Rowe's Shows

NYC • For Papa Rowe • my photography my personal blog

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8/6/14 FKA Twigs @ Webster Hall

Favorite Song Performed: Two Weeks

Things I Learned About FKA Twigs Tonight:

Tall people love her

She has the cutest laugh

Her dance moves are beautiful and fluid and I am v jealous

She doesn’t do an encore ;(

I swear she is not a real person…maybe a goddess?

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Feel your body closing, I can rip it open


Suck me up, I'm healing for the shit you're dealing


Smoke on your skin to get those pretty eyes rolling


My thighs are apart for when you’re ready to breathe in


Suck me up, I'm healing with all the shit you're dealing


Motherfucker, get your mouth open, you know you’re mine

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7/29/14 Conor Oberst @ Summerstage

Favorite song performed: Lua

I don’t remember much from this show, but I do remember that I cried when Conor walked onto the stage.

Okay, maybe cried is a little dramatic, I teared up. Regardless, I was excited. Like many twenty-somethings, Conor Oberst soundtracked my angsty high school days and has since remained my favorite musician. I had the chance to shoot the show for the wonderful City Parks Foundation, allowing me access to the photo pit and a closer view to Conor’s beautiful self. I learned later that night that one of the older photographers was actually Conor’s dad and, not to brag, he totally smiled at me. I was also told that after the show, Conor gave one of the SummerStage staffers a hug--if only I had lingered around backstage just a couple minutes longer!!

Unfortunately, I can only remember fan-girling super hard that night, but I can assure you that the opening band, Dawes, and Conor Oberst were great. I’ve seen them both multiple times, definitely see them if they’re ever in your area!

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And I know you have a heavy heart; I can feel it when we kiss

So many men stronger than me have thrown their backs out trying to lift it

But me I'm not a gamble you can count on me to split

The love I sell you in the evening, by the morning won't exist

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7/22/14 Neutral Milk Hotel @ Prospect Park

Favorite Song Performed: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

I loved Britney Spears when Neutral Milk Hotel was on the scene, and it took free tickets to see them in Prospect Park to give them a proper listen. How did I not appreciate them earlier?? I exhausted Neutral Milk Hotel’s discography a week before the show in preparation, but also out of obsession…

"In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" quite literally hurts my heart (yes, I have cried listening to it)

"Song Against Sex" is my go to song when I’m feeling cynical about the human race

"Untitled" makes me want to jump around in my room alone (maybe even play the air bagpipe??)

The show was packed with hipsters of all ages reliving the late 90s/ early 2000s, swaying and lip-syncing along to every song. It was incredible to see the importance of this one band on so many people (I saw a few teary-eyed hipsters during “Oh Comely”).

and this is why I love music.

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What a beautiful face

I have found in this place

That is circling all round the sun

And when we meet on a cloud

I’ll be laughing out loud

I’ll be laughing with everyone I see

Can’t believe how strange it is to be anything at all

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***MY FRIEND DURST BRENEISER TOOK THIS PHOTO***

7/1/14 Beck @ Summerstage

Favorite song performed: Girl

Wow this seems like forever ago...

okay so this is not going to be well written because I can't really remember details that well, I apologize!!!!

The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger opened.

Wow what a beautiful woman Charlotte Kemp Muhl is.

After they played "Animals," Sean Lennon said that it was " the closest we've played this song to 5th ave."

Beck then came on and I realized how little he is.

Started the show with "Devils Haircut"

Then he had a badass acoustic Harmonica solo

There was a screen malfunction during "Blue Moon" -- the visuals disappeared and the computer's desktop was projected onto the stage

Beck said: "I've never played in Central Park...legally"

The age spectrum was very interesting. It spanned from a 5 year old boy to a middle-aged man showing pics of his garden on his smartphone.

He forgot the lyrics to a song and joked that it was because people smoking were weed, I think is was the song "Modern Guilt"

The crowd went appropriately crazy for "Loser"

After playing "Que' Onda Guero," Beck said, "that was a real treat"

He then said, "Are you ready? It's not a requirement to be ready," and proceeded to play "E-Pro" 

Encore

"Sexx Laws"

"Debra" -- during this sexxy slow jam, Beck was talking to people in the crowd, saying "Hey what's up" in a super sexxy manner

He then took off his jacket and said:

"It's real love..I don't need a cape..I don't event need a jacket...I don't even need a shirt"

He then performed a jammin' rendition of "Where It's At." Little kids with tambourines flooded the stage and Sean Lennon had ribbon-decorated tambourine solo.

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She doesn't even know what's wrong

And I know I'm gonna make her die

Take her where her soul belongs

And I know I'm gonna steal her eye

Nothing that I wouldn't try

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6/19-22/2014 Telluride Bluegrass Fest @ Telluride, CO

Favorite Performance: Nickel Creek

(also necessary to mention Bela Fleck because wow he kills it on the banjo)

I went to Telluride Bluegrass Fest with my family and it was so. much. fun.

We would hike in the morning, pack blankets/snacks/etc., then head out to relax in the sun and listen to the beautiful, beautiful sound of banjos and mandolins.

Telluride was the most relaxed fest I've been to: people stake out a piece of land, put down a blanket, and stay in that once place for the whole day. It was a very different experience than Gov Ball and Shaky Knees (most likely has to do with the fact that pot is legal in Colorado...everybody was probably high). The relaxed vibe made it perfect for a family fest. Our family could stay together as a group without anyone needing a break from standing/crowds/etc. 

We saw A LOT of bluegrass, so here are my favorites of the fest:

Nickel Creek - so much foot stomping and hand clapping

Bela Fleck - WOW dude can play the banjo

The Lone Below - we actually saw them walking around town!!

Jason Isbell - my sis is in love with him

Del McCoury Band - legends!

Ray LaMontagne - except that he called the crowd "walking dead"

Steve Winwood - each song turned into a 30 min jam

Brandi Carlile - my sis was NOT into it and it was hilarious ~fuckubrandi~ (jokes, jokes)

Andrew Bird - we didn't have tix for that day so we listened from outside of the venue

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The Fox and his Wife, without any strife 

They cut up the goose with a fork and a knife 

And they never had such a supper in their life 

And the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o 

They never had such a supper in their life 

And the little ones chewed on the bones

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6/11/14 Sharon Van Etten @ The Sinclair

Favorite song performed: I Know

Two things you should know - 

1. I have a huge girl crush on SVE. I interned at her management company and would get giddy when she would call or come into the office. 

2. My sister rocks.

I was visiting my sis in Boston during the summer and she recommended that we try out a restaurant she had never been to. She took me to the "kitchen" at the music venue The Sinclair and when we sat down, she pulled out two tickets to Sharon Van Etten's sold out show happening right next door. After thanking my sister a million times, we ate a lovely dinner (the Brussels sprouts are out of this world) and headed to the show.

I think it goes without saying that SVE killed it. She has such a powerful voice that one can only truly grasp when seeing her perform live. Also she is beautiful and adorable and so sweet UGH.

During a silence in the show, I yelled out to her that I used to intern for her manager. We had a mini conversation midway through the show, with me yelling at her from the middle of the audience. She recognized me from my intern daze, then dedicated "Serpents" to me, and gave me a hug when I talked to her after the show.

Thank you sister Rowe for surprising me with tix to SVE's sold out show in Boston! I think we can all agree that I have the best sibling ever.

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Now I turn into a lover on the side

I cannot tell the poet eye apart from mine

And now you see me with a tear fall on my right

I know you know

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June 2014 Summer Camp Season 2 @ Camp Lenox

okay its been too long since this passed to write something long and comprehensive about this AWESOME ever but here are a few details: 

Bands

Skaters

So So Glos

Freelance Whales

Great Good Fine Ok

Yellerkin

Younger Me

I crowd surfed for the first time at So So Glos, met a lot of crazy cool people, danced my butt of at GGFO, had magical friend bonding during Yellerkin, swam in a lake, ate lots of yummy yummy Pretzel Chips, jumped around to Skaters...

BASICALLY I HAD SO MUCH FUN AT CAMP!!!

can't wait till next year ;)

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update from 2013 whoops

I've been to a crazy amount of shows since my last post, so here is a non-comprehensive list of shows I went to since May 2013 but am too lazy to write about:

Daughter / Wilsen

The National

Gov Ball

Luke Rathborne / Boytoy (I booked this show!)

Foxygen

Ben Howard

Disclosure

Jimmy Eat World

Welcome Campers Season I, 2013

Kishi Bashi

Alt J

Nels Cline

Jake Bugg

Vampire Weekend

CMJ 2013

Washed Out / Ghost Beach

Noosa / Stone Cold Fox / Charly Bliss / Yellerkin (I booked this show!)

Chris Isaak

Langhorne Slim (acoustic)

The Pizza Underground

Ryan Hemsworth / Wet

Kanye West

Ratking

Real Estate

White Denim

Lorde / Lo-Fang

Houndmouth

Dan Croll / Panama Wedding

Mac DeMarco

Shaky Knees 2014

Tokyo Police Club

Pro Era

Welcome Campers Season II

Sharon Van Etten

Charles Bradley / Mac Demarco

Telluride Bluegrass Fest 2014

Shovels & Rope / Valerie June

Sam Sparro

Jon Batiste

Beck / GOASTT

Neon Trees

Andrew Bird

Bonobo / Cibo Matto / Odesza

actually, I may write about some of these...we'll see!

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This is very overdue, but I went to the Lou Reed public memorial at the Lincoln Center and had a lot of feelings, so I wrote them down:

    I arrived at Lincoln Center clad in black and unsure of what I was about to experience. I followed the low groans of guitars through the courtyard and to the Paul Milstein Pool & Terrace, where I saw about one hundred mourners congregating to the soundtrack of Lou Reed’s greatest works. When I arrived at the terrace, the two audio speakers set up in front of the crowd were blasting “Vicious,” my first ever-favorite Lou Reed song. Within the first 5 seconds of being at the public memorial service, I was already tearing up.

“Vicious / Hey, you hit me with a flower / You do it every hour / Oh, baby you're so vicious.”

    The gathering was evidence Lou Reed’s extensive influence—there were old punks in leather jackets, millennial hipsters, and everyone in between. There were no speeches and no live performances, only an open space and a sound system. It allowed for a very raw experience, one in which Reed’s virtuoso lyrics and guitar playing were the sole centerpiece. The simplicity of the memorial allowed people to react honestly to his music, letting their years of inspired gratitude flow through their head nods and foot taps. I saw one particular man, probably in his late 50s, with long shaggy black hair and a beat up leather jacket, sitting directly in front of a speaker, facing the sound waves and singing every lyric.

“Here she comes, you better watch your step / She's going to break your heart in two, it's true”

    When the beginning melody of “Femme fatale,” rang through the speakers, I was brought back to my first time with the album The Velvet Underground and Nico. I found each track on YouTube and listened in succession, studying the Warhol banana and taking in the various sounds of fuzzy pop of songs like “Sunday Morning” and the ragged punk of cacophonous anthems like “Heroin.” The Velvet Underground and Nico introduced me to the essence of rock—the music is a raw, and it served as a critical departure from synth-y and overproduced songs that dominated my library. After that first listen, I immediately asked my dad to send me all of the Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground songs he owned.

"This celebration really gets me down because I know you're not around"

    Since moving to New York, I’ve been able to more fully grasp the breadth of Lou Reed’s influence. Independent music is thriving in the city, and we have Lou Reed to thank for his avant-garde artistry and punk philosophies. He wrote songs for the marginalized and challenged pop culture with these outcast themes. His work changed the way I listen to music and opened my ears to innovation. As I left the memorial (teary-eyed, of course), Lou Reed’s “Gimmie Some Good Times” echoed through the Lincoln Center’s courtyard. It followed me down walking down Broadway, into the D train, and back home to Lower Manhattan.

“Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie some good times / Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie some pain / No matter how ugly you are / You know to me it all looks the same”

~

    His legacy lives on throughout the city: in the crevices of the sidewalk, in the bricks of the old buildings, in the polluted smog we breathe.

    There is a certain air of intense creative energy in Union Square where Andy Warhol's Factory once stood. The ghosts of 70s punks drift through St. Marks Place, and a sense of complacent urgency lingers on. The Lower East Side harbors an atmosphere of amateur inspiration—it is almost as if you can hear the echoes of Reed's lyrics ringing through abandoned alleyways.

"New York City's the place where they said / 'Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side'"

May you rest in peace.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, Music Hall of Williamsburg 04/25/13

I didn't know anything about Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr before I went to see them live so I didn't know what to expect...

What kind of people like their music? Answer: Bros and hipsters who want to get down. Are they known for good live shows? Answer: Not sure if they are known for it, but they do put on a high energy show. Who are Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr?! Answer: Just some guys from Detroit who aim to make you dance.

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr didn't just perform songs (my favorite number being "Vocal Chords") -- they put on a show. They had bubbles. They had flashing lights. They had special effects projected onto a huge orb in the center of the stage. They even had glow in the dark polyester jackets. 

At one point in the show, the lead singer jumped into audience and practically moshed with fans while singing. Not only did he push my boob (awk), he also bumped into a fan, causing his beer to spill on me. The singer apologized after the song and said "I'll buy you all new outfits." How could I stay mad at him? Especially after he complimented me (meaning the New York crowd) by saying, "you guys are always the best."

Though New York is the best, the group ended with the ode to their hometown, "We Almost Lost Detroit." Of course, they came back on for an encore of "If You Didn't See Me, You Weren't On the Dancefloor," which served as an anthem for the audience dance party comprised of bankers in polos and girls in high-waisted shorts. As I joined in with my fellow fans, all thoughts escaped me and I couldn't help but move and shake. I look for that kind of experience in a good show -- the chance to get away from all stress, let go, and allow happiness to overcome you.

The last note I took on the show is as follows: "Ended with 'Nothing But Our Love,' guy literally fell backwards." I don't remember who fell backwards on to what, so I'll leave that to your imagination.

[Just an aside: During the opener (who was a great performer, he really commanded attention and interacted with the audience), the drummer of Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr passed by me yet no one seemed to recognize him. It is interesting how no one paid him any attention, but once he was on stage he was no longer just the guy with the long hair, he was a drummer in a cool band!]