I got a surprise message from MerGold on November 12th. She asked if I was going to the Bollweevils show that night. I dig and respect the heck out of The Bollweevils, but Djunah is one of my absolute favorite local bands still playing, and that’s where I was planning to be that night. Then she told me they needed someone to shoot said Bollweevils show. I did not expect that. I sometimes take concert photos as a hobby, but I’ve never shot a band as big as The Bollweevils. I’ve never had any of my photos published anywhere, so I was floored by the offer, in a good way. But, I still really wanted to see Djunah too! Fortunately, I got lucky on timing and I was able to make it to both shows! ?
My first stop of the night was The Bollweevils, at Cobra Lounge. There was a great crowd and great energy in the room as they took stage. Speaking of energy, their set opened with a lot of it! After the first song it became apparent that Daryl’s tall stature and Cobra’s low ceiling were not an ideal match. As recommended by the crowd, Daryl did not hesitate to continue the show in front of the stage on the floor. This created a new problem, that Daryl no longer had a set list. His need to know what song was coming next quickly became the running gag of the evening. Every song sounded fantastic, a good time was had by all!
Next I made a mad dash over to the Archer Ballroom, and thankfully I got there in time to see Djunah. ? The venue is pretty cool, but boy was it cold. Donna had her coat draped over her while tuning her guitar and I don’t blame her! Their set impressed as always. Halfway through the first song Donna’s hat fell over her eyes, but she managed rock around on stage and keep playing the bass notes with her foot while blind. The rest of their set went off without a hitch. The majority of it was new material for their upcoming album. I have been listening to their last release, Ex Voto, non-stop and I can not wait to hear the new album. All of the new songs absolutely ripped live.
It’s always a good night when you can catch two different shows in one night. All the bands were on point, and it’s such an honor to be shooting for Dying Scene. I can’t wait to do it again!
