karen maze photoblog

The 2010 Twilight Dance Series on Santa Monica Pier is already in full swing. Konono No. 1 - a Congolese Trance ensemble - kicked off the concerts in July. At each show I go for great shots of the band as well as people in the audience having fun. I also keep an open mind as to what could make a great shot. Keeps me on my toes! As you can see above, the cool weather on the night of the first concert didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits.

Konono No. 1: Photos

Australians Rock the Pier: Photos

Italian Superstar Jovanotti (Lorenzo Cherubini): Photos

Indian Pop Music Sensation Kailash Kher: Photos

Coming up this week, Rickie Lee Jones, the self proclaimed “lower-middle-class-hillbilly-hipster.” Stay tuned for photos!

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Checking my internet stats often leads to the raising of an eyebrow or two. You just never know what is going to lead people to one of your sites.  When it comes to my stats, though, one thing never changes. My most viewed photo ever is one of John Frusciante and Josh Klinghoffer. It was taken outside the Vista Theatre in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles in March 2008 at a screening of musician, producer, and film maker Daniel Lanois’ rock-u-mentary entitled “Here Is What Is”. Spaceland asked me to document the event, and it’s still one of the more interesting concerts I’ve attended. A couple of my favorite concert pics came from that evening, thanks to the cool shadows on the red movie curtain, and the music and musicianship were absolutely superb.

I’m pretty pathetic when it comes to celebrity sightings, so I’m thankful for people like the security guard on duty that night who said “you should take a picture of that guy. He’s one of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.” Mind you, the Chili Peppers hit the mainstream in a huge way during my high school years, and I’m still a fan today. Even though I’d looked straight at him, I had no idea Mr. Frusciante was there. None. Hardly a day goes by, though, when a keyword search for “John Fruciante” doesn’t land someone on this photo. And it’s not like he’s the only person of interest I’ve photographed. Keifer Sutherland was at the same event, as was Billy Bob Thornton (who, by the way, gave a spoken word performance from “Slingblade” during the concert) as well as a smattering of other celebs from events I’ve photographed around town.

None of them has been looked at more than the shot of this trio:

See the photo above, and more from the Daniel Lanois event, by clicking here.

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This summer has been punctuated at beginning and end by the Twilight Dance Series of concerts on the Santa Monica Pier. I can hardly believe that Thursday will be this year’s finale, featuring Patti Smith. You can see a gallery with all my pics from this year’s series at this link.

For the abridged version, scroll on down.

July 2, 2009: Playing for Change and opening act, Bushman

Playing for Change kicked off the summer in style. They have, of course, gained world renown through the movie seen all over the internet, which you can see by clicking here. Especially memorable was the tribute to Michael Jackson, who had just passed a few days before, which featured my new favorite singer Clarence Bekker.

The Playing for Change project had its start on Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade and has by now circled the globe in many times in many forms.

Click here for the Playing for Change concert’s photo gallery.

July 9, 2009: Joan Baez and opening act, Tift Merritt

The legendary Joan Baez’s concert drew the largest crowd of the summer (unless Ms. Patti Smith can top it on Thursday…) She performed favorites like, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”,  “Long Black Veil”, and “Gracias a la Vida. Her emotional tribute to the people of Iran with “We Shall Overcome” was one of the evening’s many highlights.

Click here for the Joan Baez concert photo gallery.

July 16, 2009: Sgt. Garcia with opening band Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca

Bruno “Sergent” Garcia brought his Latin fusion sound to the Santa Monica Pier.  Take a little cumbia, a little reggae, sprinkle in some eclectic, modern Euro and traditional African influences, and you have a musical style originated by Garcia that has become known as “Salsamuffin”.

Click here for the Sgt. Garcia concert photo gallery.

July 23, 2009: La Monica Ballroom Redux. Squirrel Nut Zippers with opening act Big Band Alumni

On July 23, 2009 the Pier honored the La Monica Ballroom, which was open on the Pier from 1924 until 1962. The 2009 tribute was a treat for big band and swing fans. Many arrived dressed in style and ready to shake it and twirl on the dance floor installed specially for the event. Even members of the two-left-feet club could join in, thanks to lessons provided by John Cassese, The Dance Doctor.

Click here for the La Monica Ballroom Redux photo gallery.

July 30, 2009: Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited

Known as the “Lion of Zimbabwe”, Thomas Mapfumo blends Western music with traditional Shona sounds. The band drove down from Oregon to perform on the Pier and played cuts from their latest album, entitled Exile. The song “God Bless Africa” was a crowd favorite.

Click here for the Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited photo gallery.

August 6, 2009: Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women with opening act Paul Thorn

“There are two types of folk music: quiet folk music and loud folk music. I play both.”-Dave Alvin

Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women performed on August 6, 2009. The roots band is out of Downey, CA and, as their name would suggest, features an all female band backing Dave Alvin on a wide range of songs including “Abilene”, “Boss of the Blues”, “Downey Girl”, and “4th of July”. I personally enjoyed the countrified and bluesified version of “Que Sera Sera”, featuring vocalist Christy McWilson.

Click here for the Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women concert photo gallery.

August 20, 2009: Venice and opening act Promise of the Real**

Local guys Venice may hail from just a bit south, but they are right at home on the Santa Monica Pier. The band rocked  with a set full of  songs you feel like you’ve known all your life. The band plays all over the world, but its local roots are unmistakable. Made up of brothers and cousins, the band’s members have many colorful memories of the Pier, some of which they shared throughout the evening. Venice tours all over the world. For tour dates, visit the band’s website.

Click here for the Venice’s concert photo gallery.

August 27, 2009: Lowrider with opening band Very Be Careful

Lowrider rode in to save the day when songstress Lila Downs was forced to cancel her scheduled appearance due to illness. Harold Brown, Howard Scott, BB Dickerson and Lee Oskar are 4 of the 5 living members of War, the iconic band of the 1970s. But they can’t use the name War these days, so they tour under their current name, Lowrider. They had the crowd dancing and singing along to familiar melodies like “Why Can’t We Be Friends”, “Cisco Kid”, and of course “Lowrider”.

Click here for the Lowrider concert’s photo gallery.

**The August 13, 2009 concert was photographed by the fantabulous Joy Peters. You can see Joy’s photos from the Idan Raichel Project peformance by clicking here . Also check out Joy Peters Photography website.

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Tonight marked the halfway point for the summer concert series on the Santa Monica Pier. I’m lucky enough to have been asked to photograph each concert again this year. It’s a real highlight of the year for me, and makes my summer so much more summery. Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited soothed us softly into midsummer. I like to do a mixture of stage shots and long exposures of the pier scene as the night goes on. To see more photos from tonight’s concert, please visit click here.

Press ‘Play’ to see a slideshow of photos from last week’s concert, when the Pier was transported back in time for the La Monica Ballroom Redux. You can see the gallery of photos from the slideshow below by clicking here.

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