March 27, 2009 – Watching Justin Tranter on stage is like witnessing the miracle of birth (only it’s about 1000 x better since babies don’t burst onto the scene in diamonds, couture or four-inch spike heels). Ladies and gentlemen, glam boys and hard rock girls, I give you Justin Tranter, Cole Whittle, Dan Crean, and Stevy Pyne – Semi Precious Weapons.

Photographer’s Notes

Whether they’re playing the next stop on the fire marshal’s hazard list or beneath the gorgeous colors of the Blender Theater lighting rig, Semi Precious Weapons are a glam rock wet dream. As a photographer, they are one of the bands that keeps me up way past my bedtime and loving ever second behind the lens.

I first shot Semi Precious Weapons in 2007 after a friend dragged me to their set in a sweltering basement hole in the East Village. What ensued can only be described as a rum-fueled orgy of spin kicks, indecent exposure and some of the best rock’n'roll I’ve ever seen. (Little did I know that the Village Voice had just proclaimed them New York’s best rock band.) They lived up to the hype then and they’ve only gotten better in 2009.

I shot this set from the front row, just house right of center – a position that gave me decent lines of sight for all four of the band members. With my brother Todd dead center stage, I knew we’d have the entire thing locked down. If you don’t check out Todd’s stellar set of pix, there’s something horribly wrong with you.

End Notes:
Huge ups to Justin, Cole, Dan, and Stevy for being amazing and patient subjects. Equal props go out to Shaun for taking god care of us and coordinating everything.

Stayed tuned for the promo shots Todd and I did before the show. If you liked what we threw together for The Energy, you’ll love what we pulled out for SPW.

Lastly, I think you all should know that Justin Tranter shoots Nikon.

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1. The Sounds
2. Bell X1
3. The Birthday Massacre