Sugar - In Concert - Esker Point 2012

I finally got around to processing a few more photos from this past summer. On July 19th I saw Sugar in concert at Esker Point Beach for the third year in a row. Once again the band did not disappoint!

My photo gallery from last year's concert is probably my personal favorite of all my work. And, while I don't know that this year's gallery is up to the same standards as last year I do like it a lot. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the 2012 Sugar concert. Enjoy!

Sugar Concert - Esker Point 2012
See the entire album!

You can also see the pics on Facebook here if you wish.
And while you're there you can "like" that page, too, but only if you do like it...

A great venue for a concert!

Marcy

Rickie

This drum stick has seen its last concert

Israel

Most (but not all) of the fans were thrilled by the loud, upbeat music.

Mike

Israel recognized me because of my photos from last year.

Don and Shelley drew a crowd of their own when they showed off their cha-cha skills during a brief intermission.

A Little More Sugar

A while back I posted a brief concert review along with a gallery of photos from the Sugar concert that I attended at Esker Point Beach. They are some of my favorite concert pictures and I even submitted a few of them in fair photography competitions this past fall with some success. Well, this week the band came across my blog post and photos online. I guess they liked what they saw because I am now featured on the brand new Sugar Band event website in their official photo gallery, and in the reviews section. There's even a link to my blog under vendors! I have to admit, it's a slick looking site and I am flattered to be included on it!

Who knows? I may even get a chance to photograph the band again sometime soon, this time by invitation!

Part of my concert review on the Sugar site... Looks pretty official, eh?

One of the many shots I posted before

The color version of the shot Israel picked for the background of my quote

Sugar - In Concert - Esker Point 2011

Sugar put on one of the capstone performances of the Summer SoundWaves Concert Series, and they really packed the beach with fans again this year. (You can visit the band Facebook page here.)

I saw Sugar perform last year and was really looking forward to seeing them again. Apparently I was not alone. The line to board the shuttle bus stretched down the sidewalk and around the corner of Fitch High School. I debated walking the two miles but wisely decided to wait it out. Once on board the standing-room-only short-bus the higher volume of traffic resulted in a much longer bus ride down to the beach than usual. It was well worth the wait, however, as Sugar put on another great show!

The crowd was treated to energetic dance hits, beautiful beach weather, a bit of Zumba, and an engaging and crowd-pleasing performance all around. The kids packing the stage with the band for the closing number 'Don't Stop Believing' seemed to be having the time of their lives. (Unfortunately, not everyone who wanted to dance with the band was able to make it up on stage...)

I can't wait until next year's show!

Sugar Concert - Esker Point 2011
See the entire album!

Breathtaking Evening on the Beach

My favorite crowd shot.

(This one won a ribbon at the Guilford Fair photography competition!)

Ian Kelly - Drums, Andy Chaney - Bass, and Klyph Johnson - Sax

Natalia Mortrude - Vocals

Scott Boland - Guitar, Marcy Kelly - Vocals, Israel Malek - Keyboards

Ian and Klyph - Cool in Shades

Klyph on Sax

Percussion!

If the sand pit was crowded for the first half of the concert, it was PACKED for the second half which started with a couple of intense Zumba numbers.

Slide! I took my life in my hands to get this shot from amidst a Zumba-crazed frenzy...

Zumba for the People!

Crowds of Adoring Fans

Israel - A Concert Done Well

Sign Me!

Never Enuff - In Concert

Never Enuff played in concert at Esker Point Beach on July 28, 2011 as part of the annual Summer SoundWaves Concert Series. It was a beautiful night and the concert drew a pretty lively crowd.

These guys really know how to rock! They played a mix of classic dance rock cover songs. Lead singer Mick Marra demonstrated a powerful voice that was equally at ease belting out AC/DC or any of the several more contemporary hits on the set list. The crowd got involved and the show had fans of all ages screaming and dancing with their hands in the air. By the end they had a stage full of kids (I think one of the guitar amps actually got shut off when a kid stepped on a switchboard) and there were people wearing Never Enuff bumper stickers in all sorts of creative places (not sure that was the intent, but folks were sure having fun...) One of their last songs was entirely dedicated to teaching the rising generation the careful art and discipline of head banging!

Once again, I took too many photos, deleted most of them, and still ended up with a huge gallery of pics. I processed them all in one evening in LightRoom and was pretty happy with the results. Here's a link to the full gallery along with my favorite shots from the evening. Do you have a favorite?