Photography and live music: two of John T. Adams’ great loves come together in his exhibit "Rock, Rhythm and Blues in Black and White," opening Thursday, April 21 at the Paula Brown Gallery on Monroe Street.
The Toledo-native photographer’s exhibit is scheduled to run through June 21 and features Adams' photographs of a myriad of local musicians in mid-performance. Adams, who is not a musician himself, said he has always had a great love for music of all genres a passion that comes through with each shot on display.
"One of my goals in putting this specific exhibit together is to raise awareness of the talent we have in this city, and the passion for music that these men and women have. It's just amazing," Adams said in an interview. "In a lot of instances, they play for next to nothing, because they have such passion for what they do, and I think that's another thing that people need to be aware of."
Singer Erica Brazier, as captured by John T. Adams for his "Rock, Rhythm and Blues in Black and White" exhibit. Photo copyright JT Adams, 2016.
Never before, never again
Adams' other great passion for the still image shines through in his talent behind the camera. He first began taking photos while attending St. Francis de Sales High School in the late 60s, and his love of photography endures to this day.
"One of the things that I've always appreciated about photography is the fact that you are able to capture a moment in time that's never been captured before, and never will be again," Adams said.
That desire to capture those moments led to Adams deciding to bring his camera with him to live music events throughout the area. He estimates that he attends two or three each week, mainly open mic nights. If there's a rhythm and you can groove to it, there's a good chance Adams will be there to capture the emotion of the moment.
"When you watch these musicians play, with the fervor that they play, with the emotion that they exhibit, the sweat they have during their performances— it's just really very energizing, and again, I just love capturing a lot of musicians during the midst of this, which I hope people will see at this exhibit."
Brotherhood of artists
Adams is reticent to call out any specific artists to be his favorite subjects, though he cites John Rockwood (who introduced him to the blues), Megan Lesle of the Amelia Airharts, Aayan Naim, the president of the Black Swamp Blues Society, and many more individuals as having a massive influence on his local music experiences. One of the enduring impressions Adams has gained through his work is an appreciation of how Toledo's music scene really is a brotherhood.
"I think it's a very tight community, they're very supportive of each other," Adams said. "And if you go to any of these open mic nights, people just come and sit in to play. Once they start to play, it's almost like they've been playing together forever. There's just an energy and a connection— a bond that they have."
During the 3rd Thursday Art Loop on April 21, the exhibit will kick off with a special event featuring appearances and performances by many of the musicians Adams has photographed Naim and Lesle will both be there, as will Joel Hazard, Devin Krueger, John Potts, Eric and Erica Brazier and many more. The event will start at 6:30 pm and "It will go on until the last drink is poured and the last note is played," Adams said.
Adams hopes to foster new connections through his exhibit between artists, but also between his audience and some new musicians they may never have sought out before.
"People who aren't as aware of the music scene in Toledo, [I hope] they walk away with a greater appreciation of what we have here, and how our musicians can stand up against almost any other musicians around."
For more information on the exhibit and the Paula Brown Gallery, visit paulabrowngallery.com
