Goodbye, Sweet Fantastical You, Sean Meyers / January 13, 2024 by Danette Davis

I hate grief, but I know as I age it becomes unavoidable. I write a lot about memories and the ways photographs trigger them. People seem to notice how intensely I work while photographing. It’s because I am so completely immersed in the moment. Sometimes that can net an intense feeling, and on the occasion a deep interaction with the artist I’m photographing. It happened at Stuart Dempster’s 80th birthday performance. Stuart walked around the Chapel hall standing in front of a person, looking directly into their eyes, and then letting out a powerful scream and encouraging the person to respond in turn. I remember this moment because it was a cathartic release. I was going through some emotional shit.

I tell this story because I felt that same emotion the one and only time I ever photographed Spine Readers. Mr. D’s band Super Z Attack Team got a gig up in Bellingham at the Make.Shift, an all ages artist space. I didn’t know if I was going to shoot after Super Z’s set, but then the most crazy thing happened. The lead singer of the Spine Readers appeared in an intriguing costume of a dress, black mask, red heart glasses, black tights and a hat. I immediately flashed back to thinking about Peter Gabriel with Genesis. The band was really tight and then I heard his voice. Wow! What’s going on? What was I hearing? Wait! Did he just break into an operatic note? I started clicking away, hoping for something in not the best lighting circumstances.

Danette Davis (Kermit hat) & Sean Meyers

I kept trying to photograph the singer but never felt the light was right. He was toying with me. I was the mouse, he was the cat. At one point while the singer was interacting with the audience. I moved towards the front of the stage to photograph the other members. At some point I felt this presence behind me, so close, I turned around and there was Sean Meyer looking so intensely at me. Any other photographer would start clicking, but for me this is the moment when one should just be present and absorb. Everyone but Sean vanished around me. I stopped photographing. I’m looking at him and he’s looking at me. I put my head on my hand and I started smiling at him. Luckily, in not the best cell phone pic, Mr. D captured that moment. I recall all the way home in the car with Mr. D discussing the Spine Readers show. I kept telling Mr. D you’ve got to book them for Seaprog. This was April 2019 and we all know what happened.

So this morning when Mr. D told me Sean recently passed away, I started quietly crying, my mind returning to that brief strange and magical connection.

L-R: Todd Smith, Aaron Cramer, Justine Maurer, Chris Stainback, Sean Meyers

Sean Meyers

Chris Stainback

Sean Meyers

Justine Maurer

Sean Meyers

Todd Smith & Aaron Cramer

Chris Stainback

Sean Meyers

Todd Smith & Aaron Cramer

Sean Meyers

Sometimes I Keep Photos to Myself: Sean Bates and Imperfect Perfectness / December 1, 2023 by Danette Davis

Sometimes I keep photos to myself because I’m not sure how they will be received. When I review photos I’ve taken, I often fight the resistance to immediately reject an out of focus shot. Before Mr. D interviewed Medicine Hat, I dived deeply into their only record. I was really intrigued by Sean’s voice and didn’t really know what to expect after almost twenty-nine years. Luckily Sean had recently released a solo record The Central Sound (The Central Sound - https://seanpbates.bandcamp.com/album/the-central-sound). After listening to the record several times, I was impressed by the quality of his voice after all this time. At the band’s rehearsal I was worried about disappointment after building their music up in my head, but Sean’s voice was incredibly strong. Equally cool was his open personality.

One of the things I struggled with the Medicine Hat record was trying to listen to Sean’s lyrics. I often found myself relistening to the record just to focus on the lyrics but found it was difficult to analyze just a singular element. I noticed at the rehearsal Sean’s written lyrics on the stand. I asked him if I could read them during a rehearsal break and before I knew it he was recalling a story behind writing the lyrics of various songs. I immediately noticed his body language changed from my lyrical inquiry. I was connecting and it was a beautiful thing to me. His storytelling is frank and hilarious.

So the night of the show, I knew it was going to be insane after watching the band rehearse. I want to point out Mr. D and I had attended Royal Room shows at least once a week up to the Medicine Hat performance. That night the vibe of the venue felt significantly different. The place was packed and there was a very happy buzz. Earlier Mr. D and I had dinner with everyone in the band except Sean at the bar of Tutta Bella.

Crowd at Royal Room on 11/17/23 - Look for the “CASH”

At the Royal Room as I unpacked my equipment and I started people watching spotting familiar faces, I was also figuring out my game plan for maneuvering around a crowded room. I was wondering if any of these people would hold onto their decorum and start moshing at a jazz club (laughing). I was also looking for Sean and then he appeared - curly locks and a black t-shirt with the word “CASH” across the front and black jeans and some seriously cool red kicks.

Hmm, how to capture that Johnny Cash vibe. One thing I remember about the rehearsal is that he occasionally pumped his fist in the air. I presumed the same would happen that night and with no intentions to jump in the air with bare feet (Check out their Facebook page or Mr. D’s article on the band for reference).

The lights at the Royal Room are not predictable. It really depends who is running the soundboard and if they are into the band. At first I thought the lighting for Medicine Hat was going to be all white, but then the lights started changing. I was worried about photographing too much red on the drummer Jason Legat, but that worked out fine.

L-R: Ben McAllister, Sean Bates, Jason Thomson

I also worried about the rest of the band looking washed out, because in these situations what is cool to the sound guy is not cool to my camera or my eye. I’ve experienced some artists appearing really washed out because the lighting changed the moment I clicked. During the entire set I was rarely in the right place to get Sean doing the fist pump. And while I did eventually get the fist pump, there was a photo that intrigued me even more. I spent a lot of time just thinking about that photo. My mind is a blur about what musical tracks correlate to the photos and I wondered looking at the photo - what was Sean thinking about? I loved that his face was out of focus and the “CASH” was bold and dark. The position of his blurred hand on the microphone. I spent time figuring out how to make the image bolder. It started to come together. His curly hair under the lighting became a fiery orange. The blacks deepened to almost blueish black. That’s it! For a brief moment, at least to me, Sean was the embodiment of Johnny Cash - deep, rebellious, cool, cheeky, and wise. A memory of the grunge past. This imperfect photo is perfectness to me.

Sean Bates - Medicine Hat show - 11/7/23 - Imperfect Perctness

More Medicine Hat

Medicine Hat - It's Gonna be Loud / November 8, 2023 by Danette Davis

L-R: Sean Bates, Jason Thomson, Jason Legat, Ben McAllister

For the last freaking month I’ve had the musical earworm of Medicine Hat playing in my head. Despite my desperate attempts to play other songs I’m stuck in some crazy sci-fi time loop. My mind won’t let their music go. Any moment of quietness I start to hear Sean Bates singing the track “I Am” and the intricacies of Jason Thomson (bass), intensity of Jason Legat (drums), and Ben McAllister (guitar) filling in the musical notes in between and I find myself asking the same question - How is it possible that these guys were playing such sophisticated and complex music? They were bloody (insert English definition curse word here - smile) underage playing shows at over-21 bars (just want to point out everything was legal the band had to wait outside to play). Where the heck were Mr. D and I? My curiosity piqued the more I listened to their music. I needed to know their story. It seemed to me in the pantheon of nineties Seattle bands these guys were kind of a big deal and really good musicians. Most of you know who read my journal, I am not the music reviewer in this partnership. I don’t profess to be a musician (although some late night musical things do take place at the Davis household…no recordings exist - smile), but I do listen to music with deep attention.

So on a sunny Saturday afternoon, while we were stationed at our desk, I turned to Mr. D and said, “I need you to listen to this record on Bandcamp. I want to know if you’re interested in interviewing the band for Exposé. They are playing a reunion show at the Royal Room next month and I think someone needs to write about this. It’s been, I think, thirty years since they last played together.” Mr. D’s musician ears perked up listening to the record. The interview was a go. Thus, a series of emails between Ben, Mr. D and I began.

One thing about my college days I miss is doing research, the deep dive, the unexpected discoveries that don’t fit with the research, but want to review at a later point. While I discovered some articles on the band in the Seattle Times, Rolling Stone, and ads in the Seattle PI, one that listed familiar names to me (Terry Lee Hale and My Sister’s Machine) in 1993, it was pics of stories on Medicine Hat’s Facebook page that caught my attention. I recognized that the band were extremely chatty and at ease with the press. I did at times question, are they telling the truth here or playing with the reporter? Their focus to play shows for all ages crowds that still remains a challenge in the Seattle music scene. They also appeared to have vast musical taste. The photos available of the band showed they were very photogenic. A photographer's dream.

I’m digressing just a bit with the back story. Let’s cut to the photographing part, shall we? My observations about the band’s sense of humor and ease at talking weren’t far off. I kept warning Mr. D he was gonna lose control. Throughout the interview multiple times, I started giggling, I mean snort giggling – that’s happy territory for me. I laughed so frequently I sometimes forgot to snap a photo.

In general I tend to avoid using flash, but given the location of the interview, for shooting purposes I decided to bring a flash and my f/1.4. This turned out to be a good call. The boys decided on mood lighting. They also rehearsed in a circle and the entire time I wondered, how am I gonna get a group photo? This will always be my dilemma.

By the way, the band has a warning for everyone who attends the show (Royal Room, 11.7.23, doors 7 p.m.). BRING EARPLUGS! Multiple times before they started playing, the guys kept asking me if I had earplugs and warning me that it was gonna be loud. The volume was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted them to start playing. I desperately wanted to hear “I Am,” my earworm track. They played that track last. It nearly killed me since I was waiting to hear from Mr. D to let him into the rehearsal space. I also wanted to know if the band dynamics are the same. Did they sound as good as the record? I knew Ben is an energetic player and that Sean’s voice was in good form from listening to his solo record (The Central Sound - https://seanpbates.bandcamp.com/album/the-central-sound) and his recent HalloQueen show. I also expected stops and starts during rehearsal.

As soon as they started playing, I was feeling a little stupefied. I’d been playing their record on heavy rotation. The band was fucking synced. Sean’s voice was in fine form and I was distracted by Jason Thomson’s finger movements on the bass. The energy of the drummer Jason Legat was relentless. There was a form of communication between them as they played. I really didn’t believe this was the band’s fourth practice session after thirty years apart.

The band’s cohesive and relaxed flow sometimes led to missed moments and other times during my editing process unexpected reflection. I love taking documentary photos more than staged photos. There’s something more human and connecting about this approach to me. For staged photos, I find some people require a lot of work to get them to relax and some people are just really good at relaxing with the camera. My intuition about Medicine Hat was on par and I find it difficult to say which is my favorite photo from this session (but I think they already know).

Lastly, I want to write about my editing process for these photos. The photos I located of the band were in black and white format, a common use of film photography. As I started the editing process for the interview pics, I recognized that I wanted to format my photos in the same way. I admire the work of Anton Corbjin. The imperfections of his work that look perfect, the high contrast, and the deep blacks in his film photography. My approach was to embrace the imperfections of my digital camera. For example, the group photo shows Sean out of focus, it is grainy in texture, and brightly lit. I wanted to give a sense of being in the nineties a band of friends together again in the dark bowels of a rehearsal space.

Medicine Hat plays the Royal Room on November 17, 2023, $15 adv./$20 doors

https://theroyalroomseattle.com/event/medicine-hat-el-steiner-chimestone/

Jason Thomson

Ben McAllister

Sean Bates

Jason Legat

Jason Thomson & Jason Legat

Sean Bates, Jason Thomson, Jason Legat, & Ben McAllister

Sweet Dreams and Wondrous Chaos / September 23, 2023 by Danette Davis

I hate to bring up that Taylor Swift thing again, but I’m gonna do it. This summer, newspapers began reporting fans who went to Swift’s shows were unable to remember what happened at the shows. Now I think it’s happened to me, except it involved thirteen guitarists and a drummer. It was the strangest dream (on, of all days, the 21st of September – cue yes, Earth, Wind and Fire). I arrived at the Royal Room on what was supposed to be the last sunny day of the year in Seattle. As the musicians arrived for soundcheck, I stood in the bar area observing the movement around the room. Slowly, the sounds of the room shifted to members of the Seattle Guitar Circle (SGC) warming up their fingers. Sometimes members of the band played with each other or found a corner. Other times they seemed to just sit in a meditative space. The ambient sounds at times were both fractured and connected. I resisted photographing them and instead just sat in the moment. As Seattle Guitar Circle played in the background I watched Guitar Cult (GC) setting up.

Where were the drum’s going to go? Every venue has an obstacle. The Royal Room’s beast is a grand piano that is never removed from the stage. Is this going to be a nightmare shoot? In my head, I’m hearing David Byrne playing – it’s a “My God, what have I done?” moment. All week, I was laughing out loud to myself and even joking on Facebook I would need a wider lens. How am I going to obtain a group shot with the drummer once Guitar Cult pulls out their stands? Did I mention Ben McAllister makes complicated beautiful music, hence the music stands? I started picturing where I wanted to be for the least audience interference. I resolved to go for individual and a few group photos. I would utilize the piano to capture the drummer alone. I’ve learned over time you will take a thousand shots and not always get what you wish for. The full band shot was potentially impossible.

L-R: Dev Ray, Carl Martí Germain and Steve Ball

Seattle Guitar Circle played first. An entirely acoustic setup, the band plays seated. A photographic dream until I realized, how am I gonna get them all together without interfering with the crowd? Plus, I forgot that the band has a playful side in which Steve Ball starts to direct them through a series of nods and direct eye contact. The audience watches as the band's eyes, ears, and body language become a part of the musical piece. I start giggling to myself as I realize what’s going on. I was stuck on the floor when it happened and at times so immersed that I forgot to take photos. At least, this is what I thought. There it was, Steve Ball looking into Carl Martí Germain’s eyes. An amusing facial response from Brad Hogg. I was unable to jump up without bothering the audience, so I surrendered to the moment and accepted that I was just not going to get all the action before me.

During their set, I realized Jaxie Binder was missing from this story line. I kept struggling to obtain a photo I was happy with. I was also fascinated by Curt Golden’s face. Binder and Golden were seated at the least lit part of the stage. With all those guitar necks on stage moving around at various times, Binder’s face was blocked frequently. Then an opportunity happened – I love it when the person I’m photographing is looking at me or seems to be. I aimed between the musicians with my 200mm. There were Golden and Binder looking my way. Most publications are so steeped in traditional poses of musicians that they don’t look for this type of shot, but for me it's the type of photo that triggers a deep memory.

The dream shifted to the sounds of electric guitars. Guitar Cult, with a partially new lineup adding guitarists Matt Fordham and John Featherstone, and also a drummer, Neil Wilson, to fill out the sound. I realized during soundcheck that a dynamic change was in play. Later, at one point McAllister walked by as I was staring at the stage completely in my head trying to figure out again how to photograph the band. I grunted and then apologized for being disconnected. This dream was slowly going out of control. Later, as I was editing the photos, I knew why I remembered very little from that night. McAllister’s music is equally intense as Seattle Guitar Circle’s playing. Before I start pressing the camera button, I observe the musicians. I realize watching McAllister and Featherstone, along with Wilson, that an energy shift was in play. Again, I started having too much fun watching Fordham’s serious concentration compared to McAllister’s happy bounce, which I’m sure became infectious towards the end of the set. I swear I saw Dennis Rea bouncing up and down too (I have the photo sequence to prove it). Featherstone seemed to play off of McAllister. This was the precursor for the finale.

Mr. D, my photographic assistant (equipment watcher and lens holder) happened to show up after seeing CHAI play a short set at Easy Street Records. He was needed. The finale was Seattle Guitar Circle playing with Guitar Cult, a wondrous brief marriage of electric and acoustic guitars. I quickly realized SGC was in limited lighting. I ran to my equipment bag for my 85mm/1.4f, a fixed lens, perfect for low light, but it requires moving close or far away from the subject. My dream became a chaotic crazy nightmare (laugh) and I am thinking - who and what do I photograph? I ran to the back of the Royal Room, 85 mm ready, and found an opening on the dining room couch between two people. I looked at them for approval before jumping up onto the couch. I snapped as fast as possible and apologized. I hoped I had captured the group shot. I ran back to the stage to get photos of Neil. He’s laughing at me or maybe he’s feeling that infectious McAllister bounce. Meanwhile, there’s all kinds of fun happening. All the guitars are talking to each other musically. They are circling one another, but it’s too crowded to access the front without tripping over patrons. I just started trying to photograph everything I could and then it was all over. Did I get anything? What the “F” just happened? Hence, the beginning of my amnesia state.

L-R Back: Ben McAllister, Matt Fordham, Jordan Zlotoff, Dennis Rea, and Don Craig
L-R Front: Dev Ray, Carl Martí Germain, Steve Ball, Lucius Gregory Meredith , Brad Hogg, and Curt Golden

L-R: Carl Martí Germain, Steve Ball, Lucius Gregory Meredith , Brad Hogg, and Curt Golden

L-R: Ben McAllister, Dev Ray, Carl Martí Germain, Steve Ball, Lucius Gregory Meredith , Brad Hogg, and Curt Golden

I downloaded the pictures after arriving home, as I drank a large martini. I asked Mr. D what just happened again? The next morning as I went through the photos I exclaimed to Mr. D. “I don’t remember anything I photographed. Did that really happen?” I asked again. I realized as I started my editing process, that was one insane dream. Please repeat.

L-R Back: Ben McAllister, Matt Fordham, Jordan Zlotoff, Dennis Rea, Don Craig, and John Featherstone
L-R Front: Dev Ray, Carl Martí Germain, Steve Ball, Lucius Gregory Meredith , Brad Hogg, Curt Golden and Jaxie Binder

Guitar Cult & Seattle Guitar Circle Royal Room 2023

Stereophonic Sound / July 23, 2023 by Danette Davis

I listen to music while working on photos. Right now, I’m listening to Steve Reich’s “Electric Counterpoint - Part 1 - Fast” featuring Pat Metheny, as well as Neil Finn’s “Dizzy Heights” and a little Taylor Swift. The latter takes my brain out of a meditative lull that occurs from editing and yes, it’s a strange mix of musicians. For some reason the compositional pieces I’ve heard by Ben McAllister lead me to reference Arthur Russell, John Cage, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and the melodies and guitar riffs of Neil Finn. During the early days of the pandemic, I returned to exploring the musicians I mentioned previously (except Swift). Every Neil Finn track was loaded into my playlist and I'd sit in the garden just observing life. I also watched documentaries about Russell and Cage, along with “Koyaanisqatsi” featuring Philip Glass. I’m referencing these musicians because it’s not difficult for me to sense these subtle references while listening to McAllister’s music. At least this is how I feel – Mr. D, a fellow musician may disagree.

Our house sits on a fairly busy road in West Seattle. It has a view of really amazing sunsets and sometimes when the fog clears we can see the Olympic Mountains. Over the years I’ve grown accustomed to the ambient sounds. I know when the ferry has arrived from the steady flow of car noise. Strangely, birds have this ability to rise above the traffic noise. I’ve become very adept at recognizing when the juncos and bushtits are visiting. I often hear the hummingbird before I see it. The flicker in the distance, and the Steller's jay frequently tells me that it’s about to visit the saucer of water for a bath and a drink. These signals shift with the time of day and the environment. Some nights, I just go and sit in the garden and home in on the disjointed orchestration of the birds. If you listen closely you can hear one bird speaking to its counterpart in the distance. In the early mornings and late evenings I hear dogs barking sometimes next door but more frequently far away. On foggy days the ferry horn sounds so close that Mr. D and I joke the boat is about to dock at our deck. These ambient sounds and strangely repetitive loops fascinate me. It serves as training for my ears, but imagine an incorporation into music.

My mind is wandering back to when I last wrote about the Chapel. I had attended a Beth Fleenor performance, and at some point during the course of the show I realized that the outdoor sounds were a part of the music. I expected a similar experience at the Ben McAllister and Neil Wilson performance. As McAllister described it, the goal was about “exploring a line between planning and [being] spontaneous.”

While the stage setup didn’t include a bathtub and various random objects, my senses felt something unexpected and meditative was in play. Once again, the windows at the Chapel were wide open, allowing the outside sounds to intersect with the partially improvised performance.

When I arrived early, there was a lone note on loop coming from the piano and I noticed various effects pedals setup, as well as Ben’s guitar. The drummer Neil Wilson’s setup was a minimal kit. I surveyed the set up wondering how to achieve a group photo of two distanced musicians. How to get a photo of Ben playing the piano without interfering with the audience or the video? At the Seaprog performance of Deborah Petrina, she utilized the piano externally and internally. I managed to get photos of her touching the piano strings. Unfortunately, I held myself back from attempting this at Ben’s show, I hid behind a curtain and focused my telephoto. It netted a ghostly photo. His reflection on the piano lid, the soft sunlight in the background, the piano microphone, and his hand on the strings. It’s not a perfectly pixelated photo, but feels rather analog and atmospheric. An early photo, it set the tone for how I proceeded in my editing process - let’s label it “grainy cinematic.” The room for the show was predominantly natural light and was constantly changing as the sun set.

I walked around the room, my ears becoming attuned to his music. The crowd below, the juncos, an ambulance, and at one point a dog sound that turned out to be a part of the improvisational loop, moved me into a meditative state. The set transitioned to McAllister on guitar and the addition of Neil Wilson on drums. I want to note during Ben’s set, Wilson was engaged tapping his feet, almost eager to jump up and join in. This was my first time photographing Wilson. I didn’t know what to expect, a lovely challenge. I find for me it helps to listen to music and watch for body rhythms. I recognized the cues occurring between Ben and Neil. They faced each other directly, so catching that facial extra-linguistic communication without audience interference through the lens was arduous. I focused instead on the singular shot of Neil. I wanted to get his expression and drum movement. Fortunately, I’ve watched Ben play guitar multiple times. He looks very serious and intense, but breaks a smile - as if something has clicked - a burst of…joy. It’s an elusive shot for me. I was surprised to find one with him smiling.

The set with guitar and drums felt too brief, but my understanding is that the pieces of music played are an ongoing evolution, one I look forward to hearing. Ben’s next performance is with his group Guitar Cult at the Royal Room on September 21st. This lineup will feature Neil on drums and presumably a more expanded soundscape. A little side note. I went home and watched the first U.S. women's team FIFA World Cup match. I had taped it and stayed up until 2 a.m. but it was worth it to hear McAllister’s compositions.

Let's Just Take a Moment to "B" / June 14, 2023 by Danette Davis

Life is crazy busy sometimes and then you take a moment to just be in the moment. A recent Chapel show with Christoper Icasiano, Beth Fleenor, and Ahamefule J. Oluo was the exact reset I needed. Seattle is experiencing an unusual early summer. All of us locals know that summer doesn’t start until after July 4th, and then before we are in our groove the Seattle rain returns. On this Thursday night, all the windows of The Chapel were open allowing the soundscapes of the garden below to accompany the musicians’ solo sets.

Icasiano opened the set on drums. The rhythms at times reminded me of the drum only tracks from a Sakai Ishingage Odori Preservation Society record I’ve heard and at other times Steve Reich’s “Drumming” compositions. Rarely did Icasiano open his eyes and look directly at the audience. This somewhat fascinated me because I wondered if the composition was completely freeform - a connection to the vibe of the room and the sounds from outside.

Beth Fleeonor played next. Anyone who has seen her solo set knows that she builds the songs layer by layer. The album “Push Thru” remains in rotation on my playlist. There’s just some kind of great release for me listening to that record on a crappy day, and even a happy day. For this performance, however, those familiar tracks had a slow build and took on the sound of long form remixes. The entire time, I kept waiting for her to sing, only to question myself - did I get the track right? I’m pretty sure my face broke into a smile that lasted the entire set - because my jaw hurt by the end! Plus, I really just wanted to dance - even as a solo act Fleenor has an unrelenting energy. The crazy thing is she and Alex had just stepped off a plane from Argentina twenty-four hours before the show. By the way Oxygenation Vol.2-1 and Vol. 2-2 are wonderful works, I’m hoping to write my thoughts about that later.

The evening ended with Oluo on trumpet, snare drum, noisemakers, and effect pedals. He quietly stepped to the stage and began to slowly build up soundscapes. At times similar to Icasiano, his music intermixed with the cacophony outside. He too sometimes played with closed eyes, clearly internalizing the musical notes from his head to the audience. One thing I love about seeing concerts these days is when I’m completely unfamiliar with an artist's work. It requires finding a balance between engaging with the music and figuring out when to click the shutter. Everything has a pattern. It is one of many things the film Baraka has taught me. It was the type of set in which I challenged myself to stop engaging with the camera and instead with the music. Similar to Icasiano I wanted to know Oluo’s creative process - I wanted to capture his contemplation.

Catching the Signals / March 15, 2023 by Danette Davis

Jessica Lurie, Amy Denio, Sue Orefield, & Tina Richardson — L-R: Jessica Lurie, Amy Denio, Sue Orfield, & Tina Richardson

Two days after attending a triple bill at the Blue Moon Tavern, Mr. D and I found ourselves at the Royal Room watching the Tiptons Sax Quartet & Drums. It’s not surprising the show in Seattle was sold out. The Tiptons have a strong fanbase. I’m still getting my concert photography rhythm back and I had forgotten about some of the challenges of shooting in small clubs. In particular at the Royal Room there is a piano on stage that doesn’t move and takes up a lot of space. There is also limited floor space in front of the stage sometimes. Always in my attempt to be respectful to the crowd, I usually end up on the floor if they are sitting the entire performance. Saturday night I spent a lot of time navigating the band's microphones and music stands plus water bottles. This at times netted a series of very odd angles. Can you tell which ones those are? Thank God I’ve been practicing my squats (laugh). The band, as always, was very animated. There is something really fascinating to me about catching the signals musicians make to each other. The Tiptons do this a lot and at some point you realize Tina’s talking to Sue… Jessica to Amy… Tina to Xavier. You get the point.

Sue Orefield & Xavier Lecouturier — L-R: Sue Orfield & Xavier Lecouturier

Speaking of, Xavier Lecouturier was the drummer this time around. A new face for me. He was exceptional, even keeping a beat while the band held down his cymbals, and a joy to photograph. I was worried about getting his drumsticks in flight. I managed to grab a few.

Jessica Lurie, Amy Denio, Sue Orefield, & Xavier Lecouturier — L-R: Jessica Lurie, Amy Denio, Sue Orfield, & Xavier Lecouturier

I’m not going to go in depth about the music. I’m gonna leave that for Mr. D to post a review. Other than to say, as always the musicians in Seattle are exceptional and people really should dance more.

Tiptons Sax Quartet & Drums Gallery

Tiptons Sax Quartet & Drums

Learn more

The Levitating Ffej / March 10, 2023 by Danette Davis

I’m getting that happy feeling again. The kind that makes me scream out loud, want to dance around the room, and puts a really big smile on my face.

Well, Hello World...My Return to Photography with Stick Men / February 10, 2023 by Danette Davis

An unexpected moment landed in my lap: the opportunity to return to concert photography of music I’ve grown to love because of Mr. D, a musician and writer who has worked with Leonardo Pavkovic of MoonJune Records. My re-entry to photography was once again led by Tony Levin, this time in the form of the band Stick Men (read the prelude - www.danettedavis.com/journal-silent-girl-with-the-camera/2023/2/10/a-stick-men-prelude).

I always talk about my approach to photography being completely unorthodox. While I’ve been paid for my work (which I completely appreciate), the joy and excitement of photographing a live show is a real adrenaline rush for me. I feel freedom at being able to capture something unexpected even if it means something to me but no one else. I love not feeling obligated to follow long established rules of concert photography. I alone get to feel disappointed if I fail to get the perfect photograph, and if this happens I ask myself, “Why am I looking for perfect?” It’s not possible — sometimes you just miss the moment. Of course, there are also the issues of poor lighting or bands that are non-energetic.

I’ve photographed Stick Men several times, so I had a sense of their rhythm. Despite this knowledge, I was still a little bit “in my head,” because I was unfamiliar with the venues. Where to stand, what lens to use, what settings for the camera, will the lighting be good and oh, the fight with LEDs. How to navigate a venue space with awkward treks to the balcony area? I thought of all my previous experiences at strangely laid-out venues. I’m sure I’ve mentioned how challenging it was to access the balcony of the Columbia City Theater. The entrance is a gauntlet that requires entering the recording studio at the back of the main floor, climbing a flight of stairs, and then going through the green room (cue crowd of musicians and friends), to access an L-shaped balcony (by the way Mr. D called it a catwalk — whatever). Once in the balcony area, there were usually more musicians, a lighting person, someone filming video, and a few more photographers. Did I mention I probably lost ten pounds every year I photographed the Seaprog Festival? I dare anyone to attempt photographing every fantastic moment of a Johnny Unicorn performance (BTW check his other band out — Zorznijor https://zorznijor.bandcamp.com/), attempting to photograph the energy level of Johnny Unicorn. Fun! Fun! Fun!

Surprisingly, while editing the Stick Men photos, I found moments that reminded me why I love photography. The smile from a favorite guitarist (who I promised not to name), the recognition that one of the musicians has just done a head nod to the others signaling a change that reminds me of old school jazz, or the expressiveness of the drummer. I’m always giggling out loud as I work through shots from the realization that a series of photographs can show these subtle changes. It also tells me I’ve immersed myself in the music. This has led me to start photographing musicians’ or bands’ eccentricities. In this case, Tony’s rapid finger changes, Pat’s joy and focus, and Markus’s chill appearance. There are musical changes that my ear hears and my camera captures. Lastly, I was reminded of another bit of concert photography advice — to always photograph the drummer. They are generally forgotten in concert photography. My return made me realize I have a thing about photographing drummers. I’m drawn to the challenge of getting a photo that shows them in movement and their facial expressions. I not only hear the style of their play, I see it. So sorry, not sorry, for the amount of Pat Mastelotto pics.

Stick Men (Orcas Island Ctr. & Historic Everett Theater)

A Stick Men Prelude / February 10, 2023 by Danette Davis

Hmm, the universe operates in strange ways. I took a picture of Tony Levin back in 2001 for Exposé magazine. Mr. D asked if I would photograph Tony for the story. He apparently noticed my interest in photography. At the time we owned an early point-and-shoot digital camera — a crappy camera by today’s standards. I was still learning how to use it. By the way, I recently read a BBC article about the recent trend to purchase old digital cameras for their poor pixel qualities (https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-64512059). Perhaps my old Nikon D80’s will become hip again too.

The Canon I used back then was extremely low pixels and only shot jpeg’s. All my photos tended to have a grainy quality and led me to edit them into black and white pictures. The main request from Mr. D aside from getting concert photos was to get pictures of the Funk Fingers. I recall the interview ran long and Tony felt rushed for soundcheck. I was given less than a few minutes to prepare and before I was really ready Tony had turned around with the Funk Fingers on, his hand held out towards my face. Click! Click! Click! I didn’t have time to check the viewfinder. The magazine wanted color photos but the photo with Tony lends itself to black and white. The magazine didn’t publish the photo, but I look at it often. It reminds me of where and when I started. It makes me smile and humbles me. I think Mr. Levin is my lucky charm.

The interview from 2001 is available online - http://expose.org/index.php/articles/display/the-tony-levin-interview-2-4.html

Goodbye, Mr. Gill / February 2, 2020 by Danette Davis

It’s been a while since a journal post. Life is constantly happening. Clearly, I’ve been hiding out from the music scene, though it brings me great joy to see all my friends playing gigs. The recent windstorm finally took out our old deck. Mr. D and I spent yesterday starting the process of removing old wood. I have to say hitting nails against concrete during these crazy political times allowed me to let go of some angst. I was tired, hungry and cold by the end of the day.

As I was shedding my winter clothes, Mr. D shares the news Andy Gill has died. I was a little confused by this news. He seemed too young. I remarked that photographing Gang of Four at the Modern Sky festival was a definite highlight for me, and that my photograph of Andy cast in blue light has always been a favorite.

Gang of Four was the last to play after a long day of photographing. I was on my feet all day and the day before, true to Seattle, it was a torrential downpour, followed by blue sky the next day. By the evening, no rain, but it was cold. The Modern Sky festival had some of the best lighting I have ever seen at an outdoor Seattle Center performance. My energy changed and so did the crowd’s when Gang of Four took the stage. When I’m photographing shows, sometimes it’s easy to become bored. I think I’m as only good as the energy of the band or person on stage. Luckily, only a handful of people have made me feel this way. I truly did not feel this way watching Gang of Four play. I try to make a point of photographing everyone in the band in a single photo and a series of group photos. That night, I was mesmerized by Andy and the dynamic between him and band. At one point, Andy made eye contact with me. It threw me off my game for a moment – the brief fear of intrusion of the artist space. I saw in an obit that Andy made a point of looking at the audience.

I remember when it was all over feeling excited, albeit exhausted,. As I started to view hundreds of photos, I found myself smiling. There was Andy, not in the stance he’s was well known for, but staring out into the audience. I wonder what he was thinking.

Last Dance of 2019 with Jessica Lurie Quartet / January 8, 2020 by Danette Davis

I’m starting to think The Parliament is my second musical home. I don’t really have an excuse not to hang there more since it’s in my hood. This year I’ve seen Crystal Beth play in various incarnations at least five times, but I had a dilemma for my last show of 2019. The Jessica Lurie Quartet was playing the same night as Crystal Beth.

Jessica Lurie, Bill Horist, Heather Thomas, and Joe Doria

Argh!!! Who to support? I decided my last show of 2019 would be Jessica Lurie, who I last saw play in 2016 at The Royal Room, with the Tiptons Sax Quartet. The band line up for Jessica’s show was Bill Horist (guitar), Heather Thomas (drums) and Joe Doria (organ). I’ve seen all of them in various bands but not this combination. I was intrigued. It turned out that the show was pretty packed. I spent a good amount of time on the steps. At some point I noticed a woman with glasses making her way towards the steps. We smiled at each other and she commented on my Kermit hat, as she walked up to the balcony. I heard a voice say, “You found a really good spot.” She sat down on the stairs. The band was in a groove and she asked if they been playing long. I replied that it was still the first set. I kept thinking her face was familiar. I was sure she was at The Pulsations show. I later discovered she is singer J.R. Rhodes (Very Cool!).

By the way, the first set was so crazy. I witnessed Bill Horist breaking a guitar string - this doesn’t happen.

Featured

Jessica Lurie

Bill Horist

Joe Doria

Heather Thomas

Jessica Lurie & Bill Horist

What I Like About This Photo…

I’m sure some photographers would disregard this shot, but that’s not me. I like the warm light, the framing of Jessica and Bill, and the shimmer on the guitar.

Heather Thomas

What I Like About This Photo…

I kept waiting all set for Heather to break, but even during solos she played it cool. Of course, when I turned my attention away, she did a quick smile - oh so fun, and a very excellent drummer.

Bill Horist & Joe Doria

What I Like About This Photo…

Joe’s hands about to hit the keys.

Heather Thomas & Joe Doria

What I Like About This Photo…

The serious look on Joe’s face and his foot on the organ pedal. The unexpected energy from Heather, as she had played it pretty cool on the facial expressions, and her wearing bright socks.

Bill Horist, Joe Doria, & Heather Thomas

What I Like About This Photo…

Bill is perfectly in focus and despite Joe being blurry, you see the movement of his hands. I like the unusual angle of three people in the photo.

What’s that Yoda saying? “Do, or do not, there is no try.” / December 20, 2019 by Danette Davis

Sometimes you get the shot that makes you smile, and other times, you curse about missing the moment. There are no do-overs at live shows or even at some photo shoots. What’s that Yoda saying? “Do, or do not, there is no try”…? I really do put every effort into getting the ultimate shot, but some days, the odds are not in my favor. Just a brief digression here, I don’t just watch franchise movies, hell, I definitely don’t keep up with that Marvel series.

Quite frequently, there’s one person who changes position, as soon as I press the shutter. The audience member who decides to take a cellphone photo. The tall person. The drunk person. The dancer. The person with an interesting personality that you want to photograph. The thing is, these are all distractions for possibly missing a shot, but there is a rule I subscribe to of always trying to respect the audience and hoping they return the favor. Still, it’s always a little sad to realize the photo is everything you wanted and then…boom.

But, hey, why wallow in what went wrong? Every shot is a lesson in being a better photographer and you gotta keep moving forward. Besides, there’s always at least one photo that makes me scream out loud and dance around the room. It’s generally the photo that means something to me, but possibly not a wider audience. It triggers an unspeakable joy and reminds me I’m pretty good. These photos I keep to myself and some I occasionally put out into the social media universe.

2019 was a most excellent year for me. Thank you to my artist friends for allowing me into your space and for supporting my work. These are some favorites in no particular order.

Featured

Cool! Sophisticated! Stylish! Fun!

Jim DeJoie rarely takes a bad photo and is always fun to hear and photograph. I love the sound of the bass clarinet. I think that’s partly because of Jim and P.J. Harvey.

Drop the Mike!

Mike Peterson never fails my camera. That’s all that needs to be said.

Geoff Harper

I’m always in awe of every local musician I see perform. I don’t know what to say to them in person. Geoff is one of those people. He walks into a room, orders a drink, and takes to the stage. In my head he’s a sardonic teddy bear and I don’t know what to say to him. To me he is mellow, clever, and a concentrated player. I generally have a hard time getting his facial expressions. There’s often a stand or he’s not facing my lens. This night everything fell into place.

Roy Babbington - I Fell in Love with Another Bass Player.

I must have a thing for bass players. My partner, who is a Chapman Stick player, traveled with Soft Machine on their West Coast tour. He arrived home for their last show in Seattle at the Triple Door. He talked about Roy the entire trip home from the rental car service. Who was this Roy? I was charmed by him too after two concerts. The lighting at the show was optimal. The color of Roy’s bass caught my attention in the light. Roy, similar to bass player, Geoff Harper, is subtle with expressions. He also sometimes avoided my lens, but then it happened. The right frame and light. I fell in love with another bass player.

Octopus Tatoos

There are always challenges to photographing musicians in clubs. One of them is lighting and another is the music stands. I’ve seen Kate Olson play many times with other groups and really wanted a photo leading her band K.O. Electric. I tried all sorts of strange angles. The band started taking solos. I was waiting for Kate to rejoin the band and noticed the alignment of her sax, the tilt of her head, and the subtle smile on her face. I always wonder what the musician is thinking during these moments. I’ve seen many old black and white jazz photos with similar contemplative expressions. Did she hear a cool note or Did someone mess up?

Andy Andy, what can’t you do?

I didn’t get to finish my conversation with Andy the night I took this photo. I must make proper time for that. I really wanted this photo to be digitally perfect, but then I remember my own philosophy, sometimes the best photo is the imperfect photo. It was my first time photographing at the Blue Moon Tavern. The back wall is covered in stickers and metal relics. Andy was playing a beautiful red Rickenbacker, which I later learned belonged to a dear friend. I think that is what makes this photo ethereal and meaningful to me. It has a ghostly quality and the red lights behind him make the photo pop.

Goodbye! Kevin

When Kevin left for Arizona, I lost a photographic muse, something I don’t generally reveal. I always loved it when he smiled. At his farewell party, I put on my documentary hat. I was surrounded by familiar friends and new people. I decided to bring along a prime lens that’s useful in low light. The challenge is you have to move frequently and frame your shot. Moraine’s stage was limited and I try not to be a part of the show. There was no choice that night. I squeezed myself between Dennis and Jim onto the stage. At the end of the set, Kevin did something I’ve never seen him do - clasped hands, closed eyes, a gesture of gratitude. Later I reviewed my photos and there it was. Every time I see that photo, I am humbled.

Moraine

I reviewed my back photography catalog. I have a ton of Moraine photos. These are some serious musicians on stage. All right! not in this photo. I tend to avoid using flash but it was way too dark. I also prefer natural poses. It’s usually the least casual snaps that capture the spirit of the band. I believe, it’s the first time, I’ve seen Moraine members crack a smile on camera. Dennis Rea’s smile on camera is a first for me.

Steve Miller - Not that Steve Miller

Steve’s style caught my attention. He was playing organ and keyboard with the band Pinto Wagon Fire at the Substation. I ventured out to the entrance area of the Substation to people watch. The entrance was awash with red, blues, and green. It seemed to me a picture of Steve would be really interesting in that light. I don’t often pose people. I prefer them unaware. I asked Steve to stand in the doorway. Joy!

In These Shoes

The entire time I worked on this photo I kept thinking of the Kirsty MacColl song, “In These Shoes”. The way she sings the lyric “I said: In these shoes? I don't think so.” expresses a woman who is powerful and sexy. Joe Fischer you wear these shoes well.

Shaina Shepherd

Brown girl power is real. This space is lonely and if you look and you wait you will find another who is like you. Earlier this year I wrote a blog about finding my tribe. I grew up an outsider in white and brown spaces. I was the weird girl who listened to all types of music. This night Shaina was performing solo. She broke into a song for all the weirdos. She played, “Creep” by Radiohead. I let out a cheer. Why? I was wearing a Thom Yorke t-shirt from the ANIMA tour. At his show I was the only brown girl in the sea. Shaina is a raw and unfiltered performer.

Kate Voss - Lady Sings the Blues

I often turn my lens to the audience. Kate was attending a party for Mr. D at the Parliament. In true Seattle musician fashion, her guy, Mr. Goessel was playing with K.O. Electric, and they had just finished another show. They are the hardest working couple in Seattle. She sings, tells corny jokes, and he plays guitar. They dress up for their shows. Kate makes me laugh and my favorite track by them is “One Note Samba.” Kate’s rapid riff of the lyrics and change of vocal range on the track makes me dance around the room. She was watching Mr. G from the bar. The red light bouncing off the flower in her hair. Perfect!

Jason Goessel

Sometimes, I just want to remember the lighting and color of a place. In the mirror is a reflection of guitarist, Jason Goessel.

Beth Fleenor

It is the year of Beth Fleenor for me. This woman has been circling my orbit. Her record “Push Thru” is on replay along side Thom Yorke’s ANIMA. Why? Their music is cathartic and relevant to personal events in my life. It is also proof that light and darkness can coincide. During soundcheck I noticed Beth sitting in front of my favorite instrument, the bass clarinet, stretching. I see this photo and feel quiet reflection.

Bill Horist

The first time I ever saw Bill Horist play was at the front room at Seaprog. Mr. D, my guy, kept telling me. He plays all these objects on his guitar. All right! So, what’s his sound? I got nothing from him that made anything clearer to me. The day of Bill’s show I see a collection of strange objects…metal objects and rocks. What the “F” am I supposed to photograph? I’ll take a few shots then leave. I think to myself. I stayed for the whole thing. Mr. D, I say later, he’s reminds me of Michael Brooks. He’s fucking amazing. Years later I saw Bill play with Afrocop and then again this year with Troot. Again, I’ll say it. Seattle musicians are not only fun, but extremely talented. Bill hides from my camera. He always turns. However, the light at this show, made me determined to get him without the stand. The paisley shirt, the reddish guitar, and the perfect pose made me a happy photographer.

The Troot Challenge

Never have I run the Columbia City gauntlet so hard at Seaprog. In order to photograph the stage, particularly with a large energetic band, you have to walk through the green room, located upstairs, then down stairs, pass the bar and through the crowd to reach the very front or the side of the stage. I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve photographed large bands at Seaprog before, but Troot was other worldly. One minute Julie Slick and Bill Hoirst are riffing back and forth. The next Alessandro Inolti is doing something crazy on the drums and then I see Tim Root bouncing up and down. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. They were incredible and the crowd went insane. The entire time I kept thinking how am I gonna get the whole band, and I also wanted to dance a little. Argh!!!! all work and no play (hee! hee! hee!).

Steve Ball

Joy is a constant theme for me. Even in the darkest periods it appears in mysterious ways. I photographed Tiny Orchestral Moments at Seaprog. It is collective of global musicians, and at their helm is Steve Ball. At the Seaprog show, members of the group left the stage and started dancing. What is this? Who dances to progressive music? Years later Steve returned, this time with the band Troot, another collection of global musicians, led by Tim Root. The common thread besides Steve was the crazy fun vibe. This photo was taken at Tiny Orchestral Moments’ performance at Kirkland Center. Steve encouraged me to move anywhere to photograph the show. The light show was impressive. Steve’s silhouette jumped out. His familiar green cap and glasses, the way he stands with his guitar. Please forgive me Steve, but I suddenly had visions of U2’s The Edge in my head.

Unexpected - Tiny Orchestral Moments #1

The older and wiser I grow, the more I don’t care about dancing at a show in which no one else is dancing. I just want to be who I really am. When Steve Ball gave me approval to photograph Tiny Orchestral Moments. I didn’t expect all the women in the band to break into dance. It happened so fast. I snapped and snapped hoping I caught something. The thing was I wanted join them. I remember feeling really blue that day. I buried myself in photographing that concert. I absorbed the music and came out in a happy space. Thank you!

Unexpected - Tiny Orchestral Moments #2

More dancing…Yes!!!

Unexpected - Tiny Orchestral Moments #3

Sometimes you get twenty-plus people on stage in your photo and some times you don’t. There were some really casually dressed people seated in front of the stage. Surprise, it was a collective of dancers. What amuses me about this photo, is that while all the dancers are freely moving, the band is looking towards band leader Steve Ball.

Amy Denio

Listen, when Amy is in the room, and you may hear her singing. I forget the number of photos from this Tiny Orchestral Moments performance I took. Amy, Beth Fleenor, and Susan Dumett have unique vocal styles that catch my attention. A lot of my pictures of Amy are with a horn instrument. This show she played the accordion and sang. The warm light, Sonia Wilson in the foreground, and Amy’s closed eyes, singing. Joy!

Blue, Blue, Electric Blue - Dave Hoskins

I was recently asked to photograph Guitar Cult, a band I’ve never seen live. The band is comprised of seven guitarists all of different styles and sounds. I asked Ben McAllister about attending a practice to observe the band. I squeezed myself between Dave Hoskins and Eric Amrine. At some point during a break in playing, Dave turned around and posed for me. I obliged. His guitar perfectly coordinated with his sweater, jeans, and shoes. All he needed was my blue Totoro hat… which I wore to their show.

Blood Moon Orchestra

I will make more time to see Blood Moon Orchestra in 2020 especially if I’m having a crap day and want to have fun. How do you explain this band? A super group of talented Seattle female musicians, who create music and lyrics on the fly. Sort of, but then, all the super musicians are joined by audience members who seem to bring their own set of instruments or play the bands instruments. This is not an impeccable photo, but the red lighting worked for me in a Wong Kar Wai way.

Where’s Ollie? Finding The Pulsations at West Seattle Soul / December 7, 2019 by Danette Davis

A few years ago I noticed a West Seattle Blog post about an event called West Seattle Soul at The Parliament Tavern. What? I thought. Who are these people with soul? I noticed a musician friend Bill Wolford posting Facebook notices about their shows, then I started meeting other musicians who mentioned playing with the band. One of these people was drummer Ollie Klomp. I told Ollie that I love to photograph drummers and I didn’t have any of him. Of course, he brought up West Seattle Soul - coincidentally on the same day, I met Maurice Caldwell Jr., who shared that he was their singer. I kept seeing photos posted of large crowds dancing. This is a strange phenomenon to me. No one dances at Seattle shows! All right, this band is circling around my orbit.

I finally made it to their last show of 2019. For the last two years they’ve been filling The Parliament, one of a handful of live music venues in Seattle - Thank you Tom Langen. The band is called The Pulsations, and it was started two years ago by Wolford, Klomp, and Tige DeCoster with a rotating cast of Seattle’s best musicians, which includes the vocals of Maurice Caldwell, Jr. They play for West Seattle Soul the first Thursday of every month.

I’ve photographed at The Parliament before and expected to be greeted by red lighting, so I brought a prime lens that’s happy in low light. The downside is it requires moving to a position for the shot. The crowd was kind and often asked if I wanted to move up front. Sometimes, I shook my head no, and other times I obliged. Everyone was having a great time. It was all about the music. Where am I? Is this really a Seattle crowd? I loved it! While I didn’t get the full band shot that I wanted, there were up to fifteen people on the stage, I did manage some nice portraits and group photos. I also got my first shot of Ollie playing. I will see you all again, West Seattle Soul, in 2020 and I will get my full group shot. Plus, I need to work off all that Christmas cheer on January 2, 2020.

The Collector / December 1, 2019 by Danette Davis

I’m a collector of photography books. The first section I head towards in any bookstore or thrift store is the photography section. I keep a running list in my head of books I wish to collect. I’ve never paid more than $100 for a book, even with shipping. The lowest was probably around $15. My best finds have been on trips to Japan. On a recent trip, I laughed to myself when the customs officer asked if all the books in my the suitcase were for resale. Hell no! I get excited when I find used copy of a book of work by Carrie Mae Weems or some other female artist whose work I want to restudy. A photograph is always more dramatic in person on quality paper. The same effect is not always captured on a computer screen. There are times I splurge for a new photo book. Perhaps it’s a new artist or a fellow photographer I know whom I want to support.

It’s always been my goal to self-publish my own photo book. It’s an overwhelming process putting your work out into the universe. What photos to publish? What type of paper? How many copies? How to promote your work? Captions? No Captions? A preface? How to fund? How much to charge? I think you’re getting my point. Indeed collecting photography books can be costly and no different than keeping an exclusive collection of wine. Most books are rarely repeat productions. You may find publishers who release the same photo in another collection, but some books are elusive. W. Eugene Smith is an example of this. I’m not sure why, but a publisher released what was a contact sheet version of Smith’s photos. I saw a copy of it in a Japanese bookstore. It was sealed and I don’t buy books that are sealed. I plopped myself down on a bookstore bench and found a review along with some sample photos. Nope, I’m not spending money on a book that weighs over 10 pounds. It paid to wait. A year or so later, I came across a used copy of photos published by Aperture of Smith’s work. It’s not his complete work, but the photos are large enough to review over and over.

A considerable portion of my collection features female photographers. I want to know the work of women often buried in the discourse of photography. Think about it, the first names you always hear are Walker Evans, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Edward Stiegliz, and so on. My curiosity about female music photographers lead me to Autumn de Wilde, Linda McCartney, Jini Dellaccio, Linda Wolf, Lynn Goldsmith, and others (Thank you! UW Library, Seattle Public Library, and King County Library for that).

Recently I saw Lynn Goldsmith and Patti Smith being interviewed on the CBS Morning News. I sat down with my coffee and absorbed that interview like a sponge. I watched how Smith responded to Goldsmith’s camera. I also thought, how crazy is it that a photo of female armpit hair was considered controversial? The record company airbrushed the hair originally, but then acquiesced. According to Smith, “It caused the record not to be racked even when it had a hit song on it. It hurt the album… It wound up a picture teenage boys were tacking up on their wall.” The photos shared to promote their photo collaboration burst with color, strength, and female fragility. A thing I’ve learned about collecting photo books, is the minute you hear about them, is that you must seek them out right away. I really wanted to study Goldsmith’s work with Patti more, but here’s the kicker, the cost of the book is $700 for a limited-edition 1300-copy pressing. The books will be signed by Goldsmith and Smith.

My heart sank. I wondered, who is this book for? Is it the wealthy Patti Smith fan? An art collector? Then I questioned myself, doesn’t Goldsmith deserve to earn what her work is worth? Then, I thought, perhaps when I’m seventy-five, I’ll find a discarded, roughed up, cheap copy in a thrift store… now that would be so punk.

See description of Goldsmith’s book on Artnet

CBS Morning News Story

Bee Gees, Rain and Lijiang / November 24, 2019 by Danette Davis

Rainy Day Lijiang and the Bee Gees on Repeat

When I started to take this journey into photography, I set out with intent of learning the work of other female photographers. Those close to me know I listen to headphones at night and often remark about a feature story that has me wide awake at 2 a.m. One of these stories was about Eve Arnold, an interview, that took place shortly before her death. Arnold discussed photographing Malcolm X and visiting China - two things that made my ears perk up. My partner had spent time in China for three years and I would visit him. I hadn’t quite found my photographic voice, but I look at those photos and see glimpses of my views on travel photography. Arnold made me wish that we had spent more time in Lijiang, a city located in the Yunnan province. It was the furthest place I had traveled outside of Beijing. At that time, even though tourism was picking up, there were still pockets in the city undeveloped. I won’t lie. There were restaurants designed to engage tourist in traditional dances and people that appeared to be in costume. I didn’t care. Those were merely small distractions. For the first time, I was in a part of China uncrowded by millions and millions of people. The place I chose to stay was a bed and breakfast. It required walking up a steep cobble hill. For once, the pictures didn’t lie. There in front of us was an amazing wood structure. Our room accommodated Western and Chinese sleeping (a wooden bed) styles and every morning we crossed a bridge, inside the house, that passed by a koi pond to breakfast. We were the only ones there other than the owners. Finally, I was able to start relaxing.

There are canals that run through the city of Lijiang lined with businesses. One day the rain was completely overwhelming and we stepped into a restaurant to the sound of the Bee Gees playing. The greeter sat us by the window were we watched people with umbrellas, a calligrapher working, locals attempting to escape the rain and the canal directly below us. I’m always try to eat local - Thank you! Anthony Bourdain. I ordered what became my favorite, spicy lamb, so much so that we ate there twice - again Bee Gees greatest hits on constant replay. I also drank yak milk tea.

A Japanese tourist with a Canon sat in my view. He was eating spicy crickets and took a photograph of me and Mr. D together. I share this long story because it was my first lesson in photography before I studied the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson. I was learning to observe people and patterns, to immerse myself. The skill of patience is difficult to embrace. Digital photography allows a person to take unlimited shots. Sometimes I don’t take the shot. I absorb the moment. I let it go.

My trips to China have lead me to visit Japan multiple times, and Taiwan. I love those spaces. I walk around the city well into dark. I let photos escape me. I try to find spaces were I am the only foreigner. My camera allows me to connect with people, particularly on my last adventure. I haven’t shared many of those photos online. I feel some photos require seeing them up close on paper. I believe the impact is more powerful. Plus, I want to want to be a fly on the wall. In the meantime, here are some old photos. They aren’t perfect, but they have an interesting story.

Finding my tribe at Crystal Beth & the Boom Boom Band / November 16, 2019 by Danette Davis

I’ve been thinking about a conversation I had recently with a fellow artist. I mentioned that I’ve been looking for my people - fellow photographers to discuss the craft and history of photography. My friend’s advice was that it’s all right to make your own family. I realized I’ve always connected with people in this way. I’ve formed a variety of friends. It was a survival mechanism often being the only brown girl in a space. The night I attended Crystal Beth’s (Beth Fleenor) final show, to promote her new album Push Thru, was an exploration in that thought process. I typically hide behind my camera. I prefer to not be noticed. It is, however, a rarity to see a woman photographer at concerts. I always smile when I do notice one. My mission that night was to open myself up to connecting with new people and to capture Crystal Beth, an artist I admire very much. Indeed the title of Push Thru is relevant to this moment of chaos and personal struggle. Crystal Beth’s vibe asks her audience to let it all go.

The lighting at the Nectar Lounge is better than most smaller clubs in Seattle. I photographed Sammus there and was really surprised by the dramatic lighting at times. Many people know I love Wong Kar-wai films. The main cinematographer on his films is Christopher Doyle. He has a way of making color pop off the screen. He embraces it rather than attempting to overly correct. If I photograph a club with lighting that relies heavily on red or blue, I attempt to figure out how to make it pop in some way. It also helps when the artist is energetic and dynamic. I want to photograph every thing, but sometimes I miss the shot and just embrace the imperfection. Film photographers didn’t always have the perfect photo, particularly some of the older rock photos and even those of jazz artists were blurry. The gallery below is a collection of photos that aren’t perceived as perfect by those in the digital age of photography. There are several photos in which the artist is out of focus but the lighting is dramatic (Michael Owcharuk, Kathy Moore, and Kathy and Beth Fleeonor).

The first time I photographed Fleenor was at an artist loft performance. In this intimate space, I was mesmerized by her voice. I kept missing the Crystal Beth & the Boom Boom band shows around town. I knew from Facebook photos these shows insisted the audience engage. She was raw, vulnerable, joyful, and danced. I love to dance, but Fleenor is unpredictable. She’s lost in the music. I knew that night I wanted to get a picture of her in flight, but I managed only one (first photo).

I realized looking through the photos of the show that I’ve photographed many Seattle musicians, and many of them seem to know me. We connect with each other sometimes in awkward conversation. I’m in awe of their musicianship and actually how kind they are. It’s always my goal to observe and document their artistry. They may not know it but they are my tribe.