Guest Post: Kate's Favorite Concert Photos

Today's guest post comes from our friend Kate Ehle. Kate is a photographer, graphic designer, artist (seriously she just had her first show in January), and music lover, among many other things. She has a blog called cake and ale where you can check out a lot more of her stuff. And, she tells us, once she moves to her new place, shortly, that has much better internet connection she is going to ramp up her posting on there.  Now, Kate, being a music lover, is also an avid concert goer and she gets to photograph a good deal of the ones she attends. So we asked Kate to do a guest post, and she decided she wanted to share some of her favorite concert photos with all of us. This rules, we don't do a lot of stuff with original photography so this is amazing. So without further adieu, here's Kate:

hi all!

i'm really excited to contribute to this awesome blog written by three of my favorite people. when they asked me to write something, i was going to write about my ten favorite movies, and that will come someday, but for now i thought my first post should be about something really special to me.

i spent two glorious years shooting concerts in new york city and it was by far the best thing i've ever done. for someone who loves to take pictures and who spends all of their disposable income on concert tickets, it really was a dream come true and i will never forget any of it. i mainly shot for www.nyctaper.com and wnyc's culture hub, but also had my work published by gothamist, the village voice and other places. it was quite a ride.

and so without further adieu, here are my top 15 favorite concert shots in alpha order. 

the antlers @ bowery ballroom, 12.15.09
this is one of my favorite shows of all time. this was the antlers homecoming party after a year of intense touring behind their breakout album hospice. the sold-out crowd was so into it and so was the band. their performance was a beautiful thank you to their fans. i'm sure that i speak for everyone who was there when i say that it felt like they were playing just for me. you can download the show here: http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=2160

art brut @ bowery ballroom, 1.15.09
if you've never been to an art brut show - and i hadn't before this night - you should make it a priority if they ever come to your town. wow. this is probably the most fun i've ever had at a show. the fun started before they even took the stage, with the entire crowd chanting "ART BRUT! TOP OF THE POPS!" over and over at the top of their lungs. this was a sweaty scream fest. and with my prime front row real estate, i couldn't clean their sweat off of my lenses fast enough. and it just got better and better. unbelievable. 

atlas sound @ the bell house, 2.3.10
atlas sound, aka bradford cox, the lead singer of deerhunter, makes some gorgeous music. on this night it was just bradford, his guitar and some looping pedals. and even with such a stripped-down setup, he made magic for a completely captivated audience. most of my pictures from this show look the same - i couldn't move around because the house was so tightly packed and he never really got off of his stool - but this one came out great. the smoke, the light...it all just came together. you can download the recording here: http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=2409

deerhoof @ le poisson rouge, 9.15.09
this was the first show i ever shot for nyctaper and i was beyond nervous. it's one thing to take pictures for yourself, it is something else entirely to take photos for a blog that's rated one of pc magazine's top 50. so i downed a couple of tequila shots and took my place in front of the stage. i couldn't have been blessed with a better band for my first pressure situation. deerhoof is a circus for the eyes and ears. they made my job so easy. you can download the recording here: http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=1655

doveman @ the mercury lounge, 1.12.10
thomas bartlett, aka doveman, is one of my favorite musicians. he's probably best known for collaborating with just about anybody who's anybody (most notably sam amidon and nico muhly, but also beth orton, norah jones, the national, glen hansard, antony and the johnsons and rufus wainwright, among tons of others). he now has a very famous recurring series of salon evenings at le poisson rouge called "the burgundy stain sessions" where he invites amazing musicians to perform alongside him. this night was a precursor to that - i think the first of its kind. and it was incredible to see in the tiny mercury lounge. i love this picture. as much as i love to catch musicians doing their rock star thing, i think i almost love capturing the quiet moments more. this is when thomas was sitting at his piano just listening to puss n' boots (norah jones, catherine popper and sasha dobson) harmonize away. i always love to be reminded that famous musicians are fans, too. 

final fantasy @ webster hall, 12.1.09
owen pallett has since dropped the final fantasy monicker due to a lawsuit, but that was what he was performing as when i saw him open up for the mountain goats. like doveman, he's also collaborated with everyone, but is probably most famous for his work with arcade fire and in 2006 he won the much-coveted polaris music prize. he's an incredible violinist and lyricist and puts on a captivating performance. i was really lucky with the timing of this show, it was one of the last before he banned any and all photography at his shows. this picture is just one of those great moments where the lighting and composition really worked. the blue lights make him seem otherworldly. and, really, he kind of is. you can download the recording here: http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=2152

jay-z @ obama's staff inaugural ball, 1.20.09
i often say that i'm the queen of being at the right place at the right time. but this amazing adventure happened because i have all the right friends. my good friend was obama's travel coordinator for his presidential campaign and when i went to d.c. for the inauguration, i got to go to all sorts of events that i had absolutely no business being at. and one of those events was president obama's staff ball. it was a great party and it was NUTS. never mind that i got to shake hands with the obamas and the bidens, but arcade fire and jay-z played! thank god i had my camera. this may be my favorite picture that i've ever taken. what a great moment.

the national @ the bell house, 3.11.10
this was one of the last shows i shot before i moved from brooklyn to the middle of nowhere, and oh man, was it special. the national played two secret shows at the bell house in gowanus, brooklyn (my all-time favorite nyc venue) right before their latest album high violet dropped. by some miracle a friend and i scored tickets and we got there early enough for front row spots. i really can't describe how much i love this band and to see them play a tiny space when they now are able to sell out arenas was a real treat. the great thing about shooting at the bell house is that the stage isn't high and there's nothing separating you from the musicians, so you're really able to get in there for the shot. this is my favorite from this night, though not my favorite moment. that came at the end of the show when matt berninger screamed the chorus to mr. november in our faces. he was too close to get a picture. :)

rhett miller @ the bell house, 1.27.10
this night was one of the craziest. the bell house held a huge benefit concert for haiti and everyone from jimmy fallon to lauren ambrose to the wrens performed. it was crazy. and because friends of mine opened the show, we got to hang out backstage all night. i'm kind of obsessed with rhett miller, so it was a special thrill to walk into the green room and catch an impromptu rehearsal for his set with nicole atkins and a.c. newman. amazing. i shot everything from on the stage that night and i caught him just as he walked off stage and was taking off his guitar. we had a long chat as i was leaving and he was incredibly nice and generous with his time.

sonic youth @ hiro ballroom, 5.19.10
this was another insane night. i'm still pinching myself over it, in fact. i was hired to shoot the anthology film archives 40th anniversary show, honoring kenneth anger. who is kenneth anger you ask? oh, he's just THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH OF SATAN. SERIOUSLY. and while that detail is crazy, he's also a filmmaker and that is why he was being honored. again, this was a major star-studded affair - the virgins, sonic youth and lou reed all played (among others). and it was the most fun. i stood on a staircase in the back of the room next to the killers - who are all lovely human beings, by the way - and took pictures of my heroes all night. here's my favorite of kim gordon who later asked me where the bathroom was. 

st. vincent @ music hall of williamsburg, 1.23.10
this show was another haiti benefit and the bill was every bit if not more amazing than the one at the bell house before it. britt daniel of spoon, bon iver, zach galifianakis, megafaun, my brightest diamond, well, everyone played. and it was fantastic. but the highlight for me was annie clark, aka st. vincent, who played a short set of covers and completely wowed the crowd with her playing. that woman knows how to handle a guitar. while this photo isn't the greatest and isn't really in focus, i just love how it captures her. she's beautiful and introspective and humble and looks as though she has a secret. i want to be her friend. 

sufjan stevens @ music hall of williamsburg, 10.7.09
I LOVE SUFJAN STEVENS. simple as that. he can do no wrong as far as i'm concerned. he played two nights at mhow and i was lucky to snag tickets to both shows. and both nights were so incredibly gorgeous, i still don't have words to describe them. so this picture will have to suffice.

wilco @ dutchess stadium, 7.18.09
wilco is my favorite band and i've shot them a bunch of times. i have to say, it was PAINFUL to go through all of my photos from these shows and choose only one. it was almost as painful to only choose two. but there you have it. if you've seen a wilco show, you know why they are my favorite band. and if you haven't, well, what's wrong with you??? seriously, they are not to be missed. just an incredible and tight band. i'm going to stop talking about my love of wilco now because if i don't, i'll never be invited back. anyway, the portrait of jeff tweedy is one of my most prized possessions and every time i look at it i can't help but wonder what he's thinking. i so desperately want to know what he's thinking! and the photo of glenn kotche is a favorite not only because i have a huge crush on him, but also because it's rare to get good shots of the drummer. they are always set far back and are rarely lit well. but wilco puts glenn on a pedestal (literally) and so shooting him is easy. i had seen them play in coney island and about week earlier and was devastated when glenn decided that the moment to stand up on his stool before "i'm the man who loves you" was exactly the same time as i decided to switch lenses. so on this night, i was prepared. and boy did he deliver.

wildbirds & peacedrums @ le poisson rouge, 9.15.09
wildbirds & peacedrums are a husband and wife duo from sweden who opened for deerhoof. i said this on my own blog, but with a name like theirs, i will be honest and say i was expecting flutes and dulcimers. instead i got a full on percussion and vocal assault. seriously loud and intense stuff. i think this picture captures the intensity.

thanks so much for reading! and thanks to kevin, matt and pat for having me!

kate

*all photos copyright katherine l. ehle and may not be used without permission.

-- 
-kate ehle
cake & ale
design | photography | art
www.cake-and-ale.com

The Concert Series - Part III: Radiohead

My sister Allison’s all-time favorite musical act is the Indigo Girls.  I believe it has been this way ever since my brother first bought her a copy of Swamp Ophelia back when we were in high school.  Though she is not a huge music fan, Allison does appreciate great music and it seems that every year she is treated to a live performance by her favorite band.  The Indigo Girls have seemed to make it a point to tour consistently throughout the years and though she does not keep up with music as much as others, Allison’s eyes light up when the tour dates are announced and she usually makes it a point to get herself some tickets to share with some friends.  I have always been envious of her because my favorite band is not so charitable with their touring and I certainly do not get to see them on a yearly basis, which is why when I do get the opportunity to see Radiohead, it’s a full-blown “Stop The Presses!!!!!” moment and I do whatever I can to see them. 

My last experience seeing Radiohead live was in the spring of 2008 in northern Virginia.  I had traveled to the D.C. area to interview for some jobs and my trip had just so happened to coincide with a Radiohead show and though I had seen them in Tampa just a week or two before this date, it was a given that I would see them again.  I bought some tickets for me and some friends and got all kinds of amped to see these guys twice in the span of a few weeks.  However, this turned out to be one of the most miserable concert-going experiences of my life as the heavens opened up that night and let out a torrential downpour of the largest raindrops I had ever seen before.  Roads were flooded and traffic was jammed for miles as thousands of fans tried to eek their way to the venue.  The temperature was in the 50’s but with the rain it might as well have been in the 20’s.  My friend Jon and I arrived about 45 minutes into their set and ran to the lawn where our tickets indicated we should be as we sloshed around in puddles of water and mud.  It didn’t matter; we were going to see Radiohead.

That enthusiasm lasted about thirty minutes as neither one of us was able to enjoy the show.  I don’t care who you’re seeing when you’re that wet and cold and miserable, you don’t want to see anyone.  We agreed it would be best to just cut our losses and leave and proceeded to the car where we waited about an hour and a half as the traffic trying to leave the venue was even worse than it was getting in.  I don’t regret trying to go to this show or any decision we made before, during, or after as this is my favorite band.  They don’t tour that much, and I will always take any opportunity to see them.  Having said all that, the experience itself was horrible.

This time around, I found myself in a much more comfortable position.  Tour dates were announced and they would be making their first stops in Florida.  It was either Miami or Tampa for me and I went with Tampa so that I could have at least one other person to go with.  My friend Adam from grad school and his buddy Charley were going and were kind enough to pick up a ticket for me.  It was settled.  The mid week Leap Year show it would be.

The shows on this tour promoting their latest release The King of Limbs are all in indoor arenas, which is atypical for them.  I had never seen them indoors in the previous five shows I had seen.  I was particularly excited to see them play the songs from the new album.  Though it is not one of my favorite studio albums of theirs, I have seen live performances on TV and they seemed to sound so much better than the album.  There is so much percussion with this record that the band had to hire another drummer (Portishead’s Clive Deamer) to tag along for the tour.  And even though there are a lot of electronic sounds in the album, the band replicates them all live.  If there is any recordings played, they’re recorded and looped back right there on stage.  It’s a live performance of an in-depth and complicated catalogue and the band pulls it off better than anyone I have seen.

When we got to the venue, we grabbed a beer and headed for the floor.  We missed the opening act but were still there early enough to establish ourselves about 20 yards from the stage and shortly the band came out around 8:45.  One of the great things about a Radiohead show is the amazingly brilliant light show you get with the performance.  For this tour, the band has twelve huge flat screens that are hung up by some cables and with each song they play, the screens are moved and shifted in different arrangements.  There are cameras set up in strategic areas that cover not only a close up of each band member but also of the instruments they play.  There are also six widescreens connected to each other at the very top of the stage that includes similar images.  Behind the band is a wall of lights that dance and bounce with the beat of the music.  For each song, there is also a different color scheme chosen, each one as bright and luminous as the other.  Midway through the show some dude made his way up to where we were standing and was dancing like a madman, bouncing into people all around him.  He soon started apologizing and admitted he was on an acid trip.  I can’t imagine what that must have been like for him.  It was sensory overload even for the sober.

The band played mostly songs from their last two albums but included ones from every studio album with the exception of Pablo Honey which is no surprise.  The only song I’ve seen them play from that album is “Creep”, which to me is a little sad as that album has some great songs on it.  But it’s nothing new.  Ever since Kid A came out in 2000, the band has relied heavily on the more electronic and ambient songs during their live performances. 

Overall, the crowd was great and very energetic.  With the opening chords to each song, everyone cheered out in approval which is totally understandable.  They just don’t have any bad songs.  While that fact is great to know when you go see a live show, it’s also bound to end up letting you down.  There’s just always going to be a number of songs you’re dying to hear but you never do.  I knew I’d hear most of the songs off of Limbs but was excited to hear them play “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”, “Reckoner”, “Idioteque”, "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", "Karma Police", and “There There” which I believe was the first time I ever saw four drummers playing together during a live performance.  We were also treated to a brand new song “Identikit” which was great addition.  The show lasted about an hour and 45 minutes and included two encores.  Throughout the entire performance I could not help but grin from ear to ear as my heroes played some of my most favorite songs right in front of me.  It was phenomenal.

There is something special about seeing your all-time favorite artist perform live.  I’ve seen hundreds of great performances over the years but none will even come close to the sheer elation I feel at a Radiohead show.  As I mentioned earlier, the Avett Brothers put on some amazingly energetic shows, and the Lemonheads show as a great trip down memory lane.  But there is just something otherworldly and surreal about seeing a Radiohead show for me and I don’t think that will ever change.  I’m not quite sure if Allison feels the same way when she sees the Indigo Girls, but if her feelings are even close to that, she is a very lucky person.  As for me, I’ll just have to cherish this latest show until I see them again, which is a little sad until I remember that they’re headlining Bonnaroo in June.  It’s quite clear that the concert gods are spoiling me in the first half of 2012.

-M

25/50: Books Books Books

Mockinjay by Suzanne Collins (2/50 Books)

So, from what I understand, a lot of people didn't like the ending of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy. While, I didn't think it was the best book, (that would be the original Hunger Games) it was definitely the second best book. I guess I would have to say similar to what I said about Catching Fire, in that I think it is pretty astounding how violent and, ultimately, cynical these books are. Particularly in Mockingjay where Katniss gets pushed and pulled by people with different agendas, trying to use her as the ultimate pawn in their own game. Sure, they eventually get their comeuppance, but at what price for the survivors?

25/50: That's Right, I Finished A Book!

It's the (very) little things, really:

Wanderlust (2012) (17/50 Movies)

Hey, here we go, my first time seeing a movie that was actually released in 2012! Considering this movie's pedigree: directed by David Wain (I really liked Role Models-to the point where I will watch it to the end if I happen to stumble upon it on TV0, it was written by David Wain and Ken Marino, and has all but maybe 4 members of The State in it, plus Paul Rudd, ( oh and Todd Barry)  but I was a little disappointed. I think they were going for a Lost In America-type satire and I am not sure they quite got there, and then there were some weird tonal shifts. I am open to the possibility that it might be a grower, because it wasn't like I didn't laugh, I definitely did, maybe I will get more out of it after a few more viewings. I will say though Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, and Joe Lo Truglio are reliably great. And I hope there is an outtake somewhere, maybe of the DVD, where we can see more of the fake Atlanta morning show with Michael Ian Black, David Wain, and Michael Showalter because they were amazing. Spoiler: this has the most full frontal nudity I've seen since, well, actually Shame. That's either a plus or a minus for you.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (1/25 books)

That's right, I finally read a book that was geared towards teens. It's interesting that basically a young adult book could be this raw, I mean it continues from The Hunger Games, but we have an interested, conflicted heroine, being messed with by an all-powerful state, and people being straight-up shot in the face. I think Robert Cormier would be proud. At any rate, it isn't poetry, but it is a page turner, and although it gets sort of derivative of the first book towards the end, it sets up the last book nicely. So nicely, that I immediately started reading that last right after I had finished reading this one. That last line, continuing into the third book (sort of SPOILERS here) also reminded me of the last five minutes of one of the most gut wrenching reveals I have seen on a television show, the last 5-10 minutes of the fourth season Battlestar Galactica episode, "Revelations".  If you read the books and know the show, you know what I am talking about.

-Kevin

Guest Post: 12 Tha Hard Way

I am so excited. Today's guest blog post is brought to you from Kate, friend and fellow blogger over at Punch It In. Full disclosure: I've known Kate since high school. This also sort of self-serving because I really love to read these sorts of lists especially by people I actually know, and I thought: "Well, one way to do that is, of course, to get them to write a guest post." I also love it because it brings such a wide array of experiences (and opinions) to the table. And in this case there is a couple movies I don't really like, and I have a different favorite Indiana Jones movie, but like Stuart Smalley used to say, that's okay, in fact it's awesome.

Also, I might have her back to to do a TV post as well.

So without further comment here's Kate's entry:

 12 tha Hard Way

Admittedly, I’m a TV girl – I will pick the small screen over the silver screen at almost every opportunity. I’ve never seen the full Star Wars trilogy. I’ve never watched “The Godfather.” Just a couple months ago I got heckled for never having sat through all of “Mary Poppins,” not even as a little girl. But I can relate just about every moment in life to an episode of “Friends” and talk at length about the childhood crush I had on a random “Punky Brewster” guest star.

When Kevin asked me if I wanted to write a guest post on my 10 favorite movies, I was stoked. I like writing and I like Kevin and I thought the task wouldn’t be too difficult. As it turns out, I was wrong. Coming up with a list of movies that I deem my favorites – especially when 98 percent of the DVDs I watch lately are TV on DVD – was ROUGH. And then I started overthinking and getting all literal about it because I wouldn’t be Kate Wade if I wasn’t the most literal goddamn person on the planet.

Anyway.

What I decided to do was list 12 (because I am a fucking rebel) movies that I can watch – and have watched – over and over and over again. Are they all Academy Award winners? GAWD no. Still, they have made a huge impact on me. I can remember where I was when I first watched some of them, certain situations bring others to mind and some … well, some have impacted me so much that I named my own blog after them. So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are 12 of my favorite movies of all time.

Heathers

The thing about pop culture in my house growing up is that nothing was really banned. I don’t know if that’s because my parents felt like censorship was whack or because they didn’t have a lot of time to check in on what my brother and I were watching and reading. Regardless, I ended up watching movies like “Porky’s” when I was probably a little younger than I should have been. “Heathers” was another one of those movies I might have been a little young to be watching when it first made it to the pay cable channels, but it has stayed with me my whole life. The dark comedy of it all spoke to me in such a hard core way. I wanted to endlessly make out with Christian Slater. I wasn’t altogether unhappy when Heather Chandler bit it. CORN NUTS FOREVER.

American Beauty

It’s rare I can repeatedly watch a movie without there being one scene that annoys the shit out of me. “American Beauty” is that rare movie. It’s perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing. And the older I get, the more it speaks to me. I have an extended family member who is probably around 40 now, and a couple years after the movie came out he went on this tirade about what a disgusting character Kevin Spacey played. Whenever I think back to that situation, I wonder if my family member remembers it whenever a 17- or 18-year-old girl inevitably catches his eye these days.

The Goonies

If you tell me you don’t like “The Goonies,” I’ll tell you you’re un-American. It’s just one of those movies that every person my age who grew up in white middle-class America can appreciate. For all of us who had a tight-knit group of friends in elementary school or junior high, we recognize the Chunks, the Mouths, the Datas. We saw the adventures they went on and wished we were going, too – especially that waterslide, amirite? And the feeling of vindication at the end of the flick, where The Goonies win and those other assholes have to go home and pound sand, it’s just the best. I still don’t like Baby Ruths, though. Just putting that out there.

Say Anything

There’s not much to say about this movie that hasn’t already been said. Lloyd Dobler is every teenage girl’s dream boyfriend, or at least he was before all these fucking vampires fell into the mix.

Home Alone

Every Christmas I spend some bonding time with little Kevin McCallister. These days I want to tell him to put down the drugs and eat a sandwich, but back in the day we were homies. I first saw this movie in the theater and from the first note of the intro music and the opening credits, I was hooked. It is just a damn good movie – funny and silly while still tugging on your heart strings just enough.

Dances With Wolves

I have to confess that my dad made me watch this in the movie theater not long after it premiered. I was 12 or 13 and it was painful. Sooooooo painful. Too long and boring and oh my god. I wanted to kill my dad, right after I woke up from my theater nap. Then my dad moved to Wyoming and I started visiting him during summers. He took me all over Wyoming and Montana, showing me the countryside and helping me learn about Native American history. After that, “Dances With Wolves” spoke to me a lot more. I had such a better appreciation of the beauty of the landscape and a deep respect for the Native American people. Now that my dad is living in Tennessee, I watch this movie probably two or three times a year to take a trip back to the wonder of the West. 

Brighton Beach Memoirs

When my mom and dad first separated, I lived with my dad and family friends of his for a year. I was about 12. I loved watching the huge old TV set in the living room of that house. One weekend day when everyone else was busy, I had the TV on and one of those weekend movies started. It was “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” For as long as I can remember, I have been in love with WWII-era books and movies, and I’m a huge fan of music from the ’30s and ’40s. I thought Jonathan Silverman was hilarious as Eugene, and all these years later I’m still singing “Good Morning Glory,” a song I’d never heard before and even have a tough time finding now on the Interwebz.

Fried Green Tomatoes

This movie gets pegged as a chick flick, and it sort of is, but my husband loves it, too. It’s a mystery and a love story and it makes you laugh and it makes you cry and it pretty much does everything a good movie is supposed to do. I also have a major crush on Mary-Louise Parker and a mild obsession with the Deep South so I’m probably a little biased.  

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

This one is pretty self-explanatory. It’s the best movie in the series (COME AT ME, BRO), and my favorite part is when Indy has to figure out how to get to the knight so he can find the Holy Grail. All those puzzles, all that pressure – so awesome to watch.

Dolores Claiborne

Kathy Bates does the sickest Maine accent in this flick. It sounds stupid, but that’s half of it for me right there – just listening to her talk. So much of what’s great about “Dolores Claiborne” is the acting itself. Judy Parfitt is killer as Vera Donovan and David Strathairn’s performance is so amazing that I’m not convinced I would let him near me in real life.

Uncle Buck

This is hands down my favorite John Candy movie. Every kid needs an uncle like Buck.

Cape Fear

The newer one with Robert De Niro scares the absolute bejesus out of me. He is a crazy motherfucker in the movie and I love how Juliette Lewis plays her role, too. By the time they make it on that houseboat, my nerves are so bad I’m almost peeing myself. Also, I’ve never thought of piano wire the same way again after seeing this.  

-Kate