I always thoroughly enjoy Linkin Park from the fans perspective. Granted that they are my favorite band. Cheering and screaming and singing along with the crazed fanatics on the lawn of the heavily packed and heated amphitheatre always makes it an amazing night for me. I will say that much. However, the bill just didn't do it for me. It was great being exposed to newer music, for me at least and seeing the Chris Cornell grace the stage for the first time in my life but when I go to see Linkin Park, I would expect to see acts I'm more familiar with. I made a few new friends and hung out with a couple old. I enjoyed acts such as Street Drum Corps, The Bravery, Ashes Divide, Armor for Sleep and a few other mentionables but the night always ends well with the band they all paid to see. I didn't exactly pay to see but still.
From a photographers perspective, I am greedy. I have been doing this for too long. I expect way too much from the performers. I crave leaps, intense shredding, microphone stand kicks, all of the theatrics that a band should bring to the stage. I sleep during the boring paces back and forth while the mic serves as a helmet for your mouth, shielding any camera from even catching a full glimpse of the singer's face. It is irritating and aggravating. I expected more from all of the performers on Sunday night and all of them seemed to have failed and let me down. Linkin Park put up this little bleacher type thing preventing me, the shortest photographer in the photo pit, from snagging even one good photo of the front man, Chester Bennington. And while, I was completely thankful to live this dream all over again almost a year later, I was still disappointed in the lack of performance they give.
Their set was much shorter and I am almost positive only about two songs performed were NOT singles which disappointed me yet again. I am well aware that they are one of the biggest bands in the world as well as in music and have enough singles to make another record or a greatest hits album, I still expected them to play something for us die hards who thrive on their music and listen to their music to overcome daily obstacles in life. However, I will not say my experience was in vain as it always ends on a perfect note and I leave happier than I came. Something that rarely, if at all, happens.
BY THE WAY, THIS WILL BE MY FIRST TATTOO.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
The Maine - The Way We Talk
This by far is the worst summer ever and I don't think it's going to get all that much better. I am so ready for things to pick up but I don't think they will. There aren't enough concerts this summer to keep me sane. Kiss my ass, Sumer of 08.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Yum! Tart!
The past week or two have been hell regarding the website. As Warped Tour nears, the shorter amount I have time to get done everything I've been working to finish. So, I completed the layout design. I didn't want it to be a graphic like I usually made so I basically just threw everything on there saying "this is where you go for this" and "this is where you go for that!" so I hope everyone likes it. It's much easier to use and get around. I deleted all the pages, I originally made and am doing them over in a new system. Which means I am writing the entire website over from SCRATCH guys. Last time I built this site from the bottom up, it took 3 months to do because I had to write everything myself. This time, I'm trying to finish everything by this weekend which means it's only taking me 2 weeks to rewrite and rebuild the entire website from scratch. I hope I can do it. I'm almost done but all of those little things I left off last time and hoped no one would notice, well they emailed me about it so I have to finally put it up after what, 10 months of neglecting it? Booo.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Tings Tings - Shut Up and Let Me Go
Well, we meet again and it's definitely been a while since we've had the opportunity to wallow in each other's company old blogging friend. I cannot say I've missed you so but with recent events, you've crossed my mind and here I am writing all over again.
The other night a bunch of people and I went to Nashville to see the Cobra Starship show and after the show Gabe mentioned reading my blog which completely freaked me out because I thought he was referring to this one (which is how I even remembered this thing). He was referring to ThisYearsParty.com, however he found it, I'm not sure but that is another story entirely.
I started up on a new layout for the website which has been harboring in my mind for the longest time. I drew it out a few weeks ago but it kept getting altered in my mind and if I knew I didn't do it now, it would have become more of a mess than I could ever imagine. Anyway, I realized overly done graphics don't make the website unless it's a graphic portfolio or some sort, which my website is definitely not so I was realizing the simpler you make it, the more appealing it is to the visitors. No matter how plain it may seem. It catches the eyes of the audiences because you pretty much lay it down and say "Here. Here is how you do this. Here is how you do that." Instead of leaving them overwhelmed by a very nifty graphic which is what I usually would do. That doesn't make me any better than anyone else and I was so caught up worrying how great my graphic needed to be that I was forgetting the content and neglecting an even bigger responsibility. Once this new layout is coded, it will pretty much be set in stone that simplicity will always win for me. I am going to put my creative juices into something such as a personal site or just bury it for good. There, I've buried the hatchet. Haha.
The other night a bunch of people and I went to Nashville to see the Cobra Starship show and after the show Gabe mentioned reading my blog which completely freaked me out because I thought he was referring to this one (which is how I even remembered this thing). He was referring to ThisYearsParty.com, however he found it, I'm not sure but that is another story entirely.
I started up on a new layout for the website which has been harboring in my mind for the longest time. I drew it out a few weeks ago but it kept getting altered in my mind and if I knew I didn't do it now, it would have become more of a mess than I could ever imagine. Anyway, I realized overly done graphics don't make the website unless it's a graphic portfolio or some sort, which my website is definitely not so I was realizing the simpler you make it, the more appealing it is to the visitors. No matter how plain it may seem. It catches the eyes of the audiences because you pretty much lay it down and say "Here. Here is how you do this. Here is how you do that." Instead of leaving them overwhelmed by a very nifty graphic which is what I usually would do. That doesn't make me any better than anyone else and I was so caught up worrying how great my graphic needed to be that I was forgetting the content and neglecting an even bigger responsibility. Once this new layout is coded, it will pretty much be set in stone that simplicity will always win for me. I am going to put my creative juices into something such as a personal site or just bury it for good. There, I've buried the hatchet. Haha.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Taking Back Sunday - Liar
I have no idea how to put this ever so eloquently so let me cut to the chase. Brace yourself, this could be long.
The internet is a fascinating place. Believe, me, I've explored a spectrum of it that most of my peers could possibly never fathom, or could they? The mere idea of the internet intrigues even the greatest of minds. It brings so many generations together at all odd hours of the day. Before, our grandparents wouldn't have dared the company of such technology and yet our younger generations can instant message their nanas and papas at their disposal. LOL, TTYL, TTFN. All lingo which somehow morphed from the screen and clung to the vocal cords of all people a like. Though some of us experienced it from its early stages, there are still tons of people in the country - no, in the world who are still being exposed to the wonders of the infinitive life that you can find beyond the bare and desolate pages of front page google and yahoo. You can find almost anything. No escaping the land of fantasy and non fiction all combined into a place some of us have failed to understand of how it even exists.
There are communities for people who have love for hair treatments, fashion, death, darkness, life, afterworlds, underworlds, vampires and as horrible as it may be, you can even possibly find several pages telling you the most comfortable or least painless ways to commit a suicide. How to elegantly go about it as well - not only that but to make your suicide note possibly one of the most beautiful pieces known to man. Insane? Yet true!
Amongst all of that is also the intense idea that one can escape their own reality and dive into a world where they no longer have to be Kerry Finnegan Hamelton but now they can be someone completely different! They can be an entirely different age, create friends who don't exist, and a whole new life they only dreamed of living. So many do it, so little recognize it. In this, there are also people who hide behind fake images, avatars, a disgusting world of just unnatural discussions and indulge themselves in the life they would have loved to take part of. Most of these human beings, find themselves developing an addiction to the "life" they tell of and maybe at times, believe these fictitious lies they tell their internet friends who very well may be feeding off the very same lies. And yet, then, with the avatars and fake images they portray of themselves, they tend to grow so fond of each other and the image they've maintained in their mind of who the person they're talking to really is. It is a dark and demented thing. Females pretending to be males, males pretending to be females. So they say, "the internet is for you to be someone else!" and maybe you can log onto that addicting game with the 3D people, spend REAL money to buy digital clothes for your 3D character and interact with people all over the world but those who sit behind instant messenger and tell the tallest tale life of their life? They fall in love with that persona they created. They get attached. Even the ones who reveal their true identities after the lies and the faux photos and avatars, they still have a strong fondness for each other no matter how opposite they are or how ridiculous and wrong the situations might be.
I need the sick and twisted people of this world to realize something. I will go into this in a later date.
To be continued...
The internet is a fascinating place. Believe, me, I've explored a spectrum of it that most of my peers could possibly never fathom, or could they? The mere idea of the internet intrigues even the greatest of minds. It brings so many generations together at all odd hours of the day. Before, our grandparents wouldn't have dared the company of such technology and yet our younger generations can instant message their nanas and papas at their disposal. LOL, TTYL, TTFN. All lingo which somehow morphed from the screen and clung to the vocal cords of all people a like. Though some of us experienced it from its early stages, there are still tons of people in the country - no, in the world who are still being exposed to the wonders of the infinitive life that you can find beyond the bare and desolate pages of front page google and yahoo. You can find almost anything. No escaping the land of fantasy and non fiction all combined into a place some of us have failed to understand of how it even exists.
There are communities for people who have love for hair treatments, fashion, death, darkness, life, afterworlds, underworlds, vampires and as horrible as it may be, you can even possibly find several pages telling you the most comfortable or least painless ways to commit a suicide. How to elegantly go about it as well - not only that but to make your suicide note possibly one of the most beautiful pieces known to man. Insane? Yet true!
Amongst all of that is also the intense idea that one can escape their own reality and dive into a world where they no longer have to be Kerry Finnegan Hamelton but now they can be someone completely different! They can be an entirely different age, create friends who don't exist, and a whole new life they only dreamed of living. So many do it, so little recognize it. In this, there are also people who hide behind fake images, avatars, a disgusting world of just unnatural discussions and indulge themselves in the life they would have loved to take part of. Most of these human beings, find themselves developing an addiction to the "life" they tell of and maybe at times, believe these fictitious lies they tell their internet friends who very well may be feeding off the very same lies. And yet, then, with the avatars and fake images they portray of themselves, they tend to grow so fond of each other and the image they've maintained in their mind of who the person they're talking to really is. It is a dark and demented thing. Females pretending to be males, males pretending to be females. So they say, "the internet is for you to be someone else!" and maybe you can log onto that addicting game with the 3D people, spend REAL money to buy digital clothes for your 3D character and interact with people all over the world but those who sit behind instant messenger and tell the tallest tale life of their life? They fall in love with that persona they created. They get attached. Even the ones who reveal their true identities after the lies and the faux photos and avatars, they still have a strong fondness for each other no matter how opposite they are or how ridiculous and wrong the situations might be.
I need the sick and twisted people of this world to realize something. I will go into this in a later date.
To be continued...
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Happy Birthday, This Year's Party
I'm posting this photo not only because I really liked it (and capturing pics of Bemis is almost impossible) but most importantly, that day marked the one year anniversary of www.thisyearsparty.com. I didn't really think about it or realize it until after the fact. I mean I got emails with warning notices saying I needed to pay for round two on the domain and everything but this is big. The idea of This Year's Party started in March 2007 when I nearly went to about 20 shows that month. Literally, I was at a show every single night. This is big for me and I'm sort of dumbing it down but this is huge. This website was created and birthed on April 3rd, 2007. I didn't have any staff. It was just me and my little old camera. I began working on the website that very day. Now I know the REAL birthday as in the opening of the site isn't until this summer but that day, April 3rd, marked the beginning of a tremendous journey I embarked on at only the age of 18. I didn't know what I was getting into and sometimes I still wonder if I know what I'm doing but I must be doing something right when I'm reaching all time highs with hits on there in less than a year.
The response I've gotten from that website is huge and it makes me keep working for it. I know at times I get ultra stressed because I have so many ideas bubbling and boiling in my mind and I'm just one person. I don't always believe I can make everything happen on my own. But this is my project, it's my baby. I'm honestly thankful for the people who helped be build it to what it's become and all of the people in the future who will somehow miraculously pull me through all of this as they have been doing from the beginning without even knowing it. All of the fans who listen to the bands we talk about and even the fans who visit just to learn about the latest bands in the music scene are the only reason I keep funding this website. I love what I do no matter how overwhelming it gets at times. I get so stressed out over it because it's my only baby and I just want it to be great and do well and I want it to continue succeeding as it did in it's first year of being online.
This website brought me a lot. I know this seems like some lame acceptance speech but I just want everyone to know how much this thing really means to me. It gave me something to hold onto when there wasn't anything going on in my life. I had nothing. So little old me picked up my camera and went to shows and did what I thought was impossible. Everyone that I needed to meet, somehow was at my feet before I could even begin my search and they were willing to help out without anything in return. I couldn't ask for anything more. I've spent thousands of dollars funding this website, to be honest and I never in a million years would have imagined it would have all come back to me. I didn't care because it became an addiction.
I don't believe I'm a perfect editor in anyway. In fact, I'm a sloppy editor who takes weeks to put anything up. I've kicked so many bad habits and even enjoyable fun positive habits from my schedule just so I can put this website into my schedule full time. I'm not asking for world fame, in fact I wouldn't mind if I was just a blur on the computer screen but I do want the website to be a success in anyway possible whether it's reaching just the East coast or the world. I'm trying my best to be better. I cancel a lot of plans to get things done as bad as that sounds but the website is no longer a hobby, it is a job. A job that I honestly enjoy no matter how big the work load (and it is a lot). I wanted this to be something I could do alone and managing the site as a whole is definitely something I manage alone. I love that the staff enjoys it as well. I liked that I could share it with some people and we all just eat up the experience. It'll be an amazing learning experience for all of us.
I'm just excited. I definitely am planning some sort of celebration for the one year of opening. I'm not sure what it will involve but I know it'll be something great and I'm hoping the staff I have now will be the same so we can all share our year long experience.
I'm lame, I know but, this is a big deal to me.
The response I've gotten from that website is huge and it makes me keep working for it. I know at times I get ultra stressed because I have so many ideas bubbling and boiling in my mind and I'm just one person. I don't always believe I can make everything happen on my own. But this is my project, it's my baby. I'm honestly thankful for the people who helped be build it to what it's become and all of the people in the future who will somehow miraculously pull me through all of this as they have been doing from the beginning without even knowing it. All of the fans who listen to the bands we talk about and even the fans who visit just to learn about the latest bands in the music scene are the only reason I keep funding this website. I love what I do no matter how overwhelming it gets at times. I get so stressed out over it because it's my only baby and I just want it to be great and do well and I want it to continue succeeding as it did in it's first year of being online.
This website brought me a lot. I know this seems like some lame acceptance speech but I just want everyone to know how much this thing really means to me. It gave me something to hold onto when there wasn't anything going on in my life. I had nothing. So little old me picked up my camera and went to shows and did what I thought was impossible. Everyone that I needed to meet, somehow was at my feet before I could even begin my search and they were willing to help out without anything in return. I couldn't ask for anything more. I've spent thousands of dollars funding this website, to be honest and I never in a million years would have imagined it would have all come back to me. I didn't care because it became an addiction.
I don't believe I'm a perfect editor in anyway. In fact, I'm a sloppy editor who takes weeks to put anything up. I've kicked so many bad habits and even enjoyable fun positive habits from my schedule just so I can put this website into my schedule full time. I'm not asking for world fame, in fact I wouldn't mind if I was just a blur on the computer screen but I do want the website to be a success in anyway possible whether it's reaching just the East coast or the world. I'm trying my best to be better. I cancel a lot of plans to get things done as bad as that sounds but the website is no longer a hobby, it is a job. A job that I honestly enjoy no matter how big the work load (and it is a lot). I wanted this to be something I could do alone and managing the site as a whole is definitely something I manage alone. I love that the staff enjoys it as well. I liked that I could share it with some people and we all just eat up the experience. It'll be an amazing learning experience for all of us.
I'm just excited. I definitely am planning some sort of celebration for the one year of opening. I'm not sure what it will involve but I know it'll be something great and I'm hoping the staff I have now will be the same so we can all share our year long experience.
I'm lame, I know but, this is a big deal to me.
Friday, April 4, 2008
The Cab - That 70's Song
I don't know why I used this photo as my photo for today's blog, my friends. I just wish I could relive that day. Haha. Weird, I know. Kels and I drove up to Nashville because I had a photo pass and two tickets to shoot We The Kings and The Cab. Now those are my friends so I was more than happy to drive up there and put forth the money even if I wasn't getting reimbursed (which I was) just to hang out with them. We definitely had some hang time with the favorites. Travis sat down and we did an interview with him and it was more of a laugh fest because we kept acting retarded the entire way through. It was my favorite interview this far, next to interviewing Paper Route. Then after Travis was done, his brother was waiting and they went to hang out. During the show we went into the restaurant and Alex Marshall (seen in the photo) and Ian Crawford of the Cab were ordering their food and they invited us to come hang out and we talked for a while and stuff about random stuff. Like us telling about our cop adventure and everything. During one of the bands sets, Marshall walks up to me backstage and is like "You're going to get some photos of me right? Come to my side!" soooo I tried my best to stay hidden AND snap some quality photos of him. I tried my best. I did my best. I guess. All in all, it was fun. Danny Duncan tried to smuggle some PB&J sandwiches for me but failed. I don't know, I don't remember everything but I do remember promising Travis a red American Apparel hoodie next time I see him and he ended up leaving with my red Rayban Wayfares. Lucky him.
Anyway, this post was originally to say how weird I find it that suddenly shows aren't all that exciting. After I finish taking pictures, instead of mingling and talking to the bands, I usually just want to bolt out of there and go home. Is it bad that my life has subjected to work work and more work or is this typical? Shouldn't I enjoy myself a little if it's a band I like? I don't know what happened. It's like I depend on the work load at shows otherwise it seems so pointless now. And it's sucking now because when I go to shows out of state, the kids just know me as the This Year's Party girl or that photographer. I'm not just another one of them anymore. I know it means the site is clearly taking off but I don't know... I guess maybe it'll be a good thing in the long run.
Anyway, this post was originally to say how weird I find it that suddenly shows aren't all that exciting. After I finish taking pictures, instead of mingling and talking to the bands, I usually just want to bolt out of there and go home. Is it bad that my life has subjected to work work and more work or is this typical? Shouldn't I enjoy myself a little if it's a band I like? I don't know what happened. It's like I depend on the work load at shows otherwise it seems so pointless now. And it's sucking now because when I go to shows out of state, the kids just know me as the This Year's Party girl or that photographer. I'm not just another one of them anymore. I know it means the site is clearly taking off but I don't know... I guess maybe it'll be a good thing in the long run.
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