Backstage with Performer Madeline Minx

I've always wondered what the life of a performer is like. Luckily a few weeks ago I was offered a glimpse with musician Madeline Minx as she performed at a show at Nine Lives in Gilroy.
Madeline Minx is a performer based out of San Francisco and her music is funny and raw. Here is a video of her performance of her song "Sushi".

Before the show Madeline Minx and her two backup dancers took a look at her play list for the show. Her performance was part of a larger show, and the headline performer was metal rock band Maxx 12. It would be an interesting contrast.
Before the show, Minx and her dancers did a dry rehearsal of their routine...
which even included Madeline's boyfriend giving some pointers on how to perform on stage.
Before the show, the performers got ready in the cramped room backstage.
Putting on their final touches as the Maxx 12 guitarist warmed up as well.
After striking a quick pose...
The Minx crew mixed it up with the other performers at the show.
Maxx 12 metal-rocked it out at the Gilroy club.
When Madeline Minx appeared on the stage it looked like it was going to be an entertaining performance.

However sound problems started messing with Minx first song...
She even got off the stage to talk with the sound guy to try and get the music right...
They were able to power through her first song "Sushi"...
But the crowd, which was mostly a metal-head crowd to see Maxx 12, wasn't really into the music and only one soul got up close with the performer to check out the show.

And perform they did with full costume changes....

With Madeline singing with everything she had..
And an entertaining performance.

Afterwards Madeline and her crew could only wonder what would've happened with her performance had there not been technical problems.

And after deciding to rock it backstage with the bouncers in attendence...

They packed everything up. Although not a perfect night it was a lot of fun and an interesting chance for me to see what its like to be backstage with a performer.

Here is another Madeline Minx video to part with:

The South Ward: Home of the Metro (Red Bulls) Supporters

On a trip back east to attend Soccer Camp (I've been working rather seriously on my soccer skills this year to become a half-way decent player) I attended the NY Red Bulls vs. DC United game at Red Bull Arena. Before this most beautiful soccer-specific stadium in America was built, the hardcore supporters of the Red Bulls (previously the Metros) were stuck trying to support their team in cavernous Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands.

Some fans gave a friendly wave to the Port Authority cops that had been called in to support the Harrison cops with security since their forces have been cut. Apparently they didn't appreciate this fan's wave.
Red Bull Arena, with its roofed-in stands is the pefect stadium for a supporters group to make a lot of noise and really influence the players on the pitch.

The supporters groups also had a large TIFO display at the start of the match which was really amazing in its presentation, but lacked a little bit in its effect.But with the start of the game the flags were waving...
These days the Metro (eh, excuse me Red Bull Supporters) are located in the southern lower bowl of the stadium, afffectionally called the "South Ward" by its inhabitants. The ESC has been joined the past few seasons by two other supporter groups, the Viking Army and the Garden State Supporters. Each group is a bit different, but they have really unified to bring a coherent, loud and racous support to the Red Bulls on the field.Of course, when the Metros (ok going to keep using that term) supporters face one of their most hated rivals, DC United, it doesn't take much for the fans to be ready to sing full-throttle the full 90.
But with the start of the game the flags were waving...
The keeper was thanking the fans for the encouragement...
And it was difficult to contain the energy...
The biggest cheer out of the ESC in the first half was when Tim Ream saved a sure goal from Charlie Davies.
Who was reminded of his reputation of being a "diver."
In the second half the fans cheered...
Got down deep and let their voices roar..
And even enjoyed a quick smooch...
Between cheers of..."New York."
But a goal by DC in the second half...
Along with a few missed opportunitied by the Metros sealed their fate.
And even though the Metro fans could celebrate winning the Alantic (make sure) supporters cup after winning the season series with a superior goal differental, it left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Leaving nothing more than putting the banners away for another match...
And enjoying a game of kick-around in the parking lot of El Pastor after the match.

Gold Cup Final - USA vs. Mexico A.K.A. I Can't Hear You USA

I've been going to and photographing the fans of the USA Men's National Team for 11 years, and I've never been as embarrassed by the American fans as I was on Saturday for the Gold Cup Final. My first USMNT mach was World Cup Qualifying: USA vs. Guatemala in 2000 in RFK, followed by USA vs. Honduras in 2001. At those games the American fans were just as outnumbered 9-1, just as they were at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, but they never stopped cheering for their team the whole 90 minutes. In all the years since the supporters section has always cheered the full 90 no matter what the result. On Saturday, the fans quit on the US Men's team. When Mexico scored their second goal they crossed their arms, and didn't cheer, and stood silent in the most important match for the team this year. Its an absolute disgrace, and every American fan at the game should be ashamed of themselves.
Although a lot of people compared the Gold Cup Final like playing in Azteca; The Azteca Norte if you will. But compared to the reception the US fans that went to support the US team in 2009 for the World Cup Qualifier, the atmosphere was not that hostile during the pre-game. In-fact a bunch of Mexican and USA fans ended up kicking a ball around playing an impromptu match between parked cars.
But the crowd outside the Rose Bowl was definitely pro-Mexican. Probably around 90 percent Mexican fans, 10 percent USA fans.
When the US Supporters walked into the stadium they received a ton of jeers from the Mexican crowd.
Some fingers thrown in their faces...
And some pushing and shoving between the USA and Mexican fans, even the female fans.
The supporters group was afraid of the heckling...

and tried to enter through a locked gate but were turned away by security and the police officers.
Finally they made their way through the gates into the stadium.

And into the supporters section which was patrolled by security to make sure only ticketed US supporters made it into the section.
Before the match it was easy to see the USA fans were vastly outnumbered by the Mexican fans.
But that's to be expected in Los Angeles.
While some fans were supporting the USA...

...plenty of Mexican-Americans have still close ties to their homeland sports team.

And the Rose Bowl was majority green.
Even though the Mexican team attacked from the start, the USA got a surprise goal to go up 1-0.
A few minutes later the USA was up 2-0 and it looked like it would be the USA's day.
But just as quickly, Mexico scored a goal and the jeers turned into cheers....
Some scuffles broke out between the Mexican and US fans in separate sections and but once Mexico tied the match up, the American supporters essentially shut up.

The USA team marched out in the second half...
But hardly a cheer was heard from the US fans, especially after Mexico scored their third goal.
USA fans had their hands in their mouths...
Looking on quiet...
Not doing anything...
When your team is down that's when they need to hear you. That's when the USA fans should have been at their loudest. But except for one American Outlaws fan and a few of his friends from Orange County the supporters section remained silent.
And Bob Bradley had the deer-in-headlights look as he watch his strategy for the match fall apart and the USA lose 4-2.

Afterwards the US fans looked stunned by their loss.
And some good natured cheering for each side ensued.
both ways...
But I was shocked at the poor support for the USA team. How can you not go to a match like that and cheer the whole 90 minutes???

As the Mexican Coach said after the game:

""The supporters get my respect," Mexico coach Jose Manuel De La Torre said. "I don't know what it was, maybe 90 or 95 percent of the fans were Mexicans and that means something. When we went down 2-0, they were still cheering, still supporting. The team gave everything they had."
In all honesty, can the USA fans at the match say the same thing? Did they give everything they had??