Phantogram at the 2015 McDowell Mountain Music Festival

Happy Birthday to Phantogram's Sarah Barthel!

Melissa Menzinger February 17, 2016

Happy 33rd birthday to the lovely Sarah Barthel! I've had the good fortune of photographing Phantogram twice at Crescent Ballroom. The above picture was taken during the band's performance at McDowell Mountain Music Festival.

Phantogram at Crescent Ballroom in 2013.

While it was a nice change of pace to see the band at a large festival, Phantogram is best enjoyed in an intimate venue. I also snapped some video of the band's 2013 Crescent Ballroom show.

Phantogram at Crescent Ballroom in 2011.

To go way back in time, here's a photo I took of Barthel in 2011. I only had a nifty fifty (50 mm 1.8 lens) at the time, so it's remarkable to see how I have grown as a photographer over the years.

Phantogram at McDowell Mountain Music Festival in 2015.

A very happy birthday to you, Sarah Barthel. We look forward to seeing you again in Phoenix.

See you in the photo pit.

The Weeknd at Coachella 2012. Photo by Melissa Fossum.

Happy 26th Birthday, Abel Tesfaye!

Melissa Menzinger February 16, 2016

Happy birthday to the soulful mastermind behind The Weeknd! One of the great things about setting up this blog is being able to revisit all of these great concerts. I photographed Coachella in 2011, 2012, and 2013, and went for the first time as a guest, and not press in 2014. I didn't have any qualms about missing the 2015 festival because it is exhausting.

Performances like The Weeknd in 2012 make me miss shooting the festival. At the time, Tesfaye was popular from his mixtapes and had a dedicated following- just ask any of the women screaming in the front row. His set was sensual and perfectly timed at sunset. It's the type of thing that made you feel like you caught a glimpse of something big.

Now The Weeknd is winning Grammys and is a superstar with Beauty Behind the Madness. I would love to see The Weeknd again, both as a photographer and a fan. After all, I need a shot of Tesfaye's wonderful hair for my portfolio.

See you in the photo pit.

Mumford & Sons at Desert Sky Pavilion (now Ak-Chin Pavilion) 6/6/13

Happy Birthday, Marcus Mumford!

Melissa Menzinger January 31, 2016

Happy birthday to Marcus Mumford, front man of indie folk sensation Mumford & Sons. I photographed and reviewed the band at Ak-Chin Pavilion three years ago, while it was still called Desert Sky Pavilion.

I was initially scheduled to just shoot the show, but I ended up reviewing it as well. I went into the show a casual Mumford fan who enjoyed "The Cave," but after watching the band's full set, I emerged a fan.

A mundane detail that really sticks out about the show was the insufferable traffic. I know this isn't an exciting thing to talk about, but it ended up working to my advantage, as it was the first time I wrote a concert review entirely on my cell phone while being stuck in traffic.

Check out my full Phoenix New Times slideshow and review here.

See you in the photo pit.