Evanescence

Assignment: Evanescence

The typical “shooting a concert” routine is that you get to shoot the first three songs, no flash, from inside the barricade. Works pretty well, except for the fact that the more controlled these situations are, the less authenticity you find in the photographs. If you look back to all the iconic photographs throughout the history of rock n’ roll, I’d bet most of them were taken during the last song, at the climax of the show. Certainly not the first song. Pete Townsend/Paul Simonon never smashed his guitar/bass during the first song.

The routine seems to be to get the photographers out of the way before the performers break into a sweat. This is no knock on Amy Lee and Evanescence, who put on a good show. I mean, put on a good first three songs. (I didn’t see the rest.)

Waiting for the band to take the stage, I met a photographer who shoots a lot of concerts for local promoters. He told me a great story. He was shooting a concert and a guy starts talking to him, saying, “You photographers must get all the girls!”

The guy then says he has a plan. He walks over to a couple of girls and unleashes this pickup line, “That guy over there is a photographer for the Tribune. And I’m his agent.” Don’t know how that worked out. But I can guess.