if you have never seen wyatt cenac on the daily show, you are missing out. he's hilarious and has the best delivery...he was great.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

shara worden aka my brightest diamond was a surprise guest at the benefit and even though she only played two songs (one of which was an AWESOME cover of prince's how come u don't call me anymore), they were both showstoppers.  she is one hell of a musician and singer and she sang her heart out.  what a voice.  i'm actually going to include a video of it because you have to hear her to believe her.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

janeane garofalo is hilarious and smart....a deadly combination. and she killed it at mhow.  her comedy was edgy and timely and right on point and she kept the crowd thoroughly entertained.  also, she is TINY.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k



annie clark aka st. vincent is so amazing. not only does she have a beautiful voice, but she is a force to be reckoned with on the guitar. she played a short set of covers including nico's these days and the national's mistaken for strangers. AWESOME.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

i am a HUGE spoon fan, so getting the chance to see britt daniel in a more intimate venue than last time i saw spoon play in prospect park was a thrill.  he only played three songs, but they were all amazing.  their new album transference is excellent.  pick it up immediately!

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

on saturday, january 23, i attended the first of two haiti benefit concerts i had tickets for. both shows had crazy lineups and this one, curated by brooklynvegan, was thrown together in two days, which is shocking, because the talent he lined up was a long list of indie rock and alt-comedy royalty. zach galifianakis, wyatt cenac (of daily show fame), leo allen, bobby tisdale, janeane garofalo, john shade, justin vernon (of bon iver), st. vincent, my brightest diamond, and britt daniel (of spoon). CRAZY lineup. and i still can't believe that i got tickets.

anyway, zach galifianakis was HILARIOUS. the odd and sometimes disturbing banter, the half-told jokes, the piano schtick...it was all too much.  my ribs still hurt from laughing.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

i've already written about my love for sam amidon, so i'll just let the photos do the talking.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

i LOVE beth orton and have for years. i just think her voice magical and her music is so beautiful.  i've only seen her perform once before at the ill-fated field day music festival in 2003, so it was a thrill to see her play in such a tiny venue. she was recovering from walking pneumonia, so she stopped and started a lot, but that just made her performance all the more charming.  and, as if already seeing them the week prior wasn't enough, doveman and sam amidon lent their backup support. it was a terrific night.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

the poison tree also opened for doveman at the mercury lounge.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

puss n boots is a trio of super talented ladies and includes norah jones, catherine popper, and sasha dobson.  they played a fantastic set of covers that included wilco's jesus, etc. and their harmonies were to die for. 

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

sam amidon, frequent doveman collaborator, absolutely fascinates me. brilliant songwriting, insane banjo playing, beautiful singing, deadpan banter, and sometimes some random screaming.  go and see him if you ever get the chance. trust me, he's amazing and a little bit other-worldly.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

i adore thomas bartlett aka doveman. he's a very talented pianist and his music is really interesting.  i have thank my friend kelley who brought me to my first doveman/sam amidon/nico muhly extravaganza.  i've been fairly obsessed with all of them since then and see them as often as i can. great stuff.  here are some pictures from the doveman and friends show that he curated and performed in at the mercury lounge.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

i don't know why i've waited so long to post these pictures...they are certainly not my best. but nada surf is one of my all-time favorite bands. most people think of their song popular when they hear the name, but you should know that nada surf have put out several brilliant albums since then and their live shows are always a thrill. matthew caws writes what i find to be the most poignant lyrics - i relate to nearly every one of his songs. i feel so passionately about this band that when i was asked by a friend a few years ago to name which band wrote the soundtrack to my twenties. i answered with nada surf without any hesitation. in fact, before this show, matthew caws was standing right next to me and we had a conversation where i revealed this to him. he asked me for a cough drop.

to see the rest of my photos, click here.

k

brooklyn's motel motel is the last band from nyctaper's cmj showcase and i definitely saved the best for last. this was the second time that i'd seen motel motel and the send time that i've shot them. not only are they wildly talented musicians who make really good music, they are nice and generous guys. i hope i get to see them play again soon.

to see the rest of my photos, click here.

k

the antlers have had a really big year. and it's no wonder - their new album hospice is one of the best to come out this year. i shot this show at the bowery ballroom for nyctaper who captured an amazing recording of this epic show, which you can download here. the show was one of the most incredible i've seen all year and the crowd was incredibly appreciative. the new york times reviewed the show...you should read it to get a real understanding of the magic that transpired that night. my photos from the show have popped up all over the place - you can see them here, here and here.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

the french post-punk band underground railroad also opened for nada surf at the bell house.

thanks for looking!

k

omaha's thunder power played nyctaper's cmj showcase and i can honestly say i've never heard anything like them. they were very, very good. this band incorporated nearly every genre of popular music while still managing to sound completely original. not an easy feat.

to see the rest of my photos, click here.

k

i think it's fair to say that i officially have a girl crush on sharon van etten. she is so incredibly talented and wonderful and amazing. She opened for the antlers at the bowery ballroom and blew me away with her intricately crafted yet subtle folk songs. and her singing voice is one of the most beautiful i've ever heard. i plan to be standing in the front row every time she plays from here on out.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

and download nyctaper's excellent recording here.