Geese Live at Crescent Ballroom

The Energy of a Room That’s Already Full

There’s something different about walking into Crescent Ballroom on a night when Geese is playing. The room feels charged before the first note even hits — like everyone’s collectively leaning forward, waiting for something to detonate (like their encore 'Trinidad'). As a photographer, that’s the kind of atmosphere that makes you lock in before you even pull the camera out of your bag.

For this show, I wasn’t just there to shoot a band. I was there to capture a moment in their trajectory — Geese evolving, experimenting, and somehow getting even tighter as performers. Crescent is small enough to feel intimate but big enough to let a band really stretch out. And Geese stretched.

Finding the Shot

Crescent Ballroom’s lighting is a puzzle I’ve shot enough times to appreciate but never completely trust. It shifts between moody reds, deep blues, and sudden bursts of white that last just long enough to nail a frame if your timing is right.

Geese leans into that energy. Cameron’s expressions don’t just give you opportunities — they demand you take the shot. And the band’s constant motion means there’s no such thing as waiting for the perfect moment; you’re creating them on the fly.

I ended up shooting a mix of portrait-style frames and wide shots to show the room breathing with them. Crescent’s stage doesn’t give you much space, so you learn to move with intention — small shifts, quick angles, anticipating the beats.

Why This Show Felt Different

There were moments where everything synced: the lights, the movement, the sound, and my shutter. Those are the shots I live for — the ones where you look at the back of the camera and know immediately, yeah, that’s the one.

If you’re looking for concert photography in Phoenix — whether for bands, venues, or artist promo — this show reinforced how much I thrive in these environments. Live music, fast-moving subjects, challenging light — that’s where I do my best work.