It was an honor being hired as the event photographer for this brand new music venue opening up in the Washington, D.C. area. AMP by Strathmore is located in North Bethesda, MD at the new Pike & Rose Town Center. A private event was held on January 10th showcasing three great acts: Jocelyn Faro, Throwing Wrenches, and Driven to Clarity.
I entered through the parking garage and took the elevator up to the venue floor. The doors opened and I walked out to a very large sized room with fresh wooden floors. At this moment, the room was in a frenzy, with people moving to get everything organized and ready for the event. Before my brain could process everything, I was then escorted back to the green room to meet all of the entertainers.
Leaving the green room area I found myself coming out to the hallway, with a bar to my left and closed doors to the front. I moved around to capture images of attendees and staff and turned to view the entertainment room. This beautiful room was the epitome of class and elegance. What caught my eye first were the light bulbs hanging down from a loft-like ceiling. Right away it gave the room an intimate feel and fit right in with the stage and seating.
The back and side walls were covered with glass from the floor up. Being a musician myself, I couldn't see this being a good idea for a live sound venue, however, when Throwing Wrenches had their sound check, it altered my perception of sound against glass. After getting caught up with the ambiance of the room, I finally focused on what was really important: the stage. It was lit up like Times Square on New Years Eve. My eyes were glued to the giant LED screen behind the drum set. I'm not sure what it will be used for in the future but I'm assuming it would be the same as this show, displaying the name of the artist on stage. Very well done.
I took one more look around the room, made sure my camera settings were correct, and headed back towards the green room to gather all the artists and get ready for the show.
Jocelyn Faro taking the stage and setting the mood.
Throwing Wrenches getting the crowd to stand up.
Driven to Clarity closing down the night.
Congratulations to all the performers, it was an epic night. Driven to Clarity did a terrific job of headlining this event. Yes it was their album release show, but they made it feel as if it was everyone else's night as well, and I had a blast. I'm excited to see more events at this venue and view the final result of the building. AMP opens their doors in March this year so start checking out their calender and go see a show!