NICK WATERHOUSE

March 14. 2014

SLO Brew

It's nice to get out of my punk / grunge show scene every once in a while and refresh with some different tunes. Cleanse the palette, if you will..

Nick Waterhouse was the perfect distraction. Not only is he nice to look at, but the boy (and the rest of the band) can put on a flawless sold out show. From the guitar, saxophone, keyboards and stunning backup vocals, everything was perfect. It's amazing to see an artist pull together such a wide fanbase: from older generations to younger kids. All I know is that there wasn't a single soul that wasn't entertained. 

The set list included Indian Love Call, Say I Wanna Know, Holly, and many others. At least that's what the videos I have saved on my phone allow me to recall. I blame the slight memory loss on the alcohol ;)

A LOVE AFFAIR

I always feel extremely honored whenever I'm able to be a part of someone's wedding. Sometimes they can be a bit stressful to photograph since there's so much pressure to not miss a single moment because you can't go back and get a re-do. 

This time though, I was able to be a 'fly-on-the-wall' and photograph whatever it was that caught my eye. The end result is that I'm so in love with these images. Going forward, that's the approach that I'm going to take.. Easygoing, fun, stress-free.. and above all, seeing the beauty in everything. 

THE CLASSICS

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There are two things you can be sure of in the summer: sun and cars... There's been plenty of that lately and I'm not complaining.

RENEGADE

Lately, I've just been staring blankly at my closet every morning often making myself late to work and full of uninspired disappointment from not knowing what to wear. 

Today was a breath of fresh air, teaching me to stay faithful to what I like and who I am. There's a reason why I remember loving this outfit.

Cuffed jeans, ripped shirt, flannels, and red lips... Can't go wrong with that.

TAKE ME AS I AM

One of my main goals this year was to photograph with film more often. I think film possesses a certain quality that makes each shot precious and forces you to take a step back, compose your shot, and really think about what you are choosing to photograph. I know that this will teach me a lot about photography and it's going to involve a lot of trial and error, but I'm ready for this journey. 

Below are a few photos from a recent trip to San Francisco and Santa Cruz, taken with a Pentax K-1000 and 35mm film.

Technically, these are probably all wrong in so many ways. But I don't care. 
That's what I love about film that I can't seem to achieve or appreciate with digital: I love the mistakes and flaws. I feel that it only adds to the charm and magic of the photograph.  

AT XROADS

January 24. 2014

Besides the fact that I can't stand this town a great majority of the time, the only real good thing about it is that we have a really awesome group of people who form and put together what they call DIY SLO, which is basically an effort with a Do-It-Youself mentality that produces local shows with both known and newer bands. So rad. This time around, they brought to us locals King Walrus & The Magicians, and then Froth, Tomorrows Tulips, and the stars of the night, Cosmonauts. 

Cosmonauts' set was amazing as usual, carrying the attitude that I wish I had. Raw, gritty, unapologetic with electrifying rock and roll. Tomorrows Tulips were completely chill and vibe-y, mainly focusing on songs off their new album, Experimental Jelly. Froth was the only band that I would be seeing for the first time, and they did not disappoint. You can tell a lot about a band if seeing them live makes you want to go home and search for every song they've made and replay it over and over again. 

The lineup was complimented with my favorite setting. A house show that was intimate, hot, sweaty, loud, and bursting with raw energy and a whole lot of reverb. Seriously, that's just a recipe for happiness.

COSMONAUTS

TOMORROWS TULIPS

FROTH

(Taken with a disposable camera)

VINTAGE, BABY.

I genuinely think I was born in the wrong decade.. If I could wear pencil skirts, drive classic cars and order chocolate shakes at diners all the time, I would be a happy lady. 

THE GROWLERS x3

SANTA CRUZ - The Catalyst
Dec 12. 2013

SAN LUIS OBISPO - SLO Brew
Dec 13. 2013

SANTA BARBARA - Soho
Dec 14. 2013

Three nights in a row of seeing The Growlers perform live. Call me crazy. I call me awesome.

I understand this makes me seem like the groupiest of groupies (it's a running joke with my family) but honestly, it's just a strong love for music. The Growlers have such a strong presence live that is always a fun time to be around. Out of the old favorites they played like Empty Bones and Acid Rain, I would say the stars of the show were Hashima and Wandering Eyes (the longer Wilcox Session version that can be seen in one of their videos). SO GOOD. 

It had been almost a year since I had seen them last and they seem so much more well versed in the art of entertainment and by that I mean you can tell they know what they're doing. Those boys know how to work a crowd. And that was evident by all the dancing that was happening in the pit. You just can't help but wiggle and flail your arms everywhere when the twangs and croons fill your eardrums and your entire body. I dare you to try to stand still.

215

Feb 28. 2014
This is a direct result of being bored and broke. A reminder to go out and create something. 

TAME IMPALA @SB BOWL

November 1. 2013
Tame Impala is one of those bands that doesn't need any special light effects or props to make their shows memorable. Their music, energy and message have a strong enough power to leave you in the most wonderful trance. That's when you know you've struck musical gold; when the raw energy of a band can give your entire body chills. And that's exactly what happened. I'm not entirely certain, but once 'It Feels Like We Only Go Backwards' came on, I'm pretty sure that I screamed, had my life flash before my eyes, left my body and went to heaven, and almost cried of happiness. I've been told I'm a bit dramatic when it comes to music. I like to think of it as emotionally invested and really enthusiastic but that's a whole other argument. 

With Kevin clad in his infamous scarf and bare feet and Dom making me wish that I was a badass guitar player, I couldn't have asked for more. They did this really amazing thing where they would improvise with new sounds as they transitioned from song to song, creating a really unique and spectacular performance. It was all a blur because I was having too much fun, but the setlist included: Elephant, Solitude Is Bliss, Apocalypse Dreams, Mind Mischief and even a cover of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'. Talk about a good time.    

ARCTIC MONKEYS @FOX THEATRE, OAKLAND

September 26. 2013
FINALLY. I have been a long time listener and fan of Arctic Monkeys for over seven years and let me just say that it is about damn time that I was finally able see them live at the Fox Theatre in Oakland. It's been a while since I've been completely mystified over seeing a band perform live and I think that having never seen them before definitely helped with that. They played new songs off their most recent album AM like 'Knee Socks' and 'Arabella' but I also appreciated the fact that they didn't forget about their stellar oldies like 'I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor' and 'Pretty Visitors'. Honestly though, I was so impressed with how tight their performance was. They definitely live up to the hype that surrounds them, they know what they're doing, and they're incredible musicians who are well versed in the art of crowd entertainment. 

The fact that they had me screaming like the girl that I am and basically yelling out the words to each song (you can't call what I was doing, singing) says two things: 1. yes I am a fangirl... but 2. they are just that damn good.

DOWN MEMORY LANE

I love spending time with my Grandpa, so when he came to visit in October, I decided to take him to breakfast at a place I had never been but had heard so much about. We went to The Girl's Restaurant which is a diner type style place where he used to work as a busboy many years ago. It was really nice for him to be able to see some old friends and for me to learn a bit more about his history. And I mean, come on... There's no way you can go wrong with coffee and french toast!