Do You Believe in Magic? (John Sebastian)

Last night I was watching Legends of Folk: The Village Scene, a PBS special. The concerts they showed were a little before my time, but I was always into the music. Dylan. Peter Paul and Mary. Joan Baez. And then, all of a sudden, there was John Sebastian and The Lovin' Spoonful. I had been a big Beatles fan when I was young, but it really was the Spoonful who owned my soul. I'm not sure when it was that I got to see them perform at the New York Coliseum (which is now the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle) but it was way before I picked up a camera at a concert. The highlight that day wasn't the show (which I LOVED) but when we left the Coliseum we saw the band get into a white van. And we chased that van down the street. It was such a rock and roll moment. 

So it was really no surprise when I started looking for the first rock photos I ever took and found they were of John Sebastian.

John Sebastian at the Schaefer Music Festival
Central Park, 1973

At the time, I only had a little point and shoot film camera, an Olympus Trip 35 (still living in my closet). The 40mm fixed lens didn't get me anywhere near close enough, even though I was standing at the foot of the stage. But I have to admit, I loved it. Not long after, I bought an SLR and started taking photography classes. And a year later, the second show I shot in black and white (contact sheet file number 10005)  featured John Sebastian. The photos were better, but I don't seem to have printed any of them. 

So a few more classes, and another year's summer concert series, and I get to photograph Sebastian again. This time, I'm able to get backstage (though it was before Aztec Two Step and I'm pretty sure I didn't have a photo pass-- but hey, it was John Sebastian-- and if I could chase him down 59th Street in a van with the Spoonful, I could sneak backstage) and I got this shot of him rehearsing in his trailer.

And at this show, I got a little closer (ok, longer lens.)

My City of Ruins

Hard to believe it has been 10 years. I remember watching the benefit, and watching Bruce Springsteen sing this song. 

Rise up.

My Generation

I've been spending some time running around southwest England lately. Not doing any kind of rock and roll tour, mind you, but interested in rock history if I can find any around me. Which I can't, it seems. English rock history resides mostly in London, Liverpool and Manchester, places I haven't been to on this trip. I asked some locals, but no one seemed to know of anything that occurred in this area. I checked the internet, and found that the band XTC, Gilbert O'Sullivan, and Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues all came from Swindon. So I figured that last week's photo of a Beatles photo was as close to rock and roll that I would get (and yes, it's a stretch, I know.)

And then I found out that just a few miles away from where I'm staying is Ashdown House. A lovely estate and part of the British National Trust. Only a small portion of the house is open for visitors, and only for short periods of time. That's because Ashdown House has a tenant. It was closed when I got there, but I wandered a bit around the grounds. Didn't see Pete Townshend either. Yeah, he's the tenant. Purchased the lease from the National Trust in 2010. My guess is that he's probably not living there yet, as the house is undergoing major renovations. Still, nice house, don't you think?

She Loves You (The Beatles)

I never got to photograph the Beatles. I was way too young, though I did get to see them live once, and screamed my little girl lungs out, too. 

Saw this photo in an antiques store in Lechlade selling for £18. Didn't want to own it, just wanted to photograph the Beatles.

Rapture (Deborah Harry)

Nice article about Deborah Harry in this week's New York Magazine. Blondie's got a new album coming out, Panic of Girls. They're still touring too, but as she says, “the last thing I ever want to be is an oldies act, running through those same songs beat for beat...”  Good for her. Good for them. 

Yes, that's my photo on the second page. You've seen it here before. Live from the stage at the Palladium in 1977. The photo's bigger on nymag.com than it is in the magazine, but that's ok. And yes, they spelled my name right.

How Did I Get Here?

This week I saw that Aztec Two-Step is still around and they are performing at George Eastman House (Rochester NY, too far away). Rex Fowler and Neal Shulman have a special place in my heart because sometimes I think if it wasn't for them, I might not have really gotten into shooting rock and roll.

Aztec Two-Step, Schaefer Music Festival, Central Park, NYC, 1976

At that time, I was taking photography classes, and I wanted to photograph for myself and not just for class assignments. I wasn't really interested in doing street photography, so I'd take my camera to concerts. I'd use the photos to work on my printing in my tiny darkroom, in my tiny bathroom, in my tiny studio apartment. In June of 1976, Aztec Two-Step was opening for Jesse Colin Young in Central Park. A friend of my friend Sara knew the band and said we should definitely go see them, but it was the first summer Saturday of the Schaefer Music Festival and the concert was sold out. Since Sara's friend was living in St. Louis and couldn't really do anything at that point to get us in, he said we should hang out by the press gate and mention his name to Rex and Neal.

Neal Shulman of Aztec Twp-Step

So we're hanging out and of course, we can't get near Neal and Rex. But then Stu comes out with the list (which did not have our names of course). He's the publicist for Aztec Two-Steps' label RCA Records. We start talking, he sees my camera, asks if I have a portfolio (which I was starting to put together) and tells me to call and make an appointment to show it to him. And then he lets us in. Yay! It was a good show!

Rex Fowler of Aztec Two-Step

I finish the portfolio, make the appointment not long after, and Stu gives me my first official photo pass (Jefferson Starship- but that's a whole other story) Not long after that, he gives me my first paid assignment too, the first of many. (The Deadly Nightshade at The Bottom Line) And that's how I got here.

Oddly enough, while I photographed Aztec Two-Step six more times, I never actually got hired to shoot them.

Alphas

Okay, so who is watching Alphas, Mondays at 10 on SYFY? And why do I care? 

A scene from Alphas, episode 3

If you look closely, there on the wall of David Strathairn's office in the show (starting in episode 2), you'll see photographs. These photographs. (and sometimes more than once in an episode)

Lou Reed, Bottom Line, 1978

Set decoration. Interesting. I like this. A first for me, not a magazine or the internet or a fine art print on a gallery wall. You have to be open to all the places where the photos can end up. The difference here is usage rights. Editorial is fine even when there is no release, and fine art is allowed too (just don't put the image on a t-shirt if you don't have a release) TV is something else though, and the legal department had to get involved, but ultimately, it all worked out.


Oh, and if you look really quickly, you can see my name in the credits. But it's really fast, so I'll make it easier for you.

Don't forget to watch.