so i have to admit. although i have been surrounded by their music for many years due to a friends affiliation, i have never really listened to them extensively. but last night changed that forever. i was given the opportunity to go see band of horses last night and as i never look a gift horse in the mouth (is that even the saying? seems weird to see it written.) i took the opportunity and i rolled with it. there's something a little shameful about going to a coveted show and not being a fan, i felt almost bad, thinking i should give my ticket to someone else, but thank the gods i didn't! my face was melted and my mind was blown.
one of the highlights was seeing a friends work (he is the photographer for the band) displayed throughout the entire show (his photographs that were taken on the road were the backdrop to the entire show). the simplicity of the photos set the entire tone of the night. no crazy pyrotechnics, no fancy laser light shows. just simple and pure (mind you there were lights but nothing distracting and over the top) a lot like the music and from what i hear from friends, like the band themselves.
another thing that made this a top 10 show was the venue itself, nestled in the middle of downtown portland, surrounded by gorgeous buildings, this outdoor show took place in our very own pioneer square. it made for a fantastic intimate setting even though it was outdoors, no one was more than maybe a few hundred feet (i could be totally wrong about the distance as math and numbers have never been my strong suit) away from the band at any given time.
they had this wonderful loving banter that went on on stage, it solidified the intimacy of the show, making you feel a part of this beautiful friendship, not just a fly on the wall.
for those of you that know me or have read some of my rants, my very favorite thing about the show was that they did not participate in the mandatory fake surprise encore. it felt like they left their heart and soul on the floor of the stage after their final song, "am i a good man", with no need to ruin such a beautiful finish with a contrived list of songs to sing at the beckoning of the fans. you got what they wanted to give you, no more, no less. and although i could have listened for hours more, my respect and admiration grew to no end because of that.
anyways, to make a long story short, i absolutely loved every minute of it and i tried to capture a few photos. armed with nothing but my camera phone and my little camera, i tried working with the little tools that i had. and as you would already know if you have been following my work for a while now, i do not now, nor do i ever, call or consider myself to be a concert photographer, it's not my strong suit by any means. but i just wanted to share.
xoxo.
