A happy accident! While digging through my archives, I found a miscategorized shot of Pity Party from Fest 18 that never got edited and submitted. In hindsight, I’m surprised I haven’t lost more of these considering I do that work at 4AM on days of no sleep after running between venues all day. Mistakes are bound to occur.
There was, of course, no Fest this year so finding this memory is bittersweet and I must be feeling nostalgic for the photo team. Once I finished editing, I realized I must have been thinking of fellow photo team member Carolyn Ambiano (carolynambriano.com), whose colorful style I unconsciously paid homage to.
The smiling face behind the drum set also reminded me of running into Em in the restroom just before this set. They asked if I would take some photos of their upcoming set. I replied, “I’m here specifically to shoot your set!”
Pity Party released a new record this year (listen/ buy). Concrete nails the zeitgeist of 2020 with a strong and loud message of community, empathy, and care. It’s a high energy deep dive into coping with prolonged trauma. The band is also relentlessly committed to community outreach and mental health advocacy. Our collective experiences with COVID 19 and fascism have (hopefully) brought into focus for everyone just how important that message and work is.