brianstowell.net » Concert Photography

Junius

Brian Stowell — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:47:29 +0000

Apocalyptic space/progressive-rock band Junius played in downtown Portland last night at a cafe called Backspace. The cavernous room served a proper home for the large, reverb-heavy sound of the Boston band. Currently on tour supporting last year’s incredible album, The Martyrdom Of A Catastrophist, Junius is circling the United States this fall and is certainly not to be missed.

The beginning of Junius’ set had me worried. Singer/guitarist Mike Repasch-Nieves asked the house “can we just make all the lights red?” Oh god no. I have terrible luck with Mylene Sheath bands and their red lights. They love them, I hate them. Thankfully I was surprised when the band hit their first crescendo and the lightboxes at the back of the stage kicked on, punctuating the heavy guitars and crashing cymbals. I shot these moments almost exclusively, as the bright white light from their custom boxes, mixed with the reds, oranges, and yellows of the clubs 3 LED cans overhead gave the band the epic looking yellow tinge you see here.

Click here to view photos from the rest of the show.

Transit / Man Overboard

Brian Stowell — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:10:30 +0000

I ventured out last night to the Satyricon is downtown PDX for the “All I Have Left To Offer Is This Tour, Tour” featuring Fireworks, The Swellers, Man Overboard, and Transmit. Basically a bunch of pop punk bands, most of which are on Run For Cover Records. Unfortunately, I only stayed for Transmit and Man Overboard as wife had to be up early for work this morning. But the two bands were worth the $12 alone.

Thankfully the club was smart and left their bright spotlights on for the duration of the show. It made shooting so much easier. Both sets were lit by 4 bright white spots in front at stage center. And flanked by red and green cans on either side. Stage left was a bit dark for the guitarists standing that far over, but I made it work.

I think my favorite part of the show was that both bands’ front men were sporting their own labels logo t-shirt. I’m sure RFC will love these photos simply for the advertising potential alone.

Click here to view photos from the rest of the show.

Good Old War

Brian Stowell — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:27:37 +0000

Good Old War played a quick acoustic set yesterday at Music Millennium in Portland. Though only 5-6 songs long, their wonderfully catchy song writing and vocal harmonies filled the record store who’s aisles were lined with fans. I’m glad I was able to catch such an intimate show with them, as I couldn’t make it to their full set at the Hawthorne Theater last night.

Music Millennium hosts their in-store sessions up on a balcony overlooking the Rock/Pop CD section of the store. It’s a narrow walkway even without performers. I made quick lunges behind the band between songs to catch both sides of the action. I really enjoy the aesthetic of the show and being surrounded by records. I picked up on it during Black Prairie’s Record Store Day performance there. I was adamant about getting a few good shots featuring the band and the space. Like this:

Click here to see photos from the rest of the set.

Red Sparowes / Caspian / Fang Island

Brian Stowell — Mon, 03 May 2010 06:45:51 +0000

I hit up the Hawthorne Theater in Portland last night for an awesome show featuring my buddies Caspian, who have spent the last few weeks as direct support for Red Sparowes. It was a night of awesome instrumental music, save for tour openers Fang Island. And of course, my best friend – red lighting made it out to the show as well.

The recently buzz worthy Fang Island opened the night to a decent sized crowd in the small theater. Fang Island received tons of praise, acclaim, and Twitter trending status during this years SXSW Festival in Austin, TX. Their quick set was punctuated with heavy yet still poppy guitars and a 4 man harmony during the sparse vocals. Though not an obvious fit with the other two bands on the tour, I can see the link between the three.

The stage in the Hawthorne was light by eight LED strips, which were set on red and left that way for the duration of the night. The only saving grace of the set up was that the lighting was evenly spaced and provided adequate front and back lighting. Unfortunately, the monochrome set up left my shots feeling very flat – a feeling not felt during the sets of wandering and expansive music.

Caspian filled the direct support spot. And, honestly, stole the show away from Fang Island and Red Sparowes. Their stage energy combined with the power, intensity, and volume of their music is a force unmatched by most every band I’ve seen live to date. I would like to note that this is my first time seeing them perform on a dedicated stage. Previously, I’ve seen them perform on the floor of a bar and on very low stages in small clubs. Raising them several feet over the crowd certainly adds to their presence. Especially Phil, who already stands at over 6 1/2 feet tall and swings and sways and sprays those of us in the front row with sweat.

I have yet to shoot a properly lit Caspian set. I’m hoping one day they can afford a lighting director to give them a visual boost that compliments their show. It’s frustrating trying to pass off these flat images as a indication of what their show really feels like. If you have the chance to experience their live show, do not sleep on it. Not only do they project power through sound, but the physical force they emit overpowering and beautiful. And when they close out the show with the closing track from last years Terita, “Sycamore” (members of Fang Island joined them for it last night!), the close out drum circle is one of the best end of shows to be had. I love those, dudes.

Red Sparowes closed out last night with an hour long set of slow instrumental rock with small hints of metal. I love their deep, sludgy, looming bass lines. And thankfully they played my favorite song of theirs, “The Great Leap Forward Poured Down Upon Us One Day Like A Mighty Storm, Suddenly And Furiously Blinding Our Senses” (holy hell what a title). They were very energetic at the beginning of their show, but faded as they neared the end. I was hoping for a big build up into something immense but was left feeling like they weren’t finished. Probably due to Hawthorne Theater’s hard curfew for the show.

The lighting challenge for their show, in addition to the red lights, was the projector playing clips from documentaries, fractals, and newspaper clippings on a small sheet behind the stage. Depending on where the band roamed on the stage, they were bisected by bright white light and deep reds and blacks – it was a tough shoot.

Many thanks to Ben and Caspian for being awesome dudes.

Click here to see photos from the rest of the show.

Japandroids / The Dodos

Brian Stowell — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:54:48 +0000

Willamette University hosted their annual spring social event, Wulapalooza, yesterday afternoon in the middle of their campus in Salem, OR. I made the 45 minute drive from Portland to the show based entirely on the fact that one of my favorite bands in the world, Portugal. the Man were playing. And it was a free show! We arrived somewhat late into the event, mere minutes before Vancouver, Canada’s Japandroids took the stage. Luckily I was able to find my way to the front of the stage and positioned myself for the night against a floor amp.

Japandroids hit the stage as the sun was beginning to set and played a 40-minute set of their two-piece indie rock/punk a la The White Stripes. They were a great live show with a lot of on stage chemistry between the two performers. Guitarist Brian King favored the road case turned ego riser placed in front of the catacorner drums when he wasn’t singing or wailing or shouting into the microphone. It made for a lot of great shots of the two together.

Stage lighting during the set consisted of a large variety of multicolored cellophanes and cans, but were most ineffective with the bright sun coming from the right of the stage. The challenge for their set were the long shadows cast by the setting sun that had me spinning the dials in order to capture David on drums who was in more shade than Brian who had more sun over on stage right.

The Dodos were backed by a quickly changing horizon, bright at first, nearly completely dark by the time they finished. Bright blues were replaced with navys and purples while I snapped away. Stage lighting became more and more prevalent and I swear the use of reds was increased with each song.

The rowdy college crowd brought out some beach balls to toss around. One landed on stage and after the band threw it back the crowd decided that for the rest of the night all beach balls must quickly be thrown on stage. The band spent the rest of their set juggling playing and kick the beach balls back to the anxious crowd.

Unfortunately, Portugal. the Man’s custom stage lighting made it impossible to shoot from my position. A set of floor LEDs, a couple strobes, and a laser machine were used intermittently along with a fog machine. I didn’t come away with any usable shots from their set. Their live show, though cut short, was incredible though. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch them again soon in a club.

Click here to view photos from the rest of the show.

Black Prairie

Brian Stowell — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:56:02 +0000

Yesterday was the 3rd annual Record Store Day – a record label holiday established to put out exclusive releases and overcharge for them in order to drive the masses to indie record stores in order to “save them”. It’s nice in theory, really. And certainly didn’t stop me from spending $100 on vinyl yesterday. But one of the best parts of Record Store Day are all the in-store performances across the country. I was able to catch Black Prairie’s acoustic in-store set at Music Millennium in Portland.

Comprised of 3/5 of Portland’s indie darlings, The Decemberists, plus two more extremely talented PDX-local musicians, Black Prairie played a 30-ish minute set of indie folk pop to a crowd of a few dozen people filling the aisles of the already full record store. It was a wonderfully intimate show. I shot predominantly from stage “right” AKA Pop/Rock Vinyl A-C as there wasn’t much space to maneuver in and out of, what with shelves full of records and other fans watching.

Be sure to check out the rest of the photos from the show by clicking here.

Tegan & Sara / Steel Train

Brian Stowell — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 07:28:36 +0000

I was lucky enough to shoot my first show since moving to the west coast at the beautiful Keller Auditorium in my new home of Portland, OR this evening. The new, unfamiliar territory had me dancing in anticipation. The hall is giant and spacious and was filled with Zelda-inspired haircuts tonight for tonight’s show. I wasn’t prepared enough for tonight’s challenges, so please excuse the lack of photos from show opener Holly Miranda. She put on a great set, which included a gorgeous Etta James cover. I’d suggest looking her up.

Steel Train were in direct support tonight. Their unfortunately short set was made up in stage presence and energy. It’s been a few years since I last saw them live. They’ve made large strides from a borderline jam meets pop band to a seemingly small scale arena rock show. Their now songs are polished to a bright shine and have all the hooks you could ever ask for.

The Keller Auditorium security made sure the photographers couldn’t crouch within 3-5 feet of the stage. Add in the band’s distance from the edge of the stage and tonight’s show was a tough shoot. Equipped with only my 17-70 f/ 2.8, I zoomed as far as I could and shot at low shutter speeds. The house lighting in effect was bright and very pretty – it was the distance from the performance that I was up against.

Set changes were very quick and before I was prepared, Tegan & Sara hit the stage. Their set was washed in bright, nearly bliding LED lighting from the stage. They also utilized the house lighting for atmosphere. There were no problems in capturing shots for their set. The only obstacle in the way was the house enforcement of having to remain back from the stage.

Thank yous go out to Marc A. for the photo pass. He says he’ll eat a dumpling in my honor tomorrow. But that sounds entirely selfish if you ask me. ;D

Click here to check out the rest of the photos from the show.

SXSW 2010

Brian Stowell — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:24:34 +0000

I was graciously asked by my friends over at Mylene Sheath to make the trek down to Austin, TX for this year’s South By South West festival. The label was hosting a showcase on Saturday night featuring three of their bands: Junius, Gifts From Enola, & Caspian. As well as attending tons of other shows throughout the week including one offs from some of their bands. It was a crazy week for a hundred reasons – full of tons of music and almost as much barbecue.

I’ll spare you a lengthy report on the 7 days I spent traveling and shooting and get to the meat of the trip. Check out the full set of photos including some photojournalism shots of the 30 hour drive from Harrisonburg, VA to Austin, TX. You can find them all here.

Gifts From Enola played a very strange outdoor show on the side of a coffee house in broad daylight on Thursday. For a band that relies on custom, cued lighting, it was an interesting dynamic. I used the opportunity to get as many full band shots as possible – something I’ve found near impossible to do in their normal indoor venue settings.

We headed outside of the festival on Friday night out to Troy, TX so Gifts From Enola could play a one off at Troy General Store. The venue is really a barn with a stage in it. We basically played under the stars, with barbeque cooking right outside, who could ask for a better night?

Junius opened the Mylene Sheath showcase at Valhalla on Saturday night with an incredible, moving set of darkwave meets post rock. Their normal lighting set up consists of custom lights of varying colors controlled by foot switches – from what I’m told. But the odd stage shape and placement limited floor space, forcing the band to use two dome lamps controlled by foot switches. With only red front lighting the band and white back lighting the band, I had quite a challege shooting them. Though they were my most successful shoot of the night.

Second up – Gifts From Enola. Their light set up was the most flattering of the night. They brought their on stage lighting guy, LJ Stank, with them to the festival. The cued lighting seems to be a 5th instrument during their live shows. A realization we came across at Thursday’s daytime, outdoor show.

Caspian are a band that love harsh, unphotographable lighting. Seriously, dudes? Two 6″ clamp lights with red bulbs placed in the middle of the stage facing up? No front lighting at all. What a nightmare. I focused shooting from side stage, taking advantage of all the light possible. This set was a pain to shoot, but life changing to witness. They’re less of a band or show, more of a movement or experience. I love these dudes. I hope they decide soon that they like a different color light set up.

Many many thanks go out to Lindsay & Joel, and Nate, at Mylene Sheath for bringing me out to SXSW for this awesome opportunity. And many thanks to Gifts From Enola, Caspian, Junius, and the dozens of other bands I saw over the week.

Please be sure to check out all the shots from my week at SXSW by clicking here. And DEFINITELY support Mylene Sheath and all of their amazing bands.

Gifts From Enola / Caspian / A Cosmonaut’s Ruin

Brian Stowell — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:39:14 +0000

above: Caspian

Am I the official Gifts From Enola photographer yet? I’ve seen and shot them about 8 times in the past 6 months. Crazy. Last night the usual GFE crew and followers convened, yet again, at Blue Nile in Harrisonburg for another incredible show.

Mere days after seeing them this past Sunday, A Cosmonaut’s Ruin destroyed most of our eardrums with another crazy set of math rock and metal. Their sets are tighter and louder every time I see them. With harsh, High on Fire-inspired vocals and intricate guitar work, they’ll impress and decimate you all at once.

Caspian were up second. I can’t decide if this band wants to be photographed or not. The entire stage was lit only by two 6″ clamp lights fitted with red bulbs and one 6″ clamp light with a yellow bulb (positioned over the drum kit). It was a tedious affair to get good shots. Even worse than when I saw them a couple months ago.

Shooting post-rock/instrumental music forces me to shoot almost entirely in wide angles. Zooms are nearly unnecessary as there’s no vocals to focus on and, what I think is my favorite part of the entire genre – there’s a lack of celebrity. Bands are actually considered collective wholes, not individual pieces that may or may not be greater than the sum of their parts. And Caspian are one hell of a collective. Their live show is as energetic as it is loud, and my ears are still ringing nearly 24 hours later. They close their sets with Sycamore, the epic ending track off last year’s Tertia. The track ends with a bombastic drum off, reflected in the live show by the entire band banging on drums for a solid 30 seconds. But not in Harrisonburg. Last night, most of Gifts From Enola joined Caspian on stage for the end of Sycamore and sped up the rate at which I’ll become deaf:

I’m becoming a pro at anticipating the lighting cues for GFE’s live show. That familiarity with their live show is definitely paying off. What’s even better is that last night Gifts played another new song from their upcoming album. One we hadn’t heard yet. Unfortunately, due to a faulty wire, their set ended after “Aves”. No encore for us last night. That’s fine, I’ll save the remnants of my eardrums for next weeks’ shows at SXSW.

Click here to view photos from the rest of the show!

Mouth Of The Architect / Braveyoung / A Cosmonaut’s Ruin

Brian Stowell — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:36:01 +0000

above: A Cosmonaut’s Ruin

I caught an earful of metal and drone last night at Random Row Books in Charlottesville. Post-metal heavyweights Mouth Of The Architect stopped in town and delivered one hell of a heavy show.

Charlottesville-local band, A Cosmonaut’s Ruin opened the show with a powerful show with grinding guitars, heavy drums, and plenty of growling. The stage at Random Row Books is pretty small, forcing the two guitars and bass onto the floor in order for drums to set up comfortably. Pair that with the three cans providing light and there’s going to be some visual issues somewhere. I rocked my 17-70mm for most of the set, but crouched down in front with my 50mm f/1.8 near the end to catch some screamy vocal shots.

Braveyoung finished off their recent 12-day tour in last night. I was lucky enough to see them last week as well. Their live show is less of a show than it is an experience. A life-changing, moving one at that. Many of us in the crowd were a little teary eyed near the end of their powerfully undulating performance. Unfortunately, their harsh lighting set up, all two light bulbs of it, could use a little work.

Also forced to play mostly on the floor (due to the immense drum kit they brought along), Braveyoung were entirely back lit by a bright yellow light. I think I spent the entire set at ISO 1600 and shooting somewhere around 1/6-1/12. It’s pretty rough and grainy. If you get a chance to see them live, however, do everything you can to see them.

Mouth Of The Architect finished out the late show with heavy, post-metal. Featuring two guitarists, three sets of vocals, and some keys, the band bounces around the entire sound spectrum, filling Random Row Books with large, booming and echoing resonance. And of course, the band was split up between stage and floor, forcing the front men to stand in darkness while drums and bass were washed in bright, glorious light:

Click here to view the rest of the photos from the show.