State of the Arts: TV on the Radio

The Wonder Ballroom

Kyp Malone / David Andrew Sitek
Tunde Adebimpe
Jaleel Bunton

Chioke (documentary film maker)

On Sunday I met some of the members of the Brooklyn based avant-garde indie-rock band TV on the Radio during The Art Affair @ The Jupiter Hotel. We hit it off, turned out to have some friends in common and they invited me to the show they played here Monday night with permission to shoot. It felt like opportunity knocking and I've opened the door whole hearted. They had time to hang out with friends after the show at the Doug Fir - so I got to photograph a bit during the down time too.

Mainly I got to know Tunde, Kyp and their friend Chioke. These are the funniest guys I've had the pleasure of meeting in a long time. Not knowing their music before meeting them was very good. It allowed me to just hang out with them as a friend and fellow artist instead of getting hung up on their creative brilliance. They were completely approachable, humble and upbeat. Refreshing.

The show sold out, the band and the crowd fed each other some great energy and the whole thing was being filmed for a documentary. The energy was strong and full like the Death Cab for Cutie show I went to 8 years ago in Seattle. Something that can consume you mind body and soul if you let it. Keeping track of my gear kept me from letting loose completely - but I could still feel it all around me. To get good shots I was up at the front of the stage and therefore was accidentally in what became a mosh pit by the second song. I think last night was the first time I've seen crowd surfing in 10 years or more. (Can somebody tell me when moshing came back in style or am I just out of it?) It felt like being a teenager again. Except this time I was a bit less constrained and I had the strange privilege of saying I was with the band - which just makes me laugh. Not that I haven't been with the band before - for some reason it just felt glamorous partly because I didn't even know their music or them two days ago, it's a sold out show, and I've got a gigantic lens on my camera making me look the part. It was nice to feel a bit of unexpected VIP privilege.

The access you can get as a photographer is one of the most interesting aspects of my work. Days like these reinvigorate the thrill and excitement I've always gotten from being an observer invited to document the inner workings of places and people I would never have ventured without my camera in hand. From on court positioning at NBA and NFL games, invitations to photograph inside the studio of an artist, backstage at live performances, and the privilege of documenting private sacred ceremonies around the country - I love capturing people in their element.

Que le vaya bien