(The title of this post is a reference to the song "Slam" by Southern California indie-rock band The Gromble. I saw them open for Parade of Lights in Los Angeles back in January.)
After a relaxing weekend off, we headed to the University of Illinois- Chicago to set up. We ended up spending most of the day leafleting; while it was unfortunate to not have the display up, it was pretty cool to know we handed out literature and info to over 700 people! After grabbing takeout from The Chicago Diner (vegan buffalo wings and poutine loaded with vegan bacon? Yes, please- and better wash it down with a chocolate peanut butter milkshake!), we headed to Madison, Wisconsin.
(The title of this post is a line from "Anomaly" by Angels & Airwaves; I think it's important to strive to be different, to march to the beat of your own drummer- to be an anomaly.)
On our last full day in Atlanta, I headed downtown to The Tabernacle, to photograph Vance Joy on the Fire and the Flood Tour. I've been a fan of his since seeing him open for Taylor Swift last summer, and it was such a pleasure to see him- as well as openers Jamie Lawson and Blind Pilot- play a full set. A few photos from the show are below; you can see my review and full photo-set of Jamie Lawson and Blind Pilot here, and my review and full photo-set of Vance Joy here.
(The title of this post is a reference to the song of the same name by Walk The Moon. It's also a reference to the blog We Are The Kids, which was dedicated to inspiring young adults hoping to work in the music industry).
Just after my last post went live, I was able to finally see and photograph an artist I've been trying to see for the past year, Rachel Platten, at the Cheyenne Saloon in Downtown Orlando. In a city that's so centered around the theme parks, downtown isn't the main attraction for most. There wasn't a lot to do downtown- it was mostly office buildings- but it was really cool to explore for a bit, knowing the city will never be "mine" but I'll be on to the next one soon... so in a way, I guess, the whole wide world is mine.
(The title of this post is a reference to "Head Up, Kid" by Major League. It's one of my favorite songs to listen to while I'm on the road; they were one of my favorite bands to photograph, and I'm sad to see them part ways.)
The weird thing about Austin is the lights. On our second day in Austin, we woke up early and headed to Whole Foods before going to the University of Texas. It was wild driving down 6th Street at 8am and seeing bars and clubs with lit-up signs!
(The title of this post is a reference to the album of the same name by Vance Joy. Dream Your Life Away is one of my favorite albums to listen to while driving, editing photos, writing, relaxing, enjoying the view of a gorgeous sunset... truth be told, Vance Joy is one of my favorite musicians.)
After a successful two days at California State University- Long Beach, we set up our display at the Black College Expo in Los Angeles. I had no idea what to expect from the event, but I was overwhelmed by the positive response our display received! In addition to high school students preparing to go to college, I talked to a lot of parents, grandparents, and younger siblings eager to learn about veganism, and excited about how easy it is.
It's about a week in to tour, and I feel very much at peace. I always feel peaceful when I'm flying. Aside from the stale air, seeing the expanse of the entire country from 35 thousand feet makes me feel calm and able to take it all on- from above, the Rocky mountains could be a wrinkled blanket- it's rather exhilarating.
In 2010, when I was living in Cleveland, Ohio for college, I met some members of a local band, Call it Fiction, outside of a Cartel show. They played a song for me on a Discman and I liked what I heard so I bought their demo. A few months later, in the spring of 2011, they were one of the first bands I ever photographed. Call it Fiction called it quits in 2013, but their frontman / guitarist Elliott Blair and synth player Alex Tucker (who now plays bass) went on to form a new band, Dead Leaves. They're joined by Vince Defilippo on guitar and Gene Bernardo on drums.
In November of 2015, Dead Leaves toured with Canadian band PINE, and I finally got to see them live. Before their set, I headed outside with the group to take some photos. We got a few serious photos, but had fun and goofed off a bit too!
It's like riding a bike. I toured for six months straight in 2013, from the beginning of June through the end of November. I was on the road with Circus Smirkus from June till mid-August as their Tour PR intern, then peta2 from mid-August till November on their Concert Tour Crew. I've done a lot of travelling since then, but it's been over two years since I was last on tour.
I was- and still am- a little nervous, but touring, I think, is just like riding a bike. Soon enough, I'll be right back in the swing of things of living on the road.
If you haven't heard about the Old Mogul Theatre yet, chances are you will soon. Montclair, N.J. has long been home to plenty of great music- smaller underground shows happen in basements and the Meatlocker, and larger shows at the Wellmont Theater- but size-wise, the Old Mogul fills the void somewhere between those two. They've already booked some exciting shows, so I can't wait to see what else they bring in. One of their first shows was an entirely math-rock lineup. When my friend Chris (assistant manager at the Old Mogul Theatre) asked me if I wanted to come shoot, I wasn't familiar with any of the bands- but I was so impressed by the entire lineup. The Planet You are from right in Montclair (they're all students at Montclair State University); In Angles are from East Brunswick; Hannibal Montana are from New York; and Invalids are from Princeton. They were all very technical players- everyone was so talented. The Planet You and Invalids, in particular, were very animated on stage- but the whole show was fun to shoot!
With only one more day left in 2015, it seems like an appropriate time to post a "year in review" blog (as I type that, this song is stuck in my head). It's been a wild year, and my hard work has lead to some incredible opportunities- some of which I never would've imagined happening. I'm going to delve in to some numbers and details and thoughts about the year, as well as share stories and some of my favorite photos from 2015. Check it all out below!
