It is no secret that we celebrate Toyotathon in my house. If it really were a holiday, the entire house would be strung with little Toyota logo lights. We would gift neighbors zero-percent APR financing on new Highlanders and send letters to Jan from Toyota.
Toyota’s next gift to us is the 2025 4Runner, which has received major changes to its overall design and powertrain options. The current generation has been on sale for nearly 15 years, and both its design and powertrain are practically medieval, so needless to say, it was time for a major overhaul.
Now packing a turbocharged 2.4 liter 4-cylinder engine, the 4Runner will lose some of that charming grunt we’ve come to love. Power is rated at 278 horses with the four-banger mill paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Very different from the outgoing V-6 affixed to a 5-speed dog of a transmission.
The new 6th-generation model can be optioned with a hybrid powertrain, with max power output rated at 326 horsepower. An electrified 4Runner? Blasphemy! Of course I don’t mean that; I think it’s about time Toyota did something about the 4Runner’s economy to make it even more competitive in the small-SUV market.
A lot is riding on the shoulders of this new model. Fifteen years is a long time for a car to be in production, but it also means that whatever replaces it has to be as robust as its predecessor. It has a reputation to uphold for cryin’ out loud! Sure, the current 5th-generation is a dinosaur, but it’s one of the last rough and rugged, tough-as-nails automobiles on sale today. I wish I could say the same for its replacement, granted it’s still too early to tell.
Redesigning a popular car is always a double-edged sword. Companies can’t always please new customers while keeping legacy buyers happy, but Toyota never seems to have this problem. Toyota owners, especially owners of iconic nameplates like Camry, Corolla, Land Cruiser, and Sienna, will happily keep coming back no matter what.
The 4Runner is the same story. And while it might seem like Toyota muddied the waters with a new powertrain, I guarantee you they did not. Loyal owners will happily flock to trade in their 200,000 mile-plus 4Runners for a brand new one in the same trim level and color. Anything less than the stated mileage would be a disgrace to its 4Fathers.
A pick-six with 3:40 to go in the 2nd quarter. A one-possession game at the half. Everything looked to be going wrong for Delaware as the half ended at Truist Stadium down in Greensboro, North Carolina. And the WVUD Sports team was along for the ride.
Truist Stadium, while surrounded by Biscuitville’s, KFC’s and Popeyes (The South loves their chicken), was a beauty to behold. As we watched the players warmup on the field, stretching and getting ready, we assumed that this would be an easy matchup for Delaware. It seemed to start that way at least.
Delaware dominated in the first quarter and within the first 5 minutes of the game star running back Marcus Yarns acquired a touchdown, putting the Blue Hens up 12-0 without much of an NCAT fight. However, Coach Carty wouldn’t be happy for long as the 2nd quarter started off without much Delaware momentum. The shot in the foot would be a Ryan O’Connor 30 yard throw intended for Jake Thaw but instead landing in the hands of an NCAT defender. Cheers erupted in the stadium as NCAT’s first touchdown was scored, but heads were hung low and helmets were slammed on the Delaware sideline. The replay on the board showed an overthrown O’Connor spiral that Jake Thaw’s fingers lightly grazed before tragedy struck.
With Marcus Yarns now sidelined due to a little twist up around the ankles, questions remained prominent for an angry Coach Carty. Yarns gains pushed them to multiple first downs and even a touchdown before he eventually left the field. As the Blue Hens ran into the locker room their heads were swarming with the same questions we announcers have. Can they win without their top running back? Is NCAT better than they thought? Is Delaware worse than we thought?
“FIRST AND TEN FOR DELAWARE” went over the speakers multiple times in this second half. Two touchdowns scored in the 3rd quarter including one by Delaware’s own quarterback really put the nail in the coffin and had NCAT dragging out all the stops. As the ball was snapped and there was nowhere for O’Connor to get a good throw, he ran right around NCAT defenders for 23 yards, eventually ending up in the end zone. There was no stopping him as his legs carried him down the field, the end zone right in reach. A rush up the middle by Quincy Watson and a Phil Lutz catch turned touchdown ran up the score for the ambitious Hens.
21 turned to 28 turned to 35 turned to 43 and still nothing for the opposing Aggies. The Blue Hens leaped off the sidelines with a victory as they collected their belongings and traveled the 2 hours home. 43-13 was the final score, a real blowout in their second game of the season.
As I began our second 8 hour drive, I thought to myself “What happened in that 2nd quarter?” Was it a fluke? Was it merely a flawed perception? A Delaware win is always the goal here at WVUD but the job is not without its doubts. As we gear up for more football this season, these questions will continue to stay on my mind.
By WVUD Staff, Intro and Compilation By Macayla Cook
As temperatures and colorful leaves begin to drop across campus, we here at WVUD are dedicated to providing you with adequate tunes. Below, you’ll find the 2024-25 Ops Board’s ultimate picks for the best songs to usher in autumn!
James Kelly, General Manager:
“In The Air Tonight” – Nonpoint
It should be noted that while I do love the original by Phil Collins, it is the Nonpoint version that subconsciously makes me crave tomato pie, don a UD football jersey, and paint my face blue and gold. I am a Newark native, where tailgating and attending home games is a birthright. Though I didn’t know much about football as a kid, the music was at its peak during my childhood and that’s what made me love going to games. This song would blast through the stadium and get the crowd roaring at both third downs and when we gained possession of the ball. Huh, maybe I did know a bit about football.
“Silver Joy” – Damien Jurado
While this song has more of a late-fall into winter vibe, I first heard it in the movie “The Holdovers,” the night before Thanksgiving. My friend Chris (who you’ll read below) and I went to see this for his birthday late that night, and the movie opens with this song. It instantly became my favorite Christmas movie, but whenever I hear this song, it puts me back in that theater. The crackling of the film, the flickering of the bulb in the projector– all things that give you that fall feeling of coziness and warmth.
“Wading In Waist-High Water (Solstice Version)” – Fleet Foxes
While the original is just as moving, this version is my favorite because it was recorded live in a cathedral and it feels as if there’s more weight and depth to the voices singing. That being said, this song tells an interesting story; one that I’ve come to interpret as the story of someone sad to see the days of certainty slowly fading away, but embracing the willingness to explore the unknown with the one they love. The days of summer are behind us, but there’s beauty to be embraced in the coming times of colder weather and colorful leaves, as well as in the fellowship that comes with the fast-approaching holidays. It’s the perfect calling card for anyone sad to see the warm weather moving away for now.
Gretchen Hartenstein, Program Director:
“Dark Blue” – Jack’s Mannequin
This song doesn’t inherently sound like fall, but it’s the memories that make it a fall song for me. I didn’t even know it existed until last year, when I saw frontman Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness live with our Promotions Director, Melissa. This show was a pretty pivotal fall experience for me and it spurred an obsession with many of Andrew’s earlier songs, with “Dark Blue” quickly becoming a favorite. It also takes me back to cold nights and an 11:30 pm “Pot O’ Fries” at Homegrown with someone very special. They know who they are.
“(Feels Like) Heaven” – Fiction Factory
Once again, memories bring Fiction Factory to my mind when I think of fall songs. This time, we head back to the fall of 2020 and my senior year of high school. This song is featured in the first season of Netflix’s “The Umbrella Academy” (highly recommend seasons 1 and 2), a show that I was enjoying during that time in my life and that arguably helped get me through COVID.
I can only describe this song as having a chilly instrumentation but warm vocals. Thus, it’s the perfect means to describe fall. It makes me want to curl up on my couch in a hoodie with a hot cup of tea and a warm blanket.
“Wake Me Up When September Ends” – Green Day
I daresay this is pretty self explanatory. It’s hard to not think of this iconic Green Day song when thinking about the fall. As a college student, fall is a lot. It’s the joy of reuniting with campus and friends and activities you love, while at the same time adjusting to classes and a new schedule once more, deciding how you want to spend your time, and trying to stay afloat. I’ve spent most of my life trying to be a fall person. I was born in October, for crying out loud. To this day, I don’t know if I’ve talked myself into it yet. But at least I know that I am still a marching band kid at heart, even though the activity isn’t a part of my life anymore, and a fall baby, so there’s got to be something in me that’s partial to the fall.
Melissa Wood, Promotions Director:
“Ophelia” – The Lumineers
For this song in particular, I am still unsure as to why exactly it feels like autumn to me. Perhaps it’s the way Wesley Schultz’s voice echoes and cascades hauntingly throughout the chorus. Maybe it’s the subtle yet bright piano ebbing through the background instrumentals which ultimately reminds me of sunlight delicately peeking through colorful leaves on a tall oak tree on windy autumn day. It could even be the pure nostalgia that’s embedded into this song for me that underlines the autumnal vibes. If I’m being honest, it is most likely a conglomerate of all three factors. Either way, this song is definitely deserving of a spot on your fall playlist!
“seven” – Taylor Swift
What would be a fall playlist without at least one Taylor Swift song, particularly from either Folklore or Evermore? An incomplete fall playlist, that’s what! Therefore, if you want a tune that reminisces about the summer’s “sweet tea” and childlike wonder, look no further than “seven.” With a melody cloaked in a mellow beat and soft twinkling vocals that cradle an aura of cold breezes settling in at the farther edge of September, this song makes an excellent addition to any fall playlist.
“Sweater Weather” – The Neighborhood
Of all my picks, I feel like this one needs the least amount of explanation. Everyone knows that when it comes to fall, cozy sweaters are a staple for the majority of the population. Pair that with the fiery imagery of keeping another warm in the midst of a cold thunderstorm, and you have “Sweater Weather.” In addition, this song is another sentimental melody for me, so it naturally embodies a sense of remembrance and supplements perfectly with the season that marks the end of another year around the sun.
Rebecca Lewis, Production Director:
“We Fell in Love in October” – Girl in Red
This song requires little introduction for how it relates to the fall season, and uses the lyric “we fell in love in October, that’s why I love fall” to open the song, continuing to repeat the line throughout. Fall is my favorite season, and this song does resonate with me, especially now, because the first time I said I love you to my current partner was in October (actually not on purpose).
“Sunsetz” – Cigarettes After Sex
This song may not directly reference anything about the fall season, but I find myself queuing this song more often in this time of year. Being from Connecticut, a place that has lots of hills and beautiful greenery (even though many people do not expect that), I play songs like this one when I am driving, as to me, the slow burn of the song emphasizes the autumn colors and beauty splashed over the hills and mountains of the horizon. The title “Sunsetz” also fills me with fall excitement since the sunsets happen earlier as we draw near the colder winter months.
“Pulling Leaves Off Trees” – Wallows
For my people pleasers <3.
Sophia Shull, Music Director:
“Fallen Leaves” – Billy Talent
As the title suggests, this song makes reference to the seasonal change of autumn, but it carries a little more weight than that. October is National Substance Abuse Prevention month, and while Billy Talent pays tribute to a friend suffering from a drug addiction, this song is a perfect rock anthem to blast while the leaves fade from green to orange.
“Spellbound” – Siouxsie and the Banshees
Something about the guitar intro just really helps me picture fall leaves, pumpkin patches, and toasting marshmallows over a blazing bonfire. Siouxsie has really charmed me into diving into each album. A melodic voice backed by powerful instrumentals can always help me picture a clear scenario in my head. In this scenario, I’m running from door to door in my neighborhood, collecting candy from cheerful ladies and vampiric dads. Let my inner witch go wild and free!
“In the Autumn of My Years”- Tigercub
Perhaps there is no more fitting of a song for the fall season than this Tigercub masterpiece. The slow build of eager guitars and thunderous drums creeps through the melody until reaching a powerful tipping point. This almost melancholic composition makes me look back fondly on all the past times I’ve frolicked in leaf piles and stayed warm by the fire on a chilly night. The smells of fallen foliage and burnt marshmallows are no strangers to these muses.
Sanaa Mason, Sports Director:
“NFL on FOX Theme”
What better way to ring in fall than with a rainy day of football with a Wawa Hoagie in one hand and the smell of autumn leaves running through the slightly open window? Fall will always remind me of Sunday Night Football, which, while not a specifically UD thing, is a nationwide celebration. The football anthem truly let you know that it was time to sit down on the couch and scream for your favorite team as they were playing in the worst conditions known to man.
“My Girlfriend Is a Witch” – October Country
I’m not all about sports! A great fall-y song that also references witches which is very Halloweenie.
“Roslyn” – Bon Iver & St. Vincent
While occasionally sad and depressing, this song sometimes warms me up like a fall candle just thinking about the turmoil that is the Twilight Series. Don’t let that deter you from this magical song though; it truly soothes my soul like a Boo Basket in 55 degree weather.
Macayla Cook, News Director:
“Season of the Witch” – Lana Del Rey
In my opinion, no fall playlist is complete without a bit of Lana. So many of her songs have such a pensive, slightly creepy tone to them, which in my mind is exactly what the fall is all about. Especially on “Season of the Witch,” the eerie tone of Lana’s voice is on full display with dry-toned guitars and rhythmic backup vocals that, combined with the spooky lyrics, encapsulate the autumnal season perfectly.
“Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy” – Fall Out Boy
Alright, so maybe the most glaringly pumpkin-spice part of this song is the title, but I also think that fall is a great time to engage in nostalgia, and few albums are more nostalgic than Fall Out Boy’s 2003 masterpiece Take This To Your Grave. I experienced this song live last summer and I genuinely have not been the same since. Happy “you need him? I could be him” season to all those who celebrate.
“There It Goes” – Maisie Peters
I feel like fall is not only a time to enjoy hot chai lattes, it also always ends up being a time for me to do some thinking. “There It Goes” is triumphant, bittersweet, and reflective, in the way that autumn so frequently is. It also has not one but TWO fall months in the lyrics, meaning that there is no better time to finally let go of that one situationship because now you can yell “I’m doing better, I made it to September” and “I wake up and it’s October, the loss is yours” about it.
Chris Malinowski, Training Director:
“Autumn Love” – Death Cab For Cutie
Not to sound like Seth Cohen from The O.C., but I feel like there is something truly fascinating about the vibes that come off of any song from the alternative band Death Cab for Cutie and how heavily their music is able to relate to fall as a season. “Autumn Love,” taken off of their ninth studio album Thank You for Today, showcases Death Cab at their highest element. Through immaculate guitar chord progression and lyricism focusing on self-growth, this song is highly recommended for listening while sitting in a cafe watching the leaves fall outside.
“Campus” – Vampire Weekend
“Campus” by Vampire Weekend is a go-to song for me when it comes to navigating the hustle and bustle of walking on campus due to its eclectic instrumentation, as well as its ability to bottle that weird fuzzy feeling of returning back to college in the fall. As I pass through all of the freshmen walking too slow and see all of the bikes and scooters whizzing by way too fast on The Green, it’s nice to have a good fast-paced song playing through my headphones as I make the journey to my next class.
“Where’d All The Time Go?” – Dr. Dog
To me, I view autumn as a time for self-reflection while the weather changes and time slowly continues marching forward. As it is the last full academic year for me as a student at the University of Delaware, I’m finding myself currently reflecting on the journey that the past few years have been, while also spending time with some of my closest friends on the operations board at WVUD. It’s a bittersweet time for sure, but I think it’s good to look forward to the future while also reflecting on good memories, and I feel as though “Where’d All The Time Go?” encapsulates that feeling all too well.
Neil Irungu, Treasurer:
“Bitter and Sick” – One Two
I found this song on the TV show Reign when I was younger. Intense show. Adelaide Kane is gorgeous. I enjoy harmonies and call-and-response kind of songs; it makes it very fun to sing along, choose which artist you’re going to be singing with, or just add your own harmony all together. This song feels like someone singing a lullaby, or maybe two people singing around a campfire. Regardless, a very autumnal song.
“My Sweetest Tone” – Tender Glue
The bass in this entire song is my absolute favorite and a key reason as to why I’m saving up for a bass to add to my collection (one black Squire Stratocaster named Sirius). I like how it feels calm, repetitive, and warm. It’s also the song I’m most likely to accidentally loop when I’m studying, since its mellowness makes me feel focused. Picture me with code reflected on my glasses, my lava lamp the only light in the room, while this song plays for the sixth time in a row. That’s me on a Monday night.
“The Bottom” – MICHELLE
Hands down the best song to walk around campus to, and considering my commute is sometimes 20 minutes, having good walking songs is highly necessary. This song has been tested multiple times, but feel free to conduct your own research. MICHELLE is just fantastic to listen to in general, and this is one of their more upbeat songs, but it’s not too intense. Fantastic guitar riffs, which I also associate with autumn.
It was the last night of the annual WVUD Operations Board retreat. This year was interesting, in that the females lead males six to one as far as department heads go. Being outnumbered by the opposite sex has never been an issue for me, however, at chow time, I found myself wanting to sit with the group where conversation tends to cultivate contemplation.
Who do I mean? The Old Farts, of course.
This league of un-extraordinary gentlemen sat out on the screened-in porch of the cottage, discussing what ailed them as well as the foods they could not tolerate. Steve doesn’t like onions and calls mayonnaise a “vile condiment.” He was cleaning the hearth (camping grill) that blazed the meat from a wild beast (cow) that the knights sat ‘round the table (members of the AARP) feasted on.
Steve, who seemed busy and needed help, declined many offers to assist in his task of post-feast sanitation. So, naturally, when one declines offers of help from their peers, they have inadvertently invited those watching to heckle as you struggle. This is what the men did. This is what I did.
I choose to sit with men older than myself because I relate to them more despite being a third of the average age at the table. I quote “M*A*S*H” and listen to Tony Bennett. Men my age have haircuts that resemble broccoli and wear boxer shorts to class. I have very little in common with men my age, and it’s not because I wear my pants over my boxer shorts.
It is due to the fact that I myself am old. Or at least have older values.
If you ask me what the perfect evening is, it would’ve been out there on that porch with The Old Farts. Talking about what ails us and the foods we cannot tolerate. I like listening to what they have to say and engaging in conversation. Turns out they do, too.
Rich, who sat with his back to the water that flowed calmly through the inlet, asked me what younger people were worried most about the upcoming election. I told him “the economy” and “abortion rights.” I told him that we wanted to be able to afford a house someday.
He was looking for the bridge between the generations. Rich knows the value in learning what young people care about and remembering what issues he cared about when he was my age. Turns out, it wasn’t as crazy a time when he was graduating college in the 1980s. He said we have more we worry about than he and his friends ever did.
The inlet bridge, not too far away in the background of this picturesque evening, had just changed its signal lights from white to red, and its pillars lit up red, white, and blue.
To my left sat Dave, the smartest man I have ever met. Dave began to tell me why the lights on the bridge change from white during the day, to red at night. A red light is softer on the eyes in the dark than a white light. I hadn’t thought about that but it made sense to me.
He also explained that the bridge has a second power supply to power the red lights. This is so the power depletion isn’t doubled by the addition of a second bulb to the system. I guess this made sense to me as well.
I sit with men older than myself because I want to learn from them. I could learn new things from men my age, but I have no interest in learning fifteen different ways to make a bong out of household items. I have no desire to learn how much they bench or what their fantasy football standings are.
I especially have no desire to attend a party and be offered a can of Natural Light when I have a taste for Yuengling.
Drinking, however, is something Larry can’t do anymore. The octogenarian army vet–per his doctor’s instructions–is not allowed to consume alcohol anymore. When this happens to me, I wish to be taken behind the barn and shot. He is in the final stages of his chemotherapy and immunotherapy for lung cancer, leaving his liver in shambles.
This, however, is nothing new to his liver. Larry used to rely on alcohol in his younger years to pass the time until the day he lost his taste for it as a crutch. Up until last year, he would partake in his biannual consumption of a single bottle of beer.
Larry is one of those guys who has seen it all, but would tell you he remembers everything being relatively normal throughout his life. An interesting outlook from this visibly weary and weathered man. Maybe he has seen the worst of what this world has to offer, but also the good to keep the balance.
The evening continued, slowly but surely. The conversation was winding down and the words dwindled. The sunset pierced through the clouds and for a few moments the sky was adorned in acres of orange and gold and purple. God’s parting gift of the day.
I feel a sense of duty to seek out the wisdom and knowledge of older generations. I don’t want to let their stories die with them. I want to be able to say that I sat and talked with them for a while. I want to share an anecdote, laugh, and cry with those who’ve walked this Earth long before I arrived.
I sat with them on the porch, listening, learning, and eventually coming to a realization about life. Well, a fact of life that one day I’ll have to come to terms with myself, but I feel that I will have dutifully prepared should I have listened and learned as much as I could.
That fact? Drinking: a young man’s game. With lots of old men sat around the table.
Since Firefly Music Festival no longer exists, many Delawareans–and those adjacent–are trying to fill an outdoor, multi stage festival-sized hole in their hearts. Not wanting to travel as far north as Massachusetts leaves out Boston Calling, and now that Oceans Calling in Ocean City, Maryland, is sold out, the question has to be asked: who you gonna call?
We picked up the phone and found Musikfest, a festival we think is sure to make up for lost time not spent at Firefly, probably because it spans eleven days. From August 1st all the way through the 11th, festival goers can bounce around between any of the nineteen locations that are showcasing both local and national acts–the best part is, most of it is free. The headlining acts each night are ticketed, and the headliner kicking off Musikfest 2024 was none other than Greta Van Fleet.
Nearly a year ago, a few WVUD Operations Board Members went to see GVF at the Wells Fargo Center. Macayla Cook wrote a blog post for their time at that concert, and as I’m writing this, I’m interested in seeing what parallels there are between the two once I’m done. Please take a jaunt through her piece before continuing here.
Deep within the “ye-old” Bethlehem Steel complex now sits a few concert stages that are used during Musikfest, as well as for a few pop-up concerts here and there throughout the year. GVF played the main stage which sits adjacent to what’s now called the SteelStacks, where iron ore used to be smelted to make the steel that built America’s skyscrapers. While it might look like the ruins of District 13 from The Hunger Games, it’s pretty damn cool. Abandoned warehouses everywhere and rusty smokestacks that no longer billow smoke set the sketchy vibe that would remain if there wasn’t music playing. It almost feels like you shouldn’t even be allowed inside–and yet, here we are, about to see GVF rock the place alive again.
The band opened with “The Falling Sky,” “Caravel,” and “Heat Above,” all the while we were in the pit taking pictures. A plethora of pyrotechnics during these three songs left us drenched in sweat and without eyebrows. We most certainly could feel the heat, Josh, stop asking. After they finished, we were escorted out of the pit and back into the main alley where we could go through security to go back into the concert. Unfortunately, there were issues with our tickets and they did not let us back in despite being media. The score so far: WVUD – 0, Musikfest – 1.
WVUD Photographer, Gretchen Hartenstein, seen here wondering how indeed she got there.
Not wanting to walk away just like that, we decided to take advantage of having parked so close to the stage and sat by the car to listen to the rest of the concert. We heard, albeit muffled, some of our favorites like “Highway Tune,” “Black Smoke Rising,” and “Light My Love.” These songs range from three to four and a half minutes on the albums, but live in concert? Try close to eight minutes each. Between each song, they would do an instrumental interlude to pass the time. This is when we determined something about going to see them at Musikfest. If you paid with the mindset to see the band perform your favorite songs, or just even a broader variety of their music, you would feel a little gypped. They only played ten songs over two hours.
However, if you went in just wanting to see the band play live, then you would’ve had a great time. While we were up in the pit taking pictures, a few people on the barrier in the front row were crying. I love that for them. I love that they got to see their favorite band perform. What I don’t love is the value for money for everyone who found themselves wanting to hear more, experienced. We got to see them for free, for the brief moment we were inside, but even then, when we were out in the parking lot, we enjoyed our free snacks while we listened to a free concert. So as far as I’m concerned, we got our money’s worth, and that’s worth two points in my book. The Final: WVUD – 2, Musikfest – 1.
For more photos from GVF at Musikfest, check out Gretchen’s photo gallery here.
Greta Van Fleet’s performance at Musikfest on August 1st was only the second concert I’ve ever photographed. Needless to say, it’s a big jump from the tiny, intimate, indoor stage at XL Live in Harrisburg (check out my photos and article from the Stephen Sanchez concert), but no less amazing of an experience.
Clearly, I am far from being a seasoned concert photographer, but everyone has to start somewhere and I will admit…my starting block is a pretty good gig. I’ll always be grateful that I’ve had this opportunity to photograph concerts through WVUD and be mere feet away from artists like Greta Van Fleet. Check out James Kelly’s review on the full concert experience.
Jake Kiszka, electric guitarist (this man does not ever stop moving)
Since starting college, my photography hobby has taken a backseat to things like classwork, feeding myself, and, of course, radio. That being said, I am overjoyed that I was able to take photos that I’m proud of at this concert. I was painfully reminded that concert photography is no joke: the lighting is always changing, the subjects always moving. This show had the added inclusions of a much taller stage, a dozen other photographers jostling for a few feet of space…and a lot of pyrotechnics. But while the conditions can be difficult to work with, they make for some pretty wicked photos if you can catch them.
Sam Kiszka, bassist (he was barefoot the whole time)
You may notice lots of elbows, speakers, and various other objects in the edges of the frames in these photos. These are the unfortunate consequences of being 5’3″ standing next to a stage of about the same height and being surrounded by maybe twenty other media and security folks. Photobombs may not be ideal but I do think they give my work character and remind me of the chaotic reality of live events.
Daniel Wagner, drummer (the only non-brother)
Photographing concerts combines my love of photography with my love of music and I’d do it just about every weekend if I could. It still generates some major imposter syndrome, once I start to think about the fact that my camera is likely the cheapest model in attendance and every other photographer seems much more qualified than myself. But in the end, there’s always that one shot that boosts my confidence again. I’ll round off the gallery with what I consider to be the shot of the night…
Josh Kiszka, lead vocals (yes, he really does just put his hand in the air a LOT)
