26 2013

It. Was. Magical.

I never had a single doubt that Hickey Fest was going to be a good time, I knew it was going to be a weekend to remember. We arrived Thursday late afternoon and got settled in and began prepping the Peg House for the ensuing fun.

For those of you who didn't hear about the fun, Hickey Fest was a 3 day weekend long Indie Rock music fest held at the amazingly charming Peg House in Leggett, Ca. 33 amazing West Coast bands congregated at Standish Hickey State Park right off of Hwy 101. There was camping and a River on one side of the Hwy and the Peg House with endless music on the other.

It was truly magical being behind the scenes with roommate/master-mind Ash Reiter for the entire length of the fest. Things ran suspiciously smooth; no band started more than 10 min behind schedule, everyone showed up, sounded amazing and brought the jamz!

There was all the fun hanging around the Peg House:

Bands tearing up the stage:

Too much fun camping and playing at the river!

Cool Ghouls 04.17.13 @ Brick and Mortar

I recently discovered a really cool band, with cool sounds and cool people called Cool Ghouls. I'm getting worse and worse about writing interesting things about all the amazing music I've been seeing lately, but trust me, just check these guys out. Their radness transcends words....

Alex Pinto Trio @ Duende 05.09.13

The Magnificent Alex Pinto Trio comprised of amazing friends Doug Stuart, Shaun Lowecki and Alex Pinto. Never before has a jazz trio enthralled me so thoroughly! They have recently gone to the studio to lay down some serious jazz-a-licious tracks that will hopefully be available for the general public sooner rather than later!

Mwahaha & Social Studies @ Bottom of the Hill 04.13.13

Saturday, the 13th, was a looong day, but an amazing one none the less. Literally from the moment I woke up till the time I went to sleep I lived out a day of my (busy) fantasy life: Shortly after waking I was greeted with a breakfast burrito and a Yerba Mate (my crack in a bottle...) in exchange for some post-production work. I was then driven from one job to the next, doing a portrait shoot with the amazing bay area band DRMS. After a long shoot and some good curry, I ended my day at Bottom of the Hill listening to some amazing music and left with a couple more rolls of shot film.

Good friends, Mwahaha played 2nd:

Social Studies brought the heat for their headlining set! If you haven't checked these guys out yet, you're missing out on some of SF's finest!

The Seshen @ Brick & Mortar 03.29.13

The Seshen once again, this time at Brick & Mortar! Check out their sweet tunes!!

Anna Ash @ Viracocha 03.23.13

I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Anna Ash play at the little gem in the Mission that is Viracocha on 21st and Valencia. The setting was stella for an intimate performance by a group of very talented musicians. I only had enough film to shoot Anna's set, but each band's vibe was a suitable match for the amazingly decorated basement. This place would be an amazing place for a photo shoot!

Big Tree & Astronauts, etc + my Birthdayyy!! 03.16.13 @ Bottom of the Hill

My friend Anthony asked me the month before if I could possibly take photos at his upcoming gig on the 16th of March. My response was naturally that "of course I'll take photos! Like you even really need to ask..." But this time there was a catch, that night is my 24th birthday, and I'm not sure what plans may or may not unfold...

However, seeing the billing for the evening washed away any thought of me finding anything cooler to do outside the walls of Bottom of the Hill. I unfortunately arrived a little too fashionably late to the show and missed the opener, Dear Indugu, but Astronauts, etc and Big Tree tore it up! I knew there there wouldn't be anything I'd really rather be doing than shooting a show with my friends on stage and on the dance floor. It was a magical evening...

On 2nd that evening was Astronauts, etc:

And finishing the show was the amazing Big Tree:

And a few in between moments to make the night super special...

The Lawlands @ The Brick and Mortar 03.14.13

March was full of ups and downs, but one highlight was seeing my good friends in The Lawlands tear it up at the Brick and Mortar Music Hall on the 14th. I missed the openers, but I'm sure they were excellent none the less! 3 guitars (Anthony Ferraro, Drew Brown, and Alex Pinto) gave it a textural complexity back by the rythmatic stylings of Shaun Loweki on drums and Scott Brown on Bass. Check out their new single 'Youth'. Make sure you see them with Ash Reiter, Cool Ghouls, and Charts Thursday 4/11 @ The Starry Plough!!

UnderCover Presents: Kid A @ The Rickshaw Stop 02.24.13

UnderCover's Lyz Luke introduces the night

The SF Bay area is an amazing place. Where else (other than NYC I suppose) could I have the pleasure of seeing one of my favorite albums of all time, Radiohead's Kid A, performed by such a diverse assortment of amazing local musicians, many of which personal friends? I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be! So how did this amazing 3 day weekend come about? Well according to the Facebook event page:

"UnderCover Presents is a small grassroots collective that gathers musicians from every corner of the San Francisco Bay Area's music scene to celebrate the broad influence of classic albums. The concept is simple: bands are invited based on their enthusiasm for the album from a range of musical genres that reflect the diverse styles and cultures that make Bay Area music unique. Each band picks a different song from the album and infuses it with their distinctive sound and personality."

It was amazing, and the set list was as follows: (I don't think the photos appear in this order, and now I can't remember which band was which, so... sorry...).

1) Everything in Its Right Place - Rob Ewing's Disappear Incompletely ft. Dominique Leone (New Electro-Jazz)

2) Kid A - Gamelan X (Gamelan Fusion/Bali) *Monday night ft. Kid Beyond on vocals

3) The National Anthem - DRMS (Noir Pop)

4) How to Disappear Completely - Elizabeth Setzer & La Tania (Flamenco/Balkan)

5) Treefingers - Gojogo (Classical Indian Fusion/Modern Jazz)

6) Optimistic - Bang Data (Latin Hip-Hop Fusion)

7) In Limbo - Battlehooch (Shapeshifting Orchestral Rock)

8) Idioteque - Kid Beyond ft. ghostNOTES. + Classical Revolution (Electronic/String Chamber)

9) Morning Bell - The Hurd Ensemble ft. Karina Denike (Classical Meets Electronic)

10) Motion Picture Soundtrack - Bells Atlas (Afro Indie Soul)

Sam Ospovat Curates SWARM gallery 02.13.13

a moment or 2 from Sam Ospovat's "Tow Away Zone"

As an ongoing series at SWARM gallery in Oakland, local musicians are invited to curate a night of experimental music and performance.

The night commenced with Sam Ospovat's musical project Piki performing an improvisational pieces featuring a myriad of instruments you'd expect to find in a jazz performance (guitar, horns, drums, bass...), and a few you wouldn't (like a gamelan angklung, dancers and egg timers which all caught me off guard in a good way).

Kim Cass was up second performing new pieces on the upright bass. He's amazing. For someone who is not well versed in "rhythmically complex compositions," I found it to be quite compelling. His movements were as hypnotic to watch as the loops and baselines were to listen to.

Beep! headlined the evening with some new material and kept you on the edge of your seat the entire time (or concrete floor most likely).

Overall great night with friends, avante garde sounds, and an ever expanding notion of sound in regards to time and space...

Boulder House Bonanza & Ho Down @ Pappy & Harriet's

At the beginning of February I partook in a psychedelic adventure down to Joshua Tree with my two roommates. We were on our way to the much acclaimed "Boulder House" that belonged to out friend's mother and was a vacation home of sorts. It certainly was an exciting weekend full of Bay meets LA psych-folkery featuring house sets into the wee hours of the morning and a show at a local roadhouse.

There was just too much to shoot! I spent almost every moment taking photos, planning photos, preparing cameras, writing notes, what ever else I could be doing that was camera related... I certainly took some time at night to shoot the neighbors abandoned house (a post all in its own for the near future), there was a photo hike with Ash Reiter and a interior extravaganza with the Blank Tapes (also a feature coming soon!), as well as many other little photo related tangents that will be peppered into upcoming posts I'm sure...

The house was incredible, the people were awesome, and the environment surrounding the house was superb. Chillin in the living room of the Boulder House listening to live music was the perfect way to spend a Saturday night in the desert.

If Saturday wasn't enough music for you, then Sunday over at Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown would certainly help fill the gap. This place had some serious kitsch but in all the way a roadhouse in the middle of desert should; the wild horse mural behind the stage was one of the coolest backdrops for bands to shred in front of I've ever seen!

The night was kicked off by TV Mike and the Scarecrows and finished up by The Blank Tapes. Very awesome show indeed!

Yappy Dap - The Beginning

The house has taken awhile to come together, but I think we finally have it figured out! One major highlight of the house is the downstairs and its transformation into a musical paradise. Carlos has started his own mixing studio and settled on the name Yappy Dap while obsessing over a set of 'Happy Birthday' letters he had left over from his birthday in June.

All sorts of music magic/witch craft happens in and around the downstairs studio, this is just a peek into some of the musings/jams/colabs taking place directly below my floor:

Aquatic Park-o-rama

The days get longer, the mornings become easier to start, and the mid-afternoons are warmer and more inviting than I can bear to stand as I pace back and forth through the lab glancing out at the sunshine that wasn't quite warm enough when I started the day, and will vanish before I end it.

I spend a lot of time while not inside the lab I work at (Photolab in SW Berkeley on 5th) at or around the general vicinity of the Berkeley Aquatic park on Bolivar and Bancroft. I love to ride my bike around blasting tunes and snapping shots as I zone out during my circumnavigation of the man-made lake (more of a water-rectangle).

Cabin Fever - 01.05.13

I had recently returned to the Goldmine in Southern Oregon. The cover of darkness and the novelty of snow was too alluring to keep me cooped up in the cabin with the boys. I made my way around the Cabin's vicinity in enough layers to make longer exposures bearable, but an off camera flash helped speed up the shoot so my camera's battery didn't get too cold to work.

I feel like I only scraped the surface with the night shots I would have wanted to collect, but I guess that means I'll have to make it up there again!

The Seshen 01.12.13 @ The Boom Boom Room

I caught The Seshen, a little over a week ago for my second time. I knew from past experience that these guys are no joke, but seeing them in an intimate environment such as the Boom Boom Room was a TREAT! This 7 piece line up really packs a punch; sometimes bigger doesn't mean better, but with The Seshen every single note played by every single band member is fused together in melodically bliss you can hear HERE, and catch them February 22nd with Guy Fox and Ash Reiter @ The New Parish in Oakland!

SUPER Single Release Show: Bells Atlas & Yesway 01.10.13 @ Brick & Mortar

I have had the recent pleasure to attend one of the best little shows I've seen in a while! I can't say I'm surprised however, as the two bands releasing singles that night are some of the Bay Area's most exciting mind-melting projects I've heard (in my humble opinion).

Both Yesway and Bells Atlas were releasing unto the world an amazing set of songs: Yesway's "Carried Away" & Bells Atlas' "Video Star" Do ittt!!

Zakiya Harris got this incredible night started, her energy was amazing and set a powerful tone for the evening!

Yesway graced us with their sweet melodies, heavenly guitars, pulchritudinous* vibraphones, and ethereally intertwined vocals.

*thanks dictionary.com

Bells Atlas easily played my favorite show yet; new arrangements, surprise drum lines and an overall mind blowing delivery. I feel lucky and proud to call these guys my friends!

Chrystian Rawk Farwell Show 12.20.12 @ Amnesia

Working in a Photolab in December (as with most other businesses that deal with the general public) is brutal. I had finished up an 11 hour shift that left me feeling like going into hibernation until New Year, but the minute I got home I told myself "I reallyyy don't want to go to SF right now, but if I miss this show the pain will be so much deeper than this temporary tired feeling."

I petaled my ass off to get batteries for the flash and totally got amnesia trying to remember where Amnesia was (sorry I just HAD to say it...) BUT I still made it in time. The show was awesome, as I knew it would be. We heard all the classic Chryistian Rawk tunes one last time before master mind Christian departed for Istanbul for at LEAST half a year. The mood was a super pick-me-up and it was nice to say goodbye.

Though the band Chrystian Rawk is currently not in active existence, you can find his music here, and I highly HIGHLY implore you to keep your ears open for anything coming out in the future from Christian Carpenter! We miss ya already!

December 1st Friday: TV Mike & the Scarecrowes, Mahgeetah, Maus Haus

December 7th was one of those nights where many good shows where all happening at the same time, and right next to each other. I didn't shoot everything I saw that night, but you can't win them all!

The first band of the night is the super talented TV Mike and the Scarecrowes playing at the Night Lamp in downtown Oakland. I had never seen them play, nor had I been to the Night Lamp, but neither of the two disappointed! Check out their work here!

Right after TV Mike was a city based band called Mahgeetah. They rocked me pretty hard, but in all the right places. Check out some of their stuff here.

THEN! We all made our way to The Uptown in time to catch MAUS HAUS.

Ok, I had no clue who they were, though I am acquainted with other projects associated with the band. I CANT STOP LISTENING TO THIS. Holy crap they were awesome. There were definitely fans present to set the dancey tone of the show, I admit I felt bad getting in the way of the dance party, but the shots were so worth it when I wasn't compelled to shake it myself in between exposures. Seriously, go see Maus Haus, or at least get your hands on their album...

Ash Reiter's 'Hola' album release show & DRMS, 11.30.12 @ The Rickshaw Stop

Please excuse the major delay in the updates! December was crazy, and it took me most of January to properly recover. The Good news? I have lots on the way!

So, I am pleased to post about Ash Reiter's CD release party at the Rickshaw Stop on 11.30.12. This is a particularly awesome event as Ash Reiter, Will Halsey (their awesome drummer), Carlos Arredondo (the recoding/mixing wizard) are roommates of mine and all put a lot of time and energy into making this a truly awesome record. I was lucky enough to do the layout and photography for the album too ;)

Please check it out HERE!! And some of my more experimental photos show on film below:

Playing last that night was SF indie pop powerhouse DRMS (pronounced 'dreams') I saw them described as Noir Pop somewhere which I thought was an interesting and fitting genre. I hope the photos are as dramatic and colorful as their music! You can check out their sound here, and I highly suggest that you do.

Disco Volante 11.24.12 Bells

Last show in Oakland before their mini Miami tour! Bells tore it up with a two set show at the nifty little venue downtown called Disco Volante. The night was full of good drinks, good friends and just about every Bells song making it a lovely send off!

All shot on Ilford Delta 3200 120 black and white film with the Holgaaaa.