[RH Photos] Jeezy at Stubb's (11/20/2014)
Photos by Tami Weis. Review by Diego Montes.
Back when Jeezy was still Young Jeezy, I remember hearing his song with Akon for the first time and thinking, "I'm not feelin' this shit at all. I bet it's gonna be a huge hit." I had no idea how popular he'd get in strip clubs, or that all these years later, the dude would still be around to tell haters like me to fuck off in person. That's exactly what happened Thursday night at Stubbs.
"Ten years. That's a decade my nigga," was more or less the theme of the night, and by the ninth or tenth time he said so, I realized you do have to hand it to him on two points. First, ten years is a decade, he was adamant about that. Second, he has had real staying power, at least enough that it made sense to drop the Young from his name, a move that most Young rappers don't rap long enough to make.
Of course, every rapper claims to be the best, and Jeezy is no different. He's not the best, but he is pretty good at what he does and seems to know what his fans want. Even with threats of rain at an outdoor venue, Jeezy was able to draw a decent-sized crowd with a wide range of people, and those that did show were giving a lot of energy. I only saw one guy make it rain, which was a little disappointing, but since I wasn't about to step up myself I figured I couldn't complain. Jeezy certainly didn't seem disappointed, repeatedly commenting on the crowd's hype and genuinely giving love to all parts of Texas.
There were a lot of people having fun, so it was easy to join in, and that seems to be what Jeezy wanted his shows to be about. He even closed the show with a motivational speech about keeping good people around you or some shit. Honestly, I tend to have an opposite reaction to motivation, so I mostly tuned that out, but I liked that he did that because it's good for some people.
Whatever else you may think of him, don't ever say Jeezy doesn't care.
[Through My Lens] Fun Weekend
In this edition of Through My Lens, I take on a Fun Weekend during Fun Fun Fun Fest 2014 in Austin, TX.
After years of shooting concerts and festivals with two DSLRs, three lenses, multiple batteries, and other accessories, I was looking forward to trying out a mirrorless system. I've been researching different mirrorless systems (Panasonic and Fuji, among others) for about a year now, but have yet to make the jump. After watching a video of photographer Jason Lanier talking about his 10 reasons why he left his Nikon system for a Sony mirrorless system and boasting about how great these smaller cameras were, I wanted to try it out for myself.
For Fun Fun Fun Fest, I rented a Sony a6000 from Borrow Lenses with a 16mm f/2.8 and a 10-18mm f/4 wide angle lens. For insurance's sake, I took my Canon 7D with a Sigma 24-70mm 2.8 lens to the Fest. I pretty much kept the a6000 around my neck the whole weekend. I only really brought my 7D out when shooting artists live, but even then, the a6000 was great to shoot with. After shooting with the Sony a6000 all weekend, I can safely say I love this little camera. It gave me the freedom I was looking for to shoot street photography that my mobile doesn't give me. The WiFi technology made it seamless to take a shot, send it to my phone, edit, and post on social media.
Below are a bunch of photos I shot from the whole weekend, mostly from the Sony a6000 and a few with my Canon 7D.
[RH Photos] Antarctigo Vespucci at Beat Kitchen (11/8/2014)
Photos by Geoff Henao.
Antarctigo Vespucci is the love child made between Jeff Rosenstock (ex-Bomb the Music Industry!, Arrogant Sons of Bitches) and Chris Farren (Fake Problems) following a recording session this past spring. Initially envisioned as a one-off project, the duo's style of power-pop caught fire, propelling the duo to embark on a tour that featured a stop at Chicago's Beat Kitchen this past Saturday. Their debut EP, Soulmate Stuff, instantly grabbed me with its infectious, energetic sound and insightful lyrics about breakups, death, and disdain for hometowns - the type of lyrics that are just as attractive at 27 as they were at 17. Just ahead of their first tour, the duo released a surprise EP on Halloween, I'm So Tethered, which picks up exactly where Soulmate Stuff ended with even more powerful pop songs. I dare you to listen to songs like "I'm Giving Up On U2," "Come to Brazil," and "Guest List Spots" without wanting to sing along.
Enjoy the photos and video of "Bang!" I took below. If you haven't already, download (or better yet, donate some money!) Antarctigo Vespucci's two EPs, Soulmate Stuff and I'm So Tethered.
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[Through My Lens] Discovering Hidden Gems with Open House Chicago
Photos by AngieStar Photo
For one weekend every year, the Chicago Architecture Foundation opens 150 sites around the city that aren't typically open to the public. Everything from modern marvels to old cathedrals, to vintage mansions, libraries, and more are put on display for anyone to enter- for free. The annual event is titled Open House Chicago, and it highlights the deep history, diverse culture, and innovating aspects of architecture that makes the city the unique marvel that it is. Allowing the public to discover hidden gems around the city, while providing guided tours, proves to be a great success every year, and I could only see it growing.
Although it's hard to see every site in just one weekend, tons of information and maps are provided so that each person can find locations to their liking. As a local, I sought out locations that I thought may not be as popular, hidden inside neighborhoods that not many stray to see. I also sought out historical buildings that we all may see frequently from the outside, but can never see inside.
From Casa Bonita, the vintage luxury condominiums in Rogers Park, to Uptown rehabs and theaters, Edgewater's famed roaring 20's celebrity hangouts, the historical Newberry Library, Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts in Gold Coast, The 1893 Brewster Building and the Elks National Memorial in Lincoln Park, old cathedrals in Ukrainian Village, to the 40th floor Luxury Library and the Federal Reserve Building in the Financial District. All had a story to tell, with secrets that reach far beyond what the eye can see. And others were shear examples of lost eras in history, full of unique architectural beauty and innovation.
Check out some of the photos along the way, and imagine all the decades of light and people they've seen. Be sure to find more here.
[RH Photos] The Glitch Mob at Aragon Ballroom (10/17/2014)
Photos by Alex Lapenia. Recap by Erica Steinhouse. This post originally appeared on our affiliate site, Chicago Music.
The whole floor was filled with fans as The Glitch Mob and opening acts The M Machine, and Chrome Sparks came and rocked Aragon Ballroom last Friday. The crowd stood still waiting for The Glitch Mob to come on as the red lights back lit the "The Blade" setup. The three members took the stage in silhouette as the crowd froze and began to scream in unity. Smiles ran across the faces of many as Glitch Mob opened with "Drive It like You Stole It." All three members, Boreta, Ooah, and edIT, had their own individual setups where they played the live DJ set and percussion sounds. The mob all headbanged in rhythm while the silhouette of their drum sticks followed. Many of the Glitch Mob fans in the crowd, or "Glitchers" as many call themselves in Chicago, headbanged along with their hands raised high with nothing but pure excitement. The amount of space in the crowd giving many people the chance to move and enjoy their space gave the show a loving and caring atmosphere. The Blade setup consisted of a saw-like display behind Boreta, Ooah, and edIT, a beat pad for each of them, and their electronic drum sticks. This unique setup gave the set more of a twist instead of the three standing behind a DJ table. The Blade gave a very futuristic and modern feel to the group's set and was perfect for their new album and tour, Love Death Immortality.
[RH Photos] Austin City Limits Festival 2014
Photos by Virgil Solis
Austin City Limits Festival 2014 hit Zilker Park in Austin, TX for the second weekend in a row this past weekend. I was able to hit the festival Friday with camera in hand. Check out some of my photos of CHVRCHES, Childish Gambino, St. Vincent, and Outkast below.
[NYCC 2014 Photos] New York Comic Con 2014 Cosplay
Photos by Crystal Shepherd
I've been going to comic book conventions of varying sizes in Chicago for almost a decade now. Attending New York Comic Con, however, was its own beast. Thrown by ReedPOP, the same organizers that put together both San Diego Comic Con and C2E2, NYCC was always seen as the second-largest comic book convention in the US behind SDCC. This year, the Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan had upwards of 100,000+ attendees walk through its halls each day, nearing (if not surpassing) SDCC's numbers.
When I attend comic book conventions, I'm mainly there for two things: Buying stuff and checking out cosplayers. I took care of my purchases on the convention's first day (welcoming the Tobias Funke and Super Saiyan Goku Funko POP vinyls to my collection) and spent the rest of my time at NYCC 2014 looking for some amazing cosplayers. NYCC 2014 didn't let me down, as my friends and I ran across a full set of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, the partial cast of Final Fantasy IX, Bob and Linda from Bob's Burgers, the Scooby Doo team, and even a Titan from Attack on Titan.
[NYCC 2014 Photos] Run the Jewels at Adult Swim Tyrannic Maiden Voyage (10/11/2014)
Photos by Geoff Henao
As some friends know, I spent nearly 24 hours checking and refreshing Adult Swim's New York Comic Con 2014 page so I could put down my RSVP for their "Adult Swim Tyrannic Maiden Voyage." Basically, the voyage was a three hour cruise along the Hudson River that promised a live performance from a "secret musical guest." Since Adult Swim's inception, they've been linked with some amazing, talented artists, so anybody even tangentially related to Adult Swim would be of the utmost quality. Little did I know that the guest they got was none other than Killer Mike and El-P, better known together as Run the Jewels.
I've been to hundreds of shows over the past decade, yet none of them could compare to seeing Run the Jewels on a packed boat with friends, both old and new. Considering the crowd was made up almost primarily of comic book convention-goers, it was safe to say that the large majority of the crowd probably didn't know who Run the Jewels were. However, by the end of their set, everybody was feeling them, and with good reason. Saturday was the first time I actually saw Killer Mike and El-P live, and given the circumstances surrounding the nature of their set, I don't think any other time will compare to the magic I experienced on that boat.
Anyways, check out some of the photos I shot of Run the Jewels' set below.
