Category: Concert Photography

Canada native Jeffrey Abel, professionally known as Excision, brought an unbelievable experience to finish off his two-night residency at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Lasers and pyrotechnics were a notable feature of Excision’s set. His stage design also featured a large screen that displayed many visuals throughout his set that were synced with the lasers scattered throughout the venue.

Excision began his set around 10:45 PM. He did not hold back on the production, as his first song featured pyro in the shape of X’s and lasers that shot to the back of the venue. His set featured many songs that had an incredible amount of bass that could be felt even outside the main venue room. The crowd got especially loud for “Zombie”, with Wooli and Illenium, featuring Valerie Broussard, as you were able to hear the crowd sing along to the lyrics. Towards the end of the set, Excision played “Dimension.” There was a big visual of a mammoth on the large screen on stage, and confetti shot out into the crowd. Blue and green flames shot out of the stage, on beat with the song, and created a surreal atmosphere. Excision exited, saying, “Thank you so much, San Francisco!”

From Netflix’s Building The Band to center stage of The Underground in Charlotte on their 2026 World Tour, Midnight Til Morning and Alex Porat did something incredible for their first time in the city: exceeded my expectations. The night for the band was the perfect mix of back flips, upcoming music, and chaos (the good kind, of course.) 

Opening for Midnight Til Morning, Porat brought her pop star energy, setting the stage for the night, and a wave of nostalgia washed over me. Her set reminded me of simpler times, when we would tune into Disney Channel, and await the premiere of a new Hannah Montana or Vanessa Hudgens music video. Every song was special, and made me want to dance, which I did. 

For Midnight Til Morning, I can honestly say this: the talent and charisma that the band had on Building The Band has manifested into something even greater. From start to finish, their shared dream of performing and inspiring others, as well as the friendship they had formed on the show, radiated throughout the audience. Aside from the songs that Midnight Til Morning has released, hearing the stories behind some of their unreleased music deeply moved me and made me want to sing along with them. After each song, I immediately thought, “When will these songs come out?”

In the middle of their show, the band performed a bittersweet cover of “Midnight,” as a tribute to the late former One Direction member, Liam Payne. As someone who is a Directioner themselves, I was completely touched by their tribute. 

Before his untimely passing, Payne served as a mentor to the contestants of Building The Band, including Midnight Til Morning. Upon their elimination, Payne had shared encouraging words with the boys.

“One Direction came third,” Payne had said. “People thought we won! We didn’t win, but we didn’t lose.”

Though Midnight Til Morning may not have won Building The Band, they definitely won a whole lot more –  the hearts of fans from around the world, including the ones in Charlotte. Mine included. And while saying their goodbyes to the city, the band shared one last message. 

“We want everyone to feel welcome, safe, and comfortable because we love you,” said Conor Smith. 

Midnight Til Morning’s World Tour continues through May across three continents, so you still have time to grab a ticket.

Fans at the Underground in Charlotte were “kicking their feet” in excitement as both Ruel and Arthur Hill took the stage to make their first impressions on the city. Everyone welcomed both performers with open arms (and awesome dance moves)! 

Ruel graced us with his entrance by literally opening the door and greeting his fans to set the tone for an unforgettable night. Throughout the night, I was mesmerized. From songs such as “Dazed and Confused” off of his first EP Ready to “Not What’s Going On” from his newest album Kicking My Feet, and a breathtaking cover of Justin Bieber’s “Stuck in the Moment,” I was beyond impressed by how far he has come as the artist we know today. 

The sold-out show started at 9:30, and you could feel the momentum building up as Jordan Ward stepped on stage. He opened with “Stranger,” then rolled right straight into “Noisy Neighbors” and “Ross Fit,” setting a late-night R&B vibe that carried through the rest of the set. The 1 hour and 15 minute set leaned heavily into his newest album, BACKWARD, running it nearly from front to back, allowing the fans to enjoy his newest project fully. As the night almost came to an end, “FAMJAM4000” came on, voices rose, and phones lifted, drawing one of the strongest responses of the night as the crowd sang along in unison.

The production remained minimal, mirroring his “apartment,” and transforming the stage into a lived-in, personal space. A television, mini treadmill, and two chairs were arranged across the stage. Accompanied by a live band, the production felt intentional. The combination of the apartment-inspired set and live instrumentation created a performance that felt both immersive and artistically cohesive.

Ghost summoned…and they came. The Ritual in Peoria Civic Center roiled with anticipation as the hour approached. Slowly, the elements came together. The ritual music started…lights began to dim…incense filled the air. Ghouls around the hall came to a stand still and turned to face the stage as it went black. The Swedish rock band played with the curtain still up just for a minute before it crashed down and revealed the Skeletour stage setting and ghoul band members dressed to fit the theme, all in support of the Skeletá album. The opening song “Peacefield” played on, followed quickly by “Lachryma,” mixing old with new.

In all, Papa covered most of their works, but focused on albums Meliora and Skeletá. The fans soaked it in, dressed to impress in the tour’s new visages and garb. They moved, reached out, grasping for the sound as it came to them. Playing on to a monster set (23 songs) including “Mary on a Cross,” “Dance Macabre” and “Call Me Little Sunshine.” No ghoul went away unsatiated.

The day was cold but that did not stop fans from going to All Time Low’s final U.S show of the Everyone’s Talking Tour. The latter half of the tour consisted of consisted of supporting acts Mayday Parade, Four Year Strong, and The Paradox. When All Time Low took the stage, the crowd sang along to all the songs. Some songs included in the set were “Weightless,” “Hate This Song,” and “Dear Maria, Count Me In.” Each of the bands had so much energy on stage as they give it their all while performing. All Time Low has a run of dates next year outside the U.S. with Mayday Parade, Four Year Strong, and The Paradox. If you have been deciding on getting tickets to see All Time Low, this is a must-see show.

Atlanta native Faye Webster teamed with the Magik*Magik Orchestra to bring an unforgettable performance to the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California. Oakland was the last stop of three on her “An Evening with Faye Webster” tour, performing with a new orchestra at each stop. Webster was accompanied by the LA Phil in Los Angeles and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Atlanta.

On arrival at the venue, fans were handed a white pamphlet giving credit to each of the orchestras assisting her at each stop, as well as the musicians who helped bring this performance to life. Webster performed on a platform with the rest of the orchestra behind her. The live orchestra provided an ethereal sound that sounded extremely authentic.

Webster began her set around 8 pm to a sold-out, 3000-seat venue, and opened with hits, including “Kind of” and “Right Side of My Neck”. After a couple of songs, the backdrop changed to a curtain with hanging lights that bears a resemblance to the stars. Her set was around an hour and thirty minutes long, finishing with her most popular songs “Kingston” and “I Know You”, gaining over 730 million streams on Spotify combined. Webster thanked the audience after finishing her performance and walked off the stage with a bouquet of roses in her hand.

This year, spooky season was best spent going to Modern Alibi’s show at Snug Harbor with Charlotte’s own Te’Jani. Along with playing their sold out show at the venue, the band surprised fans the night before when they opened for the All American Rejects at VBGB’s. 

The venue was filled with fans in awesome Halloween costumes, but the band’s dynamic energy was what caught my attention the most. If there is one thing that I’ve noticed about Modern Alibi, it’s that they always give it their all, including when they’re dressed as flesh-eating zombies. Whether it was Christian Sturt going all out on the drums, bassist Josh King and guitarist Carter Ritz jamming together, or lead singer Holden Scott getting up on top of the bar singing a cover of “Sympathy for The Devil,” it was a Halloweekend worth remembering. 

If you missed both opportunities to see Modern Alibi live, fear not. They will be performing along the east coast in December with Nashville-based rock band, The Band Light.