Tradition Dies Here final show @ the Black Cat

Tradition Dies Here.

Last week I went down to DC to catch one of my favorite bands from the “old days” of Maryland Hardcore (the early 00s), Tradition Dies Here. Mikey is leaving town for a year or two to travel the world so they had this show in case it is the last one. Good times, old friends. Good luck Mikey!

Click here for the full Tradition Dies Here set.

The Chase reunion show @ the Corpse Fortress.

the Chase.    the Chase.
the Chase.    Wall of Death imminent.

Saturday night I trucked down to Silver Spring to venerable punk house/venue the Corpse Fortress to catch the reunion show(s) of The Chase, Breathe In Breath Out, At Best & Timber. It was awesome, I hadn’t been to a punk basement show in so long. I got moshed a bit, and was slightly nervous about having my gear in the “pit”, but it went well and was a lot of fun.

Highlights included the girl who lived there loudly hinting that everyone should get the fuck out of her house and no one listening, all the sing-a-longs, AFP from the Chase demanding that the Chase replay parts of songs over and over, the wall of death, and me convincing Ari Goldman that the box of free records was actually a donation box, then realizing I just conned Ari!

Click here to view the whole the Chase reunion show set!

personal best: 2008 in review.

Following in the footsteps of last years “Personal Best Photos of 2007“, I have compiled a list of the favorite photos I took this year. Click the link below to see what I came up with, and if you are really bored you can click here to see all the ones that were in the running. Feel free to pick your faves in the comments, and especially feel free to link to your own best of 2008 posts!

Okay click here to see the list:

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CULT photoshoot.

CULT
CULT       CULT       CULT

A week or two ago, I did a photoshoot at my friend JP’s boutique in Baltimore, CULT. It was really fun, we just goofed off for an hour or so, and though it was chaotic, I think I got some good shots. Check out the full set of CULT photos. I will be posting more from this photoshoot tonight or tomorrow, too, so check back.

Also visit the store, it’s on Charles between Madison and Read, in Mount Vernon.

Mad Decent Tour (Diplo, Blaqstarr, Rye Rye, Boy 8 Bit, more) @ Sonar, Baltimore

mad decent tour @ sonar.
blaqstarr.     diplo.
melanie.     rye rye.

Thursday? Friday? Wednesday? … they all sort of start to blend together, but anyway, SOME DAY LAST WEEK, I went to Sonar to see the MAD DECENT TOUR, featuring Diplo, Boy 8 Bit, Blaqstarr, Rye Rye, and several acts I unfortnately missed. It was fun, they had a pretty creative “booth” setup for Diplo, some great dancing and some pretty awesome pizza and hot dog mascots. We did a group photo to recreate the tour poster, and all in all I had a pretty good time for someone that was basically a sleep zombie… click here for the full Mad Decent Tour set.

Dan Deacon & Gavin Holland @ Hirshhorn Afterhours, DC

dan deacon @ hirshhorn museum

A week or so ago, I dropped by the Hirshhorn in DC to see Dan Deacon. I decided to go because I love Dan, and I figured this show, since it was at a Major American Art Museum, would be staid and reserved, with glasses of wine and DEFINITELY NOT with people mobbing Dan or stealing his equipment or stealing his famed green skull. I was wrong on all counts, as you will see if you click here.

Sinden Soundsystem @ Sonar, Baltimore.

sinden.
rye rye.     ears, sinden sound system.
mz bratt & ears, sinden sound system.     scottie b.

Last week I checked out Sinden (from London, creator of that “Hit me on my Beeper Beeper Beeper Beeper” song) at Sonar. I was expecting a DJ set but he amped it up – there were THREE MCs, all British, along with him, and special appearances from Rye Rye (they did “Hardcore Girls”) and Blaqstarr. It was a pretty great time. Dave Nada and Scottie B also performed, a pretty full night.

THEN, after the show I realized that the Homosexuals, who I had seen play at SXSW earlier this year had played next door, and I had missed them. :( But Bruno, the singer, ran into me and either remembered me from talking to him at that show, or mistook me for someone else and we chatted and he even gave me a rare record:

bruno from the homosexuals & emily rabbit.

A good night! Check here for the whole Sinden set.

Deep Sugar f/ Little Louie Vega @ Paradox

little louie vega @ paradox
deep sugar @ paradox   little louie vega @ paradox   deep sugar @ paradox

I’ve started working with Ultra and Lisa, who have been throwing the Deep Sugar nights (and running the Deep Sugar record label) for years now. The first show I shot for them was Little Louie Vega @ Paradox… now, house music is not traditionally my thing but this party was really fun. Everyone there was having such a un-self-consciously good time, it would have been hard not to enjoy myself at this.

Check out the write-up (that I contributed photos for) at BrightestYoungThings.com. Then check out the full Deep Sugar set here.

Fool’s Gold Tour @ Ottobar, Baltimore

trackademics.

The other week I worked the Fool’s Gold/Scion/Taxlo show at the Ottobar (with Jokers of the Scene, Trackademics, Nick Catchdubs, Sammy Banannas)… met several of the people at Fool’s Gold, who were all really nice and awesome, and checked out the various artists. It was a good time. I felt like the crowd was sort of confused when Trackademics started, as if they didn’t expect some live hip hop at this show, but what can you do? Click here for the full Fool’s Gold set

NYC trip: CMJ, My Crew Be Unruly @ Love, hanging with friends…

michele.
scottie b & blaqstarr.     ponytail
evan.     claire huxtable.
dave nada.

A few weekends ago (right around the same time my laptop died, thus the long delay), I made it up to NYC for CMJ, and to hang out with friends. Even though I had a badge (thanks, Citypaper), I didn’t make it to many sanctioned events… the highlights for me were the Unruly Records/Senari bash at Love, Ponytail’s performance at the Fader Fort, and of course just hanging out with friends. Click here for the fun NYC set.

DMBQ & Monotonix @ the Ottobar.

DMBQ @ the Ottobar
Monotonix @ the Ottobar

Monotonix @ the Ottobar    DMBQ @ the Ottobar
DMBQ @ the Ottobar    DMBQ @ the Ottobar
DMBQ @ the Ottobar    Monotonix @ the Ottobar

Two of the most wildly audience interacting live bands around played at the Ottobar monday… it was a great, great time. DMBQ are still one of the best bands I have EVER seen… Monotonix was fun and a spectacle (even taking the show outside before Ottobar staff chased everyone back in), but musically I don’t think they quite compare. Still, it was one of the funniest shows I have been to in a long while… View the full set here.