We love the photos that Andrew has been taking of us…for a band like ours, the live show is our highest priority, and we put so much into making it the absolute best that we can.  It’s amazing to have pro photos that represent us well, and show what the SHIROCK live experience is all about.

I love the colors in this one, and the clarity…which is hard to get in the low lighting!

My favorite photos are so often the “journalistic” look…I love the grainy black & white raw feel in this one.  Plus the perspective of this shot is unique.

This is a great one of Derek…again the black & white grainy look is classic.

Such a great moment caught here…really emotional.

Again, a great shot & feel.  It makes it feel very intimate.

Great editing, and colors here.  A nice action shot!

We love having him at the shows, and it’s been a pleasure getting to know him as well.

SHIROCK / Chuck Shirock

Find out more: www.myspace.com/SHIROCK

Rick Brantley was one of the two artists that opened for Shirock last weekend at 12th and Porter. Often performing acoustically, he chose to plug it in this time to present his softer blend of southern rock. Combine that with the close quarters atmosphere of 12th and Porter and it was a really fun way to kick off the evening.

The trouble with solo artists, especially those that don’t move around a lot on stage, is that the lighting director may keep things a bit too simple. In this case, it was all red back-lighting, or all blue back-lighting without much transition in between. For a photographer, that makes the task a little bit more difficult since every photo starts to look exactly the same under the same lighting. I’ve played around with tones a where I could to spice it up, so let me know what you think of these and if it’s a good direction for other future concert shots.

This past weekend Shirock kicked off their Everything Burns tour. More than just a great way to launch their new debut album of the same name, Everything Burns is also the non-profit charity started by the band. 100% of the proceeds from each event will go to their charity, or to another local organization which the band is partnering with in the 14 cities which they will visit this month.

I caught up with the guys on Saturday for the tour’s second stop here in Nashville at 12th and Porter. Opening for them was solo artist Rick Brantley, followed by rock group The Elms. Both were a lot of fun, and I think the Elms will be making a few more stops on the same tour, so if Shirock wasn’t enough of a reason to get out to one of these great concerts, now you’ll have two. Visit each of the artists websites to learn more and view upcoming dates to mark your calendar with.

Shirock’s new CD is showing my audio system some loving, and I’ve got somewhere around 1000 photos to go through from the warm Februrary night (no sarcasm, it was in the 60s this weekend). Should be another busy week – scenes from each performance on the way soon.

It’s time to close the book on 2008, and what better way than by looking back at the musical talents that I experienced throughout the year. Nashville, Tennessee gets labeled as the home for country music, and while that may be true, it’s also home to much more. Step into the right place on any given night, and you may come across jazz, blues, folk, hip hop, or most likely rock. I’ve always been a fan of rock music, and the best of it is still being redefined and reborn by the emerging bands that find themselves on stage at the many venues here.

Follow me after the jump to take a look at some of my favorite photos, the bands in them, and the venues that host such amazing shows. (Above – Enjoy the Zoo performing at 12th and Porter).

Continue reading 2008 in Photos: Music »