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SHRBRT NEWS: The Future of Shrbrt.com and The New Brand Announcement

Later this year Shrbrt.com will longer be operating as a media outlet. Shrbrt.com will from a tbd date will then be the portfolio site for myself, Chris Smith aka Sherburt Reynolds. I will still make blog posts but less from an editorial standpoint (that will all be at the new site) and more from a photographer, writer, artist standpoint.  I am now working on our new Media Outlet www.ILikeTheirOldStuff.com and should launch in middle 2018.  I made the decision to continue making content for the new site while we get all the background ready for the full launch. I launched a beta for a couple weeks and well, there's still a lot of work to do but we are definitely on track to do some pretty cool things in the future. I've also decided to bring Hope and Bass along for the ride as the electronic music department with features more on bass heavy music more than say house, techno, or EDM. Hope and Bass was originally a record label that turned into a media outlet which birthed Shrbrt.com. Without it, none of this happens. I feel that I have always had an issue with going way too tight on the ideas and not giving myself wiggle room to bring others in on them. With "I Like Their Old Stuff" I really want to work with more creators for different projects and expand on all the things I have learned over the years working with Hope and Bass, Shrbrt, Detroit House Collective, Party Monster, and all the record labels, magazines, PR agencies, publicists, agents, artists, bands, DJs, fans and more.  I am still making content for the new site while I am building it and testing the designs. So please feel free to email me SherburtReynolds@gmail.com That content will be present here for the time being and eventually all 2018 content (and some 2017) will be transferred to the new website entirely before the expected full launch. Some of it will be withheld for TBT and nostalgia posts because I am still as corny as ever.  Thank you for your time and your support over the years. I really appreciate it. I hope to bring on some other contributors to the new site, if this interests you, please email me.  Some of you may have noticed the changes to a lot of our social media accounts. We are using the Shrbrt.com accounts for ILTOS. Our Facebook page was merged for my photography and a new I Like Their Old Stuff fb page was created. I also made accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr. Please feel free to follow there. As I will post the new content from Shrbrt.com to those accounts also. Hope you're all well.

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HIM's Final Show in Michigan with CKY and 3Teeth

HIM and CKY have been a part of my life since the CKY2K video came out and Bam Margera exposed all of us degenerates to Finland's finest, HIM and of course all the music from CKY that influenced us. I have no idea how many times that shit led partying to get way out of fucking control, but it almost always seemed to happen. The early 2000s were wild.  I did my normal rituals before a show and then headed my stoned ass to the Fillmore for the last ever Michigan show HIM will ever play. "Holy fuckballs it's cold as fuck" I told the parking lot attendant, he laughed and said "Have a good night sir, don't drink too much." Oh man, this guy. I only walked 5 blocks and I was freezing and sweating my ass off somehow, probably from walking faster than normal because it was bitter cold and I'm never properly clothed. Detroit, I fucking love you but my god, why do you always snow during autum. This show was November 11th, felt more like a January night instead. As I'm typing this, we're buried in a good 8 inches of snow and it's 10 days before Christmas. How the boys in HIM can handle Finland weather is beyond me. I'm about done dealing with this weather!

I got in with no hassle to the Fillmore and walked down to the main floor to enjoy the opening act. 3teeth remind me of Stabbing Westward if they weren't melodic, instead just dirty and grimy industrial and bass heavy as fuck I feel like shit for not wearing my Atari Teenage Riot shirt. It's good but not where I need my industrial to be but totally understand the appeal to this band, they are definitely their own breed.

I went outside and toked on my vape pen for a while, making sure to warm myself up every few minutes. I eventually made my way down to the photo pit before the next band came out. CKY will forever be dear to my heart. Lineups be damned they put on a great show and are loud as fuck. With the departure of Darren I think everyone had doubts, but they were still fucking great with Chad leading.  I expected to hear 96 Quite Bitter Beings last, not third to last. Escape From Hellview being their last tune and they are nailing it as I type. 

  PHOTO'S FROM CKY'S SET

HIM the pride of Finland graced the stage and my fucking heart fluttered. Thanks to proper timing and my friend Jessica the two of us ended up dead center when they walked out to a sold out Fillmore. She gave me this "oh myyy" look and I gave her a comedic elbow to the side and even had to fan myself off a little.

Halfway through the first song and an emergency happened in the crowd. I couldn't tell what happened but Ville being the kind beautiful soul that he is, stopped the show. Made the LD turn the house lights on and make sure the concertgoer was ok.

What a class mother fucking act that beautiful Finnish bastard is. 

I believe we got to photograph an extra song. Yay for security not doing their jobs. It works out for all of us media. We're not gonna jump up if no one else does. I find that to be a cliche of photo pits. When security can't tell when three songs are done. 

"Wings Of A Butterfly" a song that gets hundreds to whip out their cell phones, belted out by both the band and pretty much every person in the crowd, including yours truly. I get always wanting to pull your phone out at shows. I do it too. From a media standpoint, it's impossible to cover music without using a phone at some point. I just don't understand doing it and watching the phone screen instead of the show. Especially something as amazing as HIM's last Detroit show ever. I just wanted to keep a lot more of the set to my mental memory instead of my phone's internal memory.

Probably the loudest I have ever heard a Fillmore crowd get in all my years of coming here. It caught me off guard how fucking loud they got after what seemed to be the last song of the night. That is until they returned to the stage, and fucking ripped through "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol. I couldn't thank of a better goodbye to Detroit, for the dudes in HIM. Thanks for the memories and all the music over the years fellas, so many of will never forget this band, this music, or this tour.

PHOTOS FROM HIM'S SET

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Tiny Moving Parts Release New Video for "Caution" Off Their New Album

Caution, the new song from Tiny Moving Parts comes with a deep but still comedic video featuring the members in janitor outfits rocking out at work at a near retirement age. I won't go further into the video, just watch it. "You are caffeine in my bloodstream" yep, that lyric fucking does it for me. I am definitely stoked for more new music by Tiny Moving Parts. Their new record drops January 26th and will surely be one of the best of the year. The band has churned out record after record with increasing talent and creative muscle that for me at least, puts them ahead of everyone in post-hardcore or emo or pop punk or anything related to any of those genres, and they fucking do it as a trio.

TMP does something most bands never achieve, they have their own distinct signature sound that gives the listener the ability to not check who the artist is when it comes on some random online channel or Spotify playlist. You know when you're listening to Tiny Moving Parts, even as their sound continues to grow and develop they are merely growing their sound as they do. I saw them earlier this year with Have Mercy and  Real Friends and they showed them both up. Easily had the most energy from the crowd and the most energy on stage. 

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Animals as Leaders and Periphery's Convergence Tour @ St Andrews Hall

I got to St Andrews Hall late as usual and missed the opening act Car Bomb. I walked into an already packed St Andrews Hall and immediately got my way to the side of the photo pit. As the crowd started to get a little restless the lights dimmed and the fellas in Periphery walked out on stage. 

Periphery has to be one of the most creative bands in music. The crowd at St Andrews absolutely loved them. I am honestly blown away by how intense this shit is live. Up close and personal with these bands was some of the most exhilarating shit I have photographed. Their music, both Periphery and Animals As Leaders, is prolific, technical on a mature level, and brutally creative in a way that sets both groups in a league of their own. It's no surprise they get along so well.

Periphery is easily one of the best bands I have ever witnessed a set by. That shit literally blew my fucking mind. I don't know what to really say other than to gush about that set.

After the rest of Periphery's set, I made my way downstairs to The Shelter to use the bathroom. While doing my thing a guy waiting in line said "Great, someone pissed in one of the fucking sinks." I found it to be hilarious because I just ranted the other day about how much more cleaner St Andrews Hall is now that Live Nation has their hands in it. But nothing, nothing will stop the ridiculousness that is a Saturday night crowd in Detroit. When you gotta go, you gotta go. 

I made my way upstairs and apparently I was a little over-zealous. I figured most of the gear would be off stage by then. Nope. Not even close. I asked the nearest security guard what the Animals As Leaders set time was. 30 minutes from the minute I asked him. Fucking a. But then he told me... Animals As Leaders were playing for over an hour.

I went back downstairs to the Shelter and chilled for another 10-15 minutes and then made my way back up to the main floor to wait for Animals As Leaders to come out. The beautiful thing about shooting a trio is a smaller amount of subjects makes it easier to get photos. Then you add that this band is too fucking technical to "go off" on stage. Instead of throwing their bodies and guitars around, they just play their instruments and that's more than enough. The music these dudes come up with and play every night is some of the most incredible shit my ears have ever heard. Again, seeing this up close and personal puts it at a level that I can't describe properly. 

I probably shouldn't have worn my Deftones shirt as I have had "DEFTONES!!!"  yelled at me a dozen times tonight. Funny, but it always catches me off guard.

Someone threw something at my face that night while I was photographing upstairs. Might have been a pocket full of change flung upward from the main floor. Could have easily been an inch higher and took my eye out or smashed my lens. Whoever it was... I hope one day you find a level of peace that makes you regret that stupid shit.

Not surprised in 2017...

Proving just because the music is intelligent doesn't mean all the fans in the crowd are.

Let's not forget someone pissed in the sink earlier in the night...in a bathroom with troughs nonetheless.

As I walked out to go to the car, a guy was being cheered on as he barfed his fucking brains out over the guardrail of the smoking section. Concertgoers laughed hysterically while cheers came from the strip joint next door's smoking section.

Mind you it was maybe 1015?

I would have stayed until the end but the whole getting hit in the face with a rock thing put a damper on my night. As much as I believe that person needs peace, I also wouldn't mind putting up a pair of fives to what I'm assuming would be a chinstrap beard and a drooping jawline that it highlights, I will end with this.

Don't be an asshole.

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Citizen's Album Release Party for As You Please with Sorority Noise and Great Grandpa

I was stoked to get approval to photograph and cover the Citizen release show October 19th at St Andrews Hall in Detroit, Michigan. Citizen is easily my favorite current band with Michigan ties. They are on a level that most just don't get to in my book, daily rotation at the Shrbrt compound. This is one of the first shows where I realized how much time to myself I really have when I go to these gigs alone. It helps for these posts because I can write about the things happening throughout the show. If there's a fight or the openers just absolutely kill it or like this night, someone got a little too drunk too early. I'll get to that later. Great Grandpa is a good band. They remind me of the innocent art school kids. Both talented and creative but also the type to believe unicorns are real. I feel like The Cat would be all about them. Their set was a welcoming delight to start the night off. They gained quite a few fans that night a long way from their home in Washington. 

Sorority Noise is fantastic, their balance of quintessential emo and post-hardcore aggression made me a fan a while ago. Although they are one acoustic guitar away from having a bigger fan out of my girlfriend than me. They told a story about the last time they played in the Shelter and Juicy J was upstairs at St Andrews Hall. I got a good chuckle out of his description of Juicy J's throne emblazoned with weed emblems and pot leafs. This story between songs helped grow my attachment to this band even more. 

Citizen started off their set with "Jet" a song I have listened to well over 100 times since its release. The video is on a level of eclectic weirdness I have come to expect from the group of Mid-Westerners. They followed the first single off of As You Please with "In The Middle Of It All" and the last song I photographed was "Sleep" off my favorite record by Citizen, Youth.

Security split the crowd during Sick and Impatient to rescue a very drunk concertgoer. Fantastic how fast they saw him faint and were able to get him the help he needed. And by the help he needed I mean they held him up as he blew chunks into a garbage can just to the left of the photo pit. I remember saying to myself "Never a dull moment in Detroit". 

Citizen has proven themselves to be a heavyweight in today's underground music. They definitely have the ability to level-up and break through the mainstream. It would not surprise me at all to see them headlining the Fillmore's and Theater venues across America over the next couple years. The new record solidifies their spot in Mid-West "Emo or Pop Punk or Post Hardcore or whatever the fuck you want to call it" history with As You Please. They back this claim (I just made) up with an intoxicating live show that made me disappointed at only getting to hear 16 songs by them, when that's well then more than they needed to play. Check out the gallery below and make sure to get the new record!

BUY As You Please HERE! Visit Sorority Noise on Bandcamp HERE! Visit Great Grandpa on Bandcamp HERE!

SETLIST: JET IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL SLEEP CEMENT CONTROL THE NIGHT I DROVE ALONE FIGURE YOU OUT ROAM THE ROOM SICK AND IMPATIENT FEVER DAYS WORLD (live debut) I FORGIVE NO ONE YELLOW LOVE HOW DOES IT FEEL THE SUMMER ENCORE: FLOWERCHILD  

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Four Year Strong At St Andrews Hall 09.16.17

Back in September I was asked to photograph Seaway as they rolled through Detroit with one of my favorite bands Four Year Strong. It was the 10th anniversary tour of Rise or Die Trying and it was an incredible night. I got there a little late so I missed I believe the first two bands. 

St Andrews Hall is hands down my favorite venue. The number of bands that come through is immense. Legendary acts have played up and downstairs. Huge bands have played small gigs here and well the staff are always incredibly nice and hospitable. It wasn't always the nicest or cleanest or friendliest venue, but it has become that.

I truly appreciate how much work the staff and owners put into the building in the remodeling and upgrading of the venue. Private bathrooms upstairs, no need to go to the Shelter now that there are bathrooms upstairs. Instead, the men's bathroom downstairs is now a part of the backstage area. Pretty brilliant if you ask me. The upstairs is so different than I remember. Rise Or Die Trying is one of those records that I will take with me for the rest of my life. I love the music Four Year Strong has put out and some songs more than this entire record. My attachment is purely emotional and romantic to the ideas of nostalgia helping guide us through the present.  

This brings back to a very dark period of my life where a lot of music at the time was helping me navigate a lifetime of failure, pain, and grief. People give me shit about the way I live and some days they seem to forget I can barely breathe, literally. This isn't a ploy for pity, it's merely a statement that just because you read my writing, or follow me on instagram or have read through this website, doesn't mean you know me as a human. Mainly, you know what I put out to the world and this is why I try to remain positive no matter how cynical I really am. The title of this record plays into all of this shit. RIse or Die Trying is for everyone who has been beaten down. Everyone who has felt loss or battled in some kind of way to get to this day. It's so fucking positive it is almost corny as fuck. On that note check out the photos below and make sure to keep an eye on 4YS as they just announced a tour with Less Than Jake for early 2018. 

Seaway Gallery Like Pacific Gallery

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Rock On The Range Announces Massive 2018 Lineup!

Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, Alice In Chains are set to headline the massive 2018 lineup in Columbus, Ohio. May 18th-20th at Mapfre Stadium. Rock on the Range has successfully churned out some of the best rock and metal festival lineups in America. Sure there are other competitors even in the same region, ROTR still seems to be the reigning champion for current American Rock Festivals. 

A Perfect Circle, Stone Sour, Godsmack, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, and Stone Temple Pilots round out the Major Rock groups to fulfill all our stadium singalong needs. This is the type of rock festival where you will see dads and their kids having a great time.

I took my dad to Ozzfest in the 90s (or he took me, whatever) and if I had a kid I would definitely take him to something like this. Actually, I have a feeling my dad might be at this festival. It's not to say there won't be things happening that kids shouldn't witness, then again just walking outside nowadays we can see all sorts of shit. Hell, go to youtube and you can see war videos. 

Some bands I am stoked to see are Dance Gavin Dance, Code Orange, Underoath, Quicksand, Stick To Your Guns, Turnstile, Like Moths to Flames, Emmure, Anti-Flag, The Bronx, Senses Fail, Power Trip, New Years Day, Mutoid Man, Hawthorne Heights in Ohio you shitting me?   

It's safe to say that the lineup is stacked and most of us will be pulled in 12 directions trying to make up our minds. The awesomeness of thousands of people going to the same festival and having entirely different experiences is what it is all about. Hopefully, we will see you down there!  For all ticket info and more info on Rock On The Range, please visit RockOnTheRange.com For all ticket info and more info on Rock On The Range, please visit RockOnTheRange.com

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Andrew WK at St Andrews Hall (Gallery)

Andrew WK brought his full band to Detroit's St Andrews Hall on October 18th, 2017.  The King of Partying is a Michigan man. Which means one thing, the dawn of the true Party started in the 734. It's been a minute since I heard of Andrew bringing the full band on tour and some lineup changes made for an epic performance. I got to the venue late and missed Downtown Brown. It was dope to be in the photo pit with only the venue photographer. The last show I had shot before this was Self Help Fest and that was just a day of insane sets and chaotic fans. The same vibe of rowdy party-goers at the Andrew WK show made for a great set of fan favorites and Andrew mentioned the new record coming out in 2018. Check out the photos below!

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Self Help Fest Detroit (Gallery and Review)

A Day To Remember's Festival “Self Help Fest” came to Detroit for the first time October 7th. This lineup was pretty nostalgic with the last four bands being artists I have listened to consistently for a very long time. This was my initial draw to the festival. They sealed it with the supporting artists and the affordability of the festival with tickets being around 60 bucks with fees. Equals out to 5 bucks a band, touring bands at that, with huge stages and amazing sound. Can't beat the young festivals when they're done right. This is something I want to give ADTR and company credit for.

A lot of festivals either bite off more than they can chew or they underestimate their abilities as festival producers. The important shit for me as a photographer, a fan of the bands, and as a festival goer were all met. Proper sound, great lighting, dope lineup, decent set times, not a lot of conflicting time, decent concessions, cleaner bathrooms, access to free water, shelter from the weather, free parking, within an hour of my bed. That doesn't mean there weren't issues because there were, some completely out of the festivals control, others not so much. 

GALLERY 1: TOO CLOSE TO TOUCH, SYLAR, THE PLOT IN YOU

The Cat and I got to Freedom Hill a little later than I wanted to. Instead of her coming back at a later time and going shopping at the mall, she decided to get in the insane line at the main entrance. I was told to go to a different box office to get my pass. I figured either there was a small entrance for media only and realized how far of a walk it was. The complete opposite side of the grounds. I laughed. Mind you, there is a lot of laughing that went on this day as I was incredibly stoned shortly after getting to the venue.

I walked the way toward the other box office and in that time met a guy who got VIP passes and was walking the length of the fence also. We walked all the way behind the main stage and he seemed to be really impressed, I like that shit. I am fucking spoiled rotten when it comes to access to these bands and musicians. I don't take it for granted and I try to take it all in from everyone's perspective. He was no different than most, a lot of “wow” and “holy shit” and “Isn't that the one guy?” I love it.

I fucking love when people get that excited about this shit, that set the tone for the entire day for me. I'm thankful to be here. When I saw the other parking lot I started laughing. The guy was like “what's so funny?” and I kept laughing and eventually said “Sorry, we all parked over there, waited in line to get into that entrance, could have driven 1000 feet and parked right here, walked right to the box office, got our passes and got in while they are still not letting people in at the other entrance.” He looked around and said “Fuck... I stood in that other line for like 30 minutes man fuck.” He went to the VIP booth and I never got his name, hope he had a good time.

GALLERY 2: ISSUES, WAGE WAR, MOOSE BLOOD

I went to the Media booth and got my pass. I asked if I could use that entrance and the dude laughed and said: “That's what it's there for.” I laughed that off walked away and wondered how many people yelled at him already by then. Empathy, it's easy to come by when you're high as fuck on weed cartridges and medibles.

I got to the East entrance and a few older gentleman looked through my bag and noticed my photo pass and made my way in a pleasant experience. Most of the time it is, sometimes it's a little different. They were hospitable but brought up a minor “fiasco” with another photographer before me. I will not go into detail about it because I'm just not that guy. I really don't want to throw anyone under the bus. It took me two seconds to figure it out the next day on Instagram though. Tighten up. 

GALLERY 3: OF MICE & MEN AND FALLING IN REVERSE

While going through the first few Underoath photos I noticed Spencer is looking directly at me from afar. I thought to myself, hmm, it's been a long time since I first saw this band. And I looked up the tour with Zao. June 2002. The Shelter. Unearth headlined. Yeah. Then I remembered something. I only saw Unearth in The Shelter once, and that was the night of "The Great Underwear-Unearth Pit". Where what seemed like the 20 biggest guys I have ever seen in my life stripped to their underwear, mostly tighty whities and moshed for Unearth's set. You don't forget shit like that. I have been to I'm going to guess 2k+ shows in my lifetime now? They blend together. My shocking realization that this was the first time I saw Underoath. This lineup was The Changing of Times lineup, pre-Spencer. Yeah. Some people actually remember that version of the band. If you went back and told me I would photograph that band on a massive stage 15 years from now, I would have told you to get bent. You can chase what the world is looking for, or you can do your thing and the world will come to you. Even if it's just for a moment. That band didn't get to that stage to throw me a look for a split millisecond. They did it because of their love of the music they put out. I'm just a fucking leach of that, and well I'm ok with it. Do what you love and sometimes people who do similar things will toss you that “I see you” so many are looking for nowadays.

GALLERY 4: UNDEROATH

 Pierce the Veil, the San Diego foursome came out to a setting sun and a roaring crowd. Going right into “Bulls In The Bronx” set my fucking heart rate to maximum overload. Absolutely impossible for me to not sing a song that is played daily in my house. I knew at some point some of the photos would end up lacking a little because of my inability to not scream lyrics and kinda lose my shit for a minute.

We get sandwiched between thousands of fans and the band they're there to see. I have tried for the past few years to just “do my job” and sometimes I am successful. This day, this set, this song, NOPE. I might as well have put the camera away until after that fucking flamenco solo. The lighting changed every few seconds it seemed. I couldn't get my mind to focus. I was fucking enamored. They were fucking killing it. I have felt a connection to this band for a long time. I mean, since Myspace, god I'm old.

GALLERY 5: PIERCE THE VEIL

The dudes from Florida who brought us the festival itself decided to let Rise Against headline over them. I had a few thoughts about this. Until the days before when the schedule was released, it was assumed that RA was a co-headliner and ADTR would be the main headliner. I have been around for a minute, Rise Against has been around a bit longer than ADTR. They have pushed the limit on what a political punk band can do. ADTR has pushed their own limits, but they have done it with a shorter time-frame.

See most people just got mad at the concept that a band that influences another would headline over them. In plain objectivity, it makes sense. In this case, it is kinda weird. I honestly don't care but so many fucking people do. I have no idea. They had the same set lengths. If anything I figured they waited for the weather to see what was going on with that. It is ADTR's festival, so no matter what they should be playing if they are on the lineup.

Considering the weather became hairy later on, ADTR's set went off without a hitch. Including firing off streamers at the beginning of the set that got stuck on the upper part of the stage rigging. While in the photo pit I witnessed a photographer take a load of confetti to the face. Within like 30 seconds there was a stage manager there to fucking light up security for not keeping the photographers back. All day I noticed the confetti blasters. But every set I was in the pit for, the rolls of confetti were sitting on top of the machines in plastic. When I got in the pit for ADTR they were loaded into the machine. I will never forget the look on her face. Total shock. Usually we're warned about this shit, and obviously, this is why people were yelling at each other about it. Regardless, another set where screaming lyrics became incredibly hard not to do.

GALLERY 6: A DAY TO REMEMBER

Rise Against is a band I have always felt a deep connection to. Politics affect us every single day and people ignore it. They get mad when bands and musicians talk about it. Which is really weird, considering most of our artistic movements and rebellions came out of fucked up policies and corruption. That type of shit breeds creativity and independence. It makes free thinking want to spread the more people get pushed down. The early days of show-going in Detroit for me began in early 99. From then on I would see Rise Against an unknown number of times. I honestly am going to go with like 13 times from 99 to 04. In the beginning, they were opening for everyone. Even playing super early at Warped Tour. I met them at a couple different shows and they were always humble, kind, and intelligent. A lot of times I meet bands and they were amidst partying and it wasn't their best moment, or they're exhausted and come off cold, I always give em the benefit of the doubt.

I literally never had that issue with RA.

The type of band that when you're around them, you feel stupid. The room that I feel dumb in, is the room I want to be in, just how I feel about it. It is intense to look back at how many shows this band has played since then. So many small venues, basements, house shows, backyards, hall shows, and into decent venues and having tour buses and being in a band big enough to use their voice for positive political causes. Slowly changing the stereotype of punks, bands like Rise Against inspire the shit out of people like me, even all these years later. I still remember seeing them play 1000 Good Intentions regularly. I feel like there was once where it was twice in a week at St Andrews. Every time a bigger punk band came through Detroit or Pontiac from like 99-02, Rise Against was likely a support act on the bill. Only so many bigger punk bands were from the region at the time. To look up at these same dudes, completely grown as humans and musicians, was an unforgettable wet and windy experience I will tell people about for years to come.

After three songs I made my way through the drunk and stoned and wet crowd as the wind and rain started to really pick up. I managed to get a handful of crowd shots and then booked it to where the Cat was at. We hilariously made our way all the way back to the car which seemed to take forever. I really wish I could have stayed and watched the rest of the set but I had a bunch of camera gear, a cold and drenched girlfriend, and a couch and table full of dabs calling my name. We somehow made it home safely and avoided getting obliterated by the massive wall of storms that headed right at the festival at the end of the day.

GALLERY 7: RISE AGAINST

As a whole, this was a great festival. Simple, two stages, plenty of space, time to get to each stage was maybe a minute, the nachos were stale, the weather was dope for most of the day and ended with it being pretty insane. I didn't hear a bad set or fuck ups from the bands. I didn't see any fights. I did see some people get helped my medical, way too drunk and not enough hydration. Hydration should be one of your top three concerns when going to a festival kids! It makes doing an all-day fest like this less painful. It also helps when you're sweating and only drinking booze all day, skip that fucking hangover and headache with some water you bastards. 

Thanks to A Day To Remember and Self Help Fest for letting me shoot and cover this festival. I really appreciate it. Thanks to Stacie the Cat for being with me all day and getting me some crusty nachos. Thanks to everyone who stays patient with me as I'm doing this all on my own, content-wise. I really love doing this and want to keep doing it, so I'm going to continue to do so as much as possible. With the winter coming more of my coverage will be of records and songs, not just because a lot of tours skip Detroit in the winter, but also because it is usually horrendous weather for a few months to travel in. So glad to end the summer and start the fall off with this festival. I hope you dig the photos and words, please feel free to repost or share any of the content, just give the artists, Self Help Fest, Shrbrt.com, and myself credit.  

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Around The Fur, Deftones Sophomore Record Turns 20 This Weekend

I was 14, a freshman at Glen Brook South High School in Glenview, Illinois. I was already an avid Deftones fan but they had yet to become what they mean to me today. That is of course until this record dropped. Some have asked me "Why do you have Adrenaline tattooed on you if Around The Fur is your favorite?" It's because I haven't gotten around to it. Adrenaline was the introduction to this band when I was in middle school, Around The Fur was the solidification that Deftones were going to forever be my favorite band. 

Around The Fur is the first real Deftones record. Adrenaline was so angsty and perfect for the time but it was by no means the definition of this band. But we all start somewhere, and that record remains an inspiration on many levels. What Adrenaline lacked was a deeper dive into melodic and shoegaze sounds that are a staple of Deftones signature sound. An aural experience that has helped them play alongside all different types of musicians. We all were punched in the face by "My Own Summer" and then fell head over heels when we heard "Be Quiet And Drive". There are other songs that stick out that weren't singles like the title track or "Dai The Flu" and "Headup" which are polar opposites in style. I personally love the entire record and all those tunes are dear to my heart, but a sometimes forgotten secret track "Damone" is easily one of the best tunes they have ever written. Well worth fast forwarding the CD or Tape through Chino hitting a bong via answering machine to somewhere after the 35-minute mark, that drum fill to intro the song gives me fucking goosebumps. 

If you put this record in with "Nu-Metal" it is the best record of the genre. Deftones have been hard to categorize which is why Deftones fans just call em Deftones. No reason arguing is it Nu-Metal or Alternative-Metal or Shoegaze/Metal, who gives a shit about that? Its a band that can go on many types of bills and tours and not only fit in but win over fans worldwide. They have covered everyone from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Sade. Not only does Around The Fur hold up 20 years later, but this band does, regardless of style or sounds used to influence their songwriting. They are still one of the best bands to come out of the 90s, and still be relevant to this day. 

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Slaves and Secrets at The Loving Touch in Ferndale, Michigan

Tuesday, September 19th, Stacie and I made our way out to Ferndale to check out the Slaves and Secrets tour. While I may have taken way too long to get ready, I blame the dabs. We made it there just in time to watch the last two bands. Both were plagued by delayed sets due to technical difficulties that seemed to be all on the venue's staff. It's not to say that things didn't get fucking wild because they did. I'm just saying when you push sets back and give musicians time to drink and party, more than they definitely need to, then you should expect what happened as normalcy. 

Secrets were great. I had a really fun time shooting their set and was stoked to see Slaves up next. Of course, more technical difficulties delayed the Slaves set. I was right up front for the whole set. I saw the line of shots for the band and the one for Jonny. He continued to ignore his side stage comrades pleading with him to drink water and did another shot. Now what happened next is more of a fluke than anything. Jonny ran up to the front center of the stage and I could tell he expected the monitor to be permanently in place. It wasn't.

So there went Jonny Craig into the crowd and it did not look fun or entertaining, it looked fucking painful. No one was expecting it not even him. See the angle on the one twitter video that circulated all the dweeby music blogs the days after the show only show him go in and stand up and choke a guy.

Shout out to those websites, by the way, they make me feel better about the work I put in to get these gigs on my own. I don't have a money backer or investor. I don't have an editor or even a 2nd person involved with the content creation. So I fucking laugh my ass off every time I go to a show that ends up having a Twitter or Instagram video go viral via these websites. Instead of sending their own journalists and doing actual work they just go on twitter and use the twitter search bar. No shame in shitty hustle, but it's still weak as fuck to me. That's their way of doing things, it's just not mine.  If you ever see me post a video from someone's cell phone it will be from my phone or the person I am at the shows with, whether that be Stacie or one of my friends. Otherwise, that shit is a fucking REPOST, NOT A GOD DAMN FEATURE or BREAKING MUSIC NEWS! So Jonny stands up and chokes a guy in the crowd, the video showed it to be way more violent than what it was. At the same time the first couple songs a guy kept screaming "Play that Emarosa song!" I mean.. come on. People are so fucking lame. All I know is Jonny's fans have a thing with having him choke them. His persona and reputation proceeded itself that night. It wasn't rare form, it was exactly what I expected to happen. I wasn't surprised by any of it. I saw how much he drank in a short span, I knew he was going to get too fucked up. I'm a recovering alcoholic trust me, I knew what was going to happen next... The show got cut short by 4-5 songs? Jonny walked off stage before Colin demanded the TM to get him back on stage and finish the set. He did eventually. At that point, I was packing my gear up in the bag and Stacie started yelling to look behind the stage. At that time I turned and saw Colin and Jonny going at it for a quick few seconds.   

WHY WASN'T THIS ON FUCKING TWITTER?

Because no one actually does their fucking homework. Again, they just go on twitter and search bands that they think cause drama. So who is to blame? A singer who still can't figure out how to drink responsibly, or a group of journalists who sensationalize an alcoholic's battle with road life? I love that this is going to be hidden on my page for a while. Maybe one day more people will know about it. A bass player punching a singer isn't rare, the idea that these websites think that, actually makes me laugh kinda like Ron Swanson. Bands throw down regularly when booze or drugs or both are involved. I don't think any drugs were used that night besides booze and probably some Michigan Medical Marijuana. You're talking about a band of musicians here not coworkers at a law firm, you have to have that familial love or when shit like this happens it brings on the end like it did last year. Obviously, they worked some shit out to keep going through the antics and shit that seems to follow them around. Let's not forget this is the band who got attacked with knives for wearing skinny jeans. Anything more than cracking a joke about someone's fashion is unnecessary. We all later found out it was an anti-gay attack.  I am of no influence but I will say this, drink less and smoke way more weed. Calm the fuck down. You could be struggling like us dickwads who cover your shit. The world is yours to lose, I don't understand what the issue is here. I love the music and obviously, you guys do too. So get right and do the damn thing properly and take it to the next level. It's fucking worth it. Then again what do I know? I haven't had any real success as a musician. Do what you're going to do, we will still be here to talk about it.

Stacie thought for sure the band would be done, I laughed knowing that wasn't going to happen over that shit, as we walked to the car eagerly to go home and smoke weed before crashing sometime pretty late, I realized I actually love covering shows with a camera and words than I do playing them. So no matter what, Jonny got me to solidify that what I was doing with my life is better than what I was doing a year ago. 

I woke up the next morning to see posts from a bunch of music sites and I just waited for an actual account from someone who saw everything. It never came, IT NEVER CAME! Instead, they just reported about how he fell off the stage and choked a fan. Which is fine, but without context, he looks a lot worse than he should be portrayed for THIS night. If you want to be a dick about the guy for other shit go ahead, I just think he had an off night with way too much downtime and booze. Then again people don't research, they see headlines and immediately form opinions they will go to hell and back for. That to me is fucking absurd. I think we love to build talented people up but there is nothing better than seeing them fall. So there's a ton of people who are fed up with that kind of behavior. And well, if the door guy wasn't nice to me and let me in any way, I would have turned around and gone back Downriver. Since they forgot to put a dude on the guest list, the only thing that would have come from that night would have been one lonely twitter video. Instead, there are over 100 photos for you guys. Thanks. Shoutout to the bands for making it incredibly eventual and entertaining. Might not have gotten to hear "I'd Rather See Your Star Explode" but that's fine. If you share or re-post photos, please give the artists, Shrbrt.com, and myself credit.   

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Like Pacific on the Rise or Die Trying Tour in Detroit 09.16.17

Like Pacific rocked out in support of Four Year Strong's 10th anniversary of their iconic album Rise Or Die Trying alongside Seaway, Grayscale and more. 

St Andrews Hall is hands down my favorite venue. The number of bands that come through is immense. Legendary acts have played up and downstairs. Huge bands have played small gigs here and well the staff are always incredibly nice and hospitable. It wasn't always the nicest or cleanest or friendliest venue, but it has become that.

I truly appreciate how much work the staff and owners put into the building in the remodeling and upgrading of the venue. Private bathrooms upstairs, no need to go to the Shelter now that there are bathrooms upstairs. Instead, the men's bathroom downstairs is now a part of the backstage area. Pretty brilliant if you ask me. The upstairs is so different than I remember.

All this sets up the mood for any show that goes on there to be great. Life Pacific was the first band I shot of the night, as we got there a tad later than usual./ With that being said, check out the photos of Like Pacific below.

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Rings of Saturn at the Summer Slaughter Tour in Detroit

Summer Slaughter 2017 rolled through Detroit on August 25th at the Majestic. The lineup this year included Angelmaker, Lorna Shore, Betraying the Martyrs, Rings of Saturn, Origin, Oceano, The Faceless, Dying Fetus, and Michigan's own Death Metal Legends, The Black Dahlia Murder headlined Summer Slaughter 2017 by playing "Nocturnal" in full for its 10th anniversary. 

I walked into a nearly packed venue and Angelmaker on stage. I expected to walk in right before Lorna Shore came on and maybe I didn't expect to be that many people until way later.

Timeslots were different than posted but who really cares about that shit? I have always had my issues with it. I come from the idea of being there early and seeing every band you can. The snobbery nowadays is outlandish, and as I creep further into my 30s I see what all the old metalheads and punks were whining about in the 90s. I get it.

There's also hope outside of the crowd and on the stage with bands like Lorna Shore, Oceano, Rings of Saturn, Betraying the Martyrs bringing new school vibes to stamp on their take in the "heavy" music realm. I fucking hate splitting up between genres. I'll talk about it, but let's be honest, all this shit at this show is heavy as fuck.

Sorry for my delay in getting these photos out, more galleries from the other artists at Summer Slaughter. I took 2 spontaneous trips since the event and am just now getting into the halfway mark of editing the show. More to come in the coming weeks and thanks for checking these out! If you share or repost these images, PLEASE give the artists, Summer Slaughter, Shrbrt.com, and myself credit. 

[shrbrt-blog1]

Seaway on the Rise or Die Trying Tour in Detroit 09.16.17

Seaway dropped their new album Vacation on September 15th via Pure Noise Records. They celebrated by playing at Riot Fest Day 1. The following day they rocked out with us in Detroit on the Rise Or Die Trying 10th Anniversary Tour, alongside Four Year Strong, Like Pacific, Grayscale, and more.

St Andrews Hall is hands down my favorite venue. The number of bands that come through is immense. Legendary acts have played up and downstairs. Huge bands have played small gigs here and well the staff are always incredibly nice and hospitable. It wasn't always the nicest or cleanest or friendliest venue, but it has become that.

I truly appreciate how much work the staff and owners put into the building in the remodeling and upgrading of the venue. Private bathrooms upstairs, no need to go to the Shelter now that there are bathrooms upstairs. Instead, the men's bathroom downstairs is now a part of the backstage area. Pretty brilliant if you ask me. The upstairs is so different than I remember.

All this sets up the mood for any show that goes on there to be great. Their set was great, the crowd equated their performance with their awesome response. I dodged a ton of photographers, security guards, and crowd-surfers through their set, which is always a sign of a great band. Seaway are quickly becoming one of my favorites and I am very happy with the set of photos I was able to capture during their set. Make sure to listen to their new record and try to see them at a show soon!

With that being said, check out the photos of Seaway below.

[shrbrt-blog1]

The Black Dahlia Murder at the Summer Slaughter Tour in Detroit

Summer Slaughter 2017 rolled through Detroit on August 25th at the Majestic. The lineup this year included Angelmaker, Lorna Shore, Betraying the Martyrs, Rings of Saturn, Origin, Oceano, The Faceless, Dying Fetus, and Michigan's own Death Metal Legends, The Black Dahlia Murder headlined Summer Slaughter 2017 by playing "Nocturnal" in full for its 10th anniversary. 

I walked into a nearly packed venue and Angelmaker on stage. I expected to walk in right before Lorna Shore came on and maybe I didn't expect to be that many people until way later.

Timeslots were different than posted but who really cares about that shit? I have always had my issues with it. I come from the idea of being there early and seeing every band you can. The snobbery nowadays is outlandish, and as I creep further into my 30s I see what all the old metalheads and punks were whining about in the 90s. I get it.

There's also hope outside of the crowd and on the stage with bands like Lorna Shore, Oceano, Rings of Saturn, Betraying the Martyrs bringing new school vibes to stamp on their take in the "heavy" music realm. I fucking hate splitting up between genres. I'll talk about it, but let's be honest, all this shit at this show is heavy as fuck.

Sorry for my delay in getting these photos out, more galleries from the other artists at Summer Slaughter. I took 2 spontaneous trips since the event and am just now getting into the halfway mark of editing the show. More to come in the coming weeks and thanks for checking these out! If you share or repost these images, PLEASE give the artists, Summer Slaughter, Shrbrt.com, and myself credit. 

[shrbrt-blog1]

Veil of Maya drop massive video for "Overthrow" and it is insane!

Veil of Maya dropped the video for “Overthrow” a few weeks ago and it is absolutely fucking wild! Not only is the video chaotic and intense, the song is incredibly brutal. Even with melodic vocals ( I don't understand why people bitch about clean vocals, stop, just shut the fuck up) as fitting as they are, Veil of Maya bring brutal Djent rhythm's to back up the idea that this is one of the best bands out there today. Veil of Maya hit St Andrews Hall tonight in Detroit, Michigan. Make sure to get out and give them some support. I would be there, but family obligations popped up and made me have to pass on this gig. I honestly am pretty upset about it. For now, check out the video for “Overthrow” and get your asses to Detroit tonight!

Veil of Maya // False Idol // out October 20 CD/LP Bundles: http://sumerianmerch.com iTunes: http://smarturl.it/FalseIdol-IT Amazon: http://smarturl.it/FalseIdol-AM GooglePlay: http://smarturl.it/FalseIdol-GP Catch VOM on tour with The Devil Wears Prada, Silent Planet and Thousand Below! Tickets available here: http://smarturl.it/VOM-Tickets 9/29 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small's Theatre 9/30 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew's Hall 10/01 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre 10/02 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre 10/03 - Montreal, QC @ La Tulipe 10/05 - New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre 10/06 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium 10/07 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theatre 10/08 - Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Sound Stage 10/10 - Norfolk, VA @ NorVa 10/11 - Charlotte, NC @ The Underground 10/12 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade 10/13 - Orlando, FL @ The Plaza Live 10/14 - Lake Park, FL @ Kelsey Theater 10/15 - Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum 10/16 - Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall 10/18 - Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works 10/20 - Dallas, TX @ The Door 10/21 - Houston, TX @ Scout Bar 10/22 - San Antonio, TX @ Alamo City Music Hall 10/24 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater 10/25 - Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater 10/26 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House 10/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom 10/28 - San Diego, CA @ SOMA 10/29 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades 10/31 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex 11/01 - Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall 11/02 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown 11/03 - Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre 11/04 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge --

http://sumerianstore.com http://sumerianmerch.com http://www.sumerianrecords.com https://www.facebook.com/veilofmaya https://www.facebook.com/SumerianRecords

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Corrosion of Conformity Live at the Fillmore Detroit (Gallery)

Danzig, Corrosion of Conformity, Mutoid Man, and Detroit's own Acid Witch played at the Fillmore in Detroit Friday, September 15th. I knew ahead of time that I was approved for COC and that I wasn't going to be able to shoot Glen. I felt like photographing Pepper Keenan and the boys were worth driving downtown on a packed city night and paying for parking, walking half a mile to the venue and waiting 2 hours just to shoot two songs of the third band. I was completely fine with shooting the first three bands but got denied walking into the pit for the local opener. They told me COC was the only band that okayed photographers. Acid Witch was great, horror sludge and stoner metal that made me feel creeped out in a good way. Songs about Halloween and Trick or Treating may seem corny to some but Acid Witch makes it work with light theatrics and great banter between their own brand of doom and humor. Witch masks and pumpkins matched their tunes perfectly and the green I toked in the parking lot made it hard for me not to smile like a cornball jackass through their entire set.

I was lucky enough to have a conversation with an old friend that helped me kill a lot of time before the lights went off and Mutoid Man took the stage. They were great. Fucking hilarious actually. Comprised of Cave In vocalist and guitarist Stephen Brodsky, Converge drummer Ben Koller, and bassist Nick Cageao. They blend 3 unique personalities and senses of humor with raw talent and creativity, mixed with the sounds of their youth from psychedelic rock to hardcore punk to math rock and progressive rock, Mutoid Man is a great band. I wish I could have photographed their set, regardless I was stoked watching their set alone in the crowd.

Right before the end of Mutoid Man's set, I went outside to hit my vape pen calming what was left of my anxiousness. Up until that night, the Fillmore had been a bucket-list item for me as a photographer. It's a prestigious venue, I felt like I finally did some shit with myself getting my pass and own entrance.

Being one of two photographers to be able to shoot all night was a thrill. I got into the photo pit for the first time at this iconic venue. Corrosion of Conformity slowly made their way out to the stage one by one slowly building on each applause as each member came out. First Bassist Mike Dean, then Drummer Reed Mullin, then lead guitarist Woody Weatherman A much louder roar for singer and guitarist Pepper Keenan. They have had limited tour dates since the "Deliverance" lineup reunited in 2014 so this was a rather big deal for me.

Honestly, in these few moments, I don't remember much outside of straight photography work. I just tried to get my shots knowing I had the max of about 6-7 minutes to get enough for a gallery. It was definitely a challenge and I love that shit because I would rather compete with myself than with the other photographers. We all have a job to do. We all have assignments. I'm not going to make it harder for anyone else, I expect the same in return.

With all that being said, it pains me to say this. I finished the rough draft of this on Friday the 23rd. I got home and read about the 2nd vocalist of Corrosion of Conformity Eric Eycke has passed away. Eric was the voice behind the most hardcore incarnation of COC. The era of time he was in the band I was a baby. 1983-1984. Like a lot of people from that era of hardcore music, his influence was felt decades after even though his time in the band was short-lived. That is what I love so much about early 80s hardcore.

It's 2017 and we're still talking about a very small subculture the way some people talk about arena rock artists and shit. Those artists went on to influence so many other musicians and artists of all types. The hardcore world lost another legend, Rest in Peace Eric Eycke. While checking out the photos from COC's set at the Fillmore, listen to their first full-length and the only record Eric was on. As far as hardcore goes, it is fantastic. The tracks “Indifferent” and “Rednekk” and “Dark Thoughts” prove that COC could hang with the big dogs back then and now as completely different musicians are full blown legends in their own right. No matter what, the COC we love today doesn't get there without Eric Eycke, RIP.

I have been sick for the last few days so this extended the delay in getting this out. It also worked out because Corrosion of Conformity announced the new record will be out in January.