5/24/05 and The Mystery Woman

The Dakar Apartments-My first floor apartment is on the left.

    I happened upon some photos recently that were taken on May, 24, 2005. It got me thinking about the past, which is what I do best. What was going on with me 20 years ago that day? It's also the day I took the photo of the mystery woman, a photo that I’ve reflected on many times over the years. 

Photo Walking

5 Spot restaurant along the staircase trail

    Recently I came across a website that has a list of 30 staircase trails throughout the city of Seattle and thought these would be perfect for photo walking. I’ve been doing photo walks since 2003, when I purchased my first camera. It's been something I’ve been doing a lot more this past year during this the Covid epidemic, especially in the last couple of months.   

    Seattle is composed of a series of hills and on those hills are more hills, slopes and ridges. Some of the steepest roads in Seattle: Denny Way, Dravus and Queen Anne Ave can be accessed by walking on the sidewalk. There are, however, many areas in Seattle where a sidewalk wouldn’t work. So Seattle built close to 500 staircases to access the streets below and above wherever you may be on any particular hill, some dating back to 1905. With these 30 staircase trails you can go in either direction, however the list does tell you how many up and down steps there are and favors the direction with more up steps than down. I’ve always loved walking and it's great exercise, especially if they involve lots of stairs to climb so it wasn't a problem to see the hikes were 4 to 5 miles, so I chose the direction with more steps up. I'm all for the challenge.  I chose the first trail on the list called “Queen Anne” simply because I could pick up the trail a half a block from my front door. I was familiar with most of the areas on this staircase climb, though I certainly hadn’t been on all the staircase before. Some of them are quite remarkable and beautiful such as Wilcox Wall, The Galer Crown and The Comstock Grand Dame. 

Farewell to Re-Bar

 

Re-bar

     Oh Re-bar when I saw those tall buildings going up all around you, I thought, sooner or later they would get to you. I hope you do reopen in South Seattle and I’ll look forward to that day but I will miss walking down the street and seeing that iconic arrow over the entrance as I turn the corner on Howell street. I remember the first time I walked through your doors. It seemed like you were in the middle of nowhere. It was in September 2005 and it was for a burlesque show called “Back to School” hosted by Indigo Blue. It was a benefit show for victims of Hurricane Katrina. At that show I met Tamara The Trapeze Lady, Red Delicious and Heidi Von Haught. I had just purchased my first ever DSLR camera and I snapped a bunch of photos that night. Over the next 15 years I snapped thousands more. But I won’t take any more photos there and I will never walk through your doors on Howell street again. But let me put aside my sadness and resentments and instead express my gratitude for you.

The Magic of Burleskaraoke

    All the way back in May of 2019 Ruby Mimosa introduced us, along with Queer Bar on Capitol Hill, to Burleskaraoke. This is a wonderful night of singing and stripping, sometimes a marvelous symbiosis of singer and burlesquer. The night is filled with mirth, merriment and even downright hysteria as dollar bills, along with peeled-off gloves, stockings and g-strings(sometimes lobster claws and narwals too)fly through the air as performers bump and grind on the stage, tables, bars and lucky laps. This event is all glued together with DJ Baby Van Beezly, always getting the night started and finishing us all up strong. Baby keeps the flow going the whole night as the singers come up to the stage and the go-go dancers and burlesquers get freakin' down. I think what makes these events so special is not just the magic of burlesque and mixing it with the fun of belting out your favorite songs, but also the immersive atmosphere of the night. Sometimes it feels like all of us, the burlesquers, singers, DJ and audience are all part of one big orgasmic explosion. The best part is the performers don't know what songs they'll be stripping to. Will it be an epic 80's rock ballad? A funky Hip Hop standard? Lizzo, Led Zeppelin or Disney's "Be Our Guest"? They never know what they'll get. There may even be an opera singer or two to bring down the house. And since the beginning of Burleskaraoke, I've had the privilege of photographing every show. This is probably the most I've ever sweated photographing a show as I'm running back and forth and sliding on my knees to get the best shots. I am exhausted at the end of the night. So here are some photos from all eight Burleskaraoke shows so far. The next show is Wednesday, January 15th . Don't miss it.

Max

 Beau Briefs

Ruby Mimosa

Sinner Saint Burlesque-A Photo Anthology

        According to my meticulous photo records, I've photographed 21 Sinner Saint Burlesque shows starting in 2008 right through their last show, "A Midsummer Night's Reverie" last weekend. I've probably been to at least a dozen other Sinner Saint show's I hadn't photographed. I can't remember when my first Sinner Saint show was but I did I photograph their fundraiser in SODO back in December 2006. I have fond memories over the years of seeing their awesome shows, mostly at the Noc-Noc on 2nd Ave. Remember the tator tots? I celebrated my birthday 3 times at their Thursday night show, including one time when I get spanked on stage(though they really didn't spank me hard enough). Of course, like the rest of you I was sad to hear that  "A Midsummer Night's Reverie" would be their last show. Anyway here are some photos from over the years of some of the different Sinner Saint performers, hosts and guests. 

Sinner Saint Burlesque - Revolution

Evilyn Sin Claire

Doña Dei Cuori

Pulp Covers

     About 8 years ago my friend Serafina gave me a thank you card for helping her out on a project. The card was actually a post card of a vintage pulp cover. I thought it was funny and ridiculous. It was around this time I had gotten involved in studio photography and thought it would be fun to recreate this pulp cover.

Dime a Dance Queen

     Pulp fiction had its heyday in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Genres ranged from westerns to science fiction to hard-boiled detective and everything in-between. Today it’s the illustrated covers of these novels that are popular and kitschy. These trashy dime a dozen novels (some writers were paid per word) weren’t the only novels to have these illustrated pulp covers. After a novel went through it’s hard cover printing, a soft cover printing would follow, and sometimes it would be with a different publisher. This new publisher would commission a new cover that would help sell these books at drug stores and news stands across the USA. So you could have a tawdry pulp novel like Divorce Bait next to a famed work of fiction like Catcher in the Rye. Actually J.D. Salinger was quite furious with that illustration that donned his novel so when it came time for the the next printing he took control. The new cover was just maroon with yellow lettering which I'm sure you’ll probably be familiar with from your high-school days. But regardless of whether it was a trashy novel or a great work of art, the covers tried to be a sensationalist as possible. Here’s a good article in New Yorker Magazine about the pulp business.

Five Years of Stripped Screw Burlesque's Disney After Dark in Photos

As I headed out to photograph Stripped Screw Burlesque’s Disney After Dark show last week, I realized the show is in it’s 5^th year. I have photographed the show every year, first at The Jewel Box Theater at the Rendezvous back in 2011 to just last week and The Colombia City Theater. Since I’m sentimental, you know I would want to have a photo retrospective of those 5 years. Over that time, troupe members have come and gone and there have been several guests along the way. I'm grateful to have photographed their show these past 5 years.

Congratulations Stripped Screw Burlesque for 5 years of your awesome show Disney After Dark.

                                                     All photos © Paul O'Connell   

Roxie Moxie-DAD 2011 

Trojan Original & Long Richard Longfellow-DAD 2011 

Creating With Photoshop

     I think I’m at my most creative when I don’t put any expectations on myself. That can be difficult at times when I think whatever I do has to be the greatest thing ever or if I've been hired to be creative. My thoughts usually go something like this; “Okay I’ve got to be creative now. Think. Think! THINK!” Of course, no matter what your discipline, there are plenty of Zen ways to get down to the creative bone. I won't get into those ways here though, I'll just share how Photoshop helps me create some cool looking photos.
     When I started taking photos a few years back, I only used Photoshop to clean up the photo. Removing blemishes, fixing those wild hairs, erasing scuff marks from the seamless background and other things like that. But after a while I started get board with just  regular looking photos. I wanted to do something different and Photoshop was definitely a tool I could use to help me achieve that. I started to manipulate the colors, add different textures, experiment with the blending modes, while at the same time learning the vastness of Photoshop. There were also many times where I would wake up from a restless sleep, go to the computer and just start working on a photo without having any real idea of what I wanted. Here's an example from a recent photo-shoot where I had done a little midnight editing.

Paris Original & Trojan Orginal in costumes designed by Louise DeLenge 

Go on a Photo Walkabout

        Over the years people have asked me, “How do I take good photos?” Like anything else, you practice. Then I tell them to practice by going on a photo walkabout. This is exactly what I did when I got my first camera some 12 years ago. For me it wasn’t only learning how to use the camera but I was also discovering my new city of Seattle. By simply walking around and taking photos you can easily become one with your camera and learn the fundamentals of what makes a good photo.

From a photo walkabout earlier this week 

10 years in Burlesque

     Ten years ago I entered the wonderful world burlesque. The setting was the gritty old Jewel Box Theater inside the Rendezvous Cafe in the city of Seattle. The show was a recital of recent graduates of Miss Indigo Blue's Academy of Burlesque, which routinely offered a six-week course in the art of the tease. After developing a persona, learning the craft, and picking a burlesque name, students graduate in the form of a recital in front of an audience. One of the graduates that night was my friend Joy who went by the name Ruby Caliente. Ruby had asked me to take photos of her act. It turned out to be one of the most pivotal moments of my life and would lead me to many incredible experiences as a burlesque fan, photographer, and performer.

Me in 2003 at which point I didn't know nuthin' about no burlesque
(photo by Carla Loo)

The Pixies @ Bumbershoot 9/6/04

The Pixies

     Last night the Pixies definitely rocked the crowd at Bumbershoot in the Seattle Center. After breaking up 12 years ago, they got back together earlier this year to perform across North America and Europe in a so-far very successful tour. Bumbershoot was one stop in the middle of this very intense tour. The Pixies did not disappoint. They were the highlight of Bumbershoot.

     Bumbershoot is the annual Seattle Arts & Music Fair, which last 4 days over Labor Day weekend. A bumbershoot by the way is an umbrella, although I've never ever heard anyone say to me or anyone else, "take your bumbershoot, it looks like rain." Bumbershoot is great, not only because there's a wide variety of music to choose from (Bo Diddley, Nick Lowe, Drive-By Truckers, Public Enemy, Bebel Gilberto, Death Cab for Cutie, Liz Phair and Seal, just to name a few) but also because tickets are cheap and you're not trapped there all day in whatever remote location with high priced concessions and a slew of disgusting port-o-potties (they call them honey buckets in Seattle) like other music festivals. I bought a 2-day pass for $28 and unlike those long music festivals, and I was free to come and go as I chose. With Bumbershoot, you are basically in the center of Seattle. I guess that's why they call the place where the fair was held, Seattle Center. It includes attractions like the Space Needle, Key Arena, The Science Museum, Experience Music Project as well of a bunch of other buildings where I can use a real bathroom. I can get also get my hand stamped, leave the premises and go across the street to a restaurant instead of getting a $4 hotdog. 

People claiming their spots for The Pixies

     The Pixies where the main headliner band of the festival and they would play at the 30,000 person capacity Memorial Stadium. The evening performances at this venue during Bumbershoot sometimes require you to get a free wristband in order to gain entrance because they are the headlining acts of the festival. So it's more likely that a lot more people want to see these acts but there simply isn't enough room. And this was the case with Pixies.
     The night before I was in communication with my friends about how we would deal with acquiring wristbands and how soon we would have to line up to get in the stadium. I'm someone who definitely would show up as early as possible, not just to make sure I would get in but that I would also get good spot to see the show. One, I'm taking pictures so I want to be close as I can and two, the sound just is not good unless your pretty close to the stage in those arena shows. The doors opened at 11:00 am so we thought about what would be the best time to get there. Once you enter the Seattle Center, you immediately have to get in another line to get the free wristband (if you choose to). On Saturday Night when Nickelback played Memorial Stadium, wristbands were pretty much available up until show time. Not so with The Pixies. Wristbands were gone by 2PM. After all there was a lot of talk about The Pixies. This would be the first time they would be playing the Seattle Area in about 13 years. So we decided better safe than sorry. My friends and I didn't want to get screwed.    

Playing poker before The Pixies take the stage

     We got there at around 9am. We were right in front. We definitely would get wristbands and we did. Then we left and went to the Mecca Cafe a few blocks away and got some breakfast served by a very frustrated waiter who was about to blow any second. Then we all went back to Bumbershoot and went our separate ways to check out other bands knowing we would meet up later. My focus, however, was to find out where the Pixie line would be forming. Two acts would be playing Memorial stadium in the afternoon in a non-wristband show. I saw tons of people pouring through the stadium entrance. The event staff made it clear that the line was only for those two shows and that the stadium would be cleared after they were done. It was around 2pm and the Pixies would go on at 9:30pm. I walked around the area, catching a few bands here and checking out some artwork there, but I would always meander back to the stadium entrance area. Eventually a line was formed and we all scurried like lemmings into the pens and up to front of the line. It was now 4:30 and I was sitting on the asphalt with the rest of the Pixie faithful. By 6pm we were in the stadium sitting on the Astroturf right near the stage. It is true I could have probably foregone being early and scoping out all of lines because people were squeezing their way to the front right before the show started. But I went for piece of mind.  My friends and I bonded with those around us by striking up conversations with some fans and playing poker with others. It was almost 8PM and the opening act, Built to Spill, was about to go on. I had heard of them but never their music. They were definitely a good opening act to warm the crowd as well as a good act for me to get used to the madness that was going to happen in the front.  

Frank Black

     I think I would pass on the moshing if I could. When I was in my twenties I was going to all kinds of crazy concerts, getting right up into the shit and crowd surfing with the best of them (or worst of them). But I just turned 37. Now I want to make it clear that I love the intensity of live energetic music and I like it loud but I'd rather be sitting on a nice comfy couch and eating a sandwich while watching the show instead of worrying about boot slamming the back of my head. However, in order to get those pics, I would have to deal with the mosh pit.

Joey Santiago    

Kim Deal

     Built To Spill played for an hour and things got a little intense up front and I knew things would get even crazier when the Pixies would hit the stage. People were psyched. Some in the crowd had never even seen the Pixies before. Some had been too young. I was lucky enough to have seen them twice before, once in '89(with The Cure and Love & Rockets) and again in '91. When you're in the front area in concerts like these, it's wise to remember that you cannot resist the unstoppable force of a surging crowd. It would be futile. You must do as others do or you will surely be destroyed (not really but you know what I mean). It was about 10 minutes to show time and my excitement was through the roof. This is a band I have loved since I heard my first Pixies' song back in '89. A band I have been telling everyone about for the past 15 years. A band I named my cat after. A band that was about to jam and make me forget everything else going on this crazy fucked up world. They finally hit the stage and the crowd went berserk.

The Pixies

     They started off with "Caribou", their very first song from their very first EP, Come On Pilgrim. I tried to get some shots and hold my ground but it can be difficult when you're being violently pushed. When the played their second song, "U-Mass", I couldn't help but get into the madness, jumping up and down, getting it all out and feeling totally at peace. There they were on stage. Frank Black, Joey Santiago and Dave Lovering, all sporting the bald head look and Kim Deal with that infectious smile as she thumps down on the bass. And here I was, in the audience, going nuts; trying to take pics (I took over 120 with my digital camera), which was kind of funny as I was trying not to fall down and get crushed. I wasn't the only one taking pics either, in fact everyone there seemed like they either had cell phones or digital cameras; quite different from 12 years ago. 90 minutes after they started they were done and left the stage, leaving the crowd euphoric.   

The crowds leaving Memorial Stadium satisfied

     The crowd left the stadium en-masse. I had made it successfully through the show without any boots to the back of my head or any bleeding and, thank god, no damage to my camera. However, I was in need of a serious whirlpool bath and deep tissue massage. But more importantly, I had witnessed a great performance from a great band. One of the things I like about them is how totally unassuming they are. They don't look like rock stars at all. They focus on music, not on style and stupid music videos. If they were to call it quits after all this touring and a possible new CD release, I wouldn't mind. Keep them wanting more, just like it was when they broke up 12 years ago, and go out on a high note. As for me, I've seen them 3 times now and am fully satisfied, not that I wouldn't miss a chance to see them again if they came around again, but if they didn't, I'll always have Bumbershoot.

All photos ©Paul O'Connell