When I walked into Pearl Street, I had no idea I would soon encounter Mick Jagger’s incarnated self in The Booze’s lead singer Chaz Tolliver; watch a musical giant (quite literally) in Earl Greyhound’s Matt Whyte; or get blasted in the face by OK Go’s confetti canons.

When I walked out of Pearl Street, I had a new expectation for how head-shakingly fantastic every other Tuesday night show should be.

If you get a chance to see any of these bands, I highly recommend it. I can assure you, hearing a recording does not do any of them justice.

Read the entire review here…

And special thanks to @nagelface for the pass hook up and for taking this shot:

myself with drummers extraordinaire PJ Curtis of The Booze + Big Ricc Sheridan of Earl Greyhound

Bonus features of the night included talking shop with Ryan’s Smashing Life and Music Savage and meeting videographer Steve Legare.

Read the entire review here…

This slide show is from The Builders and The Butchers record release at the wonder ballroom in PDX with Loch Lomond & Ah Holly Fam’ly.

Check out the entire review right here…

using all the social medianess i can muster (including twitter, facebook pages, facebook ads, blip.fm, ning and the oldest form of social media, rubbin’ shoulders with people) this new venture has proved not only a viable creative outlet for me, but a fun exercise in practicing what i preach as a righteous route for clients.

about the site:
photography, for me, is about capturing a significant moment. one that speaks volumes about what it was like to be present at that particular instant.

a live performance (be it musical or otherwise) is filled with these moments. split seconds that build on each other to construct the arc of the whole event.

it doesn’t seem possible that one element or person would be able to tell that story completely. you’ll see a lot of pictures from me that don’t concentrate on the performer’s faces, but instead their shoes, hands, instruments, pedals, and lists… all parts of the whole

i just love doing this and what’s better than doing what you love?

**update**
after a steady push on the variety of social networks listed above, about a month and a half of effort has translated into being in talks to shoot for an online music mag and possibilities ranging from an exhibit to a residency at a local music hall.

roles: concept, design, photography, production, social media, strategy

< rant >

as part of my ongoing love affair with the live music scene in portland (and as part of furthering portlandconcertphotography.com), i hit up the dan auerbach show @ the wonder ballroom last night.

i called ahead to make sure i was going to be good to get my camera in. kristin was kind enough to tell me she hadn’t heard of any restricting policies from dan auerbach and they let the artist determine the camera policy. she said she’d call me back if she heard different, i never heard back so i headed over giddy as a school girl.

seeing as i though i had nothing to hide i didn’t try to smuggle in my 5D. i actually got past the doorman before he called me back and stopped me, saying i couldn’t enter with my camera. anything with a detachable lens was considered professional and wouldn’t be allowed in.

i’ve heard this rap before, so i asked to talk to a manager, hoping against hope it would make a difference.

it didn’t.

he immediately picked up for his doorman and they both denied even knowing who kristin was. frustrated i asked him what dan auerbach’s camera policy was and he replied “no professional cameras” and when i pressed for details he explained “no cameras with detachable lenses. it’s a industry standard in this business.”

*************************
dear industry,

if you’re concerned about people taking your intellectual property and posting all over the internet you’re failing miserably. essentially what you’re doing is degrading the quality of free publicity for you and your talent. why wouldn’t you want as much free quality material out there about your product? this is the new world and it’s time to wake up and embrace it. the public, now more than ever, will make or break your image.

not to mention you’re not allowing me to go in with my still camera and take quality pictures, but you’re allowing dudes like the two above to record entire songs in HD and then post them all over the internet. doesn’t this seem the least bit whack to you?

stop basing policies on technological specifications from 1990. times have changed and you’re lagging behind miserably.

love and kisses,
steve

*************************

< /rant >