Some behind the scenes footage from yesterday at Bowery Ballroom with Been Stellar.
Behind The Scenes w/ Midwife /
I spent the night at Elsewhere with Midwife, documenting their set as they opened for Blood Incantation. Madeline Johnston calls the music heaven metal, which makes more sense once you are standing inside of it. Slow guitars stretching out until they barely feel like guitars anymore, vocals floating somewhere underneath, everything heavy without needing to become loud about it.
For this post, I printed a portrait of Madeline onto the end sheets of an old book I found discarded on the street, the paper already carrying its own little history before the image ever touched it. It felt fitting. During the set, 16mm textures flickered across the projection screen behind her, washing over the stage and disappearing again while the songs moved at their own pace. I included some of that footage here too, along with the portrait and a few photographs from the night.
two star and the dream police /
Orion Sun Listening Party /
JPEGmafia “Lay down my life tour” NYC /
I woke up to a text at 4am from Kat letting me know that the venue was not going to let us do video as we originally planned, So I got out of bed and started to unpack all the VHS cameras and rebuild my gig bag to be more photo focused. I did keep my PXL2000 and Ruvi in my bag incase there was a moment we could do some video which is what the tour bus clip below is from.
Behind The Scenes w/ Lip Critic /
Summerstage w/ Keni Titus /
Behind The Scenes w/ Marika Hackman /
Casey Shaw From Gag Gets Carsick /
Behind The Scenes w/ Swedish House Mafia /
My buddy Dimitri hit me up a few days ago and asked if I wanted to come shoot the Swedish House Mafia show with some of my weird old cameras. I’ve got a bad habit of overplanning and flaking, so I said yes immediately and asked when it was, turns out, it was that night at Brooklyn Mirage. I tossed a few of my old Panasonics and a Fisher-Price PXL2000 into a bag (yes, the toy video camera), then headed out to meet him. We grabbed burgers at a spot near his place, then swung by the groups hotel down by the bottom of Central Park. From there, we all commuted to the venue in Brooklyn together.
Sidequest to Macklemore's House /
Redbull flew me out to Seattle to shoot a small annual music fest they put on.
After landing, I posted that I’d be around if anyone wanted to link up. A guy I’d chatted with a few times hit me up and offered me a ride from the airport, I said yes. After he picked me up, we grabbed some pizza, and he casually mentioned that he’s in a sobriety group with Macklemore.
Then he asked if I’d be down to take some portraits of him. I said sure, as long as he was open to it. An hour later, we were at his place, and I had my camera out, making portraits.
Lil Mosey Vs Seattle /
Twenty hours ago Red Bull flew me out to Seattle to shoot Lil Mosey headlining their breakout underground event they throw each year. The energy was amazing. The lineup was Lil Mosey, Young Nudy, Ghoulavelii and a bunch of DJ’s. The crowd matched that energy tenfold. Bras on stage, bottles flying, kids climbing speakers, kids chasing Moseys car as they pulled out to leaved the venue.
Here’s some photos I took from the nite, Im at the airport about to board the plane to head back to New York.
Spin The Block w/ 22gz & Kodak Black /
My buddy over at Atlantic Records hit me up to shoot some behind-the-scenes stuff for a music video. I asked who it was for, and when he said Kodak Black and 22Gz, I immediately asked for the address. Turns out, it was at a laundromat just down the street from me.
The moment I showed up, it was already a whole scene, neighborhood kids spotted the security crew wearing Kodak’s brand, and word spread quick. At one point, the director turned to the crowd and said, “Y’all can be in the background, but if it gets too rowdy, the cops will shut us down.” Some 16-year-old fired back, “If they shut down the video, we’ll shut down the block,” then casually lifted his shirt to flash a glock in his waistband.
Later, I was talking to Kodak about a mutual we both know from Florida, the guy who did his face tats when he was just a kid. Kodak smiled, said “That’s my boy,” and pulled me into a hug. I think we were all a little surprised by that one, even his security gave a glance.
Portrait Of Lil Durk /
I ran into Durk faded in the club last night and had a chat about some of his early tapes, I mentioned that “Hated On Me” was one of my replay songs. He asked about my camera and I showed him a zine I had one me and then we made a quick photo. He said his phone was dead so he took my phone and put his number in my contacts, Put the name under “Smurkio”, I laughed and went on my way.
Portrait of PNB Rock /
I went out to Philly last night for the 99FM Powerhouse show with a buddy from Atlantic, just shooting some stuff and hanging out in Meek Mill’s dressing room. PNB walked in, we talked for a bit, then stepped into the hallway to grab a quick portrait.
Dressing Room Portraits w/ Lil Uzi Vert /
My friend hit me up saying he was headed to Philly for the Powerhouse show and asked if I wanted to roll. I said yes, told my boss I had to dip for an “emergency,” and hopped in the car. When we got there, he brought me straight to the dressing room, Uzi was in there, grabbed my phone, scrolled through my photos, stopped at some shots of Lil Tracy and said, “That’s my boy. These are fire. Whatever you want, let’s do it.”
We started making portraits. I complimented his Marilyn Manson chain, and he told me he’s got a few, then pointed to a tattoo on his arm and said Manson made him get it. “Been cursed ever since,” he laughed.
He also casually mentioned that Manson had an incinerator in his basement and that he needed one too.
We wrapped with a long, comforting handshake before heading out to the stage.
Video of photos being made here: Youtube
Behind The Scenes Ghostemane & Lil Tracy /
Between Takes with Maxo Kream /
The other night, I joined Houston rapper Maxo Kream at the studio while he laid down takes for some upcoming tracks, one of which, he mentioned, would feature Travis Scott. When I first arrived, the room was low-key, just a small circle of friends and collaborators. But as the session rolled on, it became clear just how magnetic Maxo is, industry folks, local artists, and longtime friends filtered in between takes, turning the quiet room into a vibrant, ever changing scene.
It was a fitting reflection of who Maxo is. Maxo grew up in Southwest Houston’s Alief neighborhood, a place that features heavily in his music. His breakout 2018 album Punken showcased his gripping storytelling and set the stage for his upcoming work Brandon Banks, where he is exploring family dynamics and his late father’s influence.
That night, Maxo kept circling back to a track in progress called “Murder Block,” a heavy, brooding piece he demoed over and over. Between takes, we spoke about how his latest work reflects both the pain and pressure of surviving and carrying legacies that aren’t always easy to hold. The session made it clear: Maxo’s not just rapping to flex, he’s rapping to process, to document, and to remember.
Somewhere on North 8th w/ Michael K Williams /
The other night I was hanging out with a bunch of fashion kids over on North 8th in Manhattan, the kind of crowd where everyone looks like they got dressed in the dark inside a very expensive closet, when a black SUV pulled up to the curb. The door opened and Michael K. Williams stepped out.
He was wearing a blazer over a Dries Van Noten SS16 button-down, which I only really clocked properly later. At the time it just registered as Michael somehow looking completely at home arriving at a fashion party while I was standing there dressed like somebody who had been sent to document a warehouse fire for the evening news.
I did what I usually did back then when something interesting suddenly appeared in front of me. I lifted the camera and took the photo.
Immediately afterward I started making small talk, partly because I wanted to talk to him and partly because I had just fired a flash directly into his face and figured conversation might make the whole thing seem slightly less deranged. Nothing crazy. Just enough to turn the moment from stranger-with-camera into two people standing on a sidewalk.
After a minute he asked if I was going up to the roof for the party.
I wasn't.
"Do you mind if I go up with you?"
He said sure.
So suddenly I'm following him upstairs to a rooftop party I wasn't invited to. By the time we got up there I realized I was underdressed by about a mile. Apparently a photo vest and all black was not the uniform for whatever was happening on this roof. He pointed out that the bar was open if I wanted anything. I told him I didn't drink.
At some point he asked my name again.
I replied "Brian."
His face lit up a little. He said his dance partner's name was Brian too.
"Oh yeah?"
He Said: "Yeah, a tall dark dreadheaded nigga from Queens."
I looked at him and said, "Yeah, so were basically the same person." with a smirk
He laughed.
That was probably the moment I stopped feeling like I had accidentally snuck into somebody else's evening. We started talking about music, he was into a lot of house and dance music, Records made for rooms where people actually moved instead of standing around trying to look like they weren't impressed by anything.
I told him I didn't really listen to a lot of conventional dance music or house. I grew up mostly on experimental music and screaming music, so when dance music did get through to me it was usually the stranger ends of it. Acid House. Aphex Twin bending something recognizable until it wasnt
Michael told me that if I wanted somewhere to start, I should listen to MFSB's "Love Is the Message."
We kept talking for a while longer. Meanwhile there was a woman from HBO over my shoulder who had apparently been trying to get his attention for what felt like twenty minutes. Eventually he said he had to go talk to her or the hovering would never stop.
Before he disappeared into the party I asked if I could make one quick portrait. Michael leaned back against the rooftop banister. Nothing crazy just my little Leica and a flash.
