Danny Clinch has played with, photographed, and filmed some of the most iconic musicians in modern history, including Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Tupac Shakur, and Johnny Cash. Acclaimed as one of the top photographers in the music scene (http://www.dannyclinch.com/) for decades and the recipient of 3 Grammy Award nominations himself, Danny’s work has appeared everywhere in Vanity Fair, Spin, Rolling Stone, and GQ, as well as numerous galleries. He recently founded the Transparent Gallery (https://www.facebook.com/dannyclinchtransparent/) at the Asbury Hotel to showcase music and culture in the area, along with his annual Sea.Hear.Now music and art festival (https://www.seahearnowfestival.com/).
In addition to his camera, the other thing Danny Clinch never leaves home without is his harmonica. He doesn't just love photographing musicians, he's also a long-time lover and creator of music, playing with his own band and sitting in with many of the amazing people he photographs. In today’s conversation, we talk about the complete coincidence that led to him first picking up a camera, how he honed his chops under Annie Leibovitz and other legends in the biz, and the power of place and devotion in shaping who we become.
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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Never meet somebody, and when you ask them what they do, they start to tell you, I'm just before body lit up like they can actually.
They get to do this thing that they do for their life and the ever
me too muddy and they ve been doing that for decades, and this
still feel the same way like its play, and I can't wait to do it. That is my guest today, danny clinch,
danny. Is he probably wouldn't describe it this way, but I will describe him as an iconic music.
for he has literally toward with travelled with photographed near
every major name in music. For the last couple of decades it has become his.
his consuming passion. He is also a musician who has had the incredible fortune
friend many of the same people and play
stage with them, sometimes in organised way, sometimes just in something that kind of magically comes together.
At the same time he's reached a family pre much where he grew up, which is Tom.
in new jersey and not-
far away in the in the legendary, sometimes famous, sometimes infamous now expanding quickly asthma.
park in new jersey, home of the famed stone pony
He decided that he can want to create a space and give back and he has opened his own
is called the transparent gallery that
hosts all sorts of things from shows to art to all sorts,
musical act span, singer, songwriters and me
recently collaborated with a group of friends to create the sea here now festival which combined
music and surfing and art all in one beautiful experience. He is
person, who literally just is alive and every part of his life,
It was my absolute pleasure to sit down with any an expert
or his early life. The big influences the seeming sliding doors that completely change
everything in a moment's notice and how he is crafted alive
He will tell you not entirely intentionally. That seems too
every nook and cranny and makes it really good, so excited
This conversation with you, I'm jonathan field, and this is good life project
the
How does a I even work where it is creativity come from,
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So. The ten percent happier podcast has one guiding philosophy. Happiness is still that you can.
it's a: why not embrace it. It's hosted by dan harris journalists who had a panic attack on national television and then send out on this journey of transformation and he's now on a quest to help. Others also achieve peace and happiness, and every week Dan talked you top scientists, meditation teachers. Even the odd celebrity in wide ranging conversations that explore topics like productivity, anxiety and lightness, psychedelic and relationships, the interviews cover everyone from bernay brown to cerebral ass to SAM Harrison more. I love learning from his questions and experiences and incredible guess think of listening to ten percent happier as a work out for your mind, fine ten percent happier where every listen to pot casts. I grew up. My dad was a house painter and wallpaper
so very blue collar in those little community. We were about two miles.
Maybe a mile have two miles from a plate: hold shelter curve which was a little beach like a bay. A bay beach like
of the times over the body debate now
into into the air.
and eventually- and we were like really a five minute. Ten minute car
I'd from seaside heights seaside park we would go to shortly be
kids were
My mom was some was always more
didn't go into the beach, then stay home and you know doing the dishes or whatever
now we go to the beach cricket and so
I rode motorcycles alot. When I was a kid I we live on a dead end street. My dad was a greaser
and I had my first many bike when I was about five or six and I just started- I kept up in
gay might then had that honda. Fifty the one with the folding handlebars had a couple of those than I had it
sell. Seventy then I had my
hundred elsinore, and then I you know I ended
grace and a little bit of flat track. Motorcycles are raised a little lamb first, they started racing motor across and it wasn't like that
nineteen eighty one
like a junior in high school.
was the same year that they came out with the motto shop on the new motorcycles. So all the
kids had mano shock which
way way way better than a regular.
sharks on the vote on the old motor across bikes, which I had a nineteen. Seventy five honda- and I just like. Ok, that's that's not gonna work.
I can't afford the bacon I was you know bouncing around like
like a jumping being whenever he also crews and over the jobs
and then I did some motor awesome, flattery,
with a friend of my dad's, which was really cool,
is he was a an area may sanctioned razor american and motorcycles radiation. He added
weathers. He had the ball taco three sixty he was like my dad's age
He was going out to a small track that was
Not err may sanctioned
to race on his ball taco three sixty in these smaller a quarter mile tracks just keep his chops up and keep himself go.
We know for the bigger races when he wanted aside, get to go down with him, help him get his bike out of the back of a truck
Is that your thing and super nice guy
and he,
a a say for forty, one victor, which was an old british motorcycle amy.
in thing when you're flat tracking, is that the shifter is
the right hand side, so it doesn't say ass. I believe a word you can shift, while your lawyer and so on. He set me up to turkey to race. You know- and it was like the bikers too big for me and like
It started in second gear caused so much low end in it. It was just like it was just really fought sea like what sixteen seventeen years others, I think so.
I might have been a little old man, might have been like seventeen or eighteen
in your mind, is something that you are thinking about doing as like us here. This is nothing you know. I grew up right.
Motorcycles and I just was enjoying it was. It was,
much fun, and you know I can
he derived motorcycles. You know with my dad Mina. We did some couple
ripped out into the mojave desert, where we would go to las vegas in rent armies and then just take a four day trip just wherever it took us. We
it up in pioneer town out near Joshua tree in there,
I have been through joshua tree and stuff has pretty up. When was the first time you did something like that. I have a lot of time.
It had to be like ninety, I feel like it was right around right before right after my son was,
I can't I can't remember it was like ninety five. You know some
I mean my dad and I rode all the time together, but we did that trip. It was kind of like a father and son thing and, and it was really cool- we went with a friend of mine who was one of my mentors for photography. Timothy White is a photographer and a greaser.
and we just went out and just had a great time, and we did it twice in their and you know it just is become like a legendary trip.
At night. I lost my dad couple years ago, as you use the phrase greece or a couple times now yet
We're were the same age, so I I totally get what you mean, but yeah like we were coming out. Lately there were the jaxa, the greasers that were freaks alright, and then there were leaks out
the handling kids, I could move between the groups right. I move between the groups, the Al Qaeda say why I hung
with the burnt out we had the burn out at ox is really when it was an error. The nerve nerves are grave and, like I just I just moved in between all them. You know I plead soccer.
I was on the swim team
an arm. I loved plan soccer and swimming, and then I just I became a lifeguard, but I also ran with the other crowd as well
yeah. It was a lot of fun in you know when I was really
I also got my first camera.
By going to a I was no the church that we went to had their vacation bible school and about this church in
They had a contest every year, whoever bought the most kids along with them too, that the end of the summer camp road ever was a cap. You add a little rocket
that was. There was a string and it was a rocket on mister.
and every time you bought someone, your rocket we'll get him forward, and everybody had a nickname, and my
nickname was Danny bones
and because I was a skinny little kid right and so
Consequently, when instagram came out- and I had-
idea what it was many years ago there like. Oh you to create a name for yourself side put
any bones sixty four the year I was born and I just never changed it now, actually like it. But anyway, if you bought the most kids, it was a pile of gifts there or for real
words, whatever you get to pick up on the pile you don't. I had my eye on the fishing pole m as it went along.
Long story short I came, and second,
and I was hoping that the guy about who beat me or doubt booby anyway. They took the floor
ball, and so I would like thank you, mean a camera
other articles, lammert to the gallows, like a consulate earnestly I didn't have to. I could be a very successful fishermen right now as the story of his arm, but you know that camera ended up. I recall
the dashboard of my mom's car, and it just melted one night when they were
went to the beach sunrise did and I still took pictures with it, and I think it's informed my photography
that's the mayor since he was and when you start taking pictures with it I mean so you get the camera this way. It wasn't like a
I am drawn to this thing. I have to get a camera on going to save up for it. It was. This was just completely luck of the draw to a certain extent, the button it was
but I was already drawing all the time and- and I was like
in member, like they would have like tat, was in the tv guide.
Where you could draw like skippy their dear what
I can't remember what it was, but you could draw character on there and then.
The din and they would say well, you should go to art school right now. Maybe you shouldn't in- and I was in the hours into that- wasn't a painting and are in
and my mom,
Everything in an
go to my mom's house right now and there's a closet,
that is literally full of photo albums old school. You know one hour photo. We know drugstore developed an just, but
Books in books and books and I go in there sometimes when I met the house where the big family gathering and I've talked out and stuff. I just go
back in like where's, danny and helping to second withdrew all these voters in the closet, with all our colleagues ecuador and there so much fun. And now I just worry about my iphone and I take a photo of early in my body from when we were kids,
like we miss eyre acres route, coming up, that's how you looked a picture
at first. She got him back in the little envelope he fled to. He had the negatives, and then he had like the prince, you know and then, as soon as you could, you got the album and a policeman you put the little cellophane over it and then they would just near
Vanish forever wants a while you go back, and
wait there's something that nobody prince stuff anymore? It's all just say with them at home,
there's some kind of magical, just kansas, settling into it like an old chair with his
album on your lap and just going page by page like the physical, tangible, secure, taking the journey again and so beautiful. Just give me an idea. Thank you
They are so my mom has always taken photos, and then I found out what I knew:
my grandfather, my mom's dad, always took for it
and he was an engineer. So my mom lived up in clifton
and then she would go down a mammoth squandered jersey.
in the summer. They had a summer house there so for those in another know about two hours away,
yeah and so on. My dad was,
classic from the other side of the tracks. You know never finished. Eighth grade was kind of like up, not a troublemaker, but like didn't we
the rules, you know so anyway, they met and an angel. My mom got pregnant and
Maybe this is too much information for my mom's listening, but no, but anyway they met.
and die. My mom got pregnant.
I sister was born, they were young, then I came along and anyway, my point was they were from two very different worlds,
And so my grandfather, my mom's, dad,
Was an engineer he took care of things, he bought things once and he took care of them. You know that was his m o you know,
my grandmother. They were born in, like nineteen fourteen and they like lived through the depression. There is like really took care of things.
and my dad side of the family was like they were. They were poor, they didn't have anything to take care of, didn't know how to take care of it and- and in
So the the interesting thing is that I found out later on when I had it
ocean, with my dad about all the family photos they had. I would like first of all, they didn't have any money photography
I'd be expensive and russia to pay for everything. It only has a nose like war. I
see all the family photos and there were a lot of them and I said well who's taken those photos and he's about your grandfather has taken them and I said, buddies in them. He's in the photos and he's like well look at look at his hair.
his hand, isn't always behind his back, because he would run fishing straying from the
amra now to do this, and he would just click it. Often
the family together and click it often like how is like
the o. Selfie owes you got there. I thought them gordon college,
and over the selfie but thought it turned out both my parent, my my grandparents took photos,
insanely enough and in my dad's side of the family historically was very creative and his brother, his sister, my dad, and they all were like family business house painters. My my dad had his brother and then he had like
four sisters but anyway, that my dad and my uncle warehouse painters. So as my grandfather
now see how they certainly different traditions, indifferent, Emily those, but every scan interesting as almost everything
together. Around capturing moments
an end and photography and bring new way
for you does photography
come something more was it earlier. This happened later
it became something more were well. You know interesting leah enough, like I started carrying a camera and everywhere
in my my neighbour yeah, my boy, so I had that little camera. Then, after that camera crept out, I bought another camera from a yard sale and then my grandfather gave me his cheek
is called a you shake a lynx. One thousand. I remember from abroad
their case. He took care of everything. As I said, it was a beautiful camera. Of course, I who knows what happened to it and
he gave me the camera. It was arranged find a very much like the like that I carry around. So
was able I learned to use the range find her when I was young and and then I owe my body across
He was one of those kids too. You know gotTA
ah, but he was really young. He always worked hard and he always had stuff because he had a job and we were all I mean he was like thirteen any bought. He bought it.
Hammer and then and then he would like, bought a guitar. And we are all I damn stephen. You know em,
He never used the camera and like one,
this agreement whereby vacuum uneasy
sure, and then I just
in a year's time, and so sorry, stephen
and so on. I started taken forward.
all the time and then I was a big music dance. I started going to concerts and on one of the first time to keep became,
The more for me was some friends of mine were big fans of TED nugent right. We were like in high school. They were ten,
Heads with everybody just call them the two tat had to his ear: arpanet, nay, they just love tat, nugent Saul was about, and so I found out tat nugent was going to play at six flags, great adventure which is in jackson, new jersey and I gotta ticket. I took my camera and I went there
and photographed the ted nugent show, and then I came back I process my film. I blew up some big powers.
Stir size. You know four, ten bucks, you could send it out, they give you a big poster ted nugent and I saw them to the guys,
it me because you tell ass, so it was interesting. So that was
I was like, oh, I can actually make money doing this, and then there is course that moment in your life that we all have when your parents go okay. Well, what are you going to do? You know what do you want to do for a living, and my father had never finished eighth grade
Can he always regretted he always felt like use at a disadvantage, because you didn't have a proper education?
and he said whatever you want to do and I care what it is. You know I will help you make it happen. If you want to go to school, I'm gonna make it happen and he did- and I ended up
did look at a lot of the big photography schools and I did look at school of visual arts and things like that name.
You really intimidated me and I ended up in Boston and
and a school called the new england of photography, which was a a trade school. Basically,
lot of veterans of a lot of people who wanted to be commercial for jobs.
these are wedding photographers, and so I went up there and I felt very comfortable there
very blue collar. The dark rooms were like not perfect. You know I can go to school of his art. Everything was all shiny and
Then in everybody was so cool there and I was like well, I think I'll go up here. You know
and it was a lot easier on the pocket book. I think for my parents, so I went there and I loved my met
lifelong friend there at a great experience, one of the cool things,
that one of my instructors, Susan Wilson, was a photographer for the boston globe.
and she covered the music section.
So when.
We were doing assignments, and I said you know everything.
Was gone out and photographing like homeless people, or you know their pair
since I like that, like I said, I want to go, find a rock band and and hang out with him, and she was like oh cool,
You know- and I really felt like I don't know if it was another teacher- maybe would have been different in our coming or maybe not, but she encourage me
and- and I started to hang out with couple bands thereupon, Boston just like that
any of the others up specifically about
rick berlin, the movie, and he
the a berlin airlift came up really with the talking heads and they played with the talking heads on double bills, and
probably played cbgbs and all that and records.
Very eccentric. I really cool and great songs and never never got the nod in our people. People do arm
and so it was exciting. I hung out with them in the recording studio. I went to their gigs, I remember jumping in a van with them like for the first time in driving out too. You know
cambridge or sudden for some gig and it was so exciting and they were they were,
visual banned. It was a big banned. It had three or three
backup singers, unlike the qatar player, was
be cool. Looking at, I just men are really loved it.
I mean it's housing. Is it it's the coming here to what it sounds like? You are also a big fan of music, just general absolutely and which category two physic back then we're talkin like lady at each early night
right. This was also a kind of the era. This was lake.
This was a weird time in music, actually cause you ve gotta. Let me it was eighty. It was like eighty four so many days you happy because I went
here's to a community college in county college, and then I did the two years in Boston. So it was he twitter who is eighty. Eighty four, eighty five dash yeah cause we're coming out of the the the days of
Some were telepath classic rock were coming out of the days of kiss. Unlike the egg, hyper visual like humor shows command hair metal lay at the big hair bands.
and for me, like a little more like weird indy rock you know like till tuesday,
the Delf juega is man an arm. You know a band cox at one o positive,
and like three collars and morphine so that as new
Like I examined island w, I was the hot new waves
and yet one is of course a flock of cigars. I that's cleaners was religion was kind and unaware like talking heads, but it was cool yeah, it's
Indeed, the sounds like you were when you tell the story of certainly dumping,
with them travelling around its like you're telling of the photographer side of lisa
the main character and almost famous to a certain extent,
yeah, yeah you're, just like and you're just your eye.
a bug out you're like yeah. This is cool.
All the people that you admired? You know growing up like
in other early, Annie, Leibovitz photos and henry delts and Jim marshal and bob grew in staffing alike.
You're, seeing those images flash before your eyes are like
or behind your eyes. You know like and you're trying to take that photo that felt like
that moment that you saw you know of bob
when photographing John lennon in the studio or something here. So you
a student of those people here that air.
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I meet khazars interesting tension to write. On the one hand you ve got this love of photography has been developing animal
It's like also really a passion to get better at a passion to be able to reach
the capture astonishing thing, then
in time we got a loved music
and one of the rules of really embracing him
President music is basically just to be there. You know so
do you feel and maybe to this day, do feline all attention between just being
They were present in the moment of the music and this
other thing where it's ok, I I'm I can't be fully present as part of my brain is thinking. How do I capture this
you know, maybe early on, because you you're like really are overthinking it and you're. Trying to like you know, but like these days I almost
like I'm part of
Strangely, I I feel, like I don't mean it.
I'm trying to insert myself if the eighty, which I feel I feel like you're part of the band you now you like part of the,
like this is my instrument and- and I play
music as well. So like I I like, I can feel the build up like I can like like I'm on just like
you know if I was like I play
monica blues banned in a lot of
so just lay out. I lay out a lay out lay out, and then you see you feel it building up. You see your life
no spot and you get in there and you get it and then you get out in a
and ve never really thought of it, like verbal ized it.
that's kind of in a way that happens. You know on there with my camera and I, like you, know I I now have it. You know.
A sixth sense of right. When the shit can happen, you know- and I can anticipate
and I can allay out so that I'm not in people's way that I'm hiding in the shadows and then, when I feel like it
within open, I need to get out in there and you know
loud often, I'm allowed on the stage behind the drum kit or behind amplifier, which is so.
Take me years to develop the trust of people too.
You to do that and then you know you can get this really unique point of view, and and so it's exciting, you know it it's exciting to be a part of it and
and I like being in the middle of it, verse
having a super along lands and be across the room, you know now, I'm so sorry
when your backup in Boston, you start around with bands and then you're, coming back from this to your programme for your programme at Boston, to you,
so comes a time when you actually you're done with that
so there is a decision. I guess
Might I well this year on so I can
my girlfriend
I'm here now my wife
ah Maria was going to f. I t like I had
I was also working out a one hour photo and I was I was like as life guarding
in college and then I also is working out a one hour photo and the guy
sky jack
He had a one hour photo studio in the back and when I got done with college on, he said to me my guy, I portrait guy just quit.
And I know this isn't what you want to do, but here's the keys, if you do
but every once in a while engagement photo family portrait or you know whatever kid photos and I'll just give you the keys and you can photograph everyone in the studio and I'll pay you you know- and I was like great so he gave he gave me this studio and I photograph
they're you, family, portraits and all that stuff unknown in my my girlfriend at the time
What was that, if I t and she did a study abroad and like where I come from
I was really the first in my family, I think, to go to college.
my mom, went to nursing school and my my grandfather, of course, but like in our immediate family, just people in Gaza
their blue. My dad side, especially and that's where the bigger part of the family was.
and so on, I didn't know you could study abroad and I didn't know you could do anything like that and I was like wow. She went to study like shakespeare or something in london, and I was like wow that's cool and, and I I started to think what could I do like that? That would be something exciting
and I decided to do a photographic workshop and which I highly encourage anybody to deal because you know you go to,
workshop, and it's all like minded people who who are interested in photography and,
You know, there's a lot of common conversations going on and inspiration is often so. I looked round at my feet.
This workshop, it was the ansel atoms gallery workshop.
It was in yosemite while
It was Annie, Leibovitz and david hockney. All my ass.
I believe that they told any that David was doing it and then they told
I think they were like any. They both
showed up and they were. There were two other for jobs.
as I should research it and find out who they work as its unfair, not to mention them. But I pretty much skipped out on em
class and went to Annie's and David
then- and this is an assembly, was in yosemite and I honestly didn't really know who David hockney was. I had to do little research, but he had just put out that book of polaroids there. So he's a photographer. You know so, and I knew
any out any was like my here right now, she's near based ass here, so I
out there and I do the friends of photography
and then I book another workshop after that call them. The photograph is a document, and that was that friends of photography, which was also an answer. It was an carmel. California was also an annual Adams affiliated thing. He wasn't a lively,
it was very exciting, and so anyway do they workshop on any and her assistant,
and indeed rose
I kind of hit it off and, like I was helping. The male is not like,
sort of towards the end of the the workshop. He said you know
and he's looking for an intern at her studio and after that,
was going to go to l a and I was gonna go see if I could get an internship like. I was like I thought of Annie. I thought of why come her brits and a bunch of
people in other I had in mind and so m, had a trip, a trip planned after the workshops for like another week or so
In california, which I had never been to em so Dave said I she
me and keep my eyes for someone who would be a good, a good,
turn here and now:
in I mentioned you and she agreed, and she before she asked you
one of the now are you you know you are interested in and turning it. The studio in new york outs like,
well, I just checked my calendar. I happened to be free for forever.
And then she asked me, you know ten turn at the studio and I was like absolutely so
whole then I went to indeed the photograph is a document which was, I think it was it bruce davidson,
and it was some ought to come back to it.
After that, I didn't have to worry about getting a job. I got to go and enjoy hang with friends in california and stuff. I came back to new york. I started sweeping floors getting caught.
see making coffee running errands dissolve lacking in any way with Annie, and then I ended up.
work in my way up to basically travel
with her as one her assistance and morgan. Unlike incredible stuff, like the american express campaign- and you know like
Springsteen tunnel of love record photographing in excess and elephants gerald and like them. It was who has also
the unknown, and she said she is
master and she doesn't set-
for any silliness, and she means business in, and I really learned a lot from her and
and she was such a huge inspiration for me and you know suarez stories goes. I recall we would be
in the gig and I was on staff and we hired a lot of freelance people cause her productions were big and people come in and they will be like you know, we'd be on, afford a gig like you know, we're shooting this.
or whatever in a you know second day in our work and our butts off and, like you know, just really like back in those days, pre digital like she would day there are. The client would pay the lab to stay open at night for us,
and we would have a full shewed day and then we come back and we would do a film test and we would test every film different batches of film all with five different filters, warming filters, and then we keep the lab open till two in the morning. We would run the run, the shit we go back, we go to sleep
Get up early before she came and we would lay out all the film and she ok we're sure.
This filter on this batch of film. You know in this light in this battle,
film and filter on another. Let you know whatever the different situations where that we're gonna do it was crazy, and so what you know we would say like, ok
you know so and so will see tomorrow same time new. Now I'm not coming back
somebody everyday illegally. Like twenty recurs, worry me really go back now. Finally,
I pulled me aside and he was like daddy, didn't like what he said. Listen I work with so and so, and we work nine to five photograph. Beautiful models we drink wine at lunch should come work with us. I was like that sounds awesome, but I belong here there
and I just I stuck it out, and it was it was. It was really great. It opened a lot of doors. For me, her agent also worked with
stephen myself and I were
Stephen mysel another,
At another, urgent fashioned chong, for I mean learned so much from him and funny enough, is as much as I felt
my inspiration as always been Annie. You know, big inspiration come come on up
I learned a real lot from Stephen. You know his approach is very simple and even as a fashion, photographers click, it got more complicated. Things went on, but
his his approach was very simple, is very avedon an influenced annum.
and not only did I learned how to light things in the studio like beautiful, portraiture lighting.
He saw a natural light. Eggs
still lie in a very interesting way and it was like really I opening to me that he would take a chance
should a very long shudder. Speed at night, like as the light, was disappearing on a rooftop, and he would just go for it and then I would see it I'll be like
I would never have shot in that light you know, and so that was signed.
and I worked with Mary ellen mark, whose great one of the master documentary photographers
course. My friend timothy white will great mentor enough for me as well. Yeah,
I mean you're going. You have this stunning
I mean you go from here
water town in new jersey. You know today
place in boston bobbin around in the back of animal
upload people trying to make it as musicians and
Is it so interesting to me, like I'm unfastening, with concept of sliding sliding we ve talked about a handful of on the pod, costly people who drop it
your life or moments. When you make a choice, you know. So it's almost like this.
I wonder you had your then
well friend, now wife not decided to do a semester overseas, how profoundly different
in your life be right now, because that was the thing that made you say. Well, what am I going to do that led you out that that takes you out to yosemite,
Yes, you meeting, Annie, which brings you back to new york, which steeps you in this year, where the icon
in the business and then send you on this trail working with a series of other icons, and there sir
HU. I mean, I wonder if you feel the same, where I ask that question: I'm they could be
profoundly different, but then there's something inside me that says somehow in some way. I wonder if there's just
something inside of you that would have gotten you to a substantially similar place, because it was something inside that just it was finding its way out
way or another, and maybe this was a particular way, but either way, if you plan to do there or people say to me, of course, they're like
oh, my gosh you're. So lucky you, you know we got to work with any lip and I was like will know. I was lucky
I wasn't. I was at home watching tv cheaters and she called me. You know I was like out there making stuff happen as like you,
Somebody said to me recently the harder I work, the luckier I get. You know like
kind of
It's the way I got lucky now I'm working hard, and you know fortunate. You know, because I you know- and I and I learned that from my parents, my dad was a workaholic and- and he had a great time when he loved what he did. He loved hanging wallpaper. He loved
I he loved to work hard and cause when he was off. He liked the boy hard like to have a good time. He always
time for the kids. He was always a jokes per annum and use in food
just a legend in our community and in our family and everybody that no one there, because he
that kind of guy and he always had time for everybody. He always
You know he and my mom always given back to the community
my cousins, all the black sheep in my family and all the black
sheep of our friends family. They lived at our house, you know they got kicked out of their house, they lived there downstairs in in. We were better for you know. That's life experiences that
No, that would give back that we come from my mom to this day. She's
Thirty years in of working at the local soup kitchen, you know- and just you know, those are the people that informed my growing up yeah. I mean it's interesting to also to to see that
you said and then also exist in this world of these super hands,
explicit people who are at the absolute top of their field.
people are lining up to work with them, pay very often being paid an astonishing amount of money, also and working with some
who are some of the most famous people in the world?
sir, like knowing that you know drew
living in this world. For this,
The time during the day,
come from this other world with a very different values set an end
the very different really lines on the world and then try to figure out. How do we make my life?
these. We have together in a way that feels good to me here I mean
If you sent me off on a daydream, you know like when I cause cause. That's what I think about all the time you know it's like is like
home at my family and its it so incredible
and then I'm off with.
Had he better in barcelona, photographing for a project
we're working on together and I'm just like this is incredible and hid flick is like I don't know,
into balance that out, because it's such a high to be out with you know some
my cat earth with like my morning, jacket.
Bruce, Springsteen or whoever it might be present
in all jazz banned in those have been the really the most valuable thing
I got out of my career or friendships with people that are super creative, not even just the artist themselves, but the guitar
tax and the managers, and the publicists and the just good people that tend to be drawn to music is really incredible.
Incredible. Buzzed know those people to hang out with them, and you know there's so much
creativity following and goodness
and then you know your home and I just get to settle into my family like have that life as well, so I feel really blessed there,
The attention you describe, the people
mystery that way, also because so much of what you would hear and popular conversation is not framing them
that way is telling a different story is tiny different. It was a story of want a story of extravagance, a story of
when agreed in power and an access,
and what s interesting is new
inside out from from what you see out and from the ones that that you shoot,
we'll get your image as you
see the story in the images that you shoot that you just hold, not the ones you see it differently,
I think so many people are drawn to your images. Maybe I can speak for so many people, I'm so drawn here images because
they reveal so much shared humanity. You can be sure
something in the most surreal, big giant, extravagant
arena or something like that, but there's something about what you captured. That is.
almost simple, inhuman. You know that the moment
and I wonder how much of that comes from you. Well, I think it is about,
moments, and I think it's about eradicating what images you choose to show the world and
like, I am into the intimacy of it in the relationships of the bands, you know,
amongst themselves, the relationship between them in the audience, the relationship between them in the venue for the region,
show them in their instrument, and things like that.
I also feel
I'm drawn to people who are. Ah, you know some of these folks, and I know I know them in a well thought out there now
one of them and you know from the outside. It may not appear that way, but I honestly feel like a lot of them are, like you know, sure they're I mean they're grateful and they're super wealthy being like. I think some of them are
suitable with it. You know like uncomfortable with the amount of money they're making for what the amount of funds are having an arm
the people and I'm drawn to and the one friendships that I've collected and I'm careful to say who my friends are, but the ones that are my friends like there are people there there given back to their community. You know I mean
MT these banned the list of charities. If you go on their website, it's it's like in the hundreds like me, give back so much to their community.
and then he does, foreign aid and, and he the know so, look at you know willie nelson, given back all the time, Jack Johnson, you know creating a hashtag like byu bottle, bring your own bottle.
Like to protect them in a single use. Plastic jackson, brown on bruce, bring
seen given back the hague eddie vetture fish with her with their foundation. I would hate to leave meant nerds many,
and those are the people that I end up becoming friends with strangely, and
they inspire me to give back to the community, and, and
I have a gallery in asbury park, called the transit, transparent gallery and
generally it was literally a pop up gallery
was offered to me for my star, who built the asbury hotel on this building,
in asbury park and really helping the community come back
and we do a lot of community events. Therefore, for the local
schools and colleges, and they they do a field trips to the gallery are for it. You know
The underserved community, whether its
calgary class or a young mothers that there's a there's, a
in that area, there is one of the call one of the high schools- allows them the young mothers to
go to school and continue school and bring their kids to school and all that stuff. So we do a lot of that for the community and you know between
being inspired by what program does for their community and what my mom and dad always done for their just budgets.
in the fallen in their footsteps. And- and you know it's and I mean I think it's it's a great influence on me and I really kind of gravitate towards people like that. Just it's just super cool, in my opinion,
No, it is a definite seems ahead.
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we kind of jumped
Yeah, like we made a big leap in time from server yeah here, like working with ultra easily it's okay, but eventually we'll piece it all together. You know you know,
We can start out with you starting the career working with, Annie and myself on these guys and then you'd. Probably last twenty years or so you really, the body of work that you stepped into an built is, is in the world of music. You know like photographing and and film
so they are just photography at this point to music in the world, the musicians,
what is it like, because you could have gone in so many different directions with the background that you had you could have been brought, ye could have just kept a wide and said like an indie fashion and indie music, I'm going to do travel, I'm going to do whatever comes my way that jersey, but but you,
made of like a very deliberate decision to say like this is my thing and I'm curious
ashley that wasn't was the latest happened was deliberate, is not to be honest because you know the people
that I admire you think about you know Annie,
but it's an and richard Avedon and irving pan would be good examples of this type of photographer. You know they solved all sorts of photographic problems, let's say on they did fashion they photograph
the president's in and great artists and actors, and they did still life and the volcano leave all in a sort of
went out and were really weren't pigeonholed their portrait photographers and doing doing that specifically em. I feel, like you know, I of course one
to be. You know irving, pan or any leibovitz and just been like you know I go out and shoot
thing for de are and then I come back and photograph. You know we're Springsteen or you know something like tat and in our case that an eye- and I still I still do by
I I just was so drawing the music I'm such a big fan of music and the like, my people, you know, and so
After a while, I just stopped worrying about it for a loan
I try not to pigeonhole myself as a music photographer, but after a while
I got my start started hip hop. I did
the nozzle matic in oh, I did pete one or early
I can see a smooth records. I did the dark side,
goodbye red man in a lot of light.
Obscure not obscure to hip hop fans, but
see and big alan,
pony, noriega heavy, deep blue function. Like I started doing,
a man, that's what he said wait into
rock and roll musicians at that time, smashing pontoons that
really peppers, perry fair, although they all loved hip hop. So when my portfolio went across their eyeballs and they saw oh man, he photograph,
like public enemy in Burundi, I'm see whatever and that stuff open,
where's for me there and then I said wait into johnny cash
I should really nelson and per springsteen pearl jam, and so I I kind of opened up and got
Great opportunities through a lot of really awesome assignments, to do everyone from tony bennett to metallica in now and everything in between- and I I love that- that's something I'm really proud of that I have never been,
pigeonholed into one genre of music, and you know that's open the door to really anybody that I photographed I've done. I photographed you know
What's the figures I did in a line on messy and grow and my colleagues great soccer players, I'm a big fan of soccer and and and and I did the u s- basketball team nonetheless olympics and all these people is very interesting. Their connection is music. I give you want to connect with somebody you talk about. You know what what's him it, what you know what music re listening there were like, and I
I find a way you know humbly to just say like yeah I did this, I did nozzle matic. I did the first kanye west record. Ah, you know, and and people like what I like- and I also did like this legendary tupac photograph to like there aren't a ton of great tupac photographs out there
and I have one and it's quite fun really to to show somebody this photo and when we're having a conversation about, maybe what what my passes and what I've done in hip hop or this that and like oh yeah and I took this photo and watch the
russia, from Asia there very clear junior I've got to photograph jerry. We became friends and before we were
we really got to know each other. We are with a mutual friend and, and he goes hey, did you show Gary that you know you know you're putting your book together and you know you show me those tupac images and carries. I quote tupac tupac. What what
oh yeah I put on my phone and ice cold rona. I showed him
The photos you like that
poster hearing about my walk, a kid. So
anyway. I music has allowed me it's a great entry to anyone. I photograph,
And when I did actually when I photograph lionel messi, I brought
bunch of my music photos and I literally printed them up really big,
and I laid amount on the table and when his creative director,
over. I said I want to show you the images that got me this job and it was heavy pop. It was to park
you, know you to her springsteen and like green day or something you know and the guy went through and he was like. Oh my god, like you, took that to park, photo yeah
I want you to come to town I take on around town and an eye it went from getting like five minutes.
Really I flew to barcelona. They have five minutes with lionel messy. It went from five to ten minutes and like the two you'd difference, not a double your time, and it is the power of music. In many ways
is strong yeah, especially in you and and through you. It's funny.
I, I can see cause we're hanging out of the studio together and people can probably hear it in your voice. But when you, when you talked about
music and musicians and your love, it's like you physically just become superannuated. Psychic come alive. It's almost like I mean do you feel like you're on
If a kid playing, I mean yes, it's hard work, but when you wake up and you're like okay, so I get to go out and do these two things I love you like. I get to I get it,
my camera, you know- and that was started to a certain extent through my mom and through my grandpa, and that first thing that he passed down and then
go out into the world and like
This thing that I love
and be around these people where, but for the fact that
actually getting paid to be here and do this. I would pay anything to be here.
You should see the long line of people that, like all carry out any the only like. I do feel that way, and I I feel, like you know,
I like I'm documenting like musical histories, I'm a documentary photographer, you know and its
would tell your kids to go out and work hard when they see their fathers like having the time of his life
doing his job and I like listen. I waited tables too
when I wash Dishes- and I mean no slept gear and all that sort of stuff, but I am honoured to do
and you know back to that other question of of like I've settled.
Being a music photographer, and I think about it, and I think you know
one of the things I I always say is music is his medicine. You know it, it is it's like
you know you celebrate with music. You get through hard times with music. You know
you hear a song brings you back to a great
I'm in your life or whoever and the like
when I realized that. That's when I realized that I didn't care to be pigeonholed as a music photographer necessarily and that I'm fine with. If that's going to be my my legacy, you know I'm all for it and I've stretched out out of it. You know making films and and and other things and and like I said, photographing, actors and musicians
doing some other projects, but I'm go with it because I think music is some is so important in people's lives. Anna. You know somebody if you know if I can share that work with people like always started, taken vote
Captain sneak in my camera indexed into shows, I mean what's a teenager,
You went to a show with me. You knew a couple of things: one you
we have the shovel lansdown your bad, I was going.
Of the body down my pants and and
Maria, was gonna, take all the film and put it in a person there.
Would meet inside. So you knew that part,
and then you knew I was gonna grab. Ah, my shit
Together and I'll be like see at the end of the show, you know cause, I was going down in an photographing, and you know it just is like an obsession for me and continues to
just and I love rolling up at a concert or.
No. Wherever I go with my camera and if a moment's gonna happen, I'm gonna grab it in our sometimes
You may not know whether I'm getting paid or not because it does, because sometimes I am
on that.
in another way and pay just because I think you can't not there
it's kind of a magical place to be. In, I mean to be able to build your living. You life in that way is, is a real gift arrives before we came to the studio, we were just chatting a little bit about it. We both
I have daughters and about the same age, and you are sharing. That sounds like she starting to get the bug a bit. Also yeah yeah. She and I kind of feel like.
You happen to her by accident and in, and you know, probably something that people people talk about. A lot is instagram and you know,
cameras like everybody's got a camera. Now you don't have to know anything about photography. Even just take a picture
other, whether digital camera, that's got out of focus everything or if you have your phone right, and you know I have always felt really grateful
I can walk down the street, no matter where I am and see beautiful light
through a window, a shadow, a shaft of light, the way,
this pattern is on the thing you like. I always felt so grateful that when I walk down the street, I can appreciate those things and I think
with them. The change in everybody having a phone and peoples
to share their images on line that people are learning to appreciate that suffer more than they ever did, and I find that to be a positive, and I think that my
or nina kind of you know, she's shooting on her phone- and I was like you know tat I am I choose like sees the light, really well composition and like
I see you she's takes a bunch of pictures and they like
her choices of the pictures that she likes and I'm like she's made the right choice, in my opinion, an arm, and so she started to get enough talk refused. She said you know that
camera that I can use- and I like I gave her a digital like snapshot camera that I had
where I bought her one for her birthday and she can beat. I went up until didn't work anymore.
and then I handed her this little contacts. Thirty three, which is really a sweet camera. Doesn't he might not,
But if you didn't know it just looks like
regular snapshot camera, but it's a film camera with a very sharp lens anna and just creates beautiful photographs.
And she started shooting whether an I see.
just a natural. I you know, like Google people, it's pretty
simple most of the time people either rather get it. Are they now.
You know, and you can see it when the somebody gets it then I feel like she's gettin, which is kind of cool, but she's she's told me that she,
She doesn't really have an interest in pursuing photography, necessarily
but she is interested in you know in marketing and social media has most kids are, and you know it works.
Can you to be a help in her story:
telling whether she does it professionally or just,
social media, whatever yeah, I think it's
Amazing also, my daughter has an interest in photography, also institute both digital film. I think it's so fascinating. As apparent
to see the world the way your child sees it. You know because it's just that, it's, like you, said the the way they frame or photograph the things that they choose to put in and to keep out the angles. Then they use it. It doesn't just tell you about you know the way they want to
It gives you sort of like this hint into the way that they actually see the world what they see and what they don't see and how they see. It were a thing as a parent, I've noticed it's it's a real gift. You know to just serve sit back and, and look at you know
its pictures, not just for like oh course utter, but whereas he just a catholic, oh said this is that for a moment
and we see the way their seeing the world, and if you want to go out there and in at that age, there just do just aren't any rules. Yet you know, and it hurts
haven't settled into a particular style herb inside you're still
can chances are still figuring it out on it's nice.
this kind of like that thing like.
I'm not artistic yeah.
They will show me your drawings. When you were a kid. I bet there are pretty good, and you know it's before people in for
You know rules on you. There you on your back,
the gallery asbury park. Numb, as report is sweet was injury, is
it was forty five minutes from where you grew up basically hour from where you grew up so pretty close to home. Asbury park also has pretty powerful history a humbert, rough and tumble, also big music town yeah, but it and it's been through its times,
yeah yeah. I mean I grew up around there in like when I was a kid. If we went to the stone pony, you stayed out of the rest of the town.
and their you, nor of thee,
legend of births Springsteen and then there are some
basically was shut down for the longest longest time
there's a lot of them
starts and stops, and you know where you thought you thought I was gonna do
often you're wondering like how could this not come back? It's like as its image.
Lean to really really wealthy enclaves of of the jersey shore
it just like on each side. It stops and its use like it's just like scary. You know and
course, as I remember you know, you go to
the convention hall there in the paramount theatre
In convention hall. In aside from the springsteen thing, all the great rock and roll bands of the sixties played there
the stones, the who
arising janis Joplin, pink floyd. They all play there, everybody, but the beatles they all zepplin at all.
oh there you know, then I used to bring rock band
two Asbury park when
it's like a be like in the nineties, and it's like you know. We want certain greedy.
but we don't really want to do like new york city gritty like we want to do something a little different and I'd be like. Oh, I got the spot and we would you know.
It's a mummy in asbury park or we'd all jump in a van and go to asbury park and literally would have the whole city of asbury park too
else whom be nobody there. Nobody and just killer,
architecture real patina, like all buildings, and you could
Some were boarded up, some are just beautiful old, like it was a great and so
continued to go there over and over again
and I would come back and I go to the stone pony in them like I started.
Chasing every photo up. I could, and I can access with capturing differ
musicians and in I was always looking for bruce Springsteen at the stone pony, and you know I never see em you know and then of course I went
past weekend. My friends were playing with Gary
It is in the eastern banned on the ball.
my dell avanti though they were one of the first bands I photographed when I finished working with, Annie
I was living in nam, Hoboken and my
we made their turn me onto
The taliban is at the time the ban was called who's, your daddy and we remain friends. They write one of the first bands I photographed you know for publicity.
and they are plainly gary tell it so I was like I'm gonna go to the show, their open and first house I johnny and sausage ADI just put on a rock and reducing always a great shout. It is never gets old. It's such a great rhythm employees. Bandits
incredible and I get there. I look over and there's bruce Andrews.
and done a sat with southside johnny in about ten years. Oh, you know a set of
like a long set and dumb hadn't pleaded stone body in many years and now the next thing you know bruce's up there with a full
Lauren be banned. Horn seen outside to them are, like you know, thickest thieves.
I've been doing is for him in there just like thrown down and it was kind epic anum. So I
I am giving this opportunity to have this gallery and it was basically like.
I didn't want it to be a white gloves gallery. I was going to do it. I wanted it to be like a community kind of spain
it's like a real great hang space and sir. So I I am, I said, look I'll do it, but you know: can we can we do something cool here? You know like I'd like to have. I want to have a backline one of a drum kit. You know a bass, amp guitars amplifiers,
it's like they're, just have it they're gonna put down like oriental rugs on the floor. I want to like really vibe it out and like
they are the huge windows and we wish you know we want a polite vi.
all imagery in the windows, so that, when you drive by at night its glowing for its like a light, big lie, box
the daytime we're inside it's a big white box em they were like they were like yeah. Let's do it.
Well we're ready to do this and, ironically, a friend
hours, Maria, an eye, Tina Caracas had a cover up a show room
on the boardwalk that, where she sold second hand like
midcentury. Modern furniture shall, like you know
albums in milk creates and like cooler on the wall, and just like really are
some style and very personal woman and really cool, and I was like hey
She just lost her lease in her spot and I suggest combine this shit right will bring it in there and
You know you want to run the gallery, it's only a couple months, but that's the onto. Let's do this choose ikea, so we we bought
Authors furniture in there and, like the place really just your shaped up into this very cool place to hang out and she was
that precious about the furniture, even those foresail like you- could sit on the couch,
like everybody's hang out, and people brain you know
a wine in there, and then we like my friend,
The lad adoption who I met when we had our first live music event. There said, I know a lot of the local musician
Like you, I mean like organise some music mix
weekend and I was like sure and so she's like
all these young bans o lie on
mercury, brothers, crest and dean. Pan flores, like I just you, know, mary car laughlin. All these cool people would just come over and am do like you know,
forty minutes said whatever and like I would sit in with some of the bands in our play, my
a good just have a great time, and so long story short is like
three months were up there? Likewise is kind of cool. You know I don't want you stick around and wisdom
around and we started doing those community events. I was telling you about, like you know, and then people started
word that we were there and we literally would get emails and or phone calls for
All over the world, you know, like a lot of italians, are you know on the people from Spain and even austria
and stuff in there and it'd be like you know. They know that I have a relationship with Springsteen and I got pearl jam and I got fish and I've got dave, Matthews foo fighters and he will be like we know we're making a trip from. You, know: italy and and
You know even be open, and so I will
also a long story. Short sighted, been three years and we ve been there and they
love having us there and it worked for us.
works for them and in subsequently its helped me get this music vessel off the ground that
I my friend him Donnelly and I had had in our back pocket for many years like we we, you know we were doing small like art, music, sir.
events on the boardwalk when it was fairly empty before it Asbury started to take off you to take your pick and say: can we
throw a little party in this in this room. You know little off the office space
on the boardwalk, and we would have
musicians- and you know surfers- are an alarm.
we just have a big hangar. We called it see her now and
friend, him came up with the eye.
these had a great head for that kind of stuff em in and we are
he went so well in his things started to build almond asbury park, we thought would be a great to do. A music festival on the beach will see here now surfing, music, art right and not.
so another friend of us, a friend of ours, each a moment who, as I used to manage my chemical romance and worked a cue prime in the lusaka, you know really hurt good business sense him as a surfer and a big music fan, we team
We are like, let's put a deck together, let's start pitch in this thing and we took it out. We pitched in every way
And we got some people at school idea, you work out an arm,
into my friend him sweetwater, who works at sea through puts on lollapalooza in all sincerity limits and that an arm
We have just seen mumford ensigns, another band that gives back to the community.
This thing called gentlemen other road, and they did it inside
right after sandy and right after we had a big fire down their couple years.
And they came in and they put on a concert there, because I knew it would bring a lot of money to the community em when they didn't they came through and was very booty.
he was very soon was very cool. It was created in a great way in the band that they chose or bans that we love that we felt it was
It went over really well and we are like can we? We were inspired mentioned it since we would
and he was the only person to say to I say: no yeah, it's pretty cool like lemme, come to asbury park and have a look there. He came down and he looked around and it's it's beautiful, it's art
echo it's on the beach. We were doing september, the weather's always beautiful, and there had been concerts there before
They were much bigger than what we wanted to do and to he basically bought it to his partners at sea. Three, we decided to do it and our first year we put twenty five thousand people, almost twenty five thousand,
people on the beach. There are three stages. We had
Johnson was very surf. You know oriented music
Jack Johnson, we had incubus, we had she love and been harper.
and then we would like the younger, like milky chance in calais, oh and well,
blondie and we had reggae with the whalers and social.
Stores in this matter, really nice kind of mix, and we also had-
male and female pro surfers there
surf during the day like while the ban to replace animal
expression sessions,
we'd go in and they were, you know who could be the most entertaining out there. It's like an x games.
What can we say that anyone like a thousand box at the end of the end of the day in some of the money went to charity whatever in it was like? It was really-
awesome and the only thing we did was we created an art gallery and I q
it'd art from the musicians that are playing the festival, so we went to even from dear tick and he panties incredible portraits
with a jack johnson either sir films and g love was doing this huge,
pieces and in just all the
People contributed their art, Clint may Jun, from preservation, hall, jazzman, etc, and and then you know the artist would come in and talk about their art just really quickly a very short interview and then maybe play a couple of songs. And so this year we, you know everybody kind of
instead, us after the first year em when we did our on sale without even announcing the lineup, we saw the lottery tickets
and then we announce our line, which was dave, Matthews band,
an luman ears, as they headliners anna
it's gone rosea and it didn't hurt
last year, Bruce Springsteen.
up and sat him with social distortions.
They didn't. I was
I was nudging him. I was like hey man, don't forget our first bow and you know MIKE ness is going to be there with social distortion and it's amazing that it's like you're. You just keep following threads that feel good to you and all and kind of like,
Let it go where it needs to go, and I mean so they still powerful testament to your.
Recognition of how important it is to participate to be a public meeting to give back and to associate yourself
People can see the world. Similarly, existing people feel that elected
rise to coming, collaborating and co create in them
the way that you know if it were for a different reason. It would be a totally
front equation
you're. So I'm hanging out with you today were new york city. Even then
sing for solid under time scott good life prodded. We come full circle and I offer at the free
to live a good life? What comes up? Oh, you know, I'm fifty five
and I've been hustling my ass off for a long time and
I've learned that he no hard work pays off.
and it allows you to arm appreciate. You know how scuse me down
but like. I appreciate what I'm doing all the time so that the good life for me is.
is to work hard in love. What I'm doing to get to spend
I'm with your family and
inspire other people and to give back to the community that live in the
life to me. Like I, I love
I came from on the jersey shore. You know you could give
me oh, you know
on board and a bicycle, and you know my family in the ocean right there and I be like
it could be in my arm articles, I guess and which I know
leave home without you know, that's living the good life for me, you know, and I I've been you know I play music. You know I play in this tangiers blues band and it's really not happened by by accident
and I m just allow yourself to to follow those happy accidents. You know make a big difference me, like height
was photographing on have time for me to talk,
it's more story, so so,
my career. I was photographing climb a by melon and I became friends with them and one time in I had my grandfather had played our monica. I had harmonica kid and I
You know when I was assisting with my friend Timothy. He was real,
the blues- and I I didn't know that I love them-
I knew I love tom and brothers and you know led zepplin and stuff
and like I had heard a muddy waters, but they really taught me you know and introduced me to help him
Often sonny boy williams, in a little water and, like you know even like you know, deep james brown, and you know it
I'm being re charles and all that in our
started love it. I started to play harmonica one time
old, shannon hoon from wine melon that I played harmonica just casually.
During one of the one of the shows I had they were. The they were the band, really that, let me let me you know in to photograph like famous band, that was like, I cut my teeth like hanging out with them the photo
I am so he said. Oh man, you know you play harmonica, you should come up and play with us tonight and they were like they were opening for
who is blind, melon, Soundgarden and neil young, while it was in new jersey at the art center, and I was like no, no, no, no, I'm not coming out they're, not my you know. I said I I played
Like once in public like I- and he was daddy,
It's all one big bbq like you're, going to come out and and play with us, and I was like okay, I'm thinking he's not gonna, remember, and so we kind of woodshed
on the song and it was like a song called change and then they would like segway until I could.
Dear MR fantasy blues kind of thing, which I was comfortable playing blues and I ended up doing it and going out there and like and I and I didn't really screw it up, you know like I'd actually, like you know, you're in a key and that key and I ducked in and out and I was like wow. I was like really like buzzing after that, and so I ended up learning wanting to play
more harmonica and every time I hung out with them, I would play with them in it. I was hired to photograph. This band called danger. Man
and they are. They asked me to come up to their
recording studio
there's a space rather too,
to just your talk about the the
the photo issue and what we're gonna do and how are you gonna do and where we were going to do it.
and I got there- they had all these muddy waters, johnny hooker posters up there, the guy
standing there just play like he was obsessed
his guitar had it on the whole time we are talking, was putting these little blues rifts and us
Are you guys we're losing is again
poor little remark. I know like oh out like butter, whatever jam sometime, so
long story short and like
twenty five years later, we
the tangiers blues ban and we plan all that we have played in over twenty five years.
together and and
it's a lot of the artist that I've become friends with
I have sat in with the blues banned when I had my book. My still moving book release party tangiers blues band played,
and we had perry, feral sat him with us a deal growl and tailor hawkins from the full fighters. Zack brown
and, unlike you know, brandi carlile and sat in with his prince hall, jazz band. You know bob weir and Joseph Arthur and Jessie
Allen just goes on and on
so what we often hope that we can get through springsteen to sit down with us and you're so happened that
there was an opening for the asbury lanes, which is like a legendary bowling alley, slash music menu in and in asbury park, and we heard bruce, was gonna cut, em, see the the opening and they are
The tangiers blues banda play and also Portugal, the man was playing and so bruce I'd say.
Spoken with his his team and they said, look you know, he's doing the broadway show and I don't expect him to get up and jam
but I just want you to know this point. I can happen so weak out. I get a text from bruce and he said,
hey man, I'm thinking, maybe I'll sitting with with with your band like as it ok,
What are you gonna? Do what want to do and he's like well blues. You know
well, okay, like twistin shout, and it was like down the road to peace and now we're going back and forth like different.
and he agreed to do it. We of course were like of course
and so he texts me a little while later he was like we having a rehearsal or what and I was like well yeah how about wednesday? Okay, do you like? Meanwhile, he's got a gig, you know it at the. You know on Broadway think that night
m. So we did a rehearsal,
for the rehearsal and played through all the tune,
and then he came in and know supposed to be there at five o. He was there like four fifty five
he'll, put on his guitar and eyes like how it feel to put electric ajar on you
with a ban than here's a year. Let's do this anna, he just right.
Is the energy in the room like through the roof- and it was, it was, was quite incredible and funny enough.
halfway through the rehearsal, of course, where the room with respecting
and everybody eyes are on him, cause he's leaving the band and we're just weakening believer where or do I see
and I realize it like a handful of people are not looking at bruce
and they're all looking like in the corner, I had my back to the door
a turnaround in their sting standing there.
Because he was rehearsing next door to us.
comes in he's. Like hey bruce, I heard about your daddy and I I've worked with him. You know
at any rate, was like really surreal, exciting walks in thy says alone,
so we all say, allow, and it was kind of crazy
and then he came and sad and whether there are any sat him with us. I was on the honorary for the christening car fund event this past year,
and we raise the significant amount of money which really incredible to be a part of it. And, of course we are getting
four bruce cause he usually shows up in.
I said: hey man, you know we we,
she added those other tunes that we had done. The last time
if you want to play in others. Those guitar. Therefore you so
We had this qatar their and our guitar player Chris,
leads the band Craig I had his foot
you're like telecast or like a little early fifties like bruce, loves to play and would bring
went to grab the other guitar chris stuck his guitar galicia. Had like yours, my guitar,
every cigar coup, while cool, wow yeah it out like damn nice, and we proceeded to I like
have a big threw down and not, and everybody was quite happy that he came and adding with us, but no one was more happy.
What this man that's an amazing. That sounds like a good life. Yes, that's the good life
any chance. You have your harmonic gun.
I do have our monica with me if they limit sure,
yeah
yeah,
Yeah
I do
about
yeah
I have learned.
thank you, said junior wells ref, I stole it
when I learned learn to play and I just have hung onto it
You were well. Thank you.
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Transcript generated on 2023-06-26.