When introducing "God Only Knows" Brian got very quiet and said "For this song, I'm gonna shrink down to about five foot four, and use some femininity in my voice". His voice became very small, his face very serious, and it was apparent that he was nervous about attempting this song. While he was hitting all the notes, his voice just wasn't there for this song. His falsetto has diminished, which is a shame... but that aside, it was great to hear him perform this amazing song.

Brian's presence on stage was very endearing to me. Stuck seated behind a keyboard, obviously not as active as he once was, and his voice not what it used to be... I still looked on him as the man responsible for some of my favorite music. And I had a great time seated 20 or so rows back with my camera put away, just listening. I am too young to have had a chance to see him in his prime, but watching him in person, hearing his music beautifully recreated by his amazing band was a great experience. One that, tragically, I will never share with my very favorite artist of all time, Freddie Mercury, but maybe that fact made me appreciate the Brian Wilson show all the more.

Brian closed the evening with a kind farewell message, followed by a quiet and moving rendition of "Love and Mercy" from his solo work. I thought it was a great ending to the show, and I could tell that Brian hoped people would listen to the message. If you aren't familiar with the song, it's worth a download.

Glee @ Dodge Theatre

2010-05-31T10:26:00.000-07:00

So I am posting this pretty late... the show was actually back on the 15th of May... really I'm only posting them at the behest of my younger sister. So here you go Emily...

There isn't too much I can comment on about the actual live performance. I have never seen an episode of the show, and therefore don't know any of the back story. However, it's nice to see Jane Lynch have a chance to shine after years of semi-obscurity. I knew her from the Christopher Guest movies (Some of my favorites), so good on her.

As for the rest of the cast... on stage they were pretty together. I suppose you have to hand it to them, being a pile of actors... singing and dancing on stage in character. The songs they sang were all covers of 70's and 80's tunes. Probably some new things thrown in as well, but as is the case with most shows, I was only allowed to shoot the first 3 songs. And even that was cut short.

One semi funny thing that happened was before the show started, a bunch of kids dressed like cheerleaders walked through the crowd handing out "barf bags"... which was later commented on by Jane Lynch's character via pre-recorded video as a necessity, since the show would surely make us vomit. I tried to grab one for you Em, to no avail. No special privileges.

Conan O'Brien @ Dodge Theatre

2010-05-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

Booked as "The legally prohibited from being funny on television tour"...Conan O'Brien, America's funniest and best talk show host, made an epic appearance in Phoenix Friday night. Playing to a sold out Dodge Theatre, and none of that sissy "half capacity" Dodge Theatre... Conan seriously rocked the house.

The evening started with Conan's house band playing 2 songs on their own with LaBamba and Mark Pender taking turns on lead vocals. Everyone was there except Max Weinberg... But it was still a lot of fun watching that band play. The horn section at one point ran through the Theatre playing along with the rest of the band on stage. It was nice to see them get a chance to shine, I smiled while they played.

After the band played, there was a short, humorous film about Conan's state of being after the tonight show.... And the training leading up to the tour. I was restricted from shooting the band playing or the the video... But was allowed to start once Conan walked on stage. The house went nuts when he went on. This was the rowdiest crowd I've ever seen at the Dodge. Conan bathed in the applause... Strolling across the stage greeting the crowd before diving in to the show.

It's hard to commentate on a comedy show, but Conan was very much as "on" in person as he was on The Tonight Show. It was a lot of fun to see live. My Conan-side press contact who oversaw all the photogs as we shot worked on the Tonight Show as well. I asked her about the tour, she said it has been amazing... Sold out every city... And had to add an extra date in Vegas, which was where they were headed next. It's a great testament to Conan's staying power with the fans.

All in all it was an amazing night. I only wish I wasn't shooting from the sound board.

This post was made with an iPad.

Norah Jones @ Dodge Theatre

2010-04-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

"Do you want to shoot uFest?"
"Yeah, I'll do that"
"How about Norah Jones on Sunday?"
"Sure."
"Really!?"

I didn't know what the surprise was about. Maybe it was because I was happy to shoot uFest it meant I wasn't in to Norah Jones? Either way, I was pretty excited to photograph her. She's definitely carved herself a neat little niche. I was familiar with her when she got her start, but it was when she collaborated with Mike Patton, one of my musical icons, that I sort of "respected" her. I thought that was quite a leap for someone of her stature. Singing the line "The truth kinda hurts don't it, motherfucker?" was not probably something the mothers and tweens were ready to hear from her.

Of course, my initial reaction was "Cool, I'll be able to get some nice photos of a hip, young thing to class up my portfolio"... but then that old gauntlet came down... "You'll be shooting from the sound board." Now, I won't go on and on about it... I've written about it in previous posts... but I wasn't expecting it from someone like Norah Jones. But you take what you get.

In fact, I will say that Norah is the answer to the argument I was having internally and with Eagle fans when it came to my post on last week's Eagle's show; If the band is going to confine the photogs to back of house, fine. If the band doesn't want to move around, fine. But why not dress it up a bit? The Eagles, who have much deeper pockets than Norah Jones, put on a very minimalistic show... spot lights and a few colored bulbs. On the other side... Norah Jones' production team at least decided to gussy up the stage with some long flowing back drops to catch light... get the band in some smart looking clothes... use some interesting colored lights... and just looked like they tried with the budget they had.

I can't fault the show. Norah Jones is not Kiss or the Scorpions... I didn't expect LED backdrops. But she did what she does, and it looked fitting. The sound was great. Her voice was great. And the jazzy vibes from the band was a very welcome and relaxing counterpoint to the scream-rock band's I heard the night before. Since I was far away from the stage, there were only so many angles and things to shoot, which made it possible for me to stop and listen from time to time. It was a nice and easy shoot. I wish I had better pictures to take away from it, but that's how it goes.

uFest @ Fear Farm

2010-04-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

Last year, the New Times passed on covering KUPD's "uFest"... this year, I think, after I made a fuss about covering more smaller "arty" gigs in lieu of big festivals... they decided to at least want photos.

Granted, none of the bands playing are anywhere near "my style" of music, however, I can recognize the necessity or "newsworthiness" of an event of this size. The festival took place on the Fear Farm, utilizing two stages with lots of space in between. I can't say it reminded me of Coachella... but the idea of festivals are exciting to me. uFest felt half way between a music festival and a county fair. Of course they had bands playing non-stop, but all around the outside of the grounds were knick-knack shops, a rock wall, lemonade stands, and stripper poles. (??)

All that aside, the production level was pretty high. The bands all sounded great... it was loud... it was flashy... and the people were having a great time. The first band I shot was Powerman 5000. I think I remember first hearing of this band when I was in high school. At that time my musical tastes were even less "normal" or well-rounded then they are now. I think because I was a late musical bloomer, I missed out on all of those important youthful musical moments. I didn't have a high school "anthem" or anything like that. I was never into Green Day, Blink 182, or NIN... and I didn't even know what Rancid sounded like. However, I don't feel like I missed out on anything, and in fact I'm much happier not having fallen into that circle. How's that for disclosure?

So no, I wasn't doing cartwheels when I got the call to shoot uFest... but I still knew it would be a cool thing to cover. After Powerman 5000 finished, I made my way through the crowd and over to the other side of the grounds to catch a band called Adelita's Way. Wikipedia describes them as "a hard rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada that broke into the mainstream in 2009 for their song "Invincible", which is the official theme song for WWE Superstars on WGN America." I feel like a tool saying "the audience seemed to like this band"... but with no real background in hard rock music, it's hard for me to make very critical comments... so I will stick to reviewing from MY point of view. The band was very animated on stage... which made for much more interesting photos. Guitar and vocalist, Keith Wallen, at one point jumped out on a speaker in front of me, which gave me one of my favorite shots of the day.

Walking back to the main stage I shot a few pics of the people I saw along the way. The New Times loves people shots... and as I realize every time I shoot... so do the people themselves. "I'm gonna be online??? Awesome!!" In fact at one point a dude chased me down and asked me to come back and take a photo of his group. I walked with him, he sat down on his blanket in the grass, and his girlfriend lifted her shirt for the photo. It's not as exciting as it sounds... her bra was autographed by the members of one of the bands playing... I didn't hang around to ask which one.

Danzig was next in the lineup... however as part of his contract, he insisted that no photographers were allowed to shoot him. I think the rest of the contract was "No yellow M&M's and only Tampax brand tampons." Mother...

3 Days Grace were the headliners for the night. The crowd was definitely getting ancy before they went on. A number of people were being pulled out of the pit by security... either for being too rowdy, or too drunk. The band did take quite a while to get set up... and it was the longest pause in between bands for the whole day... as there was no one on the second stage between Danzig and 3 Days Grace. I'd say the show was worth the wait. Lots of different types of lights were peppered around the stage to make their performance more interesting. Strobes, floods, and even flames after the photogs left.

I can't say 3 Days Grace "stole the show"... it was pretty clear the people were there for them, and they delivered. Again, not my style of music, but I like a loud rock show as much as the next guy, so I had a good time. I actually watched a little more of the show from backstage. Steve Esparza from KUPD and I watched from behind the drummer's kit while they played "Home", one of their big hits. Interesting point of fact... the drummer plays a right handed drum kit, but keeps time with his left hand.

One last nugget about uFest 2010... while I was watching Powerman 5000 play, after I exited the pit... a young Mexican kid hopped his way out of the mosh pit, very evidently in pain. His girl friend sat him down and helped him situate himself, while security called for paramedics. I asked if his leg was broken, he said yes. I asked if I could take a photo for posterity... he was surprisingly unaccommodating.

The Eagles @ US Airways Center

2010-04-23T05:50:00.001-07:00

That magical sheen of being a concert photographer starts to wear thin when it seems like every big band that comes to town insists on placing you at the back of an arena to take photos to promote them. I can't really "complain"... but it gets boring, and I think "what is the point?"... these pictures end up sterile and uninteresting. They are made exponentially worse when the band is lit solely by spot light. Spot lights are so bright, that to be able to have decent exposure the camera is cranked way up... losing any of the interesting ambient glow from the gelled lights on stage, and any color they provide... and so harsh and unforgiving to the appearance of skin and hair, you have to wonder why the older acts prefer it??

All that nonsense aside... I was at the US Airways Center to photograph The Eagles. Meeting up with the bevy of other photogs, we started marching down to the floor around 7:45pm. We were shown to the sound board and given our orders... "Don't move farther forward than the sound board, don't get in anyone's way, and you can shoot the first four songs." At first, everyone was impressed by the fact that we had four songs worth to shoot... and once the show started... (at 8:40!!)... it was apparent that the Eagles were at least trying to give us SOME time with the cool lights they brought.

The first two songs were all white hot spot lights, the first being an a-capella four-part harmony driven song, which served as a nice way to introduce the band. The third song brought a bit of warm colors on front of stage, and some cool blue ambiance at the back of the set up. (I'm at a complete loss for song titles... as it turns out, most of the first songs were from the new record.) By the fourth song the band had some, if I'm honest, very cheesy artwork projected on the screen behind them, while Joe Walsh took on lead vocal duties. It wasn't very "interesting", but it at least brought some more color to the stage.

I find myself being overly critical of big bands lately. I think it's because I expect more out of them. I expect more thought to be put into the SHOW. I'm positive some of the people on the floor that night paid very decent money to see this band play. Why not wow them with more than just a catalog of old tricks and new songs they aren't into? When I shot the Muse show recently, I was amazed at the stage set up... there was no one in the arena that that left unimpressed. Granted, the Eagles can't, with a straight face, ascend from large LED-screened pillars in the ceiling with lasers and strobes all around them... but they could do more. Am I wrong?

Arctic Monkeys @ Marquee Theatre

2010-04-16T06:31:00.001-07:00

I listened to "505" and "I bet you look good on the dance floor" online before I got the Marquee Theatre... I wanted to at least see if I knew the Arctic Monkeys through subliminal messaging. I was familiar with their sound... and remembered seeing them play on Conan (RIP) a while back, so I got in a pretty good mood thinking I might enjoy this show.

For the first time in a long time, I had to sign a waiver at the Marquee. Usually, bands of this caliber aren't prone to being picky with their photos, but what can you do? Then I was told after the third song I would have to leave to put my camera in my car... never been asked that here... but again, no big deal. Really, it just meant I couldn't watch any of the show after I was done shooting, but that is standard with the bigs.

When the band's roadies were setting up the gear, I was excited to see that they had brought some of their own lights. Even if they did look a little "Guitar Center-y"... on tripods along the back wall. But all that mattered was "did it look cool?" Yes. It did. For the first time, ever, I think... I had an enjoyable time shooting a band at the Marquee. Normally, the lights are so dull and dark that the photos always suffer. But, with the Monkeys I had room to play, and experiment. I could really "paint in" the background lights, making the photos more colorful and interesting. I even played with silhouettes more than I normally do. It was a good time, and I was actually a little down that I had to leave after the first three songs... I was digging the music and would have liked to watch the show.

I used my 17-40mm and my 100-400mm on this shoot. I left the 5D MkII set between ISO3200 and 4000, and my shutter jumped between 1/50 and up as high as 1/250 at times. It was fairly decent conditions and it meant I was able to take my time with my shots. Good times.

I didn't want to start another blog post, but I felt I should throw in some pics of the opening band, Sleepy Sun. This, to me, from what I saw and heard, was a sort of southern rock-y, bar band, with two singers... type act. They played pretty familiar sounding songs... but different enough to still be enjoyable to listen to.

When I walked in the venue for the first time, Sleepy Sun was already on stage... and behind them was a veil of pink light. Which, sounds a little Elton John, but it looked cool in person. It was an odd effect for a low key rock band, but it worked... and didn't change for the duration of their set. I suppose they found their thing and stuck with it. Or the venue said "ah... pink", pressed a button, and that was it. Either way, cool photos.

I got some great shots of the lead guitarist, lots of similar poses, but all very cool. Drummers, unfortunately, are always in the dark. Either the light is too much extra heat, or they are just forgot about. But I always think how cool the photos could be if someone would just point a bulb their way every now and again.

Muse @ US Airways Center

2010-04-12T06:28:00.001-07:00

I almost didn't get to shoot this concert, and now I'm even more glad that I did. I have been a Muse fan for a little while now, they still strike me as a "more straight-forward rock version of Radiohead", but I don't say that as an insult. Last time Muse was in town I asked to photograph them and the New Times passed on even reviewing the concert... and this time around they are playing US Airways Center and I'm fighting to be able to photograph it, what happened?

While on the floor waiting to shoot, I met the owner of Luckyman Concerts, and talked to him briefly about Muse and the AZ concert market. He recalled the last few times they played AZ and the smaller venues he booked them in.... but suddenly, they've blown up. The only thing either of us could contribute that to was their inclusion on the Twilight soundtracks. So many more people have discovered Muse through Twilight than radio nowadays I'd guess.

Regardless of how they got here, they are here... and they put on a MASSIVE show! When the photogs were escorted down we were told we'd be shooting from the sound board, which always sounds like a death sentence to us... but then we were told that the stage setup was huge, and we wouldn't want to miss it. When I first saw the stage set up, I was impressed by it's size, but I still wanted to be closer to it. It looked like three skyscrapers were sitting on the stage... with a scrim over the front of them mimicking the look of windows. When the show started, all the lights went down and ghostly images of people walking up stairs were projected on the buildings. As the first song, "Uprising", kicked in, the scrims fell and the three brits were revealed to be towering over the crowd, 20-feet up in the center of the large columns... which were now lit up by LEDs... with the band's faces projected on them, along with lots of other colorful video.

It was a very cool thing to start with, then it just kept getting cooler. By the third song, the respective platforms that each band member was on had lowered to the stage, and lasers from all sides of the stage covered every angle of the arena. I can't express how much I like lasers in concert. It sounds so cheesy, but when you see them in person, you can appreciate how bizarre and different they are... and Muse used them to the fullest. The lasers were strobing, fanning, and beaming all over the place. It made for some great photos.

Sound wise, again... excellent! The start of the "Uprising" was a keyboard, played off-stage by a touring fourth member of the band... and then followed by vocals, drums, and a crazy fuzzed-out bass. It sounded so full even without the guitar, but when Matt strummed the first piercing notes that doubled the vocal line "Come on!", it really woke everyone up! Matt plays all custom guitars, each very unique sounding and looking... and some are even crazy modified. A few of them have a Zvex Fuzz Factory pedals built in to the body, and others have Kaoss pads installed for modulation effects at the touch of a finger. This would have been one of those things I would have loved to see up close. Because I am a nerd.

All in all, it was an amazing show! However, I still would have loved to be closer to the stage. Even with a 400mm lense, it's still hard to get those ultra dramatic angles... and with all the cool lighting everywhere on stage, I can only imagine what could have been.

Black Eyed Peas @ Jobing.com Arena

2010-04-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

I shot the Black Eyed Peas a few months back when they were here with U2, but I never posted any of the photos. I don't really know why... I must have just been busy, but they did run on the New Times page. However, this time around, I'm glad to post a bunch of pics!

This was very much a concept show... the show started with a computerized countdown... there was a circuit board projected on to the stage with a large green digital face speaking to the audience, and as it would ready the available instruments, that section of the circuit board would light up and that part of the band would make a noise, signaling that it was ready. The individual vocall band mates rose up from under the stage into their own laser spotlight. Interestingly, Will.I.Am came up after Fergie... I guess he is the big draw now?

Aside from all the cool lighting and the giant catwalk in the middle of the stage, the band also donned their own semi-futuristic customized costumes. Will's outfit looked like a bedazzler's nightmare, but it glinted nicely in the lights. Fergie was clothed in a bizarre black and white circuit board-like spandex jumper under shiny metal armour. I couldn't get the comparison of her to Liam Neeson as Zeus in the "Clash of the Titans" remake out of my head the whole night. She even had a "shoulda put a ring on it" glove on her right hand.

The sound was very loud and boomy. It was difficult to make anything out, for me anyways. But they put on a cool show. The crowd was more than impressed... at one point I looked down and saw at least one pair of women's underwear near the stage floor.

One cool thing about big choreographed shows like this... things always work a certain way, and sometimes the photogs are let in on the secret. Before the show started, one of the video cameramen from the tour walked all the photographers through what was going to happen on stage. We were told they'd raise up from the floor and pretty much stay on the main stage for the first song, then on the second song they would all strut out on to the catwalk. While this information sounds somewhat superfluous, my back-up camera died on me at my last gig. This means I have to stop shooting for 20-30 seconds to change lenses, and at this shoot, which was only two and a half songs long, that means a lot of shooting time lost. But more importantly, having the knowledge of the arrangement, I was able to switch from my zoom on the first song to my wide lens on the second song. Making for the more dramatic photos when the band was standing right in front of me... I was able to draw the stage in the background. Good intel.

I don't like to dismiss openers in general, and in this case, it was a pretty big deal... Ludacris. Who, unfortunately, didn't have quite the stage production value. He came on stage in front of a DJ, a video screen, and a handful of dancers. The more "straight forward" rap shows don't tend to have a large amount of production value in general, I think I just expected more after seeing the giant stage for the first time... but I guess you're not supposed to upstage the headliners.

To be completely honest, Luda's set, from the two songs I heard was not very impressive. He was very much out of key, and the mix was very obnoxious. It wasn't that he was incredibly loud, but his vocals really cut though, and between being out of key and having his rapping partner out of sync, it was not enjoyable.

Paul McCartney @ Jobing.com Arena

2010-03-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of my double header day. After lugging my gear across the street from Cardinal's Stadium to Jobing.com I was geared up to shoot Paul McCartney. My back up camera, a Canon 20D, took a dump on me at Wrestlemania. From what I read on the forums, it sounds like my shutter killed itself... it just keeps snapping itself open and closed, even with the power off. For Paul, I knew we were shooting from the soundboard so I wouldn't NEED a wide lens... but when I have the massive 100-400mm attached to a monopod, it's difficult to change lenses... especially in the dark and in a crowd of photographers. Which is why I love having the 20D. More on that later, maybe.

So, the "throw", as they say in the biz, was even farther than we thought. BEHIND the sound board was an elevated platform with about 6 or 7 rows of seating. The photogs were placed behind that. So we were, very realistically, almost at the other end of the floor of the arena. I just relied on the 5D's massive sensor and high resolution to get the nice pics and I could crop if I needed.

I would like to state... I hate cropping my photos. To me, it appears like the photo was taken incorrectly... and it feels like I'm just cheating. I like to frame a shot and have that BE the photo. I don't like to cut corners, as it were.

All that boring photo business aside... The show was great. I only got to catch the first song which was a short medley of Venus and Mars/Rockshow/Jet, and then the first half of "All My Loving" before I was shooed out. But giant screens from floor to ceiling, lots of lights, amazing musicians, and that catalog of music... you really can't ask for a much better show. Plus, the man is a BEATLE! I heard from my writer at the New Times that he played for over 3 hours. You just can't ask for more.

WWE Wrestlemania XXVI @ Cardinals Stadium

2010-03-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a double header for me... I shot the Wrestlemania show at Cardinals Stadium (University of Phoenix Stadium) from 3:30pm - 7:15pm, then hauled my gear across the street to Glendale Arena (Jobing.com) to shoot Paul McCartney. Which do you think was the better show? I'll post two separate blogs... read and see what I thought.

To start off, I used to watch WWF with my dad... but it was always just for a laugh. I mean, who could take Ric Flair and the Macho Man serious? There was never any question (to me) as to the "real or fake" question... I'd just watch it to be entertained. So I can sort of understand where the crazy fans come from... all 72,000+ of them that burrowed into Cardinal Stadium.

This show was nuts... and the people were nuts. I couldn't believe how many die-hard fans there were... grown human adults and kids alike... and even the occasional odd female girl lady. The fans had made their own signs, t-shirts, title belts, and even replica costumes. It was a lot like a Sci-fi convention, but less interesting.

I don't think I could win an argument saying that it wasn't entertaining. But by that logic, I'd probably lose the same argument when it comes to Nascar or New Kids On The Block. It sort of started to bother me how uncoordinated some of the matches were... especially the ladder match. The object is to climb a ladder and grab a case full of money and win... but there are 8 or 10 people in the ring at the same time. You can imagine the hilarity. But at one point, there was only one guy in the ring, he climbed to the top of the ladder... and pretended to not be able to grab the case. He just sort of clawed at it and looked around to see if someone was going to knock him down. Then someone realized "right, that's MY cue!"... smacked him in the stomach, and he flew off the ladder!

Something else I remembered from my high school days... I had a friend who was STILL into WWF in high school... and he would buy the shirts and the watch all the shows... but he'd also collect photos of the WWF "Ladies". At the show last night, they had the new crew, which they call the call the "WWE Divas". Basically, scantly clad women in a ring throwing each other around. I have to say, this match at least proved that the men in the audience were still mannish. It was actually hard to get decent photos because a lot of people in the audience were standing up to watch the fight... which, was actually more high-speed than the guy wrestlers. So kudos to the ladies, it was a great way to break up a lot of sweaty men in their underwear play slapping each other.

One bizarre thing you might not know about a live WWE show is that there is no sound. When the matches are going on, there is no play-by-play, and there is no mic over the ring. So all you can hear during the matches is the hooping and hollering from the people in your section, with the intermittent sound of someone landing on the spring board mat.

From a shooting point of view it was pretty easy. I cranked my ISO up to 5000 so I could have my shutter super quick to catch the flying action. I had it as high as 1/1000 at some points. On the other hand, there were about 30 or so photographers, and we had an elevated platform to shoot from... which got very crowded. But we were able to run around the arena as long as we stayed out of people's way. At one point I was getting heckled by a group of people who shouted "I paid seven fitty for these seats!"

It was definitely an event. There was a lot of time spent in preproduction and camera gear. I mean, this is the real deal when it comes to live events. I had a fun time watching all the camera gear be passed around. Lots of people with ARRI pro gear on steadicams, dollys, cranes, shoulder mounts... it was fascinating to see it all in action. I'm glad I got to shoot it, it really was something else. The roar of the crowd and passion of the fans was surely something to behold. It's just too bad its fake wrestling they're all there to see.

Frank and Derol @ The Phix

2010-03-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

On their way from LA to SXSW, the alt-pop band Frank and Derol made a stop in Phoenix at a club downtown called The Phix. Helmed by Codi Caraco on lead vocals and Brandi Cyrus on guitar, the foursome took the stage and brought the venue back down from scream rock to a nice laid back alternative vibe.

My younger sister turned me on to the band, having heard of them through Brandi's sister Miley, she had seen them before in Phoenix and in LA, and I've been waiting for the chance to check them out and get some photographs. The band was very relaxed on and off stage, encouraging people to dance and to stop by after the show and talk. They were very engaging, even to the slightly cow-eyed Monday night crowd.

There were roughly 8 bands on the bill this night, including fellow LA residents, The Colourists. Who reminded me of a lighter and poppier version of Bloc Party. The two bands are on the road together at the moment, on their way to the South By Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, TX... which is a crazy monster of an event by which 100's of venues in Austin, from snappy modern bars to street corners, open their doors to bands of all stature. The event is massive, and can be a promising band's ticket into the industry.

From a lighting point of view, it was dark. I relied heavily on my 50mm f1.8 lens. With an aperture like that, you can pretty much shoot anywhere. Everyone should have one of these in their camera arsenal.

After the show, me and my group hung out with the band, snapped a few photos, and talked about the idea of shooting a music video together. Hopefully, we can work something out! All in all, it was a good night of music for $10. Please come and support The Phix and owner Lee Berger... it's a neat venue, and a great outlet for creative music.

Flying Blanket Compilation CD release party @ Martini Ranch

2010-03-08T06:35:00.001-08:00

Beloved local record producer Bob Hoag hosted a CD release show Friday night for a compilation of band's he and his studio, Flying Blanket Recording, worked with over the last year. On the bill for the show were, presumably, his favorites: Dear and the Headlights, The Love Me Nots, Black Carl, Sister Cities, Kinch, and Gospel Claws.

I showed up just as Sister Cities were finishing their set. And by the sound of it, the crowd was loving it... chanting for one more song. I basically ran in snapped a few photos and they were off the stage. It was so quick, I really can't even comment as to their sound or performance.

Black Carl was up next, and I was again, distracted from the band's performance... having to run out of the venue after I got a few pics... I needed to grab another lens. As the night went on, the venue became more and more packed, and the need for two lenses became apparent. I needed a zoom and a wide angle.

By the time The Love Me Nots took the stage, I had elbowed my way (asked politely) up to the front of the stage and got myself into position. I had shot them before and knew they put on a great show. I started their set with my 17-40mm (which I didn't have with me the first time I shot them) to get some incredible wide shots, and the band did not disappoint.

Whether they were amping it up for the camera or the crowd, their set was very high energy and their presence really outshined the rest of the acts on the bill. Love Me Nots lead singer Nicole Laurenne turns animalistic when the music starts, throwing herself wildly around the stage, clawing at her fellow band mate Michael Johnny Walker on guitar, and nearly thrusting her signature Farfisa organ into bassist Kyle Rose Stokes... while host Bob Hoag smashes the skins as the bands drummer.

Last time I reviewed the band I was perhaps a little critical, but I thoroughly enjoyed their set this time. Sandwiched between bands, they really stand out on their own.

Dear And The Headlights ended the show. They are probably the better known band of the evening, and in fact, one of the better known Phoenix bands period. They definitely drew in the crowd... their acoustic based, semi-laid back indie sound was easy to swallow.

Bob Hoag was once again on stage, this time with a suitcase full of percussive instruments. On his website he calls himself a "wicked tambourine player", and he brought the fire to the stage... flinging his glasses to the ground playing two tambs at once, he brought some life to the otherwise fairly tame band.

It was a good night of shooting. The light was decent... but the 5D always just makes things that much easier... being able to shoot at ISO 5000 really helps in these smaller sized clubs.

Music Video ::: "Crash" by Fit For Rivals

2010-03-05T05:46:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the editing/touch ups on the second music video for Fit For Rivals, "Crash". It is a performance only video... meaning, just the band rocking out... no story line to muck it up. This is another video made under the name "Black Chalk Productions", which is the production company I've set up with my brother Gus.

Click on here, or on the title of the video to watch in glorious HD!

We shot this on the RED One Camera System at 4k. That's 4x HD to you and me! The clarity of this camera is amazing! What a joy it is to use a system that works.

Thanks to everyone who helped on this shoot!

Bon Jovi @ Jobing.com Arena

2010-02-25T05:30:00.000-08:00

A foreword to any Bon Jovi fans, the following comments are made from the view of a photographer, only based on the first 2 songs. I was actually fairly excited to shoot this show, because I knew it would be big. It was at Jobing.com arena... one of the 3 biggest venues in Phoenix... and it was Bon Jovi. Sadly, all that could have been, was not... at least in the first 2 songs.

The stage was proper rock show big. Lots of lights dangling in the air... a circular catwalk out in front... and 2 sets of organs (?). When the show started, I kept my wide lens on, thinking it would be a crazy showing of lights to get the crowd in a roar... but really it was just some white spots. The lighting for the entire first song was pretty uneventful. Just white light, with the occasional color throw in. The second song wasn't much different... except they turned on some video screens... which, the center screen was too high up to feel like a cohesive part of the set... and the lower screen wrapped around the bottom of the stage, behind all the gear. I realize I'm being overly critical here... I'm just trying to paint a picture.

There was no great spectacle in the opening... the band didn’t use the cat walk yet... so there were no opportunities for neat shots of Jon and Richie interacting with the crowd... and none of that "closeness" you can get with other big shows, because the photogs were positioned just in front of the catwalk. It was just sort of awkward.

So that's the bad... the good is that the white light was good light. Good for photos. The band sounded good, and for the most part, looked good too. There just wasn't a whole lot going on up on the stage. No ridiculous amounts of gear, or interesting backdrops. But if you're a fan, that probably didn't matter. All in all, it was an ok show. And before you even think it... I'm sure it got better as it went on. I just don't know why bands choose to leave the photographers out of the cool parts of the show... I mean, we're there to promote them! :)

Dashboard Confessional opened the show. It was fairly obvious tho, that this was a strictly Bon Jovi crowd. They didn't do down terribly or anything, it just didn't quite work as well as it could have. But they gave me some cool photos.

Oh... and one obligatory backstage photo. Enjoy.

Mariah Carey @ Dodge Theatre

2010-02-22T14:33:00.000-08:00

She came down on a swing. She sang. I photographed her from the sound board. And after 2 songs, I was shown the way out.

Sorry for the uneventful post. Nothing really exciting happened at this show. Dim lights on the band, and a spotlight on Mariah. Photo restrictions and no ability to use the photos for anything other than personal use. On a side note, it did sound like she was actually singing live. So. Good on her.

Story Of The Year @ ASU

2010-02-22T14:02:00.000-08:00

Done as sort of a last minute, thrown together quickly, almost didn't happen sort of deal, I worked with my brother Gus on a pre-show acoustic performance by the band Story Of The Year. The band was performing Friday night at the Devilpalooza show on the Arizona State University, and are promoting their brand new album, "The Constant".

Until we literally showed up with our gear, we didn't know if the thing would happen. We couldn't secure a location, the band wasn't sure they'd have the time to do it, and we didn't have anytime to plan anything. In the mix, I forgot my tripod, so my footage is all handheld. Not terrible, not great. Our good friend John Clay helped us out by working the soundboard, but not before his truck snapped a ball joint, and curled his front tire underneath itself. It was one of those days. John's theory was the curse of Biggie Smalls out to get him... having just listened to his entire discography before breakdown.

Click on here or on the title to watch in HD.

Once we were set up, things went ok. Gus shot on the RED One camera, and I shot on my trusty 5D MkII. We threw down 2 shure 57's and used a Shure 58 to mic the vocals. We also had a shotgun mic on a boom set to catch the ambient room noise and backing vocals. Which worked nicely.

Full story on the New Times page here.

Zack Holwerda

2010-02-16T08:43:00.000-08:00

My brother Zack is a professional bull rider and fisherman... and this weekend we put together some photos of him for promotional and sponsorship purposes. This gave me the opportunity to get out my strobes once again and do some experimenting.

The first thing we did was the very clean and surgical looking promo shots on a white background. Which basically, just requires a lot of purposefully placed light.

Second, was a technique I've wanted to play with... using a flash in the day light. I wanted to get the blue sky in the background, and still have Zack lit... but not by the harsh sunlight. We used a white coated umbrella for this. I warmed it up a bit in Photoshop. (The photo above was to accentuate the watch)

The last photo is just to exhibit how ridiculously sharp this Canon 5D MkII can be in the right circumstances. Things like this make me happy I have this camera. This photo is a crop of one of the photos above. Amazing. To me anyways.

George Strait and Reba @ US Airways Center

2010-02-11T06:26:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure if I'd be posting this blog... I got a rider from Reba and Strait's people saying they need to personally approve all photos before they are used. Luckily, the New Times took care of that for me and my photos were approved. Yay! Really, I just like to post blog's to keep my body of work moving... it reminds me of what I've done, or prompts me to do more. Moving on...

This show was in the round... er... in the 'square'... which made things interesting. Especially since the photogs were positioned behind the band. All the equipment was facing the other direction, and most peoples backs were to us. The stage did not rotate, and neither were we allowed to wonder very far around it. The night opened with Lee Ann Womack. Not knowing what to expect, and only having 2 songs to shoot, I put my 17-40mm on my 5D MkII, and my 100-400mm on my 20D. Lee Ann took the stage and basically did laps around the outside. Her first 2 songs went quick and I was only able to snap a couple 'keepable' photos.

Reba was up next, and our press contact had warned us we would be shooting from the sound board for her set. This is something that surprises a lot of people when I tell them about this sort of restriction... and while I can almost understand the reasoning behind it... it is always to the detriment of the photos. While being that far away CAN hide a few wrinkles... photographers have very powerful lenses and can overcome the distance. What long lenses CAN'T overcome is the dull mediocrity of a boring photo. When your subject is so far away, there are no angles to change, you get what you get. Also, at concerts, lights are high up in the air, and when a photographer is close to the subject, those lights can be placed into the frame, adding some drama to photo. (See the 2 photos below for a comparison)

When George Strait took the stage, we photogs were placed back at the same position we were in for Lee Ann Womack. George had a microphone stand placed in the corner of the stage facing us, so I knew I'd be able to get some nice shots.

George walked on stage to a roar of applause, he was handed an acoustic guitar, and he made his way around the stage over to our position. He had a big smile on his face from the beginning. He was very relaxed and put on an amazing show. Most of the people in the arena were up from their seats and dancing in the aisles. I managed to get a number of photos I was happy with, and when we were ushered out, I felt content.

I don't want this post to sound like I'm complaining about photo restrictions... I just thought I'd share my reasoning from behind the camera. I get paid either way... but I like taking nice photos.

Skate Park

2010-02-08T05:08:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, my fellow photographer Steve Esparza and I decided to hit the local skate park to test out some new equipment and play with HD video.

Steve recently purchased a Steadicam rig for his HD video studio, and this was a good excuse to give it some use. Of course, since we were there, I decided to take some stills as well. I think it's every photographer's fate to photograph skate boarders at some point in their life.

I managed to get a few ok shots, and while I was there I shot some HD video on my Canon 5D MkII while Steve was shooting with his FX-1. Eventually, we will probably merge the 2 video tracks together, but in the meantime, I did a quick rough edit of the footage I captured. Some of it is steadicam by Steve from when we slapped the 5D on his steadicam rig. Enjoy. (Click on the title to view on Vimeo.com in HD)

Thanks to all the kids and their parents for permission to shoot.

Flash test

2010-02-01T09:30:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend I was playing with my strobes. Just experimenting with different placements of all the units... since I don't tend to get the chance to use them that often. It started with me photographing my wife... I got some nice results in a short amount of time, and decided to wrap it up. But the next day I had one last idea of putting the strobe up high in the air and turning down the power. I only took one picture before I went inside to look at it.

The reason for the post is actually to showcase a very weird result I got from playing in the RAW photo editor in Photoshop. The above photo is the photo as it came off my camera. Below is the same photo after a few tweaks in the RAW editor.

This last photo is again, the same photo, after experimenting with the luminance sliders. I got something I thought was pretty F'ing crazy... it looks like me... but old! Or me after sitting in the sun for a year. Anyways. I just wanted to share.

And on a side note, I've decided to become less picky with photo jobs... so if anyone out there needs portraits or head shots... or something completely bizarre and ridiculous photographed, (yes please!), email me.

The Love Me Nots @ Martini Ranch

2010-01-27T04:56:00.000-08:00

Booked as the premiere of their new music video, the Love Me Nots managed to nearly fill the Martini Ranch on Friday night. I've heard OF this band, and remembered seeing them on the cover of the New Times a while back... but have never actually seen them live. Two people I mentioned the band to both said "Oh, everyone loves the Love Me Nots". To clarify, they are a local Phoenix band that has made good, and scored a deal on one of the smaller labels.

Helmed by a sparkle stocking-clad, dark haired, Farfisa playing, animated female lead singer... the band takes on a fairly unique look outside of today's boring rock fads. All four members add to the 60's throwback aesthetic, and all brought their own entertaining feel to the stage. I was more intrigued by this band than I thought I'd be. The band calls their sound “spy-surf-fuzz-gogo.”

I stayed for most of the set., partially because the lighting made it tricky to get good shots of Nicole Laurenne, lead vocals... lots of back lighting on this stage... so I had to snap photos every chance I got. But I did have a good time listening to the music. It was all very catchy and uppity... even if it did start to get slightly repetitive... but it kept the crowd happy. I don't think you can have much of a lull in the set when drunk Scottsdalieans are involved.

All in all it was a good show. You can really tell the difference between the 86 million local bands that just throw themselves on any stage in this city, and the 5 or 6 who are polished enough to get signed. You can tell the ones who've taken the time to put something special together. Good on you Love Me Nots.

Sonic Youth @ Marquee Theatre

2010-01-06T06:09:00.000-08:00

Chairs set up at the Marquee Theatre... that usually means old and broken people will be at the show... or people that just want to chill out and nod along to the songs. Is Sonic Youth THAT old??

From what I saw on stage... no. For a long time, going to concerts as a lad I found it disrespectful for people to sit down at a rock show. Apparently, I still do. This band, however old they may be... were still able to stand up and rock their set, guitars flailing around on stage... we should at least be courteous and stand with them. Be part of the moment.

Ok, enough of that. I never listened to Sonic Youth... but I always had a feeling I'd like them. And this show was no disappointment. Lots of noises and sound effects and feedback. (Done right, it can work) I enjoyed it. They even brought their own lights to the Marquee. Whee!

Unfortunately, slightly, their lights were all behind them. Which, for the audience, looks cool... but for actual photos... it makes getting clear shots difficult. When you're attempting to capture the correct exposure on someone's face or guitar, and a large box of flash bulbs go off behind them, scorching the rest of the photo... it can get frustrating. But that's all part of the game.

Too bad tho... there were a few times when Thurston Moore (guitar) would be right in front of me really playing up to the camera... and most of the time it was just too dark or awkwardly lit for me to get anything worth using. That is sort of my story with the Marquee in general. At the start of this show, I remember thinking "I have very few photos from this venue in my portfolio". I think I may have got one tonight... very top photo of Thurston.

Pretty much all night the 5D was set to ISO6400... and the shutter would jump around from 1/30 - 1/500 depending on the lights.

Alice Cooper's Christmas Pudding @ Dodge Theatre

2009-12-19T13:01:00.000-08:00

Every year for the past 9 years Alice Cooper has put on his Christmas Pudding concert. I've never actually been to one before last night, but I knew about the idea behind it. Alice puts together a large collection of bands and performers, local and national, and they each take the stage for 10 - 15 minutes or so, and there is an MC that tells jokes and performs magic tricks between the acts.

I enjoyed the quickness and the motion of the idea... it really kept things moving, and kept the audience entertained. However, I do know it's not THE most ideal job for a band or performer, because it is so quick, you maybe can't completely get your vision across... but the experience must be a lot of fun, I'm sure no one would say no to.

The highlights of the show for me were, obviously shooting Alice Cooper... comedian and "Johnny Cash looky-like" Gary Mule Deer, and Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. I'd heard a lot about Roger Clyne in the past, being a local boy... he definitely lives up the stories I've heard. Lots of energy and passion in the music.

Also on the bill was Alice's son, Dash. He's unsigned, and playing the music business game. His band was solid, not completely my cup of tea musically, but the crowd was happy to see Alice's spawn rock the house.

Once Alice and his band took the stage, the Dodge really came alive. I swear even, when the opening riff from "School's Out" started, the volume actually doubled in the venue. Alice commanded everyone to sing along and said "If this song hasn't played some part in your juvenile delinquency... well... something's wrong."

For this event, I had the rare privilege of "all access", which included backstage. After Alice's set, I ran backstage... if I had a chance to meet Alice, I had to jump on it. Being a fan of Alice and Wayne's World, I have a long standing pact with my wife that if I ever met Alice Cooper, I would ask him that immortal question: "So, do you come to Milwaukee often?"

While I was back stage I ran into Dash and his mother, Sheryl Cooper... Gary Mule Deer... Roger Clyne and Danny Zelisko. I got some time to chat with them all shortly, and took some photos. I was planning to make my way out when I ran into Alice and his family. I waited for the small crowd of people to disperse before I moved in.

I got a photo of Alice with Roger, shook his hand and asked him to sign my photo pass. The group of people surrounding Alice became a smaller, intimate group of Family and close friends... I would have felt a clot to ask Alice my silly question... so I respectfully just said thank you and passed through. It was a great time. "I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!"

From a photogs stand point... my 5D again saved the day. At some points the lights on the stage of the Dodge were not quite sufficient, and backstage there was even less. Sometimes I don't know how I ever survived without it.

Jimmy Eat World @ Modified Arts

2009-12-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

So I got a call around 2:30pm on Tuesday night... my editor at the New Times asked if I'd been following the news... that there would be a "secret" Jimmy Eat World show that night. He wanted me to photograph the show. I was happy to hop to.

When he told me they were playing at Modified Arts downtown, I was a little less than thrilled. I mean, it's a wicked idea on J.E.W.'s part... but Modified as a music venue has always failed to impress me. (No lighting, only 'ok' sound) All that aside, I knew this could be something special. I decided to take it one step further, and I pitched the idea of meeting up with Jim Adkins, lead singer, before the band went on for a quick interview... maybe a few Modified stories... as this show would be one of the last shows of live music at the venue, as it will be under new ownership soon.

We weren't able to get directly to Jim's people, so my plans for an elaborate interview on HD video didn't quite pan out. However, I did bring my 5D MkII with me to the show. My editor, Jon, and I got there early and went hunting for Jim... who was happy to oblige a quick interview. So we grabbed a semi-lit corner and I clicked my camera to video. We had only the on board mic to deal with and the mercy of the crowd that was piling through the door. (see below for video)

Needless to say, the show was not very secret... AZ Central had spilled the beans very early on... the show was meant to be secret for as long as possible because of the constraints of the venue, which only safely houses 150-160 people. When I arrived at 6:30pm, the line of people waiting was curled around the back of the building and down to the corner of the street, and nearly back to the door again. 3/4 of the people, if not more were turned away... simply not enough room.

The show itself was a lot of fun, 3 quick acoustic openers, and then a full electric set from Jimmy. I'm not the biggest 'fan' of Jimmy Eat World as it were, but I had a good time listening to the show. You can see how much they stand out from other local acts...

KISS @ Jobing.com Arena

2009-12-02T05:34:00.000-08:00

To be honest, I didn't know exactly how to prepare for a Kiss concert. Even up to the last minute before they came on stage I was questioning my lens/camera selections.

Right before the show started I put my 17-40mm on my Canon 5D MkII, and my 100-400mm on my Canon 20d. I felt like I would need that ultra-wide zoom lens on my full frame camera at the start. This was a good choice to start I think... It let me capture some of the incredibly energetic performances at the front of the stage.

I don't want to kill any of the illusion, but as I understand it, only Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are 'original' Kiss members. That said, the fact that they are doing what they are doing, for as long as they've done it, is a feat in itself. The platform boots these guys were wearing were just crazy! The show they put on for the people, and if I'm honest, for the photogs as well, was amazing!

There were a few times throughout the show where I had Paul Stanley, the Star Child, 4 feet from my lens, staring me right in the face. I can't believe some of the pictures I got. I really can't give them enough credit for putting on such a show, and for making it so easy for the photogs. The stage was so well lit, and the performances and poses were so over-the-top that every picture could be great. My 5D was set to 2000ISO and I fluctuated between 1/200 and 1/400 shutter speed.

Gene and Paul both had a microphone off to their respective side of the stage, and in the middle was a short cat walk wide enough for the three axe-wielding mad men to lean over the crowd and rock in unison. Unfortunately for Eric Singer, the drums were SO high up in the air that I couldn't get a shot of his face... but I'm sure his view of the arena was amazing.

Really, the only word I could think of last night was EPIC! Even if you don't know the songs, you know the band... and the show was just as crazy as you could imagine. I'm really glad I got the chance to cover this. It was really a fun time, and it still feels nothing like 'work' to me.

Video for "Damage" official release!

2009-11-10T04:19:00.000-08:00

The video for "Damage" by Jacksonville, Florida band Fit For Rivals has now had it's official release on the band's Myspace page, myspace.com/fitforrivals, as well as on youtube and vimeo! Please go check it out, it's been a lot of work, but we are all proud of the end result.

I have also put together a short behind-the-scenes video here.

Also, my brother Gus and I have formed our official production company... we are calling it "Black Chalk Productions", it will emcompass everything from music videos to feature films. The website is still under construction, but we have posted the Damage video there. The address is http://www.blackchalkproductions.com/

Go watch the video and send the link to all your friends!

...a nice plug from the Phoenix New Times here.

U2 @ Cardinal Stadium

2009-10-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

Going into this, I knew right off that without a doubt... this is the biggest show I would ever see. There is no one bigger than U2. Their shows are always a huge ridiculous event. This show was no different. Absolutely epic!

I remember thinking when they built Cardinal Stadium (University of Phoenix Stadium)... that only two bands could possibly play there... The Rolling Stones and U2. There is reason a for it. Huge! These bands don't do anything small. The stage that U2 brought was insane! They call it the "Claw", and you can see why. Its a treacherous and bewildering creation. It stretched from one side of the floor to the other... and when it's not inside of a rectangle shaped football stadium, it is actually a 360 degree stage. There is giant video screen that wraps around the top of it, so it can be viewed from miles away... and there is a circular catwalk, accessible by moving bridges, that reaches well out into the crowd.

Walking out on to the floor for the first time, I couldn't help but feel like this was my first concert. I could argue that this was the first concert I've been to on this level. I actually took some video while I was walking to my shooting position. (I may post it shortly) Then once in position, all the other photogs were taking pictures and video of themselves as well. Everyone was equally blown away by where we were.

When the show started, it was just such a rush to see these people in person... Bono! The Edge! Crazy. It was so unreal that I didn't even notice what song they opened with. I was just so intent on getting the shots I needed.

The only thing I would say that could even be considered a 'let down', was the use of spot lights. Nearly the entire duration of the time I was allowed to shoot, the band was lit solely by spot lights... which just means, not the most exciting or interesting photos. But that aside, I had an amazing time. The show was just awesome. No one could possibly feel let down in the entire arena.

U2 more than any other band, I think, knows how to connect with the audience. It's pretty obvious when you consider the gigantic venue they played. But the way they deliver themselves to the crowd each tour, it's always new and exciting, and original... and they make damn sure they can get close to as many people as possible. Either by enormous video screens, and massively long catwalks. No one is doing it like them. And that's why they are at the top.

Plus a catalog jam packed with hits doesn't hurt.

Fit For Rivals "Damage" Video Shoot - Day 3

2009-10-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, the final day of shooting! We arrived at our location around 9am and started to unload. We had a giant warehouse type room to shoot in for the band performance part of the video. I think everyone was excited to see this video wrap. We already had so much amazing footage, it was time to finish it off and bring in the band.

Thomas and Renee had been in town all week, but Jesse and John arrived with Ronnie Winter, lead singer of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, on Tuesday night. This meant just a short time of hanging out and eating before an early bed time. After a long van ride to AZ with no A/C, I think the band was ready for sleep, but hungry to rock the next morning.

After the initial load in and set up of all the equipment, shots went relatively quickly. There were a few dolly and jib shots that took time to set up, but once those were done, the day went smoothly.

Jon Wilkes was on set to play drum tech and deaden the sound of the cymbals and toms as much as possible during playback. We had a really good time this day, the band got to cut loose and just concentrate on their performance. No more uncomfortable or tricky shots for Renee either… just a day of rocking out on camera.

In between some changes in set up, I managed to sneak in a quick photo shoot with the band. I really wish I had more time to spend with them. There were a lot of ideas we had for photos… but the time just went by so quick. I did manage to get a few shots I’m really happy with tho.

A little known fact: Ronnie Winter can perform a solid Hadouken.

By the end of the 13 hour day, everyone was exhausted. Water bottles and aluminum cans littered the set… guitars and cymbals were covered in blood… strings were slashed apart… and everyone involved was noticeably worn. But we were all in a good mood.

While watching playback of the dailies on set, we knew we had another day of amazing footage. Everyone was very impressed with all involved. The crew was awesome, ready to tackle any jobs that came up… Brenna’s make up made the band really pop on camera… the location was great for the aesthetic… and the band nailed it. Now it’s just down to Gus and I to shuffle through hours of footage and cut it down to an epic 3-minute video.

Thanks to everyone who helped out on set as extras and as crew

Cast and crew for day 3 of shooting:

Renee Phoenix - Lead Singer
Thomas Amason - Guitar, Producer
Jesse Carroll - Guitar
John Hartman - Drums
Ronnie Winter - Bass, Producer
Gus Holwerda - Director, Producer
Luke Holwerda - Director of Photography, Producer
Brenna Stephens - Hair and makeup
Jon Wilkes - Drum tech
Chris Herron - Producer, Crew / set construction
Brad Murren - Crew / set construction
John Clay - Crew / set construction
Joe Heinl - Crew / set construction

and check out myspace.com/FitForRivals for music and updates.

Fit For Rivals "Damage" Video Shoot - Day 2

2009-09-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

The second day on the Damage video set takes place inside of a house. This setting is used for scenes from the past, just before the main character is committed and shackled in a straight jacket. The "flashbacks" give the impression that our character was in a bad place that she decides to get out of. All the shots from today took place in a bedroom and a bathroom. These were the sort of scenes that take 2 hours or more to set up, for 5 seconds of actual footage... but without them, there would be no back story for what’s going on.

The first scene was a "strange bedfellows" shot, which involved setting up a jib arm to hoist the camera 12 feet in the air inside of a bedroom, littering the set with bottles and underwear, and getting the dawn/dusk lighting to look just right while still keeping Renee's face semi-lit. We ended up letting in some outside light through the window behind the bed and through the front of the room, and we used a small soft-box to bounce light off the ceiling to the front of Renee’s face. After a little white balance tweaking, we ended up with something pretty believable.

After we moved from the bedroom scene, we went straight into the bathroom. We used another jib arm to hang the camera directly overhead of the bathtub. By this point in the video, our character has decided to take a nice relaxing bath with a handful of pills and reflect on the days events. A short while later, she is discovered floating at the top of the water in the bath tub. After a scream from her female acquaintance, a hulky rescuer charges into the bathroom and raises her out of the water. Actor Jose Rosete lends his giant image to the roll or our character’s savior.

After a few time extensive camera changes, we filmed a few more bath tub scenes incorporating some lip syncing of the song into the drama of the scene. Most shots were filmed at 24 frames per second, but to get a few arty touches, we over-cranked the camera and the CD audio by 100% and filmed Renee singing, then slowed it back down to give her motions a sort of delayed effect. The movement of her hair and the sloshing of the water will appear in slow motion, but her lip syncing will be in time with the music. A really cool and subtle in-camera trick.

We got Renee out of the tub, let her take a break for a while… up to this point her footage has consisted of many hours in a straight jacket and many hours underwater. We filmed a few quick cutaway shots of pill bottles and facets before we moved on to the final shot of the day.

The last shot is a semi “practical” special effect. We positioned Renee in front of 2 mirrors and turned one of them slightly towards the camera, giving the effect of 3 Renees at once. And through some eye line trickery, we could make it appear that the reflections in the mirror were looking at each other and laughing or yelling… then later on in post, we could cut the frame into 3 sections, and have 3 different takes of Renee on screen at the same time. Its called a “practical” effect because there is no CG or green screen involved, its purely a camera and editing trick. The effect will make the character appear even more crazy, and the performance we got from Renee was outstanding!

At the end of the day, we all plopped on a couch and watched the dailies. And after nearly every other shot someone would yell out “This one shot could be the whole video itself!” Which is a testament to Renee’s great performance and all the teamwork involved in putting this video together. None of us can wait for it to be complete!

Wednesday is our final shoot day, and it is purely a band-rocking-the-f*ck-out shot in a huge warehouse. It should be rad. Look for Ronnie Winter, lead singer of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, to make a cameo as the band’s bass player for the video.

Thanks to everyone who helped out on set as extras and as crew!

Cast and crew for day 2 of shooting:

Renee Phoenix - Rock Star Lead Singer
Gus Holwerda - Director, Producer
Luke Holwerda - Director of Photography, Producer
Thomas Amason - Producer, Crew/ set construction
Chris Herron - Producer, Crew / set construction
Jose Rosete – “Rescuer”
Alysia Holwerda – “Female acquaintance”
Brad Murren - Crew / set construction
Brenna Stephens - Hair and makeup

...and check out myspace.com/FitForRivals for music and updates.

Fit For Rivals "Damage" Video Shoot - Day 1

2009-09-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

My friend Thomas Amason and I have worked on a few projects in the past...most notably, "The Zoo", a nearly network-ready comedy cartoon, starring the voice talent of numerous rock stars. Thomas' other big project is his band "Fit For Rivals"... who are in talks with a number of major labels. We are currently shooting the band's first music video. The song is called "Damage" and the video is turning out to be amazing!

For a number of weeks prior... Thomas, the band, my brother Gus, and myself have been working on preproduction and script writing. The video in a nutshell is about a girl who has found herself in a bad situation, which has led ultimately to her insanity, resulting in a forced residency locked inside a padded cell in a loony bin, straight jacket and giant needles included!

There will also be a live band element taking place in a large silver walled warehouse. But for the first day of shooting, we focused solely on the loony bin / padded cell scenes.

As the weeks of preproduction came together... makeup and costume applied...and the set was constructed, it very evident we were on the right track. Everything was looking amazing.

We built a padded cell with 8 foot tall panels, 7 feet wide, and roughly 11 feet deep. The cell itself became almost another character of the video... and once lead singer Renee Phoenix was encased in her buckle-laden straight jacket, the scene was incredible. Shot entirely in full-HD on the RED One camera system, every image of the video is spectacular, and every detail is enhanced to it's fullest.

Renee's demented, tossled appearance for the padded cell scenes really made the image of a mad young woman really pop. Her hair and makeup was handled by HD makeup artist Brenna Stephens, girlfriend of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' drummer, Jon Wilkes

As we wrapped on day 1, after a 15 hour straight shoot, we knew the footage was looking awesome. We definitely have something magical. Now it's on to day two... flashbacks to the moments right before the jump into insanity!

Thanks to everyone who helped out on set as extras and as crew!

Cast and crew for day 1 of shooting:
Renee Phoenix - Rock Star Lead Singer
Gus Holwerda - Director, Producer
Luke Holwerda - Director of Photography, Producer
Thomas Amason - Producer, Crew/ set construction
Chris Herron - "Doctor" extra, Producer, Crew / set construction
Brad Murren - Crew / set construction
Brenna Stephens - Hair and makeup
Mike Vallone - Crew / set construction
John Clay - "Mental Patient #1"
David Hayes - "Orderly"

...and check out myspace.com/FitForRivals for music and updates.

My photos in the Spin Media Licensing Store

2009-09-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

Over the past year I've had a few cool chance gigs that I got to cover for Spin Magazine, (Metallica, Coachella, Fall Out Boy) ...and now that relationship has sort of been parleyed into a licensing deal with them. Basically, any music related photos that I take, I can now put up for sale in the Spin Media Licensing Store online. So, if a publication needs a photo, they can buy a license to use one of my photos, and I get paid. Yay!

Click to visit the SPIN Media Licensing store

I'll be posting more photos shortly, this was just an initial burst to get a few up there... Put "Blank Image Arts" in the search box to see my stuff... and go buy a bunch!

Doctor Poncho

2009-09-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

A number of weeks ago, my wife and I woke up and decided it was time for another dog in the house. Something small, and we wanted it to be a rescue dog. So we took a trip down to the pound and went looking. What a dreary task that became... searching through bunches of sad dogs in cages. But we had to save one. We finally settled on this little guy... a scruffy little wire brush we've since named Doctor Poncho. From what we could determine by looking at pics online, we are pretty sure he is a Border Terrier mix. What really did it for us was his little, wiry curled up tail... it would just sort of sway back and forth when he wagged it. We call it his "Q".

The reason I decided to post some photos... this poor dog, after we got him from the pound had gone through every puppy sickness imaginable: kennel cough, upper respiratory infection, infected neuter wound, high fever, even Parvo Virus! After one healthy day being at home with us, he started showing signs of being really sick... and for roughly the next month it was a terrible downhill slope for him, ending with him being hospitalized.

Eventually, he started to pull through it with the help of medications and lots of care. Not to jinx the situation, but he seems to fully recharged. He's happy, active, and his Q stays up all the time. I decided to grab a flash and get some pictures of the little guy just hanging out on the floor in my living room. I turned a lot of these black and white just because I liked the look of it.

Mars Volta @ Dodge Theatre

2009-09-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

The last time The Mars Volta were in town I did shoot them... however, about 30 seconds in, lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala had me and the other photogs kicked out. So I wasn't "excited" to shoot them this time around, but I did WANT to get some shots. I managed to get a few this time around, and luckily I wasn't kicked out this time.

I'm not a fan of The Mars Volta, but they're one of those bands I'm pretty sure I would like if I gave them a chance. I'd heard a few songs, and pretty much liked what I heard... but after the diva moment Cedric had last time I saw them, I really haven't had the urge to take that step. All that aside, I could dig what I heard at this show. Maybe it's time I download an album.

Before any show, I usually have time to look around the stage, eye the gear, and see what sort of lights are going to be used. The Mars Volta didn't bring much with them... it was basically the house lights with a few strobes, floods, and some colored lights on the side of the stage. All the lights were pretty much pointed OUT towards the audience. So I was ready for a tough job getting any good pics. But there were moments.

The band was good. I want to know more about them. The crowd (1300 in a 5000+ venue) was small, but devoted. People were basically crying in the front row when the lights went down. I don't think I'll ever be that into them, but might as well give them a chance. Any time I see an original Digitech Whammy on stage, I think I can appreciate that band.