Drumline

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I don't know if this happens in other cities but it's pretty common here. We have groups of young African-Americans (20-ish down to small children, and almost all boys) who come to public events and set up a massive drum section. They just call themselves drumlines and play for tips. They do well - their rhythm explosions are hot. There is one group that is always outside of Busch Stadium after baseball games, beating on big plastic buckets. All they need are sticks and something to bang on.

These guys were kneeling in Grand Boulevard during First Night. There was a good deal of money in the open drum case on the ground in front of them.

Latin Beat

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After Samba Bom, the Brazilian group seen here the last two days, the next performers at The Sheldon were Sol Salseros, a pan-Caribbean Latin band playing salsa, merengue, cumbia, cha cha and samba. So, okay, they threw in some Brazilian.

I like Latin music but I don't know that much about it, being the kind of guy who listens to the Metropolitan Opera channel on satellite radio while driving around. However, I once got to hear Tito Puente and his band play at the Blue Note in NYC. Talk about hot. Here's an example.

Samba Lesson

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I'm giving the Thursday Arch Series a week off. I could use a week off. I'll get five days off soon but we'll come to that later (it's a massive photo op).

The dancer we saw in yesterday's post changed costume after the set and then came back to offer a samba lesson to anyone interested. I was pleased that several children joined the group and amused that they stood together, apart from the adults. The light on this ain't perfect. I was trying to use available light with an 85 mm fixed focal length lens at f 1.8 and 1600 ISO. Flash just blew out the foreground.

Below, the whole samba band and our dancer's companion, who wore a headdress suitable for an Aztec king.

First Night

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The lead photo in Monday's post was from First Night, The Lou's no-booze public New Year's Eve party. They say that's family friendly. Hmm. Do you hate your family if you have a glass of champagne at midnight? Well, the point is that nobody gets rowdy, which is fine.

Saturday night's temperature was shockingly warm for December 31 (climatologists take note) and the area was absolutely packed. We went to performances that were not too crowded or venues where we knew you could move around. The upstairs ballroom at the marvelous Sheldon Concert Hall was the headquarters for Latin music. This shot is from the performance by Samba Bom, playing Brazilian music that gets you out of your chair. After the show, the dancer above gave a group lesson. We'll get to that soon.

Madness, For A Cause

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The announcer said the water temperature was 35 F / 2 C. The air was a notch warmer but then the river comes from way up north. Nevertheless, people put their bodies on and, inevitably, into it.

This was the annual New Year's Day water skiing excursion on the frigid Mississippi for the benefit of the Missouri Disabled Water Ski Association. They teach paraplegics and amputees how to water ski and take them out on the areas lakes and rivers. They are some kind of good people. I shoot this event almost every year and I never cease to be amazed that people do this voluntarily and claim it's fun.

The participant below may have been immune to the extreme environment. Who knew that Darth Vader likes frozen water sports?

Let's Start Off 2012 Right

Peasants with pitchforks? Cardinal fans chasing Albert Pujols out of town? The 99% approaching the Republican National Convention?

No, it's Juggling Jeff and his pal Josh Routh of Circus Kaput (love that name) doing their fire juggling act in the street during First Night on Saturday. They really should call it Last Night since it happens on New Year's Eve and ends after midnight fireworks. The theaters, churches and other public spaces around Grand and Lindell Boulevards provide entertainment of every kind, with outdoor performers sprinkled in between. Come back in June to see Jeff and Josh in the pre-show at our Shakespeare In The Park festival.

And so we're off on another twelve month spin. I've got lots of new material to start the year. Yesterday the polar bears had their annual water skiing outing in the frigid Mississippi. While hanging around the river, I found some interesting new graffiti on the flood wall. I've got a series from a Christmas Eve afternoon walkabout in The Grove, the funky neighborhood where my daughter lives. So Happy New Year. Ha! Ha!

Photo(s) Of The Year 2011

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Everybody likes pretty pictures (see the comments on my post yesterday) and I'm no exception. However, there is another side of photography that can be both simpler and deeper. In the context of music, Jean Sibelius said, "Whereas most other modern composers are engaged in manufacturing cocktails of every hue and description, I offer the public pure cold water." I like to splash people in the face once in a while.

This woman and some friends were attending a public party at a downtown plaza last summer. After I struck up a conversation, she abruptly asked me, "Hey, wanna see my new tattoos?" Well, to quote a famous Alaskan moose skinner, you betcha! She struck these poses as if they were choreographed.

The images carry something at once obvious, fatalistic and peaceful. My associations range from Doris Day singing Que Sera, Sera to Laurie Anderson's singspiel Let X = X (just lyrics; no audio or video available online) to Paul McCartney crooning Let It Be. The inked words are quite Buddhist, but also a bit irresponsible (the lady was rather tipsy). It is work I am very satisfied with and I offer it as my personal favorite of 2011.

In turn, I look forward to seeing your best of the year. To see the top 2011 images from City Daily Photo members click here.