songbirds

practicing with the 24mm-70mm, super high ISO

all photos taken october 13, 2011 @ the vu

© anita aguilar

happy halloween

masquerading as a young person, i caught those darling local natives at webster hall on friday night--late, because of work, and later because of security at the hall, which is tighter than jfk's, which wasn't exactly comforting.

i was waaaay in the back for these.

what i heard of the band was amazing, i will look forward to seeing them next time they come 'round. hopefully it won't be at webster hall, because i'll

never

go

there

again.

my favorite shot. dreamy "sun hands."

local natives: the excellent world news...

i got really lucky last night--everything was going to plan. caught the ferry just after 8, arrived on the island after the first of two opening bands performed, shimmied my way past the drinking revelers (it was gonna be a dry night for me, at least until after the show) and up to the stage (it was maybe 10 deep where i stood)...and then i eased my way to some free space, off to the side but a bit closer to the stage, near what i assume was the vip/press section, on the river side of the beach.

i caught we barbarians' full set. i liked their energy.


the only fly in the ointment of my evening was a twenty-something, joe francis-trainee who was sharing that area too. honestly, everything about this kid was foul--especially his ciggies, his beer spilling, his indecent sense of space, and his posse, which included a shrill drunk girl. he apparently lost a contact lens right before the main event. it seemed deserved. there were good souls who "lit" their iphones and got down on the sticky ground to help him find it. good for them.

anyway, you can hear everyone clapping, just aside the beat. thankfully drunk people only have the stamina for short bursts of bad singing and clapping. (i was actually sort of charmed by that part.) and by then i was just happy. the band is so, so good.

i wish the video quality was better, but hopefully you can appreciate their music, style and showmanship...

hear a little song: (i did, last night)

sasha dobson, performing at a jammed rockwood music hall.

i could only steal a few shots. it wasn't easy to work the zoom in such a small and tight venue--i kept jamming my friend with the lens.

her voice is beautiful. and i know that she's a pro--i have heard her perform a number of times, but she admitted to nervousness last night. and perhaps this was approached a little too casually? there didn't seem to be a set list, which made for some awkward and unusually long between-song moments.

it was a short set, maybe 6 songs. the perfect dose for a late tuesday night.
she sang 2 numbers with her gal, ms. norah jones. lovely.
this photo, by n. pavach.

if you'd like to listen this morning, here's a link to her myspace page.

monsters of folk (MONSTER sets)

performing "to save me." can you see the guy jumping in the air? that's conor oberst, rocking it out.

i loved them all so sharply dressed...

i had my tamron 18-270 zoom...from our seats (orchestra, row s).
still tough to get shots at that distance, with so much rocking out happening.
m.ward was easier to catch than the rest.

mr. m again.

jim james/yim yames

effective, dramatic lighting choreography, too.

last week, when my friend bill, offered me his extra ticket to see monsters of folk at the united palace in washington heights, i jumped at the chance (after i googled to find out who they are, that is. technically, i jumped after i saw "m. ward"). on the actual night, i felt a pang of laziness. washington heights seemed so...far...away, and i was in sort of a lonely, lousy mood. i wanted to stay home and wallow.

my friend and his extra ticket saved me from that scenario. luckily.

there were two words that came to mind in the moments and days after the show. respect and rock.

they seemed to care about putting on a great production. i loved that they all wore sharp suits. i loved the lighting--choreographed to be evocative, not ostentatious. these two things to me were fine enhancements.

the show was billed as a 2.5 hour musical event, set to start at 8. imagine my delight when they started playing shortly after 8pm, and stayed on for 2.5 hours. it was, from that perspective, as advertised.

from a musical standpoint, it was far more. they rocked. full-on, full-out rocked. they seemed to have real fun being up there, playing together. is it possible that each had more fun playing the other's music? that's how it seemed to me. their on-stage chemistry was electric. and somehow also sweet.

it was a musical event worthy of such a grand venue, though i would venture to see them anywhere.

***

i took photos, which i honestly didn't think was verboten (i thought just no audio/video) and nearly got kicked out. it's the closest i've been to being a scofflaw, ever! so i feel a little guilty... but i'm going to share the love, hopefully no one minds.

here's a link to a small slideshow.
and here's a link to a super set, for superfans.

music to get laid (off) to

it's been a tough year for our department (as it has been most everyone, everywhere), and we've been worrying and whispering about potential layoffs for months. i've been alternately losing sleep and humming "que sera, sera," thinking about possible next steps, but really always hoping--most earnestly--that i wouldn't need to take them.

for the first time last week, the rumors became disturbingly focused: cuts would come within the week.

sigh...

waiting for the other shoe to drop/the sky to fall/insert any "disaster" cliche here is no fun.

how to cope? i've been running (speedwork and hillwork to ensure just enough tiredness for a good night's sleep) and crying every chance i get. ok, not really crying. (not yet anyway.)

everyone has a song (or six or twenty-six) that provide mind-easing, soul-soothing comfort, for whatever ails them, yes?

or am i merely insane?

well, i've been listening to "crying"--track 2 on tv on the radio's "dear science" album--obsessively, morning to night.

i am digging the whole album, but "crying" is THE ONE, hooked me from the first funky cymbal shimmer. i was in car last weekend with my mom, driving to trader joe's, and i popped it into the cd player for a first listen. poor mom was mid-sentence (something about butternut squash soup?) when i interrupted her--"ooh, i like this, let's hear it again...ooh, ok! i love it! one more time! again!!"

i can't get enough of the funked out bass line, the falsetto and the horns (there's something sort of "fine young cannibals" about it. and prince, of course). it's groovy and hot and yearning. and it's actually sort of apropos (hold your breath through late breaking disasters...got you cryyyyying, cryyying, oh whyyyyin', oh my my my).

it's irresistible. i HAVE to dance and feel good when i hear it.

i think it just might be enough to keep me from crying in the coming days.

(but i welcome more music therapy suggestions...)

(youtube video, courtesy of naughtysauce)

she and him...are pretty fantastic

cameras flashed like strobe lights from moment she and him took the stage. and zooey deschanel looked a little overwhelmed.


she--angel-faced, in a silver-sequined, vintage halter dress--is a slip of a thing. from my vantage point (not close), i could clearly see her ribcage, and it was a little alarming. i wanted to offer her one of those empanadas that they sell at the venue. were it not for the generous bouffant, and the colossal white flower on her headband, how very small she would have looked on stage...

but oh, what a voice. a strong, clear, capable instrument. if she were ever so inclined, she could make the transition from indie pop darling/cute, quirky songstress, to convincing chanteuse. some years from now, i would love to hear her ooohs-ing through a cabaret set at some swanky nightclub.

as for him--his voice is used as kind of an oddity on the recording. i sort of love that, of course. but on stage, he sings a true "second voice" and does it well. with his sexy guitar stylings, he just might be a more compelling presence than her. he can play with real abandon, and some of my favorite moments of the night were the amazed, joyful smiles she gave him whenever he did.


she's an undoubtedly adorable, but timid tambourine player--i kept wishing she'd just go wild with the thing. i kept thinking--this is the gal that wants to play janis joplin? she could do it, of course, i think she has the voice in her, but the stage showmanship would require real acting.

all of that said, i loved the show! i really did. they sound very true to the record. the only somewhat disappointing rendition? "sweet darlin'" --they sang it like "camptown races." part of the magic of that song is "the build" toward the end. but they started so fast, too fast, there was nowhere to go with it, but off stage. and so they went...(but came back for their encore).

here are a few videos. you get the gist of how "true" they sounded, i think. terminal 5 was not "camera friendly" in any sense. this was all I could get.

and jojo, these are especially for you...

black hole


you really got a hold on me


this is not a test


a new zooey tune