The Last Concert

We went out in style for the last concert at The Photography Room...it was an amazing show. We had a good turnout of people on a very snowy night in Grand Rapids.

We took this photo in a quiet moment after everyone had left. From left to right is amazing singer Jonathan Kingham, me and my now infamous scarf, my lovely wife Kathleen and the great Glen Phillips.

Time now to turn to a new and exciting chapter. We are most grateful to Glen for coming back to Grand Rapids and playing the gallery one last time!

Glen Phillips Returns...soon!

Glen Phillips (formerly of Toad the Wet Sprocket) is coming back to play The Photography Room on Thursday, December 4. His last show in April was sold out and a big success...

This night will be extremely special (for a lot of reasons) and you won't want to miss it!

You can purchase tickets via this secure online link...it's very simple:

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/43560

See you at the show!

Willy Porter Concert - November 9

Wow...I've wanted Willy Porter to play at The Photography Room for about a year now and it's finally going to happen!

Willy Porter

Here's the link to order tickets (only $20!) from Brown Paper Tickets:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/45164

Our capacity is only 120...so there isn't a bad seat in the house. Willy has a tremendous and loyal following and this is sure to be a very special evening!

Here's a video of Willy playing "Available Light".

And here is "Flying":

Glen Phillips Concert - December 4

My wife Kathleen and I are pleased to announce that Glen Phillips is returning to Grand Rapids to perform at The Photography Room on Thursday, December 4.

Glen's show with us in April was sold out...here's a video. I still keep bumping into people telling me how amazing his performance was (you truly had to be there).

Here's the link to order tickets. We are using a new (and better) online ticket broker and you'll will be receiving physical tickets in the mail:

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/43560

See you at the show...you won't want to miss it!

Lux Land Concert was great

Lux Land performed at The Photography Room to a wonderful audience last Saturday.  It was a truly great show...quiet, moody, soulful and rich.  Lux was joined by slide guitarist extraordinaire Dan Matheny (of The Verve Pipe and Brian Vander Ark) and his contributions were fantastic.

We're currently in the process of booking some incredible national acts for the fall.  I can't wait to make some announcements in the next few weeks.

Ryan Montbleau Band perform "This"

Ryan Montbleau Band stopped by The Photography Room on Thursday...incredible show.  If you missed it, let's just say you missed an amazing band.  Here's a clip of Ryan performing "This":

Ryan Montbleau Band - "This"

Glen Phillips at The Photography Room - Video 2

Glen Phillips at The Photography Room - I Still Love You


I only made one song request when Glen Phillips performed at the gallery...he was gracious enough to accomodate me even though he said he hadn't played it in a very long time.

The video's a little shakey at the start (people passing by) but from the sound of the song, it's seems to me like Glen pulled it off without a hitch!

The song is called "I Still Love You" and is off of his "Mr. Lemons" album released a couple years ago...it's a great record.

Glen Phillips Show - Incredible!

Man...it's very late (or early) and I'm still buzzing from a truly stunning show at The Photography Room with Glen Phillips and his amazing opener Jonathan Kingham.

The show was sold out and people were very happy to see Glen in Grand Rapids playing in such a small room. After the show I was approached by so many people telling me how much they loved our listening room. One person said, "These concerts at The Photography Room are the equivalent of watching your favorite artist play in your home...only with with a few extra friends you don't really know yet!"

Well said...that's the idea entirely. And with that I'm off to bed!

PS - I'll post some video of Glen performing tomorrow at www.myspace.com/thephotographyroom

Next week - all music at The Photography Room

Well, next week is huge for The Photography Room as a (very) small concert venue.  We prefer to call it a "listening room"...a place for great performers to play in an intimate and unique environment.

We start off with a huge bang on Tuesday, April 8.  I can't believe this guy is dropping into downtown Grand Rapids to play our gallery.  I'm talking about Glen Phillips, a very established performer with three critically acclaimed solo albums to his credit. 

Glen is formerly the lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket.  Unless you were living under a rock or on an extended Peace Corp assignment in the 90's, you know (and probably loved) Toad. If you don't have tickets already, better hurry and order tickets on this link.  There's only about a dozen left!

Then on Thursday, April 10, I'm very pleased to welcome a great band out of my brother's neck of the woods (Cambridge, MA)...The Ryan Montbleau Band. Unfamiliar with them you say??  Just check out their music here.  

They are a band that is emerging very, very quickly due in part to their tireless road schedule. They are going to be appearing in studio on WYCE (88.1) with host Pete Bruinsma on Thursday, April 10 at 4:20 PM to promote the show at The Photography Room.  Thanks, Pete!

Even if you are unfamiliar with their music I'd encourage you to come see a band that could break out big...and soon!  Tickets are only $12 via this link (yep, you read that right...only $12!)

So off with a bang we go...hope you can be there to join us.

Lux Land Concert - Saturday, May 17

I'm very pleased to announce that Lux Land will be returning to The Photography Room for her third performance in our gallery. Her last show with us was about a year ago and that, quite frankly, is way too long to wait to see Lux. Her last concert was a smash success.

Tickets for the show on Saturday, May 17 are just $12 and available via this link. Better order soon, Lux has a wonderful fan base that grows exponentially with every gig she plays. Only 120 seats available!

For the record, I did not take the photograph above (I'm still working on forgiving her). But I do love the image...just beautiful. I can't help but wonder what she's writing about (perhaps a journal entry on how happy she was with how the shoot was going?)

But I digress...see you all on May 17!!

Karma Generator - Concert Wrap-up

Well, it's been a very interesting 5 month journey we've had with Brian Vander Ark and making the film Karma Generator. That journey concluded last night with a sold-out screening of the film and a blistering performance by BVA in front of a warm and appreciative audience of 400+ at Aquinas College's Performing Arts Theater. What a great venue!

Last November, my brother Brad and I loaded in some gear and headed down to North Carolina where BVA was recording in the home studio of producer Bill Szymczyk. Brad and I both didn't have much time...busy work commitments back home wouldn't allow us to stay very long. Our plans were humble, simply to grab enough footage to produce a 2-3 minute video to help promote BVA's album when it came out.

But we managed to get some great interview content...and my brother is the king of killer b-roll. So last night we screened our (now considerbly more ambitious) 25 minute Karma Generator on an amazing 16' x 9' wide screen...that's FEET people!

Somebody pinch me...

My email has been burning up today with well-wishes, wonderful comments about the film as well as the concert that Brian and his band put on. It's hard to describe what a passionate and polished performer Brian Vander Ark is...if you've seen him live you'll know exactly what I mean.

Oh...Brad and I also shot the whole concert performance for a future DVD release...

A new journey begins...

new MySpace page - The Photography Room

To help the gallery book additional concerts as well as private parties, I've created a new MySpace page for The Photography Room. So if you are a MySpace member, please add us as a friend and feel free to leave a comment.

If you're not a MySpace member you can still check out the page and add it to your favorites. I hope the new page will keep people updated as to what shows we're booking there as well as posting photos and videos of performers in the space. Here's the link:

www.myspace.com/thephotographyroom

Glen Phillips at The Photography Room

Wow...big news and still a bit of a secret. I'll let it leak here and see if any cool viral web stuff happens (if anything).

I got word today from his agent that singer/songwriter Glen Phillips is going to play a concert at The Photography Room in April. I'll announce the actual date and how to order tickets as soon as I can...but for now I just couldn't keep my mouth shut!

Glen is widely known as the lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket and has several amazing solo records to his credit. It's going to be a fantastic show...only 140 people will have the opportunity to see Glen play a great acoustic show. Tickets should be gone in a heartbeat!

Glen Phillips is certainly a perfect fit in regard to the type of concerts we want to put on at the gallery. We want small crowds and a very intimate setting for the artists to play in. It's also an opportunity for Grand Rapids to see some of the most talented performers in the country!

My thanks to Brian Vander Ark for recognizing what a great music venue the gallery is and encouraging Kathleen and I to continue to book shows at The Photography Room.

It's going to be an interesting year...there should be more great shows coming to the gallery!

PS - I didn't take this photo of Glen (it's from Glen's myspace page)

Brian Vander Ark plays The Photography Room

If you were at our gallery (The Photography Room) this past Saturday, I don't need to tell you what an inspiring performance Brian Vander Ark put on for all of us. I've been getting email and calls all day from people saying it was one of the best shows they've ever seen!

A curious side note; this show quickly sold out by mid-November! The gallery is arguably the BEST venue in Grand Rapids to listen to music in an intimate setting. Capacity is only 140 people. I spent a good amount of time last week deflecting calls asking for tickets (people were begging and there was nothing I could do!).

Enjoy the hand-held video below...it doesn't really do BVA justice. Let's hope he plays the gallery again soon...if so get your tickets FAST!