Concert Photog, Round 2

Coming off of a successful first time out shooting photos at a concert, I had been looking forward to another go at it. After perusing through a local periodical, I came to find that there was a rock n' roll quartet playing in town. "This should make for a merry ol' time," I declared as I slung my camera over my shoulder and went skipping down the street to Arco Arena, where a band calling themselves Disturbed was waiting to hit the stage.

I gotta say, shooting concerts us a fun gig, especially if you like the band playing. Overall, this round was a little trickier than the Metallica show, mostly because the stage didn't seem to be lit as well. With Metallica, they had a 360 degree stage in the middle of an arena, so you had the audience in the background for all the shots and there seemed to be a lot more lights. Shooting fast moving objects in the dark can be tricky, and I wish more of the shots had come out clearer, but it's only my second time out, and getting to learn by shooting these bigtime acts rather than some nobody in a club isn't a bad deal. Still, got a lot to learn, mostly about settings on the camera. Now, on to the show...

Same deal as last time, which seems to be the golden standard- Shoot the first three songs from in front of the stage, then you're out. No watching from the back, no dilly-dallying or hanging around, but that's understandable, being there for business and all. While I enjoy the occational Disturbed melody on the radio, I wouldn't call myself a major fan and decided that three songs would be enough to satisfy my interest, so I opted to skip buying a ticket this time around and take what I was given.

But first, there was opening act Sevendust, a band that I first came across about 10 years ago. Back then, they were opening for Megadeth in the Bay Area, and my high school friends and I had never heard of 'em, so we were making fun of the name on our way into the city. If you say the name with a thick German accent and picture your typical German techno group, it'll make for some good laughs. At least, until Sevendust hits the stage and makes you eat your words.

I've seen a lot of live acts in my day, and these guys have always stood out for their unmatchable level of energy. I don't know what they eat for breakfast, but I need to get me some of it. I saw them once again a few years later, and both times they stole the show.

I kinda lost track of them since my headbangin' high school days, but it was clear that they hadn't lost any of their ferocity over the past decade. There have been a lot of "nu-metal" bands hitting the scene since then, most of whom sound pretty much the same. But in my mind, these guys have managed to set themselves apart, primarily through their "all systems go" concert performance style. If you get a chance, check 'em out, I don't think you'd be disappointed.

Now on to the main event... Disturbed.

As I said earlier, these guys have got some catchy songs, and I was at least curious to see what kind of a show they put on. I will say they do a fine job. After they cranked through the first three songs and I took it all in through the back end of a viewfinder, I found that they pretty much matched my expectations. Their songs sounded good live, which isn't something you can say for every band. No big pyros or explosions, just the band cranking out their heavy brand of crunching rock, which the audience of punks, no-good-nicks and parents with their children sang along to adoringly. Their energy level didn't quite match that of the previos act, but they still put on a pretty good rock show.

So the evening should have ended there. However, just before they took the stage, I happened to cross paths with a certain local sports anchor who was wandering around backstage, and just so happened to have an extra ticket in his pocket to his suite. Giddy-up.

So, much like with the Metallica adventure, I found myself sprinting through the parking lot to dump my camera off in the car and get back to the show, all the while wishing I had spent more of my time exercising so that I wouldn't be completely winded as I walked back into the venue.

I got a few strange glances as I dashed into the elevator, gasping for air, and headed up to the suite level. Then it was back to the rockin'.

Now, while I was certainly grateful to be there, I have to say that suites are basically the worst seats in the house, but with a mini kitchen. It's nice to be able to stand around and chat with people, and have the privacy of a room separated from the "normies" of the audience, but they are placed as far back as you could get. Even behind the nose-bleeds. It was certainly cool to be in there, and it made me feel like a VIP (only because no one realized I wasn't), but they should go back to the Lincoln-style seats, where you've actually got the best seats in the house. But since I'm not really important, I decided to keep my mouth shut and just appreciate the fact that I was there.

The rest of the show was good, despite the background curtains getting stuck about halfway through, leaving the backdrop to 3/4 a demonic looking guy and 1/4 a bunch of people with their fists in the air. It was certainly a different perspective, going from the front of the stage to the back of the venue, but it became clear that the audience of the not-quite-sold-out Arco absolutely loved these guys. The entire place was on their feet, singing along, pounding their fists. I didn't know the words, but the energy emanating from the crowd was undeniable, and I couldn't help but bang my head along to the songs like I used to in my younger days. Not bad, Disturbed. Not bad.

Thus concludes round 2. Round 3 is yet to be seen... although I did hear a rumor that this guy is passing through Chico in March. It'd be a bit of a drive, but I can't think of anyone else I'd rather see in action. To be continued...