You may or may not have heard of Prima Donna, hailing from Los Angeles. If you haven’t heard their particular brand of sixties-ish Sonics era garage inspired rocknroll, do yourself a favor and change that. Like, right now. It’s okay, go. I’ll wait.

Maybe pop open a new window and listen while you read.

Ready now?

The band is currently touring the US and had a quick stop in Philly at the Khyber bar on a Wednesday night at the end of July. Me and the Honah Lee boys headed down to support. I’d been warned by friends who saw them in NYC a few days before that the party would probably go well into Thursday morning, and I don’t know why I didn’t pay closer attention to that. I didn’t make it through much of the afterparty at all, and I was up till close to 4am. Let’s just say work on Thursday was ROUGH.

Prima Donna’s stage presence is a force to be reckoned with. Honestly. I was so unbelievably giddy at how these boys completely rocked my lens off my face. They were an absolute dream to photograph, killing it on stage and delivering a live show that needs to be seen. Not many bands give me what I want while on stage. So many times my ears and eyes make a compromise. Tonight was NOT one of those nights. I can only hope that my live shots can hint at a fraction of how impressive they are on stage. True showmen, I don’t think their singer/guitarist Kevin Preston ever touched the stage with both feet for more than a few seconds all night long. The guy can catch some serious air and can kick higher than any dude I know.

After the set ended and the band loaded out, we milled around outside on the street, trying to figure out what to do next. I think my favorite quote for the night was from Kevin, who looked me square in the eyes with a very serious expression and said “So, are you people ready to drink or WHAT?”

He found the right crew of people tonight. Honah Lee is always ready to party. Come on now.

Plans were made for the band to crash with the Honah Lees at Tim’s house, and off they went in search of Paddy’s Pub from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” I told the Prima Donnas that it didn’t exist. They swore that it did, in fact, exist, and that they were going to find it. We sent Tim with the band to help them navigate their way back to our area, while the rest of us headed back home. And that’s when the real fun started. Or so I’m told…

Here is a very large set of images from their set at the Khyber. I can’t freaking wait until they come around again. Next time, I’ll take the day off work.

 

After a wicked week of craziness, sadly our west coast friends had to make their way back to California. After a brutal hangover morning at home, Jim and Tanya and I shook off our hangovers temporarily to go and say goodbye to the Cobras before they headed back to the city and then back home.

With barely a voice to speak of and Jim turning various shades of green, our visit to the hotel was brief, but hugs and goodbyes were exchanged.

Somewhere along the way, a “party squirrel” was acquired by the Cobras. Turns out you can’t take a squirrel on an airplane… so Sketch, wherever you are, buddy… Happy trails. My favorite image from the goodbye-ing is of Dirty Nasty, with his new employee badge and tour sunglasses.

Though this tour was over, there are many more tours to be had. That I’m sure of. Plans for Party! Party! Party! Part 2! were already in the works as their van pulled away. You just wait.

 

"EYYYY SPAGHETTI HEAD! I'M ROCKIN' HERE!!!" WILD times with these Cobras!

With my foggy memories from this whirlwind tour, I forgot to mention that Lori, Tim, and Jim and I kidnapped Trell (the Cobras’ keyboardist) and took him home to Trenton with us after Don Hill’s. Muahahaha!!!

Once we got back to Tim and Jen’s house, poor exhausted Lori headed home, and we proceeded to light up the party shed and keep it going – at some ridiculous hour like 4am (or something) while everyone else went to bed. Boo, hiss. We, officially, were the champions. The sun was coming up but still we sang, danced, drank, and laughed together. Turns out aside from killing it on the keys, Trell is an accomplished songwriter in his own right. This night solidified it, we officially want to adopt Trell.

Shortly after we got there, Jenny finally got home from closing the bar and joined in the fun. We filled her in on the night’s details – still beaming and ridiculously excited from all that went down. It was getting brighter outside and the birds were chirping, and I think sometime around 8am we decided to lay down for a few minutes. After all, there was much more rocking to do tonight.

A few hours later the Cobras‘ bus rolled up to Tim’s house and everyone was in a mad dash to get ready for the show at the Mill Hill. So let’s see: Cobras + entourage + Honah Lees + entourage = a shit ton of people squooshed into Tim and Jen’s house. It was like a meth-inspired game of twister getting all these folks ready.

This night was to be the final show of the tour, and already I was starting to get sentimental. We were all pretty frikking haggard, dirty and exhausted, and I was running on negative sleep, with hardly a voice at all from all of the “YEAAAHHHHHH!-ing” I did at each show. I think I probably blew my voice from screaming like a banshee at the Foxboro show for three hours and then continuing to sing at Tim’s. Oh well.

Since it was my birthday week, I was surprised to have a BBQ birthday party during the afternoon at Tim’s. So all 8,000 of us did a little grillin and chillin, and I was treated to a surprise birthday cake in the shape of a Polaroid land camera. My boyfriend is so wonderful – I had no idea. Our friend Mrs. Holman made the cake – and not only was it precise in detail, it was positively DELICIOUS!! Yums.

The Honah Lee boys had a mini dance party beneath our new disco ball (at the expense of Brian’s fingers, whoops) and we started to begin the pregaming. As IF we needed more beer in our systems. But we did it anyway. Rocknroll is not for everyone.

After that it was time to head out to the Mill and get this last show on the road already.

The Mill was packed and I was excited to show our hometown crowd what we’d been talking about forever and a day and let them experience the Cobras for themselves. I particularly loved this show because the bands could get very personal with the crowd.

Tim mentioned stepping up his game after the Foxboro show – and I think he did a great job this night, running into the crowd, and generally being over the top. The photo of Tim singing directly into Jenny’s face was recently used in a book for their wedding. I found it extremely appropriate. He also made sure I documented his “Jesus of Subeerbia” move, feeding beer to Jim and Dim, but screwing Tony out of a drink. By the time Tony said “EYYYY, Where’s my beer?,” he only ended up getting one spilled on him. This is what happens when there’s a bottle of something completely drank by Tim alone. You’ll see.

Anyhow, between cables hanging from the basement ceiling and a bunch of deliriously tired and drunk rockers we had an excellent night. And in true Mill Hill fashion, at closing time we all spilled out into the street for a late night photo shoot, including a giant F YOU picture for a band that is too shitty to mention by name. Yeah, that’s right. I said it.

The night ended with Ozzy, I mean Tim, barfing down the side of the band van. His lei lay there in the street, covered in puke. It was the perfect, most appropriate ending I could think of.

There was drunk talk of an afterparty that never materialized, but Tanya came back with us to Tim’s to crash, in hopes of us having a Sunday Funday.

This show was a blast and I’m extremely proud of these rock shots. You Cobras are crazy, and I love you all. I only wish we could tour more often. Listen to me talk… like I play an instrument. Ha.

So I’m going to shut up now and let the pictures do the talking. I really did try to edit these down but some of them were too funny NOT to post.

 

NEXT UP: Saying goodbye to our newfound friends.

Wait... What the hell is going on?

Waking up after the crazy night I had at Asbury wasn’t easy. But, since I woke up literally 10 minutes before checkout, I kind of blindly fumbled around, grabbed my things, and hit the road.

Friday morning was BRIGHT and sunny (ow!!) and made me feel a little like a wampire. Blehhhh. Creeping out into the blazing sunshine, I grabbed a coffee and a terrible sandwich from the local gas station, and we were back in the car heading home to get ready for the night’s festivities in NYC.

Even through my hungover, throbbing eyes I could hardly wait.

Camera bag packed and batteries charged, back on the train I went, heading into Manhattan. The Honah Lee boys and the Cobras had to be at the venue relatively early to load in and soundcheck, so I just met them all there. It was pretty early in the day, and as the buzz spread about the show, the line grew all the way down the block and around the corner behind the venue. I could hardly believe it.

Apparently the Reverend Strychnine Twitch (AKA Billie Joe Armstrong) had twittered about the show and all of the iphone-toting Honeydips and Big Dogs were out in full force to participate in a little Lushology. Can’t say that I blame them. I had no idea that the show I was about to witness was about to blow my silly little mind.

Hours passed and each band (including the Foxboro Hot Tubs!) soundchecked and headed off to get ready for the show. The real rockstars were transported in fancy vans to their swanky hotels. Us poor folk just waited outside in the clothes we’d worn all day. They finally let us in and my giddy self was excited to be let in with the bands. Glad I had my lammie – it definitely saved my ass this night.

The place filled up quickly, and Honah Lee went on first. The thing I love about shooting these boys is that we all know how it’s going to go. I normally stand near Jim (and tonight was no exception), and as the lights went down and they went on, I could tell that they too were thinking “Is this really happening? Wait, hold on, is this for real?” In fact, one of my favorite shots from this show (seen above) is of Tim making eye contact with me making a face like “Is this FOR REAL?” Yes, buddy! IT IS! It cracks me up.

They started with a bang and the crowd seemed to be into them. I made it a point to sort of eavesdrop on the conversations going on around me while they played. All of the comments I heard were positive. One guy behind me said “Hey, I actually dig this!” and with the next song, he got louder, “HEY! I ACTUALLY DIG THIS TOO!!” and it continued through song after song. I was literally exploding with joy. Finally! Love!! Lori Carpenter and I were right on the front of the stage, singing and dancing our asses off. This was Lori’s first Hot Tubs/Green Day small venue experience, so I was excited to show her WHY I love seeing bands like this in small places. She had no idea what was about to go on.

My boys were doing SO well!! The only damper on the evening was that Tim’s fiancee Jenny couldn’t get anyone at her bar to cover her shift for her so she could come to the city with us. It broke my heart to see them up there doing so well with such a HUGE opportunity to share their music with a whole new audience, and she couldn’t be there to see her honey shine so brightly. So I made sure to keep on texting her throughout the night and sent her some mobile phone photos while they played.

All was well with the set until Tony punctured his kick drum head (which sounded like a wet load of doody), and then it became a game of “who can tell the corniest jokes to kill time while the drum tech replaces the kick drum.” Cue the Benny Hill music and silly running around. Thankfully the drum tech was lightning fast and the whole exchange didn’t take more than 4 minutes – which probably seemed like ages to the band. Initially my fear was “Did Tony just puncture Tre’s drum? Jesus…” but it turns out he only busted his own drum. Phew.

With a new drum in place the boys finished their set and left the stage. My mooney-eyed, excited self was even treated to a sweaty, post-rock kiss from my love, leaning over from the stage. Gosh, I’m such a lucky girl! <3 <3 <3

After Honah Lee, the Cobras came on and you could feel the venue heating up. The Mystic Knights of the Cobra put on more than just a show, it’s an experience. You witness a theater-worthy performance each time they play. If you ever get the chance to go and see them play live, please don’t wait. It’s really something to behold.

Having played and toured with the Hot Tubs before, the crowd knew the Cobras and their songs and were ready to tear the house down. It was so awesome to see our friends be so well received by the crowd. Their popular hit “El Camino” (which is freaking catchy as all getout) had the whole venue chanting and jumping and going nuts. I was still on stage left (in front of Chino) and was starting to get pressed harder up against the stage as their set went on. So much for getting another beer or using the bathroom. I was in this spot for the long haul.

Finally it was time for the Foxboro Hot Tubs to come on. OMG. I was SOOOO excited. Not only did my boys just share a stage with them, but we were in a tiny venue, the day after my birthday, and I had my camera. Camera dork overload! SO excited!

And then one of the bouncers came over to me.

“Excuse me miss, you can’t have that camera in here.”

“What? Why not?”

“No shooting Foxboro, sorry! You have to either leave the venue or leave your gear with the front door.”

My heart broke right there. Not only were they asking me to not take pictures, but I couldn’t even stay in the venue with my bag. I wanted to cry.

The door to Don Hill’s was not monitored or manned, or locked, for that matter. This guy was asking me to put my gear, my livelihood, in an unmanned doorway basically with a sign on it that said “steal me!”

I explained to the guy that I would really rather not leave it in the doorway to be stolen, that I was a photographer and that it’s my main source of income. He seemed to understand. He made me strike a deal with him: “If you promise to put it on the floor here by me and NOT use it – NOT EVEN ONCE!!!, you can stay where you are. But if I see you take that camera out even one time, you’ll be kicked out of the venue.”

I agreed. No photography tonight. Sigh.

I was really sad that I had my gear with me and wasn’t allowed to use it. But if that’s what Foxboro wants, who the hell am I to argue? They had their tour photographer Chris Dugan on duty, and that’s totally fine by me. His work blows mine out of the water so if there’s anyone allowed to shoot, it’s him. Oh, and did I mention that the great Bob Gruen (!) was there shooting as well? So yeah, I’m okay with taking the ax for those guys.

The worst part about it all was that the MOMENT that the Hot Tubs appeared on stage, literally EVERYONE had a camera and was snapping away. EVERYONE. Not even kidding. The place became a flood of flashes and hands in the air with pocket cameras. I grumbled to myself. The security guy kept an eye on me the whole time, as he was directly in front of me. No pictures.

As I look back on that and really think on it, while I’m bummed, I’m really not. Not having my camera to worry about was liberating. I was free to, oh, I dunno, catch a certain frontman when he hung upside down from pipes in the ceiling and flung himself into the crowd. I was free to bathe in a waterfall of PBR without a care in the world. I was free to crack up while Trell (one of the Cobras) whipped Billie Joe in the face multiple times with a can of PBR, only to see him laugh it off once he realized it was friendly fire. I was free to throw my arms up in the air, sing with my whole self, and get thrown around in the crowd. I was free to get on stage and dance near Jason White when the entire crowd was invited on stage. No camera? Yeah, minor bummer, but I believe that the memories I have from that performance far outweigh the photos that I might have taken, or worse yet, the damage my camera may have endured with all that PBR flying around.

Don’t misunderstand: that band, and the Rev in particular, drank more PBR than I’ve ever seen ANYONE consume, ever. And I hang out with Moscow Girls, Pintos, and am a patron at the Mill Hill Saloon. Seriously. They must have gone through multiple 30 packs on stage… I lost count.

If I had the opportunity and the band’s permission, I’d LOVE to shoot one of their shows. I just think that for my first time, this was probably the BEST way to see them. I could really enjoy it. And believe me, I did.

After Honah Lee’s set, Tim had made his way through the crowd and was talking to lots of fans. He was WASTED. I mean, whoa. But it was great. He found Lori and I and came up close with a HUGE armful of PBR’s for us and totally joined the fun up front. The three of us had a blast. A few times I looked over at Lori’s face and she was visibly blown away. “I told you,” I mouthed.

If you’ve never been to a Hot Tubs show, you just don’t know. So. freaking. awesome.

Toward the end of the set the band covered the Cobras’ “El Camino,” and the Cobra ladies got up on stage to sing. The place went crazy, bouncing yet again to that catchy song. It went on and on, and on some more.

We heard “Stop Drop and Roll” about 6 times, and “It’s Fuck Time” maybe 7 or 8. I didn’t care. It was seriously the greatest birthday present I could have ever asked for.

The show went on for literally almost 3 hours. They covered the Who’s “A Quick One While He’s Away,” and even played “Blood, Sex, and Booze,” to my great surprise.

Frikkin amazing.

The show ended and my ears were ringing but I really didn’t care. Perma-grin was in full effect and I was in a happy fog.

Seriously, did that just happen?

The Cobras and Honah Lee headed downstairs to the band green room, which was controlled by a stupidly-narrow hallway. How you’re supposed to get amps and people and drums through there I don’t know. Jim lead me by the hand to the hallway and then we were split up by someone going the other way. The bouncer manning the door threw me against the wall with his forearm under my NECK and said “Where the HELL do you think YOU are going???”

“Downstairs,” I said, trying to swallow, unsuccessfully.

“Oh no you’re not.”

“Does this mean anything?” (I held up my laminate)

(Bouncer looks shocked) “Oh, sorry. Yeah, go ahead.”

PHEW.

The scene in the green room was fun. We hung out and had some beers and talked about music. We sang Happy Birthday to Stef, and then continued the sweaty night out into the streets of NYC.

Lori graciously drove the band van home from the city, with a carload of us drunkies and I seem to vaguely remember Tim wanting to hang out the sliding door or window or something. It’s kind of a blur.

In my opinion, the blurry nights are probably my favorites. This one was certainly a night I won’t soon forget – well, the parts I can remember, anyway.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!!!!!

Here are the pics!

 

NEXT: DAY 4 at Tim’s and the Mill Hill. Coming soon!!!

We rock. That is all.

After an epic start to the tour at Arlene’s Grocery, we headed down to Asbury Park for the next show at Asbury Lanes. I have to say that in hindsight, I think the Arlene’s show was probably my favorite. Both bands had something to prove. I felt like a proud mama hen watching my boys that night. These Honah Lee boys work so unbelievably hard week after week after week after week, writing, playing, rehearsing and then rehearsing some more. It was nice to see all those practices and late weeknights start to pay off with tours like this one.

Anyway, one of my birthday wishes for this milestone birthday was to have an actual birthday show. No, not just “be” at a show on my birthday, blah blah blah. No, I wanted to actually have the show BE my birthday party.  I’ve been living with/dating a musician for a very long time now, and have never had the pleasure of having a birthday show. Well, this year, for the big 3-0, after a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle “hinting,” I got my wish.

The show was scheduled to be at Asbury Lanes, which is one of my all-time favorite venues. First of all it’s right on the beach, and I love the beach (in particular Asbury Park), and second of all, it’s just a really cool spot with a funky interior and awesome people – and an excellent snack bar with cheap snacks. It’s a bowling alley that’s been converted to a bar/concert venue. You can still totally bowl while the bands play – there are lanes on either side of the stage that still work. The middle 3 or 4 lanes have been converted to the stage. It’s freaking awesome. If we lived closer I think I’d become a regular for sure.

Before heading down to Asbury, during the afternoon Jim and I went out to lunch with my parents to celebrate my birthday. It was lovely. Mid-lunch my phone started ringing off the hook. I pushed it to “silent” to enjoy lunch and not be disturbed but the amount of times it was ringing was telling me I should pick up. And I’m glad I did. I snatched the phone up and headed outside to get the call.

“Guess what,” said the voice on the other end (it was Rachel K – one of my homegirls and also one half of the Cobras tour managers).

“What??” I said.

“Honah Lee and Cobras are opening for FOXBORO HOT TUBS tomorrow night at Don Hill’s in NYC!!”

Honestly, I couldn’t have gotten a BETTER birthday present. I just about dropped my blackberry.

“Say that one more time,” I said.

“Honah Lee and Cobras are opening for FOXBORO HOT TUBS TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!”

“AAAAAHHHH!!!!!”

Commence perma-smile.

I literally skipped back into the restaurant and told Jim and my family the good news. I could barely stop smiling. Not only do I get a birthday show on my birthday, but the very next day MY BOYS would be opening for FOXBORO EFFING HOT TUBS. Which, in case you don’t know, is a side project of… wait for it… GREEN DAY.  Did I just die and go to heaven? I think I did.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Slow it down, Lawlor.

The Asbury show began, middled and ended with a blur, and I’ll be brutally honest: I don’t remember much of this night. I had my camera with me for most of the evening in between drinks and shots and drinks and shots and drinks and… oh my. However, when Honah Lee came on I thought I’d just be a spectator and enjoy the show. The lovely Baby Cobra was nice enough to take the camera from me and take some pictures while I rocked the hell out. Her photos are credited in the gallery below, and she did a killer job! I will say this: I’m glad I had the final edit on these, because, um, yeah… there were some shots in there that nobody needed to see. Especially not me. Goodness, gracious, I was a hot mess. But I have an excuse: it was my birthday, nanny nanny, froo froo.

For this night, The Mystic Knights of the Cobra played first. The ladies climbed the speakers, walked the lanes, and got the crowd moving. It. was. awesome. One of my favorite images from the whole tour came from this show. That’s the large one you see above. Love it!

Honah Lee closed the show and that’s about all I can remember. I do recall doing the photo shoot with the Cobra ladies with Aaron, and then taking and being in some of the group shots. I remember Liz betting me she could jump off the wood block and click her heels (see those photos in sequence… I managed to catch beer in mid-spill), but thaaaat’s about it. Get the hook or bang the gong because this girl’s show was overrrrrrr.

I woke up the next morning still in my clothes from the night before, wearing Jim’s flannel shirt on top of it all. The stories that I heard the next day cracked me up and I am sad to have missed all of the disco-ball snatching and general ruckus-causing fun. Apparently I did hang for a while at the hotel (we stayed at the newly renovated Berkeley, thumbs up!), but what we did I cannot tell you. I can say this: I know we had a good time. That I can say.

There is an absolute crap-ton of photos from this show. I tried to edit them down, really, I did. Here’s a HUGE set of greatest hits from the night.

 

NEXT UP: DAY 3 and the show at Don Hill’s in NYC! WOO!!

LAMMIES!

The Party! Party! Party! Tour quickly went from an idea we bounced around jokingly to a reality. It all sort of hit me when the laminates arrived.

The tour was tossed around between the Mystic Knights of the Cobra and Jim and I on our trip to the Bay Area for New Year’s Eve at Toot’s. That was the first time we’d met and hung out with that whole crowd, and Jim and I were blown away at how awesome and welcoming those folks were to two complete strangers spending their first New Year’s Eve on the west coast. We partied till the breaka-breaka dawn with these folks… and thought that they’d fit right in with our crazy crowd of people here at home.

After about a hundred beers and shots, Jim and some of the Cobras started talking about playing shows together, which is no easy task when your bands live 2,000 miles apart from each other. But, through the magic of the internet, we managed to actually book some shows, plan some travel and get that giant entourage of Cobras out east.

The first show of the tour was held at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC. I had to work that day and so getting up to the city in time to make sure I didn’t miss anything was kind of a CF. I hate rushing to get up there – everything’s already a push in the city and freaking out about catching the right train to make sure you don’t miss a show’s start time is irritating.

Anyway, all was well. I arrived with plenty of time to get a few drinks in me before Honah Lee and the Cobras went on. I even ran into some friends who were in town to see the opening of American Idiot on Broadway, and were kind enough to come down to see our show.

I’m going to stop blabbering and put up the photos. You can get a pretty good idea of the fun we had at this show and on into the wee hours in the city. I even was lucky enough to get a happy birthday serenade after midnight by our mob of newfound brothers and sisters. Simply said: I love these people!!

 

More to come… next up: DAY TWO of Party! Party! Party!

Josh T. Landow's Official Pic - Replacing the god-awful one I'd posted earlier. LOL.

I try desperately to always blog with a large set of images, but this just came across my desk and I HAD to write something about it. Co-founder and all-around indie rock proponent Josh T. Landow is currently broadcasting his last live show on YRockOnXPN.org. Right now. And then that’s it.

Josh T. Landow is responsible for programming some of the most amazing independent radio I’ve heard in a very long time. Always playing new music (including LOTS of local music!!!) and promoting so many amazing shows around the Philadelphia area, for the past 4 years he’s brought recognition and credibility back to the actual radio airwaves, which I’d pretty much given up on. He was the face and voice of the station. I constantly heard him on the station and often wondered if he ever went home. Though I only met him a handful of times, he was always friendly and gracious. No pretention, just a well-rounded, nice guy.

Where can we find another station like Yrock or guy like Landow? Nowhere. That’s why this announcement has moved me to write this posting. It’s positively disgusting and disheartening. In an age where budgets are tighter than leather pants on rockstars, we should not be canning the very people who’ve found a way around adversity to build something of substance from absolutely nothing. In times like these, people like Josh who are resourceful and MOTIVATED should be the ones we hold onto the tightest.

The renegade internet radio station he started after the untimely demise of y100 almost five years ago filled the void for me on so many nights of late-night photo editing. After working through the many financial and technical issues (getting a radio station working on the internet is no small task), XPN took notice of Yrock’s loyal following and put them back on the radio as part of the XPN family a few nights a week.

Because of the current state of finances, XPN has decided to let Josh go, and from what I’m hearing, a large number of staff and volunteers are leaving as well, in solidarity with Josh. Here is his heartfelt goodbye letter. I get so sad reading this.

July 08, 2010

Dear listeners and friends,

It is with a very sad heart that I write this letter to you.  After 4 years running Y-Rock at WXPN, my time at the station is coming to an end.  This is not a decision that I have made, but rather one that WXPN management felt necessary due to the current state of the economy and station finances.  Were it up to me, I would have liked for our partnership to continue for many years to come.  As most of you know, I was in a similar situation back in February 2005 when a corporate decision closed down a great Philadelphia radio institution, Y100.  Our fearless leader Jim McGuinn refused to let that radio station, which meant so much to so many people, die simply because a bunch of suits thought that they could make more money with a hip hop station.  For us it was never about the money.  I stood by Jim’s side as we rose up from the ashes with our DIY internet station Y100Rocks.  For a year and half, with the help of a handful of former staff members and dedicated listeners who became volunteers, we built up a really cool source for discovering new alternative and indie rock.  Then we were presented with a great opportunity – to go back on the radio at WXPN.

This station was my baby, something that I created out of love for music and radio.  While it is very upsetting to be leaving it behind, I’d like to focus on the good times – the last 5 ½ years, which have been the most rewarding of my life.  Starting with your outpouring of support when Y100 went off the air to building a new station and business from scratch.  I’ve had the opportunity to meet and interview countless bands – some old favorites, some new favorites, and let’s face it, some that were a little less memorable too.  Most importantly, I have had the opportunity to introduce people to so much more great new music than probably any radio host in the country.  Whenever someone tells me that they discovered a new band on Y-Rock, I am filled with such a sense of pride that what I’m doing really matters to people.  That’s a feeling that no one can ever take away from me.
I would be remiss if I didn’t go without thanking some people.  First all of the Y100Rocks/Y-Rock volunteers.  There are simply too many to name, but I will list some who have been with me since day 1 or close to it: Adam B, Andre, Cat, Heather, Jake, Jeff, John V, Liz, Matt Mc, Matt S, Ramon, Rob H.  Also some key people who joined up during our tenure at XPN: Adrienne, Amy G, Amy M, Billy, Brendan, Casey, Melanie, JP, Kelly, Rafe, Reid, Rob W, Zeke, and of course my longstanding intern Eric.  I’d like to thank the staff of WXPN who took us in and made us feel like part of the family.  I must thank Jim McGuinn, now off in the land of Minnesota, for making it all possible by setting up a rogue domain name before we all got fired from Y100, and for leading us into the great unknown that we faced.  Over the years he taught me so much about not only radio and music, but about how to be a leader who inspires those around him.  Of my cohorts though, my biggest thanks goes to the guy who has truly been my right hand through all of this, someone who I truly could not have run Y-Rock without, the greatest encyclopedia of music and pop culture knowledge I have ever met, the Oracle to my Batman, and one of my best friends in the world – Joey O.  Thank you sir.

And finally I owe my greatest thanks to you – my listeners who have become a community over the years.  A community that reaches across cities, states, and in some cases even countries.  You showed up on a freezing cold day in February 2005 to the stairs of the Philadelphia Art Museum.  You turned off your radios and turned on your computers to listen to us even through all of the initial hiccups.  You turned your radios back on to hear us Wed-Fri nights on XPN.  Many of you even opened your wallets to public radio for the first time to show your support for the station that opened its doors to the music you love.  No matter what anyone might say about audience or ratings, I know that you were there.  It has been my absolute pleasure to share in the joy of music with you all for as long as I have.  Please join me one last time here at Y-Rock On XPN – all day today from 9am-5pm.  I have some great guests lined up who have been some of my favorites from over the years.  After this, I may not have the same resources at my disposable, but I hope to find ways to continue to share music with you.  For now it seems that the best way to do that is over at www.facebook.com/joshtlandow.  Please find me there and stay in touch.  It’s too hard to say goodbye, so I won’t.  I’ll just say that I’ll talk to you soon…

Josh T. Landow
Y-Rock Co-Founder/Operations Director/Host
2005-2010

If you’re out there and reading this, Josh, thanks for all the great music. I’ve added you to my FB roster and hope to see great new things from you in the future. But for now, my ears will certainly miss you and all the excellent programming you’ve brought me for the past four wonderful years. Thanks for everything.

You're locked in now, brother.

It’s not everyday that I get to photograph a couple like these two. Every photographer has his or her own muse. A person that inspires and trusts them to experiment with their craft. For this shoot, I got to do engagement photos for my muse.

Tim and I have been friends for a few years now, first meeting when his band Philo was playing the Mill Hill Basement on the regular. I was blown away at his stage persona and incredible vocal range. He also has a gift for writing a catchy hook. After going to a show of theirs in Bordentown and hanging on the outskirts of their crew for a night, I just *knew* we had to become friends.

A few weeks after our first meeting I photographed Philo for the Trentonian at their “studio.” The band bought a 30-pack, and we had one hell of a night. The rest, as they say, is history.

I say that Tim’s my muse because he LOVES to have his photo taken. The words “camera whore” don’t even begin to describe his addiction to cameras. However, that makes him the perfect subject. He’ll do just about anything I ask him to with regard to photos. He lets me experiment.

Fast forward to now – Tim’s now the frontman of Honah Lee, and is engaged to Jenny, a sweet, fun, and wonderful girl that is the perfect match for him. I wondered when I first met Tim what kind of girl could tame his wild ways and corral him into marriage. Surprisingly, the “king of partying” found his queen. Jenny plain and simple rules the school. These two personify a healthy, happy, loving relationship and I couldn’t be more honored that they asked me to photograph their wedding.

Because these two love to laugh and play we ended up with a literal boatload of photos. This is a difficult shoot to edit because I’m so attached to them and want to keep all the photos. However I’ve pared it down as much as I could. Here are my favorite favorites. Enjoy!

 

Their wedding is coming up at the end of June. I think I’m going to have to buy more memory cards. <3

Beth and Alex's Engagement Shoot

At the end of April, my dear, dear friend Beth, her fiance Alex and I all got together for a whirlwind engagement session… just a mere two weeks before their wedding. The couple owns a house in a semi-rural area of central New Jersey, and on my way to their home I spotted a cow farm that screamed to me “Take photos here!” So, after arriving at their home I told them about the spot I saw and how I thought at sunset this could be a really lovely setting for their photos. The two agreed and off we went. Here are some of my favorites from the shoot.

 

Epilogue: The couple was wed this past weekend at the BEAUTIFUL Renault Winery in Egg Harbor, NJ. Photos from their amazing wedding day to come soon. They did both tell me that the very next day after our shoot, the fields used were completely mowed down. So – to my photographer friends… if a location speaks to you, use it. You never know when it will change.

GO COBRAS GO!!!

My second night in the bay was spent rocking the hell out at the Uptown in Oakland. The Cobras shared the bill with Bobby Joe Ebola and a wonderful burlesque group called Jellyfish Kiss Burlesque. They really were a very talented, unique group. I have never seen anything like what they did on stage. Go ahead ladies!!

It was a night full of performance art and I positively ADORED the theater itself. Downtown Oakland is just full of these beautiful old neon signs that filled the street with warm glows. Just lovely. Too bad the only joint in our town that had neon just closed down. Weak.

The Mystic Knights of the Cobra (or MKOTC, or Cobras for short) are a party rock band in every sense of the word. Ever been to a Philo show? Supersuckers? Andrew WK? Yeah, like that. A shake-your-fist-in-the-air-while-you’re-shaking-your-ass kind of band. Like a drink-whiskey-till-the-sun-comes-up-and-do-some-stuff-you’re-really-going-to-regret kind of band. F yes.

So the Cobras tore it up for their bass player Sean’s birthday (note the photos with everyone doing shots on stage – the “naked” guy is the birthday boy). After the show I bought him a shot for his birthday and without thinking I bought him a giant slug of SoCo. I forget that not everybody parties the way we do Mill Hill style. Whoops.

He took the shot but I knew it had to be painful. I don’t know what he was drinking all night but it wasn’t SoCo. Sorry, buddy.

I have to make note here (because I’m a big jerk) about the poor bar service at the Uptown. Honestly, I stood at the bar waving a $20 bill for 25 minutes each time I wanted a beer. That got old FAST. There were two bartenders on duty, and they both magically lacked the ability to make eye contact and acknowledge bar patrons or remember an order that was larger than ONE drink while they got other orders together. I shit you not. Girl takes order for ONE bottled beer, turns, gets said beer, comes back, accepts payment, ignores everyone, takes one more single drink order, and the pattern continues. Seriously? I think they may run in contention for the worst bartenders ever. Hustle is a big part of tending a busy bar and if you don’t have that you should work at a diner or a hick dive. I believe service at a bar is paramount, and aside from the lovely building, great stage lighting and open, airy layout, I probably wouldn’t go back if I knew these two girls were tending bar again. Waiting a half hour for a drink, in my book, is unacceptable. I know this ain’t NYC, but seriously. Work that out, Uptown. Otherwise, thumbs up.

Moving on…

After the Cobras performed we headed off to the afterparty. Note to drunks everywhere: legally, nobody in the continental United States is allowed to sell booze after 2 a.m.. So don’t go lookin’ for a convenience store at 1:57 a.m. for booze. You aren’t going to find it. Not even in the scariest parking lot I’ve seen in a while. You might find a “party” that you really don’t wanna go to, but you aren’t going to find booze.

You might find some at a friend’s house, though. That’s probably a safer bet.

The afterparty went on into the wee hours and continued on into Sunday, when we visited Port Costa. Port Costa is like the land that time forgot, with an amazing view. I would have more Sunday Fundays of my own if I had scenery and warm weather like this. It’s too freaking cold here in NJ.

Enough blab for now. I’ll let my pics tell the story. There are a LOT in this gallery.

And so ends my fabulous weekend away… over WAY too fast. Seems like all my trips to the bay end this way.

We must do this again, Cobras. Something tells me we will.