'68: Round 2

Last week I shot ’68 for the second time. In a short period of time, they’ve jumped from I’ve-never-seen-them-live to one-of-my-favourites-to-shoot. The dynamic between Josh and Michael on stage is energetic and they engage the crowd so well. Plus, they’re just rad humans.

Josh recognized me in the pit and played right to my camera.

These fellows are returning to Des Moines this summer. If you haven’t seen them live before, you’ve got to go. You can dance, sing, scream—all of it. It’s a blast and a superb way to spend an evening.

After Michael and Josh’s set, I was done shooting for the night. I stood on the right side of the crowded room—mostly teenage girls and guys wearing all black everything. For once, I had more color on than most of the folks around me: with my mom jeans and red Chucks. I head banged a little (more like “bopped,” if I’m honest), then wandered over to the merch table to say “hi” to Michael.

The evening ended in the best way. I was quite hungry at this point, so I decided to check out the snack booth in the back of the venue, sort of kitty-corner to where I’d been standing. I’d already eaten so many Clif Bars that day that I couldn’t quite eat another and needed “real” food. By real food I mean something like a hot dog. My standards for “real food” at a concert are pretty low.

But the lady working behind the counter told me they were out of hotdogs. Then my eye fell upon something else sitting behind her: popcorn. If you don’t know me, I love popcorn. As a kid, I would go with my family to the movie theater and my mom and I would finish a large popcorn—the kind with a free refill—before the previews ended. Not eating popcorn was the worst part of braces. But fortunately I’m past that stage in my life and I’m back to enjoying one of the best treats.

So I ordered it: a gallon-size ziplock bag full of move-theater-esque popcorn. I carried my prize back to the spot I’d been standing earlier. I wasn’t quite in the thick of the crowd, which was perfect for eating. As Bring Me the Horizon, the headliners, too the stage, I munched on popcorn and people watched. Any time you can watch a hardcore show—or any show, for the matter—while eating popcorn is a pretty swell night in my book.

'68

I want to write more about my real life, so here is an attempt. I shot '68's show last night, and between bands snagged some portraits. I edited everything either with a VSCO 00 black and white filter or VSCO 05 Portra 100T--. In case you're curious.

This is Michael: he's in '68, the evening's headliner. I talked to him for a few minutes inside Vaudeville Mews, about Des Moines and Kansas City and burgers and donuts. In most conversations, at some point, I start talking about donuts because I'm awkward and that's my default. He was kind enough to continue the conversation and when I explained to him how I do stranger portraits and asked for his portrait, he said yes. We stepped outside and shot in the doorway of a partly-rennovated building then parted ways, him to play the show, me to walk around a bit more, then shoot it.

Between bands, I stepped outside to get some fresh air and get some portraits. Meanwhile, I shot a bit of the surrounding area.

Pro tip: wear mom jeans to show if you're shooting. The big pockets are perfect for lenses and prisms. Also, they're just comfy.

The next portrait I got was of the other half of '68: Josh Scogin. Josh and I had met briefly a few years ago, when The Chariot came through Chicago and we all went out for cake shakes, but we reintroduced ourselves and, once again, I asked him for a quick portrait. Shooting portraits this quickly is a fun challenge. You have a minutes (sometimes less) to scan the area, find a place, and pose a person. The area by Vaudeville and the Royal Mile was too colourful and distracting for my taste, but we didn't have time to find anywhere else. So I spotted the one place that wasn't splattered with paint--the stairwell. Josh nailed it. Then we made our way inside to watch Idlehands.

I've shot loads of hardcore shows; it's how I began shooting and I feel strangely at home in those loud, sweaty, screaming, dancing rooms. This was the first time I shot a hardcore show without the safety of a photo pit. It was exhilarating and I headbanged as I shot and only got hit in the head once.

Idlehands was a fun surprise. I hadn't seen or listened to them before, but quite enjoyed their set.

I missed '68 the last time they were in town--about 2 years ago--and I was not about to miss them again. I snagged a spot up front and watched and shot. I love how Josh and Michael play off of each other and seem to have a blast.

I'd seen Justin playing earlier in the evening (he's in Idlehands), then shooting around the venue with a disposable camera. Partway through '68's set, he came up to me and asked if I'd shot his band, too. Yup! I had. So after the show ended, he gave me an email to send the photos to and I asked, "Can I take your portrait?" He agreed and suggested the green room, where we used the single lamp to take this shot. He's about a foot taller than me, but I stood on the couch and we made the shot work. I'm all about light and people--this is both.

I was on my way out of the venue when Michael asked me what I thought of the show, so we chatted for a couple minutes, mostly about Zombie Burger. Then, because it's what I do, I asked him for a portrait. It was absurdly dark, both outside and inside, but we found a bit of light.

After the show and conversations, I wandered across downtown to Zombie Burger. I'm pretty sure I pounded some fries. The walk wasn't long on the way there, but it felt long on the way back. However, I snagged the shot below which nearly made the walk worth it. And I refuse to regret spending time outside or in my city. Slowing down is good for me. And, strangely, so are hardcore shows.