the getting ready

After recently assisting another photographer on a wedding, I had this feeling that the images may have been my best so far in my career. We'll see. While I edit the rest and wait to have the go ahead to post many more, I am sharing a couple of the special getting ready moments that I found to be most emotional, delightful, and pretty. 

To see more beIMAGED Photography, visit beimaged.com

fitz and the tantrums

There is a cool and funky indie band that has hit my radar. Their name is Fitz and The Tantrums. They stole the spotlight at The Mercury Lounge on Friday, with a late night show. With their Debut LP set to be released in August, the band has quite a following for not even having a full record out yet. With the small venue packed to the brim, it was easy to feel the excitement in the room. The audience was filled with cocktails and smiles, and the band with vibrance and heart.

The music is a bit of pop, a bit of Motown, a bit of funk. It's good, if not great. The one unfortunate aspect of the midnight performance was that slow songs dominated the set list, when it is clear that the best is brought out in them when they keep it upbeat. Fingers crossed that the album will have a majority of fast tempo.

Despite any performance qualms I may have had, having shared a great portion of their tour with Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, it is clear that Fitz and The Tantrums is a musical force to be reckoned with. With so many up and coming musicians exploring the route of what I call "modern Motown", it is nice to have a band stand out from the crowd.

Second best part of Fitz and The Tantrums, placing in after their clap-your-hands fun music, is the personality of the band. The members are friendly, engaging, and seem to genuinely enjoy the ride. Third best part: allowing me to ebed the tunes. Enjoy.

Photography by: Melissa Lynn of beIMAGED Photography. To get beBLOGGED coverage, e-mail us.

new york city faces and places

People, objects, and buildings of New York City fascinate me. The faces and the places. The way every single thing is juxtaposed, and how it is all happening at the same time. The woman walking, with one hand clasping the baby's stroller and the other, the dog's leash. The man hanging up metal pieces of artwork outside, while smiling out into the distance. The building with a perfect reflection of the building across the street, working with the sun to pull it off. The world truly is full of wonder.

central park music

Central Park Saxophonist

If you are ever in New York City on a day-time budget, the best place for entertainment, in my book, is Central Park. There are almost always talented musicians lining the gravel walk-ways, performing their hearts out. Often times, these local bands earn their living with dollar bills in their guitar cases, while they sound better then most performers you would pay a lot of money to see in concert.

Front Row Fan, The Little Girl With a Cookie.

Be sure to check out the Central Park Summer Music Concerts coming up soon.

sharon jones and the dap kings

It's my birthday, and I can cry if I want to. It is not looking like I will be able to photograph the concert I am attending tonight: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings at The Apollo Theater. Alas, I am more than excited about the show, and this band is worth promoting.

Photo Sourced from Running Downhill

With three extremely strong albums having lined their road to success, their newly released "I Learned the Hard Way" is yet another smash. The personal favorite in my household is their third: "100 Days, 100 Nights", released in 2007, but the newest record is getting the most hype, and for good reason.

"I Learned the Hard Way" features more heartbroken lyrics than we have ever heard Sharon sing, but she handles it with the same familiar sound wave of passion. With a fiery voice she belts out songs about "Money" or lack thereof, and that she has "Better Things" to do than to remember you. The music blends Motown rhythms and sounds, while creating an entirely fresh medley of soul, hip-hop, funk, and jazz. Nothin' quite like this band.

Having followed Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings for years, it is rewarding to see them hit some spotlight. They were recently featured in the opening credits of the Oscar-nominated film, "Up in the Air", with their version of "This Land is Your Land" off of the jivin' 2005 album, "Naturally". Next came Starbucks, their newest album landing in the perfect place of the hip coffee drinkers and music lovers nationwide. And now, best of all: they are on tour. More shows lined up than I have ever seen for them.

So, there you have it. I may not have a photo pass with these history-making music-makers, but "I'll Still be True". Here's my favorite video of theirs:







Check out Sharon Jones website for tour dates and to listen to the music. I promise it's good.

dutchess di and the distractions

Surrounded by guys watching a ball game on TV, the swing/jazz/blues band, Duchess Di and the Distractions of Irvington NY, put on a great show at the odd venue, Pete's Saloon. Reaching the end of April: the month of Jazz appreciation, it felt fulfilling to sit in a crowded joint with upbeat jazz and swing music overpowering the sounds of baseball season and heated sports fans.

The experience is what makes this band stand out: I felt like I was in a 1950s dive bar with music making me want to jump and jive. Their look, their sound, and their personality is a sweet flashback of  a night out on the town that people from my generation never got to experience.

In honor of Jazz Appreciation Month, I want to recommend a listen to the jazzy number that I just can't get enough of these days: Etta James' "The Man I Love". Even Better: Billie Holiday's version. For me, there is nothing more savory than a gentle voice at the other end of a piano or saxophone.




To get beBLOGGED coverage for your upcoming show or event, e-mail Melissa Lynn.

stolen moments

Al Scatt's Stolen Moments Entertainent of Dobbs Ferry, NY stood out to me to have a lot of character at the Westchester NY Bridal Show. These cats have talent, and yes, the reviews are good. A wedding band is meant to be the entertainment, and one thing is for sure, this band knows how to entertain. 

Gigmasters is a great website for conducting a finely tuned search of all of the bands that are out there and in your area. Even if you are not in the wedding band market, it is a fun site to play around with on a rainy day.