If you missed parts 1 and 2, you can catch up here.
After I shared my Cure photos with the world, the world began to take notice. I will forever be grateful for that opportunity because it opened the concert photography door for me and I will never forget that amazing gift! Brightest Young Things, a local DC blog, reached out to me and asked if they could run my photos with their review. As a result, a began contributing to the blog regularly. Svetlana, the blog’s creator and editor, as well as Dakota, the lead photographer at the time, were wonderful to work with and I photographed so many wonderful shows during my time with them.
Very shortly after this, I also began contributing to Prefix Magazine. Between the two outlets, I built myself a substantial portfolio and covered more than 40 shows during 2009-2010. Below is a list of my top 11 shows from that time period in my photographic career with a short write up about each show. If you would like to see the full set of shows that I photographed during this time, you can check them out on my Flickr, here.
Fleet Foxes with The Dutchess and the Duke at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco
While vacationing in the Bay Area, Shawn suggested we go check out this “new” band on his favorite record label, Sub Pop. I had no idea what I was in store for. Knowing this was a small club with no photo pit, I arrived early so we were at the front. This performance was so amazing that I cried. Fleet Foxes delivered with such sincerity that I almost felt guilty taking pictures. Everyone was so focused on the music that it was completely silent in the club. I only took a handful of pictures then put my camera away to enjoy the show.
The Dutchess and the Duke opened for them on the tour and were equally as talented. Shawn and I even made arrangements to interview them at this show. We also had the pleasure of taking a few portraits of them outside of the club! This show so great that as soon as we got home from our California trip, we bought tickets to their show at The Black Cat! This is one of the many bands that I have seen grow over the years. I am very proud to be able to say that I saw them at the beginning.
R.E.M. with Modest Mouse and The National – Merriweather Post Pavilion
After The Cure, this would be my next larger show that I photographed. It was also my first show that I photographed at Merriweather. For me, I was more excited because my favorite band, The National was opening! I had been following The National for some time and was so proud that they were playing Merriweather. Sadly, many fans missed out on this performance, as the venue was rather empty for the first act. Modest Mouse also performed with Johnny Marr on guitar! This entire night was excellent!
NIN with Jane’s Addiction at Merriweather Post Pavilion
After just photographing NIN at The Anthem, I look back on this show as one of the most memorable. There was no photo policy. No release to sign. And the show was insanely good. Trent Reznor’s performance was every bit as good as when I saw them at 17!
These United States at IOTA – Alexandria, VA
Sadly, over the past 10 years, I have seen many venues close up shop. This was one I surely will miss. The IOTA was one of my favorite places to see a show. These United States played often in the D.C. area and I never missed a chance to see them. This performance ranks among the top of my career and this photo is in my top 10 of all time.
Vampire Weekend with The Teenagers – 930 Club
During my time with BYT and Prefix, I was able to photograph Vampire Weekend twice. The first show was at the 930 Club and the second was at DAR Constitution Hall. Both performances were excellent. Vampire Weekend have always been one of my favorite bands. I’m looking forward to some new material from them and hopefully photographing them again in 2019!
James at the 930 Club
If you are not acquainted with this band, you are missing out. I have had the pleasure of seeing James perform multiple times and they are the nicest most talented musicians around. Between 2008-2009, I was able to photograph nearly all my favorites bands from high school. This was one of them. The best thing about James is that their newer music is just as great as their material from their early days! My birthday was the day before this show, so this was the perfect gift!
311 with Snoop Dogg at Festival Pier – Philadelphia, PA
As my portfolio grew, I was able to get approved for shows outside of the D.C. area. Since Prefix was based out of New York, I was able to photograph shows in other areas. Prior to photographing shows, I had seen 311 multiple times. This was a memorable show because Snoop Dogg was opening. Photographing him was a lot of fun and not an artist that I would have seen on my own. As always, 311 was great and I just love this photo of Nick Hexum.
Stars at the 930 Club
This show was absolutely beautiful. Lights and music went hand-in-hand and produced the most magical night. This was my second time photographing Stars. They played at Sonar in Baltimore in 2008 and I was thrilled to be able to photograph them at the 930 Club! The pictures are all amazing and well worth looking through!
They Might Be Giants at the 930 Club
Who doesn’t love They Might Be Giants? They’re talented and humorous, and put on an excellent show! I’ve photographed this band a few times throughout my career. This one was memorable because it was my last show that I photographed for Brightest Young Things. During 2009, I landed a gig with NPR Music (more to come in the next post). Since this job required a lot of work, I had to lighten my workload elsewhere.
The Joy Formidable at The Black Cat
We discovered this three-piece band from Wales at their very beginning. However, this was not the first of their shows that I had attended. The first one was on the backstage at The Black Cat – a very small room and small stage. I was completely blown away by their performance. Immediately after the show, I messaged Bob Boilen, (who I was working with at the time through NPR) and told him that we HAD to get this band on the NPR Showcase for the upcoming SXSW. This would come to happen and I have always been a bit proud for having found them! (Just like Fleet Foxes!)
The Cure at The Pearl – Las Vegas
I travel for The Cure. In 2006, I went to London for the weekend to see them perform at Royal Albert Hall. This would not be my last adventure traveling to see The Cure. There would be many more to come. However, this show was quite memorable. It would be the last show that I photographed for Prefix Magazine for the same reasons mentioned above. I met up with Cure friends from around the world, which was very exciting, and remember every minute of it. However, it was also there, where I learned the news that a good friend had passed away, much too young. It is a bittersweet memory and was almost one year to the date of my first Cure show that I photographed.
There were so many amazing shows that I went to during my first two years of concert photography, and I am forever grateful for the two publications who gave me a chance to do what I love! (You can check out all the amazing shows featured on BYT and Prefix here)
At the same time that I was working with these two publications, I was offered a job with NPR Music. This next chapter in my life would largely be responsible for who I am today as a photographer!
Read on to part 4, here!
