At times a story is best told not by the players on the stage, but by a face or two in the crowd.
Photographed on 15 May 2015 at the Black Cat, Washington DC
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From Baltimore to 14th Street DC, Yo No Say got things started at the Black Cat with its eclectic blend of rock styles. Click below to see the full set of images while listening to their grooves (scroll down to fire up the sounds).
click to view the full set of images
Get Lost by Yo no Say:
Photographed on 15 May 2015 at the Black Cat, Washington DC.
Listen to Yo No Say on BandCamp and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
View more of my photos from the Black Cat.
Hip-hop (but definitely not Kanye despite contrary photo evidence) meets rock (but they are not Pink Floyd) to take a trip with Salvador Dalí—that barely begins to describe Navi + Picnibus. Click below to see the full set of images from their energetic Black Cat set, while listening to the authorized bootleg (say what) of the show (scroll down to fire it up).
click to view the full set of 20 images
Photographed on 15 May 2015 at the Black Cat, Washington DC.
Listen to more Navi and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
View more of my photos from the Black Cat.
The official authorized bootleg recording of Navi + Picnics at the Black Cat:
Newt Junior released its new EP, Future Proof, and introduced an eager Black Cat crowd to its brew of jazz improvisation with the rock energy, soul grooves, and the straight-on drive of funk. Click below to view the full set of images.
Photographed on 15 May 2015 at the Black Cat, Washington DC.
Listen to and read about Newt Junior, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
View more of my photos from the Black Cat.
A hip-hop edge awash with smooth soulful grooves blended with elegant jazz harmonics. Featuring Nature Boi on mic and turntables and supported by Joey Harman on drums, Brain Rapp brought his right-meets-left-brain hip hop to the Black Cat. I went to photograph other bands, but Brain Rapp definitely earned my attention and my cameras focus. Click below for the full set of images.
Photographed on 15 May 2015 at the Black Cat, Washington DC.
Get more Brain Rapp at http://brainrapp.com and on SoundCloud. Follow Brain Rapp on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
View more of my photos from the Black Cat.
This was not the first time that I have seen Urban Artistry, a DC area organization dedicated to the preservation and performance of urban arts. I have watched them dance on several occasions and have photographed them a few times as well. And I always leave their shows feeling an enhanced sense of happiness, joy, and life. Their performance on May 2nd at DC’s Funk Parade was no exception and, indeed, seemed particularly special. Perhaps it was because of the very festive atmosphere of the day, or because of the extraordinary weather. Perhaps it was because of how involved the crowd was, or how the group welcomed and encouraged the brave (and talented) spectators-turned-performers. Or maybe it was because of the location at the famous Ben’s Chili Bowl (a virtual library of DC urban art history), dancing in an urban theater of a narrow alley on an asphalt stage aside the street portraits of DC go-go legends Chuck Brown and Little Benny. This performance was a true celebration of urban art through dance.
View the gallery of my attempts to capture Urban Artistry’s perpetual motion and infectious joy in still images.
Find out more about Urban Artistry at http://urbanartistry.org, or keep up with them on Facebook.
