Spiritualized®
with the Ricoh GRiii

Discovering Spiritualized’s 1997 album “Ladies and Gentlemen We’re Floating in Space” happened at the bedrock of my creative life. My tastes in music and the art I would go on to enjoy and create were influenced by this band to a massive degree. I saw them live — ostensibly — three times: in 1997 opening for Radiohead’s “OK Computer Tour,” in 2000 while I was in art school as a gift from my girlfriend, and then in 2022 in Philadelphia. I say ostensibly because all three occasions were foiled in some way and I didn’t get to see the performances.

But that changed in 2023. J. Spaceman and company came to The Basillica in Hudson, NY. Fourth time’s a charm!

Honestly, the show was just OK. And that’s probably just me. After three near misses with this band and two and a half decades of headphones-on deep dives into the their discography, perhaps I wanted so much more from the live performance than it was capable of delivering. I wanted that teenage feeling — when you go to a show and feel like something important is happening. Well J. Spaceman just sat there, dazed and detached, song after song. Music was great, but there was virtually no performance. Of course, what do I expect from a shoegaze band. I suppose it would have been the same 25 years ago, only he would have been standing instead of sitting, actually shoe gazing. And I’m sure, back then, I would have been amazed.

I sound pretty jaded. But, anyway, this show gave me a sense of closure — I finally saw them. The new album “Everything Was Beautiful” is an amazing return to form for the band. One of their best in years.

Standing front row next to the stage provided opportunity to play with my new Ricoh GRiii. I love this little camera — and I’m blown away by the quality I was able to produce with this pocket-sized “dad cam.” Here are a few of my faves.