New Kids on the Block

New Kids on the Block
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

So I went to the New Kids show this past Sunday and lived out my 8 year old (like when I was 8 years old not 8 years) dreams of getting to see them. Sure it was you typical boyband show. But it was great. I was next to the B stage which was cool cause they sang 2 in the Morning on that stage and its my favorite track off "The Block" album.

Anyway here are some shots from my point and shoot.



Ok good times! So this week so far I've gone to Gavin Degraw then Sara Bareilles who had Marc Broussard open for her. Tomorrow is Ben Folds who has Missy Higgins opening for him and that's exciting. Then Saturday is Alanis Morisette. She's a tough shoot cause she doesnt stand still for one second if she's not strapped down with a guitar. Should be interesting.

Obviously lots more to come!

Rachel

Michelle Branch

Michelle Branch
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

So this past weekend was crazy I shot stuff like four nights in a row. Neil Diamond, Jessica Simpson, Michelle Branch, and then I attended New Kids on the Block but took my point and shoot. I will post some Neil Diamond later.

But here are some shots of Michelle. It was an acoustic set. She did a lot of new material from her upcoming album. It isnt going to be released until next year I think she said? It was a good set, no big production or anything. Plus her hilarious guitar player was just amusing. Lighting was tough when she was at the microphone because of this gross shadow being cast. Not to mention the stage being soo tall. I think I touched on that before But oh well.



Here's the set list

Everywhere
Sooner or Later
Crazy Ride
Breathe
Summertime
Goodbye to You
Game of Love
Leave the Pieces
Texas in the Mirror
You Wreck Me (Tom Petty Cover)
Pretty Little Lyin' Eyes
All You Wanted
Are You Happy Now
Stand Still, Look Pretty
Everything Comes and Goes


Rachel

Fairtastic!

Kellie Pickler
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

Last weekend I shot Kellie Pickler and Rodney Atkins at the fair. Pickler was pretty entertaining. A cool thing (and hilarious at the same time) she did was signed autographs from the stage for like a good 10 minutes after he last song, all while the stage manager tried to get her off the stage. She ended up recruiting him to help her by holding tshirts that were being thrown. Those tshirts being thrown up to get signed, were funny because she was trying to dodge getting hit in the face with them. That's grade A entertainment by itself!

Anyway here are some shots.


Rodney Atkins


Ok so there's that. This weekend at the fair is Jessica Simpson and Michelle Branch. I also believe its the last weekend so my DFW folks! You should make it out there if you get the chance. Also last time I was there the DAR house had bottles of water and canned soda for $1.00 and then the building with the borden stuff in it has Tea, Milk, and Juice for $1.00 as well.

In other randomness Indiana Jones comes out today! Jon McLaughlins newest cd came out last week. It's worth picking up. Beating my Heart is growing on me, but i still feel like the first 3 tracks are the weakest lyrically on the album and it gets soooooo much better after that. I saw a more stripped down version of Beating My Heart and like it so much more than the album version.

Lots of good music is coming out this month. Ingrid Michaelsons new one drops this week, and I think the Hotel Cafe Tour (she's on it) is here this week as well.

Ok I'm gonna stop rambling on but I do want to say I just read this article about how the 3 song limit is ruining the art of music photography. And how many iconic images were shot during the last 3 songs of bands sets.

Alright! Seriously I'm done for real this time!

Later Yall,
Rachel

Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

So I got to shoot Lady Antebellum at the State Fair on friday. They were fantastic. The only song I wish they would have done was a song they did for the Olympics or something called "I Was Here" Definitely would love to get to see these guys again. The crowd was kinda light.. what's up with that Dallas?

Anyway here's the set list and then some shots!

Slow Down Sister
Loves Lookin’ Good On You
Home Is Where the Heart Is/Free Fallin
Things People Say
All We’d Ever Need
Without Love
Long Gone
I Run To You
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
One Day You Will
Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Lookin For A Good Time/ You Shook Me All Night Long
Woman Scorned
Love Don’t Live Here
Hard to Handle




Things have been pretty slow this week. Hopefully it picks up next week though.

Later yall!
Rachel

Hanson

Hanson
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

I shot Hanson on Sunday night. Its the first show of theirs I've been too since 2001. Which didnt mean I didn't still like them. I just didnt get tix before they sold out, and didnt want to camp out for 3 days for first row or anything like that. I stayed and stood back watching the whole show. The boys seemed pumped the tour was starting. I enjoyed Issac's Knee Slide during I want to say "Cant Stop"

Lighting was pretty descent. There wasnt a lot of smoke so the House of Blues lighting guy wasnt blowing out the back lights too bad. He still could have brightened the fronts a bit but he's getting better. It wasnt like shooting in a cave during Hanson's set. The Veronicas well that's another story.

Anyway here are a couple shots then I'll post the set list.




Set List:
1. Something Going Round
2. Higher
3. Been There Before
4. Follow Your Lead
5. Wheres the Love
6. Great Divide
7. Penny and Me (acoustic)
8. Georgia (acoustic)
9. One More(acoustic)!
10. Where Did it Start?
11. Black Hearted Woman
12. Blue Sky
13. Hope it Comes Soon
14. A Minute Without You
15. Running Man
16. MMMBop
17. Can't Stop
18. Use Me
19. This Time Around
20. Watch Over Me

Encore

21. Coming Back for More
22. Lost Without Each Other


Also this week Hanson came into Kidd Kraddick to do a couple acoustic songs and here are a few of those shots as well!



So as you can tell last week was very Mmmboptastic. That's my word of the week ha. Ok so I have to be up at the studio in a bit so I should try and get some sleep!

Later!
Rachel

Red DIrt Round Up

Reckless Kelly
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

So I shot this a couple weeks ago. Cross Canadian Ragweed puts it on every year. I didn't get to shoot them thought because of deadlines. They wanted us to shoot Gary Allen but he wouldn't let anyone shoot him from the pit.. yet fans had SLR's in the crowd.. seriously? Oh well that's life.

Anyway since I opted not to get there really early I got to shoot Reckless Kelly and Stoney LaRue who were both good shoots. I also shot Robert Earl Keen but it was a bunch of straight Yellow, Green, and Blue lighting so I wasn't really happy with any of it. It wouldn't have been as bad but he was wearing a hat that created a shadow so finding a balance was impossible.

Anway here's a few shots

Reckless Kelly


Stoney LaRue


I shot hanson at Kidd and the House of Blues this past week, so I should have a blog about that shortly. I'll be out at opening day for the Fair on Friday. Yep I'm fairing it up instead of ACLing it up. But the line up isnt all that great this year.

I need to add some shots to my portfolio on my website and this may be blasphemy to say on blogger but I was thinking about moving to wordpress and then i couldnt figure out how to use it. Like I'm not completely web builder impaired but I'm no web designer!

Alright talk to yall later
Rachel

Maroon 5

Maroon 5
Originally uploaded by rachelparker

So I shot the Maroon 5 show this past weekend. Maroon 5 is always amazing. If you have the chance you should make an effort to go see them, especially if you like their music. The lighting for this tour was better than the last tour. With the exception that they didnt have the cool giant light up M in the background this go round. But I'm not that torn up about it because for some odd reason we were restricted to the sides.

And I totally get that its differnt for every venue, but this photographer does her research. And at other shows, many of them infact, the photographers were given free range to be in the middle and not just to the sides. I'm short, I wouldnt be that torn up if I was 8 feet tall, but trying to shoot around a 6 foot video guy on a riser is a heck of a challenge. That's all I'm saying. So who knows why we were stuck at the sides, but you deal with it and move on I guess.

Then there's this tiny part of me that wonders if there's a photographer at a stop right before Dallas on most tours that is messing it up for us. Like that one bad apple thing. Shooting too long or upsetting someone , so we get the punishment and shunned to the sides. Hey were not all bad, some of us can follow the 2 or 3 song rule, because we like not being banned from venues. I like being one of the photographers that can be trusted and respected.

Anyway I got some ok shots, the lighting was good, the band was great. Counting Crows wernt bad, they did a more acousticish set. I'm not big on them though, I'll admit.

Here are a few shots

Maroon 5



Counting Crows


Ok so that's it for that!

In other coolness. I got sent an advancement of the new Matt Wertz cd coming out. And gave it the car test Tuesday. It's really good, and alot of the tracks yes, are on Matts other cd's, but Dave Barnes did the same thing when he released his latest album on Razor and Tie. So it makes sense. It's the songs that are big with Matts fans, and the songs that newbies will definitely like, for example "5:19" and "Red Meets Blue." A pleasant surprise was getting to hear Marc Broussard on one of the tracks, its just backing vocals but they are pretty prominent. So then I checked out the credits on the album and noticed Dave Barnes co produced it. Go Dave! Ha, and he also did some of the backing vocals as well. But long story short, it's a good album, I know Matt's been at it for a while with the whole music thing, so I do hope some more folks catch on and buy this album tuesday when it comes out.

Rachel