In November, We Take Portraits

November is one of my favorite times of the year… and one of the busiest! I love this time of year because everyone is feeling festive and also are looking to get their holiday portraits done for the season. Check out a few of my favorite portraits for a few sessions this year… which included a few furry friends!

Melissa, Jonathan, Lil Miss and Ozzie!

This was my second year in a row shooting some holiday photos for Melissa and Jonathan, but this time we decided to take things inside their under-construction home so that we could get a few intimate shots with the rest of their family as well! Lil Miss (kitty) and Ozzie (husky) were both patient sports as they posed all-together for a festive shoot.

Rina & Travis

Two of the most absolute fun people to shoot - ever! This is my fourth year shooting with Rina and Travis for their holiday photos and they always know how to have a fun time and bring their personalities to the shoot!

Kirstin, Derek and Ruff Puff!

This was my first official photoshoot with Kirstin and Derek, and I was so happy the photoshoot included their newest edition as well, Ruff Puff! One of the fluffiest dogs I’ve ever seen, he is quite the stunner - everyone at the park we shot at wanted his attention. This trio really sold the holiday cheer in their red outfits.

Dorian Electra, Mood Killer & Youryoungbody at The Vera Project 10.22.19

Dorian Electra & co. performed to a sold-out crowd at the always-all-ages venue The Vera Project, on October 22, 2019, which celebrated the release of their debut LP, Flamboyant.

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Dorian Electra

Following a handful of one-off singles and an appearance on "Femmebot" from Charli XCX's Pop 2, Dorian Electra truly puts themselves on the map with their debut Flamboyant. Being completely honest, I fall under the camp who was not only introduced to Electra, but a handful of others from Charli XCX's collaborative projects. This has led me becoming fans of many new musicians, and with "Femmebot" being one my favorite tracks off of Charli XCX's projects, I took a fast interest in Electra and their own work.  I'm so glad I did, as they have a sever uniqueness in their productions which is only further complemented by their obvious love for pop music. The result is a BOP of an album.  Live, Dorian Electra's music is even more powerful, as the sold-out Vera Project saw for itself last Tuesday evening.

Electra emerged on stage to their debut LP's title track "Flamboyant" in a wave of blue lights and projected graphics, along with two very expressive backing dancers.  The crowd grew closer to the stage, with the anticipation of Electra’s arrival finally over. Fans holding out their hands were met with embraces from Electra, and to cap off the finale of the first song, Electra smashed a glass on their forehead, an iconic move that can be found in many of their music videos.

The audience went wild for Electra & co. after that.  They made their way through their LP's entire catalog, including a bonus track that can only be found on their vinyl, and their single "VIP".  Each performed track was specifically choreographed, with explosive visuals or props.  For "Live By The Sword," Electra's backing dancers each had swords that they utilized in their dance moves and highlighted Electra with, before promptly giving them out to the crowd at the peak of the song. 

It would be a disservice at this point to not address the weight Dorian Electra holds in the LGBTQ+ community – many people who attended the show had vocally expressed their excitement leading up to Electra's arrival on stage, as they related with others in the audience about Electra’s powerful messages.  Electra not only provides enjoyable pop dance-a-longs, but lyrically the songs are often essentially queer power anthems, exploding with positive themes. In the song "Adam & Steve," Electra boasts "And god made me (and he loves me, and he loves me)….God made me and Adam and Steve."  In "Man to Man," one of my personal favorites from Electra, they challenge masculinity norms with their lyrics "Are you man enough to soften up? Are you tough enough to open up?" The power and confidence form Electra on stage transcended to their audience at the Vera Project, and that energy was fed right back, for an incredibly uplifting set.

Towards the end of the night, Dorian crowd-surfed the audience, and wrapped up their performance.  Fans obviously were wanting more, but they had performed most of their tracks, so what would their encore be?…a cover? Well, only moments after leaving the stage, Dorian & co. ran back out to the beat of "Femmebot" and I felt myself erupt with another level of excitement.  I freaking love this song, and it's what got me into Dorian Electra in the first place.  They performed their verse and chorus from the Charli XCX track, and invited the crowd to join them on stage.  It was one of the most triumphant and inviting finishes to a live show I have ever seen.  It felt like family.  Which only Dorian Electra and the Vera Project could probably pull off with such genuineness and inclusivity.

Watch a video I took of “Live By The Sword” from Dorian Electra’s show below:

Mood Killer

Opening for Dorian Electra was the perfect complement, Mood Killer. Their name is ironic as their performance truly has the opposite effect – Mood Killer's charismatic attitude had audience members bopping and smiling from ear to ear their entire set long.

Mood Killer's bigger-than-life personality was also surprisingly inviting.  They appropriately asked the audience to go hard during their song "Go Hard" off their debut Liquify EP, while simultaneously jumping into the crowd to dance.  At one point, Mood Killer lost their strap-on to the crowd floor, which we spotted right by my foot.  The fan next to me picked it up and offered it back to Mood Killer who eagerly accepted it back, after first finishing their song while singing into it.

Energy from a one-person show has never come off so strong.  I've haven't listened to Mood Killer before and didn't know what to expect from them, but now have an immense respect for their live set.  They brought positive hype to the crowd to set everyone off in celebration for the rest of the evening.

Youryoungbody

To start out the night, locals Youryoungbody performed first, and I couldn't have felt luckier. As one of my favorite Seattle acts (maybe my absolute favorite?) I was recently lamenting over the fact that I haven't caught them live in the past few months and wished that had been able to make it. When I found out a few days before attending this show that they would be the first performance of the night I was floored!

You see, ever since shooting the band's first KEXP performance back in 2013, I have really loved catching this band whenever I can. Their mixture of just enough mystery and spook, with just the right amount of pop/electronic is what I am all about. Add in singer Duh Cripe's crooning vocals and the music takes off. 

The duo pumped through their alluring beats off of their Devotion LP, bringing me back to some Eiffel 65 and "Sandstorm" nostalgic feelings, but in a moodier way.  This is the darker 90s and 00s resurgence of dance tracks we need! I know I bounced around while Duh Cripe danced towards the crowd and Killian Brom bopped with his electronic drum set.  I was too in the moment to take note of how the rest of the crowd responded to their set until afterwards when I heard newcomers say "I was really feeling that" to their friends.  Of course, I was really feeling it, too.

Watch a video I took of “OD” by Youryoungbody from their set below:

Weyes Blood Concerts & KEXP Instudio 2019

Newly signed Sub Pop artist Weyes Blood is anything but new. She has been forging her unique-yet-nostalgic sound across multiple albums over the years, but on her latest offering Titanic Rising, her magic has been truly revealed.

I had a chance to see Weyes Blood & co. perform 3 times so far this year, and here’s my take:

The Tractor Tavern - May 2019

To a sold out crowd earlier this year at the Tractor Tavern, Seattle was washed in the spell of Weyes Blood’s intricate melodies of this new album (and a few old songs as well). It’s true that the song structures are works of art in their own right, but Natalie Mering’s (aka Weyes Blood) voice is the true stunner of her sets.

The thing about nostalgia is it’s relative to each person. Weyes Blood’s voice and melodies likely sound familiar to me because I was an 80s baby, with parents who were listening music akin to The Carpenters and Fleetwood Mac. Those are the sounds that remind me of my childhood, as a result. Weyes Blood channels much of the energy and harmonies from both outfits, but weaves some modern technology into the mix of her work as well.

KEXP instudio - May 2019

The stark white suit Weyes Blood wears is an iconic piece of this tour. I was told as much, as she warmed up her vocals at the KEXP instudio I photographed - she asked me to please wait to document with photos until after she had changed into the stylish number.

It makes sense, the crisp, pure suit absorbs what is cast onto it. For her song “Movies,” a projection of blue and green lights are displayed boldly across the white fabric.

KEXP’s DJ Abbie.

Likely custom made, the intricate bead detailing in off white is stunning. Specifically, the slit along each elbow is highly stylized.

Check out the full performance on KEXP, here (you might even spot me in the wide shots!):

Concerts at the Mural - August 2019

Each August, KEXP teams up with the Seattle Center to put on the Concerts at the Mural series, where curated free performances appear in front of the large mural next to the Space Needle on Fridays. I was delighted to hear I’d be getting to see Weyes Blood live again so soon - who played almost a full set, sitting at about 12 different songs.

All of the hits from Titanic Rising made an appearance at the mural set. In contrast to her show at the Tractor Tavern, she did treat us to a new cover. This time, she shared her rendition of “A Whiter Shade of Pale” of Procol Harum fame. Back in May, Weyes Blood had brought a cover of “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys.

Of course, the Seattle Center performance included “Movies,” the song I just cannot get enough of. Even in the daylight, the projector truly danced atop her staple white outfit. This song is my summer song, my song of the year, and could be the song of my decade. Again, nostalgia is subjective, and so is preference, but the album Titanic Rising, and the song “Movies” has touched me in the depths of my subconscious. It’s the song I didn’t know I needed.

I implore you to do everything you can to see Weyes Blood’s music live!