I have to admit it. Had Ghost, Mastodon, and Opeth been playing anywhere else in the San Francisco Bay Area I don’t think I would have bothered to make the (300+ miles each way) trip. Seeing them in the Fox Theater is why I made the journey. The Fox Theater has so much personality and so much history. Ghost looks that much more in character in a place like this. The reverse is also true. The Fox Theater looks like it was built for bands like Ghost, Mastodon, and Opeth. The giant, gold statues flanking each side of the stage would not be out of place on a Mastodon album cover.

Posted on May 3rd, 2012 under Other. Tags: california, fox theater, ghost band sweden, nikon d7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Lens for Nikon. Comments Off on Ghosty Fox Theater

Ghost became just the second band I have caught live in three different countries (Denmark, Sweden, and now the USA). They join Opeth (USA, Japan, and Sweden) in that category. Ironically, Opeth came on stage later in the evening. It was the fifth time I’ve seen Opeth in the USA. The strange thing is that I hadn’t even heard of Ghost a mere year ago and now I’ve seen them three times.

Not only have I seen them on stage, I’ve now seen them backstage too. I can confirm that at least two of the members are indeed human under their cloaks, and at least two are in fact real ghosts. I won’t tell which though. Nor did I take any photos of them backstage. That would have been in poor taste.

Posted on May 2nd, 2012 under Other. Tags: fox theater, ghost band sweden, metal, Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens. Comments: 1

Oakland has a curfew of 11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Opeth finished things up promptly at 11:30, but it seemed a shame to just go home with my all access pass still in effect so I headed back up to the stage for some photos of the now vacated Fox Oakland Theater.

This photo is actually five pictures taken vertically with an ultra-wide angle lens and then photomerged together in Photoshop CS5.

Posted on April 30th, 2012 under Other. Tags: california, fox theater, nikon d7000, opeth, photoshop, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Lens for Nikon. Comments Off on After the show

Some more photos of Mastodon from the gig on Friday night…

Did you know that Bill Kelliher’s mustache has its own Facebook page? It’s true.

Posted on April 29th, 2012 under Other. Tags: fox theater, mastodon, metal. Comments Off on Mastodon at Fox Oakland

I just got back from my trip to Oakland to see Ghost, Mastodon, and Opeth. Things went even better than expected. Here is a photo of Mastodon onstage in the beautiful Fox Theater.

Posted on April 28th, 2012 under Other. Tags: california, concert photography, fox theater, mastodon, metal, nikon d7000, oakland, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 Lens for Nikon. Comments Off on Mastodon @ Fox Theater in Oakland, California