MoonRunners Music Festival 3 - Day 1

I have never seen an event with so many "stand-up fiddles"! lol . . . okay, I am having fun with this.

Chicago is a melting pot of everything. Religion, race, ethnicity, orientation, and music. It was very fitting for MoonRunners to take place in Chicago, and at Reggies. This year was a melting pot of music. Roots in nature. From blues, punk, to reggae, country and more. Over 40 artists! What a weekend!!

Day 1 (Friday) (for Day 2 click here)

The day was a little warm and humid for this time of year in Chicago. That did not stop anyone from having fun. Both sides of Reggies was jumping, alternating North and South side for a continuous flow of music.

For the most part the billing of who went on when kept on pace. Very few changes. For me, it did not matter. I wanted it all, and took it all in until I wore myself out. I did not take photos near the very end. I do apologize to those musicians for not being there all the way through.

The photos are in the order I took them. I walked to both North and South sides of Reggies, and outside to take photos. Some photos are of the musicians doing their sound check. Probably the best time to take a photo with nobody around. You will then see photos of them later during their live set.

The photos too are mostly "as shot" (no editing), and generally without flash. I mixed and focused on what caught my eye. My ears are another thing. I enjoy music, that is all I can say. So I am proud to have participated, taking photos of these musicians for free to support them!

A special thanks to Jahshiep Lfh for living his dream by putting on this festival, and making other musician's dreams (and our dreams) come true. Nobody walks away rich from events like this. It would be nice. Perhaps not meant to be yet. When passion drives you, that seems to be all you need. Especially for me. I love taking photos and giving you the chance to see what I see, for free. So, even if you are not in the photo, please take this time to download a photo or two for free. Print it. Blow it up and have the musicians sign it. Give thanks to those who deserve it, the musicians, who came to MoonRunners Music Festival 3 . . .

Our ever loving roots music friend Shawna (below). If there is music, you will find her dancing.

Our buddy Mark Verbeck (below). We have a lot of local roots musicians in Chicago. Carley and Mark are part of our clan!

Yes, the next photo was on purpose. Worked for the most part. The image reminds me of Black Sabath, Paranoid.

The boys from my neighborhood.

Everyone knows Lou Shields. If you do not, let me introduce you to him . . . the gentlemen's gentlemen in roots music.

The on-stage interview. I had not seen this before. It was super cool to have some of the musicians interviewed on stage, and to play some for us. This really made a connection with me to the musicians. You get to see how really nice they are . . . you just want them as part of your family. Well, in roots music, they are part of your family. Sort of the point, isn't it?

What sits good with people is listening to story telling. I believe that Native American Indians harmonize when they tell stories.  Stories handed down through generations, or from recent years. How those stories are told is just as important. It brings a sense of "family" to us.

I have seen Rachel Kate at a few of Jody Robbins' "Office Sessions". One of our local roots music venues in Chicago. I did not know who she was. I did not know she was a singer/songwriter. You just got this vibe that this person would be very nice to know. Someone that you would want close to you in life . . . because of the vibe. Here at the interview, I heard her tell stories and sing. All I could think of is . . . Wow! A very nice person, like all the other musicians at MoonRunners. However, her vibrant personality stood out to me. Her story telling with and without song had a voice. Add her instrument playing, and you are captivated.

Back to Lou Shields. The photos much earlier were his sound check.

Here was the lineup for the day (for the most part) . . .

South Stage
2:15 Brook Blanche
2:50 Th' Piss Poor Players
4:35 Josh Morningstar
5:15 Ultrahazard
7:05 Molly Gene One Whoaman Band
7:50 The Dead Soldiers
8:45 Green Room Rockers
9:35 Roger Alan Wade
10:40 Jesse Wagner (lead singer of the Aggrolites) w/ Green Room Rockers
11:55 Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies

North Stage:
3:25 MC1 (featuring Joe Koontz of Against All Authority)
4:00 Lonewolf OMB
5:50 Aran Buzzas
6:35 Utah County Swillers
8:20 El Coondog
10:25 Lou Shields
11:30 The Calamity Cubes!
1:00 AM Joseph Huber

MoonRunners Music Festival 3

Reggies Music Joint2105 South State Street

Chicago, IL  60616

At the bottom of this blog post are five buttons to click on: E-mail this, Blog this, Share to Twitter, Share to Facebook, and Share to Pintrest.  Please take advantage of them and share this blog post with your friends.

You can see a categorized thumbnail filmstrip of blogs I have done by going to StreetPhoto.ME.

Click on this line and read my copyright.