Under The Stars Concert: Death Cab For Cutie-The Kooks-Rogue Wave-The Morning Benders

Local radio station 96.5 "The Buzz" sponsored the outdoor concert in Kansas City's City Market on May 30th 2008. The groups were, Death Cab For Cutie - The Kooks - Rogue Wave - The Morning Benders. I really was only excited to see The Kooks. I thought The Morning Benders were cool as well. It was hot and humid as fuck out there and there were like 15 other photographers...so I didn't get any great photos. I met Luke Pritchard from The Kooks and took a few portrait shots. Anyway here are some photos.








































More photos here: Citymarket

The Cure concert photos

Finally saw The Cure last night. Pretty damn good except for Roberts voice. It was strained from the Chicago concert. Seems like they played a little of everything, I didn't get a set list but I really enjoyed it. I shot my three songs and went back to my seat a few rows back and watched most of the show. I decided to head out early and go home and edit photos since Roberts voice was hurting. I got out to my car and there was a note on the windshield...yikes! Apparently a person pulling into the parking spot to the right of me sideswiped my car. $4000 worth of damage to my flawless vehicle. Anyway the guy showed up after the show and gave me his insurance, which was cool. Could have been a lot worse I suppose. Here are a few photos!











More photos here: The Cure

The Police with Elvis Costello Concert Photos

Here are a few concert photos from the Elvis Costello/The Police concert here in Kansas City, Missouri. I can't report much of a review because I was only able to shoot the first two songs of each band and then had to leave. I was under the impression that I would be able to watch the whole show. It was my first trip to that venue and I was unsure how things worked...oh well I got a few good ones, and it was cool seeing Elvis up close. Sting too...he was fit but looked a bit grizzled in that beard.

Elvis "Everyday I Write The Book" Costello






The "Ghosts In The Material World" Police







A few more here: Elvis
Police

Raconteurs Concert Photos

Long lines and lots of people driving from other areas of the country it seemed for this concert. Arriving early as usual at The Uptown Theater to make sure my photo pass was there then I talked to a few people who recognized me from shooting the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club show a few days prior. I was the first one in the venue and watched Brendan Benson tune up a bit for a few minutes. The place became packed very quickly. I decided to stay behind the barrier to shoot the opening band "The Birds Of Avalon" who were a little bit to proggy for me. Two young girls squeezed in beside me and by young I mean like seven and nine years old. There were there with their mom and dad from Lawrence and were huge Jack White fans wearing home made t-shirts and carrying flowers for Jack. It looked like the place was a sell out or close to it. While I was waiting in the pit for The Raconteurs to start, some chick in the front row behind the barricade passed out then threw up all over the place...eeeek. I was talking to a security guard who looked like George Foreman about it...he goes "I can't even look at it...I threw a towel over it". But it was still splattered all over the little seat part of the barricade right in the middle where I usually sit. I have a non throw up streak dating back a long time...but the stench was making me feel a bit queasy. Anyway I only got to shoot the first three songs. The band came on after a long wait and me and two other photographers were running around trying to do the best we could with the limited time and jumping over the puke puddle. I hadn't eaten all day so after I shot the photos I felt a bit shaky so I watched a few more songs from the side and split. I read in The Pitch Weekly Review that a girl fainted and Jack White jumped down off the stage and carried her to safety...I wonder if it was the same girl from earlier?

Click here for my full set of photos from the concert.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Live in Lawrence KS

B.R.M.C Live in concert April 26th 2008 in Lawrence KS



I got to hang out with B.R.M.C for most of the day and do an interview with Peter Hayes . Since one of my photos was used in the advertising for the current tour I had all access. I will say everyone I talked to in their camp was very cool, thanks Grant for everything. This is the third time I've shot them in one year, so my goal was to come up with some sort of new look photography wise. Each of the three concerts had different lighting. This one was the hardest to shoot due to a lot of strobe lighting. I think I got a few good ones, now I can make one good best of set for the Baby 81 tour. The concert was great as always, I always enjoy seeing them live. I really feel they are one of the best groups to see live. They play long sets and really appreciate their fans...and their fans travel from long distances to see them. I know people came from Florida, Colorado, Washington D.C., Oklahoma and probably even farther. I did a short interview with Peter before the show. He was really cool and candid about record companies, fans, and music used for advertising.

Me: You have put out a lot of music in the past couple of years and have toured relentlessly. Do you ever get worn out or do you look at it as feeling lucky to be where you are currently, being so creative and having lots of fans?

Peter: Honestly, yeah you get a little tired, but finally its grown out of that, and holy shit, were able to survive without huge record sales and record companies...they left us again anyway. Yeah it comes down to fans keeping us alive. There is a certain pride in it now, its really sinking in.

Me: Are you where you thought you would be when you first started out as a band? Where do you think you will be ten years from now?

Peter: Ummm, I guess I imagined it would somehow, I don't know what I imagined...now I'm kinda just happy as fuck. For awhile it just bugged me that we were just judged as outcasts. All the albums have been pretty well recieved. I guess I just look at it as being proud to be an outcast and that we haven't really caught on with everyone. Somehow we are the biggest little band around, a lot of people know the name but maybe they don't know the music.

Me: Your music is used a lot in commercials and television shows. How closely do you follow what is used and is there anyone you have turned down?

Peter: Yeah, from day one we turned down just about everybody. I don't regret that but thats one of the main reasons we don't have a record company right now.

I don't really much like talking about it but I guess it will get out one day. We turned down at least three million dollars from commercials ...at least that, from the first two albums. Hell, we turned down Miracle Whip. They wanted to use the song "Spread Your Love", can you imagine that? Record companies can't understand why we wouldn't want to do that. "Whatever happened to my rock 'n' roll was supposed to be used for a car commercial for their new rack and pinion steering or something...we did the tv shows and stuff like that, I think the only one I regret doing was "The O.C.", no offence to them, we actually got some fans from that, we would rather support things that aren't really pointless. We were up for one of those iPod commercials a couple years ago but it went to The Fratellis or someone like that got it. It's kind of depressing going out on tour for a couple years and some bands get to be huge off one song. Next thing you know they are playing to 30,000 people at a huge festival and they go apeshit for that one song.

Me: Since you say now you don't have a record company would you ever do anything on your own kind of like what Nine Inch Nails did, releasing music from their own website?

Peter: Thats basically what we are looking at right now. Putting it on our website as a higher quality file, don't charge people more money for it like fucking itunes...how they make you pay more for a higher quality download its crazy, I saw that one coming.

Bands are going to need press and people to talk about them, but why not straight from the band, you could sell it for five bucks, iTunes sells it for $9.99 why I don't know.

Me: What have you been listening to lately? Or who would you like to see live?

Peter: I wouldn't mind seeing "The Raconteurs" or "Nine Inch Nails"

Me: What are your plans after the current tour?

Peter: Not sure really, since we don't have a record company. We have a few new songs we have been working on. I don't know we might do something with Live Nation..but they want part of your merch and all that. I would really just like to put a download on the site for five bucks, ya know?

Set list from the show:

666 Conducer
Berlin
Aint no easy way
Weapon
In like the rose
Red eyes
Awake
6 barrel
Heart and soul
Faultline
Visions of johanna
Shuffle
Windows
20 hours
River styx
Suddenly
Need some air
Punk song
Likes of you
Spread your love
The show
Steal a ride
All you do is talk


Openers The Duke Spirit played a great set. Liela Moss is a sultry rock n roll singer. I was really impressed with them and their new cd "Neptune". They told me they would be coming back later in the summer with a headlining tour.





For full set of photo (still more to come...film and polaroids) go here:
BRMC APRIL 08

April Mixtape at Muxtape

Muxtape is a site where you can post up to twelve songs to share with others but they will not be able to download. Anyway here is my April mix...songs that I have been listening to, well twelve of them. Have a listen, a few rare gems in the mix.

http://scottspy.muxtape.com/

The Last Shadow Puppets

The Last Shadow Puppets are Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane from The Rascals. I think everything Alex Turner touches turns to gold. Several of the songs from the new cd "The Age Of The Understatement" sound like they would fit in quite well with a James Bond movie. I'm not complaining one bit, I do love songs with lush orchestration behind them and thats what the pair have done here very well. The cover of the cd has a photo of a model looking very '60s like and the songs reflect that as well....almost seems like something Paul Weller could have done, sounds fresh but vintage at the same time. Pick up the single with the b-sides, two of them are the best tracks overall.

mp3- My Mistakes Were Made For You (acoustic in nyc)