JMSN, Frank + Derol and DWNTWN at Bootleg

It was off to Bootleg to catch JMSN, Frank + Derol and DWNTWN. Now I usually don't show up for the first band, but for some reason this time I did. I arrived just shortly after Frank + Derol started their set. What did I notice? First, the place was packed and mostly with women in their early 20s. Second, I immediately found myself entranced with their music. Lead singer Codi has a delightful voice. Finally, the guitarist, Brandi, looked amazingly familiar.  I'm not into tween pop, but it isn't like I don't know some of the tween pop stars.  That's the hint you get.  And oh, no one in the band is named Frank or Derol.


DWNTWN came up next.  Now my experience at the Bootleg is that the staff likes to keep the front of the stage open (I'm assuming this is so that they can easily walk through the area).  I think most of us by now understand this request and so all of us were standing about a yard from the stage.  The lead singer from DWNTWN; however, asked, "What's up with this space by the stage.  Come up front."  Well, that was a request that wasn't to be denied and many of us moved up front.  The staff was cool with it and let it be.  What did I notice about DWNTWN, lead singer loves to fling her hair and dance to their electronic sound.


JMSN is the residency band for July.  I didn't know what to expect.  First, I noticed the stage set-up.  White sheets were brought on stage (for video) and chairs were lined up stage right (for strings).  This was going to be interesting.  Second, his music goes down smooth, making you want to sway to his tunes.  Third, while looking through the photos I took, I noticed that the string musicians had detailed music sheets.  This is a guy who takes his music seriously.


P.S. To the concert photographer that I was talking to during the JMSN set (should you ever come across this blog post), I'm sorry that I wasn't paying too much attention to your comments.  I do promise to follow through with a couple of your suggestions:  shooting at 60 and paying more attention to my exposure.  I like taking photos, but I also like listening to the music.  I just felt like I was being distracted.  All is good.  If we run into each other again, please feel free to continue providing me with your thoughts -- or even leave a comment on this post!!!


Frank + Derol

DWNTWN

JMSN