Collin Peterson Photography

Ween put on a great show in Nashville Wednesday night… The place was so packed I had to put the camera up after a few shots.  Too many drunk people packed in like that make me nervous.  Awesome performance!  I went with 2 hardcore fans that were extremely satisfied and I was extremely impressed, although I have never listened to the band.  The way Aaron (Gene Ween) connects with the audience is truly special.  There was a very real connection with the band as well.  You could tell they were happy to be in Nashville playing their songs for a very dedicated, loyal, and quite large fanbase.  I’ve never personally seen City Hall that crowded.

Secret Chiefs 3 – the opener for the Les Claypool Fancy Band… very strange, very cool! No one does music like this band. Nobody.  Got this shot with my Contax Zeiss 135mm f/2.8 lens.

http://www.secretchiefs3.com/

It’s nearly impossible to define what this band sounded like.  Parts were extremely heavy, resembling death or black metal.  The addition of 2 violins and a sitar made things very interesting.  Dark melodies and rhythm pounded through City Hall, it was quite a show!

The Les Claypool show in Nashville was amazing! The man is a genius. He makes playing the bass look effortless. They made us turn the cameras off right before the costumes came out, but I managed to get a few shots. He changed into a few different masks throughout the rest of the night. The monkey mask scared my girlfriend a little bit. That was when he came out during the percussion solo and played this crazy stick with a bass string on it with some sort of whammy bar up top… anyway, it’s the instrument he used on the south park song, one of his own creations. Kinda creepy the way he burst onto the stage during the percussion solos and busted out this freaky instrument in a monkey mask. Awesome, nonetheless!!!

The Yonder Mountain String Band — City Hall in Nashville, TN. February 22, 2008