Seattle Music - SB Hopper

Resilience

The blogger's dilemma - treat every post as a stand-alone, hello world or go with some continuity. I'm sorry 5 regular readers, I'm going to provide some context. I'll try to keep it short! Tony and I shot a lot of concerts from late 2016 through early 2020 in Seattle

Out of the Shoebox

Out of the Shoebox: Merce Lemon

I used to go to Joe Bar daily. Man, that's a good coffee shop. That's where I met Merce. If you own a coffee shop, she's one of those people you want to hire. Always had time to talk to everyone. I eavesdropped on a lot of great discussions about

Out of the Shoebox

Have I told you...

...how much I hate tech? Let's say that a lot of us have a shot at 70 years on this space-traveling rock. To be alive in 2021, how many moments of our lives are spent trying to get these cursed machines to work? (I know what you're thinking, and you're

Out of the Shoebox

Out of the Shoebox: Tobias, Anna, and Athena

Chop Suey, Capitol Hill, mid-June 2017. I remember it being cold for June. I thought my memory might be off (always a good chance), but Anna's wearing a jacket, so maybe not. I should back up. Chop Suey's side bar was (will be again) an accessible, informal spot for local

Music

Moonth

I was lucky in my first Capitol Hill apartment. The building itself wasn't inspiring, but it was close to Joe Bar, an awesome coffee shop. Great people, fantastic coffee, and delicious crepes. And dogs, there were always dogs. I moved a few blocks away, and because I'm lazy, I stopped

Music

A lifetime ago

Strange times. Wherever you are, I hope you're doing well. Or holding up. I opened YouTube tonight, and the mysterious algorithm in the sky put my friend Tony Hammon's channel in my feed. It was nice to revisit some old memories. Tony and I used to shoot a lot of

Backstage Pass

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

Backstage Pass

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

Backstage Pass

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

AJR concert Seattle

On the Streets: AJR at the Paramount

I had to run some errands downtown yesterday. I spent money on things I don’t need. But then I spent some money on more important things – I stopped in to see a friend working behind the bar. Had a snack and caught up for a bit. I walked

Backstage Pass

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

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

Backstage Pass

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

Backstage Pass

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

Capitol Hill

On the Streets: DJs Explorateur, Pepperazzi, and Scorpio Tail

A few of my favorite DJs (and photographers) played a set at Capitol Hill’s Nacho Borracho last night. I went to see if I could get a good photo. I really like the photo, but I’m kicking myself for a simple error. Before I got there I stopped

Backstage Pass

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,

Ballard

Looks Pretty But It Isn't

The Pacific Northwest has been covered by a stifling blanket of toxic smoke from wildfires*. It has been so bad that wearing a mask seemed like the sensible thing to do. In the past I just assumed masks were for people with asthma or other respiratory challenges. I thought about

Backstage Pass

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

Backstage Pass

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,

Anacortes

Behind the Scenes: Lizzie Weber + Tony Hammons Photoshoot

I think social media often does more harm than good, but it isn’t all bad. Tony and I recently saw a post from singer songwriter Lizzie Weber explaining that she wanted to update her promotional photos. We know her work and are fans, so we jumped at the

Backstage Pass

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

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

Backstage Pass

Backstage Pass: Evening at the Paragon

On 25 May 2017, four very talented musicians – Heather Edgley, Sandi Fernandez, Anna St. Lee, and Elena Loper – took over Queen Anne’s Paragon for three hours of great music. They each played several sets, rotating after a few songs to ensure that friends and fans would

Backstage Pass

Backstage Pass: Pete Yorn

I want to live alone in the desertI want to be like Georgia O’Keefe I want to live on the Upper East Side And never go down in the street Splendid Isolation I don’t need no one Splendid Isolation Warren Zevon wrote Splendid Isolation, but I

Artists

The Busker's Way Part II: The Fiddler in the Market

The Busker’s Way Part I was an introductory look at the talented musicians and artists who busk in Seattle’s vibrant Pike Place Market. In writing that, I benefitted greatly from having Faith Grossnicklaus as a guide. She’s a talented and stylish fiddler, member of