Jenny Lewis at Ventura Music Hall in Ventura, California on November 27, 2023


Oh, this was a challenge and a blast and I would not change anything.

I started off the night with some wonton pho and Thai iced tea. That would have been enough to get my bottom to Ventura but that was just an extra bonus. 

Normally, at the Ventura Music Hall, they allow photographers behind the barrier between the stage and the audience, also called "The Pit." Sadly, there was too much equipment in The Pit and for our safety, they couldn't allow us in. No worries. There is always a solution. I talked to the onsite contact, the woman who handles the venue's media, and asked her if I could bring in my steppy stool to stand on. She allowed me to do so. This allowed me to stand above the crowd enough to be able to get some shots. We were allowed to shoot the first three from the side but towards the front and that really helped. After the first three, she told me we are allowed to continue shooting around the venue. 

Jenny Lewis was amazing. The fans were awesome. I am super happy with the shots I was able to get. Also, wontons. 

My official review can be found here.

ZZ Ward at The Roxy in West Hollywood on November 17, 2023


​ZZ Ward has been a staple in my playlists for years now, so when she finally came to LA when I can cover her, I dropped everything to do so. I try to avoid The Roxy because they don't have a photo pit, but on the rare occasion when there is someone worth nearly dying for, I will go there. It just so happens that that happened twice in one week. 

My bestie was able to join me for this show which made it 100 times better. We met up before the show and went to dinner at a sushi spot across the street. It was so lovely. 

Once we went inside, I found a group of tall people at the front of the stage to ask if I could get in front of them for the three songs I am allowed to shoot. They were more than happy to allow me to do so and were just pleasant, kind, and lovely people. 

I can't even articulate how happy I am that I got to do this. ZZ Ward is so underrated and I find that to be tragic. 

​You can read my official review here. 

Barns Courtney at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California on November 15, 2023


I have never tried to hide the fact that I am a huge Barns Courtney fan. I am not ashamed. His music is addictive, and he is incredible on stage. I covered him last year and I was not going to miss him when he came back. In fact, I will cover his shows every single time he comes to town. 

I was so nervous and my anxiety was overwhelming so I got to the venue super early to make sure I could handle any issues that might come up so I didn't miss my interview slot. It was a rare night where it was raining in LA and it felt like everything was against me. It wasn't. The traffic was clear. It was all in my head. But RAIN! In LA! It's unheard of! I got there with plenty of time. Yes, there was an issue with my credentials, but it was all handled and worked out super easy.

I am not a fan of shooting at The Roxy. They don't have any kind of barrier for photographers and I have had a few issues with people trying to push their way into the space that I was already occupying. Not, next to me, but where I literally was. I ended up pinned to and bent over the stage on several occasions. This time I decided that I was going to find the tallest people I could at the front of the stage and ask them if I can get in front of them when the time came for the three songs I was allowed to shoot. The people I found, a lovely family, were so kind and willing and understanding so that took so much anxiety off of my shoulders. 

Immediately after I found my new best friends, I was escorted upstairs for the interview. It was my first interview and Barns Courtney was so kind. He made me feel very comfortable. 

After the interview, I headed back downstairs to do the one thing concert photographers are very good at...wait. I played games on my phone. Well, then the time came. I found my new friends and took my position at the front of the stage and the show started. It did not take long for Barns Courtney to find me at the stage and he made it a point to play into my camera so much. It was wonderful. Then, he did something that I did not see coming. He turned around and did a trust fall right on top of my head. I watched it happen through my camera and it took me longer that I would care to admit to realize what was happening. The people around me caught him. It was hilarious.

Because he was spending so much time in front (and on top) of me, another photographer decided she wanted to be in the space I was existing in. Oy vey, lady, I would have moved if you had asked. I was pinned bent over the stage again. Not were I wanted to be. So, I had to push back. I am a firm believer in working with the other photographers and always tell them to shoot over my head or shoulders or tell me to move if they need it, but all bets are off when you get physically aggressive with me like that. I will push you back, butthead. Anyway, the wonderful people around me didn't like her, either and she went away very quickly. 

Thankfully, Barns Courtney and I both survived the night unharmed. 

​You can read my official show review here.

Nick Cave at Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, California on October 28, 2023

This was such a wonderful and interesting night. I always try to get to venues early, especially when they are in Downtown LA, because traffic is gross and stupid. This night I decided to purposefully get there as early as possible so I could walk over to the Grand Central Market. I had never been before and I really wanted to. I am so glad that I did. 

I ignored the posters declaring Israel an occupying force and just focused on the lovely Dia de los Muertos festivities happening outside the Market. People looked so happy. I went in and just wandered around for a little while, seeing what was there. SO many options. I was dying for all the pupusas but I ended up having wonton soup because I didn't want to feel weighed down while shooting. It was the best Chinese wonton soup that I have had in as long as I could remember. I will crave that soup for the rest of my life. Or until I shoot at The Orpheum again. Maybe I'll just find a ransom show to shoot there just so I can get that soup and pupusas. 

So, I finished my soup and headed back. I picked up my passes and went to the back of the line. I chose to ignore the motorcade that went around honking to get people's attention on the car painted that Israel is committing genocide because they do not deserve my anger or fear. I will not be afraid of these people. I. Refuse. 

Once I got inside, I figured out where I could shoot from and where my seat was so that I disturbed people as little as possible when I was done shooting. Then, I headed to the back alley smoking section because it was just too crowded in there. While I was outside, a big black suv pulled up in the alley a little ways down from the smoking section where a bunch of us were. Nick Cave got out of the suv and started talking to people. Sadly, everyone else literally had all their faces in their phones and no one else saw him. Sucks to be them. So now I have my own little secret Nick Cave moment that is all my own.

We were only given ONE song to get our photos and we could only shoot from either the far right or far left of the theater so I had to make sure I had the best vantage point. I opted for stage left at the very back. Why? Because the back was elevated so hight that I could see all of Nick Cave as opposed to the bottom at the front of the stage were, mostly because of my short habbitness, I would have only been able to take photos of Nick Cave's head like it was floating on the piano. Those photos would have sucked! With about one minute left of the song, I ran out the door and over to the other side of the venue to shoot his profile. That's were Alex was. Alex Kluft is an amazing photographer and I am so happy whenever I see him. Just a great human being. 

It was a really good night. 

​You can read my official show review here. 

Sam Nelson Harris of X Ambassadors at Moroccan Lounge on October 26, 2023


This was my first time shooting at The Moroccan Lounge. Imagine my surprise when I found out that it is only a 10ish minute walk to Little Tokyo! Yes! Dumplings! I really, really wanted ramen, but it's so filling and makes me feel so heavy and sleepy so my second choice was yakitori, but they weren't open yet. So, I went with the time honored classic that always makes me happy every single time I eat them...dumplings! I Yelped dumplings in the area and found a cute little dumpling house that serves only two things...dumplings and pork broth soup. You can get dumpling IN the pork broth soup or you can get dumplings AND pork broth soup. The problem was....I couldn't find it. I totally got lost and it took me like 30 minutes to find it once I got in the area. I was on the wrong side of the street and they didn't have a sign. I laugh at myself over this so hard.

Once I did find it, I still had no idea just how much it would be worth the stress and aggravation of being lost. I opted for pan fried pork dumplings AND pork broth soup. Yes, they were the best dumplings and broth soup ever! I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more for those dumplings and that soup. It's always the simplest things in life that bring me the most happiness. 

So, once I finished this heavenly meal I walked back over to the venue. I love the X Ambassadors and I was so excited to cover Sam Nelson Harris' solo show. I had no idea it was going to be one of the most beautiful and moving shows I will ever experience in my life. Seriously, I can't even find the words to describe how moving his voice is with just a guitar. 

I was able to find some people at the front of the stage who so kind about letting me squeeze in for a few songs. I love it when people are happy to share music experiences instead of trying to keep it for themselves. I was only allowed three songs and I told them that and it wasn't an issue. I was in a room filled with people who just simply love Sam Nelson Harris and were happy to be there with other people who love Sam Nelson Harris. It was a beautiful night.

​You can read my official revue here.

Elisapie at Bardot Hollywood on October 23, 2023


I had never heard of Elisapie when her publicist emailed me about covering her show. After reading his email and the press kit, I was intrigued and immediately looked her up on YouTube. It only took a few seconds into her cover of Metallica's Nothing Else Matters to get me a little bit obsessed. So beautiful. I had to tell all the important people in my life about her and bring her up every chance I could in the weeks leading up to her show. 

The show was in Hollywood, which means.....yummy food everywhere. I decided on soup dumplings because we don't have anywhere near where I live where I can get fresh made in house soup dumplings. There's a place that serves them from frozen, but I can get frozen soup dumplings from Trader Joe's so what's the point? NONE! It's stupid! So, after I realized that I went in the wrong direction, I corrected my journey and found the spot. Soup dumplings a lamb skewers in my face! What I loved the most about this place is that in the time I was there, three different women came in to dine alone, just like me. That made me feel really good that this place attracts women and they feel safe in there. The food was excellent and I those skewers were beyond delicious. 

I get to the venue and it is much smaller than I was expecting. The stage was just an inch or two off the ground and there were couches, and room for people to sit on the floor between the couches and the stage. Thankfully, the sound board was elevated up some stairs directly in front of the stage, only a few feet away, and they had no problem letting shoot next to them giving me an excellent vantage point. 

There was another photographer there who shoots at this venue all the time. He was so nice and told me about all his favorite places to shoot from. He really couldn't have been any kinder and an absolute pleasure to shoot with,

The show was better than I could have hoped for. Even though Elisapie was fighting a cold, her voice was powerful and beautiful. You could see and feel her emotions in her voice. Her covers are so moving. Go buy her music now!

​You can read my official show review here.

P!nk at So Fi Stadium in Inglewood, California on October 5, 2023


Everyone knows that P!nk puts on an amazing show, but you don't actually know unless you have seen it. I have now seen it. 

I had never been to So Fi Stadium, let alone shoot there so this was a new experience. It took me 45 minutes to get from the entrance to my parking spot and that was just stupid. I found the media escort with some time to spare. She was so nice and pleasant. Normally, photo passes are stickers that you can just plop right onto your shirt. Not for P!nk. These passes were plastic and did not have anything to attach it to our clothes with. I had never had this happen before so I didn't have any clips. Thankfully, I still had some of those paper wrist bands attached to my bag that some venues put on to indicate the bag has already been searched so I ripped one off and use that to tie the pass to my shirt. I'm so MacGyver. The passes also had to be returned at the end of the three songs and that made me so sad. I made sad face at our escort but there was nothing she could do.

Oh my goodness, that venue was HUGE! We walked 187 miles through the upper levels of the venue through 50 billion people to get to the elevator to go down to 1,396 miles below the surface of the Earth to get to the field where the stage was. I think I lost 522 pounds on that journey.  Totally worth it. 

The main opener for P!nk was Pat Benatar. PAT. BENATAR! I got to see Pat Benatar live! No, I didn't cry. That's a lie. I love Pat Benatar. I cried. If that was the end of the night I still would have been happy, but it wasn't. During the set change, the escort walked us photographers out to our spots to set up. I need a taller folding step stool because people are just too damn tall. Why are you all so damn tall??? Stop! I had a hard time shooting because there was a woman next to me who was dancing like no one was watching and having the best time she possibly could. It was so lovely and I couldn't stop watching her because it just made me so happy to see her so happy. 

The show was amazing and I loved every second of it. It was a highlight for me that I will never forget.

Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper with Ministry and Filter at Honda Center in Anaheim, California on September 23, 2023


This was not my first time shooting Rob Zombie or Ministry, but I will never not cover them. This was, however, my first show contributing for Highwire Magazine.

I love the Honda Center. It is my favorite stadium to shoot at and I will go back as much as I possibly can. They give me free parking. 

Before the show, I found this little noodle house and had my first Vietnamese wonton noodle soup. I am hooked. It was like a combination of pho and wonton soup but 1,000 times better and more flavorful. If your pho shop sells wonton noodle soup, get it, with egg noods, and your life will be forever changed.

After my life changing wonton nood soup, I headed over to the Honda to pick up my credentials and do what I do best (after eating and sleeping)...waiting. I had plenty of entertainment in the sidewalk preacher telling us all that we are going to Hell and Alice Cooper is the devil and something derogatory about the LGBTQ+ community. I was laughing too hard at his ridiculousness to really pay close attention. Even the cops were laughing. He was very angry and I think he should get himself some Vietnamese wonton nood soup. That will calm his soul. After a little while, his friend showed up. An equally angry woman with a microphone and speaker attached to her somehow. She was so loud and walking all around the venue spreading her anger and it was just so stupid. Get some soup, lady!

The time came and the media escort walked us to the photo pit at the front of the stage. Because Filter's set was so short and there was only a 15 minute break between Filter and Ministry, there was no point in walking us back to the waiting area, so we all just hung out at the side of the backstage. I felt so important. 

However, after Ministry, we were then escorted to a conference room that we weren't allowed to leave. We were trapped! There was no escape! That was our new home and we just had to accept our fates! This was the room that we were escorted from and back to after our three songs were shot. If you were hungry, too bad! If you had to use the bathroom, too bad! This was our room forever and we knew we were going to have to rebuild society inside this room. I was so worried that we were going to have a Lord of the Flies situation so I assessed my fellow prisoners and figured out who I could "take." They weren't going to hurt me trying to steal my glasses for fire!

I'm kidding. We were absolutely allowed to leave the room to watch the show if we had a ticket, grab food, or go to the bathroom, whatever we needed because we are adults and Honda Center does not keep photographers against their will, as long as we left our cameras in the room. They gave us water because they are just nice people. Our escort was fantastic and took really good care of us.

You can read my official review of the show here. 

​Filter

​Ministry

​
Alice Cooper

Rob Zombie

Ladytron at Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, California on September 22, 2023


This was a last minute show that I was asked to cover the day before. I was thrilled to do it. I ended up being a night of highs and lows. 

Highs:
There is a night market a few blocks away that sells Birria Quesatacos. If you haven't ever had those, get them. Now. Just do it.

The music was amazing and I fell in love with Ladytron this night.

Ladytron's performance was absolutely worth stopping eating quesatacos for. Kidding. That's obvious. They are just plain amazing.

Lows:
Okay, there was only one low. As I was making my way to the front to the photo pit that I was authorized to enter, someone got very angry at the thought that I was pushing (I said excuse me as I maneuvered through the crowd, I was polite) my way to the front to being able to see the show. I wasn't, but what if I was? What. If. I. Was????? I am literally 5 feet tall. I am not exaggerating. I am very short. This guy was well over 6 feet. Even if I was just trying to see the show, how does that effect you, sir? You can see over me. You weren't even at the front of the stage. You were in the middle. My presence would have taken absolutely nothing away from you. Nothing. At. All. So, this grown ass man who is over 6 feet tall was so angry that he literally pushed me so hard that I almost fell over. This man, started to pick a verbal and physical fight with me because I was trying to get passed him in a general admission pit. Dude. Calm down. Get some quesatacos and try to figure out why you are so threatened by a hobbit trying to see a show in front of you. Anyway, as he started to yell at me, I showed him my photo pass and pointed to the security guard at the entrance of the pit and simply said "I'm press. I'm going there." He looked where I was pointing and saw the security guard starting to unhook the blockade to come and help me. He responded with yelling at me "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY SO????" Ok, dude, first of all, it's not like you gave me a chance to say anything. Second of all, I DO NOT HAVE TO JUSTIFY MY EXISTENCE TO YOU." Who the fluff are you? No one. You are no one to me. I just gave him my trademark bitch face death stare and walked away. I couldn't risk getting into an actual fight because it's not just my reputation as a concert photographer on the line, it's also the reputation of the outlet that I was shooting for. They could also be blacklisted because of my behavior and I just hate fighting anyway. I had a job to do. I was in the right. I didn't need to get into it with this Neanderthal just because of pride. 

Well, that dude was not done. A young woman who saw the whole thing because she was standing where I had already passed through, and she had no problem letting me through, found me after my three songs and told me the rest of the story. As I walked away he was still yelling and being profane about me and then he turned to her and tried to pick a fight with her! She was just standing there, minding her own business with her friend and this pathetic little man picked a fight with her accusing her of trying to get in front of him, too. WHY?? I know it was not my fault and I didn't do this to her but I still apologized that she had to experience that because I simply tried to do my job and a guy with anger problems got in her face over it. 

If this is you, or you are at show and the guy you are with picks fights with smaller women and you do nothing, you have no place in these venues. Music is supposed to unite us. It's supposed to be the one thing we all share. Do not ruin the night by being a butthead. Just. Don't. It's not okay on any level.

I didn't let this sad little man ruin my night and neither did that sweet young lady. Ladytron is amazing and I love them.

​You can read my less angry official review here.