rants, raves & photos

Drowning Pool Revisited

2010-06-14T22:04:00.001-04:00

Stevie Benton of Drowning Pool
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

Well the past always seems to have a way of catching up to oneself and I have to say at least in this instance it was a good thing. Having seen Drowning Pool many times prior to the death of their frontman Dave Williams, I had only caught a couple of songs of theirs on Crue Fest last year with their current singer Ryan McCombs. What I heard of their old music with Ryan I liked and I did like the new songs I had heard but I still had avoided full immersion until now.

Drowning Pool booked another date at Bourbon Street in Batlimore and it was time to reintroduce myself to this band that I once loved and saw in many venues almost 10 years ago.

They kicked off their set with "Sinner" and although here was Ryan onstage singing, the rest of the band was the same and I really focused on Stevie and C.J. up front. As they went through the set, they intersperced their older material with their newer but you knew that they were building up to "Bodies". At one point Ryan was talking prior to a song working up to it and you could hear fans yelling for "Bodies" which you knew wasn't yet to be played. One just had to be patient.

Of course when "Bodies" finally came it was a bit of a let down. I knew the set was finishing and I was still looking for something that I wasn't finding. There was something missing in tonight's show and it wasn't just the missing of their former frontman. I felt the band was just off tonight. The crowd wasn't as engaging as they could be as well and one knows that a band feeds off a crowd. I ended up walking away a bit disappointed overall but glad that I did come out and see Drowning Pool. Of course afterwards I did the comment that I looked familiar from one of the band members. Yes, it's been a long time but it was nice to here that. See you next time Drowning Pool..

Bamboozle Road Show Kicks Off!

2010-06-14T13:49:00.004-04:00

benji madden of good charlotte
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

Did you know that Bamboozle is coming to you? You can catch the 2010 Bamboozle Road Show at a venue near you and Merriweather Post Pavilion had the honor of hosting the first show of the tour. Great way to kick off the summer (well almost summer) with two hometown bands sharing the stage - Good Charlotte & All Time Low.

Here was a pop punk scenester's dream line up with All Time Low, Good Charlotte, Boys Like Girls and Forever the Sickest Kids all on the main stage with support from Drive A, Mercy Mercedes, Great Big Planes and more on the side stage.

The day started with Drive A on the side stage. This stage began just as some kids were getting out of school so a bit of a worry that there wouldn't be a crowd but thankfully those worries were put to rest. The area filled in quite nice while the band played and thanks for a few young men there actually was a pit going when frontman Bruno Mascolo took to the pavement.

It wasn't until Forever the Sickest Kids hit the main stage that things got heated up. The packed floor and front of the pavilion were rockin' as they played and this didn't stop until the end of All Time Low. Even Boys Like Girls' frontman Martin Johnson got into the crowd as he did a stage dive towards the end of their set. Those at Merriweather Post Pavilion definitely gave the other tour stops something to live up to as they closed the night out with their two hometown bands.

Daryl Hall & John Oates Rockin' the Pier

2010-06-14T12:59:00.004-04:00

It was a beautiful night for a concert at Pier 6. An earlier storm knocked the humidity down and it was a beautiful night for music - Daryl Hall & John Oates were in town. Out promoting their recently released box set the tour was named Do What You Want, Be What You Are tour.

Here's a duo who ruled the pop charts in the mid-80s with hit songs such as ""Rich Girl", "Kiss on My List", "Private Eyes", "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", "Maneater", and "Out of Touch" - all of which hit #1 on Billboard's Top 100. Here we are many years later and they are still giving it their all to a packed house.

Young and old combined to fill the pavilion and could be heard singing along from the first song of the set to the last. It was great to see young kids with their parents enjoying great pop songs. These are songs that have lasted through the test of time. They don't need flashy videos or anything else to popularize them either. A great pop song is just that, a great song. This is what pop music is all about.

Backstreet Boys are Back!

2010-06-14T08:29:00.005-04:00

It's been 14 years since their first single and the Backstreet Boys show no sign of slowing down. In the midst of their year long This Is Us Tour, for their album of the same name the group made a stop at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City and earplugsrequired.com was there.

So yes this is a venture into unknown territory for earplugsrequired.com but seriously now, one must appreciate a good pop song and the Backstreet Boys certainly have a corner in that market! Having seen the Backstreet Boys two years ago on their Unbreakable tour, it was so easy to get caught up in the hype that surrounds this group. This time, it wasn't any different.

There was definitely a buzz in the air as the time grew closer to when they would take the stage. Finally the house lights went down, the curtains opened and a screen at the top of the catwalk started the countdown. Flashes onto that screen told the crowd to get their camera phones ready and to scream, not that this audience needed any prompting. A video showed the Backstreet Boys approaching, they crashed through the screen and it was on!

Kicking off with "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)", the arena was moving and shaking along with those on stage, which included the DJ and dancers. Their stage setup, unlike the 2008 tour, was stripped down, simple with a catwalk and a DJ set up in the middle so the focus was on the group members and the songs that they were performing. Also intersperced within the set were videos that highlighted each member individually.

These video spoofs had each member playing a part in a popular movie and definitely were a highlight of the night (oh and at the end of the show, the credits rolled with outtakes!). Howie's video was scenes from The Fast and the Furious, A.J.'s was Fight Club, Brian's was Enchanted and Nick's was The Matrix.

For about an hour and half the Backstreet Boys entertained the packed arena with their hit songs both old and new. And I have to say that they don't forget who put them where they were and still are today. Frequently throughout the show they thanked their fans for being there and for staying with them through the years. It's great to see an artist not forget who supported them.

So if you are looking for a trip back to your youth or just a fun night of entertainment - go see the Backstreet Boys. Oh and for those of you in my hometown area, they will be there in August playing the Mixfest at Pier 6! Hope to see you there!

A Night with PiL

2010-05-26T10:14:00.001-04:00

John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

When one hears about a band having a reunion tour, there are many thoughts that go through your mind regarding how they will sound, how they will look, are my expectations too high,will I be disappointed, etc. Many of these thoughts I'm sure went through the minds of those contemplating seeing PiL on their announced tour but those all vanished when John Lydon and company took the stage. Without an opening act, PiL took to the stage around 8:30pm with a simple backdrop of their logo. Now here was basically the Godfather of Punk Rock. The crowd, which I have to say was lacking as pre-sale was less than 300, was made up mainly 40 somethings and older with a few younger tossed in for good measure. It wasn't a very active crowd but I did see an older man near the front pogo for most of the show. Of course there were those at the show that were there because this was Johnny Rotten onstage and they really didn't know PiL's material but hopefully by the end of the night they were able to see Johnny as the performer that he is and not just his personification in the Sex Pistols. PiL's music is multidimentional. I don't believe it to be something for just the casual listener either; it's something that grows on you and seeps into your soul. This was a night for looking back to where we all came from and also a night to look forward. Younger performers should take note and strive to be more like those that have come before them.

Another note to make regarding this show was that it was being filmed for a documentary. After the show Johnny came out and signed autographs for people as well as had photos taken with people. Other bands should take note of this too. Here's a man that is basically the Godfather of Punk Rock/DIY attitude and here he is out meeting fans.

Do You Look Good on the Dance Floor?

2010-04-08T13:47:00.002-04:00

Another sold out show at Ramshead Live! in Baltimore. This time is was the UK's Arctic Monkeys that filled the place on April 7th, 2010. Having recently completed a European tour, the Arctic Monkeys booked a two week tour of the United States which luckily included a stop in Baltimore.

Still out on the road in support of their 2009 release, Humbug, the Arctic monkeys came out on the stage kicking off their set with "Dance Little Liar" off that recent album. The set proceeded with the majority of the songs coming from this album but that was to be expected. Tossed in amongst though was the Nick Cave cover "Red Right Hand" which is included on Humbug as well as two songs that are b-sides of singles ("Joining the Dots" and the last song of the night "Nettles"). Surprisingly missing was "Fake Tales of San Francisco" which left many fans at the end of the night wanting more.

The crowd for the most part was playing along with the planned stops in the middle of songs for them to cheer even though you could tell it was mapped out. The Arctic Monkeys have been criticized over the years for their seemingly planned sing-a-longs that take away from the spontaneity of a live concert. But if that is all we can criticize about them, then I say take it with a grain of salt. This is a band that sells out stadiums back home and they have the sound of a stadium band even when playing on a club stage. Watch out America, the Arctic Monkeys have your number.

Celebrating Happy Hour on Easter!

2010-04-07T14:39:00.002-04:00

Not sure what type of crowd there would be on Easter Sunday evening for a concert but the Baltimore area represented when Uncle Kracker came to town. Promoting his new album Happy Hour, Uncle Kracker headlined the Recher Theatre in Towson MD on April 4th. The audience was small comparably but those in attendance were rocking along with Uncle Kracker from the first song until the last. The set was comprised of songs from all four albums and even had a cover of Kenny Rogers "The Gambler" thrown in. The audience was comprised of people of all ages. There were two small children up front on the barricade whos mother told me that her daughter, who appeared to be about eight years old, loved Uncle Kracker and had since hearing his single "Follow Me".

Though Uncle Kracker is probably best known for being the DJ for Kid Rock's band, he has carved out a devout following with his own music that crosses over between the pop and country charts. Though the set wasn't anything spectacular, it was solid.

First two songs, no flash

2010-03-31T13:25:00.001-04:00

Funeral Party
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

So if you are a concert photographer, you know the drill. It's usually the first two or three songs, no flash and then we are done photographing. Many times I get to shoot more than that at one of the venues which is definitely a bonus. While I love to shoot an entire set, I'm like, whatever, it's their rule, I have to follow..

But. . .

If you are going to limit us photographers please give us something to work with. For Julian Casablancas the rule was first two, no flash. Well there wasn't ANY light. If you went into the bathroom, closed the door, turned off the lights and had a nightlight - that would be more light than was on the stage. AND he kept asking to make it darker.

If You Don't Ask. . .

2010-03-25T21:19:00.001-04:00

Alicia Keys
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

So Alicia Keys is totally not what I usually cover for earplugsrequired.com but I thought it would be a cool show to shoot. Why not? I love the production of the R&B artists. They know how to do a concert. There is no harm is asking to cover a show, worst thing is I get the answer "no" but at least I tried.

Well I got the Alicia Keys/Robin Thicke show in Baltimore. Had first two songs of each artist. The barricade was narrow and the stage was high so a bit tough of a shoot. Plus for Alicia, the intro which was all video screens was included as one of the songs. No complaining here - sorry..

Alicia started out in a cage that she broke out from and this was hard to shoot as the stage was high, there was quite a bit of smoke/fog and there were bright white lights.. All in all I am quite happy with what I came away with!

Who Cares About #1?

2010-03-19T12:57:00.003-04:00

There are times and places where being number 1 isn't the best way to end. For Chris Daughtry that was definitely the truth as he came in 4th on the 5th season of American Idol. American Idol gave him the recognition and exposure needed and look at him now. With two consecutive number 1 albums under his belt, Daughtry brought him show to Baltimore on the 18th of March, 2010.

Sporting a new look - with hair - Daughtry took to the stage after a brief intro using the Batman theme. Tonight was the first night on this leg of the tour and it was not without difficulties but I don't believe those in attendance cared. The Daughtry crowd isn't the same crowd as many similar bands have as Daughtry pulls from the American Idol crowd. I didn't feel that same excitement as I have at other rock shows while waiting for the band to take the stage. That isn't to say that were weren't screaming girls since there were, it's just overall the atmosphere was subdued.

After seeing recently concerts of Muse and the Black Eyed Peas, this was definitely a good performance but not a great one. The songs were solid and the addition of Phil Collins' " "In The Air Tonight" and Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" were nice suprises as was the B-side of "What We Have Become". But in order to be a spectacular performance this needed to be taken up a few notches and it wasn't. Maybe it was due to the arena size and it basically was partially full but considered a sold-out crowd. Or maybe I'm just expecting a little too much.

Three and Out!

2010-03-19T07:54:00.001-04:00

Dave Mustaine of Megadeth
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

Well Megadeth's Rust in Pieces 20th Anniversary tour came to Baltimore on March 16th, 2010. Unfortunately due to a series of events their set was cut short at 3 songs. First their soundboard blew and then the house board had issues due to a fan throwing his drink on the house console. The band took the stage basically when they would have been finishing their set and left three songs later. For the packed venue it was a major disappointment but the announcement was made to keep the ticket stubs and that the show would be rescheduled - which it was for the following night.

Cheap Alcohol and a Fun Show!

2010-03-11T21:39:00.001-05:00

Cove Reber of Saosin
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

So the Ottobar in Balitmore isn't a big place, bigger than Fletchers was but smaller than the Recher in Towson but it's a great place to see a band up close and personal. It was definitely the place to be on March 6th as Saosin finished out their headlining tour here with Maylene & the Sons of Disaster in tow (also Before Their Eyes and Storm the Beaches).

Strange seeing Saosin here in a smaller venue after headlining the Pac Sun tour the end of last year but there is just something about smaller shows that brings out things that you won't see at a bigger show. Must say this was a strange show, not only did we have the stage divers but we had young men that came up on stage and acted hmm like goofs. The band even commented on this although they did invite them back up on stage.

Now the Ottobar, while they don't have a barricade, they are very strict in their policy of NO STAGE DIVING. They even have signs posted on the monitors on the stage. Well obviously some of the fans this night had a bit of trouble in reading and were escorted out the door soon after. Bassist Chris Sorenson reminded the crowd about this rule of the club but that really didn't faze them.

Oh and regarding the alcohol - new drink.. Sweet tea vodka, peach schnapps, sour mix and sprite!

Another Great Night

2010-03-04T16:41:00.001-05:00

Fergie of Black Eyed Peas
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

Well it's been almost 10 years since I've seen the Black Eyed Peas and what a difference. Back then they were the openers on No Doubt's Return to Saturn Tour which also featured Lit as direct support. Three albums, six Grammys and many top singles later - look at them now! Oh and back "in the day" there wasn't a Fergie.

I was able to photograph them in Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center on March 3rd after missing their DC show due to being out of town on vacation. Only caught the first two and a half songs as that was what I was photographing but what an amazing few songs that was.

The kicked off the night with "Let's Get It Started" which had them coming up out of the stage to a blanket and fog and green lazer lights. The stage was totally open with the playing band members perched above behind a curtain and a long catwalk extended out from the stage as well as risers to the sides of the stage. On the second song "Rock That Body" they used the catwalk playing to the crowd. The song ended with dancers dressed up as robots doing a coordinated dance along the catwalk. The third song of the night was definitely highlighted by Fergie front and center is a bath of light and will.i.am suspended by cables as he flew across the stage.

Seriously now, how can you not like the Black Eyed Peas? The energy was high and the crowd was having fun.

Definitely One of My Top 5 Concerts!

2010-03-03T14:17:00.004-05:00

It's just March 1st and Muse has definitely set the standard for 2010. With a production that was used in stadiums overseas, somehow they managed to fit this show on an arena stage. If Muse is going to be playing around you, don't pass on the chance to see them. Even if you only know Muse's singles, you'll leave this show with a greater appreciation of this band.

I've always said that live music is just as much a visual experience as it is an auditory one and that could not be a truer statement than the performance that Muse is putting forth. Having recently toured in the United States as the opener for U2, they were unable to perform to their standard, but with their headlining arena tour, they have pulled out all the stops and have brought their overseas stadium set-up to our arenas. Their second stop on the tour was the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, which was the smallest venue on this tour. This highly anticipated tour sold out this stop in two hours and the fans lined up in the cold hours before the doors opened to secure their spots on the general admission floor.

The stage set-up was three towers that were made up of a top part suspended from the ceiling and the bottom part was a riser that had the three band members starting off the show in the middle of the tower, but at different times brought them down to stage level and back up to the middle. The towers themselves were video screens so no matter where you were in the arena, you had a great view.

After a brief intro, Muse kicked off the night with "Uprising" followed with "Resistance" both from their new album The Resistance. Their set, which lasted an hour and a half before they left the stage to return for a three-song encore, encompassed their career and even included seven songs from their new album. Highlights included a baby grand piano with a see-through lid and lights on "Feeling Good" (Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley cover), a laser show, and during "Time is Running Out", these giant balloons that resembled eyeballs were released. Inside the balloons was confetti that showered the crowd when the balloons were popped. And the energy from the sold out crowd just added to the energy coming from Muse. The crowd was dancing and singing along with the band through the whole show and the band took notice as well, even commenting afterwards when a song that wasn't a single in the States got a big response from the crowd. Definitely a show I wouldn't mind seeing again if I get the chance.

by Courtney Campbell & Michelle Lee

P-Funk was in the House

2010-03-01T14:27:00.001-05:00

George Clinton
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

Music is a universal language that trancends any barriers that man attempts and that was definitely evident when George Clinton & Parliment Funkadelic came to Baltimore on February 26th.

After a month of being cooped up off and on due to snow storms, the B'more P-funksters were ready to get down and jam and that they did. Consisting of those from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds they were united in a love & appreciation of a man and an experience (can't say band, this is definitely more than that- the word band doesn't do them justice) that has lasted for 40+ years.

The night kicked off with Let the Elephant Go, who dubbed themselves the "soundcheck band". From there George Clinton & Parliment Funkadelic took the stage a bit after 10pm and were still going strong at midnight. Switching back and forth with band members as Parliment, Funkadelic as well as George Clinton performed such hits as "Atomic Dog"(George Clinton) and "Mothership Connection (Starchild)" (Parliment). Of course part way through the night there was that shoutout for "Flashlight" reminescent of back in the days of Led Zeppelin and those shoutouts for "Stairway to Heaven" but remember patience is a virtue and with a bit of alcohol on board all of that goes out the window.

As stated, this was an experience. There was such energy coming from the stage that even if you weren' t a P-Funk fan when you arrived, you definitely left as one.

Picked up my Second Carry On Today!

2010-02-24T23:46:00.000-05:00

So day 7... Got up early this morning - 5:30 am to head to Ontario Airport area to meet the breeder to pick up the new puppy... Was to get there around 7:30 but got there early. Jacob is adorable. He's such a great little puppy too. Was fairly decent in the carrier and slept part of the way back to the hotel. We took him to Huntington Beach which has a dog beach. Fun to watch him in the sand and dealing with the waves. Although it was low tide the waves were coming up fairly far on the beach and we definitely got wet! It shocked Jacob and for awhile he was fearful of going near the water. He would start edging towards it and back up when the waves came in again. Afterwards we went to PetCo to get some treats for him. We definitely tired him out as he slept all afternoon.

For dinner tonight was Joe's Crab Shack. We definitely need one of these back home.. Great food.. Our waiter reminded me of the singer of Semi Precious Weapons sans makeup. Time to pack for my trip home!

A few Gems Along the Way

2010-02-24T00:29:00.002-05:00

So Day 6 in California. Today we headed back down the coast to Anaheim. Made a few stops along the way. Definitely could have stopped many more times but seeing that it was a bit of a drive to begin with it was smart to limit ourselves.

First up was Moonstone Beach. So the beach is named because you can find moonstones on the beach. You can also find pieces of jade and jasper. The beach is a rocky beach and I sunk into the rocks as soon as I stepped off the access road! Decided to go without shoes after that. Could have spent hours there looking at rocks but had to limit ourselves. Found some really nice little pieces of jade and other stones. Will have to go through them better back home.

Next up was Morro Bay with Morro Rock. Pretty little beach town that is a fishing town. Had breakfast in a little cafe on the waterfront. Took some photos here and off we went to Solvang. Now we had planned to stop back through Solvang. Had to pick up some coconut macaroons as well as I went to the post office and shipped a box of goodies home. Smart thinking as it was cheaper than checking another bag at the airport. Had some news today too. Mom said they are expecting snow the day I return home.. another decent snow fall. hopefully I get in..

After Solvang we went to Buellton which is right down the road from Solvang and ate at Andersen's Pea Soup. They are known for their Pea Soup. Now I love pea soup and while theirs was good, it wasn't the best I had ever had.. Regardless it was a nice stop..

On down the 101 to Anaheim! Hit LA during rush hour and seriously the DC/Baltimore Beltways can be much worse, only difference here is the roads split off a lot.. GPS definitely helped because it showed which lanes went which way.

Had dinner tonight at Bubba Gumps! Now to relax..... zzzzzzzzzz

Had a Whale of a Time!

2010-02-23T02:18:00.000-05:00

I guess I should go back and post about the first days. So arrived in San Diego on Thursday and we (Megan, Megan's mom and I) went Whale Watching. I was so excited to do this as I had never done this. Now the whales we would see would be grey whales and yes we did see some. Mostly we saw blows, their backs and then their flukes but it was such a great experience.

From there we went to dinner in Old Town. Had a wonderful dinner in a Mexican restaurant, Fandango. Had Shrimp Consuelo. It's shrimp with crab meat and cheese wrapped in bacon.. Yummy. I sent two of them home with Megan's mom. Would love to make those at home..

Day 2 we went to the San Diego Zoo. I thank my friend Donna for the tickets. What a wonderful zoo. We saw the baby panda bear, so adorable. Had to go through the line twice as the first time the little one was asleep on the hammock and was more difficult to see. The polar bears exhibit was closed and due to reopen the end of March.

This night we went to the House of Blues. JR from Dishwalla was doing a solo show and Trace was going to be there as well playing guitar for JR. I messaged Trace so he knew we would be there. Unfortunately HOB rules are screwy and I wasn't allowed to photograph the show but oh well. Show was fun and it was great to see both Trace and JR.

The Long and Winding Road. . .

2010-02-23T02:10:00.001-05:00

Today was a visit to Hearst Castle. What an amazing place. Hard to believe it's a home that was built in the past 100 years. Most of the furnishings we saw were from much earlier than that. We saw a few rooms in the main building on the first floor, a guest house, the pools and some of the grounds. Plus we watched a movie about the house. Just amazing. We had lunch there at the visitors center where I had a beef bbq sandwich made from Hearst beef..

From there it was up the coast to Monterey. Stopped many times to capture the breathtaking views and of course stopped at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery. There were seals everywhere!

Highway 1 is very winding and was definitely a challenge. I love to look at the scenery but could not while driving. We had dinner in Monterey at a British Pub and then headed back to San Simeon on Hwy 101. Did not want to traverse Hwy 1 at night..

Whoever the Hell they are!

2010-02-21T23:28:00.001-05:00

Well that's what we heard the DJ say on the radio while we were driving up the coast of California to San Simeon. We were searching for a station when we heard a yodel, yes a yodel so we listened for a few minutes. Next the DJ said that the band was from Nova Scotia, wherever that is... We totally lost it in the car!

Anyway, today was a travel day from San Diego to San Simeon with a stop in Solvang. Great stop off point since San Simeon was about 2 hours from Solvang. Solvang is a town that its main street area resembles Denmark, or what they think Denmark looks like. They even have two buildings that look like windmills and they have a little mermaid fountain. Many bakeries with Danish butter cookies and other delectables. Major YUM! We ate a late lunch - early dinner there in a Danish restaurant but both Megan and I had "normal" american food. Of course we had bought goodies at the bakery for later!

Watch Out They Do Bite!

2010-02-20T23:10:00.000-05:00

On vacation in California. Today was the San Diego Wild Animal Park. I payed for a photo safari as well so that we could feed the giraffes and a white rhino. Unfortunately due to the morning rain the safari was changed to be shorter as the mud was bad so no feeding the Rhino.. But.... The Giraffes!

We had the opportunity to feed the Giraffes twice. Now they do have teeth on the bottom and can nip you. I can attest to that as one of them got me! They just wanted the leaves I was holding and they were going to have them no matter if I was ready or not...

Saw a baby elephant today as well. The little one was born on Valentine's day.. so tiny compared to the adults..

Is this photography? Or is this just art?

2010-02-03T11:47:00.001-05:00

Tower Bridge
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

So photo manipulation, should this be considered real? I love the effect that HDR gives to these type of photos. Brings a sort of surrealism to the photo. KWIM? Now this isn't like bringing in elements to the photo that were not there to start with; this is manipulating what is there and bringing out certain aspects. Making things POP! Who would have thought a dreary day in London would turn out so beautiful?

Oh My! We are DEFINITELY in Jersey!

2010-01-31T19:04:00.003-05:00

Zach Myers of Shinedown
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

Just a little laugh to myself at my title. Yes we were in Jersey - Atlantic City to be exact. House of Blues was the destination and what an adventure it was to get there! First our directions totally took us out of the way and then I got rear ended two blocks from the hotel. The driver was watching two girls cross the street instead of watching that I, who was in front of him, had stopped for those crossing the street. Plus he was on his cell and didn't have his lights on! WTF! It's Jersey!

So Shinedown was headling at the HOB. The lineup was Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Skillet & Like A Storm. Unfortunately the singer from LAS was sick and they cancelled their set. Due to our "adventure" and the "accident" we didn't get to the venue until a little bit into Puddle of Mudd's set.

So just need to say that Shinedown RULES! Band and crew! Love them all! The show was amazing. I've never seen a bad show from Shinedown and each time I see them I am just amazed at their performance. For the most part the set has been similar but there are always little nuances that make each show special. Tonight's set had Brent and Zach sitting down on the risers performing "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" which Brent said went out to the Atlantic Records people that were in attendance. Also, back in the set is "Simple Man". I remember hearing them perform this just this past December and comments being made that it has only been performed live a handful of times since the departure of guitarist Jasin Todd. It's great to have that song back in the set list. It's definitely a crowd favorite.

I was reading today on a radio station's website about Shinedown and how they are considering an acoustic tour later in 2010. The band has been touring for their album Sound of Madness for almost three years now. At the end of the news item there was a section that looks like it was posted accidently since it was questions to ask radio listeners.

The questions were:

Are you a Shinedown fan and if so, how many times have you seen them since The Sound Of Madness came out?
Can a band tour too many times on the same record? Do you think fans get sick of seeing them play the same songs two or three years in a row?
By the time this tour is done, Shinedown won't even start working on a new album until early 2011. Should artists tour less and produce albums more quickly?
Would you want to see the band perform acoustically, or do you prefer a straight, loud, plugged-in rock show?

I saw Shinedown 7 times last year and there is no way I am tired of seeing them. What are your thoughts?

England - Four Days to See it All . . .

2010-01-26T09:26:00.000-05:00

So I finally took the time to go through my vacation photos from my trip to England from this past summer. I decided to make a book of those photos just like I do with my concert photos each year. This book will be 7x7. Can't wait to see it real life. I bumped up the saturation in many of the photos and even applied an HDR program to some... Go check out the preview!

EnglanD

Four Days to See it...

By Courtney Campbell

Book Preview

So did you donate to help Haiti?

2010-01-15T15:38:00.000-05:00

It is so simple to text "haiti" to #90999 and donate $10 to the Red Cross. The $10 is added to your phone bill.
There are other ways to help as well.

Victory Records will be donating 40% of all of the webstore sales that take place from now until Monday, January 18th. You can visit them here.

blink-182 have just released an exclusive Haiti Charity T-shirt. All proceeds from the sale of this shirt will go to the Red Cross. Each shirt is $15 and is only available at the official blink 182 merch store. Here's what it looks like:

Thanks Parmalee

2010-01-03T20:01:00.001-05:00

parmaleescreen_smaller
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

So I have to first say that I love the music of this band Parmalee. I saw them first when I went to Myrtle Beach to see Papa Roach on July 4th, 2008. They were the opening band. I actually bought their ep that night. Since they are a local North Carolina band I had no way to see them easily. Fast forward to October of 2009. I was in Charlotte to see Lit play and by chance Parmalee was playing outside prior to Lit and Alien Ant Farm. Of course I took photos and messaged the band afterwards. Well they messaged me back a couple of months later and wanted to use some of those photos when they revamped their myspace. Ironic though that I had offered the disc of photos to one of their managers who told me that they had enough photos of the band. So three of the four photos of the individual band members are mine - all but the drummer photo. Thanks Parmalee. Now, get your butts out on the road near me!

Looking back. . . .

2010-01-03T01:37:00.002-05:00

Adam Clayton of U2
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

So 2009 is over. What a great year it was and I'm just talking about photographing bands. Started off in January with Metallica and ended with Switchfoot & Dashboard Confessional in December. Along the way I shot over 150 bands during the year! Covered two Warped Tour stops, two Creed shows, two Mayhem shows and two Crue Fest stops. Finally shot U2 and have to say I fell in love with the opener - Muse. Made a few trips up to Jersey for shows at Starland and went to Charlotte to see Lit. Also saw Nightwish's last show in America for their current album (saw their first American show for this album in 2008) and caught Soul Asylum at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Spent Halloween in New Orleans at the Voodoo Experience - go if you get a chance! In amongst all of this I saw Burn Halo and Shinedown so many times that one would think they were both local bands and I got to see Parmalee again by chance (wish they toured outside of their home more). Photographed Green Day & Kiss, No Doubt , All American Rejects and Korn. Tried to photograph Julien K - but no light; thank goodness I photographed Dead by Sunrise on my birthday so I could photograph the Julien K boys again! Oh and I photographed two Emilie Autumn shows - definitely check her out. Fell in love with Brand New all over again and literally was in heaven seeing bands such as Powerman 5000, Lit and Soul Asylum. Thank you to all that made this possible and I say bring on 2010!

Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan R.I.P.

2009-12-29T10:05:00.000-05:00

Never good news when your friends text you in the middle of the night.

Easier to just post what the band posted on their myspace:

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. Jimmy was not only one of the world's best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jimmy's family and we hope that you will respect their privacy during this difficult time.

Jimmy you are forever in our hearts.
We love you.

M Shadows, Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance and Johnny Christ

My heart goes out to those left behind. Was hoping to end the year without anymore sadness.

Let it SNOW, Let it SNOW, Let it SNOW!

2009-12-19T11:33:00.000-05:00

Started snowing last night and what a beautiful sight to see early this morning when I took the dogs out. We now have almost a foot of snow and more on the way. They say that the heaviest snow fall is still to come with this warmer air coming up from the carolinas.. Can you believe it? My sister was out shopping this morning! Dogs were having fun out in the snow. Will have to take more photos later of them...

Hands Down This is the Best Day - or so a friend said

2009-12-16T21:03:00.005-05:00

Dashboard Confessional - The Ottobar - December 13th, 2009

It might have been 20-something degrees outside in Baltimore, but at the Ottobar that night, it was a packed house and it was steaming hot! Onstage was Dashboard Confessional, who after cancelling their major headlining tour, set out on a 13-date acoustic tour with New Found Glory. Of course, considering that Dashboard can easily pack and sell out much larger venues, the Ottobar sold out immediately, which left many fans literally out in the cold. For Dashboard's frontman, Chris Carrabba, these shows bring him full circle. He began as a solo artist and no matter how you look at it, Dashboard Confessional is Chris Carrabba.

A Dashboard Confessional show is definitely an experience to be had. Whether it's a fully plugged-in show or an acoustic one, this is a show that is full of crowd participation. Having seen Dashboard in sold out arenas where the crowd sang over him, it was great to be in a smaller venue where the crowd complimented Chris' voice instead of drowning it out. I was also very happy that those around me could actually sing on key. Nothing worse than having someone next to you screaming out lyrics and being off key!

The set encompassed the career of Dashboard. Even though their current CD was released last month, only a small fraction of the 20 songs performed came from that CD. There were songs from all of Dashboard's CDs included as well as a cover of Ingrid Michaelson's "Breakable" and Weezer's "El Scorcho". The set also gave Dashboard's guitarist John Lefler, who accompanied Chris on this tour, a chance to perform one of his songs, "Up My Sleeve", from his own CD that was released over the summer.

There is a connection that occurs at a Dashboard concert; a connection between audience members and a connection between performer and audience. It's not something that occurs at all concerts and not all frontmen are able to pull this off either. Chris Carrabba is one of those that can. His music ignites, surrounds, and penetrates your soul. Sure stick this in the Emo category. This is the artist that all of those others try to emulate but fall short.

Rockin' Us with a Hurricane

2009-12-08T20:31:00.002-05:00

Hurricane season may have ended Nov 30th, but that didn't stop Switchfoot from bringing its own brand of Hurricane to Baltimore. And by hurricane, I mean Hello Hurricane, which is the current release from the band. Billed as "An Evening with Switchfoot", the show highlighted the new release with the band playing it in its entirety from start to finish.

The night kicked off with the first track from Hello Hurricane, which had most of the audience searching for frontman Jon Foreman. He was up on the balcony singing surrounded by fans. Here is a man who is not afraid to be in the middle of the crowd as was evident by the multiple times he ventured onto the packed floor and balcony.

The first set concluded and Foreman announced to the crowd that they would be back out and he wanted the crowd to start singing whatever they wanted to sing. Two halves of the floor were singing different Switchfoot songs when the band came back out on stage and launched into their second set of the night. At one point during this set, Foreman teased and asked how the opening band was. Of course this set included the singles that anyone listening to radio would have known but here was a crowd that sang to every song, so to them it didn't matter whether or not these were the popular songs or not.

Known for their energetic live performances, this band definitely did not disappoint anyone here tonight. Having seen this band a few times over the years, it's been great to see their growth. I can remember seeing them back at the 9:30 Club early in their career. The crowd, which was mostly made up of church groups, just stood still and when Jon Foreman attempted to crowd surf, they didn't know what to do. I don't think that would happen today. While attaining their mainstream status, they have been able to stay true to themselves. There are many bands out there that could learn from a band like Switchfoot.

Road Trip A Long Time Coming

2009-12-06T14:08:00.002-05:00

It is said that you can never go back but that is exactly what I did ~ well back to Minneapolis, back to see Soul Asylum at First Avenue.

For whatever reasons, it had been quite awhile since I had seen Soul Asylum, a couple of years to be exact but as soon as those first notes were played, those years were stripped away and all that existed was me and a band that I absolutely love.

Here was a crowd that didn't care whether that hit song was played or not. This was home for Soul Asylum. Here was where they could be whatever they wanted to be and play whatever they wanted to play. I'm sure everyone in attendance had their own favorites that they would have loved to have heard but nobody went home disappointed.

The set was filled with songs that spanned their career as a band and of course included a couple of covers - which we all know this band is known for doing. This night we heard Wyclef Jean's "Gone 'Til November" and The Who's "My Generation" which incidentally featured bassist Tommy Stinson on lead vocals. Also tossed into the set was "Silly Love Songs" at the end of "Misery" (knowing that garnered me an increase in my "coolness factor" I was told by a fellow photog).

There was a dedication to Bob Stinson just before "Easy Street" and of course "Without a Trace" went out to Karl Mueller as we all raised our glasses/bottles in the air. At one point front man Dave Pirner had us vote on whether or not we wanted to hear the next song. Judging by the black acoustic guitar strapped on him, I voted "NO" but the majority did vote "YES" and we got "Runaway Train". I don't dislike the song, I actually do love it but I don't listen to it any longer. There's a certain point in the song that just hits me and I miss Karl.

Missing from the night were songs from "Candy from a Stranger". Granted this album wasn't received as well as some of the others, but there still are some very good songs on there. Oh and I don't think any of us that have seen the band perform the title track (which isn't on the album) live will ever forget Dave's dancing! Dave did hint about the new material that they are working on but unfortunately the band decided not to play anything new for us this night.

Here is a band that could have just called it quits but instead they have persevered and are having the times of their lives performing. They genuinely look like they are having fun on stage. The interaction between the members just intensifies the love I have for this band. I look forward to the future and what it brings for Soul Asylum.

Emilie Autumn & The Bloody Crumpets Bringing the Asylum to You!

2009-12-02T08:38:00.000-05:00

So have you caught an Emilie Autumn show? This is definitely a show not to miss. On tour in support of her "Opheliac -- The Deluxe Edition", she and the Bloody Crumpets are on their first North American Tour and we were lucky to catch them in both Baltimore and Washington DC.

Now if you are thinking that this is just a concert, you will be sadly mistaken or maybe not. The show which lasts about 2.5 hours blends her songs with theatrical performance as well as circus type acrobatics in the venues were these are doable. In Baltimore at Bourbon St. they were able to do these antics as well as incorporate a bit of pyro into their act but at the 9:30 Club that was not to be the case.

For the most part the show flowed well but at times the dialogue between songs seemed to drag on and come across forced. This could be due to having seen the show before and even with some subtle changes in it, it became a bit predictable. Being this is their first North American tour, it will be interesting to see how the show changes from tour to tour.

The highlight of the night though was towards the end when Emilie did her cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". Covering a song such as this is a huge undertaking and she definitely hit it.

Anberlin/All-American Rejects/Taking Back Sunday

2009-11-23T16:17:00.001-05:00

Tyson Ritter of All American Rejects
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

It was a scene kid’s dream line-up. The All-American Rejects and Taking Back Sunday doing a co-headlining tour with Anberlin opening, but for some reason, this Monday night, the Patriot Center in Fairfax was about half full. Maybe it was the fact that if you weren’t a college student the tickets were $35. Who knows. The only thing that I do know is that it was a great line-up and a great show. Those that weren’t there totally missed out.

The night kicked off with Anberlin. Opening for Taking Back Sunday is nothing new for this band as they were in this same position earlier in the year when they opened on Taking Back Sunday’s club tour. Their set, although it was short, encompassed their career except for their first release Blueprints for the Black Market. They also included their cover of New Order’s “True Faith” which they were releasing as a single the following day.

Next up was The All-American Rejects. Now seriously I’m a bigger fan of them than of TBS and was disappointed that TBS was closing out the show even though I got to see AAR earlier. AAR is seriously my guilty pleasure; just ask Michelle; she can tell you some funny stories about that. But back to the concert…having seen this band since 2002, it’s been great to see them grow as performers. Tyson Ritter is a great frontman and definitely knows how to play up to the crowd. At one point, he grabbed a flashlight and singled out those in the stands that were sitting. It was a magic light he said that made people jump up, unfortunately I think its magic ran out as those highlighted didn’t listen. They finally did move when he went out into the crowd during “Mona Lisa” and as he was mobbed by many girls, Ritter jokingly commented how he hated his job. A definite change from when I used to see them back in 2002; Ritter seems more energetic almost like a marionette and someone is pulling his strings. Some things do get better with time. It also helps that Ritter gives up his bass guitar for a few songs so he’s no longer trapped by the microphone stand. AAR brought their set to a close with “The Last Song”, which turned out to be really the second to last song since they couldn’t very well end the night without their hit single, “Gives You Hell”.

All-American Rejects Set List :
Move Along
Fallin’ Apart
Dirty Little Secret
Top of the World
Swing, Swing
I Wanna
Mona Lisa
Real World
It Ends Tonight
Damn Girl
The Last Song
Gives You Hell

So closing out this night was Taking Back Sunday who have been touring in support of their fourth studio release, New Again. TBS is fronted by Adam Lazzara, who like AAR’s frontman, knows how to work the stage and the crowd. Lazzara is always moving, but for tonight, he was mainly stationary for the first two songs. A photographer’s dream! (had to throw that in, all of us photographing commented on this after our three songs in the barricade). But that didn’t last for long as Lazzara was all over the stage, swinging his microphone as usual, for the rest of the set. Their set encompassed their entire career of studio albums, which for their fans would equal to a great set even though it was only 13 songs long. That’s the problem with these co-headlining tours; both bands get to play for an equal amount of time. But TBS made the most of their time, ending their set with a trio of songs from Louder Now, which left the crowd chanting in hopes of that TBS would return to the stage. No such luck though; everyone will just have to look forward to upcoming tours.

Brand New at The Electric Factory

2009-11-20T19:36:00.001-05:00

So after not seeing Brand New for quite a few years I caught their set at Voodoo Experience and was reminded about why I loved them so much. I just had to see them again. That alone proved to be an experience in itself but with help from a few people, off I went to Philadelphia to catch night one of a two night sold-out stand at the Electric Factory.

A sold out club, this is where Brand New is totally in their element. While the direct support of Thrice was a good mix as far as the fans went, Thrice's set was lacking in something. As one waiting for Brand New to come onstage, you could feel the change in the crowd and knew that this was really who this sold out crowd came to see. The set kicked off with the instrumental "Welcome To Bangkok" which I have to say that I'm glad that the security personnel it the barricade didn't know the songs because technically we were in the barricade shooting for four songs instead of our usual three! (shhh! I'm not telling)

The set moved through the career of this band and while it had its highs and lows (drummer Brian Lane putting his foot through the bass drum) the set flowed. In comparing this to their performance at Voodoo, here frontman Jesse Lacey was comfortable, not as introverted. Gone was the ski cap which seriously at Voodoo seemed more of a way for him to hide. He fiddled with it as well as fiddled with his festival bracelet. There were also little smiles and comments that were made during the set at the Electric Factory. He was definitely more open.

He gave a shout out to those from Long Island who knew the guys in the band before they were ever in a band and it was that group of guys that were bouncing around me during the two songs of the set that were from the band's debut studio album Your Favorite Weapon . These two songs "Jude Law and the Semester Abroad" and "Seventy Times 7" were definitely crowd favorites.
The rest of the set was a mix of their albums with seven songs coming from their recently released album Daisy. As a photographer I pay attention to details and lighting and I do need to remark on the lack of lighting for much of the set. Dim lighting does give atmosphere but that can also be created with lighting where you don't to struggle to see the band on stage. The night ended with Jesse alone on stage for the beginning of "Play Crack the Sky" tuning his guitar. After a bit of trouble tuning it he commented on how he should be able to do this after 20 years of playing guitar. The vulnerable Jesse Lacey was back. He was joined on stage by guitarist Vin Accardi for the song partway through and then the show was over.

This show was amazing. Would have loved to have been back for night number two but wasn't possible and all the others within driving distance are sold out! Definitly have to be there next tour!

In the week since this show, I've been doing a lot of thinking about this show and thinking of the comparisons others have made. The thing I love about the songs of Brand New is definitely the lyrics. I love how they twist and turn; how some come off very tongue in cheek and contradict themselves. There is definitely a story being told if one just knows how to listen.

Brand New @ Electric Factory , Philadelphia PA 11-14-2009

Let there be light!

2009-11-15T16:19:00.002-05:00

So while seeing a band at a festival during the day isn't the greatest experience as far as atmosphere, it does lend a quality to the photography when a band tends to have such low light in a club show that one has to resort to high ISOs such as 6400. What's so hard with giving us something to work with during our three songs? Why is it that the light is always better later in the set. Some bands got it early on in their careers and made the press factions their friends. Artists such as U2 and KISS who have had illustrious careers play up to the press during their time in the pit and in doing this actually have more control over their images without having to be controlling with a signed release. Oh low lighting gives you atmostphere you say? Hello the LD can create atmosphere while still giving us enough light to actually capture the person on stage.

Enough of my rant.

Weekend Plans. . .

2009-11-14T11:45:00.002-05:00

Jesse Lacey of Brand New
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

Some how or other things always work out. Great motto to live by! So as you read previously I had wanted to cover Brand New here in Maryland but was unable to do so due to a series of events (being politically correct here). This weekend Brand New is playing the Electric Factory two nights in a row and although their press list is full and the shows are sold out, I am able to get in because of a dear friend and was able to secure a photo pass for the band. Granted I have to go to Philly for this but seriously this venue is so much better than the one they played in Maryland. Love the Electric Factory!

Sunday is a chill day unless I stay up in Philly for day two of Brand New. You never know what will happen.

Monday is All American Rejects & Taking Back Sunday at the Patroit Center in Fairfax. Still waiting for an email back from a certain someone not that I need that to get into the show but a return mail would be nice. Might have to re-evaluate who I love more!

I uploaded a lot to my flickr porfolio last night. Still have to finish up AFI and some others. Working on my review as well. Go see AFI if you get a chance. Great show..

Kill Hannah Tour Van Stolen

2009-11-11T22:06:00.001-05:00

Mat Devine of Kill Hannah
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

Damn, two posts in a day.. Sorry but this is just something that I needed to get out. Gotta go post this wherever I can..

Now seriously can't a band get a break?

Read below:

Chicago nu romantics KILL HANNAH woke up on the eve of wrapping their fall tour with Jet, Papa Roach and Morningwood to a find their 15-passenger van and 14-foot trailer stolen. Taken between 4am and 11am today, Wednesday, November 11 from the front of the Holiday Inn on 900 Packer Ave, Philadelphia, PA—the same location that rock trio Mae had their van stolen from just a week earlier—the band lost over $120,000 in gear and merchandise, including one-of-a-kind vintage custom guitars and vintage custom effects. The theft comes just over a year after a devastating fire in Europe destroyed everything on the band’s bus.

Lead singer Mat Devine says, "We’re devastated and speechless. We've been touring so hard around the world for the past seven years and this is the most evil thing we've witnessed. Special Crimes say this was a coordinated heist.”

The band regretfully has to cancel their remaining tour dates, scheduled for the Electric Factory in Philadelphia tonight and the Nokia Theatre in New York City tomorrow. Their seventh annual “New Heart For Xmas” weekend of shows and events are still scheduled in Chicago on December 18 at Reggie’s Rock House and December 19 at Metro.

Specific gear stolen include:

* Epiphone Elitist Riviera Custom Shop SN#T301722
* 1992 Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray Bass
* Pair of matching vintage 1968 Fender Bassman Heads Custom Shop
* Gibson ES-135 Red
* 2003 Gibson Firebird White
* Marshall Triple Lead Stack

For any leads on the van, trailer or missing gear, please contact Bethany Watson/DAVIS ARTIST MANAGEMENT: bethany@davisartistmanagement.com.

hmmm a sort of rant

2009-11-11T11:47:00.002-05:00

Jesse Lacey of Brand New
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

So tonight I was hoping to cover Brand New at Sonar but their list is full and the show sold out a long time ago. I caught their set at Voodoo Experience a week and a half ago and am always amazed at them. I have to say though my experience in dealing with trying to get this Baltimore show set up has left me a bit jaded and used. I had been told that if I could do a live review of their performance at Voodoo then we would discuss their Baltimore show. Well I did the review, posted it and emailed the person. He loved what I did but no discussion of the Baltimore show. I got an email a day or so later from another person at the company stating that the original person wasn't with them any longer and that the list was full for the Baltimore show. Well they got what they wanted - coverage of their band at Voodoo but I didn't get what I wanted. I let her know what had transpired and she was apologetic. I don't hold her responsible and i appreciate her listening to what transpired. I understand about full lists and if I had known about that in the beginning it wouldn't have changed me doing a review of their Voodoo performance, not at all. I'm not like that. I'm upset though because I felt railroaded, manipulated. That doesn't have to happen.

I totally understand when a list is full. I also take the answer no quite well. A no answer is better than no answer at all.

If you wish me to cover your band, please let me know. If I can fit it into my schedule, I will do so. I do have a full time "real" job so sometimes I cannot get to a venue early in the day as I work 10 hour shifts and my job is not one where I can just leave because it's the end of my shift. I need to have someone relieve me - I am a nurse in a pediatric operating room.

So tonight I will be editing photos from Voodoo as I took way too many and have to get those finished. Plus finishing up Jet/Papa Roach. Maybe I will swing by Sonar to catch Brand New. Tomorrow is a road trip to Philly for AFI and Gallows.

Night one of a Possible Eight?

2009-11-10T10:57:00.000-05:00

So last night was my first night in a series of nights out at clubs covering bands. I kicked it all off with Papa Roach/Jet/Morningwood/Kill Hannah @ Ramshead Live! Great night to kick things off.

The show itself overall didn't have the feeling of a big rock show until Jet hit the stage which is sad to say because Kill Hannah had a great set but the crowd didn't seem to be feeling it. Kill Hannah's music has more of a dance feel to it and this was a rock crowd. Morningwood, while not my cup of tea had their following but one could tell that the crowd was here for Jet and Papa Roach.

When Jet hit the stage everything was turned up a few notches and the rock show began. They kicked off their set with "Cold Hard Bitch" and definitely warmed up the crowd that had been just chillin' through Kill Hannah and Morningwood.

Seriously have to say that Papa Roach is at the top of their game. Great sound, performance and production. Having seen them frequently over the past 10 years I've seen a lot of ups and downs and but this band always puts on a good show for the crowd no matter what their personal differences. Also after seeing them over the years, I can say this band is tighter than ever and that's a great thing to see. The set included old school favorites as well as a core from their new album. Baltimore loves Papa Roach - remember the WHFS free show just outside on the plaza?

What makes a great photo?

2009-11-09T11:28:00.001-05:00

Gwen Stefani of No Doubt
Originally uploaded by photobycourtney

So I'm currently trying to pick my best 10 photo from this past year for a group on Flickr. We are looking to make a book for the group and each of us is submitting to the pool of photos. So what makes a great photo? What I would pick isn't necessarily what another person would pick. To me a great photo doesn't necessarily have to be unique BUT it needs to be clear and in focus. I like to be able to tell who is in the photo. Nailing the exposure is nice too. Catching expressions on the artist is always great as well as cool lighting. What do you think?

Voodoo, Music and Mud - Voodoo Experience 2009 Recap

2009-11-08T20:52:00.000-05:00

So if you were looking for a place to spend Halloween, where would you pick? New Orleans and the 2009 Voodoo Experience was the perfect place for earplugsrequired.com to spend Halloween weekend. First off, it's New Orleans - the home of the French Quarter, Haunted Houses and Voodoo. Add on to that a three day music festival that included Eminem, KISS, Jane's Addiction, Lenny Kravitz, Flaming Lips, Pogues, and many more and you have the makings of a great weekend.

The festival kicked off on Friday and as always there are those artists that you might not go out and see on their own but are just blown away when you see them at a festival. Janelle Monae was one of those. Having missed her set when she came through town with No Doubt over the summer, I'm glad I didn't miss her at Voodoo. She is an artist that you cannot pigeon hole into a genre; she's R&B, indie rock, alternative and soul all wrapped up into a petite body that is full of energy. This girl has a long career ahead of her! The threat of rain for the first day of the festival didn't stop the fans of the Silversun Pickups who huddled under ponchos to await the band. The temperature had dropped 20+ degrees just an hour later and by the time the Silversun Pickups hit the stage, everyone was soaked. This was the band's first time ever playing New Orleans and the crowd was loving it. Only a handful of photographers were approved to shoot Eminem and while I love Eminem since I wasn't shooting, I headed over to the Bingo Parlour to cover Fischerspooner. Glad I did as I caught the end of the The New Orleans Bingo Show and Guests. They are a theatrical caberet and music band. Definitely entertaining. Fischerspooner closed out the night in the Bingo Parlour and what a fun performance. We left Friday night, cold and wet to the sounds of Eminem. Off to rest up for another day. Oh and to stop and get shoes to deal with the mud the next day.

Saturday was Halloween! Now mind you people have been in costume all weekend, well maybe they weren't costumes? Since today was Halloween, more were in costumes and there was a set up to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the greatest number of zombies assembled. All you had to do was sign up and you were given the makeup to do your face like a zombie. The lineup today had KISS and Jane's Addiction headlining with The Black Lips, Mates of State, Mutemath, Gogol Bordello, and George Clinton all leading up to them. Earlier we learned that K’naan cancelled so there were a few stage changes that occured and left us scrambling to find where we were headed next. Traversing through the festival grounds was a bit harry since the rain the night before had turned it into a mud-fest so my schedule for the day changed drastically. My favorite of the day was Jane's Addiction as they always put on a good show. Great to finally see Wolfmother and Mutemath (who are local btw). I wasn't shooting KISS tonight since I had shot them back home so I just enjoyed the music. Lasted the entire day in a dress running around a festival with day of the dead makeup on - not bad!

The final day of Voodoo Experience had Lenny Kravitz headlining but we had many bands to cover before we got to Lenny. We checked out All Time Low who are from our home state and they sounded great! Gotta tell the Nola girls screaming that they are no way as loud as the hometown crowds! Brand New played in the early afternoon and just blew me away. Wasn't sure how they were translate to a festival stage but it was a great set. Caught the Pogues set that had most in the barricade wondering were Shane McGowan was until he came out at the beginning of the fourth song in the set to a bit of controversy. Things settled down on stage and we remained in the barricade to photograph one song with him. The Flaming Lips kicked things up a notch with their performance which included the usual bubble enclosed frontman Wayne Coyne as well as a nude girl running on stage to hug him later in the set. Confetti and bouncing balls were abundant as this was just a party set. Closing out the night was Lenny Kravitz who is just an amazing performer.

Another Voodoo Experience in the books.

Not All SPIDERS Are to be avoided. . .

2009-11-05T13:09:00.004-05:00

So last night I headed down to Springfield to see Powerman 5000 at Jaxx. First off I really do hate going to cover a band at this venue. As a photographer it's a tough place to shoot. Luckily the floor wasn't crowded so I was able to put myself right on the barricade. This venue also adds many bands as local support but I timed it nicely and arrived just prior to the direct support band.

Now from the Powerman 5000 that I started following 10+ years ago, there is only frontman Spider left but really he is Powerman 5000. In the past years there have been many lineup changes but as long as Spider is there, all is good. Sure I miss some of those that have left; actually miss some of them alot but without Spider, there wouldn't be a Powerman 5000.

The set included favorites from their Tonight their Stars Revolt! (which I have to say that the Rockets and Robots tour for that album was a favorite of mine!), old school PM5K (Neckbone, Car Crash) as well as new tracks (V is For Vampire, Super Villain). Those that have seen PM5K know of the energy that is on stage and that didn't change with any of the lineup changes. Spider's voice was a bit rough but that is just something that I've grown used to each time I see him perform. After the set he admitted to me that he doesn't know how much longer he can go on like this; performing 8 nights in a row is taking its toll.

You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!

2009-10-17T15:15:00.004-04:00

Sure it's mid-October and there is to be a chill in the air but it's down right cold outside and on top of that raining. Plus I'm congested and feel like I'm a cat with a hairball! hmmm. Maybe that's it! ha! Have a show tonight, show tomorrow and again one on Monday but I feel like crap! But on the bright side, I did shoot a couple of cool shows last week - KISS and Emilie Autumn.

Cooking making day

2006-12-10T11:45:00.000-05:00

I've been horrible.. I totally forgot about my blog.. It was getting lonely over here.. So much has been happening in my life.. Let's see... Where do I start.. Well Michael went into rehab. He's home now and going to NA meetings daily, sometimes 3 in a day. Mom's helping to get him to and fro... Tasha's dad died last weekend. Went to the viewing Wednesday. Last Saturday I fell up the stairs and smashed my arm. Did xrays.. nothing broke but badly bruised.. went and saw the deftones last week.. hung out with sean before the show a bit. he was supposed to meet up with us afterwards but was a noshow.. hahahaa and he wants cheesecake on the incubus tour???/ lol....

went and saw Juke Kartel last night. That's Toby Rand from Rockstar Supernova's band. They were really good.. I was impressed..He was better not wining the tv show.

So i'm working on getting my layouts done for the creaking keepsakes hall of fame contest. I've never entered a contest before for scrapbooking. This has definitely challenged me and made me thing outside of what i would scrap. I don't photograph my life and i should. my life isn't just rock concerts and i tend to not photograph anything else. time to change all that! I have most of the layouts done now. Can't post them anywhere as that is against the rules. can't wait to show these off! I did one on my shoes, my makeup case, my incident with 30stm, a few bands, some disney photos.. still doing layouts.. i'm going to just keep going and then i will have more to choose from ...

okay so today is cookie day.. going to my sister's to bake today.. yummy....

ups and downs

2006-09-12T20:59:00.000-04:00

well during my trip to the uk I had wanted to go see a band who's music I love - avenged sevenfold. They were playing on my birthday in glasgow and then in london a few days later.. well they have cancelled the tour.. i know the reasons but it's not my story to tell.. it's understandable why. they just need to come clean about it..

it will be good for them to get off the road and get their shit together. i wish them luck...

Step One Complete

2006-09-09T15:12:00.000-04:00

well my passport came.. that step is down as i try to plan my vacation for the end of October. now to get the financing part done.. then I have to book it.. Oh, in between that find out if anyone is going with me.. I hope so.. it's going to be so much fun to go on a trip to someplace new!

2006-08-30T18:58:00.000-04:00

Well my one friend messaged me last night at midnight thinking that i would be up and on the computer. she wanted to know when alice in chains was playing and it's when we would be in england. now she's not going to go.. it looks like i'm on my own again! it's not that i won't go by myself, just would be more fun with two of us! Just waiting on the passport and then will figure financing for this trip.. I think i'm ready to make a list of things i want to do in my life. so many places i've never been.

Irony

2006-08-29T21:03:00.000-04:00

Okay so I was just checking my website's email for the night. I had sent in a request earlier to a publicist for an upcoming show and wanted to see if I had a response yet. Well I did have that response but I also had an email from another publicist whom I didn't email. We had decided not to put in for a show this weekend for various reasons, one being not wanting to drive over an hour for the show. That publicist emailed ME and offered me tickets to that show!

Entered the 21st century

2006-08-29T14:44:00.000-04:00

I did it. I created my own blog. Now mind you I finally posted a blog on my myspace. Rants, Raves and photos.. So let's do a little bit of that.

So I just had my photos taken for my passport. Going today to turn all of that in and then hopefully I will get this fast and be able to start planning this trip to London. On one hand I'm thinking I'm crazy to even try to plan this vacation. Flying to London for my birthday and seeing Avenged Sevenfold while there. Granted I put in for this week off a year ago but didn't know what to do with the week. My thinking is I need to grab life by the horns and live it. I might not get the chance again.

I've been researching flights, hotels, attractions etc.. I'm one that doesn't like to "hang" in the hotel so you won't be finding me there. I'll be out seeing the world. so much to do.. even if it's just sitting in a cafe somewhere. plus there is so much history involved.. I'm hoping things work out and at least one of my friends can go. laura has said she wants to go but michelle says she can't afford it and doesn't think she can get the time off. I'm disappointed because this is something more fun with others. The three of us would have so much fun! we always do.

I do scrapbooking so with this trip, i might actually get a book done that is ME. I'm always doing books for others. just finished up a book for my sister for her boyfriend's son. they went camping and daniel hadn't been camping before. i do like the way it turned out. I am working on my own little album of ozzfest and michelle finally said she would like a book but not sure what i'm going to make it of, she needs to figure that out. i did offer back when she went on a cruise to do a book for her. i do love to scrap and it's fun to do no matter if the subject matter is mine or someone else's.