Lamb of God || Fox Theater

June 01, 2016

While this may sound redundant and blatantly obvious, the Lamb of God concert at the Fox Theater in Pomona on May 28, 2016 was absolutely brutal. Massive circle pits erupted and lasted for nearly the entire show. Frontman Randy Blythe was incredible to watch live. His never ending energy transferred to the crowd as he jumped off of his platform again and again. Luckily, he did it enough times for me to get a good shot of it!

The stage was brightly lit by various screens projecting fire, smoke, and pictures during the show. During one song, Randy dedicated the song to US military personnel who have lost their lives, showing their pictures on the screens behind him. One of the reasons metal bands are awesome is because of their support of the military. So many bands thank our military while performing on stage, and Lamb of God is one of them. The lighting during the show had a great deal of reds and yellows which went well with the tone of their music and the fire being shown on the screens. For a few songs, Lamb of God had smoke cannons blast out into the crowd, bringing the intensity to an insanely high level.

Lamb of God’s new album “VII: Sturm und Drang” debuted at #3 on the US Billboard 200 and has been doing quite well for them. They are currently on their headlining US tour with Clutch and Corrosion of Conformity.

Setlist: Walk with Me in Hell // Ruin // 512 // Ghost Walking // Now You've Got Something to Die For // Still Echoes // Descending // The Faded Line // Blacken the Cursed Sun // Anthropod // Hourglass

Encore: Vigil // Laid to Rest // Redneck

The Used || The Novo

May 30, 2016

The New Regime

There is something spectacular about a band who can sound just like their album when they play live. The New Regime felt like one of those bands that truly surpasses their recorded material in energy and atmosphere. During their final song, as I was writing this, I got chills. CHILLS! Upon hearing their music, my body evoked a physical response. How awesome is that! Based on the energy and classic rock n' roll tone, I feel like I have to buy their LP (and a record player to go along with it). While The New Regime is currently unsigned, I would surmise that that will be changing very soon.

The Used

Currently on their 15 Year Anniversary Tour, The Used is doing something remarkable. In each city on the tour, they're playing 2 shows and 2 playing albums in their entirety. In the SoCal area alone, The Used is playing 6 different shows. The first two shows are played at The Novo downtown LA and the final 4 shows are at The Observatory in Santa Ana. I had the privilege of shooting the first show at The Novo and it was simply incredible. The Used out on a spectacular performance filled with raw energy and the crowd went wild. Bert McCracken had a captivating stage presence both during the songs and in between them. He told a bunch of jokes with dark humor that either had the crowd laughing or cringing. All in all it was a fantastic show to experience and photograph.

James McCabe Watches

April 24, 2016

Recently, I've been searching for various companies to partner up with and when I came upon James McCabe Watches, I was absolutely floored. The elegance, beauty, and craftsmanship of their watches is unparalleled in my experience. After contacting them and offering them my photography services, they generously gifted me two magnificent watches: the Belfast Automatic and the Heritage Retrograde.

I waited all morning for the watches to arrive only to find out I needed to pick them up at the local FedEx Center. Upon opening the package inside, I exclaimed, "you have got to be kidding me," leading one of the employee's to suspect something was wrong with my delivery. It was quite the opposite. I could not believe how glorious these watches were in person. Having spent some time on the James McCabe website, I knew the two watches I would be getting, but actually seeing them for the first time was stunning.

My favorite of the two watches I received is easily the Belfast Automatic. Its stainless steel case and grey face really make the watch pop against its brown leather strap. I love that I am able to see the inner workings of the watch tick like the beat of a small heart. The Belfast Automatic has the elegance of Rolex and the modern look of a indie watch company. While many watches show the inner workings, they tend to overdo it, making the watch difficult to read and feel overwhelming. The Belfast Automatic has a beautiful window reaching into the soul of the watch, appeasing just enough of the wearer's curiosity.

The Heritage Retrograde was actually the first of the watches to initially catch my eye. It has a very classy and sophisticated look that I couldn't resist. From the Roman numerals to the 24 hour military time the Heritage Retrograde suits all occasions. Its elegant look will look perfect as I wear a suit to a fancy dinner or as I venture to the grocery store. Someday, this will be the watch I gift to my son as a graduation present. Decades from now, my descendants will be able to trace this cherished family heirloom back to this moment.

I couldn't be happier with these two watches. Simply walking outside with them on makes me feel more luxurious. Thank you again to James McCabe watches for these exquisite timepieces. I guarantee, these sleek and wonderful watches will be on my wrist as I travel off into the world, camera in hand.

Please check out the rest of their watches (which I'm sure I will be collecting soon) on their website: www.mccabewatches.com