MACHINE GUN KELLY

The words subtle and Machine Gun Kelly do not belong in the same sentence.  To kick off his sold out concert in Jacksonville, FL on June 14th, MGK flew over the crowd in a pink helicopter, while dangling from a rope ladder. As soon as he emerged from the darkness, he was nothing short of a complete rockstar. His charisma and personality shined throughout each performance and interaction with his fans. On top of that, MGK sounded amazing live! Which is impressive, since he was running and jumping all over the stage. He played hits from his newest album "Mainstream Sellout" while also playing throwback songs from his beloved album "Tickets to my Downfall".  The theme of the concert was centered around how people (especially people on the internet) continue to put Machine Gun Kelly in a box, and only accept him if he does the same act his entire career. If he pursues other styles or genres, he's automatically labeled as a sellout. This theme was capped off by a giant inflatable "Internet monster" popping up mid-concert and standing dauntingly behind MGK as he performed. MGK was unapologetically himself the entire time he was on stage, and put on one hell of a show. 

As part of a co-headliner with Nathaniel Ratecliff & The Night Sweats, Zach Bryan performed in front of a sold out show in Saint Augustine, FL on June 21st, 2022. Bryan opened the concert with his song "God Speed", and the crowd instantly went wild! Within the first song, fans were getting approached by security to get off of the barricade, and told to back up. Grown men were screaming "I love you Zach", like I've only ever seen teen girls do for artists like Harry Styles. Bryan's folksy vibe and raspy voice make it easy to understand why he boomed in popularity so early in his career. On top of that, his songwriting skills are phenomenal. The fan favorite song "Something in the Orange" gave me chills hearing it live, especially with a few thousand people screaming the song along with him. One interesting tidbit about the show - Zach revealed that the wounds on his face and arms were caused by a motorcycle accident that occurred the day before the concert! After he finished that story, he popped the top to his  Budweiser and had a moment with the crowd. Overall, Zach Bryan is extremely charming, talented, and down to earth. I hope to see him continue to skyrocket in popularity!

Nathaniel Rateliff and his band The Night Sweats closed out the night after Zach Bryan's performance. Immediately after watching their show, I felt the strong urge to dress in all denim and order an old fashioned  at the nearest bar. The folksy, rock 'n roll band left me pleasantly surprised, as a lot of their lyrics had depth and were very well written. Their sound and style was the perfect mixture of old school and new school, and that was reflected in the audience's demographics. During my time in the photo pit, I took a second to look out into the sold out amphitheater and saw older generations dancing their hearts out, as well as college age kids recording every moment on their phones. It genuinely was a good atmosphere for all, and what topped it off was the gritty, yet smooth sound of Nathaniel Rateliff's soulful voice.

The Steel Woods (top 3 photos) opened for Blackberry Smoke in Saint Augustine, FL on July 7th.  Their set started out a little rocky, as the band of 4 entered the stage with only 3 people. Turns out, there was a little spat amongst the band, and the drummer called it quits right before showtime. The remaining 3 members decided to go on with the show, and quickly decided to perform an all acoustic "unplugged" set. Honestly, it worked really well for them! Without the over powering sounds of electric guitars and the drums, the raspy vocals of the band were forefront and dominant. The folksy music set the perfect tone for the night, as there was a dark storm brewing in the background. Talk about turning lemons into lemonade!

Blackberry Smoke headlined the concert, and were the perfect follow up! Their lively set list had people on their feet, and made me wish I was rocking some denim and cowboy boots! From their sound to their look, the band came off as extremely authentic. Another note worthy tidbit, is how interactive they were with the photographers and the crowd. The lead guitarist made sure that if he saw someone snapping a photo, he was smiling and flipping his lions mane of hair around, Their set was a really fun experience and I would 100% see them live again. Waiting for the Thunder has also been stuck in my head indefinitely since I heard it live! No complaints though!

New Kids on the Block came into the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena  in Jacksonville, FL on July  8th, 2022 and transported us all back to 1988. These guys  radiated happiness and seemed genuinely thrilled to be on stage performing to the sold out crowd. Each member's personality shined through in different sets (it was split by guest appearances throughout the night), and each guy had a solo moment in the spotlight. I will say, I did feel sorry for how busy the security guards were, because they had their hands full! The guys were running into the crowd the entire showing, stoping for selfies, and high-fiving as many screaming women as they could. Donnie did however, stop in his tracks twice to slow dance with a couple of lucky security guards, which I think made up for all of the NKOTB mania  going on in the building. Overall, it was a fun performance, and unique in the way it was set-up. Even though I only knew a few of the more well known songs, I was glued to the stage the entire time. 

Big Time Rush took over took over Daily's Place in Jacksonville, FL on July  19th, and brought a swarm of "Rushers" with them. This was easily the loudest I've ever heard Daily's Place! Fans got there early to see Dixie D'amelio kick off the show, and I was pleasantly surprised by her vocal ability! The Tik Tok star, turned singer, had a shining moment when she covered Carrie Underwoods "Before He Cheats". I think that genre fits her voice really well!

As soon as Dixie completed her set, Big Rush Mania ensued! Fans were decked out in BTR merch, had costumes on, and displayed signs showing their love for the band (some were really clever and made me laugh). The second the music started and the boys came onto the stage, the energy in the building skyrocketed. The 4 members, Kendall, James, Carlos, and Logan were all over the place! In the first song alone, two of them did backflips off of a raised platform. The showmanship continued throughout the rest of the set, as the boys made trips into the crowd, did choreography the entire time, and did several impressive flips and high jumps. Meanwhile, all of their vocals were on point and sounded great. Their interaction with the crowd was top notch, and it's easy to see why they are so loved. Each member made efforts to stop and touch the crowd's hands, sign objects, and throw giant beach balls into the pit area. Overall, it was an extremely entertaining concert, and my hearing with forever by impacted by Rusher Mania.

Incubus headlined a sold out show at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, FL on July 26th, 2022.  To kickoff the second stop of their tour, they brought out the all girl rock band, The Aquadolls, It was a rainy and muggy afternoon, so a lot of people were waiting for the bigger bands to take the stage, before they left the comfort of concession area. However, by the second song of The Aquadolls set, fans started rolling in to listen to the band. They had a punk vibe, and it drew interest. The girls flipped off the crowd, lifted their guitars into the air as they shred, and weren't shy about sticking their tongues out to the camera. Their fun look and gritty sound was an immediate attention grabber. The highlight of their set was when they played the song "Take Me Away" from the beloved movie, Freaky Friday. The crowd ate every moment of it up, as nearly every single person stuck their phone in the air to record the moment. 

Sublime was next to take the stage, and they absolutely crushed it. They know which songs their fans love, and had hit after hit on their set list. Personally, I was thrilled to hear Badfish live, but I think Santeria was the crowd favorite. Rome, the new lead singer since the passing of the original frontman, seemed ecstatic to be performing, and sounded perfect live. The band and DJ were amazing as well, and they had a really smooth set. There wasn't a huge "oh my God" moment, but there doesn't always have to be. Sublime delivered a well executed and fun set, and that's what keeps people coming back!

Incubus rounded out the night, and came out with a bang. The lighting effects and pyro were a drastic switch from Sublime's chill set, but it was the perfect way to kickoff their performance. There was a different feeling in the air when Incubus came out. People went from swaying back and forth with Sublime, to jumping up and down and screaming when Incubus took the stage. Brandon Boyd, the lead singer, had an eery yet enthralling way of standing on the speaker boxes and peering out into the crowd. There were a couple of instances when he stood there for minutes at a time, singing as he looked into the audience. I believe he sang one complete song while sitting on the edge of the stage, interacting with fans in the front row of the pit section. By doing this, Boyd seemed really interactive with his fans, and very into the lyrics he was singing. The band sounded phenomenal, and the special effects blended perfectly with each song. I did not know a single song by Incubus going into the concert, but I left and immediately looked them up on Spotify. And that is a tell tale sign of a well done concert!

The two opening acts for Lee Brice's sold out show in Saint Augustine, FL ended up being the only shows of the night. Due to severe thunderstorms in the area, a rain delay was called right before Lee Brice was scheduled to take the stage. Although the weather persisted, and I never got to see him take the stage, the sheer volume of fans waiting patiently in the nasty weather was a testament to how admired he is as an artist. After myself and the other photographer were sent home for the night, I heard that Brice took the stage for a short performance once we got the clearance. He could have easily called the show, so I really respect the fact the he made sure his fans did not leave without seeing him live.

Jackson Dean and his band were the first group in the spotlight, and as clouds started to darken in the distance, they fit his folksy vibe. The wide brimmed hats adorned by the band, the feathers carved into Dean's guitar, and the turquoise jewelry game off the illusion that the bad was straight  off the cast of Yellowstone. I really enjoyed the 3 songs that I was able to hear while shooting their set, and think that they have a bright future ahead of them. 

Michael Ray was the middle act of the night, and was a lot of fun to photograph! I don't think there was a moment in which he did not have a smile on his face. There was plenty of dancing, jumping around, and moments of crowd engagement.  I had two key moments that stuck out to me while I was in the barricaded with the camera. 1). There was a very endearing moment when you could tell Michael got emotional while looking into the crowd. They knew his songs and were singing their hearts out, it was obvious that he was having an "I made it" moment. He crouched down with his head in his hands and took a while to soak in the moment before picking back up with his song. 2). While he was performing in second song of his set, Michael motioned me over, and handed me a guitar pick. I was confused as he mouthed "can you hand it to him?" before pointing to a kid in the crowd who was in a wheelchair. I told him yes and made it over to the kid, who eagerly took it into his shaking hands. You could tell it made his entire night! Aside from being charismatic on stage, Michael Ray sounded excellent. I would compare his sound to Sam Hunt, but better vocally. I had never heard of him before this show, but I would bet money that he is going to be a household name soon. He checks all the boxes as a performer and artist. 

Blue October opened for the Goo Goo Dolls at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, FL on  August 24th.  I was excited to see them live and really hoped to hear either "Hate me" or "Into the Ocean" live. The band kicked things off with the song "Coal Makes Diamonds" and pumped energy into the crowd. Justin Furstenfield wore a black leather jacket with all black attire, and combat boots. He looked like the frontman of an old school rock band, and honestly looked really cool. The band sounded amazing live and had good energy together. You can tell that they are polished and have been doing this for a long time. The 3 songs that I was allotted with the camera flew by, and on my way out I got to hear "Into the Ocean" performed live! 10/10 would recommend.

The Goo Goo Dolls headlined the night and as soon as they took the stage, fans leapt to their feet in excitement! Black balloons (in honor of the beloved song Black Balloon) were being bounced around by fans in the pit area. The bass player, Robbie Takac, donned the stage in socks and bright pink hair. Robbie looked thrilled as he floated all over the stage, interacting with fans, reacting to their signs, and engaging with other band members. Although I only know the song Iris, I have to admit that I really liked their performance and would see them again. The demographic in the audience ranged from couples in their 60's, dad's in attendance with their young kids, and a ton of college aged people. It's evident that the Goo Goo Dolls older songs are still relevant and widely known. 

Suicide Silence  was the first of 4 bands to take the stage at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Fl on  September 17th. The jam packed line up was one of the most thrilling concerts I have had the chance to shoot so far. Suicide Silence caught me off guard with how happy and smiley they were while on stage. Often times the guitarist would stick his tongue out and make goofy face when the camera was pointed in his direction. In all honesty, the screams genre of music is not my cup of tea, so I did not enjoy the music, I really liked the band as a whole. The instrumentation was great, and the singers voice was good, I just could not understand a word they said. Still enjoyed watching them perform though! 

 Baroness was up next, and they were also a lot of fun! This is when the crowd surfers starting to make their presence known in the pit, and things began to get a little rowdy. The band sounded really good, and I was admittedly a little happy to see a girl in a heavy metal band! The group had great chemistry and were all over the place on stage. There were giant speakers in front of the stage, and the lead singer used those several times as a platform to be closer to the crowd in the pit. 

Kill Switch Engage was wild. There's no other way to put it. This is when the crowd got really into the show. A lot of moshing began to happen in the pit and the security guards pulled several people out for crowd surfing. At one point, the lead singer of the band left the stage and made his was through the barricade to hug fans while he was singing. He spent a while down there making sure anyone who was reaching for him had a chance to get a high five at least. It was awesome to see a singer randomly decide to go interact with the fans, as I found out later that it was a not a planned part of the show. 

Lamb of God was genuinely unlike anything I've ever seen before. Their set began by a giant black curtain falling and the deafening sound of a gun shot. As soon as the curtain fell, the band went from 0 - 100 real quick. The lead singer had long dreads which he swung around in circles over and over, as he sang. My neck would be in so much pain! The band put every ounce of their souls into this performance. They were jumping off of drum kits, standing on speakers, bouncing around, and rotating position all over the stage the entire time. I was tired just watching them. Their music was even more "screamo"  than the first band was, but they did it in a way that was mesmerizing to someone who doesn't like that genre of music. I walked out feeling like I just saw a spectacle,  but not in a bad way. It was enjoyable, and it was fun to see the crowd get so amped up! I'm glad I was finally able to cross a heavy metal concert off of my bucket list, and I'm even more glad that it was this group of bands that I got to see.