Ultra5280's Best Photos of 2016

This year the Ultra5280 shutterbugs were all over the place. One of the coolest things we get to do around here is share our amazing photos with you from all the amazing concerts we get to cover. With a talented staff of amazing photographers some of these images are beyond words. A huge shoutout to all those who put in many hours and sacrifice to bring you these amazing photos. Big thanks to Matt Smith, Maddie Casey, Robert Castro, Andrew Rios, Milo Lee Hickman, and Stephanie Mathena. From Radiohead to Dolly Parton we present to you The Top Images of 2016....Ultra5280 Style.

Photo credits: Stephanie Mathena, Milo Lee Hickman, Maddie Casey, Andrew Rios, Matt Smith, Robert Castro. (All Rights Reserved)

Music | Austin City Limits Music Festival | Saturday (Day Two) | Review and Photos

The sun setting on a wonderful day two of the festival. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Day two of the festival had us up early to catch some amazing sets, one thing that sets this festival apart from others is the fact that we get to hear bands play earlier sets that then end up becoming household names in a couple years. First on the agenda was the smooth, romantic sounds of Father John Misty who as always put it all on display. With heartfelt lyrics and emotional and sometimes sexually driven gyrating it had everybody in the crowd hot (and not from the sun). He took his antics to the crowd as they only fed his energy for the rest of his set.

Mandy Lee of Misterwives.(Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Mandy Lee of Misterwives.(Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

We love music al acts that feed off the energy of the crowd, one particular band we have been following for some time now is Misterwives (in fact we will be seeing them in Denver this coming Friday). Mandy Lee lead singer controls the stage from the opening numbers prancing and dancing non stop through the whole set. The infectious pop lyrics resonated with the younger crowd as a few radio favorite hits could be heard sung in unison through their set. A fun energetic band, we are always a sucker for their bubble gum laced songs that bring us nothing but joy.

Josh Dun of twenty one pilots (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Tyler Joseph of twenty one pilots (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

One of the most talked about buzz bands of this year would certainly be twenty one pilots. In fact we got a chance to see them recently during their epic performance at Red Rocks just a few short weeks ago. Talk about all out energy. the duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun play a unique combination of an indie-spoken word hybrid that channels early Beastie Boys mixed in with a little Eminem all while slaying drums and even a mandolin make an appearance. The duo had the most crowded stage for all of the early sets, and while temperatures reached the upper 90's the band played an almost flawless set while the crowd ate it all up.. Truly a performance that will be talked about in the future from this up and coming duo.

A$AP Rocky has been on our radar for a long time now and for many he can beat a hit or miss act. We've been following A$AP since his early days during his small SXSW sets in the past. An artist who has truly grown from the perspective of not only a well versed rapper, but also an overall performer. A$AP weekend two performance was absolutely brilliant. Performing in what seemed a throwback 50's diner setup he blasted through many of his well known hits that have put him at the top of hip hop's elite classification. Riding the tails of his new album it gave the audience a chance to listen to one of the best albums this year live and a performance that truly resonated and got the crowd hyped for the rest of the night. The night ended with memorable sets from Drake and deadmau5 who played opposite ends of each others headlining stages. 

Ultra5280's The Year In Photos 2014

The Ultra5280 shutterbugs were out in full force this year capturing some of the best moments in music. With over 5,000 photos taken throughout the year it was a daunting task to capture our favorite moments. Bands such as Phantogram and Outkast gave us props for our photography featuring them on their respective social media networks. From small shows to large scale festivals, this year brought our best moments in the form of a photograph. The amount of emotion that we are able to capture truly speaks a thousand words. We present to you our year in photos 2014. (All images are copyrighted)

Twenty | One | Pilots: Concert Review & Photos | May

Tyler Joseph of twenty | one | pilots in the crowd during Friday night's show at The Ogden Theatre. (photo credit: Maddie Casey)

Tyler Joseph of twenty | one | pilots in the crowd during Friday night's show at The Ogden Theatre. 

(photo credit: Maddie Casey)

Last November I accidentally stumbled upon my favorite new band of the last five years: a young, curiously diverse group called Twenty One Pilots. A few different events from March through November led me to a random show one Friday night at The Bluebird; it appeared the universe had made it my mission to see this group, and I chose not to ignore it. I chose wisely, as I left the venue that night with a t-shirt, a CD, and a newfound addiction. I have eagerly awaited this groups return to the Mile High City, and this past Friday night my patience was rewarded another outstanding performance, solidifying Twenty One Pilots’ current standing in my mind as this generations live act to beat.

Opening the night were two groups, Hunter Hunted and Swedish group NONONO, my favorite of the two being Hunter Hunted. Playing melodically sweet pop tunes, this duo based out of Los Angeles certainly got the crowd excited for the show. Bandmates Dan Chang and Michael Garner (the bands only two true members) were not alone on stage this evening, rather, they were nicely complimented by a full backing band. The crowd was sadly too young for the most part to recognize the band's beautiful rendition of the Pixies "Where Is My Mind”, but danced along to it as well as tracks off the band's self-titled EP. Fun, synth-pop driven beats with catchy lyrics and lovely harmonies, this band seems poised for some radio success similar to what we’ve seen another new group, American Authors. The band had to step away from recording their first full-length album to join this tour, but will be returning to the studio when the run finishes this week. Fans should expect new a new release by the end of the year, when they’ll be able to hear my favorite track from the set, a new song which I believe was called “Ghost”.

Dan Chang of Hunter Hunted (photo credit: Maddie Casey)

Dan Chang of Hunter Hunted (photo credit: Maddie Casey)

As the house lights dimmed and the opening lines of "Guns for Hands" began to play, I couldn't tell which was louder: the bass or the crowd. Lights were flashing as lead singer Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun took to the stage wearing their signature ski masks and blue suit coats - immediately bringing new energy to the packed room. With ferocity and fervor, Joseph attacked the stage, moving effortlessly back and forth between working the crowd and the confines of his upright piano.

When I saw the band in November, one of the things I was blown away by was their fans tenacity. The audience was surprisingly young to me, but they knew every word to every song, knew the band's "gang sign", and each wore as much merch as they could fit onto their bodies. These kids were diehard fans...it was astounding. I hadn't seen kids this passionate about artists since the Fueled By Ramen/pop-punk takeover of 2005. Seeing people that excited about music made me believe this little band was worth my attention, and they have done nothing but prove me right. This passion is understandable when you listen to the lyrics of the band's debut album, Vessel. Songs like “Migrane”, “Semi Automatic”, and their current radio single “Car Radio” feature impressively honest lyrics that seem to speak to your soul. Joseph manages to take the most common of interpersonal struggles and re-write these realities using beautifully simplistic terms. Both terrifyingly honest and curiously uplifting, this band’s music is above all else a testimony to the idea that the human condition is a shared struggle. No one goes through these battles alone, and we can survive only by sticking together. 

Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots (photo credit: Maddie Casey)

Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots (photo credit: Maddie Casey)

The audience was slightly more mixed age-wise this time around, with an older demographic filling the back bar and upstairs balcony, but same herd of diehard young fans packed the lower tiers of the theater. The most apparent change of the evening was in the band themselves. Growing from energetic musicians into exceptional performers, the band I had already designated as the "best show of 2013" has only gotten better. Playing the first three songs of the set in varying costumes, Joseph seems to take on a new identity behind his masks. Beginning the set standing on his piano overlooking the crowd, Joseph rubbed his hands together, plotting his takeover like a cartoon villain planning his next scheme. As the evening progressed and the walls between crowd and performer slowly deteriorated, the costumes disappeared. By song six, a beautiful cover of the classic “Mad World”, Joseph was bearing it all to the audience in a simple tank top and beanie, finally “himself” among his adoring fans.

This band's crowd interaction is half the reason I love them the way I do. Throughout the night both Joseph and Dun would climb into the crowd, Dun even playing a mini drum kit harnessed down on plywood, being held in the air by the audience. Ending the set with both men playing glowing Tom drums while being suspended in air by fans during the song “Trees”, it would be hard-pressed to find a more energetic crowd elsewhere. With a light show so good I literally gave band’s lighting director the little cash I had on hand as a tip, and band members both physically and emotionally leaving it all on stage, you are doing yourself a major disservice not seeing this band live. They truly embody the idea of loving what you do, making it so obvious it’s contagious. This dynamic duo will be back in Denver July 19th playing at 93.3FM KTCL’s “Big Gig” at Fiddler’s Green, and if you miss this show, you WILL be sorry. I have a feeling their time in the spotlight is only beginning, and I cannot wait to see what comes next. 

-Maddie

 

Check out the gallery below for more photos: