I shot the first day of Transmission Festival at the Palladium in Worcester. It was an interesting day to say the least. I was able to witness many anxious scenesters meet their favorite bands as they (the musicians) stood outside, trying to get one last drag of nicotine before heading out on stage. But none of them quite made me laugh like the 16ish year old boy that could barely breathe at the sight of lead singer of I Set My Friends On Fire, Matt Mihana. The kid was literally jumping up and down and holding his breath, unsure of how to approach Matt and what he should even say to him. I sat on the stairs watching this unfold, hoping that something epic was about to happen. Well...nothing happened. The kid never summoned up the courage and as Matt walked in to start his set, I saw the feeling of defeat wash over this guy as he moped away. To that kid, I say - muster it up dude! All of these people you idolize in bands are just that...PEOPLE! I'm sure Matt felt awkward as he stood there waiting for you to say hello to him. Everyone in a 2 mile radius could hear you talking about him and we all knew how badly you wanted to meet him...so next time...just say hello!
So back to it. Transmission Fest was packed with bands. It was a 2 day festival going on in 2 cities, Worcester and Hartford. The bands that played day 1 switched locations for day 2 so that no matter what city you were in, you were sure to see some amazing bands perform. Like I said, I only shot the first day of the festival, but I was blessed to see some bands I haven't seen in a very long time and fill my day with shooting bands that I haven't yet had the opportunity to photograph. For me, the day started when I Set My Friends On Fire took the stage. I was a little bummed to find out that Nabil Moo had left the band and Matt was a lone soul up there. It seemed to play into the energy and the performance as well. When I saw them on Warped Tour a couple years ago, the energy level they brought to the stage was insane. They had a way of getting everyone in the crowd super pumped but this time around, it seemed that the crowd was much more into it than they were. Sometimes it's for the best though...right?
I Set My Friends On Fire
After I Set My Friends On Fire came natives Therefore I Am. I was really stoked to see and shoot these guys. I love the music they make and they are regulars on my iPod rotation. The energy that came from them set the tone for the rest of the day. Everyone was into it! Typically, I will shoot the first 3 songs of the set and then take a break and head outside, away from the noise and madness...but not this time. I stayed for the rest of their set because I was captivated by them. Lead singer, Alex Correia spent an extensive amount of time in the crowd during their set and was swarmed the entire time. The response was just insane! The set kept getting better as it progressed, but when they started into "Death by Fire", all hell broke loose! If you haven't had an opportunity to see these guys, I highly recommend you find when they are coming to town and check them out!
Therefore I Am
Sky Eats Airplane takes the stage next. I wasn't sure what to expect as I've never really gotten into their music, nor had I seen them live at this point. I was happily satisfied as they rocked out and played a quality set. The momentum carried over from Therefore I Am and they had a great crowd response to their 2 newish lead vocalists. Overall, I was happy with how my photos turned out although the lighting was tough once again.
Sky Eats Airplane
Following SEA was another local favorite, A Loss For Words. Yet again...another band that I hadn't seen or had the chance to shoot. I'm not usually one for poppy music but I was sold by their live performance. Very high energy and it was apparent that these dudes love to have a good time. Although it would be a far stretch for me to pop their disk in my cd player...I'd absolutely go see them live again!
A Loss For Words
Then We Came As Romans took the stage. Prior to this I was going back and forth with whether or not I wanted to shoot with flash. Shooting at the Palladium pretty much guarantees that you'll need some type of flash to get quality shots without shooting 5000iso. I've photographed shows alongside Jeremy Saffer quite a few times and have seen him use his Lumiquest when the venue warrants a flash. He swears by them and I never was really sold on it until now. I decided to pull it out of my bag, blow off the dust and slap it on my flash. I wasn't expecting to have great results with it but I was definitely mistaken. Shooting with the 80/20 and a diffuser, this little monster produces awesome results! Much better than using a gary fong or any other type of diffuser I see people shooting with. It instantly cut down any harsh shadows and put light exactly where I wanted it, without being too overbearing. I quickly decided that I wanted to switch to a slower shutter speed so I could get the movement, all while locking in my subjects with the flash. The Lumiquest certainly delivered! I was able to shoot at 1/60th of a second and slower and still get awesome results! So thanks Jeremy...I owe you one!
We Came As Romans
And on to the band that I was really there to see...Emery! I love these dudes! I have been a huge Emery fan since before I shared a stage with them at DiPiazza's in Long Beach, CA...circa 2003? I've always had a thing for them. The lyrics are awesome...the music is eclectic...and these dudes rock out HARD! Switching between 3 singers isn't something many bands can pull off...nor is looking like Charles Manson, but Emery has got it down! I can't even count how many times I've seen them live...but this was my first chance at shooting them. I was so psyched! Again...not many bands that I stick around for their entire set but there's no way I'm missing a minute of this band...every time I see them they blow my mind...and once again, they delivered and then some!
Emery
And this brings me to the final band that I shot for the day. Story of the Year. What to say about these guys. They have been around for quite a while now but still play hard, fast, and have a ton of fun doing it. I have a soft spot in my heart for these guys. I haven't really listened to them since their first album but I can't say that I don't enjoy them either. A few years after I graduated high school, I moved into a house with 5 of my closest friends. We were dubbed the frat house because of the parties we threw there. It wasn't unusual to have 200+ people in our backyard, having a good time. It also wasn't unusual for the cops to show up at some point in the wee hours of the morning to usher the people out. This house was special to us. It was the place where we all came out of our shells. Did I need to tell you this? No...but it was a nice segway into me telling you that it was inhabited by the dudes of Story of the Year before us. You know the house where, in the dvd, they throw the tv off the roof? The one where they sound proofed the garage? Yea...it was that one! When we first moved in, we had to pick stickers off of every room of the house where they had left them. It was the house they decided to live in while they became rock stars and before they made it big. So for some reason, I feel close to these guys. I feel like we come from the same place which makes me appreciate their music and hard work. Oh...and just in case some of you are skeptical...the address is 14852 Alcester St., Westminster, CA 92683. Go check it out...you'll find the stickers we left behind as well. And say hi to Big Louie for me, Jake, Will, Mike, Andy, and Shane.
Story of the Year
Thanks for stopping by today and listening to me ramble. I hope you decide to start following this blog and watching my work as it grows. And always make sure to check out my flickr for additional photos!!!!!
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