I always feel -- no, I know -- that I am always passing on opportunities to photograph concerts here in Seattle. There is so much musical stuff going on here all the time that if I went and shot all the shows I wanted to shoot, I would not have time to do the other stuff I must do, like sleep and breathe and drink coffee. So as I was beginning to prep this post today, I was truly surprised to see on my Flickr that in 2011, I photographed 74 different musical acts, and a few of them more than once! Of course, that's not 74 different shows -- there were festivals and opening acts that gave me multiple photo ops in one place -- but still, I am so pleased to have seen so many marvelous bands this year and have been able to capture them as best I can to share with you.
The photos I am selecting as my favorites this year aren't necessarily going to be the most technically perfect, most popular, most published, most iconic, or any of the usual standards one would use to judge a photo. The only criterion I have is that each one has "it" for me: whatever that is that adds up to make me smile, and say, "Yes." I hope they make you smile, too.
January, 2011
Sugar Blue's hands, holding harmonica, Jazz Alley, Seattle, 1/10/11. Shot for Back Beat Seattle.
April, 2011
The Joy Formidable, The Crocodile, Seattle, 4/9/11. Shot for Back Beat Seattle.
Kurt Vile (and yours truly), Sonic Boom Records (Ballard), Seattle, 4/24/11. Shot for Back Beat Seattle.
May, 2011
Guitar Wolf, El Corazon, Seattle, 5/24/11. Shot for Back Beat Seattle.
June, 2011
Cerebral Ballzy, Neumos, Seattle, 6/16/11. Shot for Back Beat Seattle.
Black Lips, Neumos, Seattle, 6/16/11. Shot for Back Beat Seattle.
Intelligence, The Crocodile, Seattle, 6/18/11. Shot for Back Beat Seattle.
August, 2011
Brush Prairie, Great Idea Music Festival, Enchanted Forest Theme Park, Turner OR, 8/5/11. Shot for Popthomology.
The Wiggles, Paramount, Seattle, 8/10/11. Shot for Back Beat Seattle.
September, 2011
Mavis Staples, Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle, 9/3/11. Shot for Popthomology.
Thee Oh Sees, Bumbershoot Festival, 9/4/11. Shot for Popthomology.
Charles Bradley, Bumbershoot Festival, 9/5/11. Shot for Popthomology.
LeButcherettes, Puyallup (WA) Fair, 9/21/11. Shot for Popthomology.
The Flaming Lips, Puyallup (WA) Fair, 9/21/11. Shot for Popthomology.
School of Rock, Chop Suey, Seattle, 9/24/11. Shot for Popthomology.
October, 2011
The Damned, Showbox Market, Seattle, 10/27/11. Shot for Back Beat Seattle.
November, 2011
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Neptune, Seattle, 11/18/11. Shot for Popthomology.
December, 2011
Grouplove, Deck the Hall Ball, Key Arena, Seattle, 12/7/11. Shot for The Audio Perv.
Young The Giant, Deck the Hall Ball, Key Arena, Seattle, 12/7/11. Shot for The Audio Perv.
Cage The Elephant, Deck the Hall Ball, Key Arena, Seattle, 12/7/11. Shot for The Audio Perv.
Death Cab For Cutie, Deck the Hall Ball, Key Arena, Seattle, 12/7/11. Shot for The Audio Perv.
Tony Bennett, Paramount, Seattle, 12/17/11. Shot for Back Beat Seattle.
© Copyright 2008- Marianne Spellman