Jared Leto takes it all in during the tour finale.

Thirty Seconds to Mars Monolith Tour Photos

Melissa Menzinger July 25, 2018

Thirty Seconds to Mars has a dedicated fanbase.

Hello, friends and followers! I know I haven't been great about updating this blog. My Instagram or Facebook page would be the best places to go for up to date news about my photography adventures.

I am currently a little out of the loop when it comes to Phoenix events because I have been traveling a lot. The Thirty Seconds to Mars and Walk The Moon show in Phoenix is what brought me home. I wasn't disappointed. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the shoot. You can see my full slideshow on the Phoenix New Times site.

Jared Leto brings Walk The Moon's Nicholas Petricca on stage.

Jared Leto brings a couple young fans on stage to sing.

Thirty Seconds to Mars fans are a dedicated bunch.

Jared Leto makes good use of the catwalk.

Nicholas Petricca shows off his colorful tattoos.

Walk The Moon is very entertaining live.

Stevie Nicks and Chrissie Hynde: Photo by Melissa Fossum

Happy 66th birthday, Chrissie Hynde!

Melissa Menzinger September 7, 2017

Good morning! I know I haven't been great about keeping up with this blog. I'm a lot more active on Instagram and Facebook, but I am going to try to post more frequently here.

It was serendipitous that I woke up early today and was in a Fleetwood Mac mood. While going through my archives, I also noticed that today was the birthday of Chrissie Hynde, legendary frontwoman of The Pretenders.

Chrissie joined Stevie during her performance, which made for some great photos.

I've been revisiting some of my editing techniques, and I see a huge improvement today versus what was published. That also makes me thankful for meticulously backing up my files.

You may have also noticed my new logo. I've been playing around in Illustrator, and I'm really happy with the result. I'm also proud to say that I designed my own logo. I look forward to learning more about graphic design and watching my skills develop.

Happy Thursday, everyone. I'm about to rock Rumours on my drive to work.

The Living End's Chris Cheney: Photo by Melissa Fossum

Photos: The Living End/PEARS/Direct Hit! at Nile Theater

Melissa Menzinger August 18, 2016

Wow, what a night! I was thrilled to see Australia's rockabilly/punk powerhouse The Living End kick off their US tour at Mesa's Nile Theater. It's been over a decade since the trio has performed in the Phoenix metro area and much of the West Coast.

I know it's rare for me to post photos the night of a show, but I wanted to get these pictures up ASAP, because I'm sure folks who are going to see TLE perform on this tour are eager for some feedback.

The band played a good balance of old and new songs. The first batch of songs was "Second Solution," "Roll On," and "Pictures in the Mirror," which was pretty amazing. My only complaint was that Chris Cheney's vocals seemed to be a little low compared to the rest of the mix. I've seen this happen a lot with bands kicking off their tours in Phoenix then heading to California, though, so I wouldn't be too concerned!

I did something crazy at this show. PEARS and Direct Hit! were playing in the basement, so I ran back and forth between both shows. I had seen Direct Hit! live before and I am consistently impressed. This was my first time seeing PEARS and it was a good reminder as to why I got into punk photography in the first place. It was amazing to stand near the singer and capture the moment as the crowd went wild for the band's Ramones cover.

Without further ado, check out my slideshow!

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

The Living End

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

PEARS

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

PEARS

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

PEARS

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

PEARS

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

PEARS

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

PEARS

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

PEARS

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

Direct Hit!

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

Direct Hit!

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

Direct Hit!

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

Direct Hit!

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

Direct Hit!

Photo by: Melissa Fossum

Now I'm looking forward to getting a few hours of sleep before work tomorrow. Was it worth it? Absolutely. If The Living End has not sold out their tour date in your city yet, I would highly recommend getting tickets.

See you in the photo pit.

Weezer/Panic! At The Disco/Duran Duran/Chic

Melissa Menzinger August 10, 2016

Last week I had the pleasure of shooting all four of these bands back to back. I was surprised that these big bands allowed photographers to shoot from the pit, not the soundboard. I'm not complaining, I'm thrilled with how these photos all turned out!

Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran: Photo by Melissa Fossum

I saw Duran Duran for the first time during my first Coachella in 2011. I was very impressed with their stage presence, and last week's show was no exception, even though I only saw the first three songs due to photo restrictions.

Dom Brown of Duran Duran: Photo by Melissa Fossum

Duran Duran was a delight to shoot. The band was energetic and the lighting was perfect. I would love to photograph them again!

See the full Duran Duran and Chic slideshow here.

Nile Rodgers of Chic: Photo by Melissa Fossum

Openers Chic were so spectacular that I feared that Duran Duran would fall short. I'm ashamed to say that I was unaware of the extent of Nile Rodgers' legacy until seeing Chic perform live. Songs like Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" were definitely a surprise!

Rodgers' back up vocalists were a blast to watch as well.

Panic! at the Disco: Photo by Melissa Fossum

Onto Weezer and Panic! at the Disco. Getting to this show was a nightmare due to the "100 year flood," which trapped me in downtown Phoenix. Unfortunately, I was unable to photograph Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, but I heard the show was great.

Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco: Photo by Melissa Fossum

PATD is always a delight to shoot thanks to Brendon Urie's very energetic stage presence.

Weezer's Rivers Cuomo: Photo by Melissa Fossum

As a lifelong Weezer fan, I was over the moon at an opportunity to shoot the band. The opening backdrop of California imagery made it all the better.

Scott Shriner of Weezer: Photo by Melissa Fossum

Plus, look at Scott Shriner's grin! Isn't that adorable?

Check out my full Weezer and Panic! at the Disco slideshow here.

See you in the photo pit. Hopefully with less rain next time.

Happy 71st birthday, Debbie Harry!

Melissa Menzinger July 1, 2016

I've been at one Riot Fest to date, and it was one of the most enjoyable festivals I've attended yet. For one, it's in Chicago, one of my favorite cities to visit. Two, the line up is the perfect combination of my interests. Usually I will only see indie bands (i.e. Coachella) or punk bands (Punk Rock Bowling) at a festival, but Riot Fest and Los Angeles' FYF Fest are a great middle ground.

Blondie's set in particular was a blast. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to photograph this seminal new wave and punk band.

Pus, Debbie Harry was totally fierce and came out dressed like a wizard. This makes Debbie one of the coolest 71 year olds I can think of. Happy birthday, may it be as magnificent as you are!

See you in the photo pit.