Live Music

a fan and attendee of live music events for years, chandler has recently begun taking his passion for photography there and seeing what can happen.

chandler’s been extremely fortunate in that he has, thus far, shot photos at shows for bands like Lotus, The New Mastersounds, Karina Rykman, and LaMP. chandler also shot the Phish After-Party show for local Maine band, The Rigometrics.

i own the rights to all photos unless otherwise stated

https://www.instagram.com/photosbychandlersturgeon?igsh=cThpeTN2bzQ0ZXg4&utm_source=qr

Recent Shows

I WAS INVITED TO SHOOT SUMMERDANCE FOR LOTUS

Story Time 9/24/26

I took photos at Summerdance! The best annual music festival around, hosted by the best band of all time, Lotus! I had to pinch myself several times and to be honest I still didn’t believe it until I got an email that morning linking the media team members together. Up until that email I’d spent the drive fully prepared to show up at the festival gates to something along the lines of, “huh? no, you’re not on the list.” This was in part due to my general anxiety but it certainly wasn’t helped by the fact that the initial email inviting me to come shoot the event ended up in my junk folder, that I just so happened to check two days later.

But truly, this was mind-blowing before it even started. I have written and spoken about this before, but I had never really felt a big enough draw to photography to move beyond my iPhone, until one of my good friends, Mariana, told me at a Lotus show that their tour manager, Laser, would “probably let [me] shoot a show if [I] had a real camera.” I had always liked taking pictures, even playing with the idea of buying some magnifying lens attachments etc. for my iPhone. I really enjoyed taking landscape and nature shots while out and about, and I really enjoyed capturing moments of my favorite concerts from the front row when I ended up there. I ended up in the front for Lotus a lot; I made sure of it.

I first saw Lotus in 2022 and was immediately struck by the beauty and unique sound they had. I went to a single day at Northlands Music Festival to see several bands i’m a fan of. They’d stacked the lineup for that day, and Lotus was included. I’d heard of them, but had never seen live, nor listened to them at all. One of my biggest show-related regrets to this day is leaving that Lotus set early to try and get a good spot for JRAD – as much as both me and my buddy agreed we didn’t want to leave. But I was really into them at the time. To make it worse, JRAD came out on stage with two members replaced, and the set was honestly pretty forgettable. I saw Lotus again at The Range in NH not long after, knowing I had to see them again, for real. After that show I knew for sure that I had not (and still haven’t) ever heard another band sound like them. I started seeing them as much as possible, landing somewhere around 45 shows by now (September 2026). Over these 40-50 shows I’ve also met some really amazing people too.

Many of the people that feel the way I do about Lotus have formed one, big family. A lot of band’s fanbases say that, and it’s sure true for some of them, but I know for a fact that it’s true for this one. I have even come to know their tour manager Laser a bit now. It was at my 4th Lotus show, the second of a two-night run, that he came up and handed me a set list from the night before without saying anything. I had no idea who he was, but that was pretty cool. Only one show after that, their percussion player Chuck, and his son, tragically died in a kayaking accident. This was so hard to process as someone so new to Lotus. And selfishly, I was also worried about what it meant for the future of this band who already meant so much to me.

I already had tickets for a show scheduled at the historic Capitol Theatre in New York, and it was now turned into a benefit show for Chuck’s family. Eli from Dopapod sat in, along with many other guests including the original Lotus drummer, Steve Clemens. As usual, I was there super early, and I ran into Laser walking around. I asked him sheepishly if he was the tour manager, and when he confirmed, what the future held for them. In a serious and somber tone he said something along the lines of, “tour keeps rolling.” They didn’t really have a choice, and I think most would agree it’s what Chuck would have wanted. It’s been really special seeing them continue to honor him in different ways through the shows and music every single tour since then, as well as the support them and the Lotus family have shown to Chuck’s family.

After that I had made up my mind and was going to make the pilgrimage from Maine to Ohio that summer for their annual music festival, Summerdance. 3 nights of Lotus. The rest of the lineup was pretty stellar too that year – with Dopapod there for one of their last shows. But all that really matters at Summerdance is Lotus. I got a set list on night three after noticing a strategy work for some other people the previous nights – yelling out “LASER!” and praying. Getting that set list tied the whole weekend together. I had one of the most incredible times of my life, and leaving with more friends in Lofam than when I got there. One of them was one of Lotus’ regular photographers, Tanner. I had given him a piece of gum from the rail during the show and ran into him again later that night. When I introduced myself he said he recognized my name from my music on Spotify. That interaction remains one of the coolest things to ever happen to me (even now after I’ve shot for Lotus at Summerdance and a two night club run). Working with Tanner this past Summerdance was really cool, I have learned a lot just watching him and the stuff he posts.

At a New Years Eve run in Philly, I got the set list and they posted Tanner’s photo of me holding it in the Instagram post for the weekend. I was officially a fangirl and I was totally okay with it. Since then I have now also gotten a plane twice to see them!

I bought my camera the following Summer in 2025. Thinking I was going in to buy a DSLR, I walked out with a used Nikon Z7 and a 24-200/4-6.3 lens. I attended Northlands music festival that year, and I was emailing most any artist playing shows near me to try and get media passes to start practicing with my camera. I got a pass for Karina Rykman’s set and for LaMP’s set. I also managed to find Laser there and got his permission to shoot Lotus’ too. I couldn’t believe it. I also decided I should maybe introduce myself because I hadn’t yet told Laser my name. So I awkwardly stumbled over “By the way my name’s Chandler,” and he went “LOL I know who you are.”

After that I just kept shooting shows! Sometimes getting really lucky like getting to shoot for Tigers Jaw, a band I have loved since high school. Over time I acquired a bunch of lenses, and also a new Nikon Z6iii. Lotus eventually announced two nights in Boston this past April so I reached out for a media pass and was so stoked to have them respond and give me the opportunity. I actually ended up taking some of the best photos I’d taken yet – I was so proud of myself. And my friends thought so too! And the band posted so many of them! I was on cloud 9. I really felt like absolutely nothing could top it, especially with my photos being used for the recordings on Nugs.net. They really flipped that expectation upside down when I saw the email from Jesse inviting me to shoot Summerdance.

Probably 6 months or so before that first Lotus show (Northlands 2022), I had taken my last drink of alcohol. I can’t describe what it feels like to have been self sabotaging my life to such an extent, and to now have that turned around so much. I feel so lucky to have found Lotus, and to have found photography. I really can’t thank everyone on the Lotus team (shoutout Nate) enough for the opportunities you’ve all afforded me and also just for the music you make.

I GOT TO SHOOT FOR LOTUS

4/22/2026

i’m a person who’s tried a lot of things and failed even more. lotus makes music that makes me feel different than any music i’ve ever heard before. lofam are some of the best people i’ve ever met before. and the support and success i’ve experienced here, now, is new for me and feels so much more special to be also coming full circle via this band.

i hope there’s a lot more to come

LaMP in Concord!! It was single digit temperatures outside, but you’d hardly remember that after seeing this fiery trio featuring Scott Metzger (JRAD) on guitar with Russ Lawton on drums and Ray Paczkowski on keys (both of Trey Anastasio Band). LaMP lit up the room for over two hours straight this thundering Thursday in December. 12/11/25

I shot for Owsley’s Owls at Vinegar Hill in Arundel, Maine on Saturday November 1st. Owsley’s Owls is a dead cover band who seeks to exemplify the power of improvisation through the legendary catalogue of the Grateful Dead and, featuring my very own cousin Jeff Irish sitting in on guitar, they blessed the beautiful barn at Vinegar Hill with their craft this past Saturday.

Vinegar Hill is an absolutely gorgeous hidden gem in southwestern Maine, and is more than worthy of your support if you ever get the opportunity.

Mono Means One (ft John Ferrara of Consider the Source) playing the Shaskeen Pub in NH on 10/4/25

I shot for my good friend, and drummer, Varun Shah at his performance with his new (-to-him) outfit, The Humans Being. They played at the Shaskeen Pub in New Hampshire on 10/4/25, opening for Mono Means One, the new project from Consider the Source’s John Ferrara (pictures coming soon from that set).

Varun is quite a talent; be sure to catch him in Boston or abroad with The Humans Being or with any of his other outfits, including – but not limited to – Brother Guy and Off Wing.