Best Albums of 2011 – “Virgins of Menace” – The Disciplines

& “Elsie” – The Horrible Crowes

Best 7″ – BIG STAR With John Davis:  Live Tribute to Alex Chilton – “Don’t Lie to Me”/”In the Street”/”When My Baby’s Beside Me”

The above also represents my proudest photographic accomplishment thus far.  To have one of my photos on the label of such sonic beauty makes me incredibly happy.

My VERY favorite photo of the year -

In a year that I lost count of all the shows I could not shoot (due to lack of money, credentials or both), being able to shoot Dave Matthews Caravan was an extraordinary experience.   There are shots from the festival that are technically better than this shot of Boyd Tinsley but this one is my favorite.  It was the third night of DMB & they were playing “Seek Up.”  I just happened to be positioned right where Boyd stepped forward.  Looking at this, I can still recall my shaking knees.  I wanted to drop the camera & just dance along to the music and, at the same time, I wanted to make sure the settings accounted for the different lighting downstage.  I wanted that moment to last forever & now it can & that is why I love shooting concerts.

Runners-up for favorite moments &/or photos include:

Watching Jody Stephens drum  ”September Gurls” at the Big Star Third show March 26, 2012.   From the balcony, I could see just how the sticks hit the drums & cymbals.  I was mesmerized.  Where was my video camera?!

September 19 – Snowball 37 & Nick Clemons Band at Sullivan Hall – One of the most fun shows of the year.  This marked the live debut of SB37 with sax & the energy of the show was really high.   This is one of my favorite pictures because James looks like a cartoon eagle.  I love the shadows & absolutely could have cropped it differently, but it is still one of my favorites.  This show also rocked because Binky & Tony were there.

Snowball 37′s Family (Re)Union Show with five of the six Fagan siblings & one next generation Fagan.  January 21, 2012  They played my favorite part of “Across the Sea” in a Weezer medley.  Ahhhhh…

November 5 –  Nick Clemons Band & Snowball 37 at Tiki Stadium.   Nick has an incredible voice & a band full of talented musicians.  This was another high energy show.  I love both of these bands.

Shooting the Flaming Lips gave me chills even though it was 85 degrees outside.

November 14 – That is my skirt & Ken Stringfellow’s shoe.  While I am sad to have not seen the Posies as a whole in over a year, it was more than pleasant to be sitting so close as he sang & played.   I do regret not having a camera that can shoot noiselessly over ISO800.  Too much flash was too rude so the actual photos of this show are not the best.    Good thing Ken has a new album coming out.

September 8 – The Horrible Crowes – I couldn’t afford the Gaslight Anthem shows this year & I would have missed this were it not for the great people at The Aquarian Weekly.

Any time Jonathan Tiersten & David Fagan play together is great.  This particular shot is of their “Under Pressure” duet on September 11.  I chose this show because of JT’s performance of his song “Underbelly” that night.   Just go to the video & let him take you to church (or as much church as you can be taken to when Ayn Rand inspired the song).

My favorite show of 2012

Twice this year, we found ourselves watching Bruce Springsteen play the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park (for $10 each).  The second time, July 17, was a tribute to Clarence Clemons and featured The Sensational Soul Cruisers with J.T. Bowen (pictured above).   Listening to J.T. Bowen, I was transported to the Memphis of my dreams, especially when he sang “Try A Little Tenderness.”  I wanted to melt right into the floor.   I can’t find video of that song but you can watch this instead.  Forward about halfway through & you can hear “Shake.”*   He absolutely, positively stole the show for me.  His performance alone would have made this my favorite show.  Other reasons this was my favorite – hearing them talk about Asbury in the old days reminded me of my dad, JT Bowen reminded me of my dad (looks, not voice), the music was so damn good, I had my honey with me AND, because of this show we now have another extremely talented, awesome friend.

*Please let me know why you would ever shake a bowl of soup though

If you want a review of the show, please pick up the September 28, 2011 issue of The Aquarian Weekly.  Because I am horrible at being objective & putting into words why I like something if I really like it, it took me about seven hours to write.  One hour of that was trying to find out the name of the last song that Brian McGee (the opener) sang.  I left it as the unknown Plow United song.  Then, I started trying to make a comparison between The Horrible Crowes & The Rat Pack but it just didn’t work out right so I cut it.  I also had difficulty expressing just how much I loved Ian Perkins’ guitar.  It is very similar (the same?) as Chris Bell’s that Jon Auer played “I Am The Cosmos” on at the Big Star Levitt Shell show. 

The lighting at the show was very low which sets a great tone but make my cameras very noisy.  It didn’t help that the Nikon is stuck at ISO200 (see previous blog) or that I left the better Canon battery (that holds a charge for more than 15 minutes) charging at home.  Also, I had to respect the first three songs photo policy which meant I missed the really cool shots of Brian & Ian.  Next time, I must remember to bring a point & shoot for such instances.  The following are some of my favorites:

Alex Rosamilia playing the Nord.  He also adopted a pitbull from Liberty Humane Society.  This almost makes me happier than the music

Ian Perkins playing the aforementioned Gibson ES-335.

For more, please visit my flickr & keep an eye on The Aquarian.

While I would prefer to shoot manual (except for focus), I have relegated myself to aperature priority mode.  For live shows, I have to use manual mode or Nikon will pretend there is only enough light to shoot at one second shutter speeds & that just won’t work.  For shows with really great light, I can get away with 1/60.

(C) Conn!

 For shows with no light, I am stuck using a flash (where allowed).   This is where I have the most fun.  Not only do I have to set the flash, but I also have to figure out a good angle for it to bounce & an appropriate shutter speed & aperture.  It is a crap shoot, almost like shooting film.  Almost.  Unfortunately, I now want to only edit the Nikon show photos because I already saw the Canon ones & know that I don’t like them.  The Canon has been soft focusing & pretty slow lately.  It is probably going to die soon too.  I just hope that it lingers the way the Nikon has been doing because I really like coming home to images like this.

It was a tremendous honor & a re-birth of sorts that found me front & center in the photo pit for this past weekend’s Dave Matthews Band Caravan shows in Atlantic City.   I still have a ton of pictures to edit but I am not sure any will be as cool as this one:

This was from the Sunday show.  I believe the song was “Seek Up” but all I was trying to do was not let my knees cave in.  Boyd Tinsley violining like a fiend, making beautiful music mere feet from my eager ears.  I didn’t have time to double check the settings & prayed this would turn out so I could remember this moment forever.  Selfishly enough, my primary reason for wanting to photograph musicians I love is so that I can relive the experience.  If seeing the photos transports me back to the moment, I am satisfied.  Of course, it is also great when they take other people to that place too.  So, fan or foe, present at this show or not, here are a few other shots…

More photos will be added to my flickr. 

Thank you Dave Matthews Band for a weekend of beautiful music & reminding me of why I fell in love with you in the first place

For the complete series, please visit my flickr page.

Rest in Peace, Clarence.

Ah, so here I sit, a year after the passing of Alex Chilton, wondering what I would be listening to if we had not gone to that Big Star show November 18, 2009.  My Big Star love affair began quite slowly.  In the beginning, I only knew the “Theme from ‘That 70′s Show’” & the song my boyfriend would play me that I knew was either Big Star or Elliott Smith that had the word “going” in it.  Soon, the “going” song was fully realized as “The Ballad of El Goodo” & it became my favorite.   Then, I learned that Jody Stephens is a very nice person when he was the only one to write back when I sent SXSW photos to him even though they were the worst photos I took all week.   So, that was Big Star prior to November 18, 2009.  I liked it but I didn’t “get” it.

I prepped for the show by listening to Big Star all day.  I decided that “Watch The Sunrise” would be my second favorite song until the show started…  Everything changed.   I really felt as though there could never be music any more wonderful than what I was hearing.  My mind was in overdrive trying to hold on to every second of what I was experiencing.   I imagined this must have been the way people felt when they first saw the Beatles.  It isn’t anything I can describe.  All I know is that it was special & important & a moment that I hope lives forever.   A friend of ours traded his ticket stub to someone after the show & I had an odd sense that it would be a mistake but I never expected it to be a mistake because that would be the last formal Big Star show….

Everything I have experienced as a result of loving Big Star has only led to more amazing experiences.   I never understood when musicians said that if it weren’t for _____________ band, they would never have started a band.  I get it now.  It isn’t something I can describe, but I really get it.  Big Star makes me want to play, certainly not because it is easy (it isn’t) but because of the way the music makes me feel.   I believe Jody, Jon & Ken can keep Big Star alive for as long as they want.   I also really hope they get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  (Please sign the petition )   I understand there is a lot of criticism surrounding the HoF.   I have read where people have said “Alex wouldn’t have wanted it” & “the HoF is useless anyway.”   Well, maybe a band like Kiss who will sell millions of albums with or without the nomination doesn’t need the HoF but for a band like Big Star, it would open up their music to new fans & secure a place for them in a history much larger than the current cult following.  I am not very good at being selfish… I want the whole world to know & love their music. 

So, as March 17 rapidly approaches, I will be spending my day listening to Big Star, The Box Tops & Alex Chilton, shedding tears for a man I never met, a man whose music & musical friends deserve nothing but the best.   Big Star fans who may be reading this, I declare March 17 “Introduce a friend to Big Star” day

Roky Erickson - December 31, 2009/January 1, 2010 – Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ

Brian Fallon – January 15, 2010 – Bowery Ballroom – NYC
More photos from this show can be seen here.

J. Mascis, Dinosaur Jr. – January 17, 2010 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY
More from this show here.

David Fagan, Snowball 37 – January 22, 2010 – The Stone Pony – Asbury Park, NJ

Wanda Jackson – February 11, 2010 – The Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY
More from this show here.

Jonathan Richman – February 14, 2010 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY

Snowball 37 – April 17, 2010 – Wunderbar – Queens, NY

Binky Bianca – April 17, 2010 – Wunderbar – Queens, NY

Snowball 37 – May 1, 2010 – Crash Mansion – NYC
An attempted terrorist attack cancelled the Binky Bianca show that we were supposed to see before this show.

Jon Auer & Jody Stephens – May 15, 2010 – The Levitt Shell – Memphis, TN
More from this show here.

David & Tim Fagan, Snowball 37 – May 21, 2010 – Mexicali Blues – Teaneck, NJ

Misha, Grace Beats Karma – June 2, 2010 – The Local 269 – NYC

Sid Selvidge & Amy Speace – June 7, 2010 – The Living Room – NYC
More from this show here.

Binky Bianca – June 25, 2010 – O’Hara’s – Jersey City, NJ

Yo La Tengo – July 28, 2010 – The City Winery – NYC
More from this show  here.

Gibby Haynes – August 1, 2010 – The Bell House – Brooklyn, NY

Jonathan Tiersten – August 2, 2010 – Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ

Snowball 37 – August 3, 2010 - Private Block Party - North Bergen, NJ

Brian Fallon, The Gaslight Anthem – August 5, 2010 – The Stone Pony Summer Stage – Asbury Park, NJ

The Gaslight Anthem – September 1, 2010 – State Fair – Allentown, PA
More on this show here.

Weezer – September 1, 2010 – State Fair – Allentown, PA
More on this show here.

Eugene Mirman – September 19, 2010 – The Bell House – Brooklyn, NY

The Posies – September 23, 2010 – The Rock Shop – Brooklyn, NY
More on this show here.

Run Robot – October 2, 2010 – Brighton Bar – Long Branch, NJ

Snowball 37 – October 7, 2010 – Clash Bar – Clifton, NJ
More on this show here.

Hugh Cornwell – October 23, 2010 – The Brighton Bar – Long Branch, NJ

Jon Auer, The Posies – November 13, 2010 – Highline Ballroom – NYC

Ken Stringfellow, The Posies – November 13, 2010 – Highline Ballroom – NYC

Brendan Benson (& The Bent Sons) – November 13, 2010 – Highline Ballroom – NYC

David Terry, Aqueduct – November 14, 2010 – Trocadero Theatre – Philadelphia, PA

The Posies – November 14, 2010 – Trocadero Theatre – Philadelphia, PA

Brendan Benson – November 14, 2010 – Trocadero Theatre – Philadelphia, PA

The Posies – November 17, 2010 – 930 Club – Washington DC

Brian Fallon, The Gaslight Anthem – December 3, 2010 – Roseland – NYC

Gerard Way, My Chemical Romance – December 3, 2010 – Roseland – NYC

Stu McLamb & Chris Stamey – December 8, 2010 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC

Jody Stephens – December 9, 2010 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC

Matt McMichaels & Mike Mills – December 9, 2010 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC

Mitch Easter – December 10, 2010 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC

Mitch Easter, Stu McLamb, Sidney Dixon, Brett Harris, Django Haskins, Mike Mills – December 10, 2010 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC

David Fagan – December 23, 2010 – Clash Bar – Clifton, NJ

My favorite shot of the year:

Rivers Cuomo, Weezer – September 1, 2010 – State Fair - Allentown, PA

Favorite concert moment:
Jody Stephens & Jon Auer performing “Blue Moon.”

Jody Stephens & Jon Auer – July 28, 2010 – The City Winery – NYC

My favorite show of the year: 

May 15, 2010 – The Levitt Shell – Memphis, TN

Thank you all for making beautiful music!  I hope to see & hear you all again in 2011.

These feelings were strengthened this past weekend when I spent some time with furry farm animals at my friend’s farm/learning center, Mapleview Agricultural Center.  I fell in love.  It was RFD-TV live & in person!   When I go back next month (to see Big Star’s “Third” performed with an orchestra), my friend said I can milk a cow!  I’m excited.  I think I need a cow… & a donkey… & some other animals…  I also need to thank a farmer.

This is Big Star.  She was just adopted after being at the shelter since late March.  Her new name will be Duchess & she will be sharing a home with a boxer named Duke (& probably some people). 

Here are some of my other favorites from October.  Most of them have been adopted but there are plenty more who still need homes.  I promise.

Callie

Indiana

Jessie

Mr. Pryor

Skittle

Snow Drop & her mom, Smoochie, came in very sick.  When I first took their photos a month ago, I thought for sure that they may not make it.  So, while this first photo may not be the best quality, it reminds me of the moment I saw them again, looking so much better. 

Tilapia

Inti

Karma

For more photos of adoptable cats & dogs in any area, please visit petfinder.com.  If you are in the Jersey City area, please find Liberty Humane Society’s facebook page to view more photos.  Even if you cannot adopt, there are many great events & volunteer opportunities, as well as a donation wish list.  Don’t throw out your old blankets & towels, bring them to your shelter!

I first saw Darren Deicide last year & was impressed by the way in which listening to him transported me right out of that little downtown Jersey City bar.  On this particular night, I was excited to not only see/hear Darren Deicide again but also see/hear two of my other most favorites – my very favorite singer, songwriter, bass player female extraordinaire, Misha, & the fantastically, fabulous Fagan brothers, Dave & Tim, performing Snowball 37 songs as a duo.   Now, that’s what I call music – a full night of nothing but great music at my favorite NJ venue, The Clash Bar.  If you’re ever there, try one of their special drinks.  I think the Blitzkrieg Berry is my favorite… or is it the Iggy Pop Punch?

DARREN DEICIDE

MISHA

DAVID & TIM FAGAN – AKA SNOWBALL 37