I have many conversations with my friend Jack in New York, due to the fact that we both have AT&T and can talk for free. One of our most common comments is, “ well, going out to photograph another band that nobody will ever want pictures of!” That was my week this week. It showed me that shooting pictures with no chance of ever making any money from them is just as good as making a fortune off of a shoot. Or maybe almost as good.
I have been hanging out at the Pritzker Pavillion in downtown Chicago at various times in the last few weeks trying to get a good crowd shot for one of my clients. Too hot in this city for many people to show up. They told me to come out last Thursday, guaranteeing a great crowd. The artist was a woman named Dobet Gnahore, a Grammy winning singer from the Ivory Coast. The crowd was huge, and when she walked out on stage, my problem became how to stop taking pictures. I couldn’t. She was beautiful, sang and danced beautifully, and was an amazing subject. I had to tear myself away from the front of the stage or I would have shot 1000 pictures!
The next night was the same but completely different!!
Northwestern Indiana and Weird Al Yankovic. A perfect combination. One of the most unhip guys performing on the planet, but a master of his craft. I have had many conversations lately about how young artists today don’t understand what showbiz means. When you are charging $50.00 or more for a ticket, you have to put on a show. You can’t just stand there and play your three cord based music and stare at the ground. They should all go out and watch a Weird Al show! Total showman. Costume changes after almost every song. Great parody songs. Perfectly rehearsed band who didn’t miss a note the whole show! And an audience who have been following him throughout his entire career (and brought their kids to start the whole thing all over again with another generation). This is what any band today can only wish for, but would most likely never achieve. This is what is called a career. Let’s see where the Lady GaGa’s of the world are in about 30 years!
