A Perfect Circle at The Fox Theatre
I've been in love with the music of A Perfect Circle since my early high school days, and they've been on my bucket list of bands to see live ever since. So, when I heard they were coming through Detroit I was determined to be there. I got my tickets months ago, and about a week before the show I decided I may as well try for a photo pass.
I had seen a number of articles about people getting kicked out of these shows for having their cell phones out, so I figured photo passes would be in short supply and never really expected this to work out. It for sure wouldn't happen if I didn't ask though, so I figured I may as well give it a go.
Monica at Speakeasy PR is an awesome rep who responded very promptly and seemed very happy to fulfill my request - score! This would be my first time shooting at The Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit, so there was a but of a bumpy start when I arrived, but we got it all worked out and I was ready to go. The show was phenomenal. One of the best I've ever seen, which is surprising when you consider the frontman never took more than three steps during the whole performance. The opening Wizard of Oz-esque shadow display was thrilling to see, if not my favourite thing for photographing. When the curtain finally fell eighty per cent of the way through The Package and I was faced with heavy backlighting and a ton of haze I resigned myself to getting lacklustre images and decided to simply enjoy the show instead. When I was finished shooting I made my way to my seat in the upper balcony where I could properly take in the full effect of the show.
Similar to a Trans-Siberian Orchestra performance, being a bit further from the stage isn't a bad deal, as it allows you to see all of the lighting and effects as they spill from the stage. (The sound was a bit muddier than it had been at my shooting position near the soundboard, but that can't be helped. And even so, it sounded pretty awesome.)
The colour combinations and movements of the stage lighting were gorgeous, and perfectly complemented each song. The tour's light tech did his job so well that it was easy to forget that only two of the five people on stage were actually moving about - something I'd normally consider cause for complaint.
Effects and stage presence aside, however, it was a phenomenal performance on the part of the band. The set was two hours and even so it wasn't long enough. Finally having the chance to see these musicians do their thing live and in person was an unreal experience, and I can't wait for the promised return trip following their new album.
A Perfect Circle
The Beta Machine
