Concert Review: The Black Keys @ Wells Fargo Center

From The Key

The Black Keys were born in a basement and have since evolved into one of the 21st century’s defining sounds. Their aesthetic, a unique tone developed with the help of none other than Danger Mouse, is unparalleled. And while you may know them by one of their countless hits from their 3 consecutive top-five albums over the past 5 years, their catalogue is extensive and the quality of songwriting hasn’t dared falter since the group’s inception in 2001. Frontman Dan Auerbach’s voice couldn’t be more soulful, his guitar playing more skilled, and we might as well go ahead and call Patrick Carney the epitome of hard-hitting indie-rock drums. All of this is to say that you’d expect a damn good show from this celebrated rock duo, and that’s just what Philly got.

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Concert Review: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers @ Wells Fargo Center

From The Key

If you told me that a dude who’s about to turn 64 was capable of drawing 20,000 Philadelphians out to the Wells Fargo center (that’s right, the place that unabashedly charges about $8.00 for a slice of Lorenzo’s pizza that would normally run you $3.00, but I’m not bitter) on a Monday night during an Eagles game no less, I’d crack a smile and say, “good one”. But that joke is a reality and that dude is Tom Petty, a man who is undoubtedly the world’s most offhand rockstar. But Petty wasn’t alone in his blithe glory; his quintessential almost all-American (drummer Steve Ferrone hails from Brighton, England) backing band, The Heartbreakers, was not just equally old, but equally killin’.

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Concert Review: Yes @ The Tower Theater

From The Key

Epic (adj): heroic or grand in scale or character. It is perhaps one of the most over- and misused words in the English language. Yeah, that grilled cheese may have been tasty, but it wasn’t quite as monumental as Odysseus. But I’ll tell you what was epic: English prog-rock legends Yes’ concert at the Tower Theater. It would have been easy to doubt a group whose 46 years together do not by any means belie them, not to mention that founding singer and frontman Jon Anderson left the group in 2008. I don’t think Yes cared about these things. When you’re the band that played the most attended festival-style show in United States history here in Philly (the “Spirit Of Summer ’76” show at JFK Stadium on June 12, 1976 for 130,000 fans), a few grey hairs (or more precisely, a full head of white ones, but who’s counting?) aren’t going to get in the way of putting on a show of, that’s right, epic proportions.

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Concert Review: Cheers Elephant @ Union Transfer

From Phawker

I have seen Cheers Elephant do their thing on stage twice now, and I can say for sure that these Philly natives bring more fun and light to a roomful of people than any other band I’ve seen in my 17 years on Earth. Their relocation to L.A. was nothing short of a tragedy to their Philly fan base. It was with a heavy heart that I wrote the following about their “Farewell For Now, Philadelphia” show back in November of 2013:

Between [frontman Derek] Kryzwicki bouncing around and doing the running-man and drummer Robert Kingsly, who had gotten engaged in the green room just before the show, putting on his best Dave Grohl, I don’t think there’s a group that performs with more cheerfully quirky flare than this one. Cheers Elephant, Philly is going to miss you.

True to my word, I sorely missed the band’s presence during the eight months between then and their Philadelphia homecoming at Union Transfer last night. Perhaps I even resented the move. But that’s neither here nor there.

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Concert Review: The Zach MAMA Motherhood Band

From The Key

It’s been said time and again: the Philly jazz scene is dead. Proof? Last year, Chris’ Jazz Cafe, what should probably be known as THE Philadelphia jazz club, equivocated on a name change with the hopes of drawing larger audiences. Even the best home-grown artists have been known to relocate to Brooklyn in the pursuit of a feasible jazz career. But jazz in Philadelphia is not dead. What I saw last night at the Philadelphia Art Alliance convinced me of it. In fact, it’s very much alive.

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Senior Portrait Session: Lyndsey

As many of you may know, I've just begun booking senior portrait sessions for the Class of 2015 (of which I am a proud member)! This past weekend, I shot my first session of the summer with Lyndsey, a rising senior at William Penn Charter School. As you'll see below, the photos couldn't have turned out better, and Lyndsey was a champ all the way around. Check out some of my favorites from the shoot below, and to book a session of your own, head over to the contact page!

As it turns out, Lyndsey is also a talented actress and needed some more formal headshots done. We shot a bunch of different looks, all of which turned out great - check a few of them out below. Just as with senior portraits, if you're interested in booking a headshot session with me, head over to the contact page, and I'll hit you back with some info. 

Italy (continued)

It's been a while since I've returned from Italy, but I promised photos, so here they are...

We spent a day in Lucca, a walled town that doesn't allow cars in its streets. So how do people get around? Bicycles. (Please pardon the 2 color photos in this set - I just felt the need to include them)

Next up are some photos from two towns known for their numerous medieval towers, San Gimignano and Volterra.

Lastly, please enjoy these photos of snails, caves, and an unintentional visit to the leaning tower of Pisa.

I sincerely hope you've enjoyed ALL of my photos of Italy! I certainly had a great time, and it's been a pleasure sharing it with you.

Italy (days 1, 2 and 3)

Week-long vacations with the entire extended family don't come around often, but here I sit, in a beautiful villa nestled into a countryside mountain in Massarosa, Italy, surrounded by loved ones. I'll try to keep the words to a minimum and simply share my experience through images.

We're staying in an incredible home that affords one of the most beautiful views you'll see in a lifetime. Oh, and there's both a pool and a tennis court.

I could spend days exploring hill towns and driving up and down the tortuous roads (if they even merit being called roads) that lead to them.

We spent a day visiting the Cinque Terre, a group of 5 seaside towns characterized by crystal-clear inlet pools and picturesque red, yellow and pink medieval houses and shops.

I hope you've enjoyed the photos so far! I'm certainly enjoying the trip, and I'll be back with more stories and images in a few days!

Kicks Central

A few friends of mine run a really cool footwear business called Kicks Central, and I've had the pleasure of doing some photography and graphic design work (i.e. logo and watermark) for them this past weekend. Definitely check out their website, Instagram, and Facebook, and look out for some of my work with them in the future!

Concert Photos: Magnet Magazine Turns 21 (Ft. Guided By Voices)

Robert Pollard of Guided By Voices

Magnet Magazine, who featured a photo of mine in their cover story on The Pixies, just turned 21, and hosted a concert at the Trocadero Theatre featuring Guided By Voices, Surfer Blood, and Titus Andronicus to celebrate. Check out my photos below: