Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Gospelshout in Charlotte tonight (March 27th)

With everyone discussing today's events in Charlotte, I want to tell you about something that's really important. Tonight (March 27th) at 7:30pm, the annual Gospelshout event is happening at the United House Of Prayer For All People on Beatties Ford Road. This is the one time of the year that the church shows off their legendary Shout band music. If you have never heard this before, it is a total mindblow. Gospel and brass bands, all rolled into one. And it's free. In short, get out there. Enjoy life, experience life. Live, and support one of the true gems of the city that we live in. Life goes on, and the music will lead you there. And I hope to see you there.
-Daniel
March 27, 2014

Monday, March 24, 2014

St. Paul & The Broken Bones photos, Charlotte, NC, March 21, 2014




St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Chop Shop
Charlotte, NC
March 21, 2014
all photos copyright 2014 Daniel Coston
check out a review of this show at-
http://clture.org/?cat=16


Thursday, March 20, 2014

Announcement of 2nd edition release of There Was A Time

Announcing the release of the second edition of There Was A Time: Rock & Roll In The 1960s In Charlotte, And North Carolina. Now with more interviews, more photos, a new design, and a more complete story of the music and people that defined what Rock & Roll was in North Carolina during the 1960s.

We have not one, but two big events to celebrate the new edition's release.

June 12th - Charlotte Museum Of History, 6pm. Co-author Daniel Coston will present a talk about the music of North Carolina during the 1960s, and show many rare and never-before-seen photos from that time. The evening will conclude with a short set by co-author Jacob "Jake" Berger and the Mannish Boys. Free admission.

June 21st - Neighborhood Theatre, 8pm. The 2nd annual Charlotte 60s reunion show. With the Young Ages, Good Bad & The Ugly (GBU), Mannish Boys, and one more awesome band to be announced soon. Tickets are $15, and will be available in advance, or at the door. 

Copies of There Was A Time will be available at both events. Look for event pages for both events on Facebook soon, and check out this page, at therewasatimebook.blogspot.com, or fortcanogapress.blogspot.com for more info. 

Sunday, March 16, 2014

GTown Doo-Wop and R&B venue, Shelby, NC, March 15, 2014





GTown Doo Wop and R&B Revue
Eddie Floyd
Maurice Williams
Image
James Best
Toni Tuppence
Don Gibson Theater
Shelby, NC
March 15, 2014
all photos copyright 2014 Daniel Coston


Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Update From My Photography Website

Oh wow. It's mid-March. How did that happen? First, let me wish you all a happy 2014. Last year was a busy one here, and this one promises to be another good year. Let me get you caught up on all of the new details.

We're releasing a second edition of There Was A Time in June, with lots more interviews, photos, and a whole new design. My friend Greg Russell, with whom I've worked with since the Tangents Magazine days, is doing the design for this new edition, and it sure looks good. We'll be re-releasing the book with not one, but two big events in June. On June 12th at 6pm, I'll be giving a talk about the book at the Charlotte Museum Of History. I'll be talking about the music scene in Charlotte during the 1960s, and showing photos, and playing records from that era.  My co-author Jake Berger and the Mannish Boys will then be playing a short set of the songs from that era. We'll then be returning to the Neighborhood Theatre on June 21st at 8pm for a big blowout extravaganza, with the Mannish Boys, Good Bad & The Ugly, Young Ages, and more. The Museum Of History event is free, and we'll be announcing more info soon about the Neighborhood Theatre.

In December, I re-released the Double Door Inn book for the venue's 40th anniversary. This new edition, released this time by Fort Canoga Press (as will both editions of There Was A Time) features a new chapter from yours truly, new pictures, and the first-ever publication of photos that were taken the night that Eric Clapton walked onstage. All of these books, including my North Carolina Musicians book, are available on Amazon.com, and stay tuned for more great releases from Fort Canoga Press in the coming year.

If you're in Shelby, NC anytime soon, I'll be appearing at Fireside Books on March 22nd at 2:30pm to talk about all of my books. Please come by and check out this great store, and say hello.

My thanks to everyone that emailed me about my photo in the Johnny Cash biography. Later this month, my friend Holly George-Warren will release A Man Called Destruction. This biography of Alex Chilton features one of my photos, and three of my interviews with members of the Big Star circle.

I have photos in the new CD from Wink Keziah, entitled Cowbilly. I also did the photos for Underhill Rose's Christmas CD, which you can still purchase. There's been lots of recent shoots, as of late. Photographing Chad & Jeremy in Long Island, NY. I took posed and live shots of the  the legendary Sonics in Cleveland, Ohio last month, and you will hopefully see some of those photos soon. Recent shoots include posed and live pics with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, live pics of the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Dave Mason, Jonathan Wilson, Lake Street Dive, Cyndi Lauper, Shovels & Rope, ZZ Ward, and many more. I've also had several of my photos published in the Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Magazine (which featured some early 1995-1996 pics from my archives), and several others. A personal highlight was watching Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops give Dom Flemons one of my pics as a going-away present. That was a complete surprise to me, and I'm honored to have been there to document their history.

Too many RIP's to speak of, as of late. Lou Reed, Pete Seeger, Missi Ivie, Tara Engstrom, John Studwell. I also recently learned that my best friend from childhood, David Pasquale, passed away in 1993. As I knew you once, so I will know you again. Safe travels to all, check out danielcoston.blogspot.com for more info and ramblings from me, and I will see you all again soon.
-Daniel
March 11, 2014

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

RIP Missi Ivie, and Tara Engstrom

Hello All-

I first met Missi Ivie in 2000, while she was undergoing his first round of treatment for breast cancer. She and Bob Graham put together an annual benefit for breast cancer from 2001 to 2005 called Spread Your Wings. I loved being a part of these shows. The talent that came through those shows was amazing. Alejandro Escovedo, Richard Buckner, Jim Lauderdale, Duane Jarvis, Kenny Roby, Avett Brothers, Cast Iron Filter, Lou Ford. They were wonderful nights to witness, and to document.

As it happens too often in life, I didn't see or speak to Missi often enough in the years since those days. I always looked forward to seeing her again, and the reality that she has left this place is slowly sinking in, and leaving those of us that knew her a little emptier without her.

Another person that I didn't see often enough was Tara Engstrom. Like Missi, Tara dealt with, and battled cancer for many years. The cancer may have battled their bodies, but it never defeated their spirits. Missi and Tara remained the great people that we knew them to be, in spite of what has happening. Now they are free, and I hope that there are no boundaries for wherever they wish to go.

Safe travels, ladies. From your friend behind the camera,
-Daniel
March 11, 2014

Return Of The Road Dog

Hello All-

For all of the great things that happened to me last year, there was one thing that was largely lost in the shuffle. Photographing Rock & Roll bands on the band. This is something that I largely did non-stop for several years. Travel, shoot, travel again. Yep, that was me. While I am blessed now to have a lot more work in the city I live in, not having the time to be on the road knawed at me. I'm not on the road like I used to be. Are those days behind me?

As I often do, I righted myself in the last month all at once. Shows in Greenville, SC, then taking the train to NY to see Chad & Jeremy in Long Island. Then a trip to Cleveland to photograph the Sonics, pictures of which you'll hopefully see soon. And back home, eight hours later. Last weekend was the Carolina Chocolate Drops in York, SC, with a trip to Shelby coming up this weekend. Yeah, I had a big itch that I needed to scratch.

Some of you know that Rock & Roll photography rarely pays well, when it pays at all. All these years on, the business of music can still frustrate the stuffing out of me. But, truth be told, I still need to take photos if it. For all the grumbling I sometimes do about walking away from this, I still love to travel and take pictures. The thrill of travel and discovery, and knowing that you're reaching beyond your boundaries, and creating something good. Yeah, it's addictive. And still is.

I'm quite aware that the travel may ebb and flow, and that is something I will always have to accept. However, it is good to know that all these years on, there some things that I still look forward to doing. And I hope to see you all on the road soon, as you are on your own travels,
-Daniel
March 11, 2014




Thursday, March 6, 2014

Dave Mason show review, from Bigtakeover.com website

Dave Mason
Handlebar
Greenville, SC
February 14, 2014

The night before Dave Mason's show in Greenville, SC, the southeast US received its first major snowfall in several years. On the drive to the show, I looked at the hills and roadsides that are awash in white. Change the set-up of the surroundings, and one views everything a little different. Such was also the case with Mason's show.

The first half of Mason's show was devoted to his days in Traffic. The joy of this set was hearing Mason play songs that he usually doesn't play, such as "You Can All Join In". After closing the first set with "Dear Mr. Fantasy", Mason took a short break, and soon returned with a clear focus  on his solo work. "We Just Disagree" opened the second set, noting to all that this was now a Dave Mason show. The rest of the set showed Mason in fine form, with some new songs among the highlights. My own favorite of these new songs was "How Do I Get To Heaven?", a song that Mason's former Traffic bandmate Jim Capaldi had started before his passing in 2005, and Mason had finished.

An excellent show, and the future looks promising, if the new material is any indication. If I have any quibble with the show, it's that Mason didn't go deep enough into his own contributions with Traffic. Much of his Traffic set was songs that Mason played on, but did not co-write or sing on. Meanwhile, the band's first three singles, "Paper Sun", "Hole In My Shoe" (which Mason wrote and sang), and "Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush" (which Mason co-wrote and sang on) were left to the sidelines. I'm aware that American audiences don't know the Traffic catalog as well as "Feelin' Alright", but they are an important part of Traffic's sound and history. And the fans of those songs are Dave Mason fans, as well.
-Daniel Coston

March 6, 2014

PS, you can find photos from this show on a earlier post on this blog.

ZZ Ward photos, Visulite Theater, Charlotte, NC, March 5, 2014



ZZ Ward
Visulite Theater
Charlotte, NC
March 5, 2014
all photos copyright 2014 Daniel Coston


Shovels & Rope, Visulite Theater, Charlotte, NC, March 4, 2014




Shovels & Rope
Visulite Theater
Charlotte, NC
March 4, 2014
all photos copyright 2014 Daniel Coston


Dipping Into The Wayback Machine

Throwing in with Throwback Thursday, here's a pic of myself and my kindergarten class at my 6th birthday party. This was held at the McDonald's in Waterloo, NY. Years later, I discovered that all of my report cards from St. Patrick's School said the same thing. "Likes to daydream, must improve handwriting." And not a darn thing has changed. Not even the haircut. To Nicole Bellomo Elmazi. Kathy D'Eredita Field, Christine Hamilton, John Studwell, and others. St. Pat's classmates, say heck yeah.
-Daniel
February 6, 2014