Beale Street Music Festival music project 365 (2009) work

Day 122: The Reverend

Day 122: The Reverend

I hate to keep crossposting, but I am so tired and I’ve said what needs to be said over at the BSMF blog.

Al Green at BSMF from Lindsey Turner on Vimeo.

I didn’t realize until late Saturday that my media pass would get me into the photo pits. Last year, my basic media pass only got me to the media trailer; you had to have additional clearance to shoot artists from the pit (which is something that I think I’ll always be starstruck by). I assumed it was the same this year since I just had a generic media pass and not a photo pass. But I was hanging out in front of the barricade at the Los Lobos stage before they came on, and a MIM volunteer saw me shooting and told me I could come inside the pit. Derrrrr, bokay!

That definitely made the festival more interesting for me. There are honestly so many pictures of people caked in mud that you can take before you start to go stir crazy.

So later Saturday night, I found myself shooting The Roots and realizing (after the rest of the world, no doubt) that they are badass. I didn’t get any really good photos of them (it takes me a while to get my bearings when shooting at night … in the rain … with other photographers who actually take pictures for a living) but I did come away with a resolution to download their albums, and I’ve not been able to stop listening to them since.

The Roots at BSMF from Lindsey Turner on Vimeo.

I came home with mud-caked jeans but I was much better off than on Friday, thanks to Courtney, who lent me her galoshes.