Fishing In Lady Bird Lake For Atmosphere and Brother Ali.

Fishing Blue.

New in the online shop! I just created a first for me. Last year I made a Deftones gig poster and had it digitally printed. It was well received and I had a lot of fun making them and seeing them printed was a super rewarding feeling. So for my next poster I wanted to go deeper. I opted to make a leap and make a screenprinted poster. There are some hurdles within any printing process, but print is so damn rewarding you learn to make it happen.

For this poster I decided to go full throttle and go in as far as my wallet would let me. This poster is much larger than the last, weighing in at 18" x 24", and printed on French Paper. I've been wanting to do something on French since I first found it last year, likely through Draplin or Field Notes, and I've just been waiting for the right project to make it happen.

I love Atmosphere, straight up. I've been a fan of Slug since I was in college attending underground rap battles and participating in underage drinking. This shit was a great soundtrack lol. It's been cool watching these guys grow as artists over the years. Although I'll always favor classics like God Loves Ugly and the shift in Paint It Gold, their newest release Fishing Blues showcases their growth as artists. Last year I photographed their show with the gawd Brother Ali, as well. So when I heard of Slug's return, it was a no-brainer that this would be the project to take crack two at a gig poster.

Long story long, I used the theme of their tour, dubbed "The Freshwater Fly Fishermen Tour", to create this image in conjunction with a taste of Austin using the river that flows through our city. I will write more about the process on my portfolio page, for now you can get your poster in my online shop before anyone else. I am picking them up later today so they will even ship out sooner than expected. There are two editions, 40 & 10 (variant), only 50 total, so act quickly!

Thanks and I'll see y'all again real soon.


Stay Creative,
BLUE731.

Ghostface Killah.

Take a look at my photos from the Ghostface Killah/The Art of War show over at awakeandmoving.com. Uno!

Stay Creative,

BLUE731.

Deftones & Incubus.

Last week I got to cover an amazing show and had some adolescent dreams of mine finally see fruition. I've always been a huge fan of both Deftones and Incubus, so this was a lifetime highlight for me to say the very least to photograph both bands in one night. Read and see more at awakeandmoving.com and creativesocialite.com.


Stay Creative,
BLUE731.

Ces Cru.

Thanks to my homie DJ Notion of musicNmind, I had the opportunity to swing through the Ces Cru show this month and snap some photos. It's always good to link up with homies and get to capture some images of one of your favorite music duos. Notion has been responsible for bringing some great music acts through San Antonio and Austin from Ces Cru, Mursday, El-P+Killer Mike, to Kool Keith, Blueprint, Killah Priest, Freestyle Fellowship and the list just goes on and on from there for over ten years. No joke. I always appreciate the hardwork Notion does in getting acts here into San Antonio, I only wish I had more time to attend more of them. In any event, here are some shots from the night, enjoy!


Stay Creative,
BLUE731.

The Boxer's Brain, DFW TX

Fab Deuce, Denton TX

Joey Cool, Kansas City MO

Ces Cru, Kansas City MO

Odd Future.

This month I got some great opportunities to shoot members of Odd Future, Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler The Creator with Taco and Jasper Dolphin. I haven't ever been the biggest fan of Odd Future, their music just never really registered with me. A few friends were really into them when they came into the limelight, but I just wasn't feeling it personally. This year at SXSW though, while working with City Hot Spot and Pandora, I was scheduled to shoot Earl Sweatshirt. Not sure why, but I was pretty stoked.

Call it intuition, but my gut knew it was gonna be dope and it was. Earl came correct and definitely put on a great show. His crew was ultra hype and contrasted Earl's calm demeanor very well. For such a young talent and slower pace overall, Earl still brings high energy and commands the crowd he performs for.

When I heard he would be in San Antonio, I jumped at the chance to photograph his show for Do210. Having seen him once as an opening act, I knew his headline show would be even better. Saturday night came and so did the rain. This particular night our city was given a huge rainstorm. It started as soon as I hit the road. As I drove under the highway to the access road, I saw many spots lose power. Lights went out everywhere and things got a little manic. Hail dropped little water bullets as I merged onto the highway and began to pelt my windows and hood, thankfully quickly subsiding. Halfway there, winds increased in speed and strength, nudging my vehicle slightly and it was definitely an uneasy feeling. Nevertheless, I made it safely and apparently, so did Earl's fans. The venue was packed. Remy Banks opened and brought some organ-thumping bass in his tracks.

A crazy, queasy feeling, but it was a good set nonetheless. Earl and his crew came up next and put on a great show. This time as the headliner, Earl seemed to connect a bit more with his audience as they were there to solely see him. The venue was rife with crowd-surfers and screaming fans singing along to Earl's auditory gourmet meal. The lighting for this show was mad crazy and much different from the Pandora show.

A couple weeks ago, I got wind that Tyler was coming to Austin so, again, I jumped at the chance. This time for Do512, I loaded up my gear and hit the road. Upon arriving in Austin, I realized I was early and decided to do some street shooting. Only to realize I left my memory card at home. Rookie mistakes happen to the best of us. I scooped one up and headed out to the bridge/underpass over the Colorado River. After snapping some dope summer photos, I headed out to the venue.

It can be a great thing to catch local openers before a headline act. Conversely, it can be just as good when the major acts just jump right into it. After about an hour of restlessness from the crowd, Taco came out and straight tore the place down. I hadn't seen a DJ this animated since Cut Chemist did his multimedia show a few years back. It was LIT and I was immediately sold on this cat. If he is ever in your area, I highly recommend you catch his set.

Waiting for the next act at shows can sometimes be a drag. That wasn't the case at this show because after a few high-energy selections from Taco, a song broke out mid-set and Tyler came rushing the stage with Jasper. There was no break, no intermission. It was seamless and it was fucking awesome, straight up. A super concise move that caught me slightly off guard. I fed into it, though.

Again, not too familiar with Tyler's music, I was able to experience this from a fairly new perspective (I did jam Cherry Bomb as soon as it dropped). He's matured as an artist yet still has that childish energy and look about him. He bombed the stage proper and lived up to the tour's namesake--fun and explosive. Trading energy with the crowd, Tyler brought some passion, attack, and humor to us all.

We all had a ton of fun and it was a great time. But nobody, and I mean NOBODY had as much fun as this chick right here who pushed security away for trying to pull her out. She screamed, "I'm staying!" regardless of the blood running on her face. If you're down for your crown and the artist on stage, you have the same reaction. This has easily become one of my favorite photos I've ever taken.

I met this cat Allen in security who was cool by his own right and we both had some fun interacting with the crowd while waiting for the show to begin (ironically, he looks hella serious in this shot). When you're in the pit, loosen up. Just because it's "work", it doesn't mean it has to feel like work. Besides, Work's For Jerks.

I can say that between Earl and Tyler, I'm starting to come around with Odd Future. If you get the chance to see either of these guys live, do it. Thank me later.


Stay Creative,
BLUE731.

Grieves.

Saturday I got the opportunity to photograph one of my favorite and super underrated MCs, Grieves of Rhymesayers. I became a fan by chance a few years ago. I honestly couldn't tell you how I found him, I just remember seeing the Lightspeed video and I was instantly hooked. The keys on the hook played an upbeat rhythm, yet so low end it was almost somber. I sought out the rest of his catalog and was blown away. The music has a very emotional connect and that's what drew me in so quickly. It feels real. Genuine. The show also featured an old name I had heard before, Grayskul. I wasn't too familiar with their work, but what I had heard over the years I liked a lot. So needless to say I knew I was in for a good time.

This was my first time at Paper Tiger since it's latest renovations from former The White Rabbit. I'll be honest, it lacked the charm, the grit. I watched shows at The White Rabbit for many years since my first one there, (hed) pe, in high school, which was ultimately my first live show (Warped Tour didn't really count). From local to national, the acts and shows there were always good. We had our ArtSlam parties there where I met Jim Mahfood and Dave Crosland, I saw homies perform there, and my last show there was one of the best I've ever witnessed, Antemasque (remember?). The walls are literally whitewashed. There's an orange theme everywhere. There are Po-Moe lights at the bar. And to top it off, the pizzeria is closed. I think I avoided Paper Tiger for so many months because of all this. I can say, however, that the biggest difference that will bring me back is the sound. There's been a great improvement in this area and it is very noticeable. A lot of venues in town have been down-trodden for lack of good sound so it's good to see this place get that part right.

Chris Conde.

In any event, enough about the White Tiger. Err..Paper Rabbit. We're here to discuss and relive Grieves' Out of The Rain Tour. Ironically, there was a bit of rain leading up to the show. The local opener, Chris Conde, was an unfamiliar name for me but has certainly stuck with me since. Armed with a pretty sweet-looking guitar and a band made of members of other local bands, Chris Conde delivered a performance that reminded me of a mix of Sage Francis, that guy from Counting Crows (sha-la-la-la-la-laa-laaa!), and a guitar player whose name eludes me at the moment. Suffice to say, his brand of Folk Rap is something to enjoy by many. Toward the end of the set he dropped the guitar and took to the mic with the prowess of a veteran MC and OWNED that stage. After a short intermission and interaction with some fellow music goers, Grayskul took to the stage with a fierce set. Stringing together songs of passion and emotion and high energy, JFK and Onry picked up where Conde left off and elevated the energy even higher. The two play off each other well even with their stark contrast of stage presence. A live show you want to see, this duo work in tandem seamlessly, working the stage and the crowd equally.

Grayskul.

Grieves came up after Grayskul tore it down with a guitarist and keyboard player. It's always nice to see an MC rock solo, but when you had live instrumentation in the mix, it usually becomes a whole new game. Grieves came out swinging and as his presence grew, so did the crowd. His energy hits and the tracks came to life with the band members. From new tracks I hadn't heard to Lightspeed to Gwenevieve (my favorite), Grieves touched old and new tracks from his growing catalog. Between tracks he would interact with the crowd and remind us all that we are there to have a good time. Bouncing track setups to humorous antics, Grieves' between-songs are just as entertaining as the songs themselves. In live performances, a true musician not only maintains stage presence, but they also involve the crowd and Grieves definitely invited us to participate. Leaving the stage for all of two minutes, the trio came back out for a brief encore and left us all with smiles. Like a true musician should.

Grieves.

Enjoy the shots here and shoutout to Do210 for always having my back since we've linked up. There are a ton more photos on their site including images I shot of Earl Sweatshirt a couple weeks back when the storms hit. Keep posted to that site, we have a lot more coming this year.


Stay Creative,
BLUE731.

SXSW Shows.

Through City HotSpot and the good word from the homie Ren, I was able to capture some great concert images at SXSW this year. Most of which were shot at the Pandora Discovery Den. I have a good grip of these up already (find them by clicking the photography tab up top) and have more to come at the end of the month. Most of what is up right now are black & white images, the rest of the images, most in color, will appear after the month-long licensing with City HotSpot is complete. I have a hefty amount of street photos as well, but we'll cross that bridge later. For now, here are a couple of my favorite shots from the shows I hit..

Rich Homie Quan with the Austin backdrop.

Earl Sweatshirt provoking thought.

Offset of Migos gets lit.

Lizy Ryan of Big Data gets live.

Wyclef Jean hits soulful notes through Fugees tracks.

Kosha Dillz holds it down on the mic at House of Blues Showcase.

Murs remains a legend and debuts new, unreleased Strange Music tracks.

Charlene Kaye of San Fermin serenades the crowd.