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.

peasant, aka damien nicholas derose, played a lovely set of gorgeous songs at nyctaper's cmj showcase.  every song told a story and every story was just beautiful. after his set, we talked for a little bit and i told him that while his singing style reminded me of damien rice (who i love), i found peasant a more compelling performer with better songs. check him out, you won't be disappointed.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

uninhabitable mansions, a group that includes members of clap your hands say yeah and au revoir simone, opened for the antlers at the bowery ballroom and were a lot of fun. they played lots of energetic pop songs that had the crowd dancing and smiling right along with them.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

i just found these pictures on my hard drive and had to share. my sister, a friend and i went to spac last 2 summers ago to see the police and it was an awesome show. we had lawn seats, but happened to be standing in the right place at the right time when a security guard wandered over to us and asked us if we wanted to upgrade. apparently, the police had purchased a couple of rows of the best seats in the house in order to surprise some lucky fans. we were three of those lucky fans. i only had my point and shoot camera and we weren't very close, so these aren't the best pictures. but i will always love them because i will always have them to remind me of one of the best concert experiences i have ever had.

besides, how can you not love the kid with the mohawk wearing a 1982 ghost in the machine tour t-shirt? ADORABLE.

k

this is an oldie but goodie. holly miranda opened for one of my all-time favorite bands, nada surf, at the bell house last spring. and i was floored by how great she was. i was already a fan of the jealous girlfriends, but had not heard holly's solo music before this show. beautiful vocals, excellent lyrics, dreamlike songs...check her out.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

blood warrior also played nyctaper's cmj showcase and were great. blood warrior counts o'death's greg jamie as a member and their music is every bit as good. their set of folk music rocked and i would see them play again in a heartbeat.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

the completely fascinating and indescribable jeffrey lewis also opened for art brut last month and it was the first time i'd seen him live. peter stampfel (who has played with bob dylan and mississippi john hurt, among other notable musicians) played with him and boy did they put on a show. i suppose lewis's music could be categorized as anti-folk, but there's something else there, too. he's an avid comic book reader and writer and several of his tunes are what he called "documentaries" which were songs about historical events that were sung to a slideshow of his hand-drawn cartoons. he played three at this show: the peloponnesian war, the story of the mayflower and fan-favorite, creeping brain. he is one smart and talented dude.

 you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

brooklyn's the loom also played nyctaper's cmj showcase at bruar falls and let me tell you - I LOVE THIS BAND. they make music that feels like it was made just for my ears. nyctaper says it better than i can...

To say that The Loom’s performance was a revelation would be to understate the significance of this unit. They combine musical talent, strong writing, and an abundant amount of band camaraderie into an intense amalgam.

click here to see the rest of my photos.

k

brooklyn's emanuel and the fear played nyctaper's cmj showcase in october and their set was worth seeing not just for the music, but the sheer mechanics of watching all 11 members squeeze onto that tiny stage. :) seriously, they were awesome. their music was part classical, part indie pop, and part something else that was all their own. they were so inventive, i just loved watching them play.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

merry christmas, friends!!!

k

new york's own murder mystery opened for art brut last month and were pretty great. jeremy coleman's vocals reminded me a lot of velvet underground era lou reed (not a bad thing at all) and his sister laura's drumming and enthusiasm were so much fun to watch. this band writes smart and catchy tunes that make for a very entertaining live show.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k

as i mentioned, final fantasy opened for the mountain goats at webster hall. and it was pretty spectacular. owen pallett is so talented, it's freakish. interesting songwriting, virtuosic violin playing, and great singing made for a terrific opening set that i enjoyed thoroughly. my only disappointment was with the lighting - it was TERRIBLE and made taking photos really difficult. it also didn't help that i was at the other side of the stage as owen. but i managed to get a few good ones.

stay tuned for a nyctaper recording of this show.

you can see the rest of my photos here.

k