I photographed Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy for the March issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

I shot this self-assigned portrait at my studio last week. The lunar inhabitants pictured are aerialists Laura Left and Helena Right of the duo Ambidextrous. (here’s an earlier post with a shot of them in the air at a lower altitude). The set was painted by the masterful artist Ray Borchers.

I photographed Nick just down the street from the Skylark a couple weeks ago, shortly before he played a gig there. This is for an ongoing personal project I’m working on, shooting improv musicians. He’ll be playing tomorrow night at the Hideout with Frank Rosaly’s Green and Gold.

I photographed Jason Polan in New York a few weeks ago, and it looks like he drew me as well. He’s on a mission to draw every person in New York; he also once drew all the people in People.

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.

Ariele Ebacher

Amanda Crockett

Ambidextrous

Zoppé Circus (photographed in 2008)

Mike Reed, the man behind the curtain.

Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusements happens this weekend at Eckhart Park, and from all indications it promises to be fooking righteous. Here you can read about the multitude of attractions available to all comers.

The amazing women featured in the top three photos will perform at the show with El Circo Cheapo Cabaret. I shot those portraits recently for a project I’m working on involving acrobats, aerialist, and other circus artists. Also appearing this weekend will be the incredible Zoppé Circus. The suave dude in the bottom picture waiting for a drink is composer, drummer, and culture kingpin Mike Reed, who created BCPA. You might remember him from this post or if not that one, maybe it was this one.

(All photos by Jim Newberry.)

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.