So – I work with bands. I’ve been a commercial photographer for a long time. 40 years.

Yes, I’m that old.

I kind of fell into music the last 6 or 7 years. And it was a crazy fall. It started out as just getting music into my photo studio. Get some creative juices flowing in the space. Then it seemed to take on a life of it’s own. I ended up helping an artist, getting him some equipment that he needed and helping him record his first EP. I produced the project, which means I paid for it. I helped him get a band together and managed it. Which means I paid for it.

Being a band manager for a local band means your the promoter, manager, roadie, merch vendor, drink buyer and band therapist. And you pay for it. Maybe, if you’re lucky and the band is good, you make some of it back, but that’s not so often. And, as a photographer, you get to shoot the band. And if you’re lucky enough, and the band is good enough, they open for some bigger shows and you get to shoot those bands too.

That’s how I fell into this gig.

I have photographed some big names, bands that I get to hear on the radio. But mostly I work with local and regional bands. Bands you have probably never heard of. But that’s unfortunate. The talent out there, that you never hear about, is pretty amazing.

Which brings me to my point. Local bands are awesome. Really.

So here is the thing. I’ve worked with some big names. That means dealing with promoters, management, record labels. Big business. And quite frankly, that’s a pain in the ass.

Local bands have no promoters or corporate management or record companies calling the shots. They have full time jobs at Walmart or UPS or are a bartender or one of a dozen other ways to pay rent. They have no money for the band. No budget for marketing. They play whenever they can, wherever they can and hope to make enough money to pay the bar bill at the end of the night. They spend endless hours rehearsing, driving to shows, scrape together money for gas, guitar strings and drum sticks. Maybe they can eat at Taco Bell that night.

They are passionate about what they do. They are not looking for the big record contract and have no illusions about playing on stage at the CMA awards. Sure, they dream. Everybody dreams. But they are typically realists. They play because they love to play. They will happily play for a crowd of 10 people and perform like they have a sold out arena show.

They will hang out after the show and have a drink or 4 and stand behind a folding table and sell t-shirts and hats and beer coozies that cost them more than what they will make in 5 or 6 shows.

They are business people. Entrepreneurs. Constantly scrapping for whatever they can to pay for gas to get to the next show. And they are pretty much always in the red.

They do it because they love the art.

They write music that no one ever hears, play cover songs that everyone knows and once in a while, sign t-shirts or hats or drumsticks for an appreciative drunk who just knows they are going to make it big.

It really sounds like a losing proposition. Elon Musk would never approve of the business model.

But they do it. Every weekend. They rehearse after their full time jobs and play private parties and weddings and dive bars and wherever they can play.

Because they believe.

They believe in their art, they believe in their voice, they believe in their musical talent.

I like working with those no-name bands. Frankly, better than working with most big name bands where I can make more money photographing them.

Local bands without promoters and corporate management and record contract are the real deal. Their egos are in check, they appreciate the crowd and they appreciate what I can give them as a photographer. When I can deliver really good photographs to a local band, they really appreciate it and brag about the work.

I kind of like that, I’ll be honest.

They post them and use them endlessly to promote their shows. They use them for their profile pictures and send them to their mothers.

Okay, maybe that’s a stretch.

The fact is, I feel good when I can help local bands succeed. And if my photos help with that, it’s a win for me.

So do yourself a favor and go see a show. Sure go see U2 at the Sphere, but go see a local band. You’ll have fun, you’ll see some amazing talent from real people and you help out an artist.

And all artist could use the help.