“Did you check everything? Are your batteries fully charged? Are your lenses clean? Seriously, check everything!” To say I gain a little OCD before shooting shows at Madison Square Garden is an understatement. It’s not that I don’t triple-check things to begin with, but this is the most famous arena in the world. You want […]
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UTG PHOTOS: Fall Out Boy, Awolnation, and PVRIS in New York, NY (03/04/16)
March 14th, 2016 
MJ Rawls 
Posted in Features, Live, News, Photos, Reviews, utg photos 
Tags: Awolnation, concert photography, fall out boy, madison square garden, photos, Pvris, wintour is coming 
Comments Off on UTG PHOTOS: Fall Out Boy, Awolnation, and PVRIS in New York, NY (03/04/16)UTG PHOTOS: Sun|Drones in New York, NY (03/01/16)
March 11th, 2016 MJ Rawls New York is an epicenter for indie rock. If you walk right down Ludlow Street in Manhattan, you will be surrounded by a number of bars housing some of the most intimate shows in the city. On this particular night, Pianos NYC was packed to the max. I had gotten in line where some people […]
Posted in Features, Live, News, Photos, Reviews Tags: concert photography, island records, live, love show, photos, Pianos NYC, Sun|Drones Comments Off on UTG PHOTOS: Sun|Drones in New York, NY (03/01/16)UTG PHOTOS: Mija in Grand Rapids, MI (2/25/16)
March 7th, 2016 Benjamin Howell On February 25, Mija phased through The Stache in Grand Rapids, MI with VANTAGE and Attak in a blur of lasers, smoke and bass. The venue was packed before the show even began; everyone came to party. Equipped with glowing everything, the crowd was happy to show me why they believed Mija to be one […]
Posted in Features, Live, News, Photos Tags: attak, Grand Rapids, Mija, mija 2-25, photos, The Intersection, The Stache, VANTAGE Comments Off on UTG PHOTOS: Mija in Grand Rapids, MI (2/25/16)UTG TV: Crucible, Ghost Key, Toothgrinder at The Loft in Lansing, MI
February 11th, 2016 Benjamin Howell On January 8, Crucible rolled through The Loft in Lansing, MI for the first stop on their mini tour with Ghost Key and Toothgrinder. Crucible, the heavy metal side project made up of members from We Came As Romans, Taproot, and Assassins made their first appearance at the end of last year with the release […]
Posted in Features, Live, News, UTG TV Tags: attention to detail, Bastard, break stuff, Crucible, crucible 2016, crucible cover, crucible live, crucible tour, dismantle, fear monger, Ghost Key, ghost key 2016, ghost key live, ghost key tour, judgement, lace and anchor, limp bizkit cover, nocturnal masquerade, the house, the house that fear built, the loft lansing, the things i am not, the trials ep, Toothgrinder, toothgrinder 2016, toothgrinder live Comments Off on UTG TV: Crucible, Ghost Key, Toothgrinder at The Loft in Lansing, MIUTG PHOTOS: Muse in Newark, New Jersey (01/29/16)
February 5th, 2016 MJ Rawls Under The Gun Review sent photographer MJ Rawls to The Prudential Center in NJ to shoot Muse on their ‘Drones’ tour. There are some concerts that feel like your typical night out. You know, the pause, the looking down at your phone, and the waiting for the band to play that favorite song for you […]
Posted in Features, Live, Photos, Reviews, utg photos Tags: 'Drones', concert photography, concert review, drones tour, live, muse, photos, Warner Brothers Records, X Ambassadors Comments Off on UTG PHOTOS: Muse in Newark, New Jersey (01/29/16)UTG PHOTOS: Jess Glynne in New York City (01/20/16)
February 4th, 2016 MJ Rawls Under The Gun Review sent photographer MJ Rawls to Webster Hall in NYC to shoot Jess Glynne on her ‘I Cry When I Laugh’ Tour. Have you ever been in the car and heard a song so catchy, you couldn’t get your phone out fast enough to find out what it was? (Not while driving, […]
Posted in Features, Live, Photos, utg photos Tags: atlantic records, Conrad Sewell, i cry when i laugh, Jess Glynne, live, photos Comments Off on UTG PHOTOS: Jess Glynne in New York City (01/20/16)UTG PHOTOS: Circa Survive in New York City (10/23/15)
November 20th, 2015 MJ Rawls Under The Gun Review sent photographer MJ Rawls to Playstation Theater in NYC to shoot Circa Survive on their ‘Juturna’ 10-year anniversary tour with RX Bandits and Citizen. There’s something about your first album. It’s the grit, the unbridled passion, and the uneasy feeling of looking down the road to see if it’s going to […]
Posted in Features, Live, News, Photos, utg photos Tags: anthony green, circa survive, Citizen, concert photography, descensus, Juturna, juturna 10 year anniversary tour, live photos, photos, rx bandits Comments Off on UTG PHOTOS: Circa Survive in New York City (10/23/15)
UTG PHOTOS: Zedd at Madison Square Garden (10/02/15)
October 16th, 2015 MJ Rawls I’d be lying to you if I said that doing photography at Madison Square Garden wasn’t a dream. It’s one of the bucket list items I put in the slightly frayed notebook I have with the page half ripped and discolored. Zedd has come a long way since his start in a German deathcore band. […]
Posted in Features, Live, News, Photos Tags: AlunaGeorge, concert photos, live, madeon, madison square garden, MSG, photos, zedd Comments Off on UTG PHOTOS: Zedd at Madison Square Garden (10/02/15)
UTG PHOTOS: Funk Volume Tour in Grand Rapids, MI (10/6/15)
October 14th, 2015 Benjamin Howell Caution! The Funk Volume Tour is coming to a city near you. On October 6 the Funk Volume Tour stormed through The Intersection in Grand Rapids, MI with a powerful message and an impressive crowd for a Tuesday night. This was the first time I had been able to catch almost all of the Funk Volume […]
Posted in Features, Live, News, Photos Tags: alien, Dizzy Wright, Funk Volume, Funk Volume Tour, Grand Rapids, Hopsin, Jarren Benton, Pound Syndrome, The Growing Process, The Intersection Comments Off on UTG PHOTOS: Funk Volume Tour in Grand Rapids, MI (10/6/15)
UTG PHOTOS: Fronzilla, Palisades & More in Grand Rapids, MI (9/28/15)
October 1st, 2015 Benjamin Howell On September 28, Fronzilla rolled through The Stache in Grand Rapids, MI alongside It Lives, It Breathes, Whitney Peyton, and Palisades to support his debut rap album, Party People’s Anthem, available now through Razor & Tie Records. The mysterious “Stache” has become an ongoing topic of conversation for newcomers each time I visit The Intersection. […]
Posted in Features, Live, News, Photos Tags: Attila, attila frontman, fear of falling, Fronz, Fronzilla, Grand Rapids, independence day, it breathes, it lives, le fronz, mind games, Palisades, Party Peoples Anthem, razor and tie, Sick, silver knights, silver/knights, silverIknights, stay sick, stay sick clothing, stay sick records, The Fronz, The Intersection, The Stache, whitney peyton Comments Off on UTG PHOTOS: Fronzilla, Palisades & More in Grand Rapids, MI (9/28/15)
UTG PHOTOS: Island Life NYC – Nick Jonas, Shawn Mendes, Kiesza & More (9/8/15)
September 30th, 2015 MJ Rawls Until this show, I had never seen the Best Buy Theater filled and come together so lively with younger fans in all my history of going to concerts at the venue. Let’s be fair: usually the concerts I attend embody a bit older audience. Perhaps, I was just going to the wrong shows. Island Life–essentially […]
Posted in Features, Live, Photos, Reviews, utg photos Tags: American Authors, Island Life, island records, Kiesza, nick jonas, shawn mendes, Timeflies Comments Off on UTG PHOTOS: Island Life NYC – Nick Jonas, Shawn Mendes, Kiesza & More (9/8/15)
A Dose of The Dear Hunter, a Calming Cure
September 28th, 2015 Brian Leak On Tuesday, September 22, I suffered–for the first time in my life–what I can only describe as a nervous breakdown. Layer upon layer of concealed stress and anxiety finally erupted, systematically shorting out my brain, leaving me to withstand the overwhelming screams within my head (not to mention my heart, which felt like an infant […]