Kim is an awesome Cincinnati artist who’s latest work is featured as the theme for Oceanic 11 on Lost.

When I arrived, I was a little surprised to see that they were almost giving away tickets outside and there were more people at the minor league baseball team next door.

I was pleasantly surprised by an opening band called Like a Storm. They were very cool with a metal edge look and sound. Their photos ended being some of my best of the evening. Check them out on myspace with their new album “Chemical Infatuation.”

http://www.myspace.com/likeastorm

Hoobastank was the second band of the evening and sounded just like I remember from the 90’s.

Creed took the stage in a pyro filled show and Scott Stapp sounded exactly the same. The band overall sounded just as I remember from 2000 when Bryan and I saw them on one of our first concert dates. Nationwide was a great venue to shoot at and I look forward to coming back for future shows.

I attended a traditional tea ceremony first and then had 30 minutes to get an individual portrait session and discussion. I learned that she was a maiko, which is a young geisha apprentice in training for music and dance.

The experience was magical and well worth the wait. I always compare geishas to magical creatures like unicorns.

After my portrait session I went and had lunch at a traditional restaurant and then decided to walk around the area. I realized it was almost 6 pm which is the normal time for most geishas to go to work. I looked down the street and saw paparrazi-like crowds of photographers running after geishas walking down the streets on the way to work. Of course, I joined in and met people from France, Brazil, UK, and many other parts of the world. It was so fun. I got a few candid photos and captured the crowds outside the house where the geishas live. Overall it was an amazing day that I won’t forget as I start to finish up my time in Asia.

Langhorne Slim is an American folk artist who’s music has been featured in the movie Waitress and has been a Rolling Stone Editor’s top pick.

His latest album Be Set Free was released September 29, 2009.

Check him out on myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/langhorneslim

The show started strong with Dierks Bentley singing songs like “Long Trip Alone” & “Come a Little Closer.” I was a little alarmed that there was no barrier or pit between the crowd and the stage. For the first few acts I did not anticipate a problem, but I never underestimate girls as they try to get near their favorite bands.

Darius Rucker came on stage next and sang all the hits on his country album as well as some of my old Hootie & the Blowfish favorites. Truly a happy moment for me to hear “Only Wanna Be With You” again live after so many years. I saw Hootie 4 times one summer while in college and it brought back good memories of very fun times. My only disappointment was that Darius sang without his trademark acoustic guitar which was a photograph that I wanted to capture.

By the time Rascal Flatts took the stage, it was very dark and the stadium was packed. We went down a few minutes before the set and I was frustrated from the moment we arrived near the stage. There was no space for photographers because fans were already right up next to the stage. The stage also extended about 200 ft out into the crowd. The band spent most of one of the first three songs out in the crowd so that limited photo options significantly. Overall, the session was very disappointing and I was only able to get a few photos after trying to push my way through the crowd to the stage.

My reason for shooting the show in addition to the 90’s college memories was to photograph SAFETYSUIT, an up and coming band from Tulsa, OK currently residing in Nashville. I love the single “Stay” off their new record Life Left to Go and I was not dissapointed in the band’s set with songs off the album. The band members: Douglas Brown, Dave Garofolo, Jeremy Henshaw & Tate Cunningham are coming on strong with radio ready tunes.

Ryan Star (RStar), a runner up on the TV show Rockstar: Supernova, opened for the acts at Bogarts. His new album 11:59 is scheduled to be released on September 15th, 2009. Ryan has had songs appear on NBC’s show, The Philanthropist, and his “Last Train Home” was featured on the P.S. I Love You movie soundtrack.

I shot the show and the fans for CityBeat and was so happy to get access to this legend and witness the spectacle in person for the first time. Jimmy’s management and publicity team was laid back and easygoing to work with to get access to the show for CityBeat.

We had to shoot the show from the side of the stage but I was still able to get some great images of him with my 18-200 mm zoom lens.

I have decided this must become a yearly tradition to see him in concert. So fun and laid back for summertime. All I kept thinking was now I know why Chris Bagby has does this every year since I have known him and I must frame a picture for him for Christmas.

I was pretty excited to get access to Jamey Johnson’s show at the last minute. Special thanks to the staff at the fairgrounds.

You gotta love anyone who can write lyrics like… My life was just an old routine … But I traded that for cocaine and a whore … he sings in “High Cost of Living.” I also just realized he is less than a year older than me (his DOB July 14, 1975) but he seems so much older and wiser than his age.

It was pretty amazing to hear “In Color” performed live. Johnson proves that “real” country music is still alive and well in Nashville. I can rest easy that I still have a place to go home to in TN…

Little Big Town is a band that has stayed together through life’s struggles of divorce and death since it was formed in 1998. Their music is amazing with the vocal harmonies of all four singers: Karen Fairchild , Kimberly Roads Schlapman, Phillip Sweet , & Jimi Westbrook.  My favorite song by far from the group is “Bring it on Home”

from album The Road to Here.

The highlight of the tour for me was photographing the Cincinnati show at Riverbend July 22 for CityBeat. I shot the Lynyrd Skynyrd and Kid Rock performances and the photos can be seen in the music section of my website or at CityBeat.com.

 http://citybeat.zipscene.com/photos/view/7801

 I can only wait for the new KR album to come out this fall and await the new show coming around next summer. All I can hope for is to hear “Blue Jeans & A Rosary” live and in person.

Scott also manages a local band called Grooveshire, so I decided to check out their show with Indigenous at Southgate House August 19. The band was great to talk to before the show and I was impressed with their sound. They call their sound, “Louisiana Bayou Grunge” and the lead vocals of Chris Melfi are reminiscent  of early Black Crows tunes. The band has a strong local following and are on the rise.

The band members include: Chris Melfi (vocals), Jason Mollette (guitar), Mike Hennel (drums), Keith Roark (bass) and Bryan Russell (organ).

Catch them at their EP release party at Southgate House Thursday Sept 3.

Check them out on their website:

http://www.grooveshire.com/

www.myspace.com/grooveshire

Check out my Grooveshire photos on CityBeat.com

http://citybeat.zipscene.com/photos/view/7775