Category: music

6 Oct ’11

Bobby Conn for the Reader

I stopped by Bobby Conn headquarters recently, where I found him in the basement, mixing his new record. The track I heard sounds fantastic, and smells like a chart-topper. I shot his portrait for this week’s Artist on Artist feature in the Reader, where he interviews Bryan Ferry. Above is an outtake, a slight variation on the shot the Reader published. Yes, that is a Lehman Brothers necklace–glad you asked. Here are a couple other portraits I shot of Bobby, from two earlier photo sessions.

21 Sep ’11

Friday photo exhibit: 15 years of life at the Hideout

UPDATE: Here’s a link to the interview. Thanks to Alison Cuddy for having me on the show, and to Andrea Jablonski, the hardworking curator of the exhibit.

This Friday I’m participating in an exhibit with 9 other photographers. We’re showing photographs depicting life at Chicago’s greatest music venue, the Hideout. I’ll be on WBEZ’s Eight Forty-Eight tomorrow morning discussing my pictures for this show.

Above is a portrait of Shellac‘s comely drummer and flower arranger, Todd Trainer. I shot it at the Touch and Go 25th Anniversary concert, which was hosted by the Hideout.

The show is called Scrapbook, and here’s the info:

Friday, September 23rd, 2011 6-11PM
High Concept Labs: 1401 W. Wabansia, Chicago (catercorner from the Hideout)

Featuring photographs by:
Paul Beaty
Brooke Blocki
Carmelo Espanola
Robert Loerzel
Emily Long
Dan Lutger
Suzanne Nathan
Jim Newberry
Chris Roo
Ryan Sweeney
Angeline Evans
Javier Ayala

And posters from Steve Walters, Alana Bailey, Kathleen Judge…and more!

13 Sep ’11

Jim Ellison and Material re-Issue

I shot this portrait of Material Issue frontman Jim Ellison at his Chicago home, in 1993, three years before his tragic suicide. The recently formed Material re-Issue–original crack rhythm section Ted Ansani and Mike Zelenko, along with consummate guitarist and singer Phil Angotti–plays a show this Saturday at Lincoln Hall.

25 Aug ’11

Air guitar champion Nordic Thunder

It was an honor to be in the presence of U.S. air guitar champion Mr. Nordic Thunder. I photographed him last weekend for the Reader (shot above the Reader cover is an outtake from the session).

22 Jul ’11

Jason Adasiewicz in the NYT

The New York Times published a portrait of mine in today’s paper, of the great vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz. I took the shot at the Pritzker Pavillion during a rehearsal for a concert by Mike Reed‘s Loose Assembly (here’s a portrait of Reed I shot earlier this year.) Way to go Shevitz!

Below is a screenshot from the article. And below that is a portrait of Adasiewicz I shot last April in his attic, where he practices.

nytimes shevitz article Jason Adasiewicz in the NYT

15 Jul ’11

Mia, Ratso, and Ponytail at Pitchfork Music Festival 2009

Pitchfork Music Festival begins today, and I’ll be shooting video again with my friends Miss Mia and Ratso, hosts of the incredible public access television kids dance show, Chic-a-go-go. When I say incredible I’m not resorting to hyperbole; take a look at this list of past musical guests. I shot the picture above at the ’09 festival, right before (I’ve gotta be honest with you, it may have been after) Mia and Ratso interviewed art rock Baltimoreans Ponytail (that’s Ratso with the corrugated feet; Mia to his right, and the other three are Ponytail).

And for you counter-cultural types, you can get your weird-on at the anti-Pitchfork festival, Bitchpork.

30 Jun ’11

Communication Arts photo annual: Juggalos!

I’m excited that a photograph of mine has been selected by the Communication Arts 2011 jury to appear in their Photography Annual 52. The picture is of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, the frontmen of Christian horrorcore rappers Insane Clown Posse, shot for a Jon Ronson story in The Guardian Weekend Magazine. You can see a behind the scenes shot from that session in the archives, here. Below are pics of the Annual, and also a shot I’ve never shown before, of ICP fans outside the Eagle/Rave after the concert they played the night I photographed them.

1 Jun ’11

Al Harris

I shot this portrait of Chicago blues musician Al Harris in 2002, with a Kodak Stereo camera, on loan from my dad.

15 May ’11

Untitled

Have a title idea for this photograph? Leave it in the comments.

28 Apr ’11

Reigning Sound in Chicago Tonight

From Memphis, Tennessee (via Asheville, North Carolina), the indomitable Reigning Sound will be in Chicago tonight, playing a free show at the Empty Bottle (along with Last Year’s Men). Details here, including RSVP link. Above is a 2005 shot I took of Reigning Sound frontman Greg Cartwright, in Wicker Park.