I am a huge fan of music, and even more than that, I love going to live concerts. While my taste in music spans across many genres, from hip-hop to country and everything in between, my favorite genre would have to be something that is ultimately classified as 'indie rock'[1]. I have been going to concerts for a long time now, and over the past few years have gotten to see a lot of great bands (see below) at some really great venues (also see below). This past week, I am proud to say that I added Passion Pit to that list! Bands I have seen since 2008: The New Pornographers - 2008 - 930 Club, Washington DCOkkerville River- 2008 - 930 Club, Washington DCVampire Weekend - 2008 - Rock N Roll Hotel, Washington DCRogue Wave - 2008 - 930 Club, Washington DCMatt Costa - 2008 - 930 Club, Washington DCDeath Cab for Cutie - 2008 - Meriwether Post Pavilion, MDBand of Horses - 2009 - Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte NCThe National - 2010 - The National, Richmond VAPhish - 2010 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Charlotte NCBand of Horses - 2011 - Fillmore, Charlotte NCDrive by Truckers - 2011 - Fillmore, Charlotte NCMy Morning Jacket - 2011 - Time Warner Uptown Amphitheater, Charlotte NCBand of Horses - 2012 - Time warner Uptown Amphitheater, Charlotte NCMy Morning Jacket - 2012 - Time warner Uptown Amphitheater, Charlotte NCPassion Pit - 2012 - Fillmore, Charlotte NC *I have seen too many country concerts to count, so just listing in no particular order: Eric Church, Brad Paisley, Zac Brown Band, The Band Perry, Josh Thompson, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker and probably more... Music is truly an art form, and so I think seeing the musicians live is why I like going to concerts as much as I do. The way they are able to create lyrics and harmonies, so seemingly effortless, is fascinating to me. To describe how much I like music, I will put it to you this way...if I was able to sing, I would 100% be playing in a band right now. Unfortunately, I can't sing making my dreams of being in a band pretty far fetched, so I will stick to taking pictures of concerts instead! Recently, I started taking my camera to concerts and actually making a conscious effort to try and take some pictures while there. Unfortunately, I have not yet been lucky enough to get a photo pass[2], so I am somewhat limited to the camera I can take and the pictures I can get at concerts. My DSLR is out of the question and is not allowed in the gates, so my canon s90 has been the perfect companion thus far. Fresh from the Passion Pit concert, I can't complain at all at how well the s90 did in the low light environment[3], and being able to quickly pull out of my pocket at a moments notice is definitely an added advantage as well. Passion Pit was an awesome concert and I had a great time. I was on the go, pushing to the front of the stage for most of the concert to get some of the shots I got, and it was so worth it. For those that not have been to the Fillmore @ the Music Factory, it is truly a great venue. The Fillmore is the perfect size for a concert that is large enough to give that big time concert feel, yet doesn't have bad seat in the house. Pair the size of the Fillmore with state of the art acoustics, and this venue is a must to check out for any concert that comes to Charlotte. From the great venues that I have had the chance to see a concert, I would definitely rank Fillmore right at the top with the legendary 930 Club of Washington DC and The National of Richmond, VA. Concert AssessmentVenue - 9.0 (music was on point acoustically and concert was packed)Opening Act - 6.5 (Decent opening acts The Neighbourhood and Pacific Air, but both played a little longer than expected. I would have liked to see the extra time added to Passion Pit)Artist - 8.0 (Passion Pit rocked the house. Lead singer Michael Angelakos pulls it off and is obviously a talented musician with a stellar band backing him up. I think with a little more experience and crowd interaction, Passion Pit is there)Overall - 8.5 (Great concert in a great venue that left me happy and satisfied. Another year on tour and these guys will no longer be in a venue of this size...hello to opening for acts at amphitheaters. For a preview of my experience at the Fillmore shooting Passion Pit, check out the slideshow below, I hope you enjoy...I am sure there will be plenty more concert shoots to come in the future! BR [1] Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include indie pop, jangle pop, C86, and lo-fi, among others. Originally used to describe record labels, the term became associated with the music they produced and was initially used interchangeably with alternative rock. - from Wikipedia so you know it is legit [2] A photo pass is a credential that identifies an individual to security and event staff as an approved photographer for an event. Photographer is able to use professional camera and photograph at the very front of the stage.[3] When there is not a lot of light, there are two options to take a picture...use a flash and/or manually adjust your camera settings. When using flash you should really only use if you have a diffuser or an external flash, otherwise your picture will look terrible. Being that point and shoot cameras don't have the ability to have either, I rarely if ever use the flash, and thus adjust my settings (ISO, shutter speed etc...) to let more light in get the picture I want.
