The Wet Willie Band at Clemson University's Littlejohn Coliseum Clemson, SC Saturday February 24, 1973 My Personal Favorite Photo This show, especially this one photograph, has become my personal all-time favorite. I more vividly remember the moments prior to, and the moment of exposure, than any other image captured. This was also the first show, of a string of three consecutive Saturdays, where I had seen and photographed outstanding shows...producing the greatest concentration of captured Classic Rock Concert images...in my time! This was also a time in my life, when the word 'responsibility' carried a less sacrificial meaning, than it carries these days. I had been working a manufacturing job, prior to going off to college later that Fall. We had been working overtime on Saturdays on very short notices.I had been pondering going back to New Orleans, the following week, over Mardi Gras weekend. I really didn't think that I would be given that time off, only having worked there about 5 months. I already had a ticket to see The Brothers on Saturday...mandatory overtime (no exceptions) was announced late that Friday afternoon...I quit my job! This show took place about two months after they had recorded live at The Warehouse in New Orleans, to produce the "Drippin' Wet" album release...they were lightin' up the South!!! They were on a High Octane, energetic roll. At this show I shot more than half a roll of film on the Wet Willie Band, the opening act for The Allman Brothers Band. It was a big challenge to be able to capture this moment. Often when I photograph concerts, I would spend the first few minutes of each show, just observing the performers' stage movements...noting the places that they would often repeatedly go back to. I could then pre-focuse at certain spots on stage and get my flash, when used, ready for the shot. During their set I had been exceptionally frustrated in trying to capture the lead singer, frontman Jimmie Hall! He was all over the place! It wasn't that I mis-fired so many shots, as it was that my anticipation timing was so far off...that I never got many of the shots off!!! I then began to hold the camera fixed on one sweet location on stage, that he seemed to go to a lot...both eyes wide open, with one eye through the viewfinder and the other on him. I began to feel more synchronized, but their set was almost over. He was near the back of the stage screamin' away...and then I saw him begin to move forward, headed for that sweet spot at stage front! Time seemed so deliberate now, unlike most of the show prior to this moment. Both eyes were wide open as I watched him approaching the spot, until my viewfinder eye caught him filling the frame...bam!!! No Recoil...it was the last frame that I took of their set that night!
Peaches and Willie
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