Backstage Pass - SB Hopper

My Subaru left me

It was always an aloof relationship. I’d been dreaming about a Subaru Outback for years. It was going to play an important role in my move to the Pacific Northwest, rediscovering a neglected love of the outdoors, finding a dog friend, and paddling the waters of this beautiful region.

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Lovefest with DATENITE, Heather Edgley, Sandi Fernandez, Halley Greg

I used to shoot a lot of concerts. My friend Tony and I even started a little entity dedicated towards music photography. We loved it, and we’re proud of the work, but we always struggled a little with knowing what it was or where it was going. That was

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Bernie Sanders in Tacoma

I went to the Bernie Sanders rally in Tacoma. I shot some stills, shot some bad film, and recorded some audio snippets. I’m not a multi-tasker, and I think trying to do all of the above is not in my wheelhouse. Stick to one format. Sometimes you have to

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Roselit Bone at Mississippi Studios

The music stars aligned last week. Roselit Bone and C.W. Stoneking played a show at Portland’s Mississippi Studios that fit in perfectly with my drive back to Seattle. I don’t shoot many shows these days, but I was excited for this one. I love Roselit Bone. I’

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Is it time to wake up yet? I know I'm not ready.

Dance. Movement. Music. Grace. I know next to nothing about dance. But I do know it’s athletic, artistic, and rewarding. Tonight two of my nieces participated in a dance festival held at a local high school. They make it look so effortless, but I have an inkling of the

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Pebble n the Crick at Seattle's Lo-Fi

Pebble n the Crick played at Lo-Fi last night. I can’t remember the last time I caught the full band. They’re all busy, that’s for sure. It’s a lot of fun following a band and catching their live shows over the years. You start picking up

Assembly Mic at Vermillion

Last night I went to Kate Berwanger’s Assembly Mic at Vermillion. Assembly Mic is a literary event focused on raw, unfinished works, works in progress, etc. Kate wants you to kill your darlings. And by that, she means that she wants you to take a risk. I’m not

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Dead Spells and Sterling Serpent at Seattle's Highline

On Friday I saw Dead Spells play at Seattle’s Highline. I really like them. And that sentence reveals a source of frustration – I can’t write about music at all. I like their music, they sound good. Awesome prose, Scott. It’s only a matter of time before

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Belva at Black Lodge

The first person to ever read tarot for me also fronts a cool band. I think through the trasmutative properties of quantum mechanics that somehow makes me cooler. Belva played at Seattle’s Black Lodge last night, and they were great. Bands, if you ever wonder if anyone’s paying

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Roselit Bone at McMenamins Alexander School

Roselit Bone has been touring with their new album, Crisis Actor. I caught a show in California that was part of the album release tour. They don’t let up, though. They’ve been doing a smaller tour through McMenamins, which is a quirky hotelier (is that a word?) in

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The Moth's Grand Slam event at Town Hall Seattle

A few weeks ago I shot photos for The Moth’s Grand Slam literary event at Town Hall Seattle. I really enjoyed the event – 10 writers fearlessly sharing their stories in front of a packed house. The musician and the MC were incredible, as well. I’ve included some

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Dead Spells at Capitol Hill's Highline Bar

Dead Spells played at Capitol Hill’s Highline last night. I went. They were great. One of their guitars or part of the sound system was acting up, and they had to pause to fix it. I imagine when you’re on stage moments like that start feeling like an

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Pebble n the Crick, Lopez Island, and Iris

A few weeks ago I went to Lopez Island for the weekend to see my friends Pebble n the Crick play two live shows at Vita’s Wildly Delicious and the Lopez Islander Resort. Pebble n the Crick was one of the first live acts I saw after moving to

Aleida Gehrels Seattle viola

Tobias the Owl's NPR Tiny Desk 2019 entry

On Sunday I filmed Tobias the Owl’s entry (Sing Me to Sleep) for this year’s NPR Tiny Desk competition. Tobias the Owl is one of my favorite Seattle bands, and I’ve been lucky to catch a lot of their shows. One of the things I appreciate about

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Kodak Moment at the W

My friends Valerie and Victoria DJ at Seattle’s W Hotel every 4th Friday of the month. My friend Nika and I went last week. The setting is something else, especially the DJ space – raised, with a backdrop of larger than life images of an actual vinyl collection. Explorateur,

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Backstage Pass: Devin Sinha's "What You're Given" (video for NPR's Tiny Desk)

I’ve wanted to share this for a long time now but had to wait patiently for the Tiny Desk competition to roll around. My friend Tony Hammons and I shot this video for Devin Sinha and his band. I love the song – “What You’re Given”. Devin has

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Roxanna Walitzski's Farewell (to Seattle) Performance

My fairly recent introduction to Roxanna Walitzski was through her photography. It’s incredible. I can’t remember exactly how I found her work, but I suspect it was through my friend José Andrés. I learned later that Roxanna is also a talented, accomplished opera singer and artist. I wish

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Kristin Chambers at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center

Tony Hammons and I were back at the Fremont Abbey Arts Center on Saturday 15 September 2018 to shoot video for Kristin Chambers’ EP release. It was my first time seeing a show in the Abbey’s downstairs stage. Kristin Chambers’ voice really takes advantage of that expansive upstairs area,

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Let Go

Tony Hammons and I recently shot a music video for Tobias the Owl, one of our favorite Seattle musicians. The song is called Let Go, and it was a collaboration with Made for Music, a Seattle podcast focusing on music and the music industry. Tony and I have been working

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Capitol Hill Artwalk

I made a little video about the 14 June 2018 Capitol Hill Artwalk: Queer Edition. The video is terrible; the Artwalk and the artists are incredible. I like walking around taking photos on Artwalk Thursdays, but I haven’t really gone into the galleries. Huge mistake. I’ve

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A Night for Women's Rights, a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood

Sometimes the future looks pretty bright. I read online that Claire Michelle and Eva Walker were going to be the keynote speakers at a Planned Parenthood fundraiser at Capitol Hill’s Northwest School, so I grabbed my camera and headed over there. Claire and Eva are local musicians,

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Northwest Folklife 2018

Seattle hosted the 47th Northwest Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center from 25 May through 28 May 2018. It’s a fantastic event that celebrates culture, arts, and music. I think one of the things I most like about the festival is that it is accessible to everyone.

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Backstage Pass: Patrick Galactic at Whiskey West, 13 July 2017

Patrick Galactic has a new fan. I wish he’d record Savior for a Day so I could get my hands on it. Took this photo at his 13 July 2017 show at West Seattle’s Whiskey West. (I can recommend the beet salad.) Posted a couple of

Anna St- Lee

The Peavine Alley House celebrates the 4th of July...on the 8th

Have you ever been to a “house show” to see live music? I’ve been seeing references to them, and I like the idea. Someone with an apartment or house that is large enough (cue the envy) to host a bunch of people and a musician or

Anna St- Lee

Rain City Collective

In June, my friend and fellow photographer Tony and I launched Rain City Collective, an online site that focuses on the diverse, talented community of artists in the Pacific Northwest. We have an admittedly expansive view when it comes to art and artists. We think there are a lot creative