Colin Kerrigan is a 24 year old documenting his way through life with his camera. He currently resides in Philadelphia, but is available for assignments virtually anywhere. His work can be seen in/on Pitchfork, Philly.com, and more. He's also the co-founder of the film collective- Out Of Town Films. (All content created by Colin).
Contact him at col.kerrigan@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter.
When I was in seventh grade, my mother took me to see David Bowie at this exact venue. It was the 30th anniversary tour of his 1973 album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and I’ll never forget Bowie closing out the show with “Ziggy Stardust”. I sang my little 12 year old heart out.
Anyway, that was my first time ever at the venue. In the nine years since that show, I’ve seen my fair share of shows there(The Roots, Beck, Feist, Interpol, a few more).
But this shoot with Blake Mills while the venue was completely empty was by far one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had at the Tower Theatre. It doesn’t quite top the Bowie show with my mom, it’s definitely right behind it, though.
Blake Mills “Hey Lover” - Upper Darby, PA - 06/27/2012
When we first arrived at the Tower Theatre to do the shoot, we had to wait an hour or so while Blake Mills soundchecked with Fiona Apple’s band. He’s the guitarist in the band. Due to policy, no one was allowed in the building for her soundcheck. So with an hour to kill, we decided to take a walk around to see if we could find a local bar to have a beer while we waited. We found one, an authentic Mexican spot, and watched the Euro Cup quarter finals with the local patrons in the bar. When Blake finished up, he gave us a ring and invited inside.
Blake Mills, who was also opening for Fiona Apple that night, is no stranger to playing with artists such as Miss Apple. He has worked with, whether its as a session guitarist, producer or long list of touring musicians that includes Julian Casablancas, Conor Oberst, Dawes, Weezer, Andrew Bird, Band Of Horses, and the list goes on. Most recently, Mills produced a few songs on Haim’s new record. Not to mention, he’s only 25.
When Blake invited us in, he had arranged for us to do the shoot in an empty Tower Theatre a few hours before doors opened. He and his buddy, Sebastian Steinberg, who was also Fiona’s touring bassist, played us a version of “Hey Lover” off his 2011 record Break Mirrors. Enjoy.
