Author Archives: josh

Odd Future / OFWGKTA / Tyler The Creator

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Odd Future / OFWGKTA
Odd Future / OFWGKTA / Domo Genesis   Odd Future / OFWGKTA / Tyler The Creator
Odd Future / OFWGKTA / Tyler The Creator

I scored the assignment of shooting the up and coming hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All’s sound check at the U Street Music Hall. This was the same day as the announcement that XL Recordings would be releasing Tyler’s next record. It was pretty funny to watch these guys soundcheck… whatever greater success is coming their way, at this point you can tell the whole thing is just a huge amount of fun for them. They raced around the empty venue goofing off, played almost a full set during sound check, and generally horsed around the whole time. Fun experience, cool kids.

EYEHATEGOD at Sonar.

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EYEHATEGOD.
EYEHATEGOD crowdsurfing.   EYEHATEGOD crowdsurfing.

Last week EYEHATEGOD played a blistering set at Sonar. I’ve seen this band a half dozen times but they are always awesome… one of my favorite bands that are still playing. Brutal, dissonant, nihilistic sludge metal. Highly recommended. Weirdly enough, TONS of people were stage diving, I guess because it’s fairly easy to in the club room. Not the kind of music I normally associate with stage diving, but it was a fun show anyway.

Integrity + Haymaker @ Sonar (+ Pizza crowdsurfing)

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Integrity - pizza crowdsurfing!
Haymaker.   Haymaker.

The other day I was able to see Integrity, a band I have loved for years, play at Sonar with Haymaker, a Canadian band I’ve liked for years, and who apparently have never before played in the States, which seems crazy to me! I also caught the above photo of a gentleman crowdsurfing WHILE eating pizza. Amazing.

Portrait Session : Rogue.

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Rogue
Rogue

A couple of weeks ago I did a portrait session for Bmore Original recording artist Rogue. It was a lot of fun, I haven’t been shooting as many promo shots or portraits lately since I have been going to so many shows… it’s something I need to start doing more of again. Pictured are a few shots from the session.

Dismemberment Plan Reunion Kick-Off + Secret Show!

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Dismemberment Plan @ Black Cat
Dismemberment Plan @ Black Cat

I covered the Dismemberment Plan reunion tour kick-off at the Black Cat for SPIN, and it was a really fun show. Sold out, of course, and they played a stacked set, with a lot of attention to Emergency and I, their most revered album, as well as a lot of other tracks… They were totally together too, without any of the minor technical foibles at their secret preview show the previous week (more on that in a sec). Really cool band Bluebrain opened up, too…

I was also lucky enough to be able to shoot a secret, invitation only show at the Galaxy Hut in Arlington, VA a week before the tour officially started… this was a great experience, 60 or so people crammed into a little cafe area, a feeling similar to what I imagine D-Plan shows in DC were like in the late 90s.

Dismemberment Plan Secret Show.
Dismemberment Plan Secret Show.   Dismemberment Plan Secret Show.

Matthew Dear @ U St Music Hall.

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Matthew Dear @ U Hall

Matthew Dear and his band swung in last week to do a make-up show after their show at DC9 got canceled due to the death that occurred there last year. I got to chat with them a bit, a nice bunch of guys. Matthew is touring with a live band, and the sound is a lot different than what you might expect if you know him from his Audion or False records… more of a dark, new wave, Gary Numan type of vibe… but good. I wish I could have stayed for the whole show!

Read the Washington Post review | View all the photos

Dave Nada’s Moombahton Massive @ U Hall

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Dave Nada's Moombahton Massive.
Dave Nada

Last week I had the good pleasure of catching the assignment to shoot Dave Nada and his second Moombahton Massive party at U St Music Hall. It’s not often you get to go hang out with an old friend for work, so I relished the opportunity. I have know Dave since he was a member of Medic, a thrash/metal/hardcore band whose record I put out more years ago than I want to admit. Since those days he has been on a steady rise as an internationally-known DJ and producer, a career arc which this year hit a new high with his creation/discovery of Moombahton, a new genre of dance music that fuses elements of Dutch House and latino culture. It took the dance music world by storm and it’s momentum is still building…

Read the Washington Post Review | See the Moombahton Massive photo set

Grant Hart @ the Black Cat

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Grant Hart @ Black Cat.

I went into this show knowing very little about Grant Hart, except that he was the drummer of Husker Du. And honestly, I don’t know a ton about Husker Du. I have met Bob Mould before, but I’m no expert on the band. I was pleasantly surprised by the show, however. Grant Hart’s music is simple, stripped down, dark songs about people who have lived rough lives (and it looks & sounds like Mr Hart has lived one too, based on his appearance and what I read about him), but with a hopeful tinge. Really good show, and I’m going to check out his solo albums.

Read the Washington Post Review | See more in my January 2011 Shows set

BB King @ the Birchmere

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BB King @ the Birchmere
BB King @ the Birchmere

This was amazing. Never thought I’d get a chance to see BB King, so I jumped at the chance to shoot this on New Year’s Day. The man is 84 and can still play amazingly, and is extremely cantankerous and charismatic, constantly poking fun at his band – even threatening to pull a knife on one of his players at one point! If you get a chance to see him, it’s worth the money.

Click here to view the whole BB King photo set | Click here to read the Washington Post review

Simon Phoenix Bday bash w/ Dave Nada, Stereofaith

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Dave Nada.
Simon Phoenix bday @ Golden West

Simon Phoenix celebrated his birthday saturday night at the Golden West, and it was a blast… the Golden West is turning into a great, multi-faceted place for shows, the new management and the booking staff over there are among the best things to happen to the Baltimore music scene in quite awhile.

See the whole photo set here

Gogol Bordello @ 9:30 Club

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Gogol Bordello @ 9:30
Gogol Bordello @ 9:30   Gogol Bordello @ 9:30

Never saw this band before, but I remember people being blown away by their shows at the Black Cat back in the day… they put on a really good show, and the sold out crowd was seriously into it. Dunno if I would buy their records, but this was a fun show to shoot. Interestingly, they had us wait and shoot the middle of the set… maybe so they would get a little sweaty first?

Click here to see the whole Gogol Bordello photo set | Click here to read the Washington Post review

2010 Round-Up : SPIN

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I’m posting a series of posts gathering up alot of the stuff I did this year… I was lucky enough to shoot alot of assignments for SPIN.com, mostly with intrepid writer Michael Byrne along for the ride. Here’s a list of stories we did together (and a few I did with other writers):

  • Big Ears Music Festival in Knoxville
  • Best Moments of Virgin Free Fest 2010
  • My Top Ten Live Photos
  • Peter Hook/Unknown Pleasures Tour
  • Wham City Comedy Tour
  • The Vaselines @ 9:30 Club
  • Edward Sharpe @ 9:30 Club
  • Janelle Monae & Of Montreal @ 9:30 Club
  • The Dead Weather & Harlem @ 9:30 Club
  • Of Montreal @ Ram’s Head
  • Deakin, Jason Urick, Dan Higgs @ Ottobar
  • The Cranberries @ Rams Head

    I think that’s all of them, though I may have missed a couple!

    • 2010 Round-Up: all my Washington Post stories

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    One of the best things that happened to me in 2010 was getting the chance to shoot regularly for the Washington Post. I saw so many amazing shows for them this year… many of which, I would never have had a chance or even the knowledge to go to otherwise. Big thanks go out to Chris Richards, David Malitz, Ally Schweitzer, and of course Kyle Gustafson for getting me on board. I decided to make a list of all the shows I shot, and highlight some favorite ones… here we go.

    My Faves:

    The rest after the break, and don’t forget to check out Lists: 2010, the year in concert photos which has some great photos from all of the Washington Post concert shooters, Kyle Gustafson, Brandon Wu, Evy Mages, and myself, too. A great year!
    Continue reading →

    Usher & Trey Songz : OMG Tour.

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    Usher @ OMG Tour.
    Trey Songz @ OMG Tour.
    Trey Songz @ OMG Tour.   Usher @ OMG Tour.   Usher @ OMG Tour.

    This was an experience. Packed Verizon Center in DC. 30,000 people. Mostly ladies. All of them screaming for Usher and Trey Songz. Crazy. Usher is a total pro… this was a very well done performance. It was almost too well-orchestrated to call it a concert, but it was quite a spectacle… and Usher is definitely a showman.

    Check out the whole OMG Tour set here.