March 22, 2010, 6:20 am
I’m starting to get really into Camera Obscuras and Pinhole photography. I just had a nice birthday weekend journey around the great basin region of Oregon to Summer Lake Hot Springs. We went on a wild sage grouse chase, soaked under the stars and turned our cabin into a giant camera obscura. The cabin had a beautiful view of the winter ridge which was projected upside down onto the walls. It was a long exposure but the image wasn’t too clear so thats why theres white paper on the walls. Once again, foil was used to block out the sunlight. Sometimes its worth sleeping in a big tin foil box in the middle of the high desert when you can have the outside projected inside.
February 22, 2010, 6:46 am
Music Millennium turned 40 and the Dharma Bums reunited for a show in their honor. They were suppose to be the big breakthrough band of the Pacific Northwest but instead Nirvana, who used to open for them, exploded. The show was highly charged and meant something different to everyone who was in attendance. Music aside, I was excited by the involvement this show had with my circle of friends and the bliss demonstrated by frontman Jeremy Wilson. Fresh Young Fellows and Derby opened.
February 15, 2010, 5:47 am
Every weekend at Lola’s Room inside the Crystal Ballroom or on the bouncy main floor, VJ Kittyrox hosts the 80’s Video Dance Attack. A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing their Valentines Day event. It was an entertaining evening and felt like a prom for 30-40 year olds mixed with a younger queer dance night and maybe a wedding reception. Music videos are projected on three giant screens while the crowd dances along. Couples make out behind curtains and dark corners, and single men stand awkwardly in line for another beer while adjusting their wigs.
February 4, 2010, 4:43 am
Its amazing how a couple of days can quickly turn into a month. Like many other photographers, I’d rather be out shooting than working on the computer so my attention span is constantly shifting to the newest photos taken that day. At the end of January I went to the Living Enrichment Center in Wilsonville, OR to explore the compound and photograph a metal band. My favorite part of the adventure was the underground tunnel that lead you to the site of the old Dammasch State Mental Hospital. The children’s nursery was pretty cool too and might have been a little spooky if the graffiti hadn’t been so ridiculous. It was a lot of fun so we spent a good amount of time there. At the end of the day we were all satisfied and feeling a bit sick from the toxic mold in the air.
January 22, 2010, 6:21 pm
On Wednesday night I went to a benefit show at the Holocene for Tom Tom Magazine. The lineup featured all female drummers including my favorite, Janet Weiss. They were all incredibly talented and hot. The hallway at the venue was decorated with beautiful photographs of female musicians. I was with good company and the bartenders were on top of their game. What more can you ask for?
January 31, 2009, 11:36 pm
words: Amy J Gauthier
photos: Ro Tam
for Bluegrass Undergound
Dressed for a funeral, the Silver Jews took the stage for their final show. About 300 lucky fans gathered not six feet under, but 333 feet underground to pay their respects. The performance was held at Cumberland Caverns, an underground cave in McMinnville, TN. Mr. Berman played his 15 favorite songs with no encore. He opened the show by letting his fans know that “If you’re in a position in your life, where you need to make a change, this is the best time. If you’re stuck, try saying no.” As ‘We Are Real’ opened the show, David told his fans, “I’m saying yes for the last time.”
From the moment they started to play, the crowd knew this was a different Silver Jews show. People were very humbled by the decision David Berman has made to quit the music business. It was more of a celebration of the life of the Silver Jews than a funeral. Many stood with tears in their eyes, and even David got emotional as he started to play, ‘Room Games And Diamond Rain’.
The band played better than ever. David’s voice lifted the walls of the cave in perfect harmony. It was the most focused and serene Silver Jews show the fans had ever seen. The usual shouting of favorite lines was kept to a low whisper. Many of these fans had come a long way to say good-bye.
Bob Nastanovich revisited the drums one last time, as they played ‘Trains Across The Sea’. Bobby Bare Jr. also made a quest appearance singing backing vocals on ‘I’m Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You.’
As the show was coming to an end, Cassie’s stunning bass rang through our ears the intro to, ‘Smith & Jones’. The excitement of the fans was boundless, even within the walls of the cave. Although this was the last show, the fans knew it was the Silver Jews forever, and ever, and ever and ever!
