My Goodness!

Want to know what the buzz is about in Seattle for new music? My Goodness featuring Joel Schneider on Guitar and Vocals and Ethan Jacobsen on the Drums.

A couple months ago the day before their CD was releases I met them at Sedro Wooley for a portrait session. Both Ethan and Joel are very nice, very down to Earth guys and it was a pleasure to spend the afternoon taking their photographs.

Not long after that I saw them perform at the Tractor Tavern and I saw a whole new side of them. These guys are intense performers with a diverse mix of songs ranging from hard rock to bluesy/moody tunes. The entire CD is great and I highly recommend you click the above link and buy it. I'm telling you, these guys are going to explode on the scene and you had better remember you read it here first! :)

They opened the Main Stage at the Capitol Hill Block Party on Sunday and they were natural on the big stage. See the post below this one for more on that day. All said and done they played four different shows on Sunday including an End Session for 107.7 The End.

The End Session

Capitol Hill Block Party 2011

The Capitol Hill Block Party is not your typical cul-de-sac get together with neighbors sharing soda pop and barbecued hot dogs while watching their kids race bikes up the street. Instead it's a massive festival loaded with booze and food and great music! Thousands of people crowd the streets to take in the scene. There are many places to watch bands play with the main stage featuring a select few bands.

It's a 3 day event but I was only able to make it for the final day on Sunday. This worked out for me because one of my favorite bands My Goodness opened the day on the Main stage with a killer performance.

Following My Goodness was the Posies high flying, spit filled, intense performance.

Later the Battles took the stage and performed what I was later told was called "Math Rock." Their My Space Page classifies them as experimental/Fusion Rock. Either way, they were awesome. With Ian Williams playing two keyboards and a guitar simultaneously, John Stanier destroying the drums and Dave Konopka keeping it cool on the Bass their timing was flawless and the music was amazing.

I went off to shoot the End Session featuring My Goodness came back to catch Explosions in the Sky who closed out the event with rhythmic music that had the crowd rising and falling at it's whim.

It was my first time at the Capitol Hill Block Party but definitely not my last!

One thing I forgot to bring was extra Sunscreen!

Ethan and Joel of My Goodness on the Main Stage. See the post above for more pics of this performance.

The Posies

The Posies

I told you spit was flying during the Posies performance!

I also told you the Posies were high flyin!

Ken Stringfellow of the Posies

The Battles

The definition of ambidextrous

Love the mustache!

The Battles

I love it when the drums are close to the edge of the stage. This is a fun new angle for me.

Ian Williams of the Battles backstage.

Explosions in the Sky

Explosions in the Sky

Explosions in the Sky

Explosions in the sky

Explosions in the Sky

The Tubes at the Triple Door

Old School! The Tubes took the stage at the Triple Door in Seattle for two nights. Countless costumes, countless classics, constant entertainment! Fee Waybill was the ultimate gentleman outside the show when we met and the ultimate bad boy on stage. Maybe my favorite moment of the night was him calling a guy out saying "There's nothing like watching some dude eat noodles and text messaging while I'm singing a fucking song." Ouch.

Many classic hits were played like White Punks on Dope and She's a Beauty

There were some props I probably shouldn't talk about in the blog but you can see in some of the pics below. One of my favorite photography techniques is to paint with light. Basically you set up a long exposure and use a flashlight to "paint" your subject with light were you want your subject to be illuminated. Maybe one of the coolest concert moments ever: The lights went out so Fee grabbed a flashlight and painted himself with light. He was wearing a spiked leather thong and mask and I'm pretty sure nothing else at the time. Rock and Roll!

Decades before Marilyn Manson and Lady Gaga were wearing outrageous costumes and creating art on stage, the Tubes were laying the foundation for shock rock at it's finest! Here are a few of my favorite pics from the night. I hope you like them.