Mae @ the Pageant — 2007.12.11
In a tight, 40-minute performance, Mae lit up the Pageant and its near-sold out crowd with bright, melodic rock and perfect pop hooks. While Motion City Soundtrack was headlining, Mae drew an enthusiastic reaction and received a great lighting treatment that let me put the Nikon D3 to a proper test.
Anberlin @ the Pageant — 2007.12.11
Anberlin launched in a 35-minute set under dim backlighting in a performance that was dominated by the rock band’s bright melodies and frontman Stephen Christian‘s constant movement on stage. Even at ISO 12800, the dull lighting schemes were a challenge for the D3 and 24-70mm f/2.8.
The October, Go Van Gogh @ Cicero’s — 2007.11.30
As much as it’s fun to shoot in beautifully lit venues like the Pageant, that’s not always where the best bands play. Such was the case last week with the October and Go Van Gogh, who opened for Semi Precious Weapons in two solid sets on Cicero’s intimate stage.
The Cult @ the Pageant — 2007.11.29
Almost 25 years after their formation, the Cult laid down a solid performance of no-nonsense hard rock at the Pageant.
Soft @ the Blender Theatre — 2007.11.16
Opening in support of VHS or Beta and Moving Units, Brooklyn-based Soft brought a mix of Britpop-inspired tunes that drew heavily from their 2007 release, Gone Faded.
Regina Spektor @ the Pageant — 2007.11.12
Wearing a shimmering dark gray dress, Regina Spektor flew through a quick set that clocked in just over an hour, including the encore. Having played the small, 300-capacity Creepy Crawl almost exactly a year ago, it was rewarding to see Spektor playing the Pageant to 2,000 smiling fans in a sold-out show.
The Mountain Goats @ the Billiken Club — 2007.11.10
Following the previous night’s taser fiasco at the Girl Talk show, the more low-key stylings of John Darnielle and the Mountain Goats were a welcome change. Darnielle, joined by longtime collaborator Peter Hughes on bass and Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster, delivered his emphatically human narratives in a tight, cathartic set.
Operator @ the Pageant — 2007.11.06
California-based group Operator brought a dose of hard rock to the Pageant in support of Avenged Sevenfold. Led by singer and sometimes actor Johnny Strong with guitarwork by former Puddle of Mudd member Paul Phillips, Operator was a tough shoot, the lighting of which foreshadowed the setup to come.
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