CONCERT REPORT: In This Moment: Providence (PHOTOS)

Maria Brink of In This Moment, Providence, RI, October 2017

I got another opportunity to shoot the amazing band In This Moment in Rhode Island a few Fridays ago when their Half God Half Devil Tour came to one of my favorite venues, Lupo's. They are super theatrical and always a fun challenge. Lots of smoke and wild lighting keeps me on my toes, as do lead singer Maria Brink and her bandmates (guitarists Chris Howarth, Randy Weitzel, bassist Travis Johnson and drummer Kent Dimmel). Of course, her Blood Girls were in tow, flanking Maria like loyal subjects in her Rock and Roll Queendom.

In This Moment's metal is heavy but melodic, touching on the darker subjects in life like abuse and serious relationship dysfunction. But embracing demons, and almost dressing like one at times, has not made Brink an intimidating figure so much as a heroine for young people everywhere. Setting an example by showing the world how she has risen above her demons to become a powerful female in control of herself and the stage. Bunches of young girls look up to her from the front row, wearing costumes paying tribute to Maria and her musical cohorts ranging from ghoulish makeup to masks emblazoned with black and white crucifixes. To outsiders, it looks like a costume party. To those inside, it's a community where creative expression is welcome and celebrated.

To check out my photos from the show, click here!

New photos posted: Lucero and Bouncing Souls, Dave Hause

Just letting you all know that I posted my photos from the Stoked For The Summer show back in August that took place at the legendary Stone Pony. I can't believe that show was already over a month ago. Time is flying, and that makes me anxious! There's probably a lot more serious things to be anxious over these days. *sigh*

Dave Hause also made his way out here again, opening for Gogol Bordello at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. It's a wonderful venue, with lots of sightlines. Parking in the area isn't too much of a hassle, though I resent the fact they charge you the day rate on the street even though you're only there a few hours. But, that's not the venue's fault- just a friendly warning to be prepared if you're not commuting via train from the city. That is also super convenient, as the Capitol is basically right across the street from the station.

Anyway, here are the links to my most recent photos:

Bouncing Souls / Stoked For Summer
Lucero / Stoked For Summer
Dave Hause & The Mermaid / Capitol Theatre

...And we're back!

Well, it's been awhile since my last post! So here's some highlights of what's been going on since then:

Dave Hause put out an album that's become one of those Feel Good Hits of the Summer, Bury Me in Philly. I'm always relieved when an artist I'm pretty passionate about puts out new music I like. It's a terrible feeling when they don't. Sometimes you can make it through a downturn, sometimes you can't. Not the case with Hause, thankfully! Check out my photos from his February show at Crossroads in New Jersey here.

In This Moment released Ritual this Summer and it's also wonderful. I can't believe I didn't catch on to this band so much sooner. But, better late than never! Maria Brink is a Rock goddess, and I love the theatrical quality to their look and live show. Even if they came out in jeans and t-shirts, it wouldn't take away from their music. So far "Black Wedding", featuring Metal God Rob Halford, is my favorite off the record. I can't get enough of it. My shots from their show at Asbury Park's Convention Hall are here. I hadn't been there since the Gaslight Anthem brought Bruce Springsteen out on stage with them in December 2011 (photos here). It was great to go back to this great venue. Especially now that I've been clued in since then about its history of having hosted the Doors and The Clash in the past.

Yet another fantastic album was released since January- Papa Roach's Crooked Teeth. I always think they can't possibly top themselves, but they have. They've given Anthony Esperance (bassist Tobin's Brother) more responsibility creatively and with their live show, adding him as a backup singer and musician. Again, it's sometimes a weird transition when you've been a fan of a band for so long and they add in a new element. But Anthony fits right in. I caught their Toronto set in April as well as their last minute stop in NYC in May to play an I Heart Radio studio gig and treat fans to a listening party at Bowery Electric the week of the album's release. They can't come back soon enough.

I also checked out Australian band Jakubi at Brooklyn Bowl. They're a mix of Hip Hop, Funk and Rock out of Melbourne. Right after their set, Questlove (of the Roots) DJ'd, playing only Jackson Family music since that was the week of the anniversary of MJ's death. It was so much fun, and he went deep! Janet tunes only known if you owned the records as well as remixes you probably only knew if you had poked around Napster back in the day. Photos of Jakubi from that night here. Questlove's security was a bit strict about getting up close and I didn't want to disrupt him at work!

And of course I kept up with some of my all time favorites from my formative years, L.A. Guns, Faster Pussycat, and Sebastian Bach. Some bands you just never outgrow!

Anyway, more to come soon as I get my photos from the past 8 months together. By the way, please don't take the lack of posts as lack of interest in communicating with everyone. Photo editing, going to the shows (especially those with huge commutes), and life events in general kept me from getting back here.

BOOK REVIEW: Sebastian Bach, "18 and Life On Skid Row"

I just finished Sebastian Bach's first book, 18 and Life On Skid Row. I say "first" because I hope more will be written in the future.

RIP Dave Franklin of Vision

I'm seeing reports that Dave Franklin has passed on. I didn't know him personally, but I saw him at shows hanging out and when he and Vision opened for The Gaslight Anthem at the Wellmont, which was one of my favorite concerts of all time. If I remember right, he also came out to sing "Say I Won't (Recognize)" with the band. So, I thank him for contributing to my great times. My condolences to those that knew him. 😔 #ripdavefranklin #ripdavevision (photo taken 12/11/09 at the Wellmont)

Happy New Year!

It's been a quiet couple of months, but I promise that will change! Lack of concerts along with getting caught up in Holiday craziness has contributed to that. So here's a quick catch-up!

Shortly after Halloween, I checked out Faster Pussycat's gig at Saint Vitus. As usual, they put on a great show. I grew up with a different lineup, but honestly, singer Taime Downe has done a good job of putting together a fun crew every time I've seen them in the past decade. They opened with "Where There's A Whip There's A Way", which is my favorite FP tune, so I was psyched about that! I was not psyched that someone there passed on their head cold to me though! I ended up missing The Falcon's Northeast shows because of that. 2016 has not been kind to me in that I counted 6 shows I missed due to unexpected reasons (traffic and illness basically), as opposed pretty much never having missed a show due to either. Yeesh.

I checked out Night 1 and Night 2 of Brian Fallon's annual holiday shows at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ just before Christmas. Tim Barry opened on Night 1 with Brian McGee opening on Night 2. It was great to see both openers, as I haven't seen them in awhile! Tim has such a unique personality and live show. He's a punk out of Richmond, VA, previously known as the frontman for Avail, and is really one of the most down-to-Earth people you'll ever come across. You can check out his website here. Brian is well known for his work with Plow United as well as being part of Brian Fallon's side project Molly and The Zombies. He made the trip up just for this show and it was much appreciated. Hopefully we'll see more of him sooner rather than later. Brian McGee's site can be found here. McGee is donating proceeds from two of his songs to the Save The Children Foundation. Find out more about that here.

Brian Fallon's set was a bit of a different experience than usual. He came out solo, which I personally haven't seen happen since 2010. The setlist each night was mostly made up of tunes off of Painkillers, with a couple of Gaslight surprises thrown in. "Navesink Banks", "National Anthem", "Stray Paper" and "Boxer" made the cut. "Nobody Wins", "Mojo Hand", "A Wonderful Life", "Smoke", "Steve McQueen" and "Honey Magnolia" also made appearances. The famous Andy Diamond played a big part of Night 1's set, as the man himself was sitting at stageside during Brian's set. Brian often turned to him for side conversation relating to whatever Brian was discussing, which was entertaining. Brian would also indulge audience members' questions or comments, sometimes with a snappy response, which was the case on Night 2, when a man announced to the room that his wife was obsessed with Brian. Brian replied with "Maybe you should treat her better!" D'oh!

Otherwise, I went to the great Sebastian Bach's Brooklyn appearance on his book tour promoting "18 and Life on Skid Row." He shared some funny stories and held a fan Q&A in the performance area of Saint Vitus where the signing was held. Afterwards, he signed everyone's books and posed for photos. Of course his lovely new Bride, Suzanne, was there right by his side.

I immediately started reading the book the moment it was in my hands at the signing. I am getting closer to the end, but let me say that early on into the book, even though I'm not completely done reading it, it's definitely one of my favorites. There are a lot of stories regarding incidents I've always wanted to know more about, along with stories that never made it to Metal Edge, RIP, Circus, etc. during his time with Skid Row. It's definitely a case of "You think you know, but you have no idea." I won't spoil anything, but I do want to say that even as a member of the Stern Nation, where I hear pretty much every debaucherous thing humans are capable of, there were still moments in Sebastian's life that made me blush!

Anyway, I hope everyone has had a great holiday season!

2016 Village Halloween Parade (PHOTOS)

After having a great time shooting the 2015 Village Halloween Parade, I decided I would definitely return. The past year's awful headlines made me a little nervous to head into the city for a mass gathering of any kind, but like many people, I've decided that I can't live my life in fear. I will confess that I did feel a lot better about the fact NYPD officers were everywhere I looked. Shoutout to New York's Finest for looking out for all of us and for being super cool to everyone from yours truly to drunkies wanting selfies with a Man in Blue.

The most popular costumes seemed to be Harley Quinn from this year's film Suicide Squad, humorous political costumes either attacking or supporting the Democratic and Republican candidates, ghoulish getups, and tributes to the recently departed David Bowie and Prince.

CONCERT REPORT: Dave Hause / Against Me! / Bad Religion (PHOTOS)

Dave Hause, Against Me! and Bad Religion at Irving Plaza

Last week, the Vox Populi Tour kicked off its tour in the Northeast. I had the pleasure of catching two of those shows, one at the Paramount in Long Island, the other on the second night of their 2-night stand at Irving Plaza. Both shows were fantastic nights of Punk Rock.

Gary Clark Jr. at the Capitol Theatre

Gary Clark Jr. at the Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY

While Gary Clark Jr.'s sound is that of an experienced musician who could hang with the best of the Blues legends, it's hard to believe the man is only 32. This mature sound is the result of spending his formative years dividing his time between the Texas nightclub scene and his neighborhood church, all the while devouring Soul, Funk, Pop and Hip-Hop while he learned his craft. In other words, Tupac Shakur and Parliament-Funkadelic informed his sound as much as BB King, Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. Clark transformed the Capitol Theatre into a giant Blues club when he hit the legendary Port Chester venue on September 6th.

In This Moment, KORN and Rob Zombie in Hartford, CT

Last night, The Return of the Dreads Tour, which features In This Moment, Korn and Rob Zombie, made its way to the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford, CT. From beginning to end, the show gave the town a Rock-filled spectacle complete with flashing lights, crazy stage setups, loud Rock, and yes, dreads.

POSTSCRIPT: Guns N' Roses at MetLife Stadium

When Guns N' Roses announced that Duff and Slash would be joining Axl for a Summer tour, I was thrilled. However, I was not thrilled with the ticket prices. $285 for the best seats/general admission pit, plus nearly $20 in fees and $30 for parking (unless you took the train in) was out of my budget. But, as the great Eddie Trunk has said, fans vote with their wallets and they always have the choice not to go. After months of going back and forth, I ended up deciding on a price I was ok paying. Though the downside would be sitting a city block away from the stage, I knew it would be a great show regardless.

Guns N' Roses Night 2 at MetLife Stadium

Last night, the night owls of the Tri-State area made their way out to East Rutherford, NJ's to catch rock legends Guns N' Roses play past midnight on Night 2 of their run at MetLife Stadium. I was there Sunday night with a bird's eye view of the stage.

The Struts at The Stone Pony

This past Thursday night, Asbury Park received its second visit from UK band The Struts. Though the band is fairly new to Americans, they have managed to win many fans already. Judging by the amount of people who responded when singer Luke Spiller asked who in the crowd had seen them play before, they clearly had made quite a good impression at their Fall show at the Wonder Bar down the street. Along with the seaside town's validation, they've already won the approval of musical giants like Mötley Crüe and the Rolling Stones, who selected the band to open shows for them last year. Going by Thursday night's Stone Pony show, it's easy to see why The Struts are receiving so much attention and praise.

Sixx A.M. plays intimate Philly show

Mötley Crüe may have said farewell to the world on New Year's Eve, but bassist Nikki Sixx is far from done with his musical career. Even after living many lives during his time with the Crüe, the creative juices and desire to bring music to the people are still burning bright inside Sixx. The success of Sixx A.M. shows that his fans aren't done with him either.