Photographs in words
On Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009,
I went on a vacation. I hadn’t planned on going anywhere. I didn’t pack a bag,
I hadn’t booked a flight, yet away I went, none the less. My last assignment of
the day was a photo shoot of musician Rich Hardesty at The Duck Inn, here in Evansville.
It had been a long day, and I had no expectations one way
or the other. I’d heard of Rich, but had never heard, or (more importantly as
it turns out) seen him play. I was toying with the notion of just grabbing a
few quick photos and calling it a day.
In hindsight, I should have sensed something better was
in the works. Rich came over and sat down with me, and we chatted for a while
before he began his set. He is very personable and easy to talk to. We had a
brief and unexpectedly “connected” conversation. Then, as I nursed my beverage,
he began to play, and before I knew it there was a splash of Jamaica, with a twist of The Keys, as his music
put the feel of a warm salt spray breeze in the air, and one of those gorgeous Gulf Coast
sunsets in my mind’s eye.
Rich has a natural and obvious connection with a crowd,
and it’s easy to imagine yourself in a Tiki Hut bar on a beach as he plays his
original tunes, interspersing them with casual conversations as though he was
just hanging out in a Cabana with a couple of friends. Somebody hollers out a
song title, and he asks, “Do you just want to hear the song, or do you wanna
hear the story about the song?” Hearing the story has a distinct way of making
each song that much more personal, as you spend a moment in a songwriter’s
shoes and appreciate how life has furnished the palette on which he paints his
tunes. Among his musical influences are Jim Croce, Jimmy Buffet and Bob Marley,
so one can see the stylings that flow from his musical “brushes.”
Later in the evening another local musician; my friend, Jay
Johnson showed up, and when Rich noticed Jay sitting at my table, he
immediately coaxed his buddy into doing a couple of tunes, and the party was
really on, and didn’t stop until the crowd joined him onstage for the final
tune of the evening and some photos to document the friendships that feed his
soul.
Rich has been a “Road Dog” for 18 years, now, playing
thousands of shows throughout his home State of Indiana;
across the Country to the West Coast, to Canada,
Australia, and Jamaica.
He has recorded 11 CDs, including the soon to be
released, Culturally Insane. Acting
as his own publicist increases his workload, but as we finished our
conversation, we agreed when you have the chance to do something in life that
you truly love, the trade-offs are worth it.
You can find more information about Rich and his music,
including his tour schedule at his website: www.richhardestymusic.com.
______________________________________________________________
I’m a photographer. I make
no claims to be a music critic, just a lover of good music. But when something
moves me, I tend to get an urge to write about it. On Tuesday, August 18, 2009,
at The Victory Theatre in Evansville,
Indiana, I was moved! I had the
opportunity to photograph a concert by blues guitarist, Joe Bonamassa.
To be one of those fortunate enough to have been at The
Victory that 
evening was to be treated to some of the finest guitar playing
around. Joe brought his band, crew, and incredible light show to our fair city,
and put on what I can only describe as one of the best concerts I’ve ever
heard. The word needs to be spread far and wide about Joe and his band.
True to the artwork on his bus, which reads; “Always on
the Road,” Joe plays all across the Country, and overseas as well. This past
May he played to a sold out Royal Albert Hall in London, England where he was
joined on stage by “Slowhand” himself; Eric Clapton.
His band is tight; his playing is clean, precise,
powerful, and impressive. If you enjoy blues guitar, you owe it to yourself to
seek this guy out; buy his music, and catch his live performance.
Don’t just take my word for it. Cruise on over to his
website at: www.jbonamassa.com, or iTunes, and check out a couple of my
personal favorite tunes; “Stop;” “So Many Roads;” “Travelin’ South;” and for an
acoustic treat, “Woke Up Dreaming.”
The only thing that impressed me as much as his playing was
that he seems to be just an “average Joe” (I know, but I couldn’t help myself).
He came out about 3 hours before the show and signed guitars for people, spent
some time talking, posing for pictures, and answering questions. And unlike
many of today’s musical artists, Joe encourages photography and audio recording
at his shows, and has a special connection with his fan base. His website is
chock full of music, videos (JB TV), and his tour information, and you can sign
up to be a member of the Joe Bonamassa “Street Team” and help spread the word
about Joe and his music.
It seems that Joe is gettin the recognition he deserves,
and I wish him well. I’ll do my part to turn people on to his music, and will
be looking forward to attending future shows anytime I can.
Joe will be in Indy on Oct. 21st, and St. Louis, Oct.
25th. Road Trip...? You betcha! I’d like to extend my thanks to Joe and his
people, as well as Melanie with SMG, for their kindness and courtesy!
