TheTravelin'Joe

I remember it being late January at the Boulder Theater and excitedly waiting to hit the photo pit for my first show since moving back to Colorado. Chevelle was on the bill that night and as I fiddled with my camera settings, I still didn’t know what direction I really wanted to take my work. I figured this would just be a nice fill in until I had that proverbial epiphany I’d been hoping for. Fast forward to a few weeks ago before covering the Foo Fighters in Casper and that epiphany happened.

What brought on that realization finally? Well, as I waited for Foo Fighters to hit the stage, I scrolled through Facebook and ended up rereading a good friend’s post from his own recent Foo Fighters show saying, “Music is powerful. It provides unique moments where one can combine into the echoing roar of the many. For this, I will never tire of the sound from their amplifiers. I will instead just eagerly look forward to becoming part of the echo again.” I read that a few times, particularly the words “…part of the echo,” and sure enough, that message hit me like a ton of bricks. After numerous shows including Green Day, Tom Petty, Metallica, Black Pistol Fire, Voodoo Fest and High Elevation, that question of where I wanted to take my work throughout this year had been right in my fucking face the whole time. From that show in Boulder to this moment as the house lights go dark and Dave Grohl explodes on stage, I’ve taken my work in the direction I’d always wanted and hadn’t really paid attention. It just sort of happened. Sure it’s cool to say I’m a ‘concert photographer’ and see my images online but there’s always been more to it. And as I began snapping away, I realized I live for being part of the echo, that noise that reverberates from the stage, through the crowd, and back to the stage where I stand right in the middle of it with camera in hand, capturing and enjoying the experience right along with everyone else. It’s one hell of an experience.

So here’s a quick look back on what has been an exciting year in the life of The Travelin’ Joe down in the photo pits and being part of the echo.

Cheers!

Feel free to visit JoeFotos for more images from 2017.