This is a hella late post, and I apologize! Things have been crazy with adjusting to my new work schedule and balancing my travels/social life with it.
BUT! Here is my blog post about the Why Don’t We concert back at the end of March. I know what you’re thinking — they’re just a bunch of teenage pretty boys. Yes, yes they are. However, I like to invest in fledgling groups like this.They were not as big as they are now when I first found them. I discovered them from a random photographer I follow on Instagram who had done a photoshoot with them. From there, I creeped their band page and saw all of their short live acoustic cover mashups, which won me over. Read a full review of their show at Music Connection Magazine’s website:
http://www.musicconnection.com/why-dont-we-house-of-blues-houston/
Going to this show was an adventure. Period. One of my big anxieties with photography came true that night. I was already running late to the show — with this setback in motion, I felt compelled to call the venue ahead of time to make sure I had two tickets on the guest list along with my photo pass. Sure enough, as if to continue stacking on my bad luck streak, there was only one ticket in my name (I was supposed to go to this concert with my sister). It took way more time than it should have, between calling the publicists in LA and in NY while also talking with the stage manager at House of Blues, but I made the executive decision to go by myself, which worked out nicely because my sister was already planning to go out with her co-workers.
It was a race against time, driving from the Galleria to downtown on a Friday night. When I went to the Crown the Empire concert a while back, I used an app to reserve a parking spot in a lot to avoid having to drive in circles looking for the cheapest, closest parking. This app allows you to pick one way in advance, however, again — stacking — the garage I reserved my spot in… was closed… SO I ended up driving around and paying additional money at another lot. At this point, the venue doors had opened already, and it was looking like I would miss my opportunity to photograph the band (photographers are only allowed to be in the photo pit for the first three songs), so I ran as fast as I could down a few blocks.
Of course, getting there late I was at the end of the line and had to wait with everyone else, which was fine but it didn’t help with my anxiety. Cue live music playing and the sound of screaming girls echoing from the doors. The entrance was so close yet so far, and my time to photograph the band was dwindling with every passing second. Fast forward past the frantic text messages to my best friends and cursing the universe for putting me in this predicament and I was finally in the venue. I nearly fled past security without my ticket and scribbling chicken scratch on the media release form.
Thank goodness that there was an opening act, because by the time I got inside, three songs had passed, and I would have been disappointed in myself that I missed my job obligation.
The show brought back PTSD memories of being at One Direction concerts — screaming. all. the. time. Which is expected with a group like this, but it was hard to hear the five guys of Why Don’t We singing, and trust me, their harmonies are prettttyyyyy good. One of the biggest photography challenges was that during the first three songs, each of the five members was separated from each other and standing still; not much photo variety for me to snap. I was constantly running back and forth trying to snag a photo of each member, but it would have been great if they huddled together or stood in a circle singing together, which they did AFTER I got out of the photo pit.
Nevertheless, it was a colorful and fun show filled with energy. It had been a long time since I’ve been to a pop boy band show like this, and I honestly remembered why I don’t anymore, haha. No ill will towards the band, but it’s hard to appreciate them with the deafening cries from a sea of girls.
xoxo,
Siri
SIRI 