Letter 3 Photography

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Last Week's Work

After all the music assignments as of late it was kind of nice to have a change of pace. Last week I covered a block party at The Best Western Nicollet Inn in Burnsville, MN. They are under new ownership and did a complete remodel and the place looks great. What better way to celebrate this then a block party. Lazer tag, root-beer floats, live music, and of course food and spirits made sure all in attendance had a great time. This really took me back to my newspaper days. This event made for great people watching and a few solid images. Here are a few of my favorites.

In a recent blog post you all got to meet The Butcher. Well, The Butcher AKA Taz Jr. AKA Ryan Wood is graduating from high school this year so we ascended on the U of M Arboretum sans skateboards to shoot his senior photos. Which is a real bummer because there would be some really cool spots there if it was paved right. Look for more skate related photos of The Butcher and Co. in future posts. For now take a look at a couple from the session.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Frustrated Inc.

Not gonna lie. The 20-something version of me is having a blast as of late. In a week where I have already been fortunate enough to see and cover Pearl Jam, Weezer, Queens Of The Stone Age, and a few others I get an impromptu lunch performance by Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum. It's like I am back in college and I've just stocked the fridge with a 36-pack of Hamm's that I spent a grand total of $8.68 on.

Dave is Friday Night's headliner at Concrete & Grass. A 3-day music festival in St. Paul, MN. He was the guest speaker-slash-performer at an Artist & Industry class held at McNally Smith College of Music also located in St. Paul, MN. He talked about the life of a musician and the mind-set you have to have with the general theme of the afternoon being, "You aren't getting any younger!" In-between antictdotes and answering questions he picked up his acoustic and gave the student body Runaway Train, Black Gold, & Somebody To Shove. I have heard these songs a 1000 times but there is something about listening to a song so ingrained into you subconscious but hearing it completely stripped down especially with Pirner's raw vocals that can only be described as amazing. It's right up there with the lunch I had with Thurston Moore as the best meal I never ate.

Now I just need The Beastie Boys to come to town. I'm pulling for you MCA!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

One For The Ages

Historically Labor Day Weekend has signified the end of Summer. I tend to look at it more like the beginning of Fall. It's the half-glass sort of thing I suppose and in my world there are only 3 seasons. Hockey, baseball, and festival and it is the latter that just came to an end. With that I am afforded the opportunity to hatch plans for next year and find a way to Pitchfork, Lollapaloza, and Coachella. I can also cross things off my list of things to do like Soundset, Rock The Garden, and Warped Tour. This all came to head with a grand finally weekend that can best be categorized as one for the ages.

It all started at The Minnesota State Fair this past Saturday with The Butcher. His name is Ryan Wood and he is 17-years old. I remember when Ryan was a grom snaking the old guys at the bowl and now he is all grown up and ripping. This one was a lot of fun as I hadn't shot any skateboarding since we closed the skatepark like 2 years ago. I had to dust off the d70 for this one. Fast action and lots of sun meant I needed that 1/500 of a second sync speed. This was my favorite shot of the set...over-crook with extra steez.

I was at The Fair on assignment for City Pages to shoot the big Weezer/Motion City Soundtrack (MCS) show at The Grandstand. With MCS having two native sons and claiming Minneapolis as home I had this crazy idea to have them take in the fair as I documented it. Cheese curds, giant slide, shit-on-a-stick type stuff. After a few e-mails back and forth between their management and publicists they had agreed. I spent about an hour with them as the made their way through the crowd shaking hands and taking pictures with fans and of course there were cheese curds and giant slide. Things on a stick went vastly ignored although we were on a hunt for beer on a stick until we found out it was basically 3 small cups of beer on a wooden paddle. Here is my favorite from that set 4/5 of MCS.

Then it was over 96.3 NOW Stage to see my homeboy Grey Coyote perform. It was him, his guitar, his laptop, an old tape machine, and a couple of other goodies thrown in just for fun. The quintessential one-man band if you will. This was a ton of fun to watch and listen to as he made his way in and out of his sonic toy box.

Then it was time for the show. I was in college during the mid-90s and Weezer was in heavy rotation so I was pretty excited when this show was announced and jumped all over this one. Here are a couple of favs from their set.

Once I got home it was time to edit photos, recharge the batteries, and pack for Alpine Valley because The Wife and I were on our way to see Pearl Jam, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Strokes, Mudhoney, and a more at PJ20. Speaking as a child of the 90s Pearl Jam was pretty much a way of life and the heavy rotation Weezer was in failed in comparison to the influence Pearl Jam had on me. They are the reason I started playing music. They are the reason I wanted to shoot rock bands once I took up photography. I was at their 10 year anniversary show at the MGM Grand in Vegas back in 2001. Ten years later I would be covering their 20th birthday party on assignment for City Pages. The only thing that could have made this weekend any better would have been a baseball game but hey, I'm not complaining.

The minute we get into the venue Joseph Arthur took the stage and no sooner do I post up and pull out a camera does he decide to throw water on the crowd and a few other photographers. Uh ok? That d-bag maneuver is soon forgotten though as I look up and see Matt Cameron, Mike McCready, and Jeff Ament have joined him on stage. Well that didn't take long I thought to myself as I fired away.

As they were finishing up I made my way over to the other side stage as Liam Finn was getting ready for his set. I was the only photographer over there but that didn't last long. Liam was playing guitar, adjusting his effects pedals, and dialing in his loop station. Once he got it were he wanted he set the guitar that was now on loop back in it's stand and took the throne behind one of two drum sets that were on stage when what I can best categorize as a whirlwind flew across the stage and assumed control of the mic. That whirlwind was Eddie Vedder.

Glen Hansard was up next. Just one guy and an an acoustic guitar. Great command of the stage and bonus points for the accent. The call and response and the sing along stuff he did only added to his charm.

After his set we made our way to the media tent had a quick bite to eat. Anna (The Wife) went to our seats and I made my way to the front of the stage to shoot the customary first 3 songs from the pit. Mudhoney was up front and the pit was a complete cluster. Let's just say I wasn't the only photographer there. The crowd was pretty slim and I wasn't really digging my spot in the pit so I hopped out with the people and shot them from the 2nd row where I had plenty of room to move around and get the coverage I wanted.

Up next were Queens of The Stone Age and they absolutely murdered it. After I was done shooting I made my way back to our seats and Anna and I just looked at each other and basically asked one another why we don't listen to them more often. I don't think that will be an issue going forward.

The sun had set and Queens Of The Stone Age had left it all on the table. The crowd was abuzz as The Strokes took their turn at the helm. The didn't move around much which was nice because there was very little light on stage. Cranked up the ISO on these guys and battled with red and blue light but still managed a couple of usable shots.

The anticipation was mounting all day as it was time for Pearl Jam's set. That anticipation soon turned to frustration when I found out we would only get 2 songs to shoot Pearl Jam and that it would either be from from stage right or left. There would be no photogs center stage. That frustration didn't last long though. It was Pearl Jam and I was about to shoot my favorite band on their 20th anniversary.

Not a bad weekend.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The NBA is Fan-Tastic

Admittedly I'm not really a basketball fan. I'm more of a hockey-baseball guy. So I thought it odd to have an impulse to go see a Timberwolves game last night. I'm not sure why though. Maybe it was because Flogging Molly was sold out and it would keep my mind off of not having a ticket. Maybe it was because I've never shot pro basketball before. I mean the last time I went to a T-Wolves game it was at the Metrodome because the Target Center had not been built yet. Ironically they played the Dallas Mavericks that night too. I think it had more to do with my pop costing more then my lower level ticket. The T-Wolves gotta lotta loses (Slap Shot reference) but they have a pretty good team. They play hard, keep it close, and are probably 1 or 2 players from making a playoff run. It was entertaining and the price was right. I went with my brother and we had a good time. I am definitely going again and I'm bringing Anna and The Coops with me.

More to come,

Nick

Sunday, March 6, 2011

The Show Within The Show

It's kind of funny how you end up in certain places sometimes. I had no intentions of going to the sold out Dropkick Murphys show at 1st Ave last week. I mean I 'm more of a Flogging Molly guy anyway. At least I was until the first song the Dropkick Murphys played. Now I would consider myself a huge fan of both. I've said it before and I will say it again music is a stimulus. It was loud. It was fast. It was full on and it was awesome. I got the hook up on the tickets like 2 days before the show from my brother-in-law. Thanks, Al! It was a school night so Anna (The Wife) declined so I ended up going to the show with my good buddy Drake. More on him later.

You always get you usual suspects at a rock show. There's the kid that just had his first beer in the parking lot like 5 minutes ago and now his buddies are hauling him around the club. There is that chick who just got in a fight with her boyfriend for checking out some other little punk rock girl. Don't forget the super fan. The one that knows the blood type of every member in the band and makes it a point of not only telling you but anyone that will listen. It wouldn't be a show without those people who think its a drunken sing along. You know the ones. Better make way for that kid coming out of the pit with a busted up nose and a hand full of Chiclets that only moments ago use to be his teeth. Oh, and don't forget old drunk dancing guy. With that caste of characters you can imagine my surprise when I saw this.

His name is Gabe and he is 4 years old. Now before you get all excited about a 4 year old at 1st Ave please keep in mind it was an early show (doors were at 5) and he was wearing ear plugs. Now this wasn't a case of the parents just bringing the kid along because they couldn't find a sitter. Gabe was rocking out just as hard as anyone else in there, jamming and singing along. He's one bad ass little dude. You got some cool parents, kid and from the sound of it you may be playing the main room in about 15 years or so.

Then there was my buddy Drake. As usual I was lugging around a bag of gear and trying to navigate the crowd when Drake informs me he's going in as he points to the pit. Going in? Like to the bathroom I thought as he disappeared into the sea of anarchy. There was no way in hell I was going to follow him in there. Three songs latter I get a tap on my shoulder and its Drake but its a much more shot up version. He looks as if he has just ran a 10k. He's sweaty, he's missing clothing, and he has a pretty gnarly case of swell-bow. Here. Take a look.

Apparently a giant lesbian knocked him to the ground. That's the version of the story I got anyway. That's what is so great about the rock show. It's the people in the crowd. Boston's finest was blowing the roof off the place that night and my take aways were a 4 year-old kid and my buddy growing a third testicle on his right elbow. That and we had some killer sushi after the show but that's neither her nor there. Give it some thought next time you are at a show and the opening band (or perhaps the headliners) suck balls. Take a look around. There's always a show within a show and I'd be willing to bet you get to see, hear, or if you're lucky enough meet some really interesting people.

More to come,

Nick

Saturday, February 26, 2011

From Chi-Town to 1st Avenue in 8 Hours

I am such a noob. I wish I could tell you I have this travel thing down. Thursday was definitely a learning experience. Airport security gave me extra special attention because of my gear. Time to totally rethink how I pack it. A friend of mine told me to watch that George Clooney flick Up In the Air. I did not have a chance to watch that before this trip. Ironically it was on the box my first night in Chicago. If I only watched it sooner. Other then the hold ups, the rushing from terminal to terminal, and anxiety of not exactly knowing where I was going it ended up being a great trip. You know the old saying about it not being about the destination but the journey. Well whoever came up with that was right.

As I mentioned in my previous post I was in Chicago to capture the performances of the McNally Smith Fusion Ensemble and to spread the gospel of our contemporary music college nestled in the heart of St. Paul, MN. I had never seen a full set before and was very excited to get the full affect. I had popped my head into a rehearsal for a few photos but never got the full range of their musicianship. They blew my mind. I think a true sign of talent whether it be kick-ball or pottery is that the people you are watching (or listening to) inspire you to do what they are doing. This group definitely did that. I couldn't wait to get home and pick up that guitar. Not only that they're a great group of guys who are 100% dedicated to their craft and it shows. Everyone has a unique personality both on and off the stage and it's this dynamic that makes this such a fun group to watch. These are very hard guys not to like. Following them around would make a great documentary or reality TV show.

Also on the trip were Dave Jensen who is the Fusion Ensemble Director and Steve Jennings who is the Ensemble Department Head at McNally Smith. Both have a wealth of knowledge and experience. It is a great honor to call them co-workers and friends. Here they are with the Evanston Township HS band director (and all around great guy) Dave Fodor. The Ensemble played there on Thursday and was well received. They have a beautiful campus and a great music department. There is a lot of pride at ETHS.

From left to right: Jensen, Fodor, and Jennings.

On Friday we headed over to Niles North High School for another performance. We were hosted by Mary Jo Papich and Daniel Gregerman and they made us feel right at home. They had a beautiful auditorium and were kind enough to film the guys with a three camera set-up and sound coming right off the board. Can't wait to see the footage. As was the case the first day the students loved it and as we were leaving Mary said, "I knew they would be good but not that good. You guys are definitely on my radar now." I would call that a win especially coming form the founder of the Jazz Education Network (JEN). I had time for one more group photo and then it was time for me to head back to Minneapolis. The guys play the Elmhurst Jazz Fesitival on Sunday before heading back. Break a leg, Guys! To see the full set of photos from the trip stop by the McNally Smith Facebook Page.

Once I got back into town it was time to head to 1st Avenue. I was assigned Tapes 'n Tapes last night for City Pages. I had shot them before about a year ago and they always put on a great show. I do have a soft spot in my heart for Minnesota Bands done good.

You can peep the full set here.

It was a busy couple of days and to have two shoots in two different states in the same day that required air travel was definitely a first for this guy. I met a lot of great people and saw a lot of really cool things but it's nice to be home with my peeps.

More to come,

Nick