My ears are still ringing a little, but I’m glad I went to the free KFOX 98.5 Metro Music in the Other Park concert in downtown San Jose tonite.
The Tubes gave a really good performance. Fee Waybill still has a great voice (and is in good shape) and the guitarists were tight. The PA system was a little weak, but The Tubes still sounded great.
The singer even did costume changes for each song, which was a lot of fun for “What do you want from life?” and “White Punks on Dope,” where he did his Quay Lewd act.
He thanked the audience for supporting The Tubes and other 80′s bands for 30 years.
The lead guitarist, playing a Les Paul, did a smoking guitar solo.
The audience was quite odd – a lot of what looked to be ex-hippies and vagrants.
I got a lot of great photos with my Nikon D200 and 70-200mm/f2.8 VR lens (quite a handful.)
Photo Notes
- spot-metering. started at f4, 1/2000, ISO 800 and ended with f4, 1/25, ISO 1600!
- in-camera sharpening, high-iso NR, some Nikon Capture sharpening.
- 70-200mm/f2.8 VR was prolly the best lens to use for this concert, 300mm would have been nice too. First time using a VR lens in a concert, used VR on normal, amazingly sharp results on the autograph signature of Randy Mantooth. not sure why focus ring was slipping off level.
- crowd heads often in way, could Photoshop most out (or grow another foot taller)
- should prolly have used hood, and should have started with f8 (and matrix-metering) of stage to get singer and backdrop in focus, used f8 for side view of stage with 3 performers in frame.
- sore upper arm next day, need to do some weight exercises that simulate holding a heavy camera for 2 hours.
