War...

...the band that is.

Here are few shots from the War concert at the SB Bowl last night. I was stuck in the wings which is like shooting from the soundboard distance wise, only it's from the sides of the stage. My longest lens is a 300mm, so I just hung out with that all evening and tried to wait for good moments.

Once in a blue moon...

Sam Scranton, Gereral Manager for the SB Bowl hit me up the other day. He needed another copy of a picture I took of him, Johnny Ramone (RIP) and Eddie Vedder before Pearl Jam's performance at the venue in 2003. The show was a benefit for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where Johnny was being treated for prostate cancer at the time.

This was one of two times (the other was Loggins & Messina in 2005) that I was able to shoot in the backstage area at a show. The Bowl is good about keeping the area free of riff-raff, which I guess I can understand. I was a bit nervous, even though I had full permission, about taking pictures that night. Johnny was sick and very mellow, I didn't want to pop a flash in his face (or anyone else's for that matter), so I kept it turned off. All of my shots came out a bit under and everyone had raccoon eyes. Shucks.

I'll chalk it up to a learning lesson for the next time I get the opportunity to shoot backstage again... I wish it would happen more often.Johnny Ramone, Eddie Vedder (that's Jeff Ament over Eddie's shoulder) & Sam Scranton backstage at the SB Bowl.

Street Sweeper, NIN & Jane's Addiction...

Less words this time, it's this simple:

Killer music + open photo policy = sweet pics.

It was hard to edit down...

Street Sweeper Social Club
NIN
Jane's Addiction

Huh?...

How come all of the new, younger bands are starting to look exactly the same? These are promo shots from bands that are all on the same record label...

KJEE Summer Round-Up...

YES!, there are pictures that accompany all the chatter below. So, scroll down or... read on!

Yesterday I photographed the the KJEE (local radio station) "Summer Round-Up." This year Kings of Leon headlined the event but, as you may have read in a previous post, they denied me a photo pass. Rumor has it their reasoning is because someone in the past took images and made merch for sale. I guess I can sort of understand but, at the same time, give me a break. Is it money that is so damn important, they are gonna let one a-hole spoil it for other honest photographers out there? I doubt that any member of the band is going to be standing in an un-employment line anytime soon. Maybe it was their image they were worried about? Well, eventually we're all getting older, surely uglier and eventually push up a daisy or two. None of that stuff is gonna make a squirt of difference in the end, so... get over it. I'm sure the band affords a pretty savvy lawyer, sue the guilty party and move on. Am I jaded? Ya, a little. Guess I still can't understand? Oh well.

Seems I didn't miss much either. A good friend who was shooting for the press (news papers and magazines were allowed to shoot) emailed me later and said they were forced to stay at the sides of the stage. And if they leaned on it, some fat guy with the band would run up and push you away. How's that for good publicity?

Anyway, the bands... Iration (SB locals), Far, White Lies and Toxic Airborne Event were happy to have me shoot and I had a good time doing so. It was my first opportunity to get in the photo pit this season. As expected, I was shooting half the time under mid-day sun without any house lights. The rest of the time was muddy afternoon light mixed with house lights that were too dim to make a difference. I made the best of it and worked what magic I could in post production.

Took make the pictures a little more interesting (I think), I downloaded a trial version of Alien Skin's new Bokeh. It's a plug-in filter for PS that allows one to manipulate the plane of focus and depth of field in an image. It's pretty fun and I'd say give it a try since it is free for 30 days. I highly recommend (and own) their software, Exposure 2 as well. If you were one of those folks who had (or is having) a hard time letting go of film (like me) and making the switch to digital... this plug-in is for you!

Some pics from yesterdays show...

Iration

Far

White Lies
Airborne Toxic Event

Variety is the spice...

Last Friday's show at SOhO was comprised of various side projects containing band members from music genres across the board. Big Light , OHMPhrey (featuring members of OHM, Megadeth and Umphrey's McGee) and North Indiana All-Stars (featuring members of Oingo Boingo, Umphrey's McGee & Banyan) all graced the stage with an evening of mostly improved tunes.

Big Light

OHMPhrey

North Indiana All-Stars

Purple Rain...

Here's another one of those long-lost random pictures I've stumbled across. I took it somewhere around the year 2000 outside an art show at "The Creamery" in Oakland, CA.

Looks more like a parking lot scene from a Prince concert...