What's New Archives 2009

chrlyndbx@mindspring.com

Oh my, is it December? It’s amazing how one can stretch a “next week” project, such as this letter, over a period of a few months. I’m writing this on the tail end of my 37th birthday, which I’ve been taking in this year with some reflection. Ultimately, at this time of year, I count myself lucky to still be here, and to still be at this crazy business of photography, writing and other media variations.

Yes, we have been busy lately. Where do I start? I did the new promo photos for the fabled Reduced Shakespeare Company last month, a gig that was just a blast to do. You’ll be seeing those photos both on their website, and here shortly. I traveled to Atlanta recently to
photograph Lou Barlow and Dinosaur Jr. for an upcoming feature for The Big Takeover Magazine. I’m also happy to report that the new issue of the Takeover also features my interviews with Big Star, John Fry of Ardent Studios, Dave Mattacks and Maximo Park.

I’ve also had the chance to travel a bit again, including shoots ranging from Vriginia to Georgia. Maurice Williams hired me to photograph his 50th anniversary show in Newberry, SC earlier this month, which was a fantastic gig, all around. Other shoots recently included Steeleye Span’s 40th anniversary tour in Alexandria, VA, Arrogance’s 40th anniverary show in Chapel Hill, and a few festivals here and there. I was also hired to photograph the Endless Summer Quarterly shows in Cornelius, NC in September. This was headlined by Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean, David Marks of the Beach Boys, Billy Hinsche (of Dino, Desi & Billy, and many Beach Boys tours), and others that made the show more fun that I’ve had on a gig in ages.

As for posed photos, I’ll be in Durham in December to photograph the new dbs album. You bet I’m excited about this. Other recent shoots include Mike Strauss, Nita Belk, Hot House Hefftones, and others. Luego’s new album, Taped-Together Stories, photographed by yours
truly, is now out, as is What We Have Sewn by Joshua Panda. Thanks to both for showcasing my photos so well. Other recent live shows I photographed include Roger Daltrey, Wolfmother with thenewno2 (Dhani Harrison’s band, very cool), Dawn Landes, Carolina Chocolate Drops,
Jonathan Edwards, and many others.

I recently finished a show of photos at Dish Restaurant here in Charlotte, which I hope to do again in the coming year. And yes, the Double Door book is continuing on, and I hope that you’ll make it a stocking stuffer for someone, be they friends or enemies. I am still in the process to trying to find a publisher for the proposed NC musicians book, and I’ll keep you posted on its progress.

Through my work with Maurice Williams, I got to know his vocalist and friend Freddie Mangum very well. Freddie left us all too soon in October, and I’m thankful for the time that I got to work with him. Godspeed also goes out to Robert Kirby, and several others that gave with their art and voice.

For those of you that have been around Charlotte, NC for a while, you may remember that I was part of Tangents Magazine throughout its history in the late 90s. My fellow cohorts from that magazine are holding their first reunion since those days this Saturday, Dec. 4th at 6:30pm at Dish Restaurant. If you were a fan of the magazine, or remember the magazine, feel free to say hello. The previous night, one of the first records I ever had photographs in, Lou Ford’s Sad But Familiar album, will be getting the classic album treatment at Snug Harbor, here in Charlotte. Between that and next week’s booksignings, it’s goiing to be a good and busy December, and I hope it will be good times for you, as well.

Best wishes, happy holidays and take care,
-Daniel
November 30, 2009=

I'm sorry that I haven't posted more recently, it's been a hectic few months. I wanted to let you know that I'll be back at Joseph Beth booksellers, here in Charlotte at Southpark Mall, on December 7th at 6pm for another booksigning. I'll also be at the Double Door Inn to
sign copies of the Double Door Inn book (imagine that) the previous evening, December 6th, as part of the Charlotte Blues Society's holiday party. Come on out to either event, and pick up that perfect gift for Christmas, my book on the Double Door Inn.

A bigger update coming soon. Happy holidays,
-Daniel
November 24, 2009
P.S. Happy birthday to my sister Karen.

Wow, how did mid-August come so quickly? My thanks to all of you that came out for my Double Door book signings the past several weeks. I’ll be doing some more signings as we get closer to Christmas.

I meant to let you all know about this sooner, but I have a new show of photos in September, once again at Dish Restaurant in Charlotte. The show is entitled “The Singer Looks Back At You,” and is a show of all portraits of artists, musicians and such. This is a show that I’ve been wanting to do for some time, to move away for a while from the “live photo” perception, and present some of my favorite works, away from concert stages. The show will be up throughout the month of September, so come by and check out these photos, as this will be my last show for some time.

This has been an interesting summer, as I took some time away from shooting to travel, and=2 0to dive in some other endeavors. This includes the Double Door Inn book, interviewing musicians for the next issue of the Big Takeover, and other projects. I am happy to report that I’m back behind the camera again, and just did a promo shoot for the fantastic Philadelphia band Espers last weekend. I also just new promo photos for the New Riders Of The Purple Sage, which included a tribute to their recently departed founder, John Dawson. Other recent shoots include Maya Angelou, UNC Alumni Magazine, Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Weekly and others. And there is more soon to come....

We have lost so many great musicians and friends recently, but a big tip of the hat goes to Les Paul, whom I spent two days photographing in the summer of 2003. I wish you all could have met him, he was a true joy to be around. Godspeed to Jay Bennett, John Dawson, Jim Dickinson, Mike Seeger, and all of you out there now in search of the next great gig. best wishes and take care,
-Daniel
Aug. 17, 2009

The recent Home Of The Blues booksigning at Southpark Mall went so well that I've decided to do another booksigning at Park Road Books on July 18th, at 2pm. Park Road Books have been very good to myself and the book, so it made sense to have another booksigning there. I'll be on hand to sign books, and talk about putting the book together, and the history of the fabled Double Door Inn music venue.

Park Road Books is located in the Park Road shopping center, at the corner of Woodlawn and Park Road, here in Charlotte. Contact the store at (704) 525-9239 for more information. I hope you're all doing well, and thanks again for your time.
-Daniel
co-author, Home Of The Blues: 35 Years Of The Double Door Inn
(704) 578-1748 mobile
www.danielcostonphotography.com
www.myspace.com/ddithebook

For those of you who are early risers, I'll be appearing on WBTV's morning show this Saturday, July 4th at 6:50am to talk about the Double Door Inn book. I'll then be taking a nap (not on air, mind you), and then appearing on the mighty WNCW (88.7FM, or wncw.org) at 8pm that evening to talk about the book again. Why celebrate our nation's anniversary when you can sell books, I say. Tune in or turn on, and I'll talk to you all again soon. Happy Indy day,
-Daniel
June 30, 2009

Due to popular demand, I've booked a signing for the Double Door Inn book at Charlotte's own Park Road Books on Saturday, July 18th at 2pm. Copies have been flying out of Park Road Books, so it was only natural to have our next signing there. Go to www.parkroadbooks.com, and request your own copy for the signing.

I'll also be appearing on Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins on WFAE-FM (90.7FM in the Charlotte area, www.wfae.org around the world) on the July 15th. More promotional copies connected with the book are coming soon. See you all soon, and take care,
-Daniel
June 25, 2009

My thanks to everyone that came out to the Double Door Inn booksigning at Southpark Mall. As you may know, doing this signing alone had worried me some, but if the right offer comes along soon, I might do this again.

Some new work to tell you about, including photographing the Bolshoi Ballet last week for the Carolina Alumni Review, as well as photographing the New York Dolls. (My thanks to Cheryl at Rhino/Atco for that.) Chris Stamey & Peter Holaspple's new record, photographed by yours truly, is now out and getting good reviews. If you're near Chapel Hill next Saturday, June 27th, come on by the Cat's Cradle for their CD release party. I'll be there, as well, working towards the next Chris & Peter photo shoot.

Across the pond, I have a photo in the new CD by my friends Martin Stephenson and Helen McCookerybook, entitled Hamilton Square. I also have photos in a fine new biography about Martin, entitled The Soul Of The Song. Go to www.martinstephenson.com or www.myspace.com/martinstephenson to get a copy of both items.

A belated birthday also goes out to my wife Sandra, with whom I had a great time in Ohio earlier this month. Thanks for being along for the ride, kid. Best wishes to you all, and take care,
-Daniel
June 20, 2009

Thanks for all your emails after the passing of my Double Door book co-author, Debby Wallace. It has been very much appreciated. I wanted to let you know that there will be a signing for the book next Saturday, June 20th, from 1 to 3pm at Joseph Beth Booksellers in Southpark Mall. Debby and I had scheduled this before her passing, and she was so looking forward to this event, that I decided to keep this signing. Come out, say hello, buy a book (if you haven't already), and join as I go this one alone. I do not have any other signings for the book scheduled at this time.

As some of you already know, Debby's passing came a week after my grandmother's passing. I drove back home to New York to attend her memorial, and ended up both speaking at the funeral, and doing family photos afterwards. While I was not always able to consistently visit my grandmother through the years, I've always had close ties with both my family, and the upstate area of New York. Grandma Jean had gotten to see her family grow up, and find our way in the world, which I'm grateful for. She'll never be too far away, in spirit, but I will always miss her.

Take care to you all,
-Daniel

I've heard that the funeral for Debby Wallace will be held this Saturday at 7pm, at Wilson Funeral Home, on Albemarle Road here in Charlotte. Thank you all for your calls and emails. Best wishes and take care,
-Daniel
June 3, 2009

With a very heavy heart, I am writing to inform you that Debby Wallace, my co-author on the Double Door Inn book, has passed away. Needless to say, this is very stunning to all of us that knew her, and worked with her. Debby seemed to fit so much life into every day, which makes this sudden passing all the more unbelievable.

When Debby first approached me with the idea for the Double Door book in 2007, she believed in the idea so much that it made me want to help her put the book together. It was a lot of work, but the joy that we both got from the response from the book is something I'll always treasure. I take immense pride in being part of something that gave Debby so much happiness over the last couple of years.

Funeral services for Debby are pending, and I will try to pass on information when I receive it. My best wishes and condolences go out to Debby's husband, children (whom she loved so much) and friends. Best wishes to you all, and take care,
-Daniel
June 1, 2009

Once again, I've blinked and two months have gone by. My thanks to everyone that came out for the Cash show in Greensboro in February. Hopefully, we'll do that again somewhere soon. There's lots to tell you about, so here we go.

"Home Of The Blues," the book on Charlotte's Double Door Inn that I co-authored, is now in print and in stores. Check it out at www.myspace.com/ddithebook, or look for it on Amazon.com to order a copy. My thanks to everyone that came out for last week's premiere. Look for more press on this book soon.

SXSW in Texas last month was a lot of fun. The highlight was working with the Sonics, doing one of their first photo shoots in 40 years, and seeing them play one of the best sets I saw that entire week. Thanks guys, am I'm proud to add you to my client list. Other highlights were sets by Jimmy Webb, the Decemberists, my old acquiantances the Avett Brothers, P. J. Harvey, Andrew Bird and many others.

I photographed Maurice Williams' new record last month, celebrating his 50th anniversary with the Zodiacs. Hopefully, you'll see his record soon. Other recent shoots include work with the Rolling Stones tribute band Hot Rocks (www.hotrocks.ca), local faves Raised By Wolves, and a few others. Other recent big gigs include photos of Cheech & Chong (thanks for the passes, Tommy!), the opening night of the Dead's reunion tour, John Scofield (I got Ricky Fataar to sign my Rutles record, awesome), and a host of other shows.

I'm also proud to announce that one of my photos of Allison Krauss has been bought for the Grammy Museum's permanent collection, and more may be added later. I'm also contributing my photos to a memorial DVD of Charles Hairston, that will help to offset the bills that Charles' hospital stays left behind. More on this soon, as well.

While saying Godspeed to Charles, and old friend Duane Jarvis, I have to also bid adieu to my longtime car, who after over 300,00 miles of rock n' roll travels, died on the road coming back from an out-of-town gig. Yes, it proudly died with its wheels on. This was the car I had for my first two trips to SXSW, the Cash shows, and numerous errands on my wedding day, among many others. Like many friends we've known, they may no longer be with us, but they will always be here in spirit, helping to carry us to the next gig.

Long may you run, all of you. Take care,
-Daniel
April 22, 2009

The event will take place from 5pm to 7:30pm, and the book will be available afterwards at locations throughout the Southeast, as well as through the book's website, www.myspace.com/ddithebook. Contact Daniel Coston at (704) 578-1748, or danielcoston@aol.com for any questions or media inquiries. We hope to see you at the Double Door on April 17th at 5pm.

Where did January go? I hope that all of you have been doing well. It's been a busy several weeks, with a new president, and other things that will hopefully carry some optimism throughout the year. There's a lot to tell you about from here, so here we go.

For those of you that have asked when I will do another show of my Johnny Cash photos, it has finally come to pass. My photos will be up at the Green Bean in Greensboro, NC for the entire month. We'll have an official show party on the evening of February 19th, with live music and yours truly in attendance. There'll also be a couple of Cash photos in this show that you've never seen before. Look for stories about my show in next week's Triad area papers. So come on out, buy a photo and let me know what you think of the show.

After a few weeks of assorted wrangling with the publisher, the Double Door Inn book is now at the printers, and will be back sometime this month. We'll have a book-signing party at the Double Door just as soon as we can schedule one. Keep checking here for updates, or at the book's official site, www.myspace.com/ddithebook. Meanwhile, another book that I've been working on, this time on NC musicians, is currently making the rounds of publishers. More on this soon, as well.

Recent work includes shoots for the Charlotte Observer, UNC Alumni Review, legendary songwriter Tom Rush, the Spongetones, Charlotte Symphony, and others. Other cool people that I've photographed recently include Alejandro Escovedo, David Bromberg, former president Jimmy Carter, Clarence Carter, and others.

Some of you will remember that I went to Iceland with the band Mar in 2005, to document the recording of their CD, The Silence. A documentary about that trip has been put together, and is now for sale. While it's a bit strange to endorse a film I haven't seen yet (you did make me look good, right, Zack?), the DVD also include a whole section of my photos from that trip, most of which have not been seen yet. Check out the DVD at www.myspace.com/silenticeland. I'll let you all know when the film premiere is, when it is announced.

Godspeed to Ron Asheton, Billy Powell, and John Updike. Hope to see you all out somewhere soon. Take care,
-Daniel
February 2, 2009

How are you? Happy New Year. Due to popular demand (and constant reminding), I've posted a whole slew of new pics in my portfolio. This includes my recent photos with Band Of Horses, Chris Stamey & Peter Holsapple, Richie Havens, John Dee Holeman, Kim Simmonds, Ric Flair with Hulk Hogan, and a host of live shots. Scroll through them, and let me know what you think.

I'm proud to announce that my show of Johnny Cash photos will be back on the road next month. My Cash photos will be at the Green Bean Gallery in Greensboro, NC throughout the whole month of February. The gallery is at 341 S. Elm St. in Greensboro. Check out the Green Bean online at www.myspace.com/greensborobean. And yes, the photos will be for sale.

Thanks to everyone that came out for the Double Door's 35th anniversary show on Dec. 22nd. The book is now at the printers, and we are awaiting arrival. We will have a book signing later this month at the Double Door just as soon as they're back, and I will announce that just as soon as we've settled on a date.

Lots more to announce in the near future. Godspeed to Ron Asheton of the Stooges, Delaney Bramlett, and all those that we lost in 2008. As I knew you once, so I will know you again. Best wishes, and take care,
-Daniel
Jan. 7, 2009