Technically, it’s not really a quarter of the Turn, but saying 2/5ths of the Turn dosen’t sound quite as nice. Did a quick shoot for Brian & Pat while they were playing at a local school fair on Sunday. It was my first time shooting them in natural light since the original band pictures I did (where it was just Brian, Pat & Lance) and that made me happy!

I asked them to look at me once and smile. Pat was kinda against the whole smiling thing (citing the whole rock star glare) but for the few I caught I thought they looked good! They really rocked out and I got to hear them play their newest song which I really liked. When Pat saw me singing along to some of their songs as well as some of the covers they played, I think he was fairly suprised! Okay, so I’m a mom with 3 kids, but I can still like great music, right!?

At the fair, the Turn was taking donations for Tunes 4 the Troops. Where people donate their CD’s and DVD’s and they are shipped over to Iraq, Afganistan, etc.  to the troops fighting so they have some good music to listen to. A great cause, if you are interested in donating some of your used or new CD’s or DVD’s see their site here: http://www.tunes4thetroops.org/

The Turn will be playing next in Huntington at Finnegans on Friday, June 6th and then at RJ Daniels in Rockville Centre on Saturday, June 14th. Come hear them play if you are around. Then off to Webster Hall at the end of the month (Saturday, June 28th) for the final, finals of the battle of the bands. If they win, they are going to Germany to play in front of like 30,000 people at a music festival. They want me to come. Uh huh…cause I’m with the band!!

As promised, here are the pix from Wednesday night in the recording studio. The Turn is working on a new CD! The Turn blog on their my space page has all the details as to what’ going to be on the new album, plus some really great compliments about me!! Love those guys- not only do they totally ROCK, but they are really so nice and fun too. I had the best time in the recording studio (okay, I do have to say that it is just hysterical that I was in the recording studio–who is it exactly that I think I am??!) and it was a whole interesting new world for me. To see how much work goes into it- I never knew. Brian said they were in the studio for something like 120+ hours to record the 30 minutes of music on the first CD. Wow! George- the owner and engineer of the recording studio (called General Studios by the way) was so sweet and such a nice, nice guy. He apologized for the lighting (which worked fine anyway) and was so kind in answering all my questions about how things worked. He even tried explaining how the recording process worked on the computer and I kinda figured out that it was sorta like photoshop (layers) except for music instead of pictures.  

The guys did some work on a bunch of their new songs (including Silhouettes, Billie Jean, Christiana, and Not to Worry– see, I pay attention) and I snapped away. Little bits and pieces of different things in each song. It seems that they were having an unspoken contest on who had the goofiest face. I think Pat won. Although, don’t I look so attractive in my earphones? Not a good look for me. At all.   

First let me start by saying…They WON!! This show was the second to last round (semi-finals) of the battle of the bands contest they’re in. One more to go in June at Webster Hall. If they win that one, they go to Germany, play in front of 40,000 people and get a record deal! Wow, right!!??  

They rocked the show last night and did a great job. Did you notice that they just keep adding band members? The newest one is Andrew- on guitar. They had tons of fans show up to watch them play and show their support. The place they played- Crash Mansion down on Bowery and Spring Streets- was really pretty cool. I did remember to bring my earplugs this time for my right in front of the speakers spot. God, I’m old. Ancient even. And I so felt it at a club last night. But I had a great time and got lots of good shots. Cool rockin lighting.  

They are also playing a show at The Bitter End (nyc) next month. I’ll be there taking some pictures. Come and see and hear. They really are SO GOOD!! And when they do get that record deal, you can say you were there. I guess I’m going to be pulling the kids out of school so we can tour with the band. Can you even imagine? That is so NOT my life.  

Nelson was good enough to meet me down at the show and he got to hear the band play this time too. He really dug them as well. We shared John’s my ipod touch on the train on the way home (a ton of Amy Winehouse). Had a few delays on the train on the way home as the Ranger game was letting out at the same time we reached Penn. There were some fights on the train (not on our car at least) and lots of cops on the platform at Jamaica to pull the rabid fans off. Fabulous. Picture is a little blurry- self portrait on a moving train.

My first ever live concert that I was "press" for!! I was asked by my new favorite band to come take some pictures at their show last week and it was so fun! I posted on the blog earlier how much they ROCKED IT and they really, really did. I think they totally have the stuff to make it. And when that happens, I’ll be on tour with the band (yeah, right. I’d like to think I’d be, but I’m not in the movie almost famous! Still have 3 kids to take care of. But I can dream, right!?)

I’m going to have to remember to bring earplugs for the next show. I love the music but being literally ON TOP of those huge speakers isn’t so great for your hearing. Gotta turn down the volume somehow. The lighting for the show sucked (for me) but I figured out how to work it pretty well. Some dramatic shots in there with backlighting look pretty rock n roll to me. And I found out that it is HARD to photograph the drummer- between him being so far back in no lighting and the constant motion, he turned out to be my biggest challenge.

They were so great "in concert", opening up for Big Shot who is a Billy Joel cover band. Some of my rock n roll favorites: