Reviews Archives - Eye On The Music - Jim Brock Photography

Aug 05

by Jim Brock in Reviews 0 comments tags: #eyeonthemusic, #folkyeah, #jimbrockphotography, #newportfolk, #preshalljazz, 90s music, Alynda Lee Segarra, Amanda Shires, Amy Ray, Benmont Tench, Billy Strings, Bonny Light Horseman, Brandi Carlile, Cedric Burnside, Charley Crockett, Colin Meloy, concert photography, Courtney Marie Andrews, D'angelico hollow body, Danny Clinch, Dawes, Decemberists, Dolly Parton, Eric Johnson, Eye on the Music, Fleet Foxes, Fruit Bats, George Wein, Gibson hollow body, Grateful Dead, Gregory Alan Isakov, Highwomen, Hozier, I'm With Her, If I Had a Song, Indigo Girls, Infamous Stringdusters, Jade Bird, jam bands, Jason Isbell, Jay Sweet, jazz photography, Jeff Tweedy, Jim Brock Photography, Jim James, JS Ondara, Judy Collins, Jupiter and Okwess, Kermit the Frog, Lake Street Dive, Leyla McCalla, Linda Perry, live music photography, Lucy Dacus, Lukas Nelson, Madison Cunningham, Maggie Rogers, Maren Morris, Mavis Staples, Milk Carton Kids, Molly Tuttle, New Orleans music, Nilufer Yanya, Our Native Daughters, Phil and Friends, Phil Lesh, Phish, Portugal The Man, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Promise of the Real, Rachael Price, Rambling Jack Elliott, Rayland Baxter, reggae, Rhiannon Giddens, Robin Pecknold, Sara Watkins, Sheryl Crow, Stephen Marley, Taylor Goldsmith, Trey Anastasio, Warren Haynes, Wilco, Wylie Gelber

NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL 2019, FORT ADAMS, RHODE ISLAND

July 26-28, 2019 As the sun dipped to meet Naragansett Bay a few Sundays back, the 60 years since the first Newport Folk Festival seemingly came full circle. The Fort Stage crowd serenading Rambling Jack Elliott, and the dozens of singers and musicians paying tribute to the spirit and songs of Pete Seeger (who appeared at the first Newport in 1959) with one last chorus of “Goodnight, Irene”. On what would have been the troubadour’s 100th birthday, it was producer Jay Sweet who encouraged the audience to have the last word and shower the stage with the love shared by all who performed and attended over the course of the three days. That the Lead Belly lyrics so simply convey love lost and always eternal, was a fitting coda to a closing set that left me more than a little teary. In a good way. Let’s just say that there are moments as a photographer when you have to put the camera down, and take it all in, and this was one of them. Welcome to Newport Folk. Newport 2019 was true to form. Full of collaboration, a few surprises and plenty of discoveries. But what was most different about […]

Jul 05

by Jim Brock in Reviews 0 comments tags: Alabama Shakes, Americana, Andrew Bird, Arroyo Seco Weekend, Ben ellman, Bennie Maupin, Brittany Howard, Brottany Howard, Charles Bradley, Con Brio, concert photography, David Lindley, David Shaw, Dawes, Ed Williams, Erica Falls, Eye on the Music, Fitz & the Tantrums, Galactic, George Porter, Gibson Firebird, Gibson SG, Haley, Haley Bonar, Jade Jackson, jam bands, Jamtown, jazz photography, Jeff goldblum, Jim Brock Photography, John Mayall, Jr., Leo Nocentelli, Les Paul, Lettuce, Live, live music photography, Lukas Nelson, Marcus Mumford, Mike Campbell, Mumford & Sons, New Orleans music, New Orleans music. Erica Falls, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Press Here, Promise of the Real, Rich Vogel, Rivers Cuomo, Rob Ingraham, rock photography, Shamarr Allen, Stanton Moore, Stratocaster, Taylor Goldsmith, Telecaster, The Meters, The Meters. George Porter, The Revivalists, The Shins, Tom Petty, Weezer, Wiley Gelber, William Bell, Zack Feinberg, Zigaboo Modeliste, ZZ Ward

Arroyo Seco Weekend, Brookside Golf Course, Pasadena

June 24-25, 2017 Festival behemoth AEG and Goldenvoice are at it again, launching the inaugural Arroyo Seco Weekend after years of negotiations with the City and citizens of Pasadena, securing a 10-year deal at Brookside Golf Course, adjacent to the Rose Bowl. It’s a family forward music festival with free entry for kids under 10, a relaxed park setting, good grub and libations and a first year lineup that was more than just respectable, it had personality. Mixing big name headliners (Tom Petty and Mumford & Sons), Fest friendly mid-tiers (Dawes, Alabama Shakes), some 90s love (The Shins, Live), a hefty does of New Orleans (The Meters, Galactic, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Revivalists), quite respectable jazz, soul and and blues (John Mayall, Charles Bradley, Bennie Maupin, Roy Ayers), and a number of indie comers, there was also a refreshing lack of EDM or rap/hip hop to the lineup. The price point was fair, and keeping the inaugural event to three stages and two days (three days are planned in the future), was probably a pretty smart move, even more so with record breaking heat on Sunday that felt more Coachella than DTLA proximate. Freshman fests inevitably have a few […]

May 28

by Jim Brock in Reviews 0 comments tags: 20 Feet From Stardom, Aaron Neville, Aaron Wilkinson, Acura Stage, Adonis y Osain Del Monte, Alabama Shakes, Alex McMurray, Americana, Anders Osborne, Batiste family, Beausoleil, Blodie's Jazz Jam, blog, blues guitar, blues photography, Blues Tent, Blues Traveller, Bonerama, Brady Blade, brass bands, Brittany Howard, Buddy Guy, cajun music, Carl Dufrene, Charles Neville, Chris Mule, concert photography, Congo Square Stage, Cowboy Mouth, Craig Klein, Cuba Pavilion, Cuban music, Dairus Rucker, Dave Matthews, Dave Torkanowsky, David Shaw, Dawes, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dumpstaphunk, Economy Hall Tent, Eric Lindell, Eric McFadden, ES-335, Eye on the Music, Fais Do-Do Stage, Galactic, Gentilly Stage, George Porter, Gibson Firebird, Gospel Tent, Greg Hicks, Gregory Davis, Harry Connick, Heartbreakers, Helen Gillet, Honey Island Swamp Band, Instruments a Comin', Ivan Neville, jam bands, Jazz and Heritage Stage, Jazz Epistles, jazz photography, JBP website, Jeff Raines, Jeff Tweedy, Jesse McBride, Jim Brock Photography, Jimmy Herring, Joey Alexander, John Bell, John Boutte, John Popper, Johnny Sansone, Jon Batiste, Jonathon Boogie Long, Jonny Lang, Judith Owen, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Kris Royal, Kristin Diable, Lagniappe Stage, Lake Street Dive, Lakland bass, Leo Nocentelli, Leon Bridges, Lisa Fischer, live music photography, Lone Bellow, Lorde, Lucien Barbarin, Margo Price, Mark Mullins, Michael Doucet, Mike Campbell, Mr Sipp, music photography, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, New Orleans music, Pedrito martinez, Rachael Price, Revivalists, Rhiannon Giddens, Rickenbacker, rock photography, roots music, Roots of Music, Runnin' Pardners, Skerik, Stanton Moore, Stay Human, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Goldsmith, Telecaster, Terence Blanchard, The Meters, Threadhead, Tipitina's Foundation, Tips Interns, Tom Petty, Tony Hall, Tower of Power, traditional jazz, Trey Anastasio. Languedoc, Trombone Shorty, trumpet, Tuxedo Brass, Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars, Waylon Thibodeaux, Wayne Toups, Widespread Panic, Wilco, WWOZ Jazz Tent, zydecajun

REFLECTIONS AND MUSINGS OF A JAZZ FEST PHOTOGRAPHER – 2017 EDITION

Heading home from Jazz Fest 48 it seemed I’d passed through a lifetime’s worth of sounds, tastes and bonding since arriving in New Orleans a few weeks back. Friendships deepened, the palette was bathed in constant indulgence, the liver took a bit of a hit and a soundtrack that will echo well into the dog days of Summer still resonates sweetly. For the uninitiated, Jazz Fest (short for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival) is the most diverse musical party on the planet replete with 13 stages, tents and pavilions spread across the Fair Grounds Race Course, a few miles from the French Quarter. Quite simply, there is nothing like it. And, as with the city that bears its name, Jazz Fest is not something you wrap your head around, it’s something you feel in your exhausted and happy bones. And, man, were they exhausted and happy. My perspective is of a working photographer first and a fan second. I am on task covering 15 – 20 acts and 7-8 miles of ground a day. My musical encounters are often brief, and occasionally cosmically timed. My colleagues in the pit are extremely talented and a pretty respectful and decent bunch to […]

LA Bluegrass Situation, Greek Theatre

October 3, 2015 Yup, we got an LA Bluegrass Situation on our hands, and with Way Over Yonder a goner and a tinge of real time Hardly Strictly Bluegrass envy, that 10-hour hang at the Greek on a balmy Fall day couldn’t be any more welcome round these parts. Ed Helms, who co-founded BGS, and Amy Reitnouer their Executive Director, love the music deeply. Well, they hit their mark without missing a strum, and it showed in a strong lineup and front porch feel that continued long after the sun went down. Featuring generous sets from Dawes, the Punch Brothers and the ever rising Lone Bellow, LA BGS 2015 also showcased new grassers Della Mae (who just killed it), Gregory Alan Isakov and his stirring writing, and Nashville émigré Jonny Fritz palling up with Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith on the Greek’s main stage. During the earlier part of the day (music started at 2 PM), a smaller stage was set up by the venue entry, and featured acts almost at eye level to folks listening, dancing or taking in a smattering of games, crafts and food trucks – a nice Sunday in the park atmosphere. Wild Reeds, L.A.’s Dustbowl Revival (do […]

Oct 08

by Jim Brock in Reviews 0 comments tags: Adam Duritz, alt-country, Ben Harper, Brandi Carlile, Cesar Rosas, concert photography, Counting Crows, David Hidalgo. Telecaster, Dawes, Del Mar Fair Grounds, Del Mar Fairgrounds, Delta Rae, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Donovan Frankenreiter, Duane Betts, Ed Kowalcyzk, Exene, Eye on the Music, Foster the People, Grace Potter, Gramblers, Gwen Stefani, indie rock, jam bands, Jamestown Revival, Jim Brock Photography, JJ Grey, Joey Peebles, Joey Peeples, John Doe, KAABOO, Lettuce, Live Music Blog, Los Lobos, Michael Franti, Mike Ballard, Mofro, Neon Trees, New Orleans music, Nick Bluhm, No Doubt, O.A.R., Old 97s, Ozomatli, Pete Murano, punk, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Roger Clyne, roots music, Sheryl Crow, Slightly Stoopid, Sloghtly Stoopid, Sperahood, Spoon, Switchfoot, Taylor Goldsmith, Telecaster, The Revivalists, Trombone Shorty, X, Young the Giant, Zac Brown Band

KAABOO, Del Mar

September 17-20, 2015 With summer and festival season coming to a close, in steps KAABOO, a 3-day inaugural event held a sea breeze away from the Pacific at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The brain child of Denver based Bryan Gordon and a huge supporting cast, the fest offered a broad spectrum musical experience mixed with comedy, artists of many media and a late night party with an emphasis on the creature comforts for the masses that many festivals lack (real toilets for all!), and top flight culinary options in one of the best craft beer counties in the U.S. The challenge for any first timer with big ambitions is to establish not just an identity, but to create a distinctive experience that separates itself from the pack of an ever more crowded festival field. It is not enough to draw a weekend’s worth of headliners to a town near you with an eye chart worthy promo poster in tow. There is a lot on the line for KAABOO. Until now, there has not been a Southern California event with the musical diversity to befit the region that isn’t branded Coachella, and there has been a vacuum in San Diego since […]

Aug 16

by Jim Brock in Reviews 0 comments tags: 65 Revisited, Al Kooperc, Alana Henderson, Americana, Ballroom Thieves, Berklee Gospel Roots Choir, Blake Mills, Calin Peters, Charlie Gabriel, Christopher Paul Stelling, concert photography, David Rawlings, Dawes, Deer Tick, Devin Mauch, Dinosaur Jr, Duane Betts, Dylan, Eddie Barbash, Eye on the Music, Felice Brothers, Field Report, First Aid Kit, George Wein, Gillian Welch, gospel music, Hozier, Ian Patrick O'Neil, Ibanda Ruhumbika, indie folk, indie rock, J Mascis, Jim Brock Photography, Joe Saylor, Johanna Söderberg, John McCauley, Jon Batiste, Jones Family Singers, Klara Söderberg, Laura Marling, Lord Huron, Martin Earley, Melvin Duffy, Miguel Briseno, Nathaniel Rateliff, Newport Folk Festival, Newport Folk Festival. Ben Schneider, Old Crow Medicine Show, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn Hitchcock, roots music, Scott Simpson, Shakey Graves, Stuart Johnson, Taylor Goldsmith, Tyler Chester, Willy Watson

Newport Folk Festival 2015, Day 3

July 26, 2015 Proudly sitting on a half century plus of tradition, the Newport Folk Fest feels more like a mellow picnic with your pals and belies its legacy as one of the most important music events of past and present. With attendance capped at 10,000 and the historic Ft. Adams setting on Naragansett Bay, it is a personal, friendly experience. One where the event co-founder, 89-year old George Wein, is still scooting around the Fort shaking hands, talking to people and taking it all in. A gathering built of sturdy roots and tradition, one that honors the music first, and where most favor their ears, (and the space between them), over their smartphones. I recently came across a HuffPo piece on whether music festivals have lost their mojo and devolved into customized super concerts for Generation Distracted. It’s a fair, but debatable point. And one that warrants further appreciation that Newport Folk exists at all. It’s hard to grasp now that just the mere act of plugging in by a young Bob Dylan in 1965 was taken as both rebellion and betrayal (still debated today). The stakes were that high (Elijah Wald’s excellent “Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, […]

Aug 04

Newport Folk Festival 2014, Day 3

July 27, 2014 Few festivals conjure up historic page turners like Newport Folk. Dylan’s 1965 plugged in performance is the stuff of legend that only happens to be true. But by the time the 70’s rolled around, the event fell on harder times and went dark until resurrected in 1985. These days, there still is nothing like Newport. The picture perfect setting, Pete Seeger’s presence everywhere and attendance capped at 10K. This is a Fest just as independent as days of yore, whose acts are not about a paycheck and are on the bill regardless of sales. When asked his definition of “folk” recently, Fest producer Jay Sweet told JamBase that founder George Wein considered folk as “anything that wasn’t jazz”. This Fest has held true to that renegade spirit. In that same interview, Sweet went on to say that acts are booked because “I want them to play…the audience demands that you play…and the artist wants to play”. As Rolling Stone noted recently, talent will often play for less, just to be a part of the Newport experience. So, it was my good fortune that at the end of an East Coast vacation, I was able to wrap the […]