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Dirty Heads, 311, The Interrupters, and more at DTE Energy Music Theatre was a foggy Michigan evening.

No, not actual fog. Fog machines, vape pens, weed, all filled DTE Energy Music Theatre on a very warm, very humid Friday July 5th. Co-headling their summer tour Dirty Heads and 311 alongside friends in The Interrupters and The Dreamers to DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan.

I arrived at DTE to scoop my ticket about 20 minutes before doors so I can get a little hydrated and collect my thoughts before my 2nd DTE show this summer. Dirty Heads copped me a great ticket and a photo pass to give you my first hand account of the gig. I appreciate it fellas! I've been jamming these dudes for years and am stoked to get a shot at photographing and experiencing a great set.

As for 311, this is a band who went massive the year I was in 6th grade, 1994. They have come and gone through the years but I will always listen to this band. I will straight up be in the old folks home listening to 311, Dirty Heads, and The Interrupters, no doubt about it.

As for The Interrupters, they have been touring and putting out music like creative ska punk machines for years. I was lucky enough to photograph them at Warped Detroit 2016 on one of the small stages so to be able to get them at a huge amphitheater show is such a fucking gift to me. Been behind this band for 5 years now. Nothing but admiration and love to them while taking inspiration and letting go of negative energy every time I hear their records.

So sitting around waiting to get escorted for the first band and I have come to a massive realization, I fucking forgot bug spray. Its 90 degrees in the sticks in Michigan. I've done some stupid shit in my life but this is already proving to be some of the dumbest shit ever. Mosquitoes are already making breakfast, lunch, and dinner out of me. Some are going for seconds.

4 piece funky reggae with a hand drummer Bikini Trill started things off groovy and chill. Melodic and beautiful vocals work perfectly with their late afternoon vibes. It's almost as if I need to be falling off a dinosaur floaty trying to pass a joint to a friend in a kangaroo floaty.

We didn't even go back to the normal media hangout area as Bikini Trill only played a couple more songs before they were taking their gear off stage and the fellas in DREAMERS were getting their setup ready.

The breeze is starting to finally come in but I fear a wild storm coming our way. It almost feels inevitable. 6 weeks ago I was here and I heard sirens through multiple cities on the way up Telegraph Ave. I don't have that same deep emotion of impending doom gripping my anxieties.

Dreamers are a completely different vibe. Leaning more towards indie or lighter alternative than reggae at all. At the core of this band is amazing songwriting and with that their third song was a debut live performance of "Take Me Home".

LA's The Interrupters amped up the energy with California Ska Punk that can easily grip a hold of you and make you a fan for life. I know this because it happened to me years ago. The Bivona bros create the perfect soundscape to match their lady leader Aimee Interrupter.

Walking down the amphitheater steps there is a countdown til 311’s set time. At the 5 minute mark smoke starts bellowing out of fog machines on either side of the stage. Once the countdown was up the band walked out on stage to a roaring applause. If you're a pothead and love 311 your goal should be as elevated as these dudes are when they play. I had to sneak a few vape hits in during All Mixed Up, its legal in Michigan ya squares don't freak out. PNut is such an absolute beast on bass and Chad Sextons complex drum beats lift their rhythm section higher than their strains of cannabis.

What an amazing display from this great group of dudes in Dirty Heads. They were so on point that it was hard to keep my concentration on shooting. It happens sometimes. Mostly when artists walk out and command the crowd from the moment their set starts. I’ve never had the privilege of seeing them live before either which adds to the whole experience. To be in a massive amphitheater that is near to my heart, and see more and more bands and artists here, it’s easy to stand here and be grateful. If you get a chance to check out any of these 5 groups live, I highly suggest it.

Lorna Shore return with "Darkest Spawn" and it's fucking brutal.

Lorna Shore had a shakeup in 2018 as longtime vocalist Tom Barber left to join Chelsea Grin. For weeks we wondered who would take the helm and in comes CJ McCreery formerly of Signs of the Swarm. They dropped a video for “This Is Hell” which instilled reassurance to fans around the world that Lorna Shore isn’t going anywhere. This band has put out some of the heaviest shit I’ve ever heard in my life. They write with such accentuated technical skill that my simpleton emo and punk split mind can’t ever figure out half the instrumentation these weirdos have created.

They make me feel stupid. They make me feel weak. They make me feel like I used to feel when I would hear Cannibal Corpse and Death in high school. They are the next obscenely brute deathcore band to take over. 2019 is easily their year, and the case for this is in the pudding ya corndogs! Listen to “Darkest Spawn” because you want to, listen to it again because you need to, then share it because this band fandom shit is a straight up mini-cult without all the letting em fuck your wives. I mean unless that’s like your thing or something, then cult it up. I’ll just listen to this shit when I’m smoking my weed or doing dabs, because to me art is meant to be enjoyed, and I don’t need to sacrifice a goat to feel a part of this shit.

Finally I can sorta smell some things.. : A post contracting Covid-19 post. XD

I think it’s funny that in America we will own multiple cars or big ass houses and live outside of our means just to stunt, but ask for a Netflix password from someone. I had plenty of time to think about subscriptions while sitting in my apartment by myself for 10 days after testing positive for the bug. The moral of the story is, don’t act like you know everything, we’re all idiots. Yes, your boy finally got Covid-19 after 20 months of not missing any days working at a grocery store slinging alcohol. How truly relieved I felt about 5 days when my breathing remained normal and it all broke. The remaining brain fog has kept me from making this post and catching up on the last two shows I shot before I caught it. Doc said I most likely got it the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving at work. Figures.

I brought Covid-19 as a side dish to Thanksgiving and luckily no one got it from me.

How truly rad that is. I am thankful. I am also double vaxxed so yeah, breakthrough case. I was in the middle of working on the last two show’s worth of photos. Those shows were Bad Religion and Alkaline Trio, and Jinjer, Suicide Silence, and All Hail The Yeti. So those are coming. Also, the first-ever end-of-the-year best-of lists of magnificence are coming too. In between writing this draft and getting to the editing portion, I got to shoot a reunion set by Bloodlined Calligraphy. Those photos will be up eventually also along with a nice post about the show and the band. And of course, now things have only gotten worse here in Michigan and stuff is starting to cancel right around Christmas. I don’t have answers, not going to act like I know shit. Just be decent to each other.

I’d like to thank my family and friends for checking in on me, and mostly to my Mother who dropped off a ton of groceries and vitamins to fight this shit off. Also a massive shoutout to my sister who kept up with me every day and kept sending me funny shit and was just the best to talk to while sitting here by myself. I can’t guarantee I will be back shooting shows anytime soon. I’m still dealing with a few things that haven’t led me to feel too confident at the moment. P.S. if you do lose your taste and smell, I found watermelon, to be the absolute best thing. But I am weird as shit. I also liked pineapple, mango, bananas, and steak. Everything else was pretty, pretty, pretty bad. Tip your servers, and quit yelling at people in retail. Christmas and NYE come at the same time. Every year, 24th, 25th, 31st. Every year. You can get 90% of your products for those nights and dinners, anytime during the year.

Take it from me, the guy who never writes on his site when it’s all he should be doing.

Now with all of that being said, I was able to go back to work and see my family. Some of which have contacted Covid also. I still expect more to do so in the coming weeks. I hope they understand that too. It’s not even remotely as terrible for those who are vaccinated vs all of us in the beginning. And that gives me hope. We will deal with it on some level forever. I hope my healthcare people can have some fucking time off, paid. I’m done being mad. It’s out of my hands. Send the tests to every household. Accept responsibility and quit pointing fingers. Be adults. Grow up. That’s what you’re supposed to do when you CHOOSE to LEAD and be IN government. All I know is I’m done talking politics and going back to my world of music. Thank you for sticking with me. Happy Holidays. Good luck.