Flagpole Music Awards 2010

Eric Hernandez of Los Meesfits plays during the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.

Athens is known for its music with REM, the B-52s & Widespread Panic getting their start in this town. So the irreverent, alt-music-weekly Flagpole gives out fan-voted awards every year in a giant show.

Yours truly is there to cover it, with a 10pm drop-dead deadline.



The show was slated to start at 8, Athens time. Which means sometime tonight, probably tonight, but we shall see. I figured i could shoot 1/2 the show and sprint back to the office to file/edit and make deadline.

The biggest thing i had going was that i knew the venue and mentally mapped out a plan of shots i wanted and where to shoot from. I looked at the program and instantly decided that one of two bands would be getting the A1 shot, depending on which looked better - it was going to be either the kids that started the show, or the Spanish Misfits cover band 'Los Meesfits' which is what eventually made the A1 shot. I started backstage and basically ran around in circles from front of house to several overhead positions for an hour before getting out of there and making deadline 5 minutes early.

The thing that i found most interesting was that I was the only one whom was doing more than photographing from my seat; in fact i never sat down in a seat the entire show. There were photographers galore there just shooting with a 70-200 from their seat and not trying to make a photo whatsoever.

I loved the sideshow carnival folks and tried to make a decent picture of them but nothing amazing. All in all, i tried to make photos beyond the "guy at microphone" photo.




Athens plays to open the show during the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.




Dancers Carlos Rivas and Laren Traetto dance while Los Meesfits play during the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.



Elite tha Shostoppa performs during the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.



Timi Connelly waits to go onstage during the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.



Mr. Blank of Mr. Blank's Carnivale of Black Hearts hammers a nail up his nose during the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.



People wait backstage during the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.



A disco ball lights up the room during the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.



Los Meesfits performs during the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.



Beau "Monkey" Anderson, center, waits backstage before the start of the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.



Los Meesfirts perform during the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.



Beau "Monkey" Anderson plays guitar during the Flagpole Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Athens, Ga.