Abigail McNatt Photography

Hard Rock Christmas Show 2018

December 29, 2018December 29, 2018Leave a comment

Here we have holiday show number two! Last year, I shot the same show; The Annual Hard Rock Holiday Show, in Station Square, one of my favorite local venues… Specifically cause they have good food and drinks. I shot VictoriaDrive, who played the show last year. This year, I also was there to shoot Vertical 48, a local band who played the Hard Rock Holiday Show last year and I specifically remember loving their sound. The lineup also included Twin Trees, August Winters, and Bull’evere.

First on my lineup was Vertical 48, whom I mentioned I saw play last year. I also, earlier this year, was asked to shoot their show at the Funhouse at Mr. Smalls, which was a great show.

I shoot a lot of bands, as you can probably gather, and I almost always fall in love with their sound. It’s so much more fun when you enjoy the music you’re listening to as you shoot a show. I had a very hard time standing still for my photos of V48 because every song they play is so damn catchy. ‘Late to the Party’ is my JAM. (Seriously go check it out on Spotify)

The bands were having a tough time getting people involved, but Vertical 48 seemed to have no trouble at all. From the very beginning of their set, they had people hooked… Friends, family, and strangers alike. People were dancing and some were singing along from their table. I was so excited to see that, especially being a fan of their music, myself. They were fantastic and I’m excited to see where things go with them next year. Mario (lead vocals/keyboard/guitar/drums/everything), said they were going on a bit of a hiatus, but are planning to come back strong. I’m excited to see what’s in store for these young guys.

The last band shoot of 2018, consisted of another favorite band of mine… VictoriaDrive. Last I shot them was, I believe, the St. Patrick’s Day show at Mr. Roboto, where I got one of my favorite photos of the year. They don’t have shows very often, but they certainly bring a crowd when they do. I’ll tell ya, every show of theirs I’ve been to has not been a disappointment when it comes to attendance. Friends, family, and random concert patrons alike come down to the dance floor and jam out, just about every single time.

Earlier this year, the band released an album that re-released songs from the beginning of their band career up until the present. They’ve released some really good songs over the last 4 years, but ‘City Lights’ is probably my favorite. It’s a slower song, but anytime they play it, Dan (lead vocals/guitar) has the crowd take out their phone lights… Which made for a great shot at the Mr. Roboto show. They played that one first, but I don’t remember any phone lights in the air. They also played one of the new ones they’ve been working on.

VictoriaDrive also announced their newest member, bassist Cherish Umholtz. “Not just another fill-in I hired for a show,” Dan said. The girl has chops, too. She accompanied the band when they played Christmas classic, ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’. Dan made a funny comment about how he was so happy to have someone else in the band who can sing so he doesn’t have to do all the singing… to which a friend and audience jokingly responded with, “Me too!”

I always have such a fun time shooting for VictoriaDrive. They put on a great set and really seem to enjoy what they’re doing and I love it.

Overall, it was a fantastic night and a great way to send off 2018, as far as my photography goes. I’ll be posting my top 10 photos from this year coming soon! Sit tight! (It’s so hard to decide because I love so many)

A few of my favorite shots from the night at Hard Rock are included below and you can find the rest in my portfolio!

Have a great new year! See you in 2019!

VictoriaDrive

Vertical 48

VictoriaDrive

Vertical 48

VictoriaDrive

Vertical 48

Eternal Boy Holiday Show 2018

December 27, 2018Leave a comment

Christmas is honestly the most chaotic time of the year. With shopping, the end of school for some students, spending time with family, and trying to get all your things on your to-do list checked off before the big day. With all the running around we all do, we forget to try and enjoy it. That is one of the reasons why there are always so many shows leading up to Christmas. I happened to have two in one weekend; this one on Saturday and another one on Sunday. Needless to say, I was glad I had my shopping done.

Eternal Boy had a holiday show on Saturday December 22nd at the Smiling Moose, something they seem to do every year. They have some of their good friends open up the show and just give everyone who comes a great night full of music. This one was different because the band allowed those who bought tickets, to pick what songs would be on the setlist, which was a very cool idea.

I was only at the show for two of the five bands, but I did listen to the others from afar. Eternal Boy had Bridges, Harbour, Keep Flying, and Look Out Loretta open up their holiday show.

Look Out Loretta is a local pop/punk band who you’ve likely seen me post about before. They have a really great sound that appeals to the upper end of the millennial generation. I always have fun attending their shows. Recently, Josh (lead vocals/guitarist) has come to my school twice this last semester to play acoustic sets and it’s a very different feel, which is cool to see. I’ve only ever seen them play live full band sets, and seeing an acoustic one was really cool because we got to hear the inside scoop on the different stories behind each song… most of which were about heartbreak. Anyway, back to the holiday show. They did great, as per usual. They played hits such as ’31’ and ‘Wknd Gtwy’, two of my favorites. People always seem to love to mosh to their set and being a photographer and it being a very small venue, I don’t like it, lol. But it just goes to show that they put on a good show each and every time. They don’t have shows very often, but I suggest coming out to one whenever you get the chance to, especially if you love pop/punk music.

A few bands later we had Eternal Boy. Last I’d seen them play was Four Chord Music Festival 5, back in August. Well, I see Rishi (lead vocals/guitar) all the time since he works at my college. People ask me all the time, from both sides, whether or not its weird to see him in an academic setting and then a music setting, and honestly it has been so long that I don’t even notice a difference anymore. He’s professional, with his younger side showing itself a bit of the time, on both ends. He enjoys everything he does from teaching to playing music and it’s such a cool thing to get to experience all of it.

It was cool to be back seeing EB at the Smiling Moose because three years ago, this past September, when I first started college, I saw them on the same stage for the first time. I got to shoot the show and was so proud of my first jump shot. It’s so crazy to see how far I’ve come since then.

Recently, EB released a single called ‘Promise’, with profits benefiting the Tree of Life Foundation after the tragedy a few months ago. It’s an acoustic song and definitely one of their most heartfelt. They didn’t play it at the show, but Rishi made a point to say how amazing it was for all of us to congregate to the show despite everything that has happened. EB played some very old tunes, some of which they had never played live before. Fans came and sang their hearts out and did some moshing and crowd surfing like mad, as well. Made for some great shots, I will say. The crowd knew every word and for a local band, that is so cool to see. Despite the room being ridiculously hot (seriously, it was so hot… I was relieved when I got behind the stage away from all the body heat.. except I was where the lights shined on the band so it wasn’t much better), the show was fantastic as expected. Go see an Eternal Boy show as soon as you get the chance.

I got some really cool photos so check some of them below, and you can find the rest on my Flickr page!

Look Out Loretta

Eternal Boy

Look Out Loretta

Eternal Boy

Look Out Loretta

Eternal Boy

Look Out Loretta

Miracle: A Christmas Bar

December 11, 2018December 11, 2018Leave a comment

Happy Holidays, friends! If you follow my blog, you may have seen my post from last year about the Christmas bar that made its appearance in Pittsburgh the last few years. Well, it continued its ‘pop-up’ reputation with its new location on Liberty Avenue. My friends and I have kind of made a visit to the bar a tradition as long as it keeps popping up.

One thing I don’t remember mentioning last year is how it’s a charity bar, which is awesome. It’s an international pop-up bar, but it’s owned by local bartenders. A portion of the profits go to local charities, which is 412 Food Rescue, and since the Tree of Life tragedy in Squirrel Hill, a portion goes to the victims’ families (per Discover the Burgh). Something different from last year is they are selling the souvenir glasses/mugs since people have stolen them in previous years.

This year, rather than being in Market Square, it was a few streets down on Liberty Avenue. We had a bit of a tough time finding it since it wasn’t well signed, however as soon as we were about to pass it up I looked next to us and saw the extensive amount of Christmas decorations and knew we were in the right place.

A friend of the group I was with, who they all went to high school with, was working and took very good care of us, and made this trip… Quite the experience. She told us about her experience in meeting Kate Flannery (Meredith, from “The Office”) who stopped in, a few days prior to our visit, after her show at The Cabaret. Flannery even asked for drink recommendations because she said she doesn’t drink a lot, which I think is hilarious seeing her character in “The Office”, haha.

This year, I decided I would try what my friends got and see if there was anything I’d like. My boyfriend, Chris, had ‘And A Partridge in a Pear Tree’ for his first drink and I ended up liking that one. His second was the ‘Yippie Ki Yay Mother F****r! Evan had the ‘Snowball Old Fashioned’, and Kelly had the ‘Jingle Bell Nog’, which did have a very eggnog taste to it but I wasn’t too into it, however it was my second choice.

My opinion on alcoholic drinks is more for those of you who aren’t keen on drinks that taste heavily like alcohol, although the drink I had, you could taste the tequila, but it mixed well with the other ingredients. I go mostly for the experience and both times I’ve been to a Miracle, I’ve enjoyed myself. It is such a fun experience.

Miracle is an overall Christmas experience. As long as you’re over 21, you can go inside and whether you drink or don’t, I guarantee you will have a great time. The bar is open everyday from 4pm-2am, 7 days a week and will be in business until New Year’s Eve. Expect to wait for a bit if you go end of the week. We went Monday night and there were significantly less people than there were when we went last year.

Check out a few of my photos from our adventure, and be sure to make your way there ASAP! The rest of the photos are on my Flickr page.

Mayday Parade – Sunnyland Tour 2018

November 12, 2018November 12, 2018Leave a comment

Check out my photos and review in Pittsburgh Music Magazine!

Hey guys, back again! Been a while since I had some new photos to share with you.
This time we have some photos and a write up from the Mayday Parade Sunnyland Tour stop in Pittsburgh. It was quite a show to say the very least.

It was a chilly Tuesday evening, here, and once we got in line, I was antsy to get my pass and go inside and warm up. Everyone else seemed to be just as chilly because everyone was making a run for it once doors opened. For Stage AE, it was an unusual show. They had the top completely blocked off except for anyone who was sitting in the premium seats. Everyone else was to stand on the bottom floor, which I thought was kinda cool. It was a seemingly intimate show, with all the merch tables in one area and most every band coming to meet fans after their set.

Mayday Parade brought along a good mix of popular acts on their tour. All of them fell under the pop/punk category, so fit the demographic very well.
up first, we had Oh, Weatherly from Dallas, Texas. I had heard of them before, but never seen them live. I actually followed their bassist on Instagram a while back and never realized it until this show. I thought for an up-and-coming pop rock band, they were very good and very comfortable on stage. People were dancing and singing along to their songs. They even talked a bit about the importance of mental health. You can check out my Pittsburgh Music Magazine article to read more about their set as well as the other bands, but overall I really enjoyed them and so did the crowd. I was surprised to see how many fans they had in the audience, and they made a few more from this show.

Next up, William Ryan Key came out to give the crowd a relaxing acoustic set, which I really enjoyed. As the former vocalist for Yellowcard, Key has been trying to kickstart his solo career since the band called it quits. He couldn’t play to a crowd of pop/punkers without playing one Yellowcard hit. He played an acoustic version of “Ocean Avenue” to satisfy the long-time Yellowcard fans in the audience. Key also brought along a multi-talented drummer to accompany him and his acoustic guitar. His new album, Virtue is out November 30th and I highly recommend checking it out. I am currently obsessed with his single, “Vultures” from the album.

The act to which Mayday was going to follow up, was acoustic band, This Wild Life from Long Beach, California. I had heard of them before through my sister but didn’t realize I would love their sound as much as I did. For a band of two bulky-looking guys with sleeve tattoos, they weren’t at all what I was expecting. Lead vocalist, Kevin Jordan, used his guitar and ukulele, and guitarist, Anthony Del Grosso (who I discovered is from Pittsburgh), played the drums as well. For a band of just two guys, they make some great music. The lack of members doesn’t seem to hinder their success or be an issue in creating a great sound to back the relatable lyrics. During their song, “Puppy Love” (the one I actually knew), they even encouraged fans to show them photos of their dogs, after a fan behind me randomly decided to do so. I loved them and found their set to be captivating.

Last, but not least, Mayday Parade. I’ve shot them before when they played the Four Chord Music Festival last year. So when I came across this show, I was excited to see how I’d improved since then. As expected, they were all over the place. i found myself having a hard time focusing on one member at a time, to be sure I get a good amount of shots of everyone, because they just kept moving! The stage set up, as mentioned in my review in Pittsburgh Music Magazine, was super cool. They had 2 platforms at the front of the stage, which made for some cool shots for the members that used them. They also had a starry-like backdrop and eerie looking trees surrounding the drumset. Their set was an emotional but fun and upbeat way to get out all the stresses and emotions everyone in the room had been going through. Pop/punk music tends to do that for people. I find it awesome to watch because I know how much music means to me, so to see the emotions of those around me as they watch their favorite band play, makes my heart happy. That was certainly the case, this night. It was a smaller crowd, but that didn’t even make that much of a difference. Everyone enjoyed themselves, and got to escape reality for a bit.

If you get the chance to check out Mayday Parade on the rest of their Sunnyland Tour, definitely recommend. With a lineup of various bands that make you feel all kinds of different ways, to the release of emotions, It is a show to see for sure.

Below I included some of my favorite shots, and the rest are on my Flickr page!

This Wild Life

William Ryan Key

This Wild Life

Oh, Weatherly

Mayday Parade

Oh, Weatherly

Mayday Parade

Oh, Weatherly

Mayday Parade

This Wild Life

William Ryan Key

Mayday Parade

This Wild Life

William Ryan Key

Oh, Weatherly

William Ryan Key

This Wild Life

Oh, Weatherly

Mayday Parade

William Ryan Key

This Wild Life

William Ryan Key

Oh, Weatherly

William Ryan Key

Mayday Parade

This Wild Life

Mayday Parade

Oh, Weatherly

This Wild Life

William Ryan Key

Oh, Weatherly

Mayday Parade

This Wild Life

Mayday Parade

William Ryan Key

Mayday Parade

Oh, Weatherly

Mayday Parade

This Wild Life

Fall is in the Air…

November 5, 2018Leave a comment

Hey guys, it’s been quite some time. I’m currently in the busiest and most stressful semester of my college career, so photography hasn’t been my main focus, lately. I’m currently in the process of looking at internships and trying to figure out what I’m doing after graduation in May. It’s just been a lot. But, just because photography hasn’t been my main focus, doesn’t mean I haven’t taken any photos!

Below I have some photos that will put you into the fall mindset. As the leaves change and fall and the temperature continues to drop, we are coming to the end of the year and the start of the Christmas season. Came quick, huh? So yeah. Some of these were taken on my campus, and some were taken in the nearby North Park.

I have a show tomorrow so stay tuned for those photos and my blog post! Hang in there with me, guys. Sorry it’s been such a long time. Enjoy these photos 🙂

5 Seconds of Summer – Meet You There Tour 2018

September 16, 2018September 18, 20183 Comments

Check out my write up and photos in Pittsburgh Music Magazine, here!

Let me start off by saying that last year, I never would have thought I’d be writing this right now. I mean, just reading the headline gives me chills.

September 13th was one of the best days of my life. Getting to see and cover 5 Seconds of Summer’s show was a dream come true for me. If you continue reading on, you’ll begin to see just how much this night really meant to me.

Australian alternative/pop/rock band, 5 Seconds of Summer, after 3 years of silence, finally released their newest album in June entitled, Youngblood. It was highly anticipated, especially after they released their singles “Want You Back” and “Youngblood” which are absolute bangers. Kind of fitting once you listen to the full album and realize that every single song is incredible. That’s just my opinion, but you can listen for yourself. With inspiration coming from a multitude of facets, they had massive success once the album was released to the public. Youngblood brought them their 3rd Billboard #1 album, making history. This milestone made them the first Australian act to land 3 albums at #1 on the Billboard charts.

With a new album comes a tour, almost always. They didn’t have a stop in Pittsburgh or anywhere nearby so I decided to treat myself for my birthday and buy tickets to the York Fair show. My boyfriend, having loved the album, was 100% into it too so we began our 3.5 hour drive after my class on Thursday.

On their cross country tour, they brought along alternative/indie/pop rockers, The Aces, who originate from Utah. I hadn’t heard a single thing about them prior to the show so I was interested to find out what they were all about. They began their set with a song that starts out sounding kind of like a 1975 song, “Volcanic Love“. That is a really fun song and I found myself tapping my foot while I stood in random positions to shoot. The Aces are an all female band, which is unique seeing as though you don’t see that all too often. You only really have Fifth Harmony and Little Mix that even remotely compare. Even so, The Aces have a much more unique and funky sound which makes them stand out.

The crowd was on their feet the whole time, a good bit were singing along and dancing like crazy while they played. Lead vocalist, Cristal Ramirez was very interactive with fans and made her way around stage which made for some really nice and different shots. They played some of their most popular songs in their 30 minute set such as “Stay”, “Strong Enough“, “Fake Nice”, and ending their set with “Stuck“. Overall, they put on a fun, upbeat, and rhythmic set. A great adrenaline booster, before the headlining act came on.

By this point, adrenaline was rushing through my entire body. I didn’t have any set times, so I ended up being in the pit super early. But I made friends so it was okay, haha. Before I knew it, the filler music faded and the lights dropped. My heart was racing, along with the hundreds of girls behind me. I realized who was standing before me when I saw Michael’s hair when he appeared at the mic. “Babylon” was the intro song and really got the crowd on their feet… if they weren’t already. I had a moment, when the lights turned on and they all appeared in their positions, where my jaw dropped and I felt the surrealism of the moment. I quickly had to get myself focused and start shooting. This did not come without a mini jam session as I worked, I can assure you.

They followed up with “Talk Fast” and I just need to mention how cool the lighting was. I realized, as I was in my post processing phase, that the lighting included all the colors within the cover art of the album and it was epic. I couldn’t appreciate it at the time because I automatically thought they would all need to be black and white since red light washes people out. “Moving Along” was next and was the final song in the first 3 songs I was allowed to shoot. It is also my number one favorite off of the new album because it is just a jam.

As soon as the last one was over, I went back to my seats, which were upgraded earlier and were so much better, and I broke down. I’ve dreamt of that day since I started shooting shows and it was better than I could have possibly imagined. It was at this point the full fangirl in me could be unleashed.

They continued their set with singles, “She’s Kinda Hot” and the song featured in Ghostbusters (2016), “Girls Talk Boys“. They played another oldie, “Waste The Night”, before playing a couple of the bangers from the newest album. These songs included “More”, “Better Man”, and “If Walls Could Talk”; all three of which fell super high on my rating list of Youngblood.

The next segment, as Calum Hood (bassist/vocals) pointed out, was the ballad section… aka the most emotional part of the evening. “Ghost of You” was up first. When I first heard this song, I knew it was going to be one of my favorites. It was so beautifully written and had haunting lyrics (no pun intended). Some of my favorite musical lyrics come from this song. “We’re too young / Too dumb / To know things like love” and “That my feet don’t dance / Like they did with you”. Ugh. I bawled my eyes out almost this entire part of the show, no lie. They continued with “Amnesia” and “The Only Reason“, with Michael Clifford (guitar/vocals) putting his own little twist to introduce “The Only Reason”.

The transition back into the rhythmic music, Luke Hemmings (lead vocals/guitar) played the first verse of “Lie To Me” on piano, which then transitioned to the full band, which I found to be epic.

They played a few new songs, “Why Won’t You Love Me” and “Valentine” next. Before “Valentine”, Ashton Irwin (drums/vocals) got up from his drum set, as they were introducing the next song, and sprinted across stage. And he disappears into the crowd. Next thing I know, he’s standing directly behind me holding up a sign that says ‘I’m from Australia’ (I filmed the entire thing, by the way). He then makes his way back up to the stage to continue his “I’m-your-biggest-fan, please-let-me-play-drums-for-your-next-song” comedic skit. I bawled my eyes out the second he left, mostly because he, single-handedly, was a source of my happiness for a long time. He has perfect skin, in case you were wondering (Ash, if you’re reading this, give a girl some tips).

Anyway, they continued the show with “Meet You There”, with Ash’s epic drum intro, “Jet Black Heart“, and “Want You Back”, before exiting the stage to come back out for the encore. Fans were screaming, some clearly not seasoned concertgoers since they began to trickle out.

They ended the show with “She Looks So Perfect” and “Youngblood”. With the last bit of adrenaline the audience had left, they screamed every word. That’s something I’ve noticed about 5SOS shows that I enjoy. They let fans sing every single word and give them the floor for a line or so; just to listen and let the pure energy of the room practically explode. They did that a lot at this show.

Having been 3 years since I last saw them, I was anxiously awaiting the next show. Attending the Meet You There Tour was an incredible experience. From the lighting, to the stage, to the music, to the fans and the overall show itself, it was beyond my wildest expectations. If you haven’t caught a show yet, I highly recommend catching one. It was by far the best day of my young life.

5SOS, thank you for everything you’ve done for me these past few years. Thank you for your absolute showmanship and amazing songwriting. For your dedication to your art and for never giving up. For always being there. I thought I’d felt the highest of highs, but you came and topped them all 😉

Don’t ever stop doing what you’re doing. I love you. #5sospuns

As per usual, some of my favorite photos are featured below and the rest are on my Flickr. This is the biggest and best show I’ve done to date so I highly suggest giving them a look.

Thank you for reading, I know this was a long one. I’m just so emotionally attached to this band.

5 Seconds of Summer

The Aces

5 Seconds of Summer

The Aces

5 Seconds of Summer

The Aces

5 Seconds of Summer

The Aces

5 Seconds of Summer

Four Chord Music Festival 5

September 2, 2018Leave a comment

Hey there! Been quite some time since I’ve posted. It has been crazy busy from moving into my senior year of college, to being a part of orientation weekend, to starting classes, it has been a chaotic 2 weeks. But here I am with another blog post and brand new photos for you guys so here we go.

Four Chord Music Festival: an annual pop punk music festival put on by Rishi Bahl, a ridiculously talented human being, and friends. Seriously though, I don’t know how he does it all. From 6 undergrad degrees and 2 PhD’s to being in his own band and putting on this festival… it’s wild. I’ve been to all of the festivals but the first one and they have consistently topped each other every year. This year, it happened to be the night before classes started so I only stayed for the first 7 hours.

It was cool because this year I happened to become friends with a couple of the bands who were opening the festival. Like I said, I was only there for the first 7 hours, which if you ask me is plenty of time at a concert. While there, I shot Atlantic Wasteland, bloom., Look Out Loretta, Patent Pending, Eternal Boy, and Will Pugh of Cartel. I’ve shot a few of these bands before but it’s always fun to see how my skills have improved since I last shot them. Plus the lighting was great. These are some of my favorite photos, honestly. So, without further ado, read on about the bands I shot while attending Four Chord 5.

First up, we had Atlantic Wasteland, which if you follow my blog, you are very familiar with. I’ve become super close with them and they’ve been the subject of some of my favorite photos recently. And actually, Evan Yester from Hear Tonight (another band I shoot a lot) was filling in on drums for them. I was thrown off at first because I had just gotten to the show not 10 minutes prior and Sam of AW, went on the mic, causing me to run down to the pit to start shooting. The times were a little messed up throughout the whole show but I got used to it. But they were great as usual. They kept the crowd’s attention and kept them on their feet, jamming. They are always a fun band to shoot and watch play. As always, a fantastic set and worth catching a show. If you’re into pop punk, which is the genre of most all bands who played this festival, you will enjoy them. As usual, I tagged their Facebook page above!

Right after Atlantic Wasteland’s set was over, I ran to the second stage because bloom. started playing. They’re a band local to Boston, with members who went to Berklee College. I shot a show of theirs before whenever they came to play at the Smiling Moose. One of their members, Tyler Knatz, is the drummer in Vertigo as well, which is how I know them. They put on a great show also. I noticed the crowd bobbing their heads, as most do at harder core shows, and enjoying the set. They’re on tour currently, but next time they come through, I suggest giving them a go. They’re definitely underrated. Their Facebook page is linked above.

Next up, we had locals, Look Out Loretta, another band you’ve probably seen me post about. Their newest album was released this past spring and the audience knew every word. I even got a few crowd shots during their set, which was pretty cool. For an underground band with a small amount of followers on social media, I’m always impressed with the amount of people they bring in for a crowd. They rocked out as the audience rocked alongside them. Their Facebook page is linked above.

After a small food and caffeine break, I came back just in time to shoot a band I’ve (shockingly) never shot before; Patent Pending, a rock/punk/pop punk band from Long Island, New York. They’ve played almost, if not all, of the last 4 Four Chord Festivals. They have become good friends with Rishi and seemingly, the entire Pittsburgh pop punk scene. I’ve watched them play every time they played the festival, just never shot them. I’m not entirely sure why, but I just never did. Last year, I watched them play a song that, ever since, has been an absolute earworm. Despite being extremely creative, it’s almost too catchy, lol. ‘Hey Mario’, a song with over 2 million listens on Spotify, is their most popular song. It’s on their 2013 album, Brighter and it is great. It’s a song basically about a guy telling his friend that he’s better than the girl he’s chasing after, that won’t give him the time of day. The creative part? It’s all music made to sound like it’s from Super Mario Brothers and it is uber cool. Anyway, they always have known just how to keep the audience’s adrenaline pumping. They were actually the ones to play several extra songs to fill in the time that got misconstrued earlier that day. They were very fun to shoot too. Joe, lead vocalist, jumps like a madman and actually got me my first really dope and clear jump shot that I’m HYPED about. (See below) So, next time you see that Patent Pending is playing in the area, get to that show if you want to have a super fun time. And by the way, if you end being front row, be aware that Joe sweats a lot and you’ll likely get sweat on, hahaha. I had a few drops on my lens, which I found to be very comical.

Next up, we had the man himself… Rishi Bahl and his band, Eternal Boy. In case you haven’t heard of them, they are another local pop punk band I would definitely consider them on the milder end because I’ve come to really enjoy their music. Harder core stuff just isn’t my jam, so if you’re like me and enjoy mild core pop punk, they are for you. They are always great and put on a great set, too. Their most popular song off of their album (under The Spacepimps name), Eternal Boy, ‘Party Foul’ was actually turned into a pale ale beer brewed by Dancing Gnome. I’m not a beer person so I can’t say so myself, but my boyfriend is very into craft beers and was very excited to try it. He loved it… even had 2 while we hung out at the show. Audience members screamed along, and even moshed a bit, while they played. Nothing out of the ordinary for a local pop punk band, really. If you haven’t heard of them or liked their page on Facebook, I linked it above.

Lastly, the vibe was toned down a bit for this next act. Will Pugh of Cartel, from Atlanta, played a little acoustic set. This was a new thing for the festival. In the past few years I’ve attended, there hasn’t been an acoustic act before. I thoroughly enjoyed it, to be honest. Acoustic sets are ridiculously underrated because they are so raw and real. They showcase what the music really sounded like before it became what it was, with just a voice and a guitar. Truly great music can be toned down like this and sound just as great as it does full band. I had never seen Cartel play before, but if I enjoyed the acoustic this much, I’m sure the full band doesn’t/didn’t disappoint. I was worried the crowd wouldn’t react well being that you come to a pop punk show expecting to mosh and act like maniacs. But they seemed to really enjoy the break. It also helps that Pugh has a damn good voice. It was mesmerizing to listen to him play, while I moved around pondering creative shots I could take. That was tough. Having just a man and his guitar makes a photographer’s job a little harder, but I had fun with it. I also think I did a good job also. Pugh put on a great acoustic set and I was thoroughly impressed.

As I said, I only stayed for a bit so I could go back to campus and get editing started. I mean it’s a good thing I did cause even this post took forever for me to put out. However, I was satisfied with what I had seen. It ended on a relaxing note and I felt I got some amazing shots. Bravo to you, Rishi, as always.

Hope you enjoy the shots I took as much as I do. As always, only a handful are featured below and the rest are up on my Flickr page. (Psst… go look. These ones below barely do the bulk justice)