Wot’s… Uh The Deal?

You’re here! You’re checking out Dangit Bee! I love it. Thanks for stopping by.

You may be wondering what Dangit Bee! even is, and that’s understandable, so I’ll get right into it. Dangit Bee! will offer multifaceted performance reviews of music’s heaviest live acts, taking you from the mosh pit into the photo pit. 

You’ll read concert reviews that cover all the usual details – the show, the set list, etc. – but you’ll also get the added perspective of what it was like to shoot the performance along with relevant photography tips and insights. It’s a concert review and a photography lesson in one! That’s what I’m going for, at least.

Is that a bit niche? I feel like it’s a bit niche. That’s ok. We can find something to work with. How about I tell you why I’m doing this?

First, let me take you back to the early 90’s. I think it was 1994? To be honest, I don’t know the exact year so let’s stick with “early 90’s”. I was in elementary school. Anyway, when I was at my friend’s house one day, I walked into his room and immediately became transfixed by the Pearl Jam poster on his wall.

The poster was of Kevin Westenberg‘s iconic image of Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament, the two leaning back to back mid-song during their performance at Lollapalooza ’92 in Bremerton, WA. I was mesmerized by the sheer power of the image. It was as if I could hear the music just by looking at it. I had never seen a photo capture everything I loved about music so perfectly. And it stuck with me.

Fast forward a few decades (yikes) to the present, and now I’m a concert photographer myself, forever chasing a “Pearl Jam Leaning at Lolla”-level shot of my own. But you know what? I don’t have to “catch” it. The chase, shooting concert after concert in search of iconic moments – that’s where my joy lies. If I’m lucky, I’ll have to keep chasing for decades to come.

I created Dangit Bee! to celebrate the art of concert photography, the music it captures, and the people that make it happen: musicians, photographers, venues, fans, publicists; the list goes on. My focus will be in the rock and metal space because it’s what I know and love, but I’m certainly not afraid to explore beyond those genres if the opportunity presents itself. Dangit Bee! is about a universal love of live music, after all.

I hope you’ll join me as I build out Dangit Bee! with plenty of bells and, if I can be so fortunate, perhaps some whistles too.

– Jason Bailey

P.S. If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you’re a friend of mine and that I shared the link with you myself in some fashion. I just want to say, to whomever you may be, that I’m sincerely grateful that you’re here.