“LONG LIVE LIVE!” — Dinosaur Jr. – Berrics Magazine Issue 2
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: Dave Swift
Dinosaur Jr
OC Observatory_ (Santa Ana, CA)_
October 18, 2017
In my youth there were two things that defined what my life would be: skateboarding and music. Both of these things ruled my life from the time I was sixteen years old and both still remain dear to me today.
When I say music, I am no way implying that I have any talent as a musician; in fact, quite the opposite. What I am saying is I became involved in the music scene as a passionate observer of live shows by bands that came to San Diego over the past thirty-five years. I remember skipping my high school graduation, opting to ride in the back of a pick-up truck (it was still legal in 1982) on a misty June night to see The Angelic Upstarts play at the Lions Club. It was awesome and to this day I don’t regret it. If only I was a photographer back then, I’d have some awesome images to share of bands like The Misfits, Social Distortion, Black Flag, TSOL, Discharge, Adolescents, Nirvana, Bad Religion, Mudhoney, Redd Kross, Tones On Tail, The Ramones, Danzig, and so many more back when they were… young!
Currently I dig going to see bands that had a major influence in my life over the years and photographing them. At first I’d just go to gigs and shoot from the crowd with my iPhone but now I’ve been able to get up front with my real camera and shoot like a professional. To me it’s just as cool to get a shot of one of these bands playing live, as it is to have shot Heath Kirchart lipsliding El Toro (well, maybe not that good).
This month I had the pleasure of getting a photo pass to see Dinosaur Jr at the OC Observatory, thanks to my old friends Otis Bartholomeau and Mark Waters. J, Lou, and Murph played a great set of classic and new D J tunes while I snapped away throughout the set with earplugs deep inside my ears. Yes, they were loud as always and the crowd was more than hyped. Hope you enjoy the live shots.
“Long Live Live!” appears in the second issue of *Berrics Magazine. Get your copy in The Canteen today!*
