WYEP 13th Annual Summer Music FestivalFriday June 25, 2010
Oakland
So either file this under the category 'it was inevitable' or the one I prefer, 'what took so long?'. The good folks at WYEP contacted me to help cover their annual music bash in Oakland. What's funny is that I am usually photographing 90% of their events and was going anyway, so it was a no brainer. The weather was perfect and the line-up, although a little obscure, ended up surprising me. It seemed that almost everyone was there to see Sarah, which made sense since she arrived in the biggest bus. Nicole played as a stripped down trio, which she sounded great but didn't bring enough of the rock to justify closing the night. The Boogie Hustlers were good but in the unenviable position of starting the night. Then there was Joshua James. I never heard of the guy and was on the 27th floor of the Catherdral when he started, but man was he good. Not only was he the best performer, he was the nicest to his fans. I say it over and over again, musicians should fall over going out of their way for fans. Loyalty goes on forever in the music biz. More of my photos here on WYEP's Flickr page.
I also want to give a shout out to fellow photog John Altdorfer. He was also asked by YEP to supply photos of the event. He has been really helpful and informative to me over the last year or so and to me, supporting each other is what it's all about.
The above image was obviously not taken by me since I am in it. I added it to comment on how many times I spot myself in other people's pictures at events. When I shoot, I try to be as discreet as possible but sometimes (especially at outdoor events) it's impossible.
Hugh I could not agree with you more. It is essential for musicians to bend over backwards, be gracious, generous and accessible to their fan base. There is no Big Corporate Machine to promote them anymore. Fan loyalty is the only true way to build a devoted following. It takes a while, but in the end it becomes a connection that is never lost over space and time.
ReplyDeleteAll bands should take a page from the Old 97's band book. They've been together for 16 years and have an enormous, rabid fan base because they always ALWAYS go out of their way for their supporters.