I'm a rock journalist, web editor, documentary filmmaker, accordion player, and overall social media nerd... And have I mentioned how much I love Kansas?
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“The man pushes the limit with audience interaction. At Dan Deacon shows, you’re the star, the center of attention. Dan Deacon is just the ringleader, commanding the circus to perform at ridiculous proportions.”
Read more about Dan Deacon’s show at the Granada in Lawrence, Kansas, here.
All photos by Fally Afani.
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“A large LED screen blared colorful patterns and lights into the audience. Fans wove their fingers through the tiny little lasers that shot into the crowd. This was a show where instead of lighting up the band onstage, they chose to bask the audience in light.”
All photos by Fally Afani.
Read more about the Starfucker show at the Granada in Lawrence, Kansas, here.
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Washed Out and Icky Blossoms at the Granada in Lawrence, Kansas. Photo by Fally Afani. Full gallery over at I Heart Local Music.
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On Sunday night, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino told the audience about something that happened the last time she played in Lawrence, Kansas. About three years ago, the band was playing at Liberty Hall as part of Garage Fest. They brought a young fan up onstage and let her play the tambourine during one of their songs. It was so heartwarming the audience nearly melted. I think it’s incredible that Cosentino remembered something that happened three years ago in a town she had only played in once before.
I remembered that show too. Why? Because I videotaped her singing to that little girl and immediately put it on YouTube. Bethany found it that week and tweeted it and put it up on her blog. I didn’t know this until months later.
I’ve always felt the need to document live music. Moments like these are so precious to me, and I’m afraid I’ll forget about them if I don’t document them with photos and videos. I’d like to think that maybe, because my video was out there, that’s why Cosentino (along with countless fans all over the world) was able to remember that moment. If my photos and videos can help people remember these precious moments, that’s more than I could ever ask for.
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One of the best things I got to do in 2011 was record these guys playing the Granada back in February. Watch the frontman absolutely lose his shit at about 47 seconds in:
