I floated into the venue to find a roomful of glitter-faced people, shimmering in the soft glow of the wooden chandeliers. Feeling friendlier than usual, I engaged in stream-of-consciousness conversations that added to the buzz of random thoughts that fill the space between sets, while a projection of a purple globe spun on the backdrop […]
This is part two of my coverage of Made in America. This article discusses Sunday, Day 2. JPEGMAFIA I started the day by heading back to the Skate Stage to catch JPEGMAFIA’s set. I knew some of his music, so I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I was very, very wrong. He […]
This year was my third year attending Made in America, but my first year going as a photographer. It was also the largest gig I’ve ever shot. The energy of a festival crowd is very different than that of a concert, where people have paid to see a specific artist. At a festival, people might […]
Father John Misty has been one of my favorite artists (and by far my favorite performer) since I first saw him live five years ago. I went to his set at a festival at the suggestion of a friend who had seen him earlier that summer. “Go,” he said. “You won’t regret it.” And so […]
On Monday night in Washington DC, Rex Orange County mesmerized a sold-out crowd at U-Street Music Hall. Despite an afternoon of heavy rain, when I arrived at the venue shortly after doors opened, the line snaked around the block. If the fact that his entire US tour sold out in mere minutes was not proof […]
Even though it was late on a Wednesday night, 1,500 people packed into a sold-out Belasco Theater for the culmination of the “Better with You” U.S. tour, excited for a headlining set from former teen heartthrob Jesse McCartney. While fans eagerly awaited a glimpse at their first crush, PUBLIC, an indie-pop band from Cincinnati, delivered […]
Enclosed by the four lavender-colored walls of my middle school bedroom, I put an unmarked CD in my boombox, cranked the volume, and hit play. The CD was the third of six mixes I received as my introduction to “good music” from my first hipster crush – a dude who had long hair, smoked weed, […]
On a brisk New York City night, sheltered from the busy pedestrian and tourist traffic of Times Square in New York City, Animal Collective took a trip back to their roots and played a stripped-down version of their 2004 hallmark album, Sung Tongs, at the Town Hall. Animal Collective, which consists of Avey Tare (David […]
Last Thursday in DC, 19-year-old powerhouse Clairo played a sold-out show at Union Stage. From the moment she kicked off her set with “B.O.M.D.,” she had the audience, comprised mainly of high schoolers, enthralled. Although this was only the second night of her first major headlining tour, Clairo, with her effortless style and playful sense […]
On the surface, Snail Mail songs seem simple: they’re catchy and straightforward enough to feel familiar on first listen, and tend to follow well-trodden indie rock tropes. And, like many DIY acts to break out in the past few years, their music is centered around deeply personal lyrics backed by shimmering guitar lines. But there’s […]
