If you’ve known me for any length of time, you probably know that I think Ozomatli is the best band since, well, ever. Last week I found out they were playing at the TEDxSF afterparty, and tickets were only $10, so I jumped at the chance. I’d never been to the Red Devil Lounge before, but based on their website, it seemed like a pretty small venue, so I decided to take a chance and bring my camera. I was going to ask the guys at the door if I could bring in my camera, but then I figured if I didn’t ask, they couldn’t say no!

The show was supposed to start at 9 (according to the ticket), but when I got there a little past 8, I found out that the doors were opening at 9, and Ozo wouldn’t go on until about 10:30. Fortunately, Erik and his friend Tony showed up pretty soon after, so we passed the time at a Mexican restaurant a few doors down. Rahul showed up pretty close to 9, so we got our tickets from will call and headed in. It was pretty empty when we got in, so we got spots right by the stage. After a bit, the roadies starting bringing in all the gear, and the band finally went on around 11:30. I’ve never been that close to the band, much less with my camera, so needless to say, it was awesome! Ozo rocked as always, and they even had a digeridoo player and sitar player join them. Even the creepy drunk guy standing next to us couldn’t put a damper on the night.

I’ve never really done any concert photography, so I don’t think my shots are amazing, but I had a ton of fun taking them.