Pilar Violet Pennell is an artist and film photographer creating in moments of intimate space and color. Much of her recent work from her photo journal, By Midnight, captures those moments from a raw and dark space. ​
​   She uses self portraiture as a method of exploring and healing wounds, and deconstructing learned preconceptions of the body and mind. She works primarily in 35mm, and has just relocated from NYC to Portland, Oregon.

Instagram: @glitterrtrash 
pilarvioletpennell.com

​   A little about Scott Free: A fan of punk rock rock and DIY music. I also like shooting drag queens, kings, and other artists. I only like shooting mostly small DIY and punk venues in LA and surrounding So Cal. I go out a lot, 4 nights a week. I am always looking for new bands to see, new places to hang out and to meet artists. I also work as a wardrobe stylist in the music business - styling bands and working on music videos. 

Instagram: @ogscottfree

​   Kalynn Barnum is a live music photographer from South Louisiana now living in Los Angeles. She loves sharing and promoting the artistic works her friends are doing through her chosen medium of photography.

IG & Twitter: @ohheyitskalynn

Matthew Hoang is a Bay Area based photographer. Matthew enjoys shooting live music by local and established acts.
IG: @matts.hues
matthewhoang.com

At Slims on April 27th, 2019

    Like so many acts before them in their position, when it came time for the daunting task of beginning to write their third album, Brisbane, Australia quartet Last Dinosaurs were at a crossroads.
The huge success of their previous two efforts, 2012’s In A Million Years (Top 10 Australian ARIA Chart), and 2015’s Wellness had established them as stalwarts of the international indie rock scene and “arguably Australia’s greatest indie-pop export” – The Music. Selling out shows across Australia as well as huge headlining tours and festival plays across the UK and Europe, Southeast Asia and South Africa, Last Dinosaurs also supported international acts such as Foals, Two Door Cinema Club, Bloc Party and Foster the People and made appearances at festivals, including Splendour In The Grass, Laneway, Falls Festival and Field Day to name a few...
But where to go to next? The answer: start from scratch.
So they packed what was essentially a mini studio (one mic, one interface, speakers, a computer and a few instruments) and travelled to the isolated town of Arita, Japan. The band’s principal songwriters, Sean and Lachlan Caskey, are of Japanese heritage, so in some ways this was a pilgrimage to find their roots, and yet once there, it dawned on them quickly that the place itself was completely foreign.
Their resulting mind-set from that isolation and their humble, DIY recording set up lead the band to strip back their production to the bare-essentials, and let the natural beauty of their song writing rise to the surface.
Soon, inspiration began to flood in from everywhere. Sean delved into his personal life and began exploring the emotions and life moments he and the band had experienced in the whirlwind few years since they broke onto the scene with their debut record more than half a decade earlier.
Meanwhile, Lachlan Caskey, who had previously focused solely on his incredible guitar playing, began to find his own song writing voice, and would eventually pen half the album’s tracks.
This Caskey/Caskey combination became that elusive third album titled Yumeno Garden, released in fall 2018, an exercise in the duo rediscovering their roots, as well as pushing themselves into whole new realms.
The first single, “Dominos” opened the door for the return of big guitar riffs, a major element of their early sound that was largely missing on Wellness. The song’s lyrics were penned after a difficult year for Sean that felt full of anxiety and misadventures, the words a reflection on the concerning lack of control he felt over that time, which he compared to the paralysing effects of vertigo.
Second single, “Eleven”, has already been earmarked as a future classic of the band, thanks to the irresistibility of the swirling guitars, boom-boom-bap drumming, and Sean’s dynamic vocal performance recalling Discovery-era Daft Punk one moment, before diving to his lower register and delivering a vintage Julian Casablancas (The Strokes). It’s subtly emotional, slightly jagged, and slathered in a beautifully distorted sheen.
Both “Dominos” and “Eleven” gained high rotation playlisting on world renowned radio station Triple J and lead to a sold out national single tour in Australia.
December 2018 found the release of the third single, “Bass God”. Sean explains, “The song is lyrically about looking within for direction and guidance instead of to a higher power, but it originated by a strange day dream I had about the bass god, a tall, long haired, colourful faced-painted bass rock god playing all the epic bass lines that united everyone in a euphoric trance.”
Last Dinosaurs finished off a huge 2018 playing Shakafest, Beach Life Festival and New Years’ Eve On The Hill. 2019 is set to be even bigger - kick started with a show at the Australian Open in January, then onto their sold out Yumeno Garden album tour in March, which has sold into multiple rooms due to huge demand. From there the world is their oyster, with Last Dinosaurs set to make their U.S. debut on an already sold out fun of dates, including two nights in San Francisco, three nights in Los Angeles, four nights in New York City and three nights in Chicago - an incredible feat, for the first time in a new market.

YUMENO GARDEN
“A raw, minimalistic sound.” – Beat
“Last Dinosaurs are establishing a direct line to their audience... they’re having much more
fun as a band now, unified in their vision for this record and for the future.” – Pedestrian “The Brisbane indie-pop group dive straight into the six-string haven for 'Eleven', and mine a
particularly rich indie rock vein.” – triple j ““Arguably Australia's greatest indie-pop export.” – The Music “The band are one of the best in the biz.” – Pilerats

For additional information on Last Dinosaurs, please contact The Syndicate:
PR – Brendan Bourke – brendan@thesyn.com • Brittany O’Connell – Brittany.oconnell@thesyn.com
Radio – Jerry Rubino – rubino@thesyn.com 
​
​IG: @lastdinosaurs
Twitter: @lastdinosaurs
facebook.com/lastdinosaurs
lastdinosaurs.com

.... Some more from us about Daise...
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​
Matthew Hoang is a Bay Area based photographer. Matthew enjoys shooting live music by local and established acts.
IG: @matts.hues
matthewhoang.com

   "Standing side stage, I hear the words “I’m Hannah” ring out harmoniously alongside the cheers of hundreds of fans. I could feel my heartbeat in my veins; I left the show unfurling before me and for a moment existed instead within a memory where I’d heard this same song at a show SWMRS played over a year and a half earlier. It was one of those strange moments we all experience at some point or another where we’re reminded of where we’ve been and how far we’ve come. I was standing in the midst of my heroes, camera strapped to my chest, and I couldn’t stop thinking about who I was when I had first seen this song live. SWMRS sound tracked a monumental time in my life, a time I spent discovering who I was and what mattered to me. This simple song stirred within me a nostalgia about how significantly I’d grown in adjacency to this band who’ve played a large role in the person I’ve become. From fostering a hopeful anger to the injustice occurring around me, to giving me a voice and shoulder to cry on in the face of unexpected heartbreak, SWMRS has provided a cathartic release to each emotion I’ve suffered through and triumphed over in my adolescent life. I was confronted with a beacon of hope standing before these young men as they performed song after song, reminding me of the power of human emotion and the potential for change through commitment and intentionality. As I was shown two years ago when I saw them perform for the first time, and as I was reminded last night, SWMRS is not just a band. They’re a part of a larger movement dedicated to encouraging political consciousness and self-awareness within today’s youth; they’re committed to invigorating an indescribable and lasting feeling within their audiences that induces respect for every other human being standing beside you in a theatre bleeding the red blood of equality and transcendent love. Their set ended, and I could feel inside that something had changed. I believe we all exited that theatre in a different state than how we’d entered it, it was different from all other shows I’d shot before and quite possibly all other shows I will shoot after." - Sarah

​

   Samantha Simmons is a photographer from San Diego, California exploring and documenting life as she sees it. Whether it’s the underground music scene or constructing a reality rooted in nostalgia through film, she wants to encourage people to feel all they’re capable through the art they consume.

​IG: @beachsidecemetery

​   "Knocked Loose is an American hardcore punk band from Oldham County, Kentucky, formed in 2013 and currently signed to Pure Noise Records. The band released its first studio album, Laugh Tracks, on September 16, 2016 through Pure Noise Records."
     Knocked Loose hit the stage at Glass House Pomona on Saturday April 27th, 2019. Following the release of their music video for Mistakes Like Fractures in early April; Their brand new 7", Mistakes Like Fractures, was released on April 25th through Pure Noise Records.

​                    Listen to Knocked Loose's new 7"
​                           Mistakes Like Fractures
                         out on Pure Noise Records...
​

​   Graydon Driver is an LA based concert photographer. When he isn’t shooting shows, Graydon works full time as a designer on the Call of Duty team at Activision/Blizzard.

IG: @itakeaveragephotos
info@graydondriver.com
​www.graydondriver.com

   "Treefort Music Fest is a five-day event that encapsulates the best of independent art, respectable rhetoric, and industry pioneering ideas, as well as crafts, culinary, clothing, and beverage options that stir creativity. Yet through this idea of cultural immersion, built upon a foundation of music, this festival sets itself apart from the rest in humanity. From fans to the artists themselves Treefort Music Fest is an all-inclusive coming together of virtually every possible walk of life you can imagine." - nanobotrock.com

IG + Twitter: @treefortfest

   Iceage, the Copenhagen based band, came out to Los Angeles after playing Coachella. Elias Bender Rønnenfelt, the lead singer, came lunging forward, luring in the crowd like a growling dog at the edge of it’s leash. Jakob Tvilling Pless, Dan Kjær Nielsen, Johan Surrballe Wieth stood on the stage in a neutral state. I wondered what they were thinking or if it was some kind of meditation for them. - Emma

​Emma Fernandez is a photographer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Aside from working on photo and video work, she can be found in the lost and found at most venues.

IG: @fooodstain
www.emmaisabellafernandez.com

​   TK Taylor is a multimedia artist and photographer in Portland OR. They are drawn to intense performers and intimate venues where the artists truly connect with their listeners. Influenced by bold colors, raw emotion and candid personalities, they strive to capture the humanity of the moment. TK may be a rookie in the concert photography world, but they aren’t wasting any time waiting for opportunities to come along - they take the shots. 

Instagram: @tk.c41

   SASAMI headlined a show at The Echo on April 3rd, 2019. The show was opened by Gold Cage with sounds that carried the audience into something you would want to fade into. Following their set, there were multiple solo performances composed of covers. Sasami Ashworth of SASAMI graciously gave bouquets of flowers to each one of her friends who performed which gave a sense of community and intimacy at the show.
   R-E-D. SASAMI’s performance was infused with the bright energy of their monochromatic outfits they wore on stage. Their debut album, SASAMI, feels like a sense of release. The sense of fantasy and humor in her music videos easily translate to their live performances with Sasami’s banter. The biggest name at the show had to be Sasami’s dad who came out to support them (as pictured with Sasami after the show). - Emma

​
   Emma Fernandez is a photographer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Aside from working on photo and video work, she can be found in the lost and found at most venues.

IG: @fooodstain
www.emmaisabellafernandez.com

​   “In the photo pit I heard a voice behind me scream, “I WOULD KILL TO BE WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW.” Followed by the same girl begging security to finish off a half drank water bottle previously belonging to the bass player. There was joy and excitement, followed by weeping and lots of rage. These raw emotions were displayed by both the audience and the band, which to me embodies the essence of The Frights. With hard hitting guitar lines and authentic stories that anyone can identify with, The Frights, create one of the most dedicated fan bases I have ever experienced, and rightfully so. It wasn’t long before even I began to understand where exactly they were all coming from. I felt something you can’t get from smoke machines, lasers, or excessive production. So I did the only thing I could. I joined the shit fest and began to rage.” -Trinity Shebultz 

   "The Frights' new album Live At The Observatory is available now. This live album is a document of their sold-out kick off show of their Hypochondriac headline tour at The Observatory in Santa Ana on September 8, 2018. Live At The Observatory features 14 songs spanning the band’s complete catalog. After opening with the anthemic frenzy of “Kids” (a cut from their 2016 sophomore effort You Are Going To Hate This), the band delivers full-tilt fan favorites like “Cold” and “Crust Bucket,” then turns tender on acoustic-guitar-driven tracks like “Hold Me Down” and the painfully vulnerable “Alone,” both from their 2018 Epitaph Records debut, Hypochondriac. Throughout the entire set, the love and solidarity from the crowd is palpable, their shared confession giving way to something way more fun and more powerful than ordinary catharsis.
   Every live show from The Frights is both high-energy and hyper-emotional, a free-for-all fueled by crowds of thousands screaming along to intensely honest lyrics about anxiety and angst, breakups and bad crushes, mental health and medication. Since 2015, the San Diego surf-punk band has set that surreal phenomenon in motion at over 300 shows across the U.S. and Europe, as well as at festivals like Lollapalooza, Shaky Knees, Ohana, Riot Fest and this year’s Coachella. On their new album Live At The Observatory, The Frights capture all the dizzy chaos of their live set, an experience that’s equal parts a wildly unsupervised kid’s birthday party and an off-the-rails group-therapy session." - epitaph.com

Samantha Simmons is a photographer from San Diego, California exploring and documenting life as she sees it. Whether it’s the underground music scene or constructing a reality rooted in nostalgia through film, she wants to encourage people to feel all they’re capable through the art they consume.
IG: @beachsidecemetery

​The Frights, Live At The Observatory, available now...

  "Euphoria is a song about feeling alone, but realizing that so many other people are alone, so in a way, we're all alone together. It's a symbol of finding the beauty in the simple things about life, whether happy or dark, there will always be someone going through it somewhere else in the world. The song represents freedom and fear, love and loss, and finding happiness within yourself. 
   This remix is a different approach on the original Euphoria off of The Dream and The Deception in that it is much more club-like and uptempo, highlighting the euphoric happiness underneath the story of the song. 
   The visual for this song started off as a teaser for my birthday party, or should I say unbirthday party, Down The Rabbit Hole April 12th. I bought the Alice dress for the party and filmed some footage at a park in Irvine with m.haight to hype up the event. After we got back that night and were watching the footage back on his TV, I was amazed by the slow motion shots and knew it needed to be used for something more than a party teaser. Since the remix is also dropping April 12, I thought it would be a perfect idea to combine the two together in order to make a nice visual for it. My other option was to use a Tumblr gif, so this worked out much better! Also, if you love the original version, don't worry because the band plans to do a video for that one as well in the future!
   Performing this remix live is always a blast and I love dancing with everyone in the crowd. It's always a fun song to groove to, and it's more of a challenging song to sing so I love to get to hit those notes, baby!"
​

​IG: @m.haight
IG: @theaqaudolls

​   JPEGMafia delivered an intensely energetic performance with aggressive and loud songs like Puff Daddy, Thug Tears, and 1539 N. Calvert. He even jumped in the photo pit for certain songs, getting in fans' faces, encouraging the mosh pit.
   Vince Staples gave a more laid back but just as engaging performance with fun songs off his latest album like Don't Get Chipped and Run the Bands. He also performed songs from Summertime '06 for older fans.
Vince came with a smooth performance and interesting stage design that made fans go crazy.
​

   "The air was dense with anticipation; I could feel it in the crowd, I could feel it coming from myself. The band slowly began filing onto the stage, picking up their guitars and drumsticks, frontman Jonny Pierce, still absent from stage as the cheers grow louder and louder. His entrance was met with a palpable energy unmatched by any other show Chain Reaction has experienced before. The crowd responded with an undying love and affection, holding up their Drums tattoos in everlasting appreciation of the music. Each member of the band responded with a gratefulness that emanated from the speakers lining the stage and played like it was the only show they would ever have. Looking through the lens of my camera I felt changed, I became a part of them and what they had created." - Samantha S.

   "Brutalism is truly pop at its core, with thoroughly modern production and Pierce’s newfound tenderness. Back in The Drums' previous iterations, the pressure was on Pierce to maintain the innocent and nostalgic sound of this surf-pop indie band and it didn't allow him to explore sex, drug use, darker emotions or how he felt currently. “Abysmal Thoughts” was the first occasion he had chance to do that. Lyrically Brutalism is another giant step in that direction, and is defined by vulnerability. That's why you can dance to Brutalism, you can cry to Brutalism, and you can laugh to it too. 
   The past year has been transformative Pierce, who may a permanent rain cloud above his head but is working towards a better, healthier headspace. “I don't think I'll ever really find myself,” he says. “I don't think people do. I don't think there's a day that you wake up and you go, Now I know who I am. The best way for me to be an artist is by taking a goddamn minute, being still and listening to what it is that I want and need.” It was a real year of growth for him, but growth towards what? “I don't really know, and that's OK.” - Via http://www.anti.com
​​
The Drums:
thedrums.com
Twitter: @thedrumsforever
Instagram: @thedrumsofficial

Samantha Simmons is a photographer from San Diego, California exploring and documenting life as she sees it. Whether it’s the underground music scene or constructing a reality rooted in nostalgia through film, she wants to encourage people to feel all they’re capable through the art they consume.
IG: @beachsidecemetery

​The Drums new album, "Brutalism"....

@internet_beef

@dimwitband

​​
​   Pilar Violet Pennell is an artist and film photographer creating in moments of intimate space and color. Much of her recent work from her photo journal, By Midnight, captures those moments from a raw and dark space. She uses self portraiture as a method of exploring and healing wounds, and deconstructing learned preconceptions of the body and mind. She works primarily in 35mm, and has just relocated from NYC to Portland, Oregon.

Instagram: @glitterrtrash 
pilarvioletpennell.com

​"The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference & Festivals celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW® is the premier destination for discovery
​
South By Southwest dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. An essential destination for global professionals, the event features sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together."

It was a quiet Wednesday night in Oakland as the rain of the day came to an end. Groups of friends waited in line to get inside the small and local venue, The New Parish, discussing their favorite songs by The Marias and how cool it was that they were performing in the community venue. As two opening acts fly by, the venue quickly filled up with a diverse crowd, from wall to wall, on the floor and second story. Drinks were finished, phones were down and lights cued as the crowd praised The Marias as they took the stage. Engaging eye contact with every side of the crowd, including those on the second story kept the crowd moving with the amazing voice of the lead singer. The in between moments were taken by the dominant horns in songs like Ruthless and Carino or by solos by the drummer who electrified the room. The Marias had an explosive sound when playing live that you can't get through Spotify. The band connected with the Central American crowd of people who enjoyed songs with Spanish lyrics. After an abrupt ending, the band took off and left. Lights dimmed and the confused crowd chanted for one more as the band came back one by one, performing two last tracks with all they had. Feeling more resolved, the band thanked Oakland and the night came to an end as crowds walked the block to catch the last few running trains home.
​

​Matthew Hoang is a Bay Area based photographer. Matthew enjoys shooting live music by local and established acts.
IG: @Matts.Hues

Crumb took the stage at the Holocene on March 5th, 2019 in Portland, OR. Opening with their hit, Plants, Crumb immediately had the audience hooked. Lila Ramani’s soothing voice and guitar notes echoed through the venue, backed by Brian Aronow on synth, Jesse Brotter on bass, and Jonathan Gilad on drums. Crumb’s dreamy pop tunes kept the crowd in a trance all night, until we were left begging for an encore. They ended the show with the ever-so-sweet song, Nina, and the night will live on in these photos. 
​
"Crumb originally came together in 2016 to develop and record a collection of songs Lila had written throughout college, a recording project that became their first self-titled Crumb EP. Locket, their second EP, was created while the four were split between New York and Boston and released in June 2017. They are currently based in NYC and in the midst of recording their first full-length album." - Ground Control Touring

​
​   TK Taylor is a multimedia artist and photographer in Portland OR. They are drawn to intense performers and intimate venues where the artists truly connect with their listeners. Influenced by bold colors, raw emotion and candid personalities, they strive to capture the humanity of the moment. TK may be a rookie in the concert photography world, but they aren’t wasting any time waiting for opportunities to come along - they take the shots. 

Instagram: @tk.c41

Listen to the new Cry Babe EP "Be Cool" now! 
​

​​Pilar Violet Pennell is an artist and film photographer creating in moments of intimate space and color. Much of her recent work from her photo journal, By Midnight, captures those moments from a raw and dark space. She uses self portraiture as a method of exploring and healing wounds, and deconstructing learned preconceptions of the body and mind. She works primarily in 35mm, and has just relocated from NYC to Portland, Oregon.

Instagram: @glitterrtrash 
pilarvioletpennell.com

Juicefest is an annual event taking place in west Los Angeles, CA. The event features a variety of local bands, artists, and vendors, aiming to bring together the creative youth of Los Angeles.
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