Monty Are I – “Between The Sheets” Official Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhLjgvPNkcU

This is short and sweet, but oh so sweet…

I put in a request for a photo pass to shoot at the Brand New show this month. I’ll let you guys know if I get it.

A little back-history: I’m heavily into concert photography and shot professionally for the Pabst and Riverside Theaters for while when my schedule allowed for it. Shooting a Brand New concert would be a culmination of everything I work for in concert photography and my passion for music…it would be incredible.

I just finished uploading the photos I took at the Heroes! Villains! show Friday night at the 8th Note Coffee House on the UWM campus. As I said earlier, the lighting was absolutely horrendous, and I didn’t bring my flash (usually don’t use one at shows), but the lighting was so bad that I had no other choice. Couple that with the kit lens not being able to focus for shit in even remotely dark conditions, I shot in manual focus for the first time at a show, which worked surprisingly well. I’ve actually been focusing manually more often lately; it’s kind of fun, and can be a lot quicker with lenses that tend to “hunt.” All things considered, I’m really happy with how they turned out.

Tonight I re-realized my liking of a band called Forgive Durden; I highly recommend going to their site and letting their three songs play out. While you’re at it, why not go ahead and add them on purevolume and MySpace?

In the meantime of getting more clients and/or a regular full-time Web development or photography job, I might go to Art’s Camera and apply for a part-time position after the holidays are done. The extra cash would be welcomed, and I love photography so it might be kind of cool at the same time. That, and maybe I get a discount on camera gear! That’d be dangerous.

No post yesterday. Crazy.

I just got back from a show headlined by Heroes! Villains! It was cool to finally see them play, and they put on quite a good show, albeit rather short. I think they played just the five songs off their newly released sampler, but it was solid stuff. The opening and bridge of each song particularily shined for me. If you’re interested in hearing what they sound like, check out their MySpace page.

I took photos at the show tonight, which was tough even for a local venue. They played at the 8th Note Coffee House at the UWM campus, and I think they only had one light on, and that was lighting the far wall by the drummer. I didn’t bring my flash because I hate using it at shows, but I had no choice, even shooting at ISO 1600. I don’t have a decent wide-angle lens yet, and with local shows you’re usually right in front of the band or you can’t see them at all, so I only brought my 18-55mm kit lens and ended up having to use the XT’s built-in flash, which is just a nightmare. Pictures coming later today.

It’s amazing sometimes how singer’s seem to say everything you’re feeling. I’m not saying the following song by Brand New does just that, but I think it’s a powerful song that has a lot of emotion behind it, and I wanted to share.

Go to their purevolume page and listen to Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades as you read the lyrics.

“Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades”
by Brand New

Keep the noise low.
She doesn’t wanna blow it.
Shaking from head to toe
while your left hand does “the show me around.”
Quickens your heartbeat.
It beats me straight into the ground.

You don’t recover from a night like this.
A victim still lying in bed, completely motionless.
A hand moves in the dark to a zipper.
Hear a boy bracing tight against sheets barely whisper,
“This is so messed up.”

Upon arrival the guests had all stared.
Dripping wet and clearly depressed,
he’d headed straight for the stairs.
No longer cool, but a boy in a stitch,
unprepared for a life full of lies and failing relationships.

(Up the stairs: the station where
the act becomes the art of growing up.)
He keeps his hands low.
He doesn’t wanna blow it.
He’s wet from head to toe and
his eyes give her the up and the down.
His stomach turns and he thinks of throwing up.
But the body on the bed beckons forward
and he starts growing up.

The fever, the focus.
The reasons that I had to believe you weren’t too hard to sell.
Die young and save yourself.
The tickle, the taste of…
It used to be the reason I breathed, but now it’s choking me up.
Die young and save yourself.

She hits the lights.
This doesn’t seem quite fair.
Despite everything he learned from his friends,
he doesn’t feel so prepared.
She’s breathing quiet and smooth.
He’s gasping for air.

“This is the first and last time,” he says.
She fakes a smile and presses her hips into his.
He keeps his hands pinned down at his sides.
He’s holding back from telling her
exactly what it really feels like.

He is the lamb, she is the slaughter.
She’s moving way too fast, and all he wanted was to hold her.
Nothing that he tells her is really having an effect.
He whispers that he loves her,
but she’s probably only looking for sss…

(Up the stairs: the station where
the act becomes the art of growing up.)
So much more than he could ever give.
A life free of lies and a meaningful relationship.
He keeps his hands pinned down at his sides.
He waits for it to end
and for the aching in his guts to subside.

The fever, the focus.
The reasons that I had to believe you weren’t too hard to sell.
Die young and save yourself.
The tickle, the taste of…
It used to be the reason I breathed, but now it’s choking me up.
Die young and save yourself.

Up the stairs: the station where
the act becomes the art of growing up.

The fever, the focus.
The reasons that I had to believe you weren’t too hard to sell.
Die young and save yourself.
The tickle, the taste of…
It used to be the reason I breathed, but now it’s choking me up.
Die young and save yourself.