9:30 Club Concerts

Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ 9:30 Club

Posted on September 27, 2009

It sure took them long enough, but the Yeah Yeah Yeahs finally made it to DC on Friday as part of their touring behind their latest album, It’s Blitz. I had shot Karen O. & Co. once before, a few years ago as part of the Virgin Festival, and had a lot of fun shooting what is easily one of the most photogenic bands out there.  So naturally I was very excited for the band to take…

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Concerts Festivals Merriweather Post Pavilion

Weezer @ 2009 Virgin Freefest

Posted on September 24, 2009

Shooting a festival headliner is always a challenge.  The rules change, the number of photographers doubles or triples and once you have access to the photo pit, it’s every man for himself. While not technically a “headliner,” Weezer was definitely one of the two most popular bands of the day, along with Blink-182.  The pit at the pavilion stage was very tiny so the phalanx of photogs were forced to split up into two groups, each shooting…

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9:30 Club Concerts

The Sounds @ 9:30 Club

Posted on September 23, 2009

I am always excited to shoot in a photo pit at the 9:30 Club, but this was still a very tough shoot.  Lights for this show were deep washes of red, purple and gold punctuated by bright backlights.  It was rare to get the same color of light all the way across the stage. Couple this with me trying out my new camera for the first time and it was all I could do to keep up…

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Concerts Festivals Merriweather Post Pavilion

The Hold Steady @ 2009 Virgin Freefest

Posted on September 18, 2009

Shooting a major festival like the Virgin Freefest requires a few changes to standard operating procedure as far as shooting the artists.  Since I was covering the festival for the Washington Post and they were going to run a small amount of photos from the day as part of their coverage, I decided to focus most of my attention on the frontmen of each group, figuring it would be best to show the readers the people they recognize most.  So when…

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Concerts Festivals Merriweather Post Pavilion

St. Vincent @ 2009 Virgin Freefest

Posted on September 17, 2009

Being one of the first artists on a festival bill is never an easy thing, but Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent did an admirable job opening this year’s Virgin Freefest at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. I find it takes me a little while to “warm up” when I am covering a festival, so I try and test out a variety of shots and see how the light looks, especially if the back of the stage is open.…

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Concerts Out of Town

Super Furry Animals @ Highline Ballroom

Posted on September 15, 2009

I’d need an extra set of hands and feet to count how many times I’ve seen the Super Furry Animals live.  But since they only tour the US every three or four years, I didn’t have any decent photos of them, mostly because I try not to work during their shows, instead choosing to relax and have fun while listening to my favorite band on the planet that doesn’t include anyone named Gallagher. Also, they basically played…

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Concerts Merriweather Post Pavilion

The Flaming Lips @ Merriweather Post Pavilion

Posted on September 3, 2009

Confetti canons, dancing gorillas, hundreds of balloons, a big plastic bubble…shooting The Flaming Lips is nothing short of sensory overload. The band has been doing the same show for a few years but far be it from me to let it come through the area without shooting it. I was actually very excited for this show, seeing as the Lips have only played festival sets in the greater-D.C. area since I moved here five years ago. Finally…

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Concerts Verizon Center

Keith Urban @ Verizon Center

Posted on August 25, 2009

Arena shoots generally mean one of two things. A nice big photo pit and a very high stage, or a shoot from the soundboard requiring a very large (and long) lens. More and more I find soundboard shoots are the norm. Outside of the extra gear that’s required to shoot them, I don’t have anything against soundboard shoots, but it’s always nice when it’s clear the artist has thought about where the photographers will shoot from. Take…

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