We spent New Year’s Eve with Roky Erickson. He is awesome.
- Roky Erickson – 01.01.10 – Maxwell’s
Roky Erickson - 01.01.10 - Maxwell's
“Seems like there ain’t nobody wants to come down here no more…”
I can’t drive through the Freehold countryside without thinking of my dad & the music of Bruce Springsteen. My dad went to school with Bruce. Unlike most Bruce fans of his age, my dad readily admitted that he had no idea who Bruce was when they were in school. My dad moved from Freehold in 1967. He had lived on a farm in an area that has since been plowed over by Rte 33. While I never got to see exactly where it was, I do know that the area in the image below is less than a mile away.
Freehold, NJ
“They’re closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks
Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they ain’t coming back to your
hometown…”
“Every dream is shot by daylight…”
I committed a major photography error. I either lost a CF card or I reformatted it & shot over it. Either which way, I am missing about 100 pictures of Snowball 37 & Tourmaline. I still have about 500 pictures to edit but I finished the Dinosaur Jr. pictures. I like to start with the ones that turned out the worst and, unfortunately, these are those.
This was my first Dinosaur Jr experience. It is one thing to be told that J Mascis uses three full stack Marshalls on stage. It is quite another to hear & feel the power of those amps. As the night progressed, the volume grew, surpassing 11 well into the third song. The dinging in my ears Monday was a pleasant reminder of what I had experienced. Some most righteous shredding.* Thank you for an amazing show, Dinosaur Jr! I can’t wait to see you again.
J Mascis - Dinosaur Jr - 01.17.10
Murph - Dinosaur Jr - 01.17.10
Lou Barlow - Dinosaur Jr - 01.17.10
J Mascis - Dinosaur Jr - 01.17.10
Murph - Dinosaur Jr - 01.17.10
J Mascis - Dinosaur Jr - 01.17.10
Lou Barlow - Dinosaur Jr - 01.17.10
Murph - Dinosaur Jr - 01.17.10
J Mascis - Dinosaur Jr - 01.17.10
* I always wanted to use that phrase. I used it better the first time I wrote this… before wordpress & I inadvertently disagreed about what I wanted to post.
“I dreamed all day ’bout a rock & roll weekend…”
- Brian Fallon – Bowery Ballroom – 01.15.10
In the spirit of trying to stay up to date, I figured I would post this. It is the first photo I have edited from 2010’s first rock & roll weekend. Friday was Brian Fallon, Saturday was Snowball 37 & Tourmaline & tonight* was Dinosaur Jr. w/ Kurt Vile.
*Yes, Sunday is still tonight for me. I will be regretting that in 2 1/2 hours when I have to wake up for work.
“I never dreamed you’d leave in summer. I thought you would go then come back home…”
I do believe that should be the soundtrack for the next ASPCA commercial. However, I would like them to start encouraging people to volunteer.
Tropical & I
Anyway, consider yourselves warned… The following are some of my favorites from the last few months at Liberty Humane Society. If you want to see more of my shelter photos, I made a slideshow of them set to Snowball 37’s “Baby, You’re A Star.” Click that link or search youtube.
Sivic
Bo
- Bo
- Euston
- Destiny
I printed a larger, color verison of this for the shelter. Then, I signed it & framed it. My first work of art?
Here are my two favorites. The sadness in Monk’s eyes kills me. He had most likely been a fighter and was unable to be rehabilitated. I think of this face whenever I hear about dog fights.
- Monk
“I thought the cold would leave by summer but my quiet nights will be spent alone… I never dreamed you’d leave in summer but now I find myself all alone… Why didn’t you stay?” – Stevie Wonder
“I’m a loner. I’m a sorry entertainer…”
I didn’t realize just how far I had fallen behind in posting… These are from the Daniel Johnston show on October 14, 2009 at the Highline Ballroom in NYC. I have many, many more but these are the only ones I watermarked so I figure maybe by April I will post some more from this show. The Hymns were one of the opening bands and they’re pretty awesome too.
I love Daniel Johnston & I thank his brother so much for getting a photo pass for me. Even though this was a venue where sneaking a camera in was pretty easy, I feel special with a photo pass. I feel validated and important. If only I had a more public outlet for the results…
By the way, if you are unfamiliar with Daniel, it is time for my quarterly statement to encourage you to watch “The Devil & Daniel Johnston,” the best, most inspirational documentary I have ever seen. Then, buy yourself some Daniel Johnston records and fall in love.
“True love will find you in the end. You’ll find out just who was your friend. Don’t be sad. I know you will…” – Daniel Johnston
“And I wonder, when they find me, will I be long dead & gone? Will it be in bed at night with the radio on?”
I cannot tell a lie… My very favorite band of 2009 was Snowball 37. In an attempt to be a better blogger (I say this every time I fall behind & have to catch up but then take too many pictures & fall behind again), I have even included a few shots from their January 8, 2010 performance at Maxwell’s. PS 2009 was a great year for Snowball 37. You can now purchase their EP, “Special Young Adults,” on iTunes & other sites like it.
Tim
Greg
Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ
“We sing with our heroes 33 rounds per minute. We’re never going home until the sun says we’re finished.”
In catching up with posts, another amazing show I saw in 2009 was The Gaslight Anthem. I simply love this band. If you recall, I saw Brian Fallon about a year ago. I didn’t get to see the whole band until November when I saw them at Terminal Five in NYC. I only lasted about a minute in the second row before I got a boot in my head that narrowly missed the ultra fragile Canon 50mm. I had to have security rescue me so we won’t talk about that. This time, December 11 at The Wellmont in Montclair, I knew better than to get in the way of the moshing & crowd surfing so it was much more enjoyable. If I wasn’t so heck-bent on sneaking a camera in, I wouldn’t have been such a wimp about the crowd. I have to agree with them, when The Gaslight Anthem plays, you can’t stand still. Oh, The Wellmont show also rocked harder because they played so many songs, including a new one and some covers. These are not my best work but this was one of the best shows.
These are from the Canon because it is easier to sneak in.
“Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey…”
It has been a while since I have really written so I should let you know that I have moved on from my days of regularly waiting tables. I have a slightly more steady flow of income from a job that involves driving around A LOT and informing mortgagers that they need to call the bank. I get to take pictures of the houses but it is hardly a “photography” gig. However, I do get to travel the NJ roads least visited or remembered, but most memorable.
Last month, I found this scene near (or in?) Farmingdale & passed it twice in the same week for these alternate views…
“Ain’t no one going to turn me ’round…”
I promised more Big Star &, almost two months later, here they are. This was, far & away, one of the best concerts I have ever seen. The way these men worked together to make the songs come to life was really something that every band should study.
My personal favorite…
