CONVERSATION MODERATED BY RADIO LEGEND NIC HARCOURT

This was my first time attending a performance at the GRAMMY Museum, which holds artifacts of musicians from Taylor Swift to Amy Winehouse. Only about 200 lucky fans get to attend any concert happening within the museum, with tickets usually selling out in minutes due to the hottest names stopping by. And with that said, like the performance, I will keep this brief but captivating.

I wasn’t sure how press were allowed into the event but it went smoothly, as I was checked in along with my guest in the normal standby line. All fans made their way up the escalator to the theatre and grabbed their seats. I thought I was going to take photos of the conversation that takes place prior to the performance, but the services there allowed me to sit in on the talk which was great. There’s always this issue I have where I never want to distract or take away from the artists on stage or make them feel uncomfortable in any capacity. I’ve seen some photographers use flash to the point of hurting the talent’s eyes or the noises of the shutter taking fans out of the experience. I always remind myself that I wouldn't be here without the talent, and while I do have a job to take photos, I love the experience of being up close so I have a tremendous amount of respect for those on stage. Being that the theatre was very intimate in size, I was glad to not have to take photos and actually participate in the conversation between the Silversun Pickups and guest moderator Nic Harcourt.

It was the first conversation and audience appearance the band had seen since the pandemic, and they recalled lots of stories and experiences with creating their new LP Physical Thrills. There were many laughs and quips exchanged with singer Brian Aubert loving the energy in the room. Lots of the conversation featured talk of dreams hinting at newer tracks yet to be revealed, what each member did in their newly given free time during the pandemic, and working with producer and Garbage legend Butch Vig. It’s not a side of the band that typically gets revealed unless you look into interviews and such, so it made the performance that much more unique.

After about an hour of speaking and a nonstop play of their music video for single “Scared Together,” Aubert and bassist Nikki Monninger returned to the stage for a short acoustic set. I left my seat and was allowed to photograph the show from opposite ends of the stage as to not block or distract anyone who had a seat. It’s not an appealing task for myself as the best shots come from being right in front, but I have too much respect for those who bought tickets and was happy that I was notified of the game plan ahead of time. The acoustics and sound quality were great and even though stripped back, Aubert and Monninger shredded and joked through their five song set. It mostly consisted of newer songs which I’m sure were stuck in many fans’ brains leaving the venue, but they ended strong with “Panic Switch.” The Grammy Museum is a venue that honors music creation and quality with their intimate performances and behind the scenes moments not shared anywhere else, so I will definitely be back for future showcases.