I used to be such a concert go-er when I was younger but the last few years I’ve really taken it down a notch. I’ve gotten really selective with the bands and musicians I see live. Lately, a lot of bands from the 90s whom I love have reunited and toured, so those bands are usually the ones to get me out of the house and attend some concerts.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize how important it is to experience the show as opposed to watching it through a camera. I used to be big into taking photo after photo, but that craving has really died for me. I’ll admit, I do feel weird not take a single photo, so I decided to take one photo per concert. Some photos come out crappy, others come out kinda decent. Concert photography is not easy, but that one photo is enough to spark all the memories I need.
The above photo is from a free show Blonde Redhead played in Brooklyn back in June. Blonde Redhead tends to do free summer shows, so I was happy to catch this one. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen them live.
The Stone Roses played Madison Square Garden in June – their first U.S. show in 20 years, and I brought myself to be there. It was such a last minute decision to attend as it was ticket prices holding me back. But I attended, and I’m thankful I did.
This was also another spontaneous show for me. A friend had two free tickets to see Seth Bogart in Brooklyn at the end of July. I really can’t say no to free shows. I’ve only really known Seth from his Wacky Wacko clothing line (which I love so much). I expected his show to be just as fun, and it was. It was so much fun and straight up wacky.
The highlight of my year was seeing 90s band Belly in August. It was also their first tour in 20 years. Buying tickets was weird as it was sold out before I had a chance to buy them, but magically there were a few tickets posted the week of the show which I snagged just in time. The show was a true blast; I’m pretty sure they played their entire discography making it a bit of a long show. Definitely got my money’s worth. I’m still astounded I was there. It was surreal.
I like this deal with myself – one photo per concert. I don’t attend many shows, but when I do, I make sure to be there in the moment. Taking one photo doesn’t take me away from the experience, and like I said, it’s enough to help spark a memory from the night. As far as I know, I don’t have any shows lined up for me to attend. But I’ve been itching for some live shows, so cross your finger someone good comes to town!
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