Johnny Marr slings his guitar at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Oct. 17, 2018. Jason Nicholson chose a picture from this show (but not this one) as one of his Top 10 of 2018. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)

Editor’s Note: This year, we asked our bloggers to name their Top 10 shows of 2018 or choose their Top 10 photos of the year. We will run them over the course of mid-December as our Best of the Year posts.

While sitting back in my chair and listening to a vinyl record is a favorite pastime of mine, there is nothing like going out and experiencing a performance live. For me as a concert photographer, the challenge is trying to capture the image of an artist you have spent a lifetime getting to know or at least your representation of what they mean to you. Here’s my Top 10 favorite photos of 2018 I had the pleasure of shooting for Parklife DC this year with a little commentary. Hope you enjoy seeing them again and best wishes for a great 2019!

1 – Gary Numan @ 9:30 Club — 9/21/18

Gary Numan’s concert at the 9:30 Club this year in support of his latest album Savage was certainly a highlight. I tried to capture the angst, isolation, and sheer power of his performance. I shot this from the balcony at the club.

2 – Gail Greenwood of Belly @ 9:30 Club — 9/29/18

Gail Greenwood really plays it up during her performances, and I tried to capture her expression, great heart, and fun nature.

3 – Peter Hook of Peter Hook and The Light @ Union Transfer — 4/26/18

Peter Hook is a bass player legend and personal favorite. Watching Peter relive the songs of Joy Division and New Order live in two separate sets with his iconic thumping bass lines brings back personal memories of such contrasts: listening to Joy Division alone in the dark on a cold rainy night or out with friends in clubs dancing to New Order. He and his entire band are great guys to hang out with.

4 – Johnny Marr (formerly of The Smiths) @ The Fillmore Silver Spring — 10/17/18

Godlike Genius! Need I say more? I have met Johnny Marr Many times. Simply one of the nicest and most intelligent artists you’ll ever meet. I wanted to capture Johnny in action during one of his guitar riffs with one of his iconic Fender Jaguar guitars.

5 – Daniel Ash (of Poptone, Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets) @ The Fillmore Silver Spring — 7/1/18

GO! Both Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins of Bauhaus fame were touring as Poptone. It appears this was the last time that we’ll see them in that incarnation, so it was a pleasure. I had several shots of Daniel from different angles, but I wanted to get one from the far stage left to shot with the stage lights and smoke as backdrops.

6 – Roger Daltrey (of The Who) @ Filene Center at Wolf Trap — 6/10/18

I just stood there in awe watching that swinging mic. Roger Daltrey was touring with The Who band (but without Pete Townshend), and he was always on my bucket list to shoot. He was performing Tommy in its entirely. I was only able to shoot Roger during a few short songs, so I had to patiently wait and hope for him to start swinging. He didn’t disappoint.

7 – Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs @ Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center — 10/24/18

Richard Butler is such a charismatic expressive artist both as a painter and a singer. I have seen the Furs perform many times, and they are a band I grew up with. I recall fond memories of dancing to “Love My Way” at high school dances. This photo captures the Richard Butler I grew up knowing.

8 – Dave Vanian of The Damned @ The Black Cat — 10/20/18

The vampire himself — and, yes, a color photograph of mine. I rarely photograph in color. Black and white photography has always been my medium of choice. But The Damned were using some interesting colors on stage, and I liked the green background and the highlights that reflected off Dave’s teeth, so I kept it in color. Maybe red would have worked better?

9 – Lisa Stansfield @ The Birchmere — 10/15/18

Lisa Stansfield is such an emotional, nonstop, powerful stage performer. Watching Lisa perform is like watching an aerobics instructor on steroids for two hours. She puts everything into her concerts with great dance moves while working the stage with her band members. During her songs, you can see the emotions flow as if she is singing and acting them out for the first time. This photo captures her reaching out, crying of pain, while calling you back for more love.

10 – Tim Burgess and Mark Collins of The Charlatans @ U Street Music Hall — 10/2/18

The show was a great intimate venue with the “Madchester” icons in full force. I generally like to freeze the action and emphasize the facial and body details of the artists. Tim Burgess rarely stops moving and rocking, so I thought it best to capture him the way I saw him during most of the show, with his great hair swinging to the beat while that psychedelic organ swirls around the room.