There’s nothing that terrifies me more than doing something I’ve never done before when I’m expected to succeed. When they asked me to shoot some new stuff for their up and coming album, I was excitedly nervous… and totally taken aback that they’d chosen me without a shadow of a doubt that I’d help them create something remarkable.

Long story short, we met up in the mountains at 4am to start shooting. Bleary eyed, we made our way to the spot I had scouted and they prepped while I set up some lighting. We spent the hour between 4am and 5am shooting, experimenting, running around, and shoo-ing mosquitos off our necks… and this was the final product…. the journey of The Good Kids in one image.

Many thanks to: The Good Kids (for being the perfect Band clients and for putting up with no sleep, flashes, and bugs), Danielle (their devoted and amazing stylist), Christopher (my devoted and amazing lighting crew of one), Angie Horn-Andreu and Annie Ludes (for trusting me with so much), the girls living in the cabin of Boulder (for allowing us to shoot so early in the morning outside your living space), and the mosquitos of Forest Falls (for not eating me alive and for not giving me West Nile Virus).

Somehow, I caught a bug this past week… and have been trying real hard to kick it… but it likes me a lot and wants to stay for 3 weeks. SOO between blowing my nose, coughing, and trying to sleep… I’ve been trying to keep my “work as usual” routine. I’ve had several excited music fans ask me, “When do we get to see them?!” in regards to The Good Kids concert photos. Believe me, I’m just as excited about them! And now….some shots from the show…

In October of 2009, I was asked by The Good Kids to photograph their band for an upcoming record they were producing. Click here to view those images. We had a lot of fun and the pictures turned out awesome! Well…. they’ve come a long way in such a short time and recently, I got a phone call from their drummer. He excitedly told me they landed a gig at the House of Blues in Anaheim…. which is a big deal! I’m so proud of these guys… here’s some shots of the show…

There were five bands that played that night. The opening band was named The Gasoline Addicts… definitely entertaining…

The bands drew all kinds of fans… this is one of my favorites from the night… I love the cute grandma looking admiringly at the band rocking the stage….. I have no idea how the unhealthy level of sound decibels didn’t phase her… I had to have earplugs so I wouldn’t go deaf after the show…

The second band that took the stage was Ives the Band, and they reminded me a lot of the Decemberists and maybe even Leeland…

Okay and then when I was backstage with the guys…. I noticed this drum that had a ton of glitter all over it. I wondered if that was on purpose, and then when these guys got on stage, I saw the drum and waited patiently for someone to bang on it and make the glitter go flying…. I’m a nerd, I know. Anyways… the bassist started beating the drum and I’m pretty sure I squealed with delight when the glitter went flying… I love glitter.

Then it was time.

Da….. da….DAAAA!!

It was time for the Good Kids to take the stage….

Amps were set up, mikes were tested, guitars were tuned… deep breaths were taken in and out…

The lights went on… and cheers pulsed through the crowd…

They are such rock stars!!!

Seriously… I loved watching the joy and passion seeping through every note as they rocked the House of Blues that night….

If you haven’t checked out their music yet, you should…. they’ve got a unique sound and they’re a fun group of musicians following their passions. Cortez, Jared, Grady, and Chris…. thanks for inviting me to help document such a pivotal event in your climb to stardom…. You rocked the house! And many thanks to the House of Blues for allowing me to shoot there…

I know, I know… it’s been a whole week since I last blogged. I have lots to share in the coming weeks from the many different shoots I’ve been doing. But today I wanted to share something with you…. Last night I photographed The Good Kids in concert at the House of Blues in Anaheim. As I was hanging with the band backstage, Cortez turns to me and says, “Kate, we worked together like 3 years ago, right? I would have never thought 3 years down the road I’d be here… at House of Blues… about to step on stage with this band…. and that you, would be our photographer. I never saw any of this coming.” It was a sweet moment for both him and me… reminiscing on where we’ve come from… and dreaming of the future.

I’ve been reading this book called Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi. He says:

“Have you ever sat down and thought seriously about what you truly love? What you’re good at? What you want to accomplish in life? What are the obstacles that are stopping you? Most people don’t. They accept what they “should” be doing, rather than take the time to figure out what they want to be doing.

We all have our own loves, insecurities, strengths, weaknesses, and unique capabilities. And we have to take those into account in figuring out where our talents and desires intersect. That intersection is what I call your ‘blue flame’–where passion and ability come together. When the blue flame is ignited within a person, it is a powerful force in getting you where you want to go.”

It’s amazing what one can accomplish when you follow what you truly love and what you’re gifted with. For the Good Kids, they’ve discovered their passion for creating music. They looked up from pursuing their passion and discovered they’re actually living a dream…

Here’s just a sneak peek of more to come…