Sarah Mclachlan @Ruth Eckerd Hall, CLearwater 2-27-2019--2 Sarah Mclachlan @Ruth Eckerd Hall, CLearwater 2-27-2019--7

A highlight of the night was the elegant version of "Sweet Surrender" played solely on piano. Contrasting the album version, this one was delicate and quiet and allowed the listener to focus on every note and lyric like never before. Additionally, the ever popular "Ice Cream" was a crowd favorite sing along.  Proceeds from every ticket went to the Sarah McLachlan School of Music which was started in 2002 in Vancouver as a way of providing music to the youth of today. 

Setlist can be found here

Big Head Todd and The Monsters @ House of Blues Orlando 11-2018Big Head Todd made a return visit to Florida after a good 4 year hiatus as they hit up the Orlando House of Blues on 11-11-2018. I always love seeing and shooting with this band as they busted out many tunes from their 30+ year catalog including some great covers of "Tangerine" and "I Wanna Be Sedated". @b.h.t.m #bhtm #htbarp #concertphotographer #concertphotography #livemusicphotography #guitar #singer #songwriter #instapic #concertphotography #bandphotography #concertshot #concertphotos Big Head Todd and The Monsters @ House of Blues Orlando 11-2018Big Head Todd made a return visit to Florida after a good 4 year hiatus as they hit up the Orlando House of Blues on 11-11-2018. I always love seeing and shooting with this band as they busted out many tunes from their 30+ year catalog including some great covers of "Tangerine" and "I Wanna Be Sedated". @b.h.t.m #bhtm #htbarp #concertphotographer #concertphotography #livemusicphotography #guitar #singer #songwriter #instapic #concertphotography #bandphotography #concertshot #concertphotos Big Head Todd @ HOB orlando 11-2018-0427

For the full setlist you can click here

See the photo gallery slideshow below

For photos from the show check out the slideshow below.

Walking out of the dark wearing his flying V guitar, singer Nick Hexum came onstage for the opening tune "Perfect Situation" off of "Mosaic" and the band was off to a flying start. Both Hexum and bassist, P-nut were animated all night long sticking out their tongues and bouncing around while lead guitarist Tim Mahoney did his best Angus Young impersonation tossing his long hair around. The crowd was into it and gave as much energy back to the band throughout the show. While playing many new tunes off of "Mosaic", 311 delivered a steady stream of older , radio friendly tunes for those who were just casual fans. "All Mixed Up", " Come Original", and  90's alternative hit "Amber" were played without much variance from their original album form. "Mosaic" has some very catchy tunes and does not deviate from the 311 formula which has made them so popular over the years. The opener "Perfect Situation" was a great way to introduce the crowd to a new song while still setting the hook for a catchy tune to get everyone's interest. Other songs that clung onto the catchy pop vibe were "Too Much To Think", and " 'Til the City's On Fire" with its "raise your glasses, strike your matches, burn, burn, burn" lyrics. 

311 8-2-2017 RAW (60 of 230) 311 8-2-2017 RAW (19 of 230) 311 8-2-2017 RAW (147 of 230)

Anyone who has ever been to a 311 show knows that there are three things that happen at each show. One, you will hear a P-Nut bass solo which will melt your mind and tonight's was no exception! Two, you will hear a drum solo that will segue into a collaborative group drum off and three, you will hear "Amber".  The bass solo was quick yet soulful and while most times a bass solo would have people scrambling for a restroom break, P-Nut showed his bass prowess with some skillful slapping while still working in a cover tune meshing in the theme song from the Netflix series "Stranger Things". Looking around I could see people's attention hanging on every bass note. Later in the set drummer Tim Mahoney did a nice little solo which segued right into the whole 311 band walking back onstage with their own drum which went right into a group drumming session. Similar to a football marching band, each member played in synch and each had their own part to create a very cool jam. 

Playing a solid 2+ hour, 23 song set, the encore featured a nice 3 songs wrapping things up with "Livin' & Rockin'", " Don't Stay Home" and finally an energy packed "Down" to wrap it up. 

311 8-2-2017 RAW (98 of 230) 311 8-2-2017 RAW (186 of 230) 311 8-2-2017 RAW (49 of 230)

I was happy to see 311 return back to the St. Augustine Amphitheater again after playing here so many years in a row. With the opening of the new Daily's place Amphitheater in Jacksonville, I was concerned that it would draw the major acts away but it's good to see that that hasn't been the case this summer.  Be sure to check out 311 on tour in a town near you where they will be swinging out West and wrapping things up in early September and be sure to check out the new album "Mosaic", available at all online retailers. 

Full setlist here: 311 Setlist @ St. Augustine 8-2-2017

Check out full photo gallery here

BUSH 5-9-2017 (55 of 316) BUSH 5-9-2017 (290 of 316)

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The Hard Rock Live Orlando is a bit of an enigma for concerts. While the venue itself is wonderful, it draws a transient crowd being situated right in the middle of Universal's Citywalk. As a result, the folks who pay for a show are often times there just to fill time and give them something to do. A majority of the audience are the vacationers which can give many shows at HRL a rude vibe with people talking throughout the show and not even paying attention to the music. Despite this, Bush still played one hell of a show and certainly surprised many of the attendees. If you see Bush are playing near you, definately buy a ticket and don't forget your flannel shirt.

Setlist

Mondo Cozmo 5-7-2017 RAW (19 of 106) Mondo Cozmo 5-7-2017 RAW (44 of 106)

Los Angeles band Mondo Cozmo took the stage first and did not disappoint from the first note. Playing a mix of high energy tunes that had the crowd warmed up, infused with some personal life anecdotes from singer Josh Ostrander. Though the set was a short 8 songs it infused some much needed high energy into the lackadaisical crowd as they slowly filled the 4100 seat venue. With songs such as "Chemical Dream" and a brilliant cover of The Verve's hit "Bittersweet Symphony" , Mondo Cozmo created some new fans and certainly deserve to be the headliners in their own outright.

Bastille - St. Augustine Amphitheater 5-7-2017 (6 of 18)

As the lights went, out a screen showing a fake news commentator from the fictional Wide World News Network began speaking as the band walked onstage. With the first notes of  "Send them Off" hitting the beach air, the crowd was shown a brilliant display of lights and videos that would normally be used in a much larger venue. Hands were raised into the air and the people were dancing. Singer Dan Evans danced and encouraged everyone to do the same and they obliged. Highlights of the night included the hits "Bad Blood" and " Things We Left In The Fire" while the encore featured the return of opener, Mondo Cozmo to the stage to help with vocals on Bastille's worldwide hit "Pompeii".

Bastille - St. Augustine Amphitheater 5-7-2017 (9 of 11)

Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals, 5-2-2017 Jannus Live Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals, 5-2-2017 Jannus Live Bastille - St. Augustine Amphitheater 5-7-2017 (13 of 34)

Ben Harper Jannus Live Setlist

Opening up the show was Commerford's punk trio Wakrat, whose hard core style filled the venue as fans slowly meandered around the floor. Wakrat played for a short 30 minutes which was more then enough for many due to the excessive volume. While it would have been enjoyable to hear what was being played, sadly it was not possible. As a result the floor was left virtually empty for their short set.

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Following up Wakrat was LA based band, Awolnation who gave a tight performance to the many fans. It wasn't until late in their set where they broke out their hit song "Sail" which got everyone singing and finally settling down into the show. Front man Aaron Bruno provided a solid vocal performance complete with a beautiful lighting backdrop. Awolnation's electronic sounds filled the St. Augustine amphitheater as Bruno had the crowd chanting and singing along while drummer Issac Carpenter put on a solid display performing the entire set with one giant smile. Guitarist Zach Irons was bouncing around dancing in and out of the shadows amidst several solos that drove the fans crazy. After a solid 45 minute set, the table had been set for some "in your face" rock and roll but first came a quick 15 minute set from DJ Lord of Public Enemy. While his set was short, it was made memorable by some great rock classics mashed together to get the crowd singing and dancing.

Awolnation-St. Augustine Amphitheater (1 of 10) Awolnation-St. Augustine Amphitheater (5 of 10)

The lights dimmed and slowly walking out were The Prophets Of Rage. From the first notes of "Guerilla Radio", it was obvious that this band came to kick ass and take names. Blistering through a heavy RATM setlist, the Prophets of Rage proved that good music never dies. Despite the obvious lack of RATM lead singer Zach de la Rocha's vocals, both Chuck D and B-Real did a strong job of holding the lyrical portion down and honestly, the band was so fired up as were the crowd that Micky Mouse could have been singing and it would not have mattered. The smashmouth force of the music hit you like a ton of bricks. Morello's blistering guitar work is the stuff that many aspiring young guitarist's look up to and he brought it. Additionally, it was clear that Morello was having a great time being very animated throughout the set raising his fist and shouting at the crowd. The set consisted of many RATM anthems such as "Killing In The Name Of", "Testify" , and " Calm Like a Bomb" but a great segue happened mid show when B-Real and Chuck D did a mashup of Public Enemy/Cypress Hill songs "Hand on the Pump/Cant Truss It/Insane in the Brain/Bring the Noise/I Aint Going Out Like That" and got out into the crowd to sing which was quite good. All in all, this show was a fantastic one from many perspectives and certainly one of the best I've had the pleasure of shooting in a long while. Let's all hope that The Prophets Of Rage keep the music coming and that this wasn't a one off tour.

Prophets Of Rage (3 of 33) Prophets Of Rage (29 of 33)

You can see the full gallery here:

In 1998 McKenzie met Clements while at University and developed a bond quickly. Fast forward to 2007 and the Conchords were given a show from HBO which was only on for two seasons. Despite the huge popularity of the show, the duo walked away from it and a handsome payday extension when the network tried to resign for a third season. The show had become "work" and the art of creating had begun to get lost. The Flight of the Conchords haven't done much since the show ended other then continue to tour here and there and bring their infectious humor with them.

Flight Of The Conchords (3 of 35)

Flight Of The Conchords (9 of 35) Flight Of The Conchords (1 of 35)

Flight Of The Conchords (32 of 35)

The show opened up with comic and Flight of the Conchords regular, Arj Barker who played Dave the pawn shop owner. Warming up the already sweaty crowd for 30 minutes, Barker delivered a strong delivery supported with personal anecdotes which received a lot of laughs.

The Conchords are known for their quirky sense of humor and their self deprecating approach but are probably best known for their music which was the backbone of their HBO show. This concert brought many of the fan favorites which were included on their first two albums as well as some new music the duo has been road testing this summer.  The songs though that received the greatest response were  fan favorites " Business Time" and " The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)" while the quirky " Robots" received a great response with the "binary breakdown". Throughout the night the band was joined by the "New Zealand Symphony Orchestra" which consisted soley of Cellist Nigil Collins as he supplemented the music with cello and bass. While the songs were catchy and laughable, the best parts were what was in between the songs. The duo have made a name for themselves with their witty banter which was on full display. At some point during the show Clements quipped that ," It was hot" and that " in New Zealand  people pay good money to sit in this kind of heat. But legally, they can only stay in it for 15 minutes" which drew a huge applause as it was literally a sauna down on the floor. There was a great fairness of music and comedy that kept the crowd engaged throughout the show and while the new material may have strayed a bit too long at times, the addition of older favorites kept the audience in check.

Full gallery can be seen here:

Twenty One Pilots -St Augustine Amphitheater 7-2-2016

Formed in 2009 by college friends in Ohio, the duo consists of singer/keyboardist Tyler Joseph and Drummer Josh Dun. Their meteoric rise has been fueled by their high energy live show which has gained them fans all around the world. This tour dubbed " Emotional Roadshow" is in the midst of the U.S. leg of their world tour which will continue well into 2017 with stops in New Zealand and Australia. Of note, in February the duo will be returning for a show in Tampa at the Amalie Arena.

The humidity was thick and coupled with the heat, it made for a very hot and sweaty evening for the many throngs of fans who were noticeably younger and who had waited outside the gates since the early morning for a chance at the rail. This was a recipe for disaster as throughout the night many people began to pass out from the heat and lack of hydration. I encountered a young girl who had passed out from the heat who I assisted with icing down while waiting for medics to arrive to the scene.  Additionally, our photography set was abruptly cut short after the second song when another young concert goer passed out in the pit and singer Tyler Joseph pointed it out as medical staff rushed into the pit and jumped over the barricade. It was at this point that security gave us the hand across the throat gesture and quickly ushered the photographers out of the pit area.

Twenty One Pilots -St Augustine Amphitheater

As the crew prepared the stage, a black curtain draped the front of the stage as they worked behind the scenes. Once house music quit, the stage went dark and curtain dropped to the heavy beats of "Heavydirtysoul" as drummer Josh Dun clad in red sport coat and black ski mask smashed away at his kit while singer Tyler Joseph casually walked onstage in the same outfit slowly walking around as a microphone descended from above, much like a boxing match. Red and white lights flooded the stage which was a welcome change from their past shows which were typically known for being quite dark and almost impossible to photograph.

"Migraine" followed up as Joseph sat on keys for a slower tune taking some of the attention away from Dun who was smashing his kit unabashedly.

As the show progressed along there was never really a moment of low energy. The band did a great job of mixing old and new material into their set making sure that everyone got to hear material that represented their whole catalog including 2015's " Blurryface". Additionally, they made it a point to get close to everyone in the audience as they suddenly appeared at the top of the venue by the lighting board where security suddenly pulled off the tarp on a mini stage with drum kit and piano and broke into "The Pantaloon" and gave those lucky people at the rear of the venue a seven song mini set.

After heading back down to the main stage after this mini set, Twenty One Pilots brought out opener Mutemath for a few songs which included covers of "Twist and Shout" and House Of Pain's " Jump Around"  which included break dancing and some impressive audience participation.  As if the night could not get any better or more impressive the lights went down onstage as Joseph quietly sat down on the stage and crew rushed out with a giant inflatable ball of which Tyler was inside of. Lights came on and Tyler ran offstage in this ball right over the top of the audience as he frantically ran around on top of the pit crowd to keep his momentum going and not get stuck eventually landing back onstage. This was certainly a visual thrill and no doubt entertaining.

Twenty One Pilots -St Augustine (12 of 16)

It's clear that Twenty One Pilots have earned a great reputation for their live shows. Years of non stop touring as an opener playing for small crowds has primed them for the larger venues in the world like Madison Square Garden where they will be headlining two nights. However, on this night they brought this high energy and immensely entertaining show  to the comfy confines of St. Augustine of which will likely never be done again. Those lucky enough to see TOP in such a small venue as this got a show that they will never forget. For this writer it ranks right up there with some of the very best shows I've ever seen

The complete setlist is here http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/twenty-one-pilots/2016/st-augustine-amphitheatre-st-augustine-fl-73ff8a25.html

Nashville's Moon Taxi have been making a living the old fashioned way since the late 2000's. Formed in college while at Belmont University they have been recording and touring endlessly while continuing to grow both fans and acclaim through a grass roots approach. With a style influenced by the sounds of Kings Of Leon and Imagine Dragons they have become known for their live shows. With four studio albums and a live album under their belts and a string of high profile sets at multiple festivals around the country such as Bonnaroo, Hangout Fest, and 10,000 Lakes Festival, the band has developed a fanbase worthy of any jam band.

Moon Taxi @ High Dive Gainesville_ Florida (9 of 28) Moon Taxi @ High Dive Gainesville_ Florida (24 of 28) Moon Taxi @ High Dive Gainesville_ Florida (10 of 28)

Playing in support of their latest album "Daybreaker" released in October 2015, the band delivered a very high energy show to a near capacity filled crowd despite the late start time of 11:15 and the venue remaining near capacity for much of the show into the wee hours. The great thing about seeing a Moon Taxi show is that the music is just so good. Simply put, the songwriting, especially on "Daybreaker" has yielded some very catchy and infectious tunes starting things off with "Red Hot Lights" with a very Muse-esque drum beat driving the opener running into "All Day and All Night" which can currently be heard on a Mcdonald's commercial. Surprisingly, the song that got me hooked on Moon Taxi "Year Zero" got thrown in rather early in the set to the crowds delight. One view of their 2015 Bonnaroo performance of this song was all that it took to get me hooked and know that I had to shoot their set and see what all the fuss was about.  A highlight of the show and set closer was David Bowie's "Fame" which included the use of a talk box, the instrument made famous in the late 70's by guitar players Peter Frampton and David Gilmour.  Regrettably, I was unable to catch the encore set as it was already into the wee hours of the night and with a 5am wake up call I could no longer hang with it. I'm told by a fellow fan that a cover of "Killing in The Name Of" By Rage Against the Machine was the highlight of the encore and caught everyone off guard.

Moon Taxi @ High Dive Gainesville_ Florida (3 of 28) Moon Taxi @ High Dive Gainesville_ Florida (22 of 28)

Moon Taxi will be on tour throughout the spring with a stop at the Guns N' Roses reunion show at Coachella in April so check out their website http://ridethemoontaxi.com to see if they are coming near you. If they are, do yourself a favor and get your ass there.

In the meantime, be sure to check out this video of "Year Zero" from Bonnaroo 2015 below and the entire gallery of images from the show.

https://youtu.be/O7mHDeDwEAo

Damien Rice @ Tampa Theatre 11-9-2015 Damien Rice @ Tampa Theatre 11-9-2015 (29 of 48)

Coming off of a several year hiatus of live performances, 2014 brought the release of his latest effort "Favorite Faded Fantasy" which has been met with critical praise. The Rick Rubin produced album (best known for his work with Beastie Boys, No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers) follows in the familiar footsteps of previous albums yet finds new territory that stretches Rice's songwriting and vocal skills. The show consisted of much of this album plus many of his older favorites that gave the attentive crowd everything that they had hoped for and more. I admit that I was skeptical as to how Mr. Rice would pull off the lush sounds of his albums that are filled with beautiful strings while playing solo. However, my fears were quickly swept aside employing many tactics such as looping pedals and multiple instruments throughout the show. The effect was in essence, a one man band that left the audience hanging on every note. What was most impressing was the attention of the audience where at several times you could hear a pin drop. Lacking was the scattered white glow of cell phones on record throughout the audience and whispered chatter. It was clear that this was Rice's night.

Despite not being too chatty with the crowd it was clear that all of his energy was going into this performance. Highlights of the night included crowd favorite "Blower's Daughter" and the new tune " Trusty and True" that showcased his pedal organ skills and made it feel more like attending church then a concert as he sang bathed in smoke and back light and "Colour Me In" with the catchy "Come Let me Love You" lyrics.

The lighting throughout the night was a very simple scheme yet powerful. A few spotlight with smoke created a very moody and dramatic atmosphere that accompanied the music being played. Other highlights of the night included "Volcano" which divided the audience into thirds in a choral round while Rice sang over the top. The result was a very melodic merry go round effect that just kept going and going.

Damien Rice @ Tampa Theatre 11-9-2015 Damien Rice @ Tampa Theatre 11-9-2015 (8 of 48)

The encore opened with the quiet "Delicate" then he brought out Scandinavian duo "My Bubba" to sing a tune and then that's when the real fireworks began as "It Takes A Lot To Know A Man" concluded the show. This was an epic show closer as it began as a quiet ditty with clarinet and organ peddle and rose to a drum thrashing and crashing climax some 8 minutes later. There was nobody left sitting as the seats emptied for a standing ovation to this performance. By this time it was obvious that Damien Rice had left everything he had in the music and was tapped out. With a solemn bow he was greeted with roaring applause and disappeared into the darkness. Despite being a one man band, it was clear that he held the audience in the palm of his hand all night long right where he wanted them to be.

Damien Rice @ Tampa Theatre 11-9-2015 (11 of 13) Damien Rice @ Tampa Theatre 11-9-2015 (4 of 13)

Damien Rice @ Tampa Theatre 11-9-2015 (33 of 48)

See the full setlist here: http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/damien-rice/2015/tampa-theatre-tampa-fl-53f51379.html

Mark Knopfler @ St. Augustine Amphitheater10_27_2015 (2 of 26)Mark Knopfler greets the sold out crowd at the start of his show in St. Augustine. Mark Knopfler @ St. Augustine Amphitheater10_27_2015 (3 of 26)

On Tuesday night Knopfler brought his 2015 "Tracker" North America Tour to the St. Augustine Amphitheater for a show billed as "An Evening With Mark Knopfler". With over 30 years worth of material to draw from it is difficult to decide what to play but this show catered mainly to his post Dire Straits solo work much to the disappointment of many fans I overheard grumbling.

Drawing heavily off of his 8th studio album "Tracker", Knopfler brought with him several very talented musicians to accompany him on the road. While being billed as an "Evening With..." it was clearly a group effort and Knopfler gave each of the band members time to shine as he stood quietly nearby and even giving them an eight minute introduction.

The show got started with the mellow "Broken Bones" followed by "Corned Beef City" as the band eased their way into more familiar territory. Despite these beautifully played songs you could tell the audience was pining for more then what was being served. It wasn't until the 8th song where Knopfler broke out his National Resonator guitar (Brothers In Arms album cover) to play a gorgeous "Romeo and Juliet" to the cheers from the audience. It was clear that this was what everyone was hoping to hear despite the wonderful solo material being performed. 

With the first chords of "Sultans Of Swing" the crowd erupted with loud cheers and whistles. The amphitheater was clearly re-energized as this rock staple was jammed out with the famous guitar solo played on every classic rock station in the country making it look easy with nothing more then a mild shoulder shrug as he hit the high notes. 

A highlight of the night was the "Postcards From Paraguay" off of 2006's "Shangri-La" album that really showcased the band's various talents with mandolin and penny whistle being front and center. "On Every Street" came next and Knopfler explained to the crowd that he wanted to play a song that displayed his amazing saxophone player's skills which is a song that he hadn't been playing for the last 23 years from Dire Straits last album in 1991 of the same name. A sax-centric song that slowly builds up to the catchy guitar rhythm of Knopler building over the course of four minutes.

"Speedway at Nazareth" followed with another slow buildup into frenetic energy that closed out the first set. The quiet interludes and sweet melodies that give way to boisterous guitar solos.

As much as the music was enjoyed you could tell it still fell short of the the audience's expectations. This was not a night to relive the glory of rock n' roll past but rather to enjoy the music of a new beginning. While the hit "So Far Away" closed out the show in the encore, it still left you wanting more. Perhaps Knopfler has been doing this far too long or simply he was set on playing what he wanted regardless of the audience. Either way it was a laid back affair and maybe that is the sign of a good show where you leave wanting more.

Full setlist can be found here http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/mark-knopfler/2015/st-augustine-amphitheatre-st-augustine-fl-13f5f971.html    

There were four bands slated to play on the tour however, due to traffic in the Tampa area and an early 6:15 start time I was unable to make the first band play, The Bots. However, I did arrive in time to catch Death From Above 1979 hit the stage. This Canadian rock duo played a very impressive set consisting of guitar,drums and a synthesizer. Nothing more. Guitar player Jesse Keeler wailed on the strings while tossing his long black hair back and forth while drummer/singer Sebastien Grainger kept the groove flowing pulling double duty on vocals and drums. They were a great band to shoot and look forward to seeing these guys again.

After a quick set change Deftones hit the stage and from the moment of the first note of "Be Quiet and Drive" these Northern California rockers shook the stage.  Frontman Chino Moreno's ability to belt out the high notes all the while jumping around the stage made him a fun person to photograph. Adding backing vocals and holding down the back end was new bassist Sergio Vega whose vocal ability added a nice compliment to Moreno's wailing. Powering into "My Own Summer" and " Diamond Eyes " wound the energy up to such stratospheric levels that at times it seemed almost impossible to top. Moreno's vocals after awhile though began to sound strained and lost it's luster as they went into "Headup" and "Bored" and finishing with "Engine No. 9". 

Incubus_Deftones (3 of 24) Incubus_Deftones (1 of 24) Incubus_Deftones (2 of 24) Incubus_Deftones (5 of 24)

It's been a long time coming that I've wanted to see Incubus. Formed in 1991 while still in high school in Calabasas, California by singer Brandon Boyd and guitarist Mike Einziger these guys have had a number of hit singles and successful albums. Coming onto the national scene in 1999 with their album "Make Yourself" and it's single "Drive", the guys of Incubus never had a quick road to fame or success. There was a lot of hard work touring in vans and playing small, dark clubs before they even had a taste of success. Things really turned around in 2001 though when Incubus holed themselves up in a Malibu mansion and recorded what would eventually be titled "Morning View". This album spawned the radio hits "Wish You Were Here" and "Nice To Know You" and blasted the band into orbit. Fast forward to 2015 and several albums later Incubus released the first of two EP's to be released this year titled "Trust Fall (Side A)" with "Trust Fall (Side B)" due out later this year. This tour was in support of the Trust Fall EP.

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Lights go out  andthe crowd begins cheering wildly. The opening riffs of Einziger's guitar bring to life the music of the band's biggest hit "Wish You Were Here" when the lights flood the audience in bright white light. Instantly, I am taken back to living in San Diego when this song came out and am suddenly sitting on the seawall at sunset again while the last remaining rays of warm sunlight hit my face. Not a bad way to start a show. By the time photographers are allowed to get to the pit it is already 3 songs deep and Incubus bring out a new tune from Trust Fall called "Absolution Calling". I can suddenly see why this band has such a great following. Singer Brandon Boyd commands the stage like a field general striking a pose at every opportunity and just oozes rock star. Guitarist Mike Einziger plays some mind blowing riffs while barely lifting his head up from underneath his long hair. After "Absolution Calling" comes yet another great song off of Morning View with "Are You In".  As Boyd sings along he is bathed in lights of all colors. First green then yellow then red all the while surrounded in a sea of smoke which creates a very ethereal scene to match the light mood of the song. In fact, the best part of the night aside from Boyd's theatrics was the lighting. The set designer made excellent use of multicolored lights and a backdrop that showed random images throughout the show. It was great to be seated so far back as I was able to take in the entire show and it's theatrics.

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After meandering through the beautiful "In The Company of Wolves", Incubus shifted things back into high gear as they went into "Nice To Know You"at a lightning pace. Later in the set the lights went red and white as Einziger's guitar intro to "Megalomaniac" got the crowd frothing with the lyrics " Step down, step down" which some people hinted at the song being about former POTUS George Bush when it originally was released. In fact, this tune got banned from daytime MTV and was thrown into the late night rotation for it's perceived political message. "Dig", "Drive" and "Crow left of Murder" filled out the remainder of the set as the black clad patrons held their cell phones and lighters in the air demanding more. You know a concert is great when the last song gets played and it leaves you wanting more. Incubus put on a classic rock concert complete with lights, smoke and plenty of hard rock guitar to make me wanting more. Let's hope it's not another several years until they return to the Sunshine State.

For all the photos check out the slideshow below.

You can check out the complete setlist here:  http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/incubus/2015/midflorida-credit-union-amphitheatre-tampa-fl-43f7934b.html

Once Cope's set was done after a quick set change Counting Crows hit the stage at 8:15 to a rousing reception from the St. Augustine crowd. Photographer's were allowed to shoot the first 3 songs from the seated pit but that meant all shots were from the side stage area so as not to block seated patrons view. After the first 3 songs however, we were free to roam the venue and shoot from elsewhere inside except the pit.

Originally starting out as just a duo in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1991 by singer Adam Duritz and guitarist David Bryson, The Counting Crows eventually evolved to become a full fledged rock band. Their 1993 debut album "August and Everything After" has sold over 20 million albums and spawned the hit song" Mr. Jones" which brought the band to rock radio. This was a night the band catered to a lot of it's older and more popular material which seemed to satisfy the crowds appetite. Things opened up with three older songs right out of the gate with "Sullivan Street" " Scarecrow" and  their 1993 breakthrough hit " Mr. Jones". Once done with those they were not done with the older stuff however and we were treated to a great version of "Omaha" and " Mrs. Potter's Lullaby". Having never seen or shot Counting Crows before I was captivated by the bands energy and how they just seemed to get along so well together and looked like they were having a great time the entire show. This made for some great images as well as memories for the audience.  Arguably, the best part of the show was when the house lights dimmed and there sat Adam Duritz alone at the piano with nothing but a lone spotlight on top of him. Then the chords to "Long December" begin and the crowd cheers loudly while he starts the opening verse. There is something that resonates in this song with me when the words "It's been so long since I've seen the ocean, I think I should" get sung. I am not alone in this feeling. It is something that is clearly felt by others as well.

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"Hanginaround" closes out the first set and after a quick encore break the boys come back out for the encore. Prior to beginning, Duritz begins to read to the audience and thank the great people of the St. Augustine/Jacksonville area who have always been so nice to the band over the years. It's at this point in their shows where Duritz informs the audience of local charities that could use help. After some quick banter about a local domestic abuse safe house, Counting Crows launch into "Palisades Park" and "Rain King which gets a tremendous applause as it is played a bit differently then the original but no less fun and comes in at 8 minutes. Duritz gets the crowd singing "I belong in the service of the king" as he turns the microphone towards the audience to hear them sing. It's quite a moment. Finally, as all shows do, this concert must come to an end and things are brought down for the final song "Holiday in Spain" which is a nice way to end the show. It's no secret that Counting Crows really enjoy this venue as they have played here many times prior but they make it a point to tell the audience this and that they will definitely be back. This tour is the band's longest in a few years and will take them across the U.S through middle of October.

Counting Crows 8_2_15 (41 of 53) Counting Crows 8_2_15 (14 of 53)

For the full set of photos check out the slideshow below

Check out the full setlist here:http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/counting-crows/2015/st-augustine-amphitheatre-st-augustine-fl-6bf64ac2.html

As is typical for midsummer Florida weather the humidity was thick and heavy. The show kicked off with an early start of 6:30 with the Violent Femmes taking the stage and playing a 40 minute set consisting of their better known songs many of which had the audience singing along. Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin the Femmes (as they are nicknamed ) have been around since the early 80's and have gone through many phases much like most bands who have stayed together. When you've been together as long as they have, band members will come and they will go. Most notably with drums/percussion. They are currently on the third drummer while the original singer and bassist have stayed true.

Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (16 of 43) Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (14 of 43) Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (11 of 43)

Colin Hay is best known for his work in the 80's Australian group Men At Work. Their success won them a Grammy in 1983 for Best New Artist and their songs " Down Under" and " Who Can It be Now" are still radio staples today. While Men At Work permanently disbanded in 2009 after a couple of failed reunions, Colin Hay has not let that stop him from continuing his music career as a solo artist. While best known for his MAW material, he has subsequently recorded 12 solo albums. Not bad for a guy who was left without a band. In the the mid 2000's Hay's career got a boost from actor/director Zach Braff as he included songs in both the tv show "Scrubs" as well as in movie "Garden State".

Hay worked the St. Augustine audience with his mix of MAW material while playing solo stuff which received a nice response from the slowly filling crowd. Playing songs that were written for a full band is a lot different then when you are solo and left feeling vulnerable to the music and the audience. Hay did a very nice job of rearranging his MAW material and giving it new life by means of slower melodies and stripped components leaving the songs with nothing but bare bones. Throughout his set Hay would interject in between songs and let his sense of humor shine through which will prove to be a perfect fit for touring with BNL.

Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (4 of 43) Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (8 of 43) Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (10 of 43) Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (3 of 43)

After delivering a strong 45 minute set, the Canadian rockers Barenaked Ladies stormed the stage opening with "Get Back Up" and " Old Apartment" which set the mood for a great night of music. Lead singer and guitar player Ed Robertson was all smiles as he took the stage as was bass player Jim Creeggan who bounced around the stage all night as if he had springs in his shoes. The band delivered a variety of songs from throughout their 25 year career including songs from their latest effort "Silverball" which was released June 2, 2015. One thing that BNL have always done is improv songs on the fly and on this night the band broke out a rap about a fish sandwich. Other highlights of the night include a cover version of Men At Work's "Who Can It Be Now" with Colin Hay singing lead vocal and saxophone support from the Violent Femmes sax player. In 2007 BNL got asked to write an intro for a new tv show pilot. That show would go on to not only become a tremendous hit but it would bring BNL an entire new audience. That show was "The Big Bang Theory" and the 20 second intro spawned an entire new generation for the band. You can imagine that everyone was as surprised as me when the "Big Bang" theme song started but then continued for another 3.5 minutes of never before heard lyrics which was a great treat.

Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (32 of 43) Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (24 of 43) Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (38 of 43) Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (31 of 43) Barenaked Ladies_ Colin Hay (37 of 43)

The night concluded with a great rendition of the Led Zeppelin cover "Rock and Roll" which again, was a total surprise to everyone and left the audience on a high note for what was surely a fantastic night for music out by the beach!

To see the full setlist click here http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/barenaked-ladies/2015/st-augustine-amphitheatre-st-augustine-fl-bf6ed2e.html

At the front of LIVE's presence was singer Ed Kowalczyk and his lyrics consisting of aspects of spirituality penned into aggressive rock anthems. LIVE went on to record and tour until 2009 when they went on a 2 year "hiatus" only to permanently disband due to legal actions taken by the band against Kowalczyk. Afterwards LIVE continued to tour with a new lead singer while Kowalczyk pursued a solo career of his own. With the 20th anniversary of "Throwing Copper" having been released April 19, 1994 Kowalczyk decided it was time to revisit these songs again and deliver them to the long time fans in a new yet complete package by playing the album front to back in an acoustic format. Having started this tour in 2014 , it finally arrived in Orlando for a sold out show at the Plaza Live Theater in the old Milk District near downtown Orlando on May 16th. Formerly an old movie theater, Plaza Live has found new life as the home of the Orlando Philharmonic as well as to multiple concerts throughout the year.

Ed Kowalczyk @ The Plaza Live Orlando 5-16-2015 (5 of 11)

The set was minimal and to be expected for such a stripped down show. Just a singer and his guitar plus his touring guitarist. The mood of the venue was subdued as lights were dark with nothing more then a screen of flickering candles while the crowd arrived to their seats. Once the show began it got even darker and I knew immediately that I was gonna have a rough go with photography despite the liberal photo policy. Imagine if you can trying to photograph someone in a wine cellar with nothing more then ambient light to illuminate the subject and you can get an idea of what I was up against shooting this show. For the photo nerds out there I was shooting at ISO 4000-5000 the entire show as there was literally very little lighting to be had.

As Ed walked onstage he immediately went into "Damn at Otter Creek"  for the first track off of Throwing Copper. From there it was the entire album front to back and song by song with some verbal interjection in between. Prior to LIVE's biggest song to date (IMO) "Lightning Crashes" Ed told the crowd the story of his "little song that could" as he put it. The album had already been out for 10 months and the record execs were not too keen on the song before the album's release. As LIVE finished up the recording process, Ed drove off in his Honda and listened to the tape and knew the song would be a success. It took awhile but eventually it went on to become a #1 blockbuster and has been a radio mainstay ever since with it's muted beginning rising to a climax some four and a half minutes later. Following in the set was some banter regarding a song written about Ed's hometown and how the mayor wasn't very happy with him back then before launching into "Shit Towne". With it's lyrics depicting life in a post industrial wasteland it's not difficult to see the desire for Kowalczyk and his band mates to make it big. With the first set coming to a conclusion with "Horse" a song not even listed on the album Ed returned back to the stage a few minutes later for set two.

Ed Kowalczyk @ The Plaza Live Orlando 5-16-2015 (1 of 11) Ed Kowalczyk @ The Plaza Live Orlando 5-16-2015 (8 of 11)

The second set commenced with the launch into the energetic"Lakini's Juice" off of LIVE's  follow up album"Secret Samadhi". This set included two solo songs "All that I Wanted" and "Seven" before finishing up with "Heaven" written about the birth of his first daughter and finally concluding with the very powerful and moving "Overcome" which became the reference point for everything post 9-11. This song was used in a montage depicting the horrific events that happened to the U.S. on that fateful day. It leaves you reminded just how fragile life is and just how vulnerable humans are to the terrible intentions of other human beings. While not a flashy show by any means, Ed delivered a very solid performance and delivered what was promised. A night with Ed Kowalczyk and his LIVE songs played in a stripped down bare-to-the-bones manner that left everyone still feeling like 1994 was just yesterday and that we are all still 18 years old. Grey hairs and all.  Ed Kowalczyk will continue his run of shows again on the 3rd leg in October starting in Portland, Maine October 5 and running though October 24 and hopes to have a new album out due later this year.

A complete setlist can be seen here:

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/ed-kowalczyk/2015/the-plaza-theatre-orlando-fl-63c85eab.html

Lights out began with a nice video montage of various images spanning the career of The Red Rocker such as the "I Can't Drive 55" video, various Van Hagar album covers and his super group Chickenfoot. Once the boys hit the stage it was immediately apparent that they were not here to go through the motions and really "put the pedal to the metal" and wasted no time with "There's Only One Way To Rock". At this point it became obvious that this was already going to be the best show I've seen in quite some time as well as the most fun to photograph. With so much energy being spent the photographs almost took themselves. This lead into "Rock Candy" and finally "Good Times, Bad Times" hitting the first of several Zeppelin tunes of the night where Hagar channeled his inner Robert Plant.

Sammy Hagar and The Circle @ Hard Rock Live Orlando 4-27-2015 (8 of 44)Sammy Hagar plays out some " Rock Candy" Sammy Hagar and The Circle @ Hard Rock Live Orlando 4-27-2015 (3 of 44)Michael Anthony thumping on the bass.

Throughout the entire show Sammy Hagar seemed like he was having the time of his life and wanted to be that guy with the great house throwing the really awesome party down the street as he imbibed onstage with his own line of "Beach Bum Rum"" even going so far as to share it with the few lucky people in the front row as he topped off their glasses with some out of the bottle. One thing that really stood out for me at this show was the cover of another song made popular by Led Zeppelin "When the Levee Breaks". The lights became dark and the stage filled with smoke to set up a moody, swampy vibe as the band jammed right on through this tune as Hagar played this one on guitar. The imagery that was set was of an early Zeppelin concert such as in their famous movie "The Song Remains The Same" complete with a zeppelin moving across the giant video screens. Later, prior to breaking into the party anthem "Mas Tequila" Hagar brought out an air canon and said to the crowd that it wasn't a party until he got to shoot into the air which rained down confetti and streamers onto everyone cheering below. Other highlights included the Van Hagar tunes "Runaround" off of their 1992 release " For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and "Right Now"as well as a stripped down acoustic version of "Dreams" off of 5150. This tune received a complete makeover arranged by Vic Johnson that was performed by just him and Sammy and got the entire crowd singing along "Higher and higher straight up we'll climb". Johnson plays the part of Eddie Van Halen so well that it truly felt like I was at a Van Hagar concert all over again it was that realistic. Those are some very tough shoes to fill and Vic does an amazing job at filling in those seemingly impossible guitar riffs of EVH.

Sammy Hagar and The Circle @ Hard Rock Live Orlando 4-27-2015 (36 of 44)"When The Levee Breaks" Sammy Hagar and The Circle @ Hard Rock Live Orlando 4-27-2015 (44 of 44)

Another member who does a lot of the heavy lifting without getting the credit he deserves is bass player Michael Anthony. In Van Halen, he was the anchor to the VH sound with his impressive backing vocals. If you listen back to any of the Van Halen albums you can hear how his presence was so important and they've not been the same since his replacement by Van Halen's son, Wolfgang. Anthony came out all smiles and was pumped to play for the Hard Rock crowd.  At the end of the show, Florida resident Jason Bonham thanked the crowd for supporting him and his Led Zeppelin family over the years and that it truly is an honor to play these Led Zeppelin songs " For dad". This was as close to seeing a Led Zeppelin show as I could have ever hoped to see. I never thought I'd see another Sammy Hagar show again in my life as most of his shows are on the West Coast or in the Northeast. I was so impressed by this performance that this show is going to be a very, very difficult show to top. Sammy Hagar and The Circle will continue touring on and off again throughout the year so check out http://www.theredrocker.com for more tour info and dates.

Setlist information is found here:

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/sammy-hagar/2015/hard-rock-live-orlando-fl-3bc8c498.html

Sarah McLachlan 3_25_2015 St. Augustine Amphitheater (15 of 26) Sarah McLachlan 3_25_2015 St. Augustine Amphitheater (10 of 26)

It was many years ago that I had last seen Sarah Mclachlan play on the tail end of her breakthrough "Surfacing" tour which brought her music to the masses. With several hit singles including "Adia", "Sweet Surrender" and " Building A Mystery" and an 18 month long world tour, I happened to catch her as she was road worn and flat. With very little spoken during that specific show I left feeling somewhat let down by the lackluster, mechanized production I had just seen and knew that this surely cannot be the show I heard about. Fast forward 18 years and the audience was treated to anything BUT lackluster and boring as Mclachlan belted out all of her best known tunes as well as working in some of the newer material to freshen things up for her. Throughout the night she was quite vocal and interactive with the audience in between songs often telling an anecdote about a song or just speaking her mind freely. In addition to her stories, this tour brought a new concept. As a point of trying to reach out and interact with her lifelong fans there was an online contest run through social media where concert goers were invited to write a short story about how they define "shining on". Winners were chosen for each show and invited up on stage for part of the show's set to sit in couches and chairs just a few feet away from Ms. McLachlan. Winner's were then given the opportunity to meet and talk with Sarah on stage and ask any questions they might have. This happened for the first set before intermission and then again after for the second half of the show. To make the show even more interactive all concert goers were invited to leave any questions they might have for her and to leave them in a box near the front of the venue. At a couple points in the show she reached into it and pulled out 4 or 5 questions posed by fans and gave very frank and humorous answers. 

Sarah McLachlan 3_25_2015 St. Augustine Amphitheater (21 of 26)

Coming right out of the gates with the new song "In Your Shoes" and going into "Building a Mystery" and "Adia" there was no delay in giving the fans what they paid for and getting right to the songs they knew. Highlights of the night included some absolutely mind blowing vocal work on "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" and "Fear" and goose bump inducing electricity of "Possession" which really brought the crowd to it's feet. The encore included a 4 song set which included "Angel" and "Ice Cream" which got a very strong crowd sing along much to McLachlan's pleasure. 

The St. Augustine Amphitheater never seems to disappoint. The quality of shows it attracts as well as the venue itself allows for attendees to have a great time in a gorgeous setting just footsteps from the shores of the Atlantic.

You can click here for the complete setlist http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/sarah-mclachlan/2015/st-augustine-amphitheatre-st-augustine-fl-63cb1693.html

For a slideshow of all the images you can click here.

Valentine's Day marked the last night of the first leg of Guster's "Evermotion" tour in the U.S. The tour started with several shows beginning on the West Coast that worked it's way through the South finally ending at House of Blues Orlando. Four years removed since their last studio album "Easy Wonderful", Guster have returned to the road and to doing what they do so well playing live. In support of their latest studio effort "Evermotion" released in January, the show mixed in 25 songs of new and old material clocking in over 2 hours.

Guster_2015 (11 of 44)

Opening for all shows on both the first and second U.S. leg is Athens, GA based violin player Kishi Bashi whose eclectic playing mixed in violin looping effects with a very solid vocal performance. Bashi's 35 minute set mesmerized the audience as he wove his way through more upbeat songs showcasing his strong singing ability as well as lush violin driven serenades that lulled the audience into submission at times. Throughout the set Bashi engaged with the crowd and was very lighthearted and comical as he brought his music to the masses. Of note was the fact that Kishi Bashi was scheduled to perform on The Late Show with David Letterman a couple days away for the very first time which generated some excitement among the crowd. Bashi follows in the same musical vein as Andrew Bird with his experimental use of looping pedal effects for his violin but with a much stronger voice to back it up. That's not to take anything away from Andrew Bird who is a genius but rather is a distinction between the two artists that sets them apart from one another. This is definately an artist to keep an eye on with Guster singer Ryan Miller quipping at one point that he was on the rise true to the Guster Reverse Curse. Various artists have opened for Guster over the years such as John Mayer and Train to go on to have careers that overshadowed their own career. You can hear more about him at his website

Kishi Bashi (4 of 9) Kishi Bashi (5 of 9)

Guster wasted no time getting to it with crowd favorites "Demons" and "Center of Attention" opening before diving into the new "Doin' it By Myself" off of "Evermotion". The band did an excellent job of weaving the new album material in with the older songs. Speaking with Brian after the show I was told that there were some 40 songs Guster could pull a setlist from with only 25-28 songs that could be played in any given show. With that many choices you can see how several songs could be neglected and not all of the favorites played. In fact, both "Airport Song" and "Barrel of a Gun" were left out of the set much to the dismay of many fans including myself. A third of a way into the show Kishi Bashi made a guest appearance for two songs highlighted with his beautiful contribution to "Satellite". Mid set lead singer Ryan Miller announced they were going to play a rarely played song yet due to the circumstances felt it was appropriate being Valentine's Day and then went into "Dear Valentine" that was then followed by a Florida improv jam with stage chat. Guster has always had a self proclaimed awkward relationship with the state of Florida. Going all the way back many, many years where they were once booked to play a heavy metal show in South Florida with some of the hardest rock acts of the time. They then took to the stage with Violent Femmes covers only to be booed at the end of their set. Such is the history of Guster in Florida. Miller then told of his day learning to surf in Cocoa Beach and professed his love of Earl Of Sandwhich. Guster has never been a band known for taking themselves seriously and this was no different. With his own sense of self-deprecation, Miller explained to the audience his interaction with the "surfer dude" who gave them wet suits and his experience out on the water that day culminating with his catching his first wave albeit almost sitting down which found several laughs. Many songs were played and in the end you realized just how many catchy and poppy songs Guster has in their catalog to play. The show came to an end some two hours later with two faux encores where the band walked offstage for a total of 10 seconds before reappearing with the look of surprise on their faces. "Amsterdam" closed out the first encore and was followed by the beautiful and quiet "Jesus On The Radio" played acoustic in the round at the edge of the stage. No amps and no electricity. All acoustic. What a beautiful way to end another fabulous Guster show in Orlando. In all this was a very impressive showing from the band four years in the making. I can only hope that it's not another four years before they return back. Thank you Guster for sticking it out and always coming back down to Florida to play for the fans. Though they may not be as popular as they are back home in the Northeast, the fans that are here will always come out and support one of their favorite bands.

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Guster will take a brief couple weeks off before heading to Europe for a run of shows and will be back in North American March 29 for the start of leg 2 that runs through to June with a stop in Manchester, TN for Bonnaroo 2015.  You can see the full setlist here.

For the full gallery of images check out the slideshow below

John Butler Orlando (45 of 45) John Butler Orlando (36 of 45)

This was John Butler Trio's very first trip to Central Florida and a very overdue one at that. While they've previously played St. Augustine they've never ventured any further south. When the show was announced I could not believe it as many people had waited years and years for it. Making this show even more memorable was the fact that this was their ONLY Florida stop on their winter tour. The opening act for this brief run of shows was Norwegian artist Monica Heldal. Sounding eerily similar to the sweet voice of Alison Krauss and the soundtrack of " O Brother, Where Art Though?"  she brought her songwriting skills to Central Florida on her first US tour in support of her new release "Boy From The North". Sweet and enchanting she played for 35 minutes to the people slowly filling in the theater.

John Butler Orlando (1 of 45)

In support of their latest release "Flesh and Blood" which came out last February, the show consisted of a heavy diet of the new material while still throwing in some of their older songs and opening with the quiet "Spring To Come" off of Flesh and Blood. Amid the new music JBT worked in some classic songs such as the jam happy "Pickapart"  as well as the iconic instrumental  "Ocean" which is to JBT what "Stairway to Heaven" is to Zeppelin. It's simply an amazing song that quietly builds into a crescendo of blazing finger picking leaving you wanting more.  I was in a fortunate position to be standing right on the rail in front of John Butler throughout the performance and to see "Ocean" from a few feet away will be definately be a concert highlight of my life. You can check out a studio version of it right here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdYJf_ybyVo

John Butler was quite vocal during this performance and seemed to genuinely be enjoying the experience and the new city while speaking in between songs. One thing that seemed to really resonate with the band about Orlando was not a certain mouse but rather the food. Citing the fact that finding and eating good food while on the road can be a daunting task the band gave a shout out to Dandelion Communitea Cafe which received rave reviews from the band for it's vegan friendly menu.

John Butler Orlando (24 of 45) John Butler Orlando (20 of 45) John Butler Orlando (32 of 45)

Playing for two and a half hours to a packed house the band brought their high energy show to many fans who had never seen them live before delivering a performance that is sure to bring them back again. I met several people who either knew of JBT but had never seen them live or those that knew nothing of JBT but were only going because of a friends recommendation. Everyone that went were blown away and it's safe to say they earned themselves some more new fans. I can only hope that this show was a means to test the waters of the Central Florida fan base and will mean more Florida shows in the future. One can hope after waiting 12 long years.

Be sure to check out the full gallery of photos here

David Gray @ Florida Theater David Gray @ Florida Theater David Gray leading the crowd during "Please Forgive Me"

Leading up to the show there was some concern over Gray's voice. He had been making it known that it was beginning to have some troubles due to fatigue and I was not sure what to expect. Prior to this show he posted on social media that he would be limiting some of his more challenging songs including "Snow in Vegas" and " Alibi"  and that they would be temporarily omitted in the near future until his voice improved. Needless to say, his voice was a non issue. The show began with several new tunes off of Mutineers opening with the lovely "Birds on the High Arctic" followed by the upbeat " Back In The Real World" to get things going. After the new tunes, Gray began to delve into his musical library and dust off some old crowd favorites beginning with the always popular "Sail Away" off of the smash hit album "White Ladder" which ultimately launched his career into the stratosphere in 2000. (As a small side note, it should be noted that while "White Ladder" was re-released in the US in 2000 on Dave Matthews label, ATO, it was originally released in 1998 elsewhere. It's odd to think that by the time "Babylon" began to gain traction here in the US, it was already two years old.)

David Gray @ Florida Theater (11 of 23)

By mid set Gray began to open up and interact with the audience in between songs. Right before the quiet "Flame Turns Blue" he began with a story that inspired the song with a 5 minute tale which involved a bus driver named Toby, a groupie, a stolen tour bus, police and a walk through the woods over train tracks in the black of night. The expletive filled story was humorous and even now he seems to look back on it and laugh at just how outlandish the whole thing was.

"Nemesis" has proven to become a crowd favorite the last few years played live and when Gray and Co. began to perform this song we knew we were in for a real special gift. This has become his "Stairway to Heaven" and has changed from year to year constantly evolving becoming the dynamic show stopper it is today. "Nemesis" begins rather innocently enough and then rises to a climax only to fade away again into submission with Gray whispering lyrics from "Davy Jone's Locker"  quietly playing into nothingness. The audience sat quiet as a church mouse some ten minutes later in complete awe. It was certainly one of the most memorable concert experiences of my life and I am sure others were feeling the same way. Epic can only describe it's power.

David Gray @ Florida Theater (5 of 23) David Gray @ Florida Theater (18 of 23)

The bar had been set and by the time crowd favorite "Babylon" made it's appearance everyone was full smiles and ready to help out with light vocal duty. Playing just solo guitar, the song began with him singing while the audience sat back and enjoyed it. But when Gray asked for crowd support in singing they obliged eagerly with the chorus "Let go of your heart, let go of your head and feel it now" repeatedly which pretty much summed up the evening perfectly in a nutshell before launching into "This Year's Love".

Rounding out the night were the delicate "Life in Slow Motion" and the always crowd favorite "Please Forgive Me" which had everybody up and moving around while Gray jumped and shaked onstage with his infamous bobblehead nod. Sadly, the show ended somewhat abruptly and was only given a brief one song encore. More then likely the show ran past curfew and was forced to end quickly.

David Gray's performance was simply one for the ages. There are no words that can put into emotions how delightful and enjoyable this show was. He does not play Florida very often and when he does you must see him. In fact, this was only the second time in at least 12 years he has played Florida just to put it into context. If this show comes to your town do yourself a favor and go. You just might find yourself with a new favorite artist. I know I did.

For the full gallery of concert photography check it out here

3 Doors Down Orlando HOB 9/3/2014

It has been 14 years since the debut release of "The Better Life" by 3 Doors Down. In that time span there have been lineup changes and multi-platinum albums in an evolving music world. On September 3, 2014 3DD brought their "Songs From The Basement" tour through Central Florida with a show at House of Blues Orlando. This tour which has been on the road since 2013 brings all of their songs stripped down to their bare bones and played acoustic in a cozy confined setting. Adding to the ambience of the show are the addition of two couches that sit on stage throughout the show allowing a few lucky fans who get to enjoy a very intimate performance from only a few feet away from the performance. I was not expecting a sell out show but was surprised to see a near capacity crowd filling nearly every nook and cranny  of the venue. Just the ability to move around was limited due to wall to wall people filling the place. However, the crowd provided some great energy that was well received by singer Brad Arnold who in turn gave back a very solid vocal performance overall. 3 Doors Down are one of those bands who have been around for awhile now who have quite a catalog of hits to work with yet you don't realize it until they start playing a song you know. Then another is played and then another until a whole show has passed and you realize to yourself "Damn these boys have some hits". Amid the crowd favorites such as "When I'm Gone" and "Here Without You", 3DD mixed in a couple of cover songs to add variety. The first was a rather surprising song choice but one that singer Arnold said " was a favorite of his growing up" back in Mississippi with a cover of Garth Brooks' "The Dance". The camera phones were up by many for this song as it also took me back to my formative years in the mid 1990's. Later, the band pulled out an excellent cover of Metallica's " Nothing Else Matters"  which the majority of concert goers were pretty enthusiastic to hear and a total departure from Brooks' cover. Mid point in the show it was hinted that after the tour ended the band were heading back into the studio to finish an album in progress and hope to have some new material out later this year. All in all there were about 90 minutes of hit songs played that were much loved and sung along to which culminated with the first #1 hit " Kryptonite". The tour is wrapping up after an extensive run so if you missed it chances are you won't see it again soon. If you were lucky enough to see this tour count your blessings as it was a real treat to see the songs bare bones.

3 Doors Down Orlando HOB (11 of 20) 3 Doors Down Orlando HOB (13 of 20)

Check out the full gallery here

Stiff Little Fingers began the late afternoon show in the searing Florida heat and played a rousing 30 minute set to the slowly arriving amphitheater crowd. Their energy set the mood for the rest of the night which would prove fun to watch from the relative safety above the pit. There is no doubting the sound of Stiff Little Fingers. From the opening chords the band proved to still have that late 70's punk sound that paved the way for the others of the time without missing a beat. Forming in 1977 they were a part of the UK punk invasion that brought the world The Clash and Sex Pistols and later The Police.

Pennywise was up next and had a fairly well received welcome. Lead singer Jim Lindberg even noted at one point that they really liked playing Florida as it was a lot like Southern California adding "only with better food". In 2009, after 20 years as frontman for the band, Lindberg decided it was time to move on to other pursuits and left Pennywise only to announce in 2012 that he was returning. The crowd had a fairly large fan base of Pennywise fans and after the few year hiatus began the night with their So Cal punk rock that had the back of the pit moshing and singing along. It was a tidal flow of sweaty, shirtless people running and jumping around in a large circle while pushing and shoving one another with random cups of beer flipping up into the air.

Pennywise (2 of 5)

Veteran punk rockers Bad Religion walked onstage to a sea of cheers and blasted through their better know songs such as         "Infected" ," 21st Century Digital Boy" and " Sorrow" during their hour long set. Originally forming in 1979 in Southern California, Bad Religion has gone through it's share of ups and downs as well as any other band that has been around so long. Presently, 3 out of 4 of the original members are playing in the band with line up changes having occurred over the years. Only lead singer Greg Graffin has been the consistent member for the duration.

Bad Religion (3 of 9) Bad Religion (1 of 9)

By the time The Offspring took to the stage the sun had set and the pit was packed. From the start of the show they told the fans that they were there to support "Smash" and would play the entire album from front to back in it's duration and then play "some other stuff". This was a somewhat difficult set to photograph as we were under restrictions of where we could stand as well as what we could shoot. After shooting the first 3 songs of the set I retreated to the relative safety of the seats above where I could get a hawk's eye view of the action down below me. It's amazing just how many songs The Offspring have that are popular that I know and they seemed to play many of them. Of note, during the show were the prior mentioned moshers in the pit. At one point I saw somebody doing back flips in the pit which also caught the eyes of lead singer Dexter Holland and guitarist Noodles who commented on it between songs. Later in the show I noticed the same someone being hoisted up onto the shoulders of others and then doing a back flip off onto the cement slab while others continued moshing around. While most of the participants in the moshing were males I did see a few females joining in which I am sure is rare sight. Thankfully, it did not get violent and looked fairly civil from my vantage point. A couple of fans did break through the line of security in front of the stage and ran on only to quickly turn around and immediately run and jump back into the crowd. Crowd diving had been witnessed! I've covered many shows at the St. Augustine Amphitheater and never have there been as many police officers as there were in attendance at this show. Thankfully, nobody appeared to be getting into any serious trouble and most of the officers stood stoically aloof just happy to watch from afar.

The Offspring (1 of 10) The Offspring (7 of 10)

The opening  "La la la la la" and guitar riff of "Self Esteem" began and I was immediately transported back to 1993. No, it wasn't for this song. I was having flashbacks of Nirvana's " Smells Like Teen Spirit" which has the same feel and vibe. The crowd was jumping and singing along to virtually every word which was fun to watch. Upon completing "Smash" the band took a very brief 5 minute break only to come out and play a "greatest hits" type set which seemed to make everyone happy. Songs included "Pretty Fly For A White Guy" ," The Kids Aren't Alright" and "Why Don't You Get A Job" among others. If ever there were a show to wear ear plugs to this was it! The amps were cranked up so loud that I'm sure music could be heard in Jacksonville. Perhaps this is what caused the somewhat hurried close to the show as it promptly ended at 9:45 without any encore. I'm sure the camping neighbors at Anastasia State Park were not disappointed by the early completion.

The Offspring (10 of 10) The Offspring (6 of 10)

The Summer Nationals Tour will conclude on September 13 in Sacramento, California.

Yoga Session Soulshine Tour 2014 (18 of 22) Yoga Session Soulshine Tour 2014 (19 of 22)

D.C. based SOJA opened up their set with a solid 60+ minutes of their reggae infused rock which was certainly one of the highlights of the evening. Of note was a drum line where all members of the band played various sized drums resulting in one of the coolest drum jams I have ever seen. I've had the privilege to shoot SOJA before as an opening act for John Butler Trio and they certainly delivered the goods once more and had the crowd fired up by the time Franti took the stage.

SOJA Soulshine Tour 2014 (36 of 47) SOJA Soulshine Tour 2014 (40 of 47)

Standing at 6'6" , the towering Franti walked onstage barefoot accompanied by his acoustic guitar. The set had a mix of stage banter thrown in between the music which added a touch of personalization to the performance. Michael Franti is not shy to engage with his many fans on a personal level and shared his love of kids as well. At one point he was down in the pit on the railing giving hugs and high five's to the many fans as well as at one point running up to the very top of the amphitheater to sing and engage which included getting the security personnel to bust into dance. By the time the hit song "Sound of Sunshine" was played 15-20 beach balls suddenly appeared and were flying throughout the lower pavilion in unison to the music. Prior to the song a young girl was brought onstage to sing along which was a great treat for her. The night was filled with all of his hits including "Say hey (I Love You)" , "11:59" , "Life is Better With You" and "Sound of Sunshine". The staff were very courteous and photography friendly by allowing free roam of the show for the duration of the show as opposed to the typical 3 and out that is the concert standard. We were allowed to come and go from the pit and walk around everywhere to capture some really great energy. Many bands do not even warm up until middle of the set and you typically come away with mediocre shots when only allowed to shoot first 3 songs. In the end, the Soushine Tour was a definitive success and not only did Michael Franti create a new fan in myself but also in the many others who were present. Until next year!

Michael Franti Soulshine Tour 2014 (8 of 44) Michael Franti Soulshine Tour 2014 (22 of 44)

For the entire gallery you can check it out here

The Plain White T's took the stage to an enthusiastic crowd response and applause. The Chicago based band has been on the scene for awhile now and played a solid 40 minute set playing all of their hit songs including "Hey There Delilah" and "1,2,3,4" which got the slowly forming crowd singing along to it's pleasant lyrics.

 Taking middle billing was Season 5 American Idol Finalist Chris Daughtry and his band Daughtry. The minute they came onstage it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck the venue. Compared to the Plain White T's set which was mostly happy sing-along music, Daughtry's was in your face rock from the moment of the first note. Coming out of the gates right away Chris Daughtry proved to be a force to be reckoned with. He had all the things that make a great front man. Charisma, energy, voice and stage presence. From the instant they came out on stage you knew they were here to put on a rock show. I enjoyed shooting this band very much as there was a lot to take in and a lot of energy and emotion to be captured. After my shoot I could still hear the crowd screaming for the duration of their 60 minute set. I admittedly knew nothing of their music but was very pleasantly surprised by the show they put on.

Finally, Buffalo's own Goo Goo Dolls took top bill. By the time they were ready to play, the crowd had already been worked up into a tizzy. John Rzeznik and crew ran onstage diving straight into their set as lights blasted the crowd with the first opening chords. Their 1998 hit song "Slide" was played second and immediately you could tell this was going to be a great night of music. Of note was the banter of Rzeznik to the crowd in between songs and how he loved to watch soccer in Spanish because it was so much more enjoyable that way. Spanish announcers have so much more enthusiasm for soccer then elsewhere in the world. They also played a new song which included lyrics popping up on a giant screen behind the band as they were sung. Rzeznik also spoke about the first time he heard his song "Name" on the radio and how he felt and how he immediately quit "his crappy job". The weather was sublime and Rzeznik said it perfectly stating that "This is what summer was all about".  Saving the best for last, The Goo Goo Dolls played out their mega-hit "Iris" from 1998's City of Angels to send the crowd off with a smile on their faces.

Plain White T's Daughtry Goo Goo Dolls_Daughtry_Plain White T's (62 of 64)

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The tour got it's name from an Everclear song that is based on a place in California just south of Santa Barbara. According to a recent Entertainment Weekly article, Art Alexakis says that it was called "Summerland" after a big yellow house that you pass along highway 101 heading north from LA up to Santa Barbara. It was a place that evoked images of sand and beach and eternal sunshine. A name that is fitting for in fact a summer tour.

Soul Asylum started off their short 30 minute set with lead singer Dave Pirner running and jumping around on stage as if the ghost of Neil Young had inhabited his body. Playing all of their best known songs including "Runaway Train", the energy was palpable which set the stage for Everclear to follow.

Everclear's set began with a single accordion and a crowd sing along to their best known song " Santa Monica". From there the band jumped into full electric and was off to the races. One of the most enjoyable parts of Everclear's set was watching bassist Freddy Herrera jump around and manhandle his bass. It would be difficult to not fault Everclear for not playing up to their full potential because of the small crowd and day's events but watching Freddy and Art play around together on stage was simply entertaining. I had not realized just how many popular songs Everclear had and with each song that got played I was thinking    "Oh yeah I know this one". Lead singer and song writer Art Alexakis spoke on numerous occasions to the crowd in between songs about just how thankful he was to be playing and doing what he loves to do. He also thanked everyone for bringing their kids as it was Father's Day and it was good to see so many kids in the crowd. With the weather hinting at another cancelled show, Art thanked the crowd for sticking around and pledged to put on a "good old fashioned rock n' roll show". They did not disappoint. For this show I was allowed pit access to shoot the sets but when I arrived I was slightly disappointed to see that there was in fact no pit. The crowd was pushed right up to the stage. As a result, my only decent vantage point was to shoot from side stage. However, I was happy to get some keepers and capture some of the energy that was being expended. Be sure to check out The Summerland Tour featuring Everclear in your neck of the woods this summer.

Summerland Tour 2014 (5 of 39) Summerland Tour 2014 (9 of 39)

Summerland Tour 2014 (20 of 39) Summerland Tour 2014 (25 of 39)

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After disbanding in 1998 to pursue other projects, the mid 2000's saw Toad getting back together for select small runs of shows during the summer. In 2010 they officially announced their reunion and earlier this year brought the release of their new album "New Constellation". This is the bands first new material since 1997's "Coil". The album was initiated via a Kickstarter campaign. The goal was to raise $50,000. Fully expecting to hit this (then) lofty goal in several months that goal was hit in a matter of days. To date, this Kickstarter campaign has raised over $250,000 from only a few thousands supporters which has allowed Toad to cover all the fees associated with recording such a project including studio ,management, and publicity. The lead single off "New Constellation" is the title track with the very memorable lines "I need to see the Milky Way. No city lights. No smoky haze. Just the speck on a speck of a spiral arm. It feels so good to feel so small."

As a longtime fan of their music, I can highly recommend this album to anyone who has ever liked them. Going back to their roots which made them regular radio stars back in the early 1990's , "New Constellation" brings much of the same cerebral lyrics penned by Glen Phillips along with the slick guitar work of Todd Nichols. Be sure to check them out on tour with Counting Crows this summer.

Glen Phillips of Toad The Wet Sprocket Dean Dinning of Toad The Wet Sprocket

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JBT Red Rocks (1 of 47)

JBT Red Rocks (40 of 47)

Jack Johnson and ALO @ St. Augustine AmphitheaterJack Johnson and ALO perform at the St. Augustine Amphitheater May 20, 2014   ALO St. Augustine (27 of 44) ALO St. Augustine (30 of 44)

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Scot Alexander of DishwallaMay issue of Bass Musician features a shot I took of Scot while shooting Dishwalla back in March at Orlando House of Blues.

Main spring at Juniper SpringsThis is the most popular location for most visitors. Surrounding the spring is a concrete walkway with tiered dirt/grass allowing access to the spring in 360 degrees.

However, if one is feeling adventurous enough there is a boardwalk path behind the spring that takes visitors through a winding path along Juniper Creek as well as through the forest and ends at Fern Creek Spring. Most people will never see this as it's a short 15 minute hike but the end is worth the work. On this particular weekday morning I found myself alone in this jungle paradise. Among the life around me were gators sleeping in the spring alongside turtles. At one point a lone turkey walked in front of me as he fished the creek for food. The scenery was stunning and the quiet solitude that enveloped me was almost too much. It's been a long time since I've heard that much silence in the outdoors. At Fern Creek I tried out some new HDR techniques which I am pretty happy about all in all and also realized that when shooting anything with water in it, a polarizer filter is a MUST. Fortunately, I brought them and was prepared for what I got. In the end I stayed almost the full day as I brought my swim trunks and went for a couple of swims in the main spring. Planning for the unexpected I brought a lunch and a book too to make this a perfect day. This was a learning experience. I'm beginning to see that by exploring your local area, you discover a piece of yourself. If this is only one of the MANY springs in the area, then I cannot wait to get out and explore them all.

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Hey everyone. It looks as though another year is ready to end and a new one is about to unfold. The time seems to fly by as I am sure you may notice. It's been a great year for Brett Missick Photography. Slowly, things are starting to unfold little by little for me and more business is coming my way. This year I worked with some folks on holiday pet portraits and had a great time. I also had the great honor of shooting my Travis and Michelle's wedding back in November at the Elfer's Community Center in New Port Richey, Florida. Wedding photography is a totally different game compared to that of the other photography disciplines and was a challenge in many ways. These challenges were not a bad thing. I was challenged to be fluid  for an extended period of time and be maintain creativity at all times. When you shoot landscape or concert, the images just appear before you. Granted, you need to be able to anticipate where the opportunities will arise, but they happen before you nonetheless. Wedding photography requires the ability to be creative and dynamic all at the same time which can be difficult. Situations arise and moments happen which you had not anticipated and in the end you must adapt and mold each situation to obtain the best images. By the end of the day I was exhausted mentally and physically but very proud of what we were able to accomplish. The day began with rain with an outdoor ceremony planned. As the morning unfurled the rain began to curtail and by afternoon it had stopped completely and we were blessed with a great afternoon outside. I am so happy to have been a part of this day with Travis and Michelle.

For the full gallery check it out here

At the end of last year I was contacted by the folks who run Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado regarding the commissioning of an image of mine for the upcoming concert season.The last couple of months have involved multiple e-mails back and forth and I am proud to announce that it is official.  For those who do not know anything about Red Rocks, it is truly one of the most beautiful venues to hear a live concert in the entire world. Here is the Wiki link for more info. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rocks_Amphitheatre Carved out of stone, the amphitheater has some of the best natural acoustics of any venue in the world.

Here is an image of Red Rocks that I took awhile back Red Rocks 1-2

The image will be used for pass credentials such as those worn by artists and personnel. To know my image will be worn by the likes of James Taylor, Big Head Todd and John Butler Trio is quite an honor and I am mind blown. In June, I will travel out to Denver to see it in person once again and get the grand tour. Stay tuned for more pictures on this upcoming trip.

I will begin by saying that I have been a slacker when it comes to this blog. Two reasons mainly. One, my regular occupation has kept me fairly busy leaving little time to go do fun stuff like go to shows and shoot bands. Reason two is there have not been many bands coming through town between February and June. This is kind of a dead time of year when it comes to concerts in Central Florida. Of course, once summer touring season gets going then there is a show in town on almost any given night. Again though my occupation working nights keeps me from attending very few of these functions much to my dismay. This is why I was so stoked to hear that John Butler Trio was coming back the The States this summer. Unfortunately, again there were no shows in the Florida area so this meant road trip! My wife and I packed up our car and drove the 6 tedious hours north to Atlanta to see JBT again rock the Tabernacle. They were here in 2011 on almost the exact same day so it was almost like deja vu. Being a big music fan throughout my life I've always wanted to get to the "great music venues" big and small. I've been fortunate enough to say I've been to places such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, The Gorge Amphitheater in Washington State, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Saratoga Springs aka SPAC in New York State, The Fox Theater in Atlanta and also The Tabernacle in downtown Atlanta. Sitting next to Downtown Atlanta's Centennial Park, The Tabernacle is a renovated church turned music venue which provides music fans with not just a typical GA floor plan but also tiered balconies like such as what you would see in a theater. This provides music fans with many opportunities to experience shows if they want to get on the floor and right up close or sit back in the balcony and not fight the crowds. Either way, the venue is small and there is not a bad seat in the place. Additionally, there are small "lounge" areas adjacent to the stairwells in the balconies with furnished couches and chairs where you can just hang out and chill if the crowds or hear begins to get to you. I find that this was a cool and swanky feature of The Tabernacle personally.

So with the layout aside on to the show. SOJA opened up the show and to be honest I had never heard of them. What a great surprise we were given. Based out of the D.C. area, SOJA have been (apparently) around for years and will be playing opening act for both JBT and Dave Matthews Band this summer on select dates. SOJA brings funk and reggae but mostly reggae with a high energy. I will do another short review once I get to go through the images from shooting them. As for JBT, they came out of the door firing on all cylinders. From the opening note of "Used To Get High" to the crowd favorite "Ocean" to the finale of     "Funky Tonight" the crowd was into it from the start. Of photography note is that throughout the shows I have been able to photograph you start realizing that while you are indeed close to the artist in the pit, the views are not ideal for photography. Specifically, if the stage is tall enough you end up standing right under the artist which does not produce flattering images. Instead, you need to use the edges to your advantage by shooting from the side across stage. The other issue I ran into with this shoot is that while JBT were showing great energy, I was pestered by the mic stand and mic itself.  John Butler kept staying so close to it that in many shots the mic ran into his head no matter how hard I tried to find an angle to avoid this. As a result, many images were tossed despite capturing great facial expressions.

I was a bit surprised to hear many of the same songs from 2011 considering the catalog that JBT has to work with but having said that, was still very happy nonetheless with the setlist. I met many people while standing in line in the rain waiting to get in  that had never seen JBT and this was their first show. I've been fortunate enough to have been riding the JBT train since 2001 when they came through San Diego and played The Belly Up Tavern on one of their first US tours and I've been trying to spread the gospel ever since. In that time JBT has gone through a couple of lineup changes and is in what I now call JBT V3.0. Hopefully, it won't be another two years until their return to the US. Big thanks go out to the good people at Jarrah for allowing me to shoot this show once again. Click on the link http://www.brettmissick.com/jbt2013  for the full show images.

Here is the direct link to my Etsy shop : http://www.etsy.com/shop/bmissickphotography

Typical print prices are:

5x7-$15 + $5 shipping

8x10-$20 + $5 shipping

11x14-$25 + $5 shipping

16x20-$50 + $5 shipping

20x30-$75 + $5 shipping

You can check out the full set here: http://www.brettmissick.com/bht2

This is a little overdue but finally posting some of the shots from the Snow Patrol and Ed Sheeran show back in March or 2012 in St. Pete.  This was my first time seeing Snow Patrol live as they rarely make it to Florida but what a great show it was.  Jannus Live (Formerly known as Jannus Landing) has had a remodeling overhaul since my last trip to the outdoor concert venue. The stage has essentially been raised up to about 7 feet with a large amount of speaker stacks in front of it. Also for good measure the security space in front of the stage is about 3 feet wide essentially making it a tough place to shoot nice, flattering images of any artist as you are basically shooting straight up their nose. To get around this, all that I could do was try and shoot across the stage and get more wide angle shots instead of standing directly underneath the band. I am pleased with what I was able to get and want to extend a big thank you to the Snow Patrol publicists for allowing me to capture this show and for being so great to work with.

Opening the show was another young UK musician making one of (if not his first) trips to the US to perform, was a singer by the name of Ed Sheeran. Truth be told I had not heard of him or his music but as with most opening acts I was happy to get some shots of them. Come full circle and 10 months later and Ed Sheeran has been nominated for a Grammy this year for Best Song and has just blown up in terms of his success. This is why I love seeing the opening acts! In all honesty, he had more young girls waiting for him after his set to sign cd's, shirts, etc that were screaming as if he were one of the Beatles back in the day. Thanks for a great show you guys.

For the full gallery check it out here

Every year the OBS has a showing of some of the horses for sale by means of 4 horse races in different classes. The great thing about this day is that it is FREE to the general public. Seeing as how I had my 70-200L lens on rental I made the most of it and headed over to the track to check it out. It was a beautiful spring day and the sun was shining down hard. From a spectator standpoint this was great but from a photography point of view the harsh midday sun was really making for not pleasant shadows and blown out skies. Because this was a laid back kind of atmosphere and nothing like Churchill Downs, I was able to get right on the track and practice some panning techniques as the horses came by. I had a great time and got some shots I am happy with. Now, got to wait until next year! The gallery can be seen here http://www.brettmissick.com/obs

Ocala Breeder Sale Horse Races 3-12-12

The band was very engaging and Todd seemed to genuinely be having a great time playing. I was very pleased with some of the shots I got of him playing guitar. I want to give a BIG thank you to Alex and Jeff with BHT management. You guys truly were great and I thank you so much!       http://www.brettmissick.com/bhtBig Head Todd and The Monsters, House of Blues Orlando 3-9-2012

http://www.bigheadtodd.com

http://www.snowpatrol.com

Pinwheel effect around Polaris

Pin Point stars

So it was cold last night. Really cold. The kind of cold that paralyzes many people and things in Florida. It was down in the low 20′s eventually. While I am not a fan of the cold, it does in fact leave us with one benefit. It’s these really chilly nights that leave the sky FILLED with stars. More stars then I would typically see in any other given night. I live where many people would consider country. However, there is Gainesville to the north about 25 minutes and Ocala to the south about 25 minutes. Being between these two towns I  lose a lot of sky at night due to light pollution.

It was during one of these “cold snaps” last winter that I decided to try my hand at a star trail photograph. I’d been wanting to try this for the longest time and was really inspired by a guy out of Portland, Oregon named Ben Canales. If you want inspiration check him out!  In all honesty, they are REALLY easy to do and impress people instantly but take lots of experimentation. All that you will need to do them are a few basic items.

First, you MUST have a DSLR camera. You know, “the nice camera”.  I will tell you why in a moment. Second, you will need something to stabilize your camera on like a sturdy tripod and finally you will need a remote shutter release. I have both a remote controlled one and a wired plug in one. Either one will work and they are SUPER cheap to buy through vendors such as BH Photo and ebay costing about $10.

The reason you will need a DSLR is twofold. First, a DSLR has the ability to shoot in full manual mode. An extension of manual mode is “Bulb Mode” typically found within the “manual setting” itself. “Bulb Mode” is what you will use for extended timed shutter release photos. “Bulb Mode” allows the user to tell the camera how long to stay open for. In other words, YOU are the boss of the camera and this is important when dealing with long exposure photography.

I have found that much of it is experimentation and trial and error. You typically want to go out on a dark and clear night with no clouds or even passing clouds as they will inevitably find their way into the photo. Also, I have found that typically midweek ( tues-thursday) after about 11pm provides the best times to shoot up at the sky if you are near light pollution as the sky will be darkest then with minimal light pollution.

So the first step is to get the camera into “Bulb mode” and plug in your remote shutter release if you have one, otherwise make sure there are batteries in your remote controlled release. Basically, you push the button down and lock it into an “on” position  until you decide to release it and close the shutter. Star trail photos can range anywhere from 30 seconds up to hours in duration. The length of the shutter being open is what really determines  the outcome. 30 second exposures will give you more of a pin point star effect and many minutes in length with give you the artistic star trails that many people enjoy.  The real reason you need a DSLR and not a point and shoot for this type of photography is that DSLR’s have a larger sr then a point and shoot. This is the part of the camera that collects the light and turns it into an image. The larger the sensor, the more light gathering ability it has and therefore the more sensitive it is to light as well as a decrease in noise. Noise is a by-product of shooting in dark environments like a dark room or at night. The image looks grainy and unappealing. However, don’t fret. Noise WILL happen and there is nothing you can do to stop it completely. However,  thanks to post processing software like Adobe Lightroom and Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP) you can help minimize it’s appearance after importing to your computer. If you REALLY want to get into night photography I suggest you save up for a full frame DSLR such as the  Canon Mark 5D or  Canon 7D. I shoot with Canon and am most familiar with it’s gear. A full frame camera has a sensor that is near identical to a 35mm film camera.  The sensors are bigger and as I said, can gather more light easily with less noise artefact. They are not cheap though and NOT necessary but if you want to get serious about shooting star trails it is a must. I actually shoot with my trusty Canon T1i Rebel which is about 3 years old and is what is known as a “crop body” camera. It is not a full frame sensor but instead smaller.  I’ve been more then impressed with it and it’s capabilities though. While I feel like I am due to graduate to the next price range, I cannot say enough great things about  this little camera! Most of my photos on my website were taken with either a little Canon Powershot SD600 point and shoot or my T1i. Nothing more.

So, your camera is securely mounted to a tripod because you DO NOT want any motion at all to ruin your time and effort which is also why you are using a remote trigger so you do not have to physically touch your camera. You will point your camera up at the sky and will have to use MANUAL FOCUS! Your camera will not work on autofocus as there is not enough light to find contrast to focus. Switch the lens to Manual mode and turn OFF any Image Stabilization if it is on your camera. You won’t be needing it as you are using a tripod, right? It is difficult and will take a lot of trial and error but you use the ring focus and focus on a distant object like a tree in the distance or the moon if it is present. If you shoot with a full moon you will be disappointed with the outcome though because it will give too much light. Crescent moons are the best.

Next, compose something interesting in the foreground like a treeline or mountain to give your photo a subject. Living in Florida it is tough to find mountains so I try to use trees to be in my images. Once you think you have your focus where it needs to be and image composed, turn the ISO up as high as possible and take a test shot for about 15-30 seconds. Don’t worry because it will look crappy when done. This will only tell you if you are in focus and what is going to be in your image. It is not a keeper so don’t worry. Keep trying different length exposures to get a feel for what you will see then when you are ready for the shoot turn your ISO down to 100-200 and set your aperture to about 5.6 if you want a longer star trail and go lower as far as you can to get a shorter timed picture. I have found that anything beyond 45 minutes will give me nice star trails at an f-stop of 5.6 and ISO 200.

Now, once you think you have everything in place and are ready for the “real deal”, trigger the shutter and carefully place it where it will not be moved by either wind or object  and step back. Come back in 45 minutes and again carefully release the trigger to close it. The camera may take a few moments to process the image. What you should have if you were lucky enough to get your focus right, is a clear picture with some pretty cool star trails.Don’t be fooled by what you see on the camera screen afterwards. You won’t really know how good it is until you import it into the computer and begin working on things like black and white set points and white balance. Also, shoot in RAW! DO NOT shoot in Jpeg because you will have a VERY limited amount of tweaking range available once imported into your computer. RAW is very forgiving in exposure latitude and you’ll be very glad you did use it!

Finally, I have some quick points as I end here to keep in mind

1. Turn off your camera’s “long exposure noise compensation” typically found within the menu. It will make your pictures look crummy. You will remove noise in post production.

2. Remember to use the lowest ISO available if you want star trails. If you want pin point stars then you will want to experiment with a higher ISO like 400 or maybe even 800 if you plan on 30 second exposures or under.

3. There is a rule of thumb to keep in mind. When shooting stars, the more “zoomed in you are” the more the stars will move on you. If you are going for pin point stars that is NOT a good thing. So, take 600/focal length and that is the amount of time you will have before stars will begin to move. If you are shooting at 50 mm (600/50) you will have 12 seconds approximately before stars begin to move. If you use a wide angle lens then you have more time before stars begin to move.

4. Crop sensor cameras need to multiply all focal lengths by 1.5 or 1.6 ,depending on manufacturer. So, say you are using an 18-55 mm kit lens on your Canon T1i at 18mm, multiply 18 mm x 1.5 and you end up with 27 mm in actuality. Then, using the rule above 600/27=22 seconds for star movement.

5. To make an interesting “pinwheel” effect, get the North Star in your shot and watch as the stars loop around while Polaris remains stationary.

Filed under: How to's Tagged: Florida, how to, landscape photography, long exposure photography, night photography, Ocala, pin point stars, star trails

Blooming Tulip in Portland, Oregon

I have been working busy as a bee lately on some old photos I have been meaning to edit for the last several months. I have the time to do it now near full time so will be sharing them here on my blog for you, the viewer to enjoy. The first two are from Portland Oregon, one of my favorite places in the entire world. They were both taken in spring of 2008. I thought that with spring around the corner and many places here in the US still brown, the sight of color would be welcome. As always, any print you come across that you might fancy for yourself can happen. Just let me know what you’d like and I can make it happen. Also, I will be placing some of them up on my Etsy site as well if you want to buy from there.

Portland, Oregon in Spring

Portland, Oregon Japanese Tea Garden

Filed under: Landscape Photography, Travel Photography Tagged: Florida, Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, landscape photography, Ocala, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, photography, Portland, portland oregon, Spring, Travel Photography, Tulips

Hello world it looks like you have found this little place of mine in cyberspace. Today ,as of this first post it is a friday and I find myself unemployed. I guess now is as good a time to call myself a “freelance photographer” as any other time before. The only difference between now and then is that I am working on pursuing something I love because I WANT TO rather then because I have to and hope to earn income from it. You see, I was employed in the medical field for the last several years. I got into it because I actually LIKE people and helping others. However, as time progressed and the economy took a dive I kept finding myself out of work much out of my control. I believe it is the Universe’s way of telling me that “Your time here is done.Now go out and do what you WANT TO DO!”

Just as I’ve always enjoyed helping people I have enjoyed looking at life through a lens and it started with an early age but did not develop until I got my first DSLR camera a few years ago. I do landscape photography and concert photography however, there really is not anything I DO NOT like photographing and my new goal is to get more experience doing portrait/wedding experience. In the last few months I’ve been working diligently on my official website that contains much of my work but not all. I’ve been going through backlogs of albums and working on getting more material up that showcases my work and vision.

My goal of this blog is to show my journey from the beginning. It won’t be easy and I am sure will be tough. But then again doing something worthwhile never IS easy, right? My plan is to show what I am up to and who I am. Along the way I hope to show some photos and explain how I got it rather then just mundane personal information. I mean, you’re here to look and learn about photography, right? So with that being said, WELCOME! I look forward to hopefully hearing from YOU.

Filed under: Uncategorized