Preview: Outtakes: Tales of a Rock-N-Roll Photographer @ Principle Gallery, 10/15 + 10/16/21

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Mickey McCarter in Preview and tagged Cerphe Colwell, Chester Simpson, music photography, Principle Gallery.

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Photos by Chester Simpson

It’s been my pleasure to know photographer Chester Simpson for roughly 23 years now, all the more so because he has colorful stories to share from his days in the ’70s and ’80s as a shutterbug for Rolling Stone, NME, Melody Maker, and other big music publications.

While by no means all he has photographed in his long and memorable career, Chester was at ground zero for the punk and new wave scenes in San Francisco after his art school days, and I love to hear about his encounters with Debbie Harry, Duran Duran, Nick Cave, Siouxsie Sioux, and a host of other favorite musicians of the day.

You can hear some of those tales too, as Chester hosts a solo exhibition of his photographs at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, on Friday, Oct. 15, and Saturday, Oct. 16.

Live Review: Jimmie Vaughan @ The Hamilton Live — 7/20/19

Posted on July 23, 2019 by Mark Engleson in Live Review and tagged Austin, blues, Chester Simpson, Jimmie Vaughan, Texas, The Hamilton, The Hamilton Live.

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Jimmie Vaughan performs at The Hamilton Live on July 20, 2019. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

“Worth the price of admission,” said the woman sitting next to Parklife DC photographer Chester Simpson after legendary Texas blues guitarist Jimmie Vaughan finished his solo on a piece by Slide Hampton.

Live Review: Los Lobos @ The Hamilton Live — 4/16/19

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Mark Engleson in Live Review and tagged Americana, California, Chester Simpson, heartland rock, Los Angeles, Los Lobos, roots, The Hamilton, The Hamilton Live.

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Los Lobos performs at The Hamilton Live on April 16, 2019. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

Los Lobos performed at a benefit concert for JusticeAid, raising money for the Immigrant Defense Project, recently at The Hamilton Live.

Live Review: Jethro Tull @ MGM National Harbor — 3/11/19

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Chester Simpson in Live Review and tagged anniversary show, blues, Chester Simpson, England, folk, Ian Anderson, jazz, Jethro Tull, MGM National Harbor, progressive rock.

Ian Anderson (center) celebrates 50 years of Jethro Tull at MGM National Harbor on March 11, 2019. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

I first saw Jethro Tull on the Aqualung Tour at Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia, on April 18, 1971. I most recently saw Ian Anderson and company at MGM National Harbor when they visited to celebrate 50 years of the band.

Snapshots: Watermelon Park Festival @ Clarke County Fairgrounds (Berryville, VA) — 9/20-9/23/18

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Chester Simpson in Live Review and tagged Americana, Bela Fleck, Billy Strings, bluegrass, Chester Simpson, country, folk, Furnace Mountain, Jack Dunlap, John Miller Jr., Johnny Bluegrass and the Porta John Pickers, Kentucky Thunder, Marty Stuart, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Molly Tuttle, music festival, Richie Stearns, Ricky Skaggs, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, roots, Shepherds Ford Productions, The Ingramettes, The Jeff Austin Band, The Woodshedders, Watermelon Park, Watermelon Park Festival.

Marty Stuart and Watermelon Park owner John Miller Jr. at the Watermelon Park Festival in September 2018. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

Watermelon Park, located in Berryville, Virginia, on the banks of the Shenandoah River, is a local haven for camping, tubing and kayaking all summer long. It hosted the 15th annual Watermelon Park Festival recently, and we’ve got pictures of the performing bands to prove it!

Music Park: Chris Isaak @ The Birchmere — 8/27/18

Posted on August 31, 2018 by Chester Simpson in Live Review and tagged California, Chester Simpson, Chris Isaak, rock and roll, rockabilly, roots, surf rock, The Birchmere.

Chris Isaak performing at the Birchmere August 27, 2018

Chris Isaak performs at The Birchmere on Aug. 27, 2018. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

Chris Isaak’s fans are in love with him, and he loved them right back at The Birchmere on Monday!

Music Park: Alejandro Escovedo and Joe Ely @ City Winery — 8/21/18

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Chester Simpson in Live Review and tagged Alejandro Escovedo, alt-country, Americana, Chester Simpson, City Winery, country, heartland rock, Joe Ely, outlaw country, punk.

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Joe Ely and Alejandro Escovedo perform at City Winery in DC on Aug. 21, 2018. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

I had a personal reason for attending and photographing the show of Alejandro Escovedo and Joe Ely recently at the City Winery in Washington, DC, I knew them in the ole days of the ’70s.

Music Park: The Fixx @ The Birchmere — 8/15/18

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Chester Simpson in Live Review and tagged Chester Simpson, Cy Curnin, England, new wave, The Birchmere, The Fixx.

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Cy Curnin fronts The Fixx at The Birchmere on Aug. 15, 2018. (All photos by Chester Simpson; Words by Mickey McCarter)

The Fixx showcased Reach to the Beach, their remarkable second album, to mark its 35th anniversary in a sold-out show at The Birchmere on Wednesday. In doing so, the band’s classic lineup demonstrated the talents that gave them cross-genre success over the course of 10 studio albums.

Snapshots: Red Wing VI Roots Music Festival @ Natural Chimneys Park (Mt. Solon, VA) — 7/13-7/15/18

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Chester Simpson in Live Review and tagged bluegrass, blues, Chester Simpson, country, folk, John Moreland, Jon Strickley Trio, Joseph Terrell, Josh Ritter, Ladama, MIPSO, music festival, Natural Chimneys Park, Nora Jane Strutters, Nora Jane Strutters and Party Line, Old Man Luedecke, Red Wing, Red Wing Roots Music Festival, Red Wing VI, roots, Shenandoah National Park, The Steel Wheels, The Wildmans, Trampled by Turtles.

The Steel Wheels – Red Wing VI Roots Music Festival July 14, 2018

The Steel Wheels perform at Red Wing Roots Festival in Natural Chimneys Park on July 14, 2018. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

Year after year, The Red Wing Roots Music Festival just keeps getting better and better! And the latest edition, on July 13-15, in Mount Solon, Virginia, was the best yet.

Music Park: The English Beat @ State Theatre — 6/21/18

Posted on June 26, 2018 by Mickey McCarter in Live Review and tagged California, Chester Simpson, King Schascha, punk, reggae, ska, State Theatre, The English Beat.

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The peerless English Beat performs at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, on June 21, 2018. (Photo by Chester Simpson)

The English Beat have a brand new album out! The indefatigable Dave Wakeling and company published Here We Go Love earlier this month via Here We Go Records to very strong reviews. And Dave and the band dropped by the State Theatre in Falls Church to play a few of the new songs long with some old favorites on Thursday.