The Moment Between Moments – Cover Photo for Unwound’s boxset, Empire

I appreciate the subtle and quiet pauses. I took this picture 13 years ago. Unwound was playing the Great American Music Hall in support of their latest and last record, Leaves Turn Inside You. I was on assignment to photograph them for Magnet Magazine.

12 years later I posted a photo on Instagram from the portrait session, a phone camera shot of a contact sheet. I hash tagged it #unwound. Justin Trosper, lead singer and guitarist of the band, saw it and asked if I had more. I sent a few and they chose this image of him setting up his gear. Now its the cover of their box set, Empire. The last of a reissue series of their complete recordings put out by Numero Group and all designed by Henry Owings.

The cover

The original, uncropped and untreated.

The image posted on Instagram that started it all.
(L-R) Sara Lund, Bradt Sandeno, Justin Trosper, and Vern Rumsey.
This was in my backyard, when I lived on Monterey Boulevard in San Francisco.

Go out to the Richmond neighborhood of SF and hear some great sounds

Coming soon to So To Speak will be episodes featuring the The Mattson 2.

Eat dinner at Burma Superstar and after, walk a block down to hear some great music at Park Life a fantastic gallery/bookstore.

Tomorrow, Saturday March 3. It will start around 7:30pm. The show is free and open to all ages.

Park Life Store
220 Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94118

Bio:
With their signature suits in tow, both Jared and Jonathan have relentlessly toured venues throughout South America, Europe, Japan and Scandinavia, generating global acclaim while also further curating their sound into a musical kaleidoscope that brings to mind everyone from Charles Mingus and Chet Baker to the Smiths and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Having performed and recorded with the likes of Ray Barbee and Tommy Guerrero, the Mattson 2 have grown up quick, accomplishing more in a short time than many musicians in their entire career, and thus further providing a mature sound that is equally at home on the beach as it is in the smokey jazz clubs. Tighten that tie, turn up the volume, dig your toes in the sand and soak in the shimmery whitewash of the Mattson 2.

and then there was dancing

Witnessed a fantastic evening of music last night at Park Life, a retail store and art gallery located in the Inner Richmond in San Francisco. Tommy Guerrero and Monte Vallier began with sonic washes each armed with a Fender Bass and stomp boxery. The Mattson 2 hypnotized us with their arrangement of Louis Andriessen’s Worker’s Union. Later, Thomas Campbell played the hits for the kids. I walked out of there while they danced to “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” by Culture Club. Perfect!

More about the Mattsons here – mattson2.com
More about Park Life here – www.parklifestore.com