The Gaslight Anthem were one of those bands I’ve been hearing about for a while but had never given them a listen. But as it turned out I knew two of their three songs they played before we got the boot from the photo pit. They’re a Jersey band with definitive roots to the Garden State’s prodigal rock son. You know, that guy simply known as Bruuuuce.

The photo pit was crowded and HOT. They came onstage in the early afternoon and if you know anything about Tennessee, you can imagine. By the end of the third song, I had my fill of sweaty people rubbing up against me and was happy to escape and catch a few more songs from the side of the stage.

Body – Nikon D3, f5.6, 1/1250, 500 ISO (varied slightly)

Lens – 70-200 2.8

Next up was Damian Marley and Nas…

The challenge shooting two leads in a band is obvious.  Magazines are not going to run your photo of Nas if the story is about Damian Marley AND Nas. And when you have two MC’s that like to roam the stage you are more or less left with trying to capture them as they walk by each other. Let’s face it, you’re not going to get a Jon and Richie sharing a mic moment with these two. I was just happy with getting them both in my frame for maybe 10 or so frames.

Either way, they killed it. And I’m not sure who decided that having the whitest guy in America, Conan O’Brien, introduce them was a good idea? But is there anyone better at pointing out the obvious in such a self-deprecating way.

Body – Nikon D3, f4, 1/1250, 1000 ISO (varied slightly)

Lens – 70-200 2.8