Live105: BFD 2009

Each year, Live 105.3 (the San Francisco Bay Area's biggest rock station) hosts a concert festival called BFD. This year's lineup was so-so, but still held two highlights for me:

1. Mute Math (one of my favorite bands) was scheduled to play on the Festival Stage, and
2. Taking Back Sunday was also scheduled to play the same stage.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of TBS, but this show was special because a friend of mine has recently been added to the band's roster. I know Isaac from his work in a Bay Area band called Weslester, whom I have photographed a number of times. In the last few months, he has gone from playing in bars/clubs around San Francisco, to touring the country (and soon, the globe) in a giant bus, playing for thousands of people a night.

I was fortunate to get a hold of him before they came to California, and he got me in backstage for the whole show, which also allowed me to shoot Taking Back Sunday from onstage:

It was a blast! And it was a lot of fun to see Isaac enjoying himself so much with his new gig, not to mention watch as singer Adam Lazzara climbed the scaffolding during the last song, hooked his legs into the metal, and dangled upside down while he sang the final chorus to "Makedamnsure".

The other opportunity that came my way was meeting all the guys in Mute Math.

Upon further contact with their record label the next day, it looks as though I will most likely be shooting for Mute Math when they come to San Francisco in September! Very, very excited about that.

Me (center) with Roy Mitchell-Cardenas and Paul Meany of Mute Math