Posts Tagged ‘Music’

AJ Smith and the Apollo

Jammin’ Java

AJ Smith and the Apollo at Jammin Java
AJ Smith and the Apollo at Jammin Java ©TimeLine Media

Last summer was the first year for the Fresh Artists Summer Concert Series at Tysons Corner Center. This collection of musicians was put together by 94.7 Fresh FM . Overall it really helped to kick off all the festivities at the new elevated Plaza. Each performance was an exciting display of talent from the musicians. The crowds really responded by attending and enthusiastically participating in the performances. One of the most energetic acts from last year was AJ Smith who opened of Lindsey Sterling in one of the most attended performances of the whole series. There is no doubt that he introduced himself to a LOT of new fans that day.

Vienna, Virginia

I was really happy when he contacted me about the photos that I made of him and his bandmates that day. It turns out that like me, he is from the DC area, and would be coming back into town to perform at Jammin’ Java, one of the best local venues for live music. I offered to come out to get more photos of the band as they played for friends, and played some new compositions from this talented songwriter. Because I did not want to get in the way of the crowd during the performance, I came during their sound check earlier in the day, and was able to get some awesome photos of AJ and his band!

AJ Smith and the Apollo at Jammin Java
Soundcheck with AJ Smith at Jammin Java ©TimeLine Media
AJ Smith at Jammin Java
Performing in front of a video screen ©TimeLine Media
AJ Smith and the Apollo at Jammin Java
 AJ Smith and the Apollo at Jammin Java ©TimeLine Media
AJ Smith and the Apollo at Jammin Java
Band photo of AJ Smith and the Apollo ©TimeLine Media

They worked really well together in just getting all their settings right for the show. The band sounded great, and the lighting/video backdrop that they had on stage really showed their professionalism. It was inspiring to see the effort and teamwork they put into their music, and I am sure grew their fan base even more after this night. I hope to get the chance to photograph them again!

AJ Smith at Jammin Java
AJ Smith at Jammin Java
AJ Smith at Jammin Java
Soundcheck with AJ Smith at Jammin Java ©TimeLine Media

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

SingStrong – A Cappella Music Festival

A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media
A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media

Reston, Virginia

Last March, I was invited to cover the SingStrong in Reston, Virginia. SingStrong is an a cappella music festival held at South Lakes High School on this occasion. Overall, musicians come together to do workshops, have master classes, and hear from performers from around the country. A cappella, in short, describes a style of music where all of the sounds from the band are create from the human voice. Popular culture has show off these performers especially in movies like “Pitch Perfect” or TV shows like NBC’s “The Sing – Off.”

A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media
A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media
A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media

Main Stage – South Lakes HS

Blue Jupiter are the main hosts for all the attendees of this event. Diana and Jonathan emcee the larger shows over the weekend including the Aca-Idol competition and the main show on Saturday evening. Marty sets up the audio-visual presentation on the stage running the sound board. The sound of the singers sounds amazing from the crowd and along with the theater lights really elevates the concerts.

A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media

The 2015 edition of SingStrong continued their tradition of bringing passionate musicians together. They spend a weekend full of learning, networking, and inspiring each other. I enjoy being a part of the weekend to help preserve some memories that the groups can look back on when they get back home. I hope it keeps them working to sound better, and to continue their progress to be even better. The proceeds from participating or attending the shows over the weekend help to support the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. With the tickets and silent auctions, all of the funds help to support an amazing cause. I hope to see what the groups have in store next year!

Blue Jupiter performing at SingStrong - A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media
Blue Jupiter performing at SingStrong – A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media
Ball in the House performing at SingStrong - A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media
Ball in the House performing at SingStrong – A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media
Main Stage at SingStrong - A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media
Main Stage at SingStrong – A Cappella Music Festival ©TimeLine Media

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Jacquie Lee at Tysons Corner Center | Music Photographer

Last Friday Jacquie Lee performed at the 94.7 Fresh Artists Concert Series at Tysons Corner Center’s new Plaza. Again it was a beautiful evening to hang out and relax outside to listen to some live music. The organizers really lucked out over this whole summer with the weather. The elevated plaza is a great place to view sunsets, and to catch some nice summer breeze. I think the tall buildings have something to do with it! The stage is setup perfectly to take advantage of this, and the performers seem to enjoy the space as they have sounded great. The nearby buildings also make for some great reverb that they can take advantage of with their voices and instruments.

94.7-Fresh-FM-Artist-Concert-Series-©TimeLine-Media94.7-Fresh-FM-Artist-Concert-Series-©TimeLine-Media
The last performer in the series was Jacquie Lee – the runner up of Season 5 of “The Voice” on NBC. She has a very powerful voice that she displayed in all her songs! Her accompanist played the guitar and keyboard depending on the song selection. She sang some familiar songs as well as some originals, but they all resonated with her strong voice. Getting to meet her beforehand, it was surprising to see so much talent from someone so young. She was enthusiastic when meeting the fans and speaking with them about her time on TV.

Jacquie-Lee-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media
Jacquie-Lee-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media
Jacquie-Lee-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media
Jacquie-Lee-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media


It was a nice night to close out the summer concert series. I had a great time covering these, and I want to thank Tysons Corner Center, Macerich, 94.7 Fresh FM, and Intelsat. They put in a lot of work to making all of these run without a hitch. I am sure next summer will be even better, and I hope to be invited back to see those!

Jacquie-Lee-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media
Jacquie-Lee-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media
Jacquie-Lee-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media
Jacquie-Lee-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

1 4 5 6 7 8 15