Andrew St. Clair

In 2010 I shot 242 different bands and 276 different performances. The majority of which were within the span of the last 6 months. These were some of my favorites in chronological order.

RJD2 @ Highline Ballroom (3/7/2010)

RJD2’s 2002 album ‘Deadringer’ is an amazing hip-hop record. And his live show was pretty damn great. The crowd went crazy when he started performing ‘Ghostwriter’ & ‘The Horror’ which is easily one of his best songs. That show was one of the few instances that I was forced to write an article along with my photo taking this year. Check out my coverage on TheGratefulWeb.com.

Braids @ Knitting Factory (5/27/2010)

I first discovered Braids when they performed at the Depreciation Guild’s record release party. Well, 6 months later, the Guild has announced that they are breaking up while Braids is about to release their highly anticipated first album ‘Native Speaker’. Their dreamy, shoegazy pop-driven soundscapes have earned the band much well-deserved critical praise. I think they’re going to be the next Animal Collective, but without all the solo projects keeping them from recording new material. I’ve seen the band 4 times this year and can’t really say which was their best show. But this one was special to me because it was the first time I saw them. Keep your eye on them because they’re going to blow up in 2011! Check out the coverage on BrooklynVegan.com and on RadioExile.com

Passion Pit/Tokyo Police Club @ Colonels’ Row on Governors Island (6/30/2010)

One thing that I loved about this show was the stage lighting. Stage lighting so bright that Josh Hook from Tokyo Police Club joked that they needed FAA approval to use it. As with many a show on Governors Island this year, I got to shoot from the side of the stage and get some sweet shots of the bands (in this case thanks to Rich Cohen of Foundations Management). Regardless of stage lighting, both bands are so much fun to see live. Lots of energy and some great tunes. And thanks to my friend Laura “Where’s the After Party” Cordova, I decided to stick around for Karaoke with both bands belting out tunes such as Weezer’s ‘The Sweater Song’ and karaoke bar staple ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Kind of surreal, but totally fun. Check out the coverage on BrooklynVegan.com

Rosanne Cash @ Colonels’ Row on Governors Island (7/4/2010)

Having ‘Gone To Governors’ a total of 10 times this year, July 4th was surely one of my favorite days. Unlike some performers who complained to the audience about the sun and heat (I’m looking at you Zooey Deschanel) Rosanne Cash & her husband John Leventhal (who reside in Chelsea) and her band (who all reside in Brooklyn) were a class act. Ms. Cash, who played for hour and a half, included songs from her 2009 album ‘The List’, and told interesting & entertaining stories from her past (including one about becoming very popular with her friends because her dad recorded with Bob Dylan). On a side note, Ms. Cash is quite the prolific Tweeter… unlike her husband John Leventhal. Check out the coverage on BrooklynVegan.com

Heartless Bastards at Bowery Ballroom (7/15/2010)

Heartless Bastards weren’t only the first band to perform at All Points West 2009, but they have the honor of being the very first band I ever shot. The lead singer, Erika Wennerstrom is a force to be reckoned with powerful vocals and some mean guitar. She reminds me of a more bluesy Polly Jean Harvey (who I would love to shoot in the future). Seeing them at APW I became an instant fan. So, I was more than happy to shoot them a second time this past July. Check out the coverage on BrooklynVegan.com

Thee Oh Sees, The Beets, X-Ray Eyeballs, Gun Outfit, Tough Knuckles (R.I.P. AP) @ The Rock Yard (7/17/2010)

Just two days earlier, Erika Winnerstorm of Heartless Bastards told me that her favorite band was Thee Oh Sees and I promised her I’d give them a listen. When they were officially added to the Rock Yard bill the day before I made it a priority to head over there and check ‘em out. I have to say that they are fucking amazing. Truly a band’s band. The Beets were also a lot of fun. The rest of the Rock Yard itself was alright. It was hot as balls outside, but there was a Slip ‘N Slide to keep everyone cool and entertained. Check out the coverage on BrooklynVegan.com

Crowded House & Lawrence Arabia @ Bowery Ballroom (7/21 & 7/22)

Crowded House was one of my favorite bands growing up. Seeing them live didn’t blow me away or anything. It was just pleasant. A really chill evening. And I really enjoyed myself. On the last night, David Byrne came out and performed Once in a Lifetime and Road To Nowhere. That was kind of fun. It should be noted that the band brought not only their own soundboards, but their own lighting to boot. This meant which that the usually dim Bowery Ballroom was extremely well lit for a change. Sweetening the pot was their opener, fellow New Zealander Lawrence Arabia (aka James Milne). He’s a terrific performer and song writer. His tune ‘Apple Pie Bed’ was one of my favorite songs of the year. Probably not my favorite video, though. Check out the coverage on BrooklynVegan.com

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings @ Celebrate Brooklyn (8/7/2010)

20,000 people showed up to Prospect Park in what turned out to be the biggest show of the year. Sharon Jones’ energy could power all of Brooklyn, and on that night, I think she probably did. And if Sharon Jones wasn’t enough, deep funk legend Lee Fields dropped by and performed a few songs. I also got to share the photo pit with my good friend Sharese Ann Frederick who got some great shots! Check out my one and only writing/shooting assignment for Popmatters.com

Nellie McKay @ Highline Ballroom (8/29/2010)

Nellie McKay is one of my favorite artists is quite frankly a musical genius. Not too many performers would find enough inspiration to sing about Bodegas. Ms. McKay played for around two enjoyable hours underneath some of the best stage lighting in any venue in New York (I love you Highline Ballroom). As a bonus, it was general admission seating. Which means I got to enjoy a meal with my friend Patty Scull, and not have to fight the crowd to get a shot. Check out the my pics and Patty’s review on BrooklynVegan.com

Screaming Females/Shellshag/Big Eyes @ Knitting Factory (9/15/2010)

Screaming Females played Knitting Factory to celebrate the release of ‘Castle Talk’ and played with their friends and fellow labelmates Big Eyes and Shellshag. Screaming Females continues to blow me away every time I see them. Lead Singer/Shredder Marissa Paternoster is just scary talented with her ferocious guitar work and powerful voice. King Mike’s slick bass work reminds me of Krist Novoselic at times. And Jarret D… well, he’s just a damn good drummer. Castle Talk is a pretty solid album, but the material is taken to a whole new awesome level when performed live. Do yourself a favor and check them out in the new year. Check out the coverage on BrooklynVegan.com

Shonen Knife/Hard Nips @ Knitting Factory (9/29/2010)

I’m a big fan of Shonen Knife. I saw the original lineup of Shonen Knife at Irving Plaza yeeeeeeeaaaaars ago and was excited to be able to see the J-Rock supergroup… or what was left of them. But I shouldn’t have worried because Naoko Yamano and the band were up to the challenge of keeping the flame alive. Their new drummer (Emi) and bass player (Ritsuko) are really great. Almost overshadowing Naoko at times. Almost. The show also marks my first meeting Hard Nips, who were a pretty inspired choice to open for Shonen Knife. I’ve become fast friends with the band. They are too much fun. Check out the coverage on BrooklynVegan.com

Brooklyn Vegan Saturday Day Party @ Public Assembly (10/23/2010)

The lighting at Public Assembly is just terrible, but beyond that, it was such a fun fun time. Easily my favorite event of CMJ. There were 2 stages containing 15 different bands. I opted for Stage 2 (ie. the smaller stage) which afforded me the luxury of coming and going as I pleased being able to get band portraits or catch a few minutes of the music on Stage 1. As the name of the show suggested, it really seemed more like a party than an event. Bands chilled out with other bands, there was free food and drink, a general party atmosphere. As for me, I got a bunch of fun portraits. Got to chat with some great musicians like Ted Leo, S. Carey, Marnie Stern (and her awesome bandmates Nithan & Vincent). I got some fun portraits of No Joy and Dominique Young Unique (who was such a sweetheart!). I got to hang a little with Heavy Cream (whose album ‘Danny’ was one of my favorites of the year) and bug them for portraits. And, I even got to sit on Big Freedia’s lap. Wait, what? Check out the coverage on BrooklynVegan.com

Pujol, Turbo Fruits, Heavy Cream, Ghoul Poon, Snakes say Hisss, Circle Pit, Darlings @ The Shank (10/23/2010)

Much like a Lauryn Hill concert, the music didn’t start for hours after their scheduled times & the sound was shit. Not to mention the fake graffiti and the $4 dollar cans of Miller High Life. That notwithstanding, I had so much damn fun at this show. Once again, I got to hang with one of my favorite bands, Heavy Cream (who had performed two shows previously that day). And, for the first time, I got portraits of every band that performed. It was also my introduction to Pujol and Turbo Fruits. Really digging the Nashville scene right now. As a bonus, the portraits I took of Heavy Cream were just hilarious. I love those guys! Check out the coverage on BrooklynVegan.com

Die Antwoord @ Gramercy Theater (10/29/2010)

Say what you want about Die Antwoord but they totally don’t give a shit. You treat them as seriously as a professional wrestling match or you can take them for what they really are. An entertaining music act. From a photographer’s standpoint, they are amazing. Ninja and Yo-Landi are constantly moving around for a variety in your shots. They also have nice bright & even stage lighting. So well lit, that I shot them with a 17-55 f/2.8 and a 70-200 f/2.8 at around 1/320 at an average ISO of 1250 with a D300. They move around so much that anything below 1/320 would have been a little too soft for my tastes. Among my strongest set of photos all year, in my opinion. Check out the condensed set on Flickr and the coverage on BrooklynVegan.com

Peelander-Z/TsuShiMaMiRe/Starscream at Santos Party House (11/21/2010)

Two days before, I had gotten laid off from my 9 to 5 job and I wasn’t really in the mood to shoot anything. But on the other hand, I really needed to get out of the house. Dave from Brooklyn Vegan sent me an email asking if I wanted to shoot Peelander-Z and pitched it like this: “all photogs should shoot Peelander at least once! (not to mention their shows are so much fun)” Well, Dave was right. Not only was it fun to shoot, but it was probably the most fun I’ve had shooting all year. A Peelander-Z show has everything. Songs about Tacos! E-I-E-I-O! Monster Costumes! Limboing! Bowling! Massive crowd participation! Crowd Surfing! And crazy cameos from the opening bands! Speaking of which, Starscream (a cool 2-piece 8-bit outfit. Like if Anamanaguchi & Break Science had a baby) and TsuShiMaMiRe (the Japanese all-girl hard rock trio) were both great in their own right. As far as my pictures went, I couldn’t have been happier. By the end of the night, I had forgotten all about my work troubles. Check out the epic coverage on BrooklynVegan.com

Zoobombs @ Bruar Falls (11/26/2010)

The best way to describe the Zoobombs is to compare them to Thee Oh Sees. Only they’re a little funkier and a lot more Japanese. The Zoobombs visit to NYC couldn’t have been timed worse. They played the day before and after Thanksgiving and, as you can imagine, they played to nearly empty houses. But regardless of the size of the audience, the energy of these guys was mind boggling. When I shot them at Bruar Falls, there were all of 10 people in the entire bar. I felt like I was getting a private show. Check out the photos on Flickr.

Welp, that’s about it for this year. Hope it was an interesting read.