convention

Atreyu || Musink 2016

This was the 2nd time shooting Atreyu (the 1st time being my first big show back at The Glass House in September) and it was just as fun as the first. Having released their album “Let Live” after a 5 year hiatus, Atreyu has come back in full force, selling out venues and rocking out hard. Peaking at #26 on the Billboard 200, their new album has been positively reviewed by musicians and fans alike. Singer Alex Varkatzas spent a lot of time interacting with the crowd during the show, making him very difficult to photograph. It was pretty frustrating because I ended up with only one usable picture of him.

However, the rest of the band picked up the slack and filled in beautifully. Brandon Saller, the drummer who also sings during choruses, was spectacular with both his vocals and drumming. His voice sounds the same as it does on the albums which is impressive because he’s drumming at the same time! While the performances were great, the crowd and the lighting felt a bit lackluster compared to previous Atreyu shows. That being said, Atreyu is always fun to see live due to their talent and high energy music.

This was kind of cool though, after the first 3 songs (the only songs you're allowed to shoot in the photo pit) I went to the VIP side stage area to chill and watch the show. Ended up seeing the guys from Avenged Sevenfold coming out to support Atreyu and watch their show. No I didn't go up and say hi. I hate being a creep like that. I just thought it was cool.

NAMM Day 1

Being a first time NAMM attendee, I had no idea what I was in for. I walked into the Anaheim Convention Center and was immediately overwhelmed by the size of the place, mixed in with the vast number of booths and massive crowd of people wandering around. This was before I learned that there were 3 floors of the place! 

I wandered around looking at the various booths of which I knew nothing about until I ran into legendary bass player Victor Wooten absolutely shredding on his bass at the Hartke Booth. To see him play in person was such an honor. A crowd immediately gathered around him and listened in reverence.

Victor Wooten

Victor Wooten

Luckily, I ran into my friends from The Mirage Theory, who by their good graces got me into NAAM, and I used them as a guide for the rest of the day. Davier (drummer) and I walked around and he pointed out who was famous and when to take pictures of them. I was basically in a state of confusion all day, not knowing where to go, how to find people, or what any of the stuff did. I drove home exhausted and immediately passed out. 

This is how I felt after Day 1