Oakland Promise – Michael Franti
Last month I photographed the 2020 Oakland Promise “Party for the Promise” fundraiser. Michael Franti performed as part of the event that featured many bay area leaders who support education. Oakland Promise is a college scholarship program for “cradle to college.” Toward the end of Franti’s performance, his wife Sara joined him on stage. Michael […]
Dorothy … And a Band to Sing With
I have wanted to photograph the band Dorothy since I received an email from their publicist last year. Unfortunately, I missed last year’s shows, but I finally saw them at Sacramento’s Ace of Spades on January 19th. It was worth the wait and the trip. I even saw a cool opening band Spirit Animal. Below […]
Lucy Spraggan Concert – San Francisco
Last month I photographed English musician Lucy Spraggan. Lucy performed at San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill; Tawnee Kendall and Amina Shareef Ali were also on the September 26, 2018 lineup. Here are my photos of Lucy from the evening. Lisa is much more popular in England than she is in the United States. After […]
We Came As Romans – Kyle Pavone
So this is where it ends, the road we took together (together, together) Turn another page, however and forever (forever, forever) We Came As Romans, from “Memories” Last week, We Came As Roman’s lead singer Kyle Pavone died from what has been called an accidental drug overdose. Today, the band released a statement about the […]
Skinny Lister – San Francisco
Last month, I photographed Skinny Lister during their current United States tour. Will Varley opened at The Independent in San Francisco. Photo Gallery Here. This was my third time seeing Skinny Lister. Before the show, I asked people at The Independent how they had become fans. Many people had similar experiences to my own. We […]
Brad Paisley – Weekend Warrior Tour
Last Friday night, I traveled to my old home town to photograph Brad Paisley‘s Weekend Warrior Tour. In addition to photographing Paisley, I also photographed Dustin Lynch, Chase Bryant and Lindsay Ell. I reviewed the concert for Stereo Embers Magazine, so this post will mostly include photos with links to photo galleries. In the concert review, I […]
Rock and Roll and Barb Wire Dolls
I haven’t posted in a while, especially about music. I keep waiting for the right day, and since I pretend that I am not superstitious, today seems perfect. It’s Friday the 13th. (and it’s October) For the last several months I have been receiving press emails about the female-led band Barb Wire Dolls. I went […]
15 Years After – Nina Diaz
I photographed Nina Diaz one week ago in San Francisco at the DNA Lounge. It was the third time I have photographed Nina. The first time I photographed Nina, she was with her band Girl in a Coma. Last year, I photographed her when she performed as a solo artist. This time she was touring ahead of her new […]
A New Dawn for Nina Diaz
On Wednesday, I drove into San Francisco to see Nina Diaz perform at the DNA Lounge. I photographed Nina Diaz and her band Girl in a Coma two years ago in Oakland. (You can revisit my earlier review and photos.) When I saw her in Oakland, I wondered if Nina might become a superstar. Now I am wondering if […]
Paisley Epilepsy Apology
We are here and it is now. Further than that, all human knowledge is moonshine. – H. L. Mencken Last Friday, Brad Paisley performed at the same Sacramento area venue where I met him in August 2014. On Saturday, he performed at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. (Both tours support his recent Moonshine in the Trunk album.) I have […]
Train Concert Photos Revisited – and the Photo Not Revealed
The Bay Area band Train is touring California again for their new album Bulletproof Picasso. I photographed two shows during their previous Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour for the California 37 album. The Script and Gavin DeGraw played both shows. Ashley Monroe joined Train during their set in August of 2013. Can’t believe how time flies […]
Craig Morgan – Gallo Center Concert
In downtown Modesto last November, I photographed country musician Craig Morgan. I found a hundred reasons for waiting to publish the pictures, and really, I am not trying to hide my motivations. I think that they will be clear by the end of this song. Morgan performed at the Gallo Center for Performing Arts on Saturday, […]
Music is the Best Medicine
If Music is the best medicine, what do you take with a Whiskey Lullaby? So I went to see Brad Paisley on Saturday night at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre in Wheatland, California. When I say that I went “to see Brad Paisley,” I mean that I went to talk to him and photograph his show. […]
Mermaids of Northern California – Train and The Script
Train returned home to Northern California for two shows last weekend. I photographed both concerts. The first concert was north of Sacramento in Wheatland, California at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre. The second concert was at the America’s Cup Pavilion, a temporary facility at Piers 29-31 along San Francisco’s Embarcadero. Irish band The Script performed […]
Black Veil Brides Unveiled and Re Warped
I first learned about Black Veil Brides when photographing the 2011 Vans Warped Tour. Chelsea Lauren, who I had met a few hours earlier, encouraged me to shoot the band, otherwise I may have missed seeing them when they wore more makeup and performed on one of the smaller Warped stages. Now I will follow […]
For the Fans of For The Foxes
After my last blog post on the Vans Warped Tour, I realized that I might learn something if I reached out directly to the fans and asked them questions about the bands. While I had not heard about For The Foxes before the tour, many other people knew their music. As soon as I posted […]
Vans Warped Tour Better Than the Best Day Ever
I have photographed the Vans Warped Tour the last four years and even though I am clearly not the targeted demographic, I have loved every year. (This year, I photographed twenty six bands in one day. 26!) After only one hour at Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheater, I was humming the (new/old Blink 182) song “What’s My […]
Girl In a Coma Appearance
Sometimes it feels that God is smiling on me. Monday was one of those times. When I photographed Girl In a Coma on Monday, everything seemed perfect. (Go here to view the photo gallery of their Oakland Concert) I learned about the performance the day of the show from a friend who lives out of the country. Another […]
35th Annual Carnaval San Francisco
Sometimes a little guitar is just a little guitar. The 2013 Carnaval San Francisco was held yesterday in the Mission District. It was the 35th annual San Francisco Carnaval. My two children danced with a popular Bay Area group Fogo na Roupa. My children and others from their Oakland school have been practicing this year for Carnaval, […]
Chelsea Lauren Photography Presentation
In one month from today, I will do something pretty cool. At the JEA / NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco, I introduce Chelsea Lauren to the journalism education community. I have been looking forward to this day since I met Chelsea at the 2011 Vans Warped Tour. The presentation will be […]
Treasure Island Music Festival Day 2
By the second day of the 2012 Treasure Island Music Festival, I was prepared to photograph fun. (Here is the gallery from Day 2 of Treasure Island Music Festival.) I spent most of the days at the Painted Wonderland booth. I photographed a few bands and several vendors, but I mostly photographed the people of […]
Treasure Island and Painted Wonderland Day 1
On Saturday October 13, I attended the first day of the Treasure Island Music Festival. For the last few years, I have photographed hundreds of musicians, at concerts and music festivals. This year I assumed I would photograph several more acts during the two day festival. Instead, I spent most of the festival with my […]
T. Mills and The Parent Tent
T. Mills and The Vans Warped Parent Trap At every Vans Warped Tour show, I see something unusual. In San Francisco this year, I saw a tent called “Reverse Daycare.” Parents gathered in the area while their children attended the concert. The tent was a great idea, but I always passed quickly, afraid that some […]
Mayday Parade in Summer
Two months ago I photographed a Mayday Parade protest in Oakland. I must have been influenced by the Occupy Oakland protests two months ago, because I was expecting an angry mob for the Mayday Parade concert at the 2012 San Francisco Vans Warped Tour stop on Saturday, June 23. The crowd was colorful and loud, […]