A bit of leftover footage from Vandy’s Rites Of Spring that I never got around to posting. Actually, I suck @ editing video so I have to wait around to get assists in that department (if you’re skilled, holler @ my inbox). There’s several clips in the archives but rock stars do not stand still while on stage, the sounds are twice as large and that’s not to mention the disco lighting Phoenix employed throughout their set. As a result, that footage is shakey dog status, complete with blarrrring bass and flashing white people every other second. Still, this clip of my favorite Frenchmen performing “1901″ was salvageable and worth its weight. I shot this from a good 50 yards away, after I left photographer’s row, and it came out much better because the crowd’s energy is more apparent. This was the last song of their set and, obviously, the biggest and best next to “Lisztomania.” Read the rest of this entry »

Full update later but for now I wanted to post a few pics from Drake’s performance Friday @ Vanderbilt’s Rites of Passage festival. The good folks over there handling press access are always professional & completely accommodating so I was able to snag a handful of good shots (click here to see more of those). It’s always a pleasure to be close to the stage without having to elbow your way through the ruckus or getting trampled in the process, all for the sake of taking pictures for a crummy website. The only catch was that we weren’t allowed to capture video for some of the performers, which was a bummer but dah well. Read the rest of this entry »

This week, Nashville has temporarily dropped “Music” from the nickname and become “Rap City.”

Not only will we be afforded the opportunity to watch Curren$y’s @ PhatKaps on Thursday, I’ll be following up by catching Drake headlining Vanderbilt University’s annual Rites Of Spring music festival on the weekend. Fellow Torontonian Melanie Fiona and pioneer Doug E. Fresh will also perform as well as Phoenix and Passion Pit too. But obviously, the main attraction for Hipper-Hoppers will be Drizzy.

Say what you will, but the majority of live performance clips I’ve seen have made his show seem energetic & charged. One thing he has – and the case is the same for B.o.B, Spitta, Wiz & YelaWolf – is a fanbase that shows their support. Honestly, I think Drake could roll the the Degrassi wheelchair onstage and mumble his lyrics. The crowd will fill in the gaps without missing a beat. That connection that he & the others mentioned share is unmeasurable, not properly conveyed by words or even video. It’s an experience with the music that has to be taken in live form. Read the rest of this entry »