HEATHER HARRIS PHOTO EXHIBIT AT POP OBSCURE GALLERY with THE BLESSINGS live, opening night reception 5.6.17

↑ Guest photographer © 2017 Kurt Ingham.

Pop Obscure Records & Gallery (LINK) of downtown Los Angeles threw a well-attended reception for their exhibition of my 50 years of music photography on May 6, 2017. Above, Sherry Lee, co-owner (with Dustin Lane) of Pop Obscure Records & Gallery, Jeremy White of The Blessings who performed, and yours truly. The exhibition runs through June 18th.

Downstairs gallery↓

              ↑ Upstairs gallery with Mr. Twister in front of photos of himself,                           and Jonathan Lea, guitarist of amazing band the Jigsaw Seen. ↓

 
Downstairs record store with celebrated guitarist Whitey Kirst posing with Inger Lorre of The Nymphs, whose original lineup included Whitey's brother Alex. (Whitey and Alex then backed Iggy Pop as The Trolls until a hit and run driver killed Alex.)

On a far cheerier note, Inger said she had been influenced by Mr. Twister and his nasty lyrics in his band Chainsaw's first single, "Polaroid Pictures," and happily posed with him (with half of Dennis Davison of Jigsaw Seen in the background.)

↑ Jeremy White, Inger Lorre and Whitey Kirst

↑ Michelle Melody Fair, all of Dennis Davison of the Jigsaw Seen, Inger Lorre, Mr. Twister

Lead singer of Little Caesar Ron Young and wife Renee, Mr. Twister ↓

 ↑ Above, phenomenal singer/songwriter Ruby Friedman with Mr. Twister.

Guest photographer © Donna Balancia.

One of my favorite shots of the evening, Mr. Twister and me as on the job  photojournalists. Guest photographer © Donna Balancia ↓

The Blessings (see LINK,) my band of choice, performed a characteristic great set in the latter half of the reception.

↓ The Peanut Gallery; i.e. the mezzanine, with enraptured audience. 

 In fact, a very full Pop Obscure Records event, both upstairs and down.

                                          ↓  Guest photographer © Carolyn Carradine

                Guest photographer © Leslie Knauer ↓

 

Guest photographer© Kurt Ingham ↓                                                            

The Blessings are Jeremy White, vocals, guitar, harmonica; Mike Gavigan, guitar; Lavonne Seetal, vocals, Jason Upright, drums; Jeffrey Howell, keyboards; Lights Out Levine, bass.

↑ Colleague Ellen Berman, self, Loren Molinare of The Dogs and Little Caesar. 

Guest photographer © Kurt Ingham

Below left, photographers Harrold Sherrick, Michael Eivaz, Shelley Mitchell and Ellen Berman. Right, Ruby Friedman's French Bulldog- "Get the lens, Clovis, get the lens!"

Whitey Kirst emerges from the shadows...

↓ Below left, Casey Niccoli with my shot of her with Perry Farrell and their dog Annie at a recording session for 1990 Hollyword spoken word compilation produced by Harvey Kubernik. Guest photographer © Ricky Biscuits;  Right, Paula Tiberius, Julie Scher Molinare,

 Guest photographer © Donna Balancia

Alex Stiletto of Modern Kicks and Leslie Knauer of Precious Metal.

 Guest photographer © Donna Balancia

Self with Marijke Koger-Dunham, (fine artist, designer, The Fool) 

Guest photographer © Donna Balancia

Guest photographer © Alyson Camus

Chris Carradine (architect, Disney Imagineer,) Marijke Koger-Dunham, Mr. Twister, self

Guest photographer © Donna Balancia

Chris Carradine found an album by his brother! Shhhh...don't spoil the future gift surprise!

↓ Left, I do not stand on top of subjects as a matter or course: it's a skillful composite.

Guest photographer © Vicki Whicker ;  

Right, self, Katrina Melendez, Leslie Morrison. Guest photographer © Ellen Berman ↓

                

 Ian O'Connor and Sherry O'Connor, 

Special Effects folks extraordinaire for films and television

 

↑ Ian, Sherry and an always dashing Mr. Twister

Guest photographer © Alyson Camus

↑ Sherry, Ian, self, Katrina Melendez, Crickette Oswald. Guest photographer © Alyson Camus

Lady and Lord Hailer, April Carson and Robert Mills of The Hailers.

Guest photographer © Donna Balancia.

↑ Emily Butler and Jeremy White

↓ Mr. Twister, self, Loren Molinaire

Guest photographer © Michael Eivaz

Photo ops of Whitey Kirst and Inger Lorre, Donna Balancia and Chris Carradine in background.

Guest photographer © Alyson Camus

  ↑ Holga Camera and her retinue; below, bits of exhibit ↓

 

Sherry Lee and Dustin Lane, co-owners of Pop Obscure Records & Gallery

Thank you for a swell reception, Pop Obscure Records & Gallery and everyone!

↑ One of my other fave pics of the evenings. Guest photographer © Leslie Morrison

 May 6th Prequel: Theatre date with Chris and Carolyn Carradine for Much Ado About Nothing performed by The Hobart Shakespeareans then dinner at Cole's, a vintage 1908 restaurant in downtown L.A. Vintage anything remains quite the rarity in L.A.  Selfies ensued.  Under the evening apparel I am sporting my naughty Klimt leggings with "the Hostile Powers" from his Beethoven Frieze.

Return to Forever Post Script: rock couturier Evita Corby, author Terry Moreland Henderson, musician/longtime friend Tripp Smythe and my mother were unable to attend the reception, so I gave them all a personal guided tour through the exhibit within the week afterwords.  Below, Evita stands nonchalantly next to my portrait of her with Rodney Bingenheimer taken at a 2011 art exhibit in the exact same building of the 1970s Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco, a favorite haunt of both subjects. (Seeing this shot, Mr. Twister remarked that Evita has mastered nonchalant...)

 

 ↑ My mother and Tripp share the same familial name of "Smythe"

guest photographer Terry Moreland Henderson ↓

Additional coverage of the opening night reception event via more objective P.O.V.s: 

California Rocker coverage: LINK*      

Rock NYC coverage: LINK*

Link to Pop Obscure Records & Gallery website: http://www.popobscurerecords.com/
Link to THE BLESSINGS:  http://fastfilm1.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Blessings

 *http://californiarocker.com/2017/05/08/blessings-heather-harris-balancia/

 **http://rocknycliveandrecorded.com/fast-film-50-years-of-music-photography-by-heather-harris-at-pop-obscure-records-saturday-may-6th-2017html.

FOR MEMORIAL DAY, 1916...

For Memorial Day, a sincere ballad by Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister, collector of military memoribilia who didn't forget the broken hearts and lives behind it all...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqFoqtpUFY8

ARWEN LEWIS and PETER LEWIS at CAFE NELA 5.7.17

 

Arwen Lewis and her father Peter Lewis (of Moby Grape) keep presenting a stronger and stronger presence performing with their new band. No fancy light show this time, but May 7th's Cafe NELA appearance found a far more refined repertoire of respective Lewis originals and classic Grape fare. It looks like their side trip to this year's South by Southwest for assorted gigs paid off!

ASSORTED DOG PLAYDATES, SPRING 2017

Assorted playdate configurations of Gia, Eroica and Fain the Scottish Deerhounds, Diego, Quinn, Dixie and Breeze the Borzois, and Sarabelle the Golden Retriever... Humans are my better half Mr. Twister, Sherry, Ian, Paul, Mary, Katrina and self...while it's still sufficiently cool in the Spring for daytime/afternoon playdates...

 

 
Below, tiring of ball toys, puppy Fain shows Quinn just where to dig, much to Mr. Twister's consternation and concern for his garden!

...so Sherry offers lessons in manners via cheese for good dogs...

 

Dogs: "Cheese, please!" Sherry: "Sit! Now...lie down!"

 'looks easy, so Katrina and Mary give it a go...

Gia may have posed for the glamour portrait, but Quinn only has eyes for Dixie, cooing "Come wiz me to ze Casbah..."

 

...to the extent that Ian had to physically separate these teen lovers by pulling Quinn out from trying to climb in the car window to get to Ms. Dixie...

Finally done running...

DR. BOOGIE and THE BLESSINGS, LIVE dream double bill at El Cid 4.8.17

Here we had a dream double bill at El Cid club April 8th, 2017 with two of the best acts currently playing Los Angeles and points beyond --DR. BOOGIE and THE BLESSINGS-- then what happens? Well, as the lead singer of The Blessings said of his mic stand twirling in the second photo above, "I was aiming for the so-called soundman's head."

Yes, both bands predictably spun their respective hard rock magic as always to the infinite delight of appreciative crowds packing the club despite what purportedly seemed like sabotage by the club's new management. Let's put it this way, Dr. Boogie, nor the Blessings, two bands who have gigged there many times in the last two years, nor I as a photo pro whose prior experiences at the club yielded many great looking shots, one even gracing Dr. Boogie's debut album, will be recommending this venue as a well lit, great sounding one any more. 

Jeremy White, lead vocals, harmonica + guitar did his finest, even without benefit of a live microphone on for the first two songs. (I goosed the lighting to make up for lack thereof in these two variants.)

      

 Inevitably, tensions

percolated. Singer Lavone

Barnett-Seetal said of the photo at left with guitarist Mike Gavigan, "I look like Aunt Esther

from Sanford & Son! Hah! 'You ol' heathen!' "

Bassist Lights Out Levine off camera, but

below we find drummer Jason Upright and keyboard player Jeffrey Howell rounding out the full, Exile on Main Street-y sound of The Blessings who compare in cool songwriting as well.

 

Dr. Boogie benefitted from staff's tinkering with ironing out the sound of the prior acts, and delivered their usual solid set of originals led by Chris's raspy authority in their pre-East Coast tour warmup.

 

Pictured: Chris P. lead vocals, guitar; Dustin James, guitar, vocals; Pat Salway, bass, vocals, Luis Herrera, drums, vocals.

"Oi Vey!"

PHOTO OPS:

 Who's that hiding behind the cloud of smoke (and a mighty "Hi yo, Silver!?") Answer: singer/guitarist/producer Richard Duguay, seen with Mike Spent, rock and roll couturier Evita Corby and Lisa Lee.

Also on hand to see this great bill, Loren Molinare of The Dogs and Little Caesar (behind a cloud of spectacles glare,) Shelley Mitchell and California Rocker Editor Donna Balancia.