This blog is nothing but biased today. Collective Soul is my all time favorite band. Hands down. They are rocking', they are positive, they can be moody, they can be sung along with and they are truly nice Southern gentlemen.
Thankfully, Mike and I met Will and Ed at their Gretch/Fender performances at NAMM in January. I hit it off with Will and we became Facebook buddies. When the tour was announced, I new that I wanted to see it, but I also wanted to shoot it. Will hooked me up with the full show for photos instead of their normal first 2 songs. He also gave me my very first Plus 1 of my own so I brought one of my girlfriends with me.
Once we got inside to set up, I saw Will and was able to visit for a few before he had to get back stage. He let me know then that I had the whole show and the name of the tour manager if there were any problems.
Last night was a unique show in that they did not have an opening band. This show was all about spending a evening with Collective Soul. The band came on stage at 8pm and let us know how the show would flow.
1. Perform the 1999 album 'Dosage' in it's entirety. 2. Take a little break 3. Come back and sing the songs we (the fans) love
I did have to laugh a little during the Dosage portion of the show. Ed apparently doesn't remember all of the lyrics. He had a music stand up there with him to be able to reference if he needed to. There was a little hiccup after the second song. Security tried to cut me off but we talked and the lead security guard found the tour manager and it was straightened out. I missed out on a couple of songs while he was verifying, but that was better than missing out on the whole rest of the show!
They took their break and it was time for some hits off of the rest of the albums including songs like Gel, Hollywood, Precious Declaration... Love, love, loved it. I had made my way to the balcony during Precious Declaration so I could be positioned for some fisheye shots from above. They exited one more time before coming back for an encore that consisted of December and ending the night with Shine.
What a great venue. I hadn't been there yet and I will definitely go back. Great restoration and a welcome addition to our historic venues.
This show really was a blur for me. We got there too late for me to grab a seat and get a little video. I tried, but it was really hard. All I got was Thin Lizzy. So I gave up and just did some listening and some people watching.
Black Label Society never fails to impress me with their merch presence. They have fans all over with their gear! We ended up going back stage afterward to meet a couple of the guys. It's cool how the WaMu Theater has indoor parking for the tour buses. I've seen fenced in parking for buses before, but not completely indoor parking. BLS photos are here.
Priest is Priest. They put on another great show. I still don't understand how Rob Halford can stand up in all that leather! Those capes have got to weigh a ton!!! Priest photos are here.
The highlight to the whole show for me was DJ Lady Starlight spinning the tunes between bands. She was great. Some may know her better as Lady Ga Ga's DJ. She can hold her own though! See Lady Starlight photos here!
Another classic concert tonight. This time we saw 3 pop-rock bands from the 80's. I have seen the original line ups for both Night Ranger and Journey back in the day. Journey was the first concert I went to without my parents. It was a little odd seeing Journey without Steve Perry, but Arnell did a great job with the vocals. He needs more practice on stage though. He's a little bouncy bordering on cheerleader. You can see Mike's Journey photos here.
Journey's Deen Castronovo solo
Foreigner sounded great BUT there wasn't 1 original member on stage. Mick Jones may still be in the band, but he was either injured or ill and wasn't on this tour. This means that it was a cover band!
Foreigner 'Hot Blooded' & 'Dirty White Boy'
I loved Night Ranger the best. I can sing along to almost every song. They had the most energy and clicked with the crowd the best.
Night Ranger 'Sister Christian' featuring Deen Castronovo on drums
This blog is like no other. It starts with 300,000 pounds of rotten tomatoes being thrown at each other, beer drinking, costumes and ends with a music concert. Who would you expect to headline a tomato battle? None other than Super Geek League with Titanium Sporkestra opening for them.
My team at work decided to do this activity as a team building event. It was beyond fun!! Mike and I had on Super Geek League hazmat suits so we could just throw them away after the battle. That was a brilliant idea!
People gather around the tomatoes and once the word is given - All Hell Breaks Loose! Some of the tomatoes are green though. I got one of those right between the eyes. Thankfully I had on a pair of goggles so they took the brunt of the hit. Mike rented a Go Cam so he has some great footage of the mayhem further inside the crowd.
We stopped once the bands started to play, but others were over in the tomato pit for hours! I couldn't handle that smell for that long.
Titanium Sporkestra
Tomato Battle footage with Super Geek League at the 13:49 mark
This was a day that I was really looking forward to. I've seen Devo live several times and they NEVER disappoint. I was there for The Psychedelic Furs. But first we had to have a beer (we were at the Redhook Brewery for goodness sake!) and a great sandwich. We (or I, really) had to paint part of the birthday sign. We had to visit with Michael Pilmer (Devo's everything guy) and we had to wait through the very opening act - Mitten.
Mitten was OK, but I only liked the Depeche Mode cover they did. Other than that, I could have passed. Next up was Tom Tom Club. They were better, but their set was too long for a group with 1 actual song. They did more covers than originals and that annoyed me.
Tom Tom Club - 'Punk Lolita'
I was getting antsy for the P-Furs. They are a true part of my New Wave history. They sounded the same. There was no age to Richard Butler's voice at all. He was just a silky as ever. Yip, I even teared up when they took the stage.
The Psychedelic Furs - 'Love My Way'
The Psychedelic Furs - 'Pretty In Pink'
Now it was time for Devo. The bad news is that it started raining REALLY HARD and our cameras were getting soaked. Since we had seen Devo several times before, we headed out after the 4th song. We'll be seeing them soon again. Time to save ourselves and our cameras. If you have never seen Devo live, make a point to do it. They jump around on stage like they are still in their 40's!
Big festival = Long blog. Be sure not to miss Korn at the very bottom!!! There are photos of each band along the way.
KISW's yearly festival Pain In The Grass was a star studded affair this year. The lineup always starts with a local band. This year, Witchburn got the call. I had the duty of photographing the fan/band meet and greets so I didn't get photos of some of the bands from the pit. Unfortunately, I didn't get to photograph Witchburn or Hinder. I did get to see the Hinder guys though when it was their turn with the KISW faithful.
The full line-up this year was:
Witchburn
Like a Storm
All That Remains
Chevelle
Duff McKagan's Loaded
Hinder
Five Finger Death Punch
Queensryche
Korn
Witchburn took the stage while I was doing my first meet and greet of the day. Local Sabath-y band lead by the amazing Jamie Nova on vocals and Mischa Kianne on lead guitar. Add Jacy Peckham and Dana Sims on bass and drums respectively and you have a Seattle force to be reckoned with!
Like a Storm started off their set with an intro using a didgeridoo. I loved seeing those rockers salute their home of New Zealand with that instrument. They were super nice guys too and enjoyed the radio interview. They made their way into the VIP bbq area and continued chatting with the fans for quite a long time.
I was a little confused by All That Remains visually. They are all over the place with their look but I always like it when a band is just themselves and not what a label might want them to be. I was even more surprised - and impressed - when it ended up being Jeanne Sagan that does the death metal parts! Again, they were really nice back stage and had fun with the fans.
Chevelle - I'm sorry, but they bore me live. The don't move much and they just don't do anything with a big stage.
Loaded - I love them. I love everything about this band. They rock hard, they are really nice and down to earth guys. They promote their hometown of Seattle. They have a good time playing and are grateful for it every day. Duff is quite the doodler as you can see by the photo of him using Isaac as a piece of paper.
Hinder - Sadly, this is a band that I wanted to shoot, but I was back doing meet and greet photos when they were on stage. I did get to see them do their radio interview though. I also had a little chat with the drummer at the meet and greet about his hair. It happens to be about as wild as my son's hair. I told him that my son had asked to get his head shaved once so he could just start over. Cody said if that's all it took, he'd be all over it!
Five Finger Death Punch - Talk about an electric band on stage! They are anything but boring! They commanded the stage and the crowd. They are very proud of the military and thanked the military fans in the meet and greet very warmly. I have to admit that I have a HUGE crush on Chris Kael. I don't know why, but I usually end up having little crushes on the bass players more than anyone else. Gotta love Jason Hook wearing custom Fox FFDP shirts.
Queensryche - QR actually played twice today. They had a VIP acoustic show an hour before gates opened then the actual show later. I'm not a fan of rock opera type bands. I do like to see QR perform though. They put on a good show. Parker Lundgren ads some youth to the lineup. They rest of the guys still have "it". Full set of photos is here.
KORN - I had never seen Korn live. Holy cow! I had no idea what I was in for!!! I'm going to start off by thanking Fieldy for the AMAZING camera time that he gave me. I know I'm not the only one who got face time with him on stage, but I'm glad I'm one of the one's who did!!!!
I was disappointed with the meet and greet though. They do not come out as a band to meet people. They come out one at a time and sign. Then each one does a group photo with the fans except for Jonathan. He comes out and signs, but there are no photos allowed. Full set of photos is here.
July was a busy one! We had a show or two every single week. I'm exhausted going back and looking at all we did.
July 9, 2011: Puddle of Mudd w/ Klover Jane at 'Rockin on the River' festival, Clarkston, WA We left home early in the morning and got to town for the show, checked in for our passes and made our way back stage to see the Klover Jane gang. POM hadn't gotten to the stage area yet for us to see Paul and meet the new guitar player, Dizzy Devereaux, and new drummer, Shannon Boone. We'll meet them later on.
Klover Jane took the stage to a crowd that wasn't familiar with them at all. Rane Stone, the lead singer had also had a cold was wasn't feeling we but he pushed through and gave the crowd a great show. By the end of their set, the crowd was chanting 'Klover Jane' repeatedly. They gained a few fans that night!
Klover Jane
Puddle of Mudd took to the stage to a crowd that had been sunning and beering themselves for hours. The venue is a golf practice field right on the river so not only did they have paying fans, but fans on the Columbia river in their boats. It was a cool location.
The band had tons of energy and we really like the new additions to the band. Wes at one point though got all tangled up in his mic cord and fell. Paul had to help keep him down with a foot while the techs got him untangled and back up on his feet. He never stopped singing though. We got to shoot the first 3 songs from the pit area and then the rest of the show from side stage. Shannon gave me some great side stage shots when he stood up on his stool. Puddle of Mudd Photos - Clarkston, WA
Puddle of Mudd - 'She Hates Me'
July 12, 2011: Rockstar Mayhem Festival at the White River Amphitheater, Auburn, WA
I wasn't expecting to shoot this show at all. I didn't shoot the whole thing though. I was a work when I got a call that there was a photo pass waiting for me at will call. Needless to say, I left work, headed home for my gear and made my way out to White River.
I arrived in time to shoot Trivium, theheadliners on the second stage. This was a band I wasn't familiar with, but I liked photographing them. Great stage show and they had the crowd all amped up before heading over to the main stage for Machine Head. Trivium Photos
I really like to photograph Machine Head. They are such a different looking band. I told Mike that if he ever wanted to know what my father looked like, all he had to do was look at Robb Flynn! He is a dead ringer. I've got a great shot of Phil Demmel's hair going all over and an even better one of Adam Duce's. I'm not normally into the heavier side of metal, I'm more of a straight up rocker, but I really enjoyed them. Machine Head Photos
OK, I've seen Megadeth several times now and I'm still not an actual fan of the music, but I'm a great fan of their shows. They put on a great one. I love, love, love taking photos of Chris Broderick. Mike works a ton with David Ellefson, but Chris is my fave. He has the greatest faces when he plays. He's playful with the crowd and just looks like he loves his life. I'm still learning how to photograph Mustaine though. It's very seldom I get a shot that shows his whole face! I finally got to meet David Ellefson after the Godsmack set. He's such a nice guy. Megadeth Photos
This is my second time seeing Godsmack. I find myself saying "I'm not a fan" a bunch mainly cause this isn't my personal music scene and I'm still learning about the heavier side and finding the bands I do like in the genre. Godsmack, however, isn't one of them. I do however have a thing for bass players and Robbie Merrell is a GREAT one! Both Godsmack shows I've seen were at this venue and both times, the band hid in the upstairs green rooms and didn't mingle. I haven't heard many nice comments on Sully and I would have liked to see him interact and be proved wrong. I'm a positive person and like to see the good that must be in people somewhere! Although, they could have been proven correct as well. Hmmm.... Godsmack Photos
Disturbed is my enigma band. I've seen them a few times now and I actually like some of their songs, but not live. I'm continually bored with their overall show. Mainly I'm disappointed in David Draiman, the singer. He's boring on stage. He was better this time, but not enough. Yet again though, I loved John Moyer, the bass player. More often than not, those dang bass players save the day! Disturbed Photos
July 16, 2011: The Crying Spell at the Kirkland Performance Center, Kirkland, WA
The Crying Spell is one of my favorite local Seattle bands and this venue is one of my favorite to see them play. The Center is a newer working theater. They host band nights, plays, and other things. Stadium seating makes it easy for everyone to see and it's an all ages location. I'm able to take the kiddos with me, get them seated and make my way around to shoot. This makes for a great family night.
The band is a modern take on New Wave with a Rock twist. They've coined their style Mod Wave. Their guitar player - Eric Snyder (of Second Coming, Capitol Records) - is amazingly effortless in his sound. His effects always assist in conveying the Mod sound. Len Hotram and Chase Culp (of Point One, Adrenaline Records) on lead vocals and drums respectively and Jason Phraner (of Redlightmusic w/Peter Klett of Candlebox, DMI Records)on bass. This 4-some is one of the best around town. Their past experiences have made them grow in to a collective that is hard working, professional and all around good people. Catch them anywhere you can. There are great things on the horizon for this one peeps! Check out their Reverbnation page to hear some of their music and catch a video! The Crying Spell Photos
July 21, 2011: Jared Blake at Louie G's, Fife, WA Louie G's is a great local all-ages venue that promotes youth bands and other local acts. On occasion though, Louie books a national act. This one was a treat! Jared Blake from Season 1 of The Voice. I loved him on the show. I was sad when it didn't make it further. Jared was doing a solo set of shows on his way back home in Nashville. He is quite the story teller during his show as well which really makes the show more of a jam session. He is someone that really needs a break. The talent is there and he is a humble man. There is no ego to be found. Just good 'ole boy meets rock 'n roll with a hint of country. Support him if you find him making a stop in your town!
July 23, 2011: The Boise Music Fest with MC Hammer, Sugar Ray and Joan Jett Mike and I drove to Boise to attend the fest. This is a FREE festival and attracts upwards of 70K people to the Ann Morrison Park. The park is right along the river but doesn't have a ton of trees. This allows for the great sized crowd but makes it a little painful on a 90+ degree day at an all day festival. We were lucky enough to find a tree until Sugar Ray arrived and we went back to their trailer for a little air conditioning and visiting Mike's long time friends. He had worked for SR for 15 years.
It was time to go photograph MC Hammer. I'll be honest, I didn't think it would be a very good show and was more going to photography for the spectacle of it all. It was a spectacle, but it was a really great show too! Ann Morrison Park still has it - big time! The only ding on him is that he came on stage almost 15 minutes late which I will tie into the rest of the day later. MC Hammer Photos
Next up was Sugar Ray. I just love these guys. I loved them when I didn't know them and I still love them now that I do. The are the nicest guys you could ever meet. They love their fans and have several super fans that have now become friends. Mark and the guys never disappoint on the stage either. This was the first time I'd seen them since DJ Homicide decided to concentrate on just DJ'ing. This does free up the band to do more of their harder stuff from their 'Lemonade and Brownies' and 'Floored' days. Of course they still play their hits at shows, but I love it when they throw out 'Mean Machine'. It cracks me up to see the fans that don't know they started out as a Punk/Nu Metal band. They've added a percussionist named Al Keith. He's been a friend of Rodney's for years and was a natural fit to add some flare where it had been previously provided by DJ Homicide. Sugar Ray Photos
Last up for the night was Joan Jett. We saw her back stage on her way up to play and she is one tiny lady. Amazing so much rock comes out of that little frame! We got out to the photo pit only to find out that she was not allowing pro cameras. All I will say is that we saw why. They did allow me to go out there with my cel phone though. It has an 8meg camera so it was as good as a lot of point and clicks, but it was still disappointing not to be able to shoot with the SLR.
I'm going to stop here and do a blog dedicated to the last show of July. This is my discovery band of 2011 so far.... Out of L.A. - Le Butcherettes.
