SonicShooter - Concert photography and band portraiture by Cary Liao

Before ‘The Voice’: Juliet Simms Through the Years

Cary — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:47:52 +0000

Before her new rise to fame through the NBC talent show, ‘The Voice’, Juliet Simms and her band, Automatic Loveletter, were a constant fixture in the Vans Warped Tour lineup. Check out some photos of Juliet through the years below.

Vans Warped Tour 2008, Camden, NJ / Photo: Cary Liao

Vans Warped Tour 2008, Englishtown, NJ / Photo: Cary Liao

Vans Warped Tour 2010, Camden, NJ / Photo: Cary Liao/Sierra Kusterbeck

Vans Warped Tour 2010, Oceanport, NJ / Photo: Cary Liao

Vans Warped Tour 2011, Scranton, PA / Photo: Cary Liao

Erik Petersen of Balance and Composure

Cary — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:20:27 +0000

For the September edition of “My Favorite Gear”, I headed to Doylestown, PA to visit Balance and Composure guitarist, Erik Petersen. I had previously met up with the band for April’s “100 Bands You Need To Know” article. Check out a preview of Erik’s photo below, and pick up the September issue of Alternative Press to read the interview!

Alternative Press – September 2011

Vans Warped Tour 2011: Scranton

Cary — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 03:14:28 +0000

The Vans Warped Tour hit the slopes of Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA on Thursday, drawing more than 10,000 fans on a warm, summer day. It was the first of 7 Warped Tour dates for Grammy Award-nominee Paramore, while other featured acts included the likes of 3OH!3, The Devil Wears Prada, Relient K, Simple Plan, and Less Than Jake. Check out a small taste of the action below, and visit the Warped Tour website to find upcoming shows near you.

Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada / Photo: Cary Liao

Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red / Photo: Cary Liao

Sean Foreman of 3OH!3 / Photo: Cary Liao

Rou Reynolds of Enter Shikari / Photo: Cary Liao

Rory Clewlow of Enter Shikari / Photo: Cary Liao

Eric Sean Nally of Foxy Shazam / Photo: Cary Liao

Daisy Caplan of Foxy Shazam / Photo: Cary Liao

Juliette Simms of Automatic Loveletter / Photo: Cary Liao

Hayley Williams of Paramore / Photo: Cary Liao

Didn’t get your fill? Check out some photo from Warped Tour past, here.

Sean Mackin of Yellowcard

Cary — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 06:08:29 +0000

Following Rian Dawson’s “My Favorite Gear” shoot, I caught up with Sean Mackin, violinist and backing vocalist of Yellowcard, at The Dirty Work Tour. In addition to showing off a 100 year old classical and Zeta electric violin, Sean displayed his ninja reflexes by saving my Canon Speedlite 580EX II from hitting the pavement, while holding 2 violins. Read his interview in the August edition of Alternative Press magazine, in stores on July 5th, and check out a video from Yellowcard’s new album, When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes, below:

Alternative Press – August 2011

Yellowcard – For You, And Your Denial – Official Video

Rian Dawson of All Time Low

Cary — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 02:06:55 +0000

For the July issue of Alternative Press, I was asked to photograph Rian Dawson of All Time Low for the monthly “My Favorite Gear” piece. Having worked with the band several times before, Rian was the only member I hadn’t covered yet. Since his drum kit needed to be in the picture, we were limited to shooting on stage, and to complicate things a bit, the kit was on a 3 foot high riser. Luckily, I brought along a 6-foot ladder, and we were able to use the stage lighting for a little bit of ambiance. To read the article, grab a copy of the new Alternative Press, available on newsstands July 7th.

Alternative Press – July 2011

Check out more All Time Low coverage here!

Balance and Composure

Cary — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:12:47 +0000

In November, I met up with Balance and Composure to shoot for Alternative Press’ annual “100 Bands You Need To Know” article. The Doylestown, PA band was at Starland Ballroom winding down the Out With the In Crowd Tour with Senses Fail, Bayside, and Title Fight. I had initially planned on doing the photo shoot outdoors, but less-than-ideal weather forced us to work within the venue. Grab a copy of the April 2011 edition of Alternative Press to read the article!

Alternative Press – April 2011

AP’s 25th Anniversary Party with The Starting Line

Cary — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 18:37:00 +0000

On December 17th, Alternative Press held a special fan appreciation party at the North Star Bar in Philadelphia, to celebrate the magazine’s 25th anniversary. The show featured The Starting Line, who last played together a year earlier, and opened with a new song entitled “Luck”. Check out some of my photos below, or in the March 2011 issue of Alternative Press.

Alternative Press – March 2011

The Starting Line / Photo by: Cary Liao

Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line / Photo by: Cary Liao

The Starting Line / Photo by: Cary Liao

Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line / Photo by: Cary Liao

Photo by: Cary Liao

Tom Gryskewicz of The Starting Line / Photo by: Cary Liao

Brian Schmutz of The Starting Line / Photo by: Cary Liao

Photo by: Cary Liao

The Starting Line / Photo by: Cary Liao

And here’s APTV’s coverage of the show:

All Time Low

Cary — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:08:01 +0000

Back in October, I photographed All Time Low at their “My Small Package” show at Irving Plaza, New York City, for Alternative Press Magazine. Here are some previews from the January 2011 issue (on stands now), along with a few photos that didn’t make the cut.

All Time Low / Photo: Cary Liao

Jack Barakat of All Time Low / Photo: Cary Liao

Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low / Photo: Cary Liao

All Time Low / Photo: Cary Liao

The AP Tour Fall 2010

Cary — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 05:05:49 +0000

The Fall edition of the AP Tour came to Philadelphia on Thursday, showcasing Bring Me the Horizon, August Burns Red, Emarosa, Polar Bear Club, and This Is Hell. Check out some of the scenes below, and then click on the link to Alternative Press for more photos.

Photo: Cary Liao

Jimmy Stadt of Polar Bear Club / Photo: Cary Liao

Jonny Craig of Emarosa / Photo: Cary Liao

Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red / Photo: Cary Liao

August Burns Red / Photo: Cary Liao

Oliver Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon / Photo: Cary Liao

Hop over to the Alternative Press website to see more photos!

The Dresden Dolls 10th Anniversary Reunion Show

Cary — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:45:31 +0000

On Halloween night, The Dresden Dolls performed a reunion show at Irving Plaza in New York City, on the 10th anniversary of the band’s creation. It ended a two year hiatus for the band, and is the first of a dozen shows on the reunion tour. If you weren’t able to make the show, check out some footage below, and visit the link at the bottom to check out the rest of the photos on the Alternative Press website.

The Dresden Dolls / Photo: Cary Liao

Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls / Photo: Cary Liao

Brian Viglione of The Dresden Dolls / Photo: Cary Liao

Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls / Photo: Cary Liao

The Dresden Dolls / Photo: Cary Liao

Brian Viglione of The Dresden Dolls / Photo: Cary Liao

Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls / Photo: Cary Liao

Check out the full set over at AltPress.com!