Countdown in Photos #24: Big Sur

Over the month of December I am planning to delight you with tales of my adventures as a concert photographer in 2011. They may be the best shots I took, or the best moments I experienced. Either way, it would be a shame for those to fall by the wayside and be left sitting dormant in my feeble mind. Keep coming back, there'll be a new one each day.

Check out yesterday's post with Levi Weaver.

Big Sur at Columbia City Theatre

More and more in these countdown posts I'm discussing some of my favorite people in our little music scene here in the emerald city. I say I'm lucky in almost every post but that's because I feel it through and through. I've moved in and out of many different circles just as I'm sure many of you have if you've lived here longer than two or three years.

I have yet to find a gathering of people that are more welcoming and just plain more fun than the musicians, fans, photographers and journalists that I now find myself interacting with on a daily and weekly basis.

It would be difficult to point out specific people that were more special than others, but Jake Hemming of Big Sur deserves special recognition for a couple key reasons. His booming voice moved and dazed me the first time I heard him live over a year ago at Columbia City Theatre. It was sort of a Tacoma showcase (back when he lived down south) along with Elk and Boar (another favorite band I'll be talking more about in 2012, no doubt). He only had an EP available but the minute his set was over I made my way to the merch table and bought it. It stayed in my car's cd player for months on end till I had to force myself to change it out.

While his music may mostly seem sad he has a way with words that speaks straight to you. Metaphors and similes have their place in music, there's no questioning that. However, when someone is able to speak plainly and beautifully without pretense it's something special. My favorite new song of his, "Big and Sexy", is the cutest and sweetest I've heard in a long time. Jason of SeismicSound.com captured this song in the video below from the same performance as today's photo.

His fun-loving and eternally happy personality shines through like a mid-day sunbeam. He gives the best hugs in the Northwest and it's a joy to know he's in the world.