The rain fell. The music played on. The crowds gathered under tents and collected under overhangs and awnings. Wearing hats and hoodies, they huddled together getting drenched. Make Music Salem was very wet.
The rain began as a downpour, water gushing from the sky like a faucet tap turned on full blast. It took a brief respite and slowly dripped for a while before returning as a steady flow.
It was the Summer Solstice, and I stood in the cold summer rain, me and my cameras getting soaked: For the first time at this annual event, I was bundled up in coat and sweater. Previous Make Music days were spent shooting in 90-degree temperatures.
If I got lucky on this past Saturday, sometimes I didn’t have to worry about constantly drying my cameras off, because the music was moved inside. The photos are always worth it. I take these images for myself and my friends. It’s great fun. Shooting local concerts is the best.
The free, normally outdoor event takes place annually in Salem on June 21, giving the bands and audience the opportunity to see as many performers as possible on the longest day of the year…