by ImperfectFifth | Sep 20, 2018 | snapshot, visual
This year, the Denver metropolitan area introduced Grandoozy Music Festival to its citizens. The show was produced by the co-creators of Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, and its lineup mirrored that tenacity, bringing some insanely talented acts to Overland Park. We had a photographer on the ground for the weekend, and she captured some fun shots of Friday and Sunday at the fest! Here are our Day 1 gems, featuring Miguel, Bishop Briggs, Phoenix, and more!
**Photos by Nikki A. Rae Photography
by Christie McMenamin | Aug 20, 2018 | snapshot, visual
If you haven’t seen Lauren Ruth Ward yet – no matter what type of music you’re into – you’re 110% missing out. An incredible rock songstress with a slight twang, Lauren Ruth Ward’s music reaches far and wide in its influence. But her live performance is absolutely unheard of, which is why it was so easy for Christie McMenamin to dive in and get photos of this young talent during her recent show at Zone One in some breathtaking lowlight.
by ImperfectFifth | Aug 16, 2018 | snapshot, visual
Friday August 7th marked an incredible performance from several notable artists during The Endless Summer Tour at Providence Medical Center Amphitheater. Rayne Schmidtberger captured highlights from the sets of Lil Uzi Vert, Ty Dolla $ign, YBN Nahmir, Murda Beatz, and P-Lo.
**photos by Rayne Schmidtberger
by ImperfectFifth | Aug 15, 2018 | snapshot, visual
On August 7th, G-Eazy and his cohorts – Lil Uzi Vert, Ty Dolla $ign, YBN Nahmir, Murda Beatz, and P-Lo – played a stunning set during a toasty night at Providence Medical Center Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Photographer Rayne Schmidtberger brings us some highlights of G-Eazy’s time on stage below.
**photos by Rayne Schmidtberger
by Meredith Schneider | Aug 9, 2018 | snapshot, visual
On August 3rd, Israel Nash regaled a sunset soaked audience as the opening act for Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats at CrossroadsKC. We got more than a handful of photos to give you a glimpse into the beauty.
by Christie McMenamin | Jul 31, 2018 | show review, snapshot, visual
Frontman James Alex of Beach Slang brought his stripped-down project, Quiet Slang, to Brooklyn’s Rough Trade on July 9th.
It was a rainy Monday evening, and the show had been rescheduled from a prior date. Given those conditions, Alex was unsure, as he relayed to the audience between songs, how many people would show up. However, those concerns proved to be unfounded as the room was filled with fans hanging on every word.
Unlike Beach Slang shows, which are loud, clamorous, and brash, Quiet Slang is another entity entirely. As heard on Everything Matters But No One Is Listening, Quiet Slang’s debut LP, Alex has taken his work with Beach Slang and reimagined it, doing away with its thrashing, thunderous elements. Instead, Alex takes a sparse, orchestral approach: cello and piano, paired with his gritty vocals, give these formerly driving punk songs space to breathe, resurrecting them with new, balladic life.
This was reflected decoratively, as well. The stage set its own scene with flowers and strings of white lights with makeshift cotton clouds hanging in the distance. The rest of the venue was pitch-black save for a projector screen playing images of ballet dancers. Moving through the set, Alex was all heart from his honest vocals and earnest speeches of appreciation, thanking his fans over and over.
Quiet or loud, Alex delivered his audience an unforgettable night.
by ImperfectFifth | Jul 31, 2018 | snapshot, visual
On July 21st, Scotty McCreery made an incredible appearance at Summer Splash in Salina, KS. Photographer Rayne Schmidtberger was on hand, and we have some snaps of the evening to share.
by Christie McMenamin | Jul 12, 2018 | show review, snapshot, visual
Ciaran Lavery, an Irish singer/songwriter, performed an intimate solo set at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall on June 22nd.
Playing to a small, darkened room, a reverent silence took hold of the audience the moment Lavery began his first song. Switching back and forth between acoustic guitar and piano, his sparse accompaniments allowed his gentle, hushed voice to soar. With introspective, narrative lyrics, Lavery is a poetic storyteller. His ballads pull at your heartstrings, his words run the gamut of emotional experience. As a performer, he makes meaningful eye contact with each member of his audience, drawing his listeners further into his world.
In-between songs, Lavery continued his stories, revealing his sense of humor. Speaking of nervousness on an airplane, he once tried to relax by watching, as a dog lover, Marley and Me. He wasn’t, however, aware of the ending. Lavery also had a revelation while listening to the radio on a long drive, attempting to figure out the meaning of the genre “soft rock.” With a creeping sense of dread, he put it together: he is soft rock. Lavery easily pulled laughs from his listeners’ throats as he framed simple, universal experiences as ones of casual mirth.
More info about Lavery can be found here.
by Christie McMenamin | Jul 12, 2018 | snapshot, visual
On June 21st, Aimee Mann and Superchunk entertained a large crowd at the Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival in New York. Photographer Christie McMenamin was on hand, and captured some stunning photos for us.