Photos: Pharoahe Monch @ The Underground, Reno, NV 2011

Pharoahe Monch @ The Underground, Reno, NV 2011
Pharoahe Monch with gas mask in full effect...

Its not everyday that you see someone wearing a gas mask.  In fact, the last time I saw someone wearing a gas mask was during a zombie apocalypse film; and truthfully, civilization just isn’t to that point yet.  Realistically, I probably just need to go to Burning Man, and then this might not seem so extraordinary to me.  On the other hand, during that rainy evening of Sunday, June 5th, it was pure magic.

By magic, I’m referring to the stellar lineup found at The Underground in Reno, NV which was comprised of a slew of local musicians (NoBody Really we’re looking your direction), artists (Ashley Drake you’re awesome) and the hip hop legend whose parking spot I almost (unknowingly) stole, Pharoahe Monch.

As the show began, DJ Boogie Blind (X-Ecutioners), MeLa Machinko and Showtyme took the stage in saluting poses, the crowd packed in tightly against the monitors and our shutter began clicking away.  After a quick swipe from stage right to center and back again, I was in the perfect position to capture Pharoahe Monch’s arrival, gas mask and all.

In the two earlier postings from the evening of June 5th, I had noted that the venue was quite dark, especially if the performer(s) didn’t step all the way up to the front of the stage, extending themselves over the monitors. This did make for a challenging shoot, but luckily I was prepared for the worst, and hoping for the best.

That being said, I found that while shooting on my Nikon D7000 (Nikon 50mm f/1.8D lens) it was important to keep the aperture wide open at 1.8, my shutter speed relatively fast at 1/250th of a second and the ISO cranked up to 3200.  Admittedly, my thumb did take the shutter speed up a little bit accidentally at a couple moments in the evening (1/200th of a second was the fastest I noted), which may or may not be represented in one or more shots in the full gallery.

There are several crowd shots also included in the gallery, as there was an obvious and direct connection between those performing on-stage and the excitement found in the air, shared throughout the room.  In short, this was a show to remember for everyone in attendance, for a period lasting no less than a lifetime.

VIEW THE FULL PHAROAHE MONCH GALLERY HERE

DJ Boogie Blind with Pharoahe Monch @ The Underground, Reno, NV 2011
DJ Boogie Blind of X-Ecutioners rockin' the wheels of steel...
Mela Machinko with Pharoahe Monch @ The Underground, Reno, NV 2011
MeLa Machinko performing alongside Pharoahe Monch at The Underground...
Showtyme with Pharoahe Monch @ The Underground, Reno, NV 2011
Showtyme laying down soulful vocals alongside Pharoahe Monch on June 5th...
Pharoahe Monch @ The Underground, Reno, NV 2011
Pharoahe Monch taking full control of the mic, the audience and the room...
Pharoahe Monch @ The Underground, Reno, NV 2011
Always in touch with the audience, Pharoahe Monch keeps it rockin'...
Pharoahe Monch @ The Underground, Reno, NV 2011
The gas mask comes back out...

Camera(s) Used:

Nikon D7000

Lens(es) Used:

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D


Go On, Treat Yourself to Something Nice!

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Super-Happy Fun Bonus Pic!!!

Pharoahe Monch @ The Underground, Reno, NV 2011
Reno knows how to party, even on a rainy Sunday night...

Blake Tahoe, Aun, Yours Truly, Rameses, Mike Lucido, Ashley Drake @ The Underground, Reno, NV 2011

Ashley Drake @ The Underground, Reno, NV, June 5 2011
Ashley Drake fielding questions while creating live art at The Underground...

I’m imagining that most people wouldn’t go out of their way to leave the comfort of their home late on a Sunday evening in the pouring rain to take in a hip-hop show across town.  If you are one of the few who would at least consider the trek, we should be friends … or at least hang out on the weekend.

Having discovered that the vacant parking spot immediately outside of the venue was being saved for none other than Pharoahe Monch himself, I bravely discarded the security of my poncho and dodged raindrops from a not-too-distant parking spot; all the while shielding my current weapon of choice (Nikon D7000) under nothing more than a violet Ghostbusters t-shirt, I approached the door.

What I found upon my first visit to The Underground was nothing short of a hub of truly underground (18+) culture.  There were live artists (see Ashley Drake above and Mike Lucido in the full gallery) busy creating amidst bar patrons, hip hop heavies chatting up scenesters and a somewhat even mix of everything in between.  Then there was me.

I arrived during the opening moments of Blake Tahoe’s set, which allowed for a lot of dialing in the manual settings I would be largely using throughout the evening.  I found the venue to be quite dark, with lighting being more ideal when the artists moved to the very front of the stage.  On the 50mm f/1.8D prime lens I’ve been using recently, I took the aperture all the way up to 1.8, set the shutter speed at 1/250 of a second and cranked the ISO up to 3200 (yes, the D7000 will allow for this ridiculously high ISO with relatively no noise).

Fortuitously, there were just enough ‘quality’ shots taken of the opening groups flying outside of my pre-game radar (Blake Tahoe, Aun, Yours Truly & Rameses) to merit a full album, so here you go!

VIEW THE FULL BLAKE TAHOE, AUN, YOURS TRULY, RAMESES, MIKE LUCIDO, ASHLEY DRAKE GALLERY HERE

Blake Tahoe @ The Underground, Reno, NV, June 5 2011
Blake Tahoe flexin' on-stage at The Underground...
Aun @ The Undergroun, Reno, NV, June 5 2011
Aun of Black Rock City Allstars spittin' hot verses...
Yours Truly @ The Underground, Reno, NV, June 5 2011
Yours Truly warming up the stage for Pharoahe Monch...
Rameses @ The Underground, Reno, NV, June 5 2011
Rameses holding a pose on-stage at The Underground on June 5th...
A Guest of Rameses @ The Underground, Reno, NV, June 5 2011
Tasha, a female guest of Rameses, adding a flavorful punch to the evening...

Camera(s) Used:

Nikon D7000

Lens(es) Used:

Nikon 50mm f/1.8D


Go On, Treat Yourself to Something Nice!

Do you buy stuff online? Do you buy camera stuff online? If this post or anything else on ishootreno.com was helpful to you, please consider supporting this site and making your next photo gear, music or general purchase through one of our affiliate links:

Every time our readers buy new gear through our affiliate links, it helps us bring to the table more of that which brought you here in the first place — the ‘money’ shots!

The best part?!  It doesn’t cost our readers anything extra to show their support!

If our readers do pick up some new gear, please drop us a line … we always love to hear about your new additions!

Comments, Praise, Feedback?  We’re all ears!

Please let us know what you thought of this post on ishootreno.com!

Super-Happy Fun Bonus Pic!!!

Rain puddles @ The Underground, Reno, NV 2011
Dance floor rain puddles catching the light just right...