After watching Dana Falconberry’s transcendent early afternoon set on the first day of Fun Fun Fun Fest, I found myself hanging around with her and her publicist, both of whom I consider friends, backstage. Dana wandered off for an interview and I talked with Nathan a while about Dana’s set and who else he’d be seeing later in the day (Dinosaur Jr.). We caught up on a little bit of Pacific Northwest news–he’s based in Portland, and I have an undying love for the region. “Do you think Dana would be down for a portrait,” I asked. “Yeah,” he said quickly, “For you? Yeah.” Nathan’s encouragement and confidence over the years has been truly incredible, and if anyone ever needs a publicist, there’s not a harder working guy in the industry. When Dana got back, Nathan said, “Hey Dana, Bryan wants to do a portrait.” “Hell, yeah!” she exclaimed. We wandered over under some trees near the shallow pond outside of the Palmer Events Center. I had Dana sit down on the stones with the water behind her, the city reflecting above her. Dana’s music emphasizes natural elements, stone and water, but somewhere in there, the ghost of human civilization hovers ephemerally over her consciousness, over ours.
Dana Falconberry; photo by Bryan C. Parker. Click to enlarge.
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For the first nite of Fun Fun Fun Fest, I headed to Cheer Up Charlie’s for Majical Cloudz. The band made one of my favorite albums of the year last year and have continued to grow rapidly in terms of notoriety and acclaim. It’s well deserved; both are genuine and kind people. The duo was hanging out near the back of the outdoor venue as the band before them finished up. I approached Matt and Devon and shook their hands. I told them I had been able to see them in Canada (their country of origin) at a show with a few other Canadian artists. In front of a receptive crowd, the show was amazing–full of raw energy. Devon excitedly nods, remembering the show. I’m sure they hear it all the time, but I have to tell them I’m a huge fan, that the record is great. I tell them that I’d been trying to get in touch with their publicist about shooting a portrait. A fellow photographer Daniel Cavazos joins the conversation and does me the favor of asking the question I’ve been building toward: “Can I snap a quick picture?” The two glance at each other hesitantly, but nod. Matt turns to me and says, “Here you go,” as Daniel directs them over to a spot with a little more light in the extremely low-lit space. They turn to me as I move to a different angle to get alternative shot. They position themselves in a natural formation that’s perfect. Devon, dark and intense but viscerally present, hides slightly behind Matt, who hides behind his messy hair. The result is subtle and brooding but with an undeniable glimmer of light and color. Majical.
Majical Cloudz; photo by Bryan C. Parker. Click to enlarge.
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Courtney Barnett’s laid-back, rambling rock tunes are deceptively intelligent. She wavers between lines about nothing and lines about everything. Since she had come all the way from Australia, I hoped to arrange a portrait with her. We had a chance to do a short Q&A with her in advance of the festival, and I was looking forward to her set more than most during the weekend. Although we weren’t able to firm up a portrait with her ahead of time, I ran into her and her tour manager Tony a few hours before her set began. The pair were hanging around impatiently for someone with a scheduled interview. I asked about a quick portrait and Tony said that would be fine, to hang around until after the other interview. A few minutes went by and Tony came over and asked if we could just do it now since the other party was running late. “Yeah, absolutely!” I said. I had Courtney stand against some nearby trees; early afternoon sunlight was pouring through the branches. We fell into an natural arrangement, her standing candidly as I snapped photos. As I worked, I told her the truest thing I know about her music–that she’s one of a few artists that both my significant other and I like. That’s a greater litmus test that one might think, I told her; it usually means that there’s something both profound and undeniably fun about that artist. “Is she here?” Courtney asked with genuine excitement. I can’t convey how sincere and interested the question felt. “She will be soon; she’s hoping to catch your set,” I told her, and smiled. I finished up quickly and told Courtney to have a great show. Sure enough, my fiancée arrived just as the set started and we watched it together, dancing and grinning. I loved it so much I accidentally forgot about Iceage and was late to their set. They were another band I was incredibly excited to see this year. I ended up missing a band I personally cared about in favor of one for which I share affection with a woman I’ll soon marry. A good reason, if you ask me.
Courtney Barnett; photo by Bryan C. Parker. Click to enlarge.
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I shot only three portraits at Fun Fun Fun Fest, and all were somewhat serendipitous. If I had hand picked and scheduled, these three artists would have been among my top choices. Sometimes you get what you need. Thanks so much to these artists for allowing me to take these photos; it was an honor.
