It must have been a great way to make a living.
Definitely. During my heyday I went to at least four shows a week and then processed film in the afternoon. It was a great way to make a living, but I was there mainly for the fun of it. I would have been at those shows if I was getting paid for it or not.
After working with film for so long, what is your feeling about digital photography?
I wish I had it back then. Digital is more sensitive to light than film, so you’re not shooting at slow shutter speeds in low light. At a normal concert, [I’d take] about 100 pictures. There would be five to 10 usable shots and only two or three gems. You had to carry two cameras, change film every 36 pictures, and hope the mike wasn’t in front of their face. In the old days, I’d shoot, develop, make proof sheets, and decide which ones to print. That would be up to five hours of work. [Now] I’ll shoot 200 pictures and take an hour to sort them out on a computer.
What can we look forward to at the exhibit?
I guess you could say that this show represents my entire body of work. There’s some punk here — Blondie, Sex Pistols, the Ramones — but there’s a lot of other classic stuff, all the biggest names in music. It’ll knock you out.
“TROUBADOURS, ROCKERS & PUNKS” | November 17-January 6 | Dryden Gallery, 27 Dryden Ln, Providence | 401.421.6196
All 'Merican
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REAL ROOTS: Daltry.
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Chris Daltry has made bewitching indie and acoustic-based roots music for quite a while, going back to the acclaimed Purple Ivy Shadows and continuing with the on-again/off-again work of his pet project the ’Mericans. Daltry’s latest incarnation is a lazy susan of a band, with rotating members all taking turns bringing their leader’s songs to life. But Daltry hasn’t made a significant recording of his ’Mericans work — until now.
’Merican Recordings is inspired by Johnny Cash’s work of nearly the same name. As you might know, in his last years, Cash was coaxed by producer Rick Rubin to record a collection of sparse numbers, just his voice and an acoustic guitar. In the same way, ’Merican Recordings is Daltry, a guy with Southern roots himself, expressing his admiration for both Cash and the acoustic idiom.
The 20-minute EP, pressed in a silk-screened, limited edition of 250, includes eight gorgeous tracks, all written, recorded, and mixed by Daltry. He was joined in the studio by Joel Thibodeau (String Builder/Death Vessel) on background vocals, mandolin, and harmonica, Margie Wienk (Fern Knight) on upright bass, and Daltry’s former Purple Ivy Shadow partner Will Rice on banjo.
Daltry’s best work has the bucolic flavor of acoustic archetypes like Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and Neil Young and his record release party, featuring a full band helping him flesh out these tunes, should be the perfect showcase for it.
THE ’MERICANS + SHEPHERDESS + THE DIRTY BAKER + JENNIFER GREER | November 17 | AS220 | 401.831.9327
Wandering eye
On Friday and Saturday, November 17 and 18, THE HIGH ROLLERS’ new lineup premieres at the Narragansett Café in Jamestown. It’s Tom Ferraro on guitar, Thom Enright on bass, Bob Christina on drums, Keith Munslow on keys, and Greg Sharrod on vocals. Call 401.423.2150. The Providence Black Rep and Soul Optics Entertainment will host C.L. SMOOTH on Friday as part of the monthly Grand Tracks producer showcase. Smooth and a slew of local producers will perform at 10:30 pm at the Xxodus Café, 276 Westminster Street. Call 401.351.0353.
Blackstone River Theatre will present “An Evening of Ocean State Songwriters,” featuring seven members of the Rhode Island Songwriters Association, on Friday at 8 pm. Scheduled for the show are FRANK MARTYN, CHRIS MONTI, SUSAN LAINEY, KIM LAMOTHE, ERIC FONTANA, CHRIS WILHELM,, and PATTI DEROSA. Admission is $10. Call 401.725.9272.
Email the author
Bob Gulla: bobgulla@verizon.net.