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Four Year Strong // The Cobalt

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August 14, 2016 - Small photoset - not my proudest set but was a nice show and change of pace in venues.

Four Year Strong had just gone through Warped Tour and have been continuing on in Canada throughout August with Vancouver being the first stop.  Their fifth and latest record, self-titled Four Year Strong was released on June 2nd, marking four years since their previous 2011 effort.

Setlist

  1. We All Float Down Here
  2. What the Hell is a Gigawatt?
  3. Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die
  4. Stuck in the Middle
  5. What's in the Box?
  6. Find My Way Back
  7. Who Cares?
  8. One Step at a Time
  9. Go Down In History
  10. Maniac (R.O.D.)
  11. It Must Really Suck to be Four Year Strong Right Now
  12. Wasting Time (Eternal Summer)

Thien // Portraits

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March 2, 2016 - Thought I'd start adding some guys in my portfolio as I figured I seemed to be shooting mainly women, so I hit up my friend Thien as he dresses extremely well!  Unfortunately we weren't able to shoot too much when the sun was still up due to time constraints but we got some cool portraits at the Vancouver Public Library and eventually found ourselves with access to a relatively high-rise apartment!

Jasmine // Portraits

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January 18, 2016 - So 2015 for me was kind of all over the place, kinda just shooting odds and ends - mainly portraiture and concerts.  It's been almost five years since I've picked up a camera and finding a style has been more than difficult, as I often find myself catering to what the client is asking for.  Come 2016 and I'm hoping to hone my style in a bit so you will more than likely see some change in the upcoming portrait sessions to come - drawing inspiration from but not limited to Jordan Voth, Ryan Longnecker, Don + Loren, and Loren X Chris.

And since my 70-200 is currently under maintenance, I decided I'd play with my 85mm (Nikon 1.8D) as it's sadly been collecting dust ever since I bought it.  I regret not picking it up sooner as I instantly fell in love with it.  I can only imagine the creaminess that comes out of Canon's 1.2L series...

Anyway, gear aside, here's my friend Jasmine at the Pier in North Vancouver:

Vans Warped Tour // Auburn, WA [Pt. III]

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Cheers to the weekend, everyone!  For those who missed out, you can find part one here and part two, here.

The first band for this post goes to Memphis May Fire, a metalcore act from Dallas, Texas.  Despite having many lineup changes, their sound has undergone a fairly natural progression with their latest record, Unconditional, feeling very theatrical.  Although I haven't tuned into much of their discography, their performance was fun, jumpy and I'd say the instrumentalists outdid Matt Mullins in terms of stage presence.  All-in-all, nothing that stands out from the crowd but a otherwise very solid performance.

Up next is currently one of my favourite bands currently on repeat, The Amity Affliction.  These Brisbane natives came by Vancouver not too long ago, and although I love their studio albums, I felt their live mixing was a little on the weaker side both then and now.  In particular, I felt that Ahren Stringer couldn't quite nail some of the higher notes - but then again, I could be a little harsh assuming that it was the last day on the tour.  Regardless, Joel Birch's screams were heavy and the crowd participation, particularly during the breakdowns and refrains were excellent.  

Oh, I'm going to get a LOT of flack for this, but I actually can't stand the music from Pierce the Veil.  But then again, I'm also known for my brutal honesty - so here it goes.  Firstly, the security had held us back due to the abundance of CO2 canisters by the stage which started their set with a fuck-load of confetti.  After that, we all rushed in a single file line and were unable to really navigate the stage due to the onslaught of crowd-surfing fan girls (hence the same angle shots in most of the pictures.)  Regardless of my disdain for their "whiny" vocals, they definitely had the energy, stage presence and theatrics that I wish many of the bands I loved would show more often.  Even seeing these guys open for A Day to Remember, they definitely competed in terms of confetti, explosions and pyrotechnics.

Oh boy, I don't even know where to start with While She Sleeps.  They were definitely in the top 3 performances of the day, the other two going to Blessthefall and Senses Fail.  The boys from Sheffield, and in particular, front-man Lawrence Taylor just tore the crowd a new one.  These guys are absolutely bat-shit crazy and I love it.  The aggression in the lyrics really comes out in their actions, they're jumping, head-banging, hanging off of shit, tearing shirts off - the list goes on.  All I'm going to say here is that if you can, see these guys live.  You won't regret it.

August Burns Red.  This band from Manheim, Pennsylvania is probably one of the most progressive bands in the metalcore genre and are ALWAYS pushing the agenda in terms of technical prowess and introducing their influences into their music.  Be it little country-esque riffs to jazzy/bluesy outros, this band has it all.  What I can really respect about these guys is that, despite being an all-Christian band, they're not there to shove it down your throats, and would rather the metaphoric lyricism be interpreted as you wish.  It was awesome to see JB shred through all those solos and for Jake Luhrs to let out his extremely heavy screams, but also to see his passion and dancing (cue Internal Cannon).  I'm so sad that I missed them when they were last in Vancouver, but given the chance, I would find a way to see them again. 

Setlists

Memphis May Fire

  1. My Generation
  2. Prove Me Right
  3. Beneath the Skin
  4. No Ordinary Love
  5. Stay the Course
  6. The Sinner 
  7. Vices

The Amity Affliction

  1. Pittsburgh
  2. Never Alone
  3. Death's Hand
  4. Open Letter
  5. Chasing Ghosts
  6. Don't Lean On Me

Pierce the Veil

  1. The Divine Zero
  2. May These Noises Startle You in Your Sleep Tonight
  3. Hell Above
  4. Bulls in the Bronx
  5. Yeah Boy and Doll Face
  6. Caraphernelia (ft. Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red)
  7. King for a Day

While She Sleeps

  1. Death Toll
  2. New World Torture
  3. Brainwashed
  4. Trophies of Violence
  5. This is the Six
  6. Seven Hills

August Burns Red

  1. Fault Line
  2. The Wake
  3. Provision
  4. Identity
  5. Composure
  6. Internal Cannon
  7. Back Burner
  8. Empire
  9. White Washed