Esther Rose live at Avondale
Last Friday I made the 90 minute trip south to Birmingham to see country artist Esther Rose at Avondale Brewing. I took my Canon R5 on a whim, not really planning to photograph, but I never can resist when I am afforded the opportunity to photograph a favorite artist. To make it more exciting, I was with a lens I'd not used yet, the RF 50mm f1.8. I had not photographed live music since before Covid, and I felt a bit rusty going in, but in the end, I think the photos look great. The RF 50mm definitely impressed me! As did the artists!
I'd discovered Esther last year when I heard her song, Chet Baker. Then I bought the album, Safe to Run, and fell hard for her expressive voice and the tales she spun of discovering and exploring self. All the while with a curiosity which resonated with me. The album became an instant favorite, beginning to end full of irresistible contemplative tracks. Her earlier albums came to my doorstep soon after that, the love grew deeper which meant I had to see her live. Even if it meant travelling to Birmingham on a Friday evening.
Birmingham artist Alexa Fontaine opened, Ross Farbe of the band Video Age took the stage for a few songs, and duetted with Esther on a couple of songs. Overall a great night of pizza, beer, and seeing a favorite artist perform live. Check out Chet Baker and my photos from the night.
