Well folks, 2011 is in the bag and I can not thank you enough for the support this year. 2011 saw some amazing milestones including the launch of irocktheshot.com and I could not have hit any of these without your support. So I wanted to take a look back at 2011 and pull out some of the highlight of the 100+ bands I had the chance to photograph this year. I hope you enjoy them. Maybe you have seen them before, maybe they are new to you. I always appreciate feedback, positive or negative, so fire away.
The National at The Wellmont Theatre. Tough shoot as the lighting wasn’t great and there was no photo pit. Not to mention the Russian woman I almost had a fight with.
The Smithereens put on one of the better shows I have seen at BB Kings in NYC.
Disturbed and KORN double headlined at Hammerstein Ballroom.
Jon Bon Jovi put on a benefit show at Starland Ballroom with tons of special guests including Southside Johnny.
Linkin Park headlined Madison Square Garden in a show televised on Fuse. I briefly made an appearance myself.
German DJ and Producer Paul Van Dyk headlined Terminal 5 for the first time since it was called Club Exit. After seeing him about 40 times, this was my first time shooting his show.
Grace Potter and The Nocturnals brought her soul, and her legs, to Irving Plaza. (the women only noticed her killer shoes)
Chris Cornell embarked on a solo acoustic tour before heading out on the road with Soundgarden. This is one of the shots used in his November release called Songbook.
A band who I was only shooting because they were opening up for a headliner, Neon Trees, rocked my world. One of the reasons I love music photography.
My Chemical Romance playing in front of what was basically a hometown crowd just 10 miles away from their hometown. The most crowded I have ever seen Terminal 5.
Snoop Dogg after making the sold out, pissed off, melting pot of a crowd at The Wellmont Theatre wait until 11pm for the Lakers game to end.
The Kills at Terminal 5 made me feel a bit dirty. Good dirty.
Rise Against and their high energy show at Terminal 5 would make you want to bleed punk rock.
Yeah, Deftones were great, but I love this guy’s face in the crowd. Priceless.
The Summer Stage at The Stone Pony on a beautiful summer night with Umphrey’s McGee and an awesome sunset.
Ever play the drums with so much energy it pulls you out of your seat? Jay Weinberg of Against Me! does it all the time.
Sure, let’s throw a bunch of legends on stage to form super group Black Country Communion.
Foster the People at The Music Hall in Williamsburg; the smallest venue you will ever see them at in the near future. The fuse was lit and they were about to blow up.
Soundgarden’s back
Mayhem Fest gave me the chance to shoot a bunch of metal bands and nail 2 jumps at the same time when Unearth took the stage…
And, oh yeah, Megadeth headlined…..
As did Godsmack….
And my second time shooting Disturbed this year.
INXS back on tour with lead singer JD Fortune.
Band of Horses was supposed to open for KoL until KoL had a melt down. So they put together a headlining show at Hammerstein.
Dave Matthews Band the night before the hurricane.
Young the Giant kicked ass.
Incubus followed with a great set at PNC.
Who needs drugs when you have The Flaming Lips?
2 Nights before The Big Four at Yankee Stadium, Anthrax played a “secret show” at the Best Buy Theatre.
Oh yeah, Slash was at the Secret Show and stopped for a photo. Not a great photo technically, but its Slash.
And yes, I really shot Erasure right after Anthrax.
Foster the People, in the span of a summer, was now playing venues like Terminal 5.
Matt Nathanson was another artist that surprised me with his show. Not all pop should be kicked to the curb.
The legendary Elvis Costello at The Wellmont Theatre. One of my favorite shots of the year.
Little did I know when I took this shot backstage after the Elvis Costello show, that guitar legend Hubert Sumlin would pass away 2 months later.
Chevelle opened for Bush the next night at The Wellmont.
Bush is back. Yipee.
Night 3 at The Wellmont for me brought on the legendary Cyndi Lauper.
The Legendary Shack Shakers. It took me a few minutes to remember their name.
I jumped at the chance to shoot Neon Trees when they opened for Duran Duran at MSG.
My baby’s got sauce….G Love at Irving Plaza.
Evanescence wrapped up the US leg of their tour at Terminal 5. Amy Lee still has one of the best voices in rock.
And their drummer….
Panic! at the Disco played Starland Ballroom
Walk the Moon defying gravity. Although there is none on the moon.
Fitz and the Tantrums are hot right now, and they were at Terminal 5
The Goo Goo Dolls were a much better band indoors at The Wellmont. Or maybe I was in a better mood that night since it wasn’t 106 degrees like it was in July at PNC.
Lykke Li was all emotion at The Wellmont. One of my favorite, and most surprising shows of the year.
Legends Judas Priest on their farewell tour at Izod Center.
Chris Cornell toured in support of his acoustic release that he recorded on his Spring solo tour.
One of my favorite bands ever, The Cure, at The Beacon Theatre.
One of my favorite images of the year is this Snoop Dogg photo from Terminal 5.
Snoop co-headlined with Wiz Khalifa.
I closed out the year shooting one of my favorite bands, The Gaslight Anthem, at Convention Hall in Asbury Park. What more could I ever ask for?
Wait. I know. How about Bruce Springsteen comes out to join them to sing American Slang?
So there you go folks, a bit of a “best of”, presented to you chronologically. I have emotional ties to these photos so I am sure some of the ones I picked, you wouldn’t, and I probably missed some that the majority would have picked instead. What I do know is that it was a great, busy year for me with my music photography and I hope 2012 can come close. I shoot these shows one band at a time but when I look at this collective group of artists, including some of my favorite artists of all time, I am quite taken back myself.
There is a way for these photos to look better, and that is printed big and hung on your wall. Scrolling through them on screen does not do them justice. If you are interested in a print, check out the galleries and use code bestof2011 for 20% off through the end of January.
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