11.18.11 by Mat

House of Blues, Boston, MA

Lettuce the main attraction of the Royal Family Ball at House of Blues Boston, brought a high-energy in your face set that accompanied the stripped down Soulive set really well. From a photography standpoint it was fun, but the light wasn't exactly ideal. A dimly lit stage and fast movements always are a tricky thing to capture. I even saw some other photographer's photos published in black in white in an attempt to cover this up. However this type of situation complements my style of shooting well because what I'm going for is composition, contrast, silhouette and bright colors. Shooting for my own blog allows me to take risks that media/press photographers cannot. My goal isn't to take pictures at the event and have coverage for an editorial, it is to capture the band in an artistic light that tells a story, and that freezes them in a time and place.

10.31.11 by Mat

House of Blues, Boston, MA

Soulive played the House of Blues Boston a few weeks back to an energized sold out crowd. Luckily as a photographer, there are perks. First off when the show starts I am allowed to take photos for the first 3 songs. Not the front row, but the row in front of the front row. It's an amazing experience seeing a band from that close. You get to see facial expressions, eyebrow raises, and the slightest of eye movements that let you know what the musicians are feeling, and how they feed off of eachother when they're in the groove. And my job as photographer is to capture that moment, as described in my previous blog entry. If you are seeing a band like Soulive for the first time and you are literally in the front row, you are in for a treat. An instrumental trio that combine elements of funk, blues, and jazz to deliver one hell of a jam. My brother has mentioned them to me quite a few times so the name was familiar, but I went into this thing like going to a movie without even seeing the trailer, just by the title.

The show was incredible and their cover of "Eleanor Rigby" by the Beatles is what really made my jaw drop. Guitarist Eric Krasno played the melody and string parts with a flawless precision, putting his spin on a classic. However the crowd got even more amped up when a horn section joined Soulive onstage led by the big guy Rashawn Ross on trumpet, fresh off a few festivals as a touring member of the Dave Matthew Band. Soulive put on a show that almost made it difficult for me to shoot photos and keep still, fighting the urge to bust a move and break it down. I do know one thing though, the next time they are in town, I'll be there.

8.28.11 by Mat

House of Blues, Boston, MA

The Thermals, unknown to me until I had the opportunity to take photos at their show at House of Blues Boston, played up to their "power trio" status performing an energized set while opening for @mattandkim. The trio from Portland, OR gave me a reason to start listening to them, a line from their song "Not Like Any Other Feeling." The line "you only exist to be replaced" reminded me that a photoblog is the perfect place for me to capture photographs, discover art or music that inspires me, and release it for others to discover. Inspiration comes and goes too quickly and often for too short of time, so a photoblog allows me to do the thing I enjoy most, capture a feeling or moment visually and share it. If you are reading this, "like"/share this blog with your peeps and email me at mathew[at]closeupstudio.org to share your thoughts on inspiration.

6.3.11 by Mat

Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, MA

For me nothing says summer like live music. With summer soon approaching, minus a few thunderstorms, and a tornado in Springfield, MA, I took advantage of an opportunity to shoot photography at the Bank of America Pavilion including the Secret Sisters, Brandi Carlile, and headliner, one of my favorite singer/songwriters Ray LaMontagne! What a show, and here are a few highlights from the 8 total songs I got to cover. Thanks @RayLaMontagne for the photo pass!

Photos of Ray were allowed to be taken from 15+ rows back and for the first 2 songs. During the opening bands I was allowed to shoot from the front row, my elbow literally on the stage.