ozomatli
Originally uploaded by Charrmer.

The coolest thing, and the real reason for this picture, is that they had a sign-language interpreter there for any hearing impaired folk in the audience. He’s the guy on the far right. Ozomatli played the main stage of the fair and was amazing. They had a gigantic crowd, dancing, undulating bodies everywhere, and the bandmembers were so musically impressive. The music was a mix of latin, rock, hip-hop and world beat cleverly melodic and rich. I counted ten people performing on stage. They had so much energy that half the time their feet didn’t even seem to touch the ground. One of the percussionists kept throwing a gourd instrument through the air and catching it, so skillfully it seemed like an extention of his being. I wish I could dance as well as those guys too! The trombone player got most of my attention because he was so happy, so into the movement of the music– his footwork was riveting to me. They ended the show by parading deep into the audience, playing all the while. Wow.

photobooth
Originally uploaded by Charrmer.

The photo booth still remains one of my all time favorite things to do. The pictures are hardly ever really good, or well exposed but there is this honesty to them, a sense of fun in the moment, a sweet silliness. And it’s kinda fun to squeeze into the little booth and sit on the teeny tiny stool. Then there is the scary anticipation of when the flash will go off and will you be making a stupid face when it does… meanwhile you get to stare at yourself and make all these faces in the reflection searching for the right one. The you wait and wait until you hear the internal dryer just before the photo strip drops into the slot– it’s all very exciting. Voila, immortalized!

goldenbear
Originally uploaded by Charrmer.

Kevin, seen here riding the Golden Bear, and I had such a fun time at the State Fair watching Ozomatli, teasing the carnies, watching the fireworks, ragging on some of the art in the exhibition center and of course, chowing on a Texas twisted doughnut. I can’t find any history on the significance of the Golden Bear, which is surprising! Here is an odd little aside… The only U.S. President to ever visit the fair was in 1880– Rutherford B. Hayes, the great great grandfather of Lauren Hayes, my old junior high chum. That’s only four degrees of separation! Of course, one has to go back generations but… 😉

Horns explained
Originally uploaded by Charrmer.

Finally, the mystery of the Devil Horns and it’s relationship rock n’roll has been explained– somewhat anyway.
What we now know is this… Back in the 70’s a guy named Ronnie James Dio, formerly of Black Sabbath, formerly of Rainbow, formerly of Elf and now in his own band aptly titled “Dio” was on stage and did it. He continued to do it at successive shows and it became his trademark until it caught on and is now seen on rocker hands held high all across this lovely world of ours.
The only thing that still remains a mystery is the why of it… why did he do it the first time. That we may never know. 😉
I bet these guys seen at a recent Pennywise show just do it they think it’s cool… except for the renegade in the bunch who chose to shoot a bird for the camera instead.

empireinterior
Originally uploaded by Charrmer.

So this is what a sold out show looks like! This picture was taken just after the headlining band Social Distortion left the stage and the house lights went on. I have been in this venue so many times now but I never saw a crowd this big. The building capacity is 872. Who wants to count the number of people in this photo? Go on, I dare you!
Social Distortion put out their first album in 1983. According to Lars they have been around for 25 years and he would know. I was looking forward to shooting them!
So, I sweetly introduced myself to the tour manager as one of the house photographers… You’d have thought I’d asked him if I could sing the first number with the guys. He was rabid! “NO PHOTOS, no video, no recordings of any kind! If I even SEE a camera (as he stared at the one slung over my shoulder) I’ll take it away!” With that loud and terse statement he turned and left. Buh bye.
We skedaddled to the balcony…
I will add this though. Social Distortion did a fantastic cover of Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire. Wow. Loved it!

lars
Originally uploaded by Charrmer.

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice.” said Lars Fredricksen in a recent interview with Jamie O’Meara for Hour.ca
In person he is true to his quote. I met Lars last night during the Social Distortion show and he was as polite, genteel and sweet as could be. I had heard he was there– somewhere. In the balcony area I sidled up to a man with a sliver of space to his right and asked if I could share. “Please do” he said with a smile. We talked about the band playing etc. and I saved his spot when he went out for a smoke. After a few minutes Kevin taps me on the shoulder and says “That’s Lars!” I really had no idea. With all his leather and tatts I just figured he was with the Hells Angels group just behind us. His band is hardcore punk and very well known. He’s in Rancid too. Don’tcha just love some of the band names?

Paul shoots Charr shooting Peja
Originally uploaded by Charrmer.

Here I am photographing Peja Stojakovich who is posing for a series of Paradyme ads I had the honor to shoot. It so happens that The Sacramento Bee did a story on the new alliance– Peja and Paradyme– and sent staffer Paul Kitagaki to document the ad shoot. Little did he know I would be there as one of his subjects. I used to work with Paul (a fantastic photographer) so it was wonderful seeing him… I was in the groove shooting and forgot he was there until I get up on the bed for the perfect angle and I hear “Oh man, I gotta shoot this!” and then a million shutter clicks later here it is. It’s running with another story in tomorrow’s paper about the concern Paradyme has about the ad campaign now that Peja has expressed a desire to leave the Kings.

I caught some good natured flack from a pal about my less than flattering visual description of Patti Smith. I pondered this awhile because I thought they may have had a valid point. I was unusually honest. I generally want to be nice but lately a part of me wants to be more real and free in what I show and tell so the bottom line came down to these three things–

First, my father gave me advice about writing a news story when I was a teenager. He said always determine what the most surprising or alarming thing you saw or heard was and tell it, tell it first.

The second thing– and I will quote one of my favorite movies “Almost Famous”, the seasoned rock writer gives this sage advice to the young man about to do his first piece for Rolling Stone Magazine… “Be honest and unmerciful”. Those are powerful words.

The third– It’s a personal web log, full of fluff and occasional opinions wise or silly– all viewed through my own personal filter of life.

Part of the issue here is Vanity (one of the seven deadly sins). It’s the tricky underbelly some of us deal with on a daily basis so we want/need to be careful. I still respect the notion of honesty though as long as it’s not meant to hurt anyone. Someone like Patti Smith is remarkable, able to express herself with exquisiteness. What I admire beyond measure about all entertainers and artists is that very courage to spill their insides out and share who they really are. I may not have painted a flattering visual picture of Patti but the point was that her inner beauty transcended all the outer trappings. If by some impossible chance Patti ever reads this then I want to say here and now– Patti, you rock.

rocker thing
Originally uploaded by Charrmer.

So, what is this anyway? This devil horns, goat horns thing? What does it symbolize exactly? People I see and photograph at the metal shows do it ALL THE TIME. Does anyone actually know what it means specifically? Just curious….

Patti Smith
Originally uploaded by Charrmer.

Patti Smith, a rock and roll legend in many ways, performed at The Empire last night. She’s a remarkable songwriter and artist/poet. In fact, Gilda Radner did a takeoff on Patti Smith on Saturday Night Live as “Candy Slice,” a rock singer who belched and spit her way through a song before collapsing on the stage in a heap. She was also a close friend and roommate of controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Smith was wonderful on stage last night (and didn’t spit even once… ;).
The promoter let me know somewhere mid-show that there were certain restrictions. First he was told no pro photogs at all but when he explained we were the house photographers her people acquiesced. Ok, we could shoot from the sides only, not upfront or up close, and only during the second song. Hmmmm, well, since we were about five songs into the show by then I figured oh well, headed up to the balcony, shot some stage overalls and enjoyed the show.
This photo was shot during the second song… She had such a welcoming and appreciative manner as she stood on that stage. She has masculine features, a bit of a mustache, her hair hung loosely in a tangle and her clothes were weathered and sagging on her thin frame– but she was truly beautiful. The kind of beauty that permeates a being, and invites you in to bask for awhile.