chuckography

The Sounds of Music....

 Music is in the air in our city, at the usual places like CMH (Charleston Music Hall) but also scattered all around.

I try to get out and literally support live music at the Pour House, Tin Roof, and other venues.

It's a labor of love and I flinch when security taps me on the shoulder and says I can't use my camera at a show.

I point out I am complying with the rules as stated at the front door - not using flash and not videotaping performers.

Also stressing I have a point-and-shoot small travel camera that does NOT have removable lenses like a pro DSLR. I am not a threat!

I am told I can use my phone but not my camera. It's possible I have the ONLY camera in the place now that the ubiquitous cell phone has taken over.

The problem for me is my camera has an excellent zoom lens that lets me get in close to capture beads of sweat, glistening on a performer's face.

Cell phone cameras are improving almost daily but can't match that critical excellence quite yet.

I assume technology eventually will bring them to the point that a cell could attain the crisp clarity I now can achieve with my shirt pocket-size digital camera.

The two photos shown here so far were taken with my Smartphone.

Instead of staying in my seat and capturing Jonny Lang and his band the other night, I stood up and walked closer to the stage.

They were taking their final bow after a 2-hour show at this stop on their 2017 national tour,

In this instance, I "was" the zoom lens.

Earlier, seated and using my phone, it performed well because it did not need to "move in closer."

I wanted to capture the overall scene of the solo encore when Jonny came out alone and played 3 more songs.

Then, the rest of the band came back out and joined the encore.

The lighting was moody and excellent.

Quinn Sullivan, the young man and his band who was the opener, really dazzled the crowd, receiving frequent and prolonged well-deserved standing ovations.

He said it was his first trip to Charleston and he appreciated the warm audience reaction to his band and their music.

Lang mentioned how pleased he was with the success of Sullivan as the opener and advised us to keep alert as his popularity rises. "You will hear a lot from this young man," Lang added.

Last Saturday, I was surprised by an elaborate and colorful music DJ setting up at Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers in North Charleston.

I had just finished a mini-Brewery Crawl and was ready to dig into a pizza or Calzone.

Well, and a beer.

The Calzone was great, the beer was cold and the music was unexpected.

Later learned it was an after-party for The Chainsmokers appearing that night at the Coliseum.

This is a walk-to-it event held at the Mellow Mushroom, sponsored by Yazoo Brewery.

Not a place to try for a quiet conversation but the fellow diners and party-goers seemed more than all right with it!

The party was to officially begin around 10 pm, after the show ended at the Coliseum and when the crowd started to arrive. As usual, I had my pro earplugs with me, so I slipped them in and enjoyed my meal.

The sound - and the lighting - was spectacular.

I wandered over to take a closer look at all the hardware it took to put on this show. There was a lot of it!

I also looked up some background on Yazoo Brewery  in Nashville, Tennessee. Very fitting because I had just visited four local breweries.

(Click on the photos and links for more details.)

Thanks for coming along on this musical interlude...and the after-party.

Labels: 500 mm zoom lens, calzone, cellphone vs camera, Jonny Lang, Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers of North Charleston, Quinn Sullivan, Security at CMH, The Chainsmokers after-party, Yazoo Brewing Company

posted by chuckography @ 9:09 PM