The Beauty of Bands

I just applied for a photo pass that I don't intend on being able to receive... but it brought this to mind: I don't know what my favorite bands look like.

...and that's okay with me.

Now, this is where some may say, "But Jodie, isn't your favorite band 100 Monkeys? I know you know what they look like..."

The answer there is not a simple one... Are they my favorite band? Yes... and no...

When a stranger asks me my favorite band, I am (of course) going to say 100 Monkeys, for hopes in recruiting someone new to listen to their music... but if, say... Johnson were to ask me my favorite band(s) I would say Death Cab, Telekinesis, Imagine Dragons, Ingram Hill, Islands, Mumford & Sons, Devil Makes Three, Arcade Fire... etc...

Out of those bands listed there, I have only seen Imagine Dragons and Ingram Hill perform live. I'd be able to recognize all of Ingram Hill easily as I am, shall we say, acquaintances with the lead singer... and along with the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, but with Death Cab, Telekinesis, Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire and Islands I wouldn't be able to recognize any of them... I would be one of those ignorant fools sharing an elevator with one of them and not say anything just because I don't know who the hell they are!

I truly am just in love with their music.

In all honesty, I do not spend a lot of my time (if any) listening to 100 Monkeys. I get the majority of it whenever I attend a show... and randomly I'll throw on Smoke or Ugly Girl at times just to relive some memories or to miss the boys a little bit...

It's not that I don't love 100 Monkeys or their music. Clearly, I do. In fact, funny story here, I started to like their music in mid/late 2008 and didn't know what any of them looked like (aside from that one fellow, duh...). I saw them for the first time at SBL in August 2009. (Jackson wasn't there due to filming in Can-uh-duh) The Stevedores went on stage and I kept thinking to myself that this band was absolutely insane incredible, even missing Spencer. "Man, the drummer is THE SHIT." I said.

During the toast (which not apart of Thunderdome at this SBL...) and this tall blonde lanky dude in a purple shirt came and stood right in front of me for the toast.

I honest to god had no idea who the fuck he was. Bill Bell asked all the bands and friends of Spencer to come on stage and do the toast... he did so... I thought he was just a friend of Spencer's. He looked at me and cheers'd his Jameson before he took the shot.

A tad later when he (and that drummer that I liked so much) took the stage for 100 Monkeys my mouth hit the floor. I had absolutely no idea that they were a part of the band!

I played it off with the people that I was with... they knew me as the biggest 100 Monkeys fan that they knew -- little did they know that I did not know what this band looked like.

Why?

Because it wasn't important to me. I liked their music and their style, that's all that I cared about.

Later that night I got to chat with Ben for a little bit... we were going to their show the next day at Lucky Strike and when I got back to the hotel I went to their MySpace page and re-read their bios trying to figure out who was who in the band. Jerad was easy - I spent a good twenty minutes trying to figure out which Ben was which. (This was before they had photos with their little personal bios) ...the next day I danced my ass off at Lucky Strike and after the show I got to spend a little time with Ben again - he gave me a cut out guitar pick from an AMC gift card and I got a photo with him.

The rest, they say, is history. He's got to be one of the reasons why I ended up liking the band as much as I do. If he wasn't so sweet and didn't spend as much time with me as he did those first two days/shows - lord knows where I'd be now.

When I saw the band again that November he remembered me. That meant even more to me.

This all started because I requested a photo pass to Death Cab's show in Alabama and their opening act is Telekinesis. I posted a song of theirs on my Facebook and as I was looking for the one I wanted I came across a video of Telekinesis performing at a radio station - I clicked it and it was the first time that I had ever seen the band. I had no idea that the drummer was in fact, also the vocalist and that the bassist was a hot asian chick.

I almost prefer to not know what they all look like... I almost prefer to not know their names, birthdays or marital status -- If I can keep ignorant on all of that -- if they're always just a band with music that I adore, then there's never any sort of bad association with it. Ignorance is bliss. I don't want to know who they wrote their songs about; I just want to apply them to my life.

A Long Deserved Ketchup

The past four weeks I have been on the road.

I saw and went through so many things on this tour. I attended literally half of this tour, which in just half of those dates, that's still longer than any other tour that they or I have ever done before... so I can't imagine them working each day in and day out double what I have done.

I am so very proud of them. My heart is completely full.

So much has happened... so much changed (for the better and the worse) on this tour... but I wouldn't have changed any of it. It panned out perfectly in the end.

I caught the first two shows of the tour back in June up in Cincinnati and Indianapolis. My photos from the Indianapolis shows are now present as the 100 Monkeys photo on their official Wikipedia page and on Jackson's official Wikipedia page. *pause for insanity* ...that's insane, right?

From there I went back to Houston and enjoyed my final time with Liz, whom I had been staying with since the beginning of the year. When I picked up the tour again, I wouldn't be coming back.

Mid-July I went down to Florida to pick up the tour again... Tampa, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale with a friend - then I met Jennifer up again in Birmingham, New Orleans (where I got Bourbon faced on Shit street... never again... ugh.), Houston, Dallas (where I left the Roaddog with my step mom, who still has her...), Austin (where it was 1000 degrees in the shade...), Tulsa, St. Louis, Kansas City...

I paused in Kansas City and missed the next three shows (from what I heard I didn't miss a whole lot...) so I could spend some time with my Mama... from KC I caught the next ones in Seattle, Spokane, Portland (best run yet), San Francisco (which I attended entirely alone), LA (I had a day off here that I spent alone, as well. It was interesting... this is also where Jennifer re-joined the tour), Las Vegas (another 1000 degree day in the shade...), Anaheim and then we all ended the tour in San Diego.

Of course there were snags here and there - that happens with life and of course that's going to happen when you're traveling and when you're working... but for the most part it was a very positive experience. I don't hold any bad memories with anything. (Except for perhaps NOLA... which was my own damn fault...)

I met some amazing people out this time! So many wonderful people brought me little tokens and things, which was completely amazing and so appreciated! I got several memory cards from people, Golden Flake chips, balloon animals and a DVD, a Best Buy gift card, some people bought me drinks and I got an obscene amount of HUGS!!!! <3 I am so grateful for each of you that took the time to come and say hello, talk to me and give me hugs and smiles. Y'all made it so amazing.

Unfortunately I don't have photos ready to offer up to y'all. I have a few... but I managed to fill up each of my memory cards AND my computer while on the road... so I can't do much until I can afford an external hard drive here in a couple weeks or so. (I'm putting that Best Buy gift card towards it!)

The Florida shows were pretty awesome... I have some great memories from Orlando and I finally got to see that ocean in person. I never had before...

Birmingham is always a good time - that's where a fan brought me an obscene amount of Golden Flake chips and a tour survival kit! <3 ...I have been to the past two shows that 100 Monkeys played at the Workplay theatre and so there was no way that I was going to miss them there this time around. It was so much fun...

I was so happy to get back to Kansas City. I know that I said I was so anxious to leave that town - but after being gone from it for a YEAR I was so happy to see my mother and those streets again. I introduced my mama to the band and she shot the show from the front row with me...

Check out my Mama's photos of 100 Monkeys here! She really enjoyed the show and the guys!

The Pacific Northwest was amazing. I caught up with my friend Kenzie there who lives in Portland and she was so hospitable!! <3 We had a blast in Seattle... it was the first time that I actually explored a city on my day off. We went to the first Starbucks, Pike's Market, the Space Needle and Viretta (Kurt Cobain) park.

For anyone who knows me a tad, knows that I love Nirvana and Kurt Cobain... it was completely emotional and wonderful. I was so moved by it and I felt entirely blessed that I was able to experience it.

The end of the tour was insane... I didn't cry as much as I had imagined, so many laughs were had and a multitude of memories were made. I'll never forget this...

Something that I have taken away from each show/most memorable about the city:

Cincinnati: "You shut up."
Indianapolis: Telling so many people about Spencer Bell.
Tampa: Seeing Bleeding Horse Express for the first time.
Orlando: The tallest stage I have ever encountered.
Ft. Lauderdale: Partying with Cassandra.
Birmingham: "You dance!"
NOLA: "It's so hot..."
Houston: Handcuffs. :)
Dallas: Getting the best email of my life.
Austin: Chain smoking in 110 degree weather.
Tulsa: You see... what had happened was...
St. Louis: Homeless people with records; 40 oz beers; spinning
Kansas City: Introducing my mama to the band!
Seattle: Seeing Kurt Cobain park. <3
Spokane: Being the only one in the photo pit. (That also happened in NOLA & Texas.)
Portland: Dancing harder than I ever have before at a 100 Monkeys show!!
San Francisco: Conversations about death and pants.
LA: BALLOONS!
Las Vegas: Watching the boys zipline across Fremont.
Anaheim: Some people have your back and some want to stab it.
San Diego: Thoroughly getting to say goodbye. <3

Where did I leave that Delorean? I'm ready to do it all over again.

Passion Vs. Photography

Fortunately I have people who believe in my photography and my art. Fortunately I have people who tell me that I capture 100 Monkeys unlike anyone else can... that they can see my passion for photography and my love for these boys in my photos.

I'm so thankful for that.

I may not be spot on with everything technical in each photograph - but I do know what I'm doing. (For what I am doing and what I am happy with.) I do make my living by this... although, I'm finally at a point where I feel like I don't have anything to prove to anyone.

My passion for photography is strong. I'd love to say that "I love my camera more than anything," but... that would be a lie. I love these boys more than anything. I'm just thankful that my love for them transcends the lens and is captured onto the shots that I bleed for.

I put my heart and soul into each shot and I hope that you can see the heat of the moment and the vibrancy of the music and THEIR passion through each photograph. That's my ultimate goal... not to make you feel MY love for them - but for you to feel THEIR love for the music and each other and their love for performing.

I re-edited a few photos from the last show on the winter tour... I've shared them everywhere else - it's time to share them here.

To those who support me and my photography - thank you so much. To those who don't - thank you so much.

Thanks for taking a look at them. Catch more at www.jodieplatzphotography.com and www.facebook.com/jodieplatzphotography

Each and every one of you who reads this is appreciated! Thank you so much for your support! I can't wait to see you on tour!

Happy Birthday, Ben! @100MonkeysMusic

Birthdays are a very important thing where I come from (planet earth), and I am all about making them special, unique and the best that they can be for my friends and people I care about. So, on this most holy of days I hope that you are happy and relaxed as I say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEN! 

My wish for you today is that you spend it with those who matter most to you, that your beer never runs empty and that this birthday be one that you remember for always. 25 is a big deal... quarter of a century... You're like, an adult and stuff. Or something.

Keeping with the tradition of my birthday posts for y'all - here are five of my favorite photos of you that I've taken...

I remember the reaction when we figured out just how to work the guitar shirt... That was pretty awesome! I loved that entire day.

My favorite photo of you from the winter tour... from Mission, Texas.

One of my favorite photo of you from the summer tour from San Francisco.

Happy birthday, Ben... I sincerely wish you all the best. Eat some cake. Drink some beer. Have a good time and good show tonight -- Love you!

xx