'bout to get FANCY

The one and only.
I took a quick snap of him in the green room yesterday during the CMJ panel about "Hair" on Broadway, in which he plays the starring role. I loved, loved, loved him when he was in "Thoroughly Modern Millie," which I saw during early high school. Memories!

I survived, whoo! I wasn't planning on going to this if my friend Jamie hadn't asked me. I'm glad I went because Pissed Jeans is AMAZING. I can't believe someone so gross can be so arousing.

Night 1
( Faust - They're supposed to be influential and all, but I just didn't feel it. They were doing all these gimmicky things like putting marbles in a cement mixer, vacuuming the floor and painting on stage. Just didn't feel it. )

Cold Cave -  The REAL reason I was excited for tonight. Once again, check them out. They are so moody and sleek and amazing. Heartfelt synthy songs with super depressing lyrics.

( Three more Cold Cave pics )

( Aluk Tolodo - Not bad. I guess I am a recreational metalhead. )

Night 2 -
( TV Ghost - I loved the Cramps-ish vocals (i.e.: oooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, mu ha ha ha). )

Pissed Jeans - Before the show, I asked Jamie if there was going to be bodily fluids or anything gross happening, because I've seen random live shots of them, and frontman Matt Korvette is always shirtless and grody looking. And there indeed was bodily fluids, but don't hold that against them. I really enjoyed the set. Wild and sexy, in unsuspecting ways...




Night 3 -
( Drunk Driver - Why was the Silent Barn crowd here? Lame people trying to start fights and mosh pits. Here, the vocalist (in white) had just dived into the audience. )

Teenage Jesus & The Jerks - Lydia Lunch rules!


Anyway, these photos and a handful more will be on tomorrow's Freak Scene column on The Fader online. As you can tell from the critical insight of this post, I am not a writer, but a photographer. I am going to take a well-deserved break from photographing. Really conflicted about whether I want to photograph CMJ again, because I just can't afford the time or energy. Sigh. And I need to focus on my thesis. BLEH!

PHOENIX AT RUMSEY PLAYFIELD, CENTRAL PARK - Saw old bosses, doubly so (venue and promoter)


FEVER RAY AT WEBSTER HALL - Met Karin afterward, she is so gorgeous and shy and amazing! Caught up with some blogger friends too.

I have blatant disregard for mental and physical well-being, as I have committed to photographing all three nights of the WFMU Fest at Music Hall of Williamsburg: Faust, Cold Cave, Pissed Jeans, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, and more!

Photographed them last Saturday at Terminal 5. They played a Lottery Show, in which the set list was drawn randomly from a lottery tumbler. FULL SET HERE!!!

My neighbor has a black kitten. Don't know what breed it is, but looks like those normal tabby cats, I guess. Black with a white patch by the chest. Neutered! Needs a loving home...

Amazing. Extraordinary. Immense. Epic. This was by far the best concert I've ever, EVER been to, and I've been to many (my ear doctor agrees). During the encore, I was upstairs photographing the crowd, and I was just standing there thinking, "this is so beautiful." It was overwhelming - I felt like I should've teared up or something.
I was accidentally double-listed for photopasses because I was shooting my first assignment for the Bowery Presents blog, cleverly titled House List. I was also shooting for none other than 'Sup Mag.
I met the Danish trio around soundcheck to take some very quick portraits for 'Sup. What a gracious bunch of lads! A teaser...

Album dropped today in the States. It is sprawling and glorious. "Introducing Palace Players" is my favorite jam right now. For the complete set, go here.

Doing a bit of traveling right now, so no music photos for now. I was in Vancouver and Coquitlam, nestling in the unsettling comforts of suburbia, but now I'm in Hong Kong, where malls are futuristic and luxurious.

I shoot for 'SUP and I am quite the Modular person, so I am definitely hitting that up. The Modular x 'SUP MAGAZINE party is part of the Northside Festival, which I will be partly covering for the L Magazine. Click any images for more information.

Two very different shows.

Riding on the sweet high of having just finished my semester, I made it out to Brooklyn for the annual No Fun Fest. Or as I like to call it, noise with boys. For those unfamiliar with No Fun Fest, it is a large gathering of noise, power electronics and experimental artists.  This year, it was a bit more accessible with some icy synths from Cold Cave and Xeno and Oaklander (seriously check those guys out). I didn't think I'd enjoy the NOISE! but I really did like Emeralds (no myspace?) and Prurient/Drumm. Anyway, I accompanied my gal pal Jamie, who was covering the three day fest (May 15-17) for the Fader. Her write-up and my photos (forgot to credit me, FUCK YOU FADER) are up online. See Part 1 here and Part 2 here!

This is my favorite photo from the fest, Thurston Moore (of Sonic Youth, as if I even have to say) ripping apart his guitar:



Then off to Tiga a few days later. I caught his DJ set at Webster Hall, just chilling on stage and shooting for 'Sup Mag. I thought it was going to be a live set since his album Ciao! just got out. What a handsome man, but he didn't want flash photography all up in his pretty mug, making my job exponentially harder, but I got this shot out of the night:


I left Webster around 3am so I crashed at my friend Abbey's place, which had KITTIES!!!

Just one kitty here.

Yea, I don't see myself photographing much this summer. I'll be gone all July in Hong Kong, thesis-ing and shit. I might shoot All Points West if that works out. Then off to Las Vegas for a long weekend. A relaxing summer ahead!

Really odd Michael C. Hall interview on a Spanish talk show.


He looks so humored and confused.

...but I just watched the best Ramsay's Kitchen NIghtmares (US) on BBC America (about Purima in midtown, I might actually go...!) and as I was channel surfing during commercials, I saw Comedy Central had Ira Glass on Colbert. Best random lazy-TV-afternoon-while-eating-lunch.

I made yellow curry with mixed vegetables! This is a fantastic, simple, vegan (yet hearty) dish. I got the recipe from Veg Cooking (a PETA website; click on link for concise instructions -- the following is rather elaborate because I have some personal suggestions). You will need:

 

1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup 1-inch potato cubes, boiled (around one medium potato)
1/2 cup 1-inch carrot cubes, boiled (one large carrot)
1/2 cup small broccoli florets
1/2 cup small cauliflower florets
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. curry powder
3 Tbsp. chili sauce
Salt, to taste

First, boil some water in a medium pot. Also, prepare some basmati rice according to instructions on the package if you want to eat this curry over rice. Peel the carrots and potatoes. By the time you're done with that, the water will probably be boiling, so put in the potatoes. Remove when the cubes are nearly done (not all the way cooked, because you will be putting this into the pot later with all the curry goodness and you don't wan't to overcook). Do the same for the carrots (I do this separately because I feel like potatoes and carrots have different cooking times). Cut up the broccoli and cauliflower. If you don't want to waste the stem of the broccoli, cut it up like you would carrots, and cook it with the carrots. Mince the ginger and garlic. Optional: some coarsely chopped onions.

The mess...

In a medium pot, combine the vegetable stock and the coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

As per the recipe: "Add the potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. Return to a boil and cook for an additional 2 minutes." I would personally add in the potatoes and carrots first, bring that to a boil, and then add the broccoli and cauliflower because those two cook a lot faster. But I think everything will overcook a bit anyway (especially because I let it simmer longer so it thickens a bit), so it probably doesn't matter too much in the end.

Add the remaining ingredients (SPICES!!!) and stir well. I never have chili sauce so I use 1/3 tsp Nigerian cayenne pepper instead (because that's what I have at dorm).

Cook for an additional 5 minutes, as per the recipe. I would simmer a bit longer though, so it would thicken a bit.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Makes 4 servings! A bit spicy.

The boys are back and they played Bachannal 2009, opening for Talib Kweli.

I was there! It was good! Jack White can do no wrong!

I accompanied my friend Colleen, who writes for Interview and Paper, and got the chance to take a quick backstage snap of Nikolai Fraiture, the bassist of the Strokes. My friend was interviewing him about his solo effort, Nickel Eye. (Get it?)


Anyway, Nickel Eye was opening for the Raveonettes.



I thoroughly enjoyed the Raveonettes. I love dream-like guitars and vocals!

Columbia represent! I remember when these guys were playing the basement of the student center. Now they sell out three nights at Terminal 5 and play festivals around the world.
Full set at Flickr.

I saw this on ONTD--- cute!

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