Being backstage carried all the expected intimacy and privilege you'd imagine, but what caught me off guard was how familiar it felt despite rarely shooting on stage. I've been pulled up once to shoot mid-show before, and it disoriented me in a great way, but I'd never planned to shoot from there. With Sleigh Bells, it required that tiny bit of boldness: asking them to see their show from a completely different vantage point.
So, what's familiar about something I rarely do?
Despite Metro's size, shooting from the stage created this unexpected, SMALL venue atmosphere. The proximity of Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller transported me to those tiny clubs where you're practically on stage with the band. I was mesmerized by how the crowd interacted with Alexis, with show-goers acting as a mirrored backdrop of what I normally see. I now understood what it must have been like to witness Sleigh Bells at their smaller shows in the early days.
It was chaotic, raw, and untethered physicality graced the night.
There's something perfectly poetic about capturing photos at Chicago's iconic venue with the artists who inspired me to photograph musicians with artistic intention: to document something beautiful on stage. The critical focus required when Alexis is on stage has never been more on display, with FOMO hitting hard every time she sailed past my lens. The shoot was unpredictable, a bit messy, and full of energy that made early shoots fun, unconcerned with predictable angles thanks to the freedom and access given, making the show dizzyingly surreal.
You know that moment when you reach the peak of an experience and everything feels somehow possible? Meeting them backstage was IT. When asked if I was “ Frank the photographer,” it mentally brought me down, full circle, to my fanboy knees.
Special thanks to @mickey.menace who had the ability to make the show even better. Something special about having another photographer around who gets the music, the shoot, and is just a great presence.