Beer is King

Copyright (C) 2009 Mary Weiland

I went to see Pinback play at the Black Cat on Wednesday night, and was hoping to walk away with some decent band shots and improve on my experience with the Deer Tick show. After the opening band (Obits) played, I found myself in a sour mood – tired of being pushed in the crowd, tired from the workday, not excited about what I was shooting, and feeling like hanging my camera up for the night. Granted, I was there for fun and the opening band was great, but I couldn’t help but feel a little down after not capturing anything to my liking.

Copyright (C) 2009 Mary Weiland

Once Obits finished their set, the stage really cleared up for Pinback. Waiting for the headliners to come out and not wanting to lose my front row position, I started to take notice of just the stage itself – the bass guitar standing alone, the pedals, the amps, the endless cords, the guitar stands, speakers, drum set, and yes…the beer bottles.

Copyright (C) 2009 Mary Weiland

I started clicking away at the scene before me, and felt re-energized and my spirits lifting. Maybe it was the multitude of colors or how things were laid out, or maybe getting a little elbow room from the crowd and not feeling rushed, but I began to have fun again. The real kicker was when co-lead singer, Rob Crow, plopped down 5 beer bottles next to his mic stand [which came equipped with a beer holder] to stock up for the performance. Seems like it was the missing piece to the puzzle and really completed the scene.

Copyright (C) 2009 Mary Weiland

In the end, I came away with some decent shots of the band, but had more fun shooting the stage and just enjoying the great sounds of Pinback. My next step for the band shots is to analyze [seems so stiff, but I can’t help it - it’s what I do for a living] the differences in the pictures from the Deer Tick show and the Pinback show – lighting, stage set-up, camera settings, etc. so I can get a little better for next time. I plan to make a little diary/guide-book of what works with the various settings to have some sort of quick reference point for future shows. I also plan to buy a few music magazines to see how others are shooting bands and learn from that as well. Most of all, I need to relax and have more fun with it -realize when to take a breath, step back and get re-inspired.