So it’s the time of year when top ten lists abound. We here at Parklife DC are no different. As much as people tend to make fun of them, they can be fun. They can also be so tough to compile! After exhaustive research, I have compiled my ten favorite images of 2024. Here they are, in no particular order but hopefully with some stories you may find interesting.

1 – Kristof Hahn: Swans @ Howard Theater — 4/12/24

Kristof Hahn is not only a member of Swans, he also opened for them at The Howard Theater. He played solo pedal steel. It was unbelievable the crushing wall of sound that built up as his opening set progressed. This entire show, Kristof’s opening set included, was the loudest, most unrelenting show I have ever been to and I can not wait to see them again before they enter their next era. I chose this shot because, even while he’s surrounded by instruments, Kristof is alone on stage. The shot is very linear with high contrast and reminds me of some shots I saw as a kid on some long-forgotten record sleeve.

2 – Manchester Orchestra @ The Fillmore Silver Spring — 9/7/24

I wanted to cover this show for my oldest daughter. Manchester Orchestra is her favorite band and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be the “cool dad”. So she was able to come with me to the show. She was able to get up to the barrier while I was shooting and we fist-bumped. I even heard the lady next to her ask how she knew me. She said, “That’s my dad”. So this will always be one of my favorite concerts. So I had to pick my favorite shot from one of my favorite shows. I chose this photo of singer/guitarist Andy Hull for the movement. I feel like the entire venue is shaking apart around him, lights shining right in my face and obscuring what we can see. But he keeps going.

3 – The Vindys @ Warner Theatre — 7/9/24

This show was a little unusual in that someone else covered this show for Parklife. The Vindys were opening for Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo over the summer. Some of you may know that I host a podcast called Performance Anxiety. The singer for The Vindys, Jackie Popovic, came on the podcast to talk about their music, the latest album, and opening for Benatar-Giraldo. I mentioned that I do a lot of live music photography and Jackie invited me to shoot the show for the band. So I did. The only bad part was that I was not allowed to shoot Benatar Giraldo. Regardless, I shot one of my favorite photos to date at that show. It’s got a little Marilyn Monroe meets Paula Abdul feel to me. I love motion in photos and this one has a lot.

4 – Stone Temple Pilots @ Jiffy Lube Live — 9/4/24

This was a fun show. The lineup was Soul Asylum, Stone Temple Pilots, and Live. There were only three photo passes for this show and I wound up with two of them. I had requested this show through Parklife DC. However, because of the aforementioned podcast, I have become pretty good friends with Soul Asylum guitarist Ryan Smith. Whenever he’s in the area, he tries to get me a photo pass to cover their show. That caused a little bit of confusion at will call, but we worked it out. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what I love about this photograph of Robert DeLeo. There really is not much motion in it. But it exudes ROCKSTAR! Stone Temple Pilots were celebrating the 30th anniversary of their Purple album, so I leaned into that on the color balance.

5 – Tom Sandoval and The Most Extras @ Tally Ho Theater — 5/20/24

This was such a crazy show. When I got to the venue, the drummer/musical director of the band came over to me and told me that I had free reign. Shoot as much as I wanted. Shoot from wherever I wanted. Come on stage and shoot from there! So I did. I wandered all over the venue, backstage, on stage, in the pit… I chose this shot because it’s another one that reminds me of photos I saw on album covers growing up. I always wanted to know what it was like being up on stage, in front of hundreds of people, playing my heart out. While I wasn’t playing a musical instrument, I was on stage during a show. This is as close as I can get to the view from the stage.

6 – Our House @ The Hamilton Live — 8/9/24

Our House plays cover songs; everything is connected to Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young in some way. That goes for not only the set but also the band members. Some played with the members in other bands, some opened for them on recent tours, others are relatives. That’s how I know them. I’ve been friends with Astrid Young for many years, ever since she was on my podcast. When Our House booked two nights at The Hamilton Live, she reached out and asked if I would shoot both nights. I jumped at the opportunity for whatever reason just popped into your head. The band is exceptionally talented. One of the members is a musician named Chris Pierce. He sings and plays guitar and tambourine. And all he ever does is exude soul. This shot is one of my favorites because it makes me feel peaceful. I think this shot also illustrates Chris’ old soul. Chris knows who he is and his confidence is evident in every note. You have to be, to sing Southern Man in front of Neil Young’s sister every night.

7 – Jimmy Gnecco @ Pearl Street Warehouse — 5/5/24

This was a special show for me. I’ve known Jimmy for a while. He’s another incredible artist who has been kind enough to do my podcast. Last year I connected him with another artist named Rob Marshall, who goes by Humanist. Rob wanted Jimmy to sing on his newest album. Well, they couldn’t get the timing to work. But Jimmy did agree to to tour with Rob as the singer for Humanist. They opened for Depeche Mode and Jane’s Addiction’s latest tours. During the show at Pearl Street Warehouse, Jimmy paused mid-set to tell the story of that entire experience and say thank you to me. I was not expecting that and was truly humbled. I will never forget it. So I chose this photo from that show because I think it exudes the power in Jimmy’s voice.

8 – Living Colour @ Tally Ho Theater — 1/25/24

Whenever Living Colour come to the area, they always stop at Tally Ho. It’s always a great show. Corey and Vernon, in particular, just play off each other, telling jokes and picking on one another. Corey is one of the best frontmen around so he’s a lot of fun to shoot. So when I started going through the photos from the show and saw this shot, I was excited. It was a dramatic shot of the back of Corey’s head. Not at all what I expected. With Living Colour, I expected my favorite shots to be full of energy and excitement, not a calm, almost stoic shot of Corey Glover and a microphone. But that’s part of the fun of shooting concerts; you never know what you’re going to end up with.

9 – Nicotine Dolls @ Union Stage — 6/20/24

Shooting concerts, or any live event, is always exciting. You never know what you’re up against until everything starts. Sometimes you start going through your shots and not be happy with anything. Other times you go through them and wonder how you’re going to edit everything down. Nicotine Dolls at Union Stage was the latter. Man, did they put on a good show! And I got a lot of shots I’m proud of. But this one is my favorite. I will often compare my work to the work I grew up on; album covers and candids from record sleeves that I would stare at for hours on end. This photograph is one that meets those standards. If I was told I had to pick an image to show Paul Natkin, Ross Halfin, Scarlet Page, or Dean Karr, this is one I would choose.

10 – Heilung @ DAR Constitution Hall — 4/17/24

I’ll wrap up with Heilung at DAR Constitution Hall. This has to be my favorite show of the year. I have never been to a show quite like this in my life. It is equal parts music and theater and incredibly intense. The show builds as it goes, starting off with an incantation and growing in size and scope as the night progresses. The show was so well done. The music, lighting, and choreography were all top notch. But what made the show exceptional were the costumes and set. It made it so much fun to shoot. No matter where I was, something wild was happening. And even though everything was sung in German, Gothic, Old High German, Icelandic, Latin, Old English, Proto-Norse, Proto-Germanic, Viking age Old Norse, and some English, you are able to follow the story. And if you couldn’t already guess, they don’t play modern instruments. It’s very percussive and rhythmic. It is so difficult to encapsulate a show like that in one photograph. But I think I came close with this shot. It may be my favorite of all-time. So far. We’ll see what 2025 brings.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everyone!