Our eyes are everywhere. Whether it’s the bar around the corner, the stadium four to five train stops outside town, or the muddy, rain-ridden festival overseas, our writers and photographers are present, scribbling and snapping away. Recently, we decided to compile our favorite shots from the month, offering the spotlight to our brave photographers once more. They’ve even provided some insight into the shots. So, given that November’s still stretching before it runs away from us, we thought we’d reflect on last month some. Here’s our October 2011 collection. It was a wild time.
Event: Gabby Young at London’s Koko (10/13)
Photographer: Saul
What Saul Says: “Gabby’s shows are extremely theatrical with elaborate stage sets and performers which photographically are often distracting. I like to shoot profiles of performers and isolate them against the relative darkness of the stage wings. When you only have three songs to get your shot, the press pack typically clamor around the mic stand but a little patience often leads to more dramatic images.”
Event: Laura Marling at Central Hall in Westminister, London (10/26)
Photographer: Lauren Keogh
What Lauren Says: “Photographing a sold out show without a photo pit for the UK’s best female solo singer sounds like a difficult task on paper. Luckily, Laura Marling fans are sweethearts and allowed me and my gear up to the front to capture this shot during the delicate yet haunting performance from Laura and her band.”
Event: Portugal. The Man, Givers at Terminal 5 (10/20)
Photographer: Nate Slevin
What Nate Says: ”The stage was dressed like some kind of sprawling, glowing molecule-model science project. It was mysterious, other-worldly, and dark. OH, SO DARK. Chain-smoke machines exhaled heavily on the band, who played their first few songs in colorful silhouette, only peering out from behind their oceans of thick vapor to make some serious sound. This photo chanced upon one of those moments where the mist gave way to meet the dying burst of a strobe, briefly revealing the creatures behind this psychedelic space-rock.”
Event: Sims and Lazerbeak at Minneapolis’ Fine Line Music Cafe (10/15)
Photographer: Harley Brown
What Harley Says: ”Sims is not an easy person to photograph. Like most rappers, he never stands still onstage; and I’m usually fumbling with my camera the few seconds he does lean into the audience. But this time I got lucky, managing to capture his sweaty face mid-rhyme.”
Event: Deadmau5 at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom (10/22)
Photographer: Brad Bretz
What Brad Says: ”One of the great things about concerts is the elaborate and sometimes dizzying light shows that many musicians craft to enhance their musical performances. While he’s perched atop his towering DJ platform, it’s hard to get a good look at Deadmau5 up close, for fans as well as photographers covering the show. It was great when he came down to take a break from spinning and we saw Deadmau5 up close and personal, Swiss cheese ears and all.”
Event: St. Vincent at Chicago’s Metro (10/5)
Photographer: Katie Scheuring
What Katie Says: “It was a sold out show. Viewers and photographers pushed around, both on the main floor and the upper balconies, all happy to catch a glimpse of the ever-charming and talented Annie Clark. I was very surprised at how authentic she looks to her videos and album covers. She just has a natural beauty to her. “
Event: Portishead at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom (10/12)
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson
What Jeremy Says: ”At the Aragon in Chicago, the stage is elevated about 10 feet off the ground, so it’s hard to grab different angles in the pit. In the back, on the balcony, you can get some cool shots. This one was taken during the song “Wandering Star”, and projections of real-time video of Beth Gibbons were being displayed behind her in this silhouetted black and white style. I did my best to get the projection of Beth and Beth herself.”
Event: Moby @ Moogfest 2011
Photographer: Cap Blackard
What Cap Says: ”Inyang Bassey, Moby’s regular touring vocalist, is amazing to photograph – this was my second time shooting her. Not only is her voice positively gorgeous, but her energy is wild. This shot was a shocker to have caught something so crisp in the low-light amidst all the dancing. Just as Jean-Paul Goude painted Grace Jones blue-black, Bassey is swathed in deep indigo darkness, emphasizing her skin tone to an amazing luster. The yellow stage lights accent this perfectly – the power of complementary colors in action.”
Event: Duran Duran at the Chicago Theatre (10/21)
Photographer: Brad Bretz
What Brad Says: “As the night progressed, Simon Le Bon & Co. gave the fans what they needed and it was appreciated and communicated back to the stage. Fans love Duran Duran and Duran Duran loves their fans. As they played their encore, I tried to capture that moment of admiration.”
Event: Odd Future at Minneapolis’ First Avenue (10/12)
Photographer: Joe Runge
What Joe Says: “This was my first time shooting for a website, so I felt a lot of pressure to get the best shots I could. The atmosphere of this show was, to say the least, hectic. The crowd was so rowdy that I got kicked out of the barricade within the first song. This photo was taken t0wards the end of the show as I slipped past all of the screaming fans.”
