Spending time with a Rock Star and my Favorite Local Band.

Last week was a little busy and much busier for The Blue Rose Band. Frank Hannon, a shredding guitar player with the band TESLA was on a tour to promote a CD that he wrote in his off season time. The CD is entitled "Gypsy Highway." I've listened to all fourteen tracks and I do like the music. Frank Hannon was scheduled to perform at the Martini Ranch in Scottsdale on Thursday March 29. He needed a back up band and The Blue Rose Band got the nod. So, they were rehearsing non-stop with Mr. Hannon to learn the music and arrangements for their performance.

On Wednesday, March 28 a TV appearance was scheduled on ABC 15's Sonoran Living in Phoenix. Another one of the promos that was arranged was an appearance at a Zia's Record Exchange at 7:00 p.m. that evening in Phoenix. Thursday, March 29th was a performance day at Martini Ranch in Scottsdale. This included set up, sound check, a guitar clinic and performance. On Friday, March 30th Frank Hannon and Jimmy Rose headed for Tucson and an interview with KGUN 9's Morning Blend in Tucson. Later that evening both would appear at another Zia's where they would play, take photographs, talk to the fans and give autographs.

 I didn't get to Tucson but I saw the interview and it looked good. When they got back from Tucson at about 11:00 p.m. Frank, Steve Conway of 25/8 productions headed for the Blooze Bar on 32nd Street in Phoenix and Frank shared the stage with Tumbleweed. I would have loved to have been there but I was processing images from the day before at Martini Ranch. That day for me lasted about seven and a half hours (4pm to 11:30pm).

After all of this, Frank Hannon performed with TESLA at the Steele Horse Saloon Saturday night at Bike Week. I was totally impressed and so was the crowd. I got to watch it from backstage and I could have used my cell phone to get some shots but it's an old 5MP and the light and functions on the phone were terrible. May have to upgrade.
My thanks to Steve Conway from 25/8 Industries for the heads up and getting me access. My thanks to Frank Hannon and The Blue Rose Band for offering their trust. The crew at Martini Ranch and Mr. Extraordinaire, Don Webb for his assistance. I would also like to thank the fans for being kind enough to let me take over their spot to get a shot. I will Frank Hannon success with his CD "Gypsy Highway" and look forward to the next time TBRB takes the stage.

If you would like to see more shots, you can check out Scott Stahl Photography on Facebook or email me at scott@scottstahlphotography.com.

Whiskey Six is here, time to start the party.

Whiskey Six at Chester's Harley Davidson in Mesa.

Chriskey Six

As with most weekends, mine started on Friday night the 23rd of March. I was on my way to Mesa to watch and listen to a band that I have been following and photographing from a distance (most times). On lead vocal/guitar, Chriskey Six, bass guitar, Raf Garcia, and a great lead guitar wielded by Dave Lansing ( a Green Bay fan from Wisconsin). Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a born and raised Bears fan but Dave and I get along. You could say that I have saved the best for last if you are into the beat, percussion or simply the drums. Mike Hill doesn't simply beat them, he finesses them into the music in such a way that you know the weekend party has begun.

Raf Garcia

Dave Lansing

Mike Hil

 Since it is Bike Week in Arizona, this event took place at Chester's, a Harley Davidson dealer in Mesa, Arizona. On Saturday night Buddy Stubb's Harley Davidson and Motorcycle Museum would host another party. Last but not least, Scottsdale Harley Davidson was hosting a Grand Opening Party on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the festivities are being held this week at Westworld in Scottsdale. There are plenty of road trips and poker runs and great entertainment. REO Speedwagon and Tesla are playing at Westworld and they do know how to rock. If you're in the neighborhood, you might want to stop by and enjoy the day. I know I enjoyed myself at one of the opening events.

Whiskey six's next performance is acoustic and will be performed at Joe's Grotto on April 7, 2012. On April 12, 2012 Whiskey Six will stream a plugged in performance on the internet from their rehearsal studio.

This is a link to a video slideshow and one of Whiskey Six's songs performed the night of their performance created on Animoto.

Whiskey Six at the Blooze Bar

 Most people, whether they are Irish or not try to spend some time in a bar on St. Patrick's Day. Of course I am no exception. My Grandmother on my father's side of the family was Irish and I loved her dearly. I don't know if she would have approved of me spending time in the bar but I wasn't just there to have a drink.

I took photographs of three performing bands and Whiskey Six is the first one I processed as I have been shooting them for a while. The link below will take you to this video slideshow and I hope you enjoy it. Don't turn the sound up unless you know you've recovered from your night of celebrating this wonderful Irish holiday.

Whiskey Six at the Blooze Bar

Two Dollar Grey

Two Dollar Grey

Two Dollar Grey performing the night before they left on tour. The performance took place at Martini Ranch in Scottsdale and then it was off to Las Vegas. They did a great job and REDBLACK FILMS was shooting a video during the performance. I am looking forward to the release. If you get a chance to see this group and like hard rock, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

The Blue Rose Band at the Blooze Bar

 I spent some time visiting the Blooze Bar at 32nd Street and Cactus on Saturday night, February 25th, 2012. There was a band performance that I wanted to photograph and another band that I hadn't heard before. That band was "357." The bands were great, the crowd was great and I got some good shots. I had a Guinness or two. The cover was reasonable, the drinks were to my liking and the entertainment was well worth my time.

The link below is to a slide show of The Blue Rose Band and the sound track is from their album Home and the song is entitled "Cruisin'."

The Blue Rose Band at the Blooze Bar

Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show and Shopping Expo

I spent some time at my first ever horse show. It was an enjoyable time for me and a great many other people that were there. The link below has a few of the photographs I took while I was there. I enjoyed taking them and I hope you enjoy seeing them. Arabians are a beautiful breed.

Slideshow

Just a couple of things.

First, I would like to tell you about a friend who finally decided to start a blog. It's about day to day meal preparations that are tasty, quick and healthy. She states that her skills were developed over many years utilizing many different cookbook collections, friends recipes and her concern for good health with her strong interest in cooking. She is a generous lady and was driven by many of her friends to create a blog and share it with other people that could and would find the information useful in their daily lives. The blog just went live a couple of days ago and the title is "Food is not for fighting." The link is http://nofoodfights.blogspot.com/ I think that you might like her style of writing and enjoy her presentations. She's writing under the name of MsMike and if you stop by as I hope you will, tell her I said "Hello". She's a very neat lady.

Moving on, I live in Arizona and I love horses. Right now there is an Arabian Horse Show taking place at Westworld in Scottsdale and I plan on being there early tomorrow morning. These horses are beautiful and are competing for a piece or pieces of $1,000,000 in prizes. The competition is exciting to the horses, riders and owners but my interest lies with the relationship between the horse and their rider. Do they create magic together and move as one. They will be parading, dancing, prancing and jumping in a manner not often seen in public.

The camera and I will be out there to take the stable tour, take some shots of the traditional dress as well as the graceful moves of such stunning steeds. Don't get me wrong. I would feel the same way about a cowboy on a docile cutting horse working a herd of cattle on the open range. Most every horse I have ever seen, from Clydesdales and Tennessee Walkers to a herd of wild horses has always captured my undivided attention. I'm looking forward to the experience. I'll let you know what I thought. You might have time to get out to the show yourself.

Saturday morning, I'm headed out the the historic Renaissance Festival east of Apache Junction and if I have time, a trip to Superior to visit the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. If that is possible, I will then head back to the Valley to watch The Blue Rose Band perform at the Blooze Bar at 32nd St and Cactus in Phoenix.

I hope you have a great weekend and if you take a camera, remember to keep yourself in the picture.