Friday, September 30, 2011

Ana Popovic / Big Bull Falls Blues Festival

The Big Bull Falls Blues Fest in Wausau, Wisconsin was my last scheduled "Blues Festival" for the summer. I went there mostly to see the Ana Popovic Band. After they played at Famous Dave's in Minneapolis earlier this year I kept checking their schedule to see where they might be playing close to the Twin Cities. The closest was going to be in Wausau in August, so I marked it down on my calendar.






Ana Popovic Gallery (Famous Dave's)




CIIcanoe (Blog)

Sunday, September 25, 2011

I don't know who she is but I saw her again....

I photograph many different live music performances, mostly "Blues" music. I spend a lot of time at Blues Festivals. Earlier this summer, Famous Dave's had their Famous Dave's BBQ and Blues Festival in downtown Minneapolis.

One band that plays Zydeco music, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, asked some of the ladies to get on stage with them to dance. One lady who I don't know was dancing over by Chubby at the start, then Earl Sally grabbed this lady and put the "Washboard" on her and started to play.

Well, while I was in the middle of the crowd/dancers at the closing ceremony drum and dance jam at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival I spotted her. I took a couple photographs of her then took a couple more behind me. When I turned around again to go speak with her she was gone. I was hoping to say hi, but I never saw her again.
Here she is on Saturday, 09-24-11 at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.


Here she is on stage with the washboard along with some other ladies. There is also a YouTube video that's around...but the audio is terrible. If I find it I put a link up, but turn your volume down low.


More Chubby Carrier Photos


YouTube Video (Shake It) (Minneapolis) (Turn volume down)

Unrelated video to this post, but Chubby Carrier singing The Cisco Kid.

Minnesota Renaissance Festival 09-24-11

On Saturday, 09-24-11, it looked like there were going to be some clouds in the sky today. I was planning to go back to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival if there were going to be some clouds in the sky or a cloudy day to have some better light for some photographs.

This would be my third time to the festival this year. The first time was on Labor day which was a Monday, then the second time was on Sunday,09-11-11. It had been taking me about 35 minutes to drive there. Well, this Saturday it took about 1 1/2 hours due to the traffic. Everyone was going to the festival today.

I got inside the festival around 2 pm and began my "Random Walking and Photography" tour. I had nothing planned... just walk, stop, and look around. One of the first places I stopped was at the location where Fawna- Keeper of Stories from the Forest Deep were performing. On 09-11-11 I took several photos of them performing. Today I only took a few that I will add to the original gallery.

I ended up talking to several more performers who are included in this day's gallery.
I tried getting a nice shot of Twig the Fairy. My "go to" lens is a 70-200 mm 2.8 so I need to stand back a little ways from my subject. Twig was surrounded by her fans!When there was the slightest opening I had to grab whatever shot was available.

Today I spent some time watching "The Moonie Show" and "The Danger Committee". When I was heading toward the entrance/exit there were several people in a big circle so I stopped to see what was going on. Looked like some sort of game, but when that was done the drums began to sound and girls began to dance. Eventually just about everyone was dancing for the closing ceremony.

Twig the Fairy (below)








CIIcanoe (Blog)

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin' Altar Boys / Bayfront Blues Festival

It had been a few months since I last saw the Rev, so it was nice to see them almost shake the tent down at the Bayfront Blues Festival. Once again, they tore the place up! The Rev and Big Al did their strut through the crowd like many times before to the crowd's delight.

These guys are one of my favorites! The would be yours too if you see them play live!








CIIcanoe (Blog)

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Devon Allman's Honeytribe / Bayfront Blues Festival

Devon Allman's Honeytribe played on Day 2 on the main stage at the Bayfront Blues Festival.








CIIcanoe (Blog)

Sena Ehrhardt Band / Bayfront Blues Festival

This was the third week in a row that I got to photograph the Sena Ehrhardt Band. They were at the Fargo Blues Festival (Photos), the Blues on the Chippewa (Photos) and the Bayfront Blues Festival. Steve Dancin' Hansen jokingly said that maybe we should carpool to this one.

Earlier, I posted a few images of Sena on my blog before I finished editing them all. Here is the link: Sena Ehrhardt Band / Bayfront Blues Festival...a few images








CIIcanoe (Blog)

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Monday, September 12, 2011

Minnesota Renaissance Festival Photos 2011...

It was such a nice day on Sunday, 09-11-11, that I decided to go back to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival instead of going to photograph live music indoors. I was just at the festival on Labor Day and took some photographs that I've already posted to my website. When I went on Labor Day I told myself I would try to return when it was cloudy out so that I would have some nice diffused light. Well, it was warm and sunny...not exactly what I had planned!

I just took some random shots while walking around. Eventually, I ended up at the Ballina Irish Cottage at the end of one of the performances of Fawna -Keeper of Stories from the Forest Deep. I ended up talking to Fawna and some members of her family. Since I didn't have anything really planned I decided to come back for their next show at 4 pm, then when I was about ready to leave I ran across them again in another area of the festival grounds.



Fawna - Keeper of Stories from the Forest Deep

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Sena Ehrhardt Band / Shaw's Bar & Grill...

On Friday, 09-09-11, I went down to Shaw's Bar & Grill in NE Minneapolis to see the Sena Ehrhardt Band. Mike Shaw puts up a large tent behind the bar to hold a 9/11 Remembered Festival. Sena played under the tent until 10:00 pm then Lisa Wenger played inside the bar afterwards.

During the first set I noticed that there were only about half the stage lights that were on. Sena was lit well, but if she moved a foot or so the light dropped off dramatically. There was very little light shining on either Steve Dancin' Hansen or Ed Ehrhardt.

I took some shots, but I figured I would wait until all the lights were turned on. After the first set I asked someone if they could turn all the lights on. This person told me they were having problems with the lights and they kept blowing the fuse on the lights when they turned them on. Shortly afterwards I saw them working on the lights...then all the stage lights went out...Sena and her band continued to play in the dark for another three songs or so. When the lights eventually came back on there were even fewer lights lighting the stage. In fact there weren't any lights on stage right.

I was thinking about not posting any images from last night. Although I would have liked better lighting that just wasn't the case.

The lighting didn't effect the music...the music was excellent!







CIIcanoe (Blog)

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Dr. John / Minnesota State Fair

Dr. John was the last band I saw play at the Minnesota State Fair on Friday, 09-02-11. I liked that he played a smaller venue, but I didn't like that I was stuck in one spot except for about 5 minutes toward the end.







CIIcanoe (Blog)

Boiled in Lead / Minnesota State Fair

Since I was going to the Minnesota State Fair, one of the bands I was going to photograph was Boiled in Lead. I know two of the members Drew Miller and David Stenshoel from their other band, Felonious Bosch.

I didn't post any images of the drummer because of the distracting shadows that were cast by the lights.





CIIcanoe (Blog)

Minnesota Renaissance Festival...on Labor Day

On Labor Day I decided to go to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival at the last minute. It had been about 16 years since I was there last. What struck me this time was so many people using their cell phones. There were many people in costume and the cell phones just seemed to be out of place. Just an observation from my past memories at the festival. I first went to the festival back in the 70's.

It was a mostly sunny day so it limited the number of shots I took because of the hard shadows falling in the wrong places especially on the faces of the people. Who knows...if it's a cloudy day I may go back...

Anyways, here are some images...







CIIcanoe (Blog)

Monday, September 5, 2011

Good Time Willy w/ Tom Hunter / MN State Fair

On Friday, 09-02-11, I stopped by Famous Dave's at the Minnesota State Fair to say hi to the guys for a few minutes. Mark Williams' band, Good Time Willy ,was playing with Boom Boom Steve V and Tom Hunter (keys).









CIIcanoe (Blog)