In a recent post, I mentioned my wife surprising me with a trip to Brunswick, Maryland, to catch the Amish Outlaws. While I knew we were going to a festival of sorts. I was expecting the usual food oddities and carnival rides. I had no idea about the entertainment. Below are several pictures of the mighty, mighty. Amish Outlaws. A.K.A. The Most Fun You’ll Ever Have. Enjoy.
Category: Concert Photography
Heading into the Weekend on a Positive Note.
With good news regarding recent tests coming from my neurologist. My long-suffering Mets surprising everyone with their wild-card win and success against long-time rivals the Braves and the Phillies. I welcomed the weekend with a sense of joy that seemed fleeting lately. Come Saturday, upon arriving home a just published book featuring one of my images was awaiting my return. The book, itself was amazing. Not only did it cover and reflect a very important period of my life. Many of the show flyer and fanzines illustrated within its pages. Mirrored that of my personal collections and boxes of memories of the time. The picture below features a friend at a mid nineties hardcore show at CBGB’s. The subject, whose name shall remain anonymous. Was/is a monumental influence on how I wanted to approach photographing bands and artists. I am extremely impressed with the books build and quality within. I’ll leave a link in case the subject matter (Fanzines and their importance to independent music.) interests you. https://tribalbooks.myshopify.com/products/cut-paste-the-american-hardcore-fanzine
Lost & Found
I recall going to countless shows throughout the tristate during that long lost decade known as the nineties. Armed with my Nikon FM2, my 50mm lens and a couple of rolls of film. I documented each and every show I attended with an unrealistic enthusiasm that I was doing something unique and special. I had an entire linen closets of carefully described negatives, contact sheets and slides. Yet somehow, after numerous moves from my Hell’s Kitchen apartment. That gift for organization took a hit. Leaving many of the lesser known names on the bills nameless. Decades later, I can strangely recall when and where these shots were taken without an inkling on the name of the subject or the band they performed with.This image was taken at CBGB’s i the late 90’s. If I can recall, the bill featured a few Oi/Street Punk acts of the time. (Not my thing, but…) Featuring the clique blue collar, buzzed hair, and mutten chops. Your guess is good as any. If you have any idea, please share.
Fast, Loud Still Rules
In a little less than a month. I hope to attend a friends band play what seems to be a small, intimate venue in Richmond. Due entirely to health and my inability to maintain any sense of balance. I haven’t been to a music event since 2017. Considering my love for music, going to events and capturing moments through photography. The event and the chance to see a really good band that hasn’t performed remotely close to my residence. The excitement can be compared to the feelings I often experienced as a much younger show attendee. With a new camera and being years removed from shooting live music. I have a lot of relearning to do.
Looking Back; Municipal Waste
I’ve been going through some old picture folders (Something I’ve been doing as I have come to realize some aspects of my photography are coming, or have come to an end.) and deciding what to delete and what to save. During this process I’ve found a number of photos that were never edited or just needed a bit of TLC. Going back about ten years. I found some images from a Municipal Waste V.F.W. show. At the time, I knew nothing, other than the name, about the band. Something I grew to love, considering all the times I became a devotee to a band I was seeing and hearing for the first time. Upon coming across images from that particular show. I took a few minutes to make a few adjustments and do a little cropping. Thanks to my newly acquired Lightroom knowledge, I was pretty happy with the results.
United By… Book Project
If you’ve been paying attention, you might notice that I’ve discontinued a feature I started back in April of 2020. “United By” was the skeleton for a book featuring many of the concert/show images I had taken over the years. After a spirited start, reality set in, and the idea went into the “Maybe someday.” to do file; however, after finding a template where I could build my project at my own pace. Things picked up rapidly. After seeing the right person to pen the books foreward and an incredible editor, I began reaching out to band members and people involved in putting on shows, putting out records, and giving a voice to those who create. The responses and thoughts added much-needed yet previously void of life to both the images and my little project’s purpose. Work continues as I wait for the final images to be digitized and downloadable.
Though things seem to be wrapping up on my side, I know there is still a lot of work to do before figuring out how to submit it to publishers. Here’s to a long wait.
For Those Who Shall Remain Nameless
If you read ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ you might recall that I digitized all of my photos and threw the pictures and albums out. Aside from creating a lot of room. Having all those pictures to play around with and put memory has been a lot of fun. Though there were certainly a few that saw new life with minor adjustments in Photoshop and Lightroom. It was the countless show photos I took at clubs, bars and halls that presented a very different challenge. That of remembering the bands names and methods of operation.
Funny, but I remember being at this show, taking this shot and standing on the side of that storied CBGB’s stage. I remember my friend Brendan working the door. while I can’t remember the band name or that of the guitarist. I remember they were the third band out of the five that played that day, I recall when the guitar string broke and how it led to the uncontrollable bleeding that followed. Undaunted, he finished the song and even the set before wrapping a rag around the cut and wiping down his guitar until all the blood was gone. It was the 90’s and CBGB’s was still the things of legend. Independent rock & roll was hanging on to its last threads of danger. Men were men. Sheep were scared and bands finished their sets, no matter what.
United By… (The Crowd)
Over time, I began to include a few pictures of the crowds expressions, participation and overall reaction to particular acts, sets and song. For as long as I’ve att
ended shows and gone to concerts, every act with little to no exception, had a particular song that the audience knew every word, hook and breakdown. While it was always a great opportunity to capture the moment when a singer reaches his emotional halcyon or time the moment when the guitarist launches in the air. It might also be the perfect opportunity to catch the reaction to the crowd. The images to your right were captured about eight years apart. The above captures the crowd at a Revelation Records showcase at CBGB’s. While the one below shows the emotion of the crowd during a set by the band Thursday at Atlantic City’s House of Blues.
United By… Name that Band… Christie Front Drive?
Having gone to so many shows in the ’90s and perhaps not having a way to file all the negatives and prints I had adequately. I would sometimes lose track of what band was featured in some of the images I had. And though I’m convinced the picture posted is of Christie Front Drive frontman Eric Richter. Though I exhausted numerous channels to confirm that, yes, it was indeed the band you mentioned, my inquiries were often answered with, “I don’t know. I never saw them live.” or “I don’t know. We never played a show with them.” Still, I always loved this image and the ones I had taken that day at ABC No Rio. So until someone says otherwise, denies or confirms, I will continue to believe this is none other than Christie Front Drive.
United By… (Big Drill Car)
I fondly remember listening to records while hanging out at my friend Tim’s House. Along with our love for our mutual love for the Descendants, All and others, we both reveled in the joy that was ‘Album Type Thing’ by California’s Big Drill Car. Along with the Doughboys, Big Drill Car was perhaps the two bands I listened at the time. Though I was immediately hooked on songs such as ’16 Lines’, “No Need,’ ‘In Green Fields,’ ‘Diamond Earrings’, and their cover of Cheap Trick’s ‘Surrender.’ 
In retrospect, I think it took me a while to remember the name Big Drill Car. For reasons unknown to me now, the name just seemed odd and even outlandish. Still, I was so psyched when they came out east and played Maxwells. Though I can’t recall who they played with. I remember the room being packed and the energy from both the band and the crowd being paramount. ‘Til this day, I still listen to the bands’ recorded output and have both compact disc and vinyl versions of everything the band released. Below is a link to Discogs to view all their releases.
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