This past weekend, my husband and I jumped in the van with our friends in Last Fast Action for their shows at NV Ultra Lounge in Normal, IL that night.

They played two shows: an early one for the all ages crowd, and then a rowdy one for the 21+ group. Both short sets, around half an hour, but good.

But more important than their set was the fun backstage, which I was lucky enough to catch (Reason #2123123 to always have a camera on hand). Dan and Augie are not shy in front of the camera at all, and are more than willing to hold poses until I get my shot. Part of this could be the fact that I’ve been shooting them for almost six years, and thus, they’ve had plenty of time to get used to my camera in their faces. (more…)

Company of Thieves also played Cancel Out Cancer, the benefit show that I mentioned in a previous post about Quietdrive.

Company of Thieves is not your normal band.

For example, they cite Motown, soul, 1960’s and 1970’s rock n’ roll, Wilco, Neil Young, Fiona Apple and the Beatles, among their influences. In a time of rock and roll, Company of Thieves sings about Oscar Wilde. Instead of grungy jeans and t-shirts, they often appear onstage with girly dresses and vintage hats. They are truly standout artists. (more…)

Last Fast Action are good friends of mine.  I’ve known them since 2002, and they have never stopped amazing me with their talent and flexiblity.   They’ve written many kinds of music, from pop, to pop-rock, to electronic-rock… they are not afraid to play covers of songs on the fly, even if they have never played them before… and they never cancel a show due to band members not being able to play; they find a way to make it work.

Their last show was no exception. (more…)

I have been a fan of the Minneapolis band Quietdrive for several years.

I originally saw them at small colleges, first as Sneakers 2 Bombs (singer Kevin Truckenmiller’s and guitarist Matt Kirby’s previous band), and eventually as Quietdrive. They always had a ton of energy and filled up the stage with presence. As a concert photographer, I see a lot of bands perform, and it takes a lot for a live show to impress me. Quietdrive’s shows have always managed to do just that.

It has been almost a year since I last saw QD live, since they have been hiding away recording their soon-to-be released album, Deliverance, which is currently available for pre-order on www.quietdrivemusic.com. (more…)

Last weekend, I shot a benefit show – Cancel Out Cancer – at the Metro. A bunch of great Midwest bands were playing in support of the cause. One of the bands I was most excited about seeing was Quietdrive since they haven’t been playing much while recording their new CD this past year (which comes out on October 14th!!)

Shooting Notes
Of course, the light was the worst for their set, despite their main support slot. I parked my cameras on 3200ISO, dropped my shutter speed to 1/80 or 1/100 (for those occasional light flares) and stayed on f/2.8. I adore the Metro, but I’m looking forward to better lighting when Quietdrive returns to Chicago on October 29th, when they perform at the House of Blues with Mest.

More photos to come of Quietdrive, Treaty of Paris, Company of Thieves, and House of Heroes!