Deadmau5, Teddybears @ Virgin FreeFest 2011

Deadmau5 @ FreeFest 2011
Deadmau5 @ FreeFest 2011
Teddybears @ FreeFest 2011   Teddybears @ FreeFest 2011
@ FreeFest 2011

Raver culture was there in full effect at Virgin Fest this year… perhaps fitting, since we are apparently in the midst of a full-fledged rave/dubstep takeover… Deadmau5 brought out a huge throng of kids, who stayed til the very end of FreeFest, the west stage area by the ferris wheel reaching the biggest capacity it had all festival.

There were also a lot of dudes doing Deadmau5 cosplay:

Deadmau5 fan @ FreeFest 2011

Patti Smith @ Virgin FreeFest 2011

Patti Smith @ FreeFest 2011
Patti Smith @ FreeFest 2011

I never expected to see Patti Smith live, but was very pleased to be wrong about that… she put on a great, fiery show at FreeFest, and was one of the only artists I heard speak about politics and other weighty topics (which DID generate a few boos from some people in the audience). Her band was tight, she was full of energy, playful… great show. I’d love to see her again in a setting where she had time for a full set.

Okkervil River, Grace Potter & the Nocturals @ Virgin FreeFest 2011

Okkervil River @ FreeFest 2011
Okkervil River @ FreeFest 2011
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals @ FreeFest 2011

Two groups I had never seen before, both put on good live shows, though Okkervil River surprised me more, I didn’t expect them to have as much energy live… they put on a pretty rockin’ performance.

Natural Child @ Ottobar.

Natural Child @ Ottobar

Natural Child are a pretty awesome band from Tennessee, I have seen them twice now (both times brought to Baltimore via Unregistered Nurse Booking), and both times they impressed me. Slowed down, very melodic garage-y punk rock, with funny lyrics and song concepts… good stuff. Check them out when they play your town.

Com Truise @ Black Cat

Com Truise @ Black Cat

Fun little show in the Black Cat backstage… they did a cool layout for the Washington Post story, too:

Wash Post Tearsheet Com Truise Cx2 detail

Volta Bureau portraits.

Volta Bureau
Volta Bureau

A few weeks back, I shot some portraits/promo shots for my friends, DC-based group Volta Bureau (featuring Will Eastman, OutputMessage, and Micah Vellian), to help promote their first release, Hope. Did you know they are named after a historical place in DC?

You can see more of my photos of Volta Bureau (and many others) in my Portraits & Promo Shots gallery.

Dan Deacon, Future Islands, Ed Schrader’s Music Beat @ Current Gallery.

Dan Deacon @ Current
Ed Schrader's Music Beat @ Current   Future Islands @ Current
Future Islands @ Current
Dan Deacon @ Current   Future Islands @ Current
Ed Schrader's Music Beat @ Current
Dan Deacon @ Current   Dan Deacon @ Current

What a fun show! A combination “back to school”/”Dan’s birthday” show, 350 or so people packed into the parking lot behind Current Gallery at 6pm sharp and got to see great sets by 3 local acts. What Cheer Brigade also played, and were great! They are a 12+ piece brass band from Rhode Island… really fun to see live. They stressed that everyone should be there on time or they would be sold out, which ruled, show started on time, ended on time. The rain managed to MOSTLY hold off, and we got to see an acapella performance by Future Islands after Garrett’s laptop shorted out from the drizzle… hopefully it’s okay. All fun!

The Death Set, Eyeball Skeleton, Adventure @ Windup Space

The Death Set.
The Death Set.   The Death Set.

Continuing in the trend of photos that I haven’t posted for months, here are shots from the Death Set’s matinee show at the Windup Space a few months back, during Death Fest weekend. Always fun to see these boys. Also included are some shots of Eyeball Skeleton and Adventure (with Mark Brown). And the lovable Russ & Gonz from the Windup Space.

Animal Collective @ Merriweather Post Pavilion

Animal Collective @ MPP
Animal Collective @ MPP   Animal Collective @ MPP
Animal Collective @ MPP   Animal Collective @ MPP
Animal Collective @ MPP

Way late on posting these pictures! In July, Animal Collective finally played Merriweather Post Pavilion, the venue for which they named their breakthrough album. I covered it for the Baltimore Sun and SPIN. It was a great show, with some amazing stage decoration and lighting. They played mostly new material, but the crowd seemed mostly into it.

Darkest Hour @ 9:30 Club.

Darkest Hour @ 9:30 Club
Darkest Hour @ 9:30 Club   Darkest Hour @ 9:30 Club
Darkest Hour @ 9:30 Club

I hadn’t seen Darkest Hour in years… seeing them at the 9:30 Club on the Summer Slaughter tour was a far cry from seeing them play on a friend’s driveway in 99, which was the first time I saw them, but it was still alot of fun. Definitely one of the highlights of the Summer Slaughter 2011, the other of which was Dying Fetus, of which I will post photos in a few days…

Wash Post Darkest Hour Tearsheet Cx1

Mana @ Patriot Center

Mana.
Mana.   Mana.
Mana.

This was a really fun show. I wasn’t super familiar with this band before the show, but they are a total over the top rock band from Mexico, sort of a Latino U2 or something. More lights on stage than I have seen at almost any show ever!

Wash Post Mana Tear Sheet Cx1
Wash Post Mana Tear Sheet Cx2

 

In the Studio : James Nasty, Mickey Fortune.

James Nasty
Mickey Fortune / Oh Snap!   James Nasty   Mickey Fortune / Oh Snap!
Mickey Fortune / Oh Snap!

I’ve done a few promo shoots in my studio lately for some Baltimore electronic music producers. Check out my Portraits & Promo Shots set on Flickr for more shots of them, and others. And contact me if you are interested in getting some portraits, head shots, or promo shots done!

Nobunny, Scott Reynolds, Milo, Deep Sleep.

Deep Sleep @ GW
Nobunny @ Golden West
Scott Reynolds @ GW   Milo & Friends

2 cool shows at the Golden West, one photo post! Milo from the Descendents even made an appearance at the Scott Reynolds show and was nice enough to pose for a few photos!

Ice Age, Dope Body, Pontiak, Purling Hiss, Roomrunner, Sprayer, True Widow.

Ice Age @ GW
Roomrunner @ Fraziers   Dope Body @ Fraziers
Sprayer @ GW
Purling Hiss @ GW

Shot several shows in Hampden last week… 2 at the Golden West presented by Unregistered Nurse and another at Fraziers. Saw several new bands, including Denny Bowen (of Double Dagger)’s new band Roomrunner, and Ryan Kidwell (Cex) and Jeremy from Ponytail’s new one Sprayer. Great times all around.

Ok Go & Pamplamoose @ Kennedy Center.

Pomplamoose @ Kennedy Center
OK Go @ Kennedy Center

Two fun, light-hearted vaguely internet-oriented bands at the Kennedy Center to celebrate a decade of the Millenium Stage, which showcases free bands EVERY DAY, which is crazy when you think about it. Pamplamoose was full of fun stage banter, while Ok Go!’s show was lots of bombast, with a big video screen that didn’t quite work, 3D glasses, confetti cannons firing every few minutes… quite a spectacle!

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Sade & John Legend, A Night In Treme.

Sade @ Verizon Center
Sade @ Verizon Center   John Legend @ Verizon Center

Two shows I shot recently for the Washington Post. Sade was interesting… totally packed, yet very chill, a very grown-up crowd (obviously). Beautiful voice and very professional, yet you got the impression that she didn’t really like being on stage, which makes sense considering her famous reticence at being in the spotlight.

A Night In Treme, which closed out the DC Jazz Fest, on the other hand was an unabashed party. Total abandon and fun from all the musicians (and famous actors, and Louisiana Congressmen) on stage. They even did a second line, right through the crowd!

Wash Post Sade tearsheet
wash post treme c2 tear sheet crop