Nick Cave and Wonton Soup

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.