The Airborne Toxic Event: A Tour in 5 Images

By Glen

The Airborne Toxic Event’s fall tour was a visual spectacle, providing a superabundance of sublime photo opps for photographers both amateur and professional alike. We’ve spilled more than enough words (and numbers) in our attempts to reflect on paper screen what we witnessed with our eyes and ears; today we give in and admit that pictures say it better than we ever could.

Below, in no particular order, are five images that capture the heart of a tour to remember. If you’ve got a favorite image you’d like to share, link to it in the comments and we’ll share it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

On the second night of the Fillmore residency, Jessica Sandoval captured Steven Chen in full flight: bathed in red, framed by the now iconic bird, green lights shooting from each shoulder as if he’s a puppet on a pair of strings.

“Pin the Bird on the Band Member” became a popular game amongst TATE fans this fall. Our favorite example comes from Stan Silverman, who captured the angelic Anna Bulbrook on night three of the Fillmore residency.

It was a familiar sight almost every night: Adrian Rodriguez, Mikel Jollett and Daren Taylor kicking the encore into overdrive with a 3-man drum solo (is that an oxymoron?). In-the-crowd hijinks usually ensued. This image was captured by Jennifer McInnis (Creative Copper Images) in Vancouver.

My jaw dropped the first time I saw this photo by Ayaz Asif, captured in Burlington, and it continues to do so each time I look at it. The sheer joy radiating from Anna is mesmerizing.

Elva captured this perfect moment in time as the Vancouver show wound to a close. Daren Taylor’s god shot: “Let there be light,” says the Lord of the Drums, and it dutifully streams from above. In front of him, Mikel Jollett basks in the glow of yet another triumph.

Glen is the founder and editor of This Is Nowhere. He’s grateful for an understanding wife and kids who indulge his silly compulsion to chase a band all over the Pacific Northwest (and occasionally beyond) every time the opportunity arises.