vancouver fashion and portrait photography

At Static Photography it is always exciting when we get the opportunity to shoot a live concert event. Usually a line-up includes one or two really awesome bands (unless it is the SXSW Music Festival !) but sometimes special events when stellar line-ups occur. Such was the Blazed and Confused tour that just came through Vancouver. This prolific tour included the musical acts of Beardo , Mickey Avalon , Slightly Stoopid and Snoop Dogg . Each of these acts in a solo performance would have been amazing, so to have them all on stage for one night was truly a sight. Stephen Marley was on the original tour line-up but was unable to make the Vancouver stop. :(

This concert was special because we were able to hangout at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver all day and Kris Krug was able to shoot some of the sound check for the bands. We hung out while they were fixing up the main stage for the show, ate dinner with the  crew and really saw what goes on behind the scenes at a large venue performance. It was such a great opportunity!

The night opened with a fresh new musician named Beardo who was traveling with Mickey Avalon and DJ Mackey . Beardo brought the rock back to rock and roll. Cloaked with a guitar and amp, Beardo rocked out with two songs which whet the appetite of the concert goers. Next came Mickey Avalon with his electro dance rap. Avalon knows how to work a party with his fun lyrics and tongue in cheek beats. He was flocked by two chain-smoking dancers dressed in fishnets, leotards and wigs. Avalon played a full set of all his hits plus some new songs that will be on his next album. DJ Mackey provided the back-up musical structure for both Beardo and Mickey Avalon. Mackey was rockin' out the whole set!

The second act was the reggae-influenced band Slightly Stoopid. When they were still in high school, Stoopid was first discovered by Bradley Nowell from Sublime. Coveting the reggae-ska relics of a specific community, Slightly Stoopid rocks out with a horn section, dueling drums and vocals that resonate of a California summer. They were alternating as headliners with Snoop Dogg through out the entire tour. In between sets, DJ Unite kept the crowd filled with awesome tunes. Unite definitely united the night while breaks were taken for stage set changes.

The main headliner for the evening was Snoop Dogg. As a prolific icon in the rap industry, Snoop Dogg didn't let us down. The set was full of hits and lots of dancing. Snoop has a way with churning the crowd into a historical frenzy with special guests. This set was special because not only was he sided with Korrupt but he also brought out on stage Lady of Rage and Akon for special songs. Unbeknowst to the crowd, this was a magical night of performance. The stage setup was perfect for him: a blacklit background with Tales of the Crip written across, a lowrider bike designed drum kit, and a full live band.

This night was truly amazing! We had so much fun hanging out with everyone and getting to know the bands. Special thanks to Craig Kowaleski for hooking Static Photography with backstage passes for the show!