Charles Bradley: Photo by Melissa Fossum

R.I.P. Charles Bradley

Melissa Menzinger September 23, 2017

If you haven't had the distinct pleasure of listening to Charles Bradley, I recommend doing so now. The soul singer echoed songs from another time, which still felt modern. I had the pleasure of photographing him at FYF Fest in 2013. It was interesting to see these images pop up right before Joyce Manor. I moseyed over to Charles' set because I read good press about him, but wasn't really familiar with his work.

I was absolutely blown away by Charles Bradley's stage presence. His voice was booming and commanding. I've only seen something similar twice- once with Alabama Shakes, who thankfully is getting the acclaim the deserve, and the other was Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. I also feel very honored to have been able to see the late Sharon Jones perform.

It's surreal having worked as a concert photographer for a decade now and learning news of these great musicians passing away. My main takeaway here is you never know how much time you have with a musician. If you're ever on the fence about seeing a musician for the first time, I strongly recommend rallying up the energy to go. You never know when you'll find your next favorite artist.

Sharon Jones at Heritage Square Park: Photo by Melissa Fossum

R.I.P. Sharon Jones

Melissa Menzinger November 20, 2016

On Friday, the world was informed of the devastating news of Sharon Jones' death. I feel so fortunate that I not only had the opportunity to watch Jones and her very talented band two years ago, but I was also assigned to photograph the show.

Any concert at Heritage Square Park in downtown Phoenix is a delight, but this show was especially delightful. It was one of the best concerts I have seen in Phoenix.

It breaks my heart that both Sharon Jones and my mom suffered due to pancreatic cancer. Jones put up a great fight and battled the disease for three years. I, like many in the music community, am devastated by Jones' passing.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the Heritage Square park show.

The Eagles' Glenn Frey passed away 1/18/16.

R.I.P. Glenn Frey

Melissa Menzinger January 20, 2016

2016 is off to a rocky start. The Eagles' Glenn Frey is the latest addition to recent celebrity deaths, along the ranks of David Bowie and Alan Rickman.

I photographed The Eagles at Gila River Arena in 2014. Most big arena shows like that allow the photographers to shoot from the soundboard for the first three songs. This was a rare exception where we were granted four songs. The songs were all pretty long since the musicians loved what they were doing. You can see that in Glenn's face here.

Here's a link to the full slideshow if you would like to see more.

If there is one thing I've learned over the last couple of years, it's to see the bands you love live. I have a good recent example of this-- a friend and I went to Yucca Tap Room a couple of years ago to see Iron Chic. We didn't feel like watching the openers (yeah, I know, faux pas), so we snuck some rum into Robocop instead. We got back to Yucca just as the concert let out. Now Rob McAllister is dead and Iron Chic is no more, all at the expense of watching a mediocre movie.

Don't do what I did. Get off your butt and go to a concert. You won't regret it, unless of course, you're seeing the revamped "Dead Kennedys" or "Black Flag."

See you in the photo pit.