EULA at Shea Stadium

Doesn't black and white just make sense for a show at a DIY warehouse venue? It's not like we went there to see the fancy lighting. Noisy, high contrast monochrome photos have the right sort of punk feel. Also, I wanted to try something a little different photographically.

Posted: 6/1/2013 at 11:53am     Tags: black and white  Bushwick Open Studios  EULA  Shea Stadium 

Dinowalrus at The Knitting Factory

This is a good example of a show which should have had different lighting. Dinowalrus would have gone nicely with more a flashy light show. Their sound is that 80's alternative-rock sound, similar to local bands such as Beach Fossils or DIIV but just a bit more trippy, more ephemeral. It's still a big sound though, the kind which goes well with big venues and flashy light shows. Instead most of the time there was this weird marquee thing where one spotlight flashed for a moment, then the one next to it flashed for a moment, then the next and so on around the stage. In my opinion at least my best shots were taken when lots of lights were on. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

Posted: 5/27/2013 at 8:55pm     Tags: Dinowalrus  The Knitting Factory  WHCS Benefit 

The So So Glos at The Knitting Factory

The So So Glos are so closely affiliated with the DIY scene and with Shea Stadium (the warehouse venue which some of them helped create) that it was weird seeing them at a "fancy" venue like The Knitting Factory. The band didn't seem entirely comfortable either, asking to have the bright lights turned down and commenting on the less active parts of the audience. Even they mentioned that they were used to playing Shea Statium. So unfortunately things were a bit awkward for a while there. Fortunately the band was energetic and sounded great, so the audience got more into it towards the end.

I suppose one of the advantages of building your own DIY space is that you can set it up however you want. You can have as much or as little lighting as you want. You can choose the height of the stage. You can have any kind of beer you want (think about that!) Playing at a big venue is pretty much the opposite. You may get to tweak a few things but in the end you get what they give you. So certainly I can see why a band would want the venue they were playing to be more like the one which they created. They want the venue to be a nice "fit". Unfortunately the venue is not always so flexible. I think this might have been one of those cases.

Posted: 5/27/2013 at 3:32pm     Tags: The Knitting Factory  The So So Glos  WHCS Benefit 

Liquor Store at Brooklyn Bowl

The last time I shot Liquor Store at the Brooklyn Bowl the photos weren't all that great. I don't know exactly what went wrong, though the fact that they only got to play three songs didn't help. I'm much happier with these photos, and with the fact that they got to play a full set this time.

Posted: 5/24/2013 at 7:21pm     Tags: Brooklyn Bowl  Liquor Store 

Coliseum at The Knitting Factory

I'm not going to say too much about Coliseum. Is there any need? What do you see in those photos? Beards, skulls, and lots of dark. Yeah, they're something like a metal band. Let's just leave it at that.

Posted: 5/22/2013 at 7:34pm     Tags: Coliseum  The Knitting Factory