I went to see The Motherfu*ker with the Hat the other day. If you haven't already heard about it from all the Tony nomination buzz then here's the basic rundown as to what the play is about:

"Jackie (Bobby Cannavale) and Veronica (Elizabeth Rodriguez) have been in love since the eighth grade. Now Jackie is on parole, clean and sober under the guidance of his sponsor, Ralph D. (Chris Rock), while loving his volatile soulmate Veronica, who is far from sober. Their love is pure, and nothing can come between them — except a hat." (thank you playbill for that lovely little summary!)

Lucky for me my friend's dad IS Bobby Cannavale so I was able to see the play fo' free (!) with his son, his nephew and my boyfriend. With that being said, I would totally pay and see it again because it is worth the money. It's a really different and more risque play than is usually seen on Broadway which I think is really cool. The story wasn't too intellectual or hard to follow but the acting was unbelievable and really moving. I definitely recommend the play to all!

My after-play experience was by far the most exciting part of the play though... We went back to Bobby's dressing room and met Elizabeth Rodriguez and two of his other actor friends Steven Pasquale and Laura Benanti (sorry to name drop, but it's exciting!). After Bobby signed people's playbills and all that jazz, we headed over to Justin Timberlake's new restaurant Southern Hospitality with Chris Rock (NO BIG DEAL OR ANYTHING..... :O). We sat in a curtained off VIP area and it was uh...AMAZING. I ate a BBQ shrimp salad which was absolutely delicious and tried some of Damien's mac & cheese which was equally as tasty! It was funny because they brought out all of our food and seemed to forget Chris's haha. Chris was really nice and genuine and not at all diva-y or stuck up. It was a really exciting night and still feels surreal.

BUT ANYWAYS, even though not everyone who sees the play can dine with the cast, it's still totally worth seeing :p

Recap: Bonnaroo Day 4 (June 12th 2011)

The last and final day at Bonnaroo is always depressing because you know it's the last time you'll be there for a whole year. Luckily though the minor spout of depression did not last long as the first band I was seeing was Neon Trees.

If you don't already know, Neon Trees are absolutely INSANE live. One of the photographers had told me they were great fun to shoot so I knew this was a show I could not miss. Tyler Glenn was a total lunatic on stage (in the best of ways), prancing and prowling all over the place like an animal (hehe, see the joke I made there because their hit song is called Animal...). It was amazing to watch and hopefully some of these photographs show you how much fun photographing the show was. I have high hopes for Neon Trees, I think they could become really big soon.

The day took a turn for the worse when my father made us sit through a good 40 minutes of Bruce Hornsby. I was starving and sweaty and Bruce Hornsby was just putting me to sleep on top of that. I have nothing to say about him...He didn't even play his one famous song.

Greg Allman was next up for the day. Once again, not really a fan myself but my father is. I guess it was cool to see Greg Allman so close up...I would've rather been at Iron & Wine though. I really should've parted ways with my father and just gone to Iron & Wine, no idea why I didn't.

After Greg Allman I was able to catch some of Cold War Kids. I got there in time to hear them play their hit, "Hang Me Up To Dry". They had some of the weirdest stage presence I've ever seen. It seemed to include bumping into each other with their butts. With that being said, I really did enjoy LISTENING to the indie rock band from Long Beach, California.

My dad and I decided to miss Robert Plant so that we would not miss the photo escort for The Strokes. From the sounds of things we didn't miss too much though. The Strokes though were so worth waiting for an escort for. They came on a little late but Julian apologized and said that he had got caught up watching Beirut and it was a difficult decision as to whether to watch them or play a show. I totally got how he felt as I was super bummed that I missed Beirut also...

However, the extra 10 minutes we had to wait for The Strokes to go on was totally worth it as I got some great shots of Julian in particular as I was stationed right in front of him. They played songs from their new album "Angles" as well as playing the more well known Strokes songs like "Someday" and "Take It Or Leave It". I really like their new album as it has a more electronic sound than some of their previous stuff which makes it kind of fun.

Despite having the option, I decided not to photograph Widespread Panic. I'm not a huge fan of jam bands and I was hungry, so my father and I just decided to sit in the bleachers and eat and watch for a little. I settled on to the bleachers with two yummy shrimp skewers and watched Widespread Panic do their funky thing as the sunset in the distance. Despite not being a fan myself, it was a nice way to end my Bonnaroo experience.

Oh and I forgot to mention on Saturday night I had a very awkward moment. I was on the phone with my mum and I turned around abruptly only to knock into...Ed Westwick! I didn't notice it was him until I tried to apologize and looked him directly in the eye. He was sweet about it and smiled and walked on. The next day I saw him again and he held the door open of the port-a-potty for me haha. I'm not a Gossip Girl fan, but I do quite like him as an actor and a person so it was very cool to see him in person. Not to mention he's extreme good looking... and from my homeland ;) ...

Recap: Bonnaroo Day 3 (June 11th 2011)

Day 3 of Bonnaroo began for me with Chiddy Bang, an alternative hip-hop duo who met at Drexel University a few years back. They're very young and I think it somewhat shows in their performance. The performance began with Xaphoon Jones, the DJ and drummer of the band, just DJing very boring tracks from his macbook. After about 15 minutes of that bore, Chiddy decided to finally grace the stage with his presence. Things got a little better after Chiddy arrived and rapped his heart out. I really didn't like Xaphoon Jones though. He looked like such a New England Prep and he spoke in this almost ghetto "I'm-so-cool-and-almost-famous" way that completely conflicted with his ghastly apparel. Ok, maybe I'm being harsh, but I found him really irritating and he wasn't even as good a drummer as he clearly thought he was.

Next I saw a bit of Donald Glover's (Childish Gambino) comedy act. I only caught the tale end and I missed the one part I wanted to see- the guest appearance of one of my favorite British comedians, Bill Bailey. Donald told stories from his childhood that clearly amused and entertained his audience. Even if he hadn't been funny I wouldn't have minded as the Comedy Tent has great AC that I was much in need of at the time...

Afterwards came a very exciting moment in my trip. Whilst in the guest/press area, two large black SUVs pulled up and started creating quite a hubbub. It soon became evident that Eminem and Lil Wayne were in the black SUVs that I was standing about 5ft from when the car door opened and the bodyguards shuffled out Eminem into a tent. 5 minutes later Lil Wayne was being shuffled out of his car too. It was all rather exciting, but due to the large towering bodyguards, no photos were able to be successfully taken. :(

I had planned to watch all of Mumford & Sons but that didn't go quite according to plan. The photo pit was so swamped with photographers that I hardly got any good shots. I didn't fret too much about it though because I saw them the year before at one of the smaller tents and got some amazing shots of them. It was fun to just watch them from really close up and listen to them even if my pictures were turning out like poop. I love Mumford & Sons for so many reasons. I love their music and I love their whole vibe. I also really like how genuine they seem; There was this one little cute moment where Country Winston went behind Ted Dwane and smacked him on the butt. I don't think many other people saw but it was adorable. I love how all these British artists like Mumford & Sons, Florence + The Machine, Tinie Tempah, Jessie J and etc., are becoming really popular over here. It's nice.

Unfortunately due to I think the biggest crowd the Which Stage has ever seen, I was not able to see much more of Mumford after I got out of the photo pit. I instead worked my way through the crowd and headed towards the Other Tent to see Bootsy Collins & the Funk University. I originally sacrificed shooting The Black Keys for Bootsy, but Bootsy ended up being an hour and a half late so I actually could've shot The Black Keys in reality. Bootsy was totally worth it though. I heard from 3 of my friends who were there that the latter part of his set was really boring, but I thoroughly enjoyed as much as I saw. Bootsy Collins is such a legend. He's so fucking fabulous and outrageous and his performance totally lived up to my expectations when he began with "We Want The Funk". I feel, I don't know, honored I guess, that I got to see such a legend so close up and in the flesh!

Next up on the Which Stage was Buffalo Springfield. Admittedly, I don't really know many Buffalo Springfield songs, but I had to see the band because of the artists in it. After much difficulty getting on the bleachers and finding a seat, we finally settled in to our seats, ONLY TO GET BOOTED OUT BY THE STORM. The thunder, lightening and wind got really crazy and the bleachers were of course, being metal, evacuated. My dad and I ended up giving up on Buffalo Springfield as they really were unfortunately, in my opinion, quite boring and we simply couldn't sit (or now stand) through anymore of it despite how famous they are.

At 11 o'clock was Eminem on the main stage, the What Stage. I didn't have the best view for Eminem but from what I saw and could hear, he absolutely destroyed! He sounded incredible. I'm not even a rap fan, as I've said about 500 times on this blog, but I often make an exception for Eminem. I especially make an exception for his new album Recovery because I think it's brilliant. The songs are catchy and diverse, I love it.

Oh and no photos were taken of Buffalo Springfield or Eminem because they're divas and would only let a few selective photographers into the pit... blah :(

My dad and I left Eminem early to head over to the Scissor Sisters. I was probably the most excited for the Scissor Sisters. My parents (my mum especially) have always been huge fans of the Scissor Sisters and they were always a lot bigger in England than they were in the US, so from a young age I've been listening to the outrageously gay and fabulous band. Their performance certainly did not disappoint. They played many of their new songs from their most recent album, but did not fail to throw in some of their classic songs like "Take Your Mama", "Comfortably Numb", "Laura" and more. Even after I left the photo pit there were so few people in the audience (god knows why because they are amazing) that I was able to get a good spot and dance to the rest of their amazing set. It felt like I was sort of fulfilling a childhood fantasy.

The night ended with some crazy Gogol Bordello, a completely wacky gypsy-punk band. They're totally a blast to watch. If you haven't heard of them before, you NEED to check them out. Eugene is one crazy mother fucker...

Recap: Bonnaroo Day 2 (June 10th 2011)

Friday morning got off to a nice slow start as the first band we planned to see was Grace Potter and The Nocturnals at 3:15 pm. We woke up late and casually travelled over to Bonnaroo at about 1. It was weird because the minute I walked into the main festival area I walked straight into three of my really close friends, Gabe, Daniel and Jack. I ended up grabbing lunch with them (pad thai... mmm!) before parting ways and heading back to the guest and press area.

Grace Potter and The Nocturnals were the first band on Friday that I saw and photographed. I have a slight history with Grace Potter. In about 2009 she came to a School of Rock festival and we all got to meet her and see her perform before her days of fame. She was brilliant then and she's still brilliant now. Grace Potter's vocals adds a perfect powerful layer to the Nocturnal's already free spirited and hippie-like music. It's phenomenal how Grace Potter went from performing on the Solar Stage last year to rocking the fuck out on the What Stage this year. I'm glad other people have picked up on Grace Potter and The Nocturnals clear talent.

The next band I saw was the Warren Haynes Band. I am an anti-fan of almost all jam bands so it's really hard for me to even pretend to like anyone who was once in the Grateful Dead. That being said, it was cool to see how crazy his fans are about him and it was cool to see such a legend in person. And of course it goes without saying how talented of a guitarist he is.

Unfortunately I missed The Sword and Opeth but I heard they were amazing. During the times they were playing I was back in the guest/press area listening to Florence Welch be interviewed by Fuse. Considering she's pretty much my idol I needed to stay and listen. She's so lovely... here are a few photos of her.

Next band up was The Decemberists. I first got into The Decemberist's music about 3 years ago on a trip to France. One of the boys on the trip with me introduced me to their song "16 Military Wives" and it instantly became a favorite. In 2009, my first year at Bonnaroo, I so desperately wanted to see them play but couldn't. They were playing at the same time as The Mars Volta, Wilco and Elvis Costello. I ended up seeing most of Elvis Costello and catching the end of The Mars Volta and totally (and unfortunately) missing all of The Decemberists and Wilco. This year though, I finally got my chance to see The Decemberists, from the photo pit, on the What Stage. I'm not too familiar with The Decemberist's latest album, The King Is Dead, but from what I heard it sounded much more country influenced that their past stuff. Notably absent was member Jenny Conlee who is taking time off for cancer treatment. Former Nickel Creek member Sara Watkins was a good stand in though. The Decemberists were really fun to watch and their upbeat tunes were very nice to listen to on a Friday afternoon.

My girl Florence Welch was up next on my schedule. I absolutely LOVE Florence + The Machine. I saw them play at Terminal 5 with my boyfriend Damien earlier this year. She was beautiful, her clothes were beautiful, the music was beautiful, the atmosphere was beautiful, the whole night and being there with my boyfriend was beautiful. Florence + The Machine have become an absolutely hit not only in my life, but also apparently in everyone else's lives as she completely packed out This Tent and the crowd spread out all over, creating one of the largest crowds I've ever seen at one of the smaller tents. Florence Welch is a force to be reckoned with. with her wild personality and killer voice. I completely understand why everyone at Bonnaroo appeared to flock there, because even when you can't see Florence she is an absolute treat to listen to. Luckily for me I got to watch and listen to her from the photo pit and she breathtaking, as per usual.

Following Florence was My Morning Jacket back on the What Stage. *YAWN* Am I the only person who finds My Morning Jacket unbearably boring? Apparently yes and the crowd was huge and highly enthusiastic. To the fans it was clear that the two hour long sunset performance did not disappoint. I don't understand Jim James' stupid white furry boots or his strange lion mane. Sorry, I found them boring and I do not like their music and never will.

Then it was time for PRIMUS. I was so fucking pumped. Basically all of my friends and I have a ridiculous obsession with Primus so I was so excited to see them play from the photo pit so I could rub it in their faces ;) hehe. In the photo pit I stationed myself in from of the bass amp because I knew I desperately wanted some killer photos of Les Claypool, and killer photos in exactly what I got! It was so phenomenal to see the powerful trio jam out to old tunes, new tunes, well known tunes, lesser known tunes. They absolutely killed it, no matter what they were playing- Les Claypool especially. There is no denying that he is by far one of the most talented bassists to date. They were great fun to watch and the crowd were totally digging it.

That night, Arcade Fire headlined the main stage. I was bummed because they only let a select few photographers in the pit, meaning a 17 year old blogger such as me had no chance at being one of their select few. I did however sit in the bleachers and watch them from there. The whole audience were singing and dancing along as they played not only hits from their grammy award winning album, The Suburbs, but also played past hits too. Win Butler commanded at one point, "Alright, enough fucking around, I officially give you permission to move your ass" even though most of the crowd already were. I love how many people are in Arcade Fire and how they all move around, interchanging instruments and having their own individual moments of true shine. It was a pleasure to watch their almost magical show and would definitely see them again if they were to come around the New York area.

The night ended for me with some Bassnectar. Goddam it's fucking hard to shoot Bassnectar when you're my size and the bass is shaking you and all your camera gear all over the place. Not to mention the crowd were all fucked up on god knows what drugs and being ridiculously obnoxious to the photographers who were simply trying to do their jobs. With that being said, Bassnectar's crowd was actually probably the more fun thing to watch then Bassnectar himself.

Before leaving Bonnaroo for the night we stopped by The Which Tent so I could photograph Lil Wayne. It's fair to say I'm not really a Lil Wayne fan, but I couldn't pass up the chance to shoot him well because it's...well...uh... Lil Wayne. Considering I'm not really a fan I didn't have many expectations. I think that it was cool for everyone at Bonnaroo to see such a huge artist such as Lil Wayne perform regardless of whether they are fans or not. He was not at all intimidating like I imagined he would try to be and instead bounced around the stage creating a really fun and enjoyable atmosphere.

Recap: Bonnaroo Day 1 (June 9th 2011)

Thursday got off to a pretty rough start when our flight was immediately delayed. This was slightly problematic as we had a layover in Chicago and if our first flight was delayed then chances were, we were going to miss our Chicago to Nashville flight. However, despite taking off almost an hour and a half late, we managed to make our Nashville flight because it was rather delayed too. So luckily we made all our flights, but unluckily we arrived in Nashville about 3 hours after we initially planned to.

When we got into Nashville it was about 5. We drove to a Walmart Supercenter (THEY'RE AWESOME), picked up some last minute goodies, dropped everything off at the hotel and drove forth to Manchester, Tennessee to begin our third Bonnaroo adventure.

When it comes to Bonnaroo, I'm a little bit spoilt. My father knows a few of the guys at Superfly Productions (the people that make Bonnaroo possible) and so therefore they not only send us Guest passes every year, but also photo passes because they known how keen of a photographer I am. They even provide us with a hotel to stay in. I am so grateful though. As much as I love music festivals and the whole rough and rawness of them, I do not deal too well being unclean and living in 24/7 blazing heat.

So when we arrived at Bonnaroo it was already about 6, meaning I'd missed Karen Elson's set which seriously bummed me out as Gabe and Jack (two of my closest friends who were at Bonnaroo) that she had been playing with Jack Lawrence, and Jack White had been watching from the side of the stage.

I did however make it in time to see Band of Skulls, a band I recently have been getting into, shamefully due to their song "I Know What I Am" that's featured on Guitar Hero. Seeing Band of Skulls was a relatively nice beginning to my Bonnaroo experience. I really am a fan of their crunchy, lyrically powerful, bluesy tunes, but to me they lacked the necessary stage presence to truly engage an audience. I am still a fan through and through and I'll let them off the hook for this performance since it probably is fucking nerve racking to perform at Bonnaroo!

The next band up for the night was Sleigh Bells...And I quite honestly have no words to describe how much they exceeded my expectations. I love Sleigh Bells and I have for quite a while now. I don't even know how to describe their music. It's a perfect fusion of pop, metal, rock, electronic, rap... It basically fuses together a bit of every genre to make fantastic music. This came across bright and clear when vocalist Alexis Krauss and guitarist Derek E. Miller cavorted around the stage, getting into their music just as much as the audience (and even the photographers!!) were too. Before the duo even took the stage, Queen's "We Will Rock You" blasted through the tent, and "rock us" is exactly what they did.

I thought that shooting them was going to be a pain in the ass as they are known for being fans of the photographer's enemy- strobe lights. However I managed to get some really great shots of Alexis.

I ended the night by seeing Childish Gambino. I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of Childish Gambino but that's probably because I'm not a huge fan of rap. However I do quite like some of the rapping over other songs that he does (does that style have a name?). Childish Gambino is known for his clever lyrics and I really respect him for breaking himself apart from the rest of the rap community with his clear lyrical talent. He was fun to watch as he climbed on top of amps and cavorted around in his tiny short shorts (not the usual "rapper" style we're used to...) Definitely check him out because he's certainly interesting and I think he's going to blow up into something big soon. Also it's cool to note that his real name is Donald Glover and most of America probably knows him because of his stand up and spot on the NBC community.

I ended the night early because I was so tired and needed to be rested for a full day of music and photography the next day and the two days following that...

Bonnaroo

I just got back from Bonnaroo on Monday.

It was AMAZING.

When I finally finish uploading my photos to flickr I will post some on here and review the bands and artists I saw.