The Tom Waits show was literally fantastic. Not only the performance, but the cast of characters in attendance. I got to see many current friends as well as people I don’t tend to run into except every so often when an event like this rolls around.
I struggled with the idea of not bringing a camera and I knew that cameras were technically verboten but I really wanted to get some shots of this once in a lifetime show.
It’s been many many years since I smuggled a camera into a concert. The last time was at a Frank Zappa concert in 1984. I pondered tucking a camera as I could not imagine the staff of Jones Hall patting people down or scanning anyone with metal detecting wands. But I just couldn’t bring myself to do that so I opted to bring my Alpha 100 with the good old 50mm lens for a low profile shoulder bag “hope they don’t make me go back to the car” casual walk through the front door and what do you know? It worked. In hindsight I should have brought the new camera and bigger lens. Ah well, live and learn.
Once the show was underway point and shoot cameras as well as pocket video lit up the audience and the staff at Jone Hall did nothing to stop any of it so I snagged a few shots of my own.
The set list from the show:
Lucinda
Down in the Hole
Falling Down
November
Dead and Lovely
Lie to Me
Day After Tomorrow
Hoist that Rag
Get Behind the Mule
Cemetary Polka
Trampled Rose
Jesus Gonna Be Here
Lucky Day
Tom Traubert’s Blues
House Where Nobody Lives
Innocent when you dream
Make it Rain
Murder in the Red Barn
Come on up to the House
Dirt in the Ground
Eyeball Kid
Goin’ Out West
All the World is Green
For a recap of the show itself you can check out the story at The Houston Chronicle
The above two photos are my favorites of the evening. The rest are here in my gallery.
So you own Sonys at both ends of the spectrum? Because I have seen you mention that you have an alpha 700. We got my daughter a 300 for her 16th birthday, and I like it so much I’ve bought myself one. I would have considered something different, but with the same type of camera we can share lenses, accessories, etc.
I really dig that second photo.
That top one is far and away the best. He looks like a crazy preacher with a disturbingly large following (except for the little bit of guitar). Great composition too, just him onstage at the right and the cluster of propaganda-truck speakers on the left.
It was a great show in my opinion, even though I’m not a big fan. That mirrored bowler just about put my eye out.
Jim: Yea, the A100 was a good backup for this shoot.
Carl: Thanks, it’s my overall favorite as well and you seem to get what I was going for with that image.
Julie: I only wish I could have gotten a pic of the mirrored bowler.
Nicely done 🙂
Glad you got to see him.
You’re one of the luckiest guys I know!
Nice work with the lens. I was a stagehand on the Columbus,
Ohio show and would like permission to use one photo. I’ve
been a ‘listener’ since the mid 70’s and this WAS a blessing
for heart and wallet. The guitar player Tom is using is from the
local music scene here in Columbus,OH. Again, WELL DONE.
Can someone please help me? Im looking for pictures/ links/ even the name of the horn/ speaker structure that was at the Waits gigs. I cant find any pics online except this and the one i took at the show. Im trying to do a model of it for my art test.
Please reply
I “worked” the show in Columbus, Ohio and was one of the hands
that set the upstage ‘Horn’ structure for Tom. The array is made up
of some very obscure companies, as well as OLDER known ones.
Electro-voice had two separate placements, the twelve inch wide, black-ish grays second from the bottom. as you look from the audience that would be the ‘speakers’ from the floor on you right
side. You’ve caught me flat footed so the best I can do is tell you to look up sound production history from the 1940’s ’til the 1970’s, this will get you where you need to go. There MAY be some European types that were made for “government” use.
The heritic wrote me to tell Darragh.
Thanks for remembering.
It’s always a struggle trying to decide whether to sneak a camera in and take photos or not. Ethically one shouldn’t. But I’m glad you did; the photos you took capture some of the magic of that night. Wish I had smuggled mine in but I was trying to follow the rules. Sometimes I think I do this too much but there you are….