My favorite band, The Wood Brothers, was opening for Zac Brown at Philips Arena in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve. So of course Regan and I were in the photo pit, passing one camera back and forth between us and wondering exactly what label to stick on the ZBB - country/jam band? Jimmy Buffett goes to Nashville by way of Georgia? And that was before they started dropping Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder quotations here and there, plus a cover of Bill Withers’ Use Me.

Lessons learned: Don’t fall victim to genre-labeling compulsion; don’t travel with just one camera; and don’t underestimate how much a dry backstage will make you feel better the next morning. And 2011 resolutions? That’s easy: Shoot and write more. 

One of the five support acts.   

The Wood Brothers. L to R: Chris Wood, Oliver Wood, Coco Dugas. 

Reverse angle, w/ other shooter. 

Time for the ZBB. These fans were pretty happy about it. 

In the photo pit.

Oliver & his wife…

… and Chris & his wife.

Cheap shot, but I had to do it - ZBB in silhouette.

Wood Brothers onstage with the ZBB.

Glad to see they’re still enjoying themselves. 

Rock and roll! Photographer & wife in a charmingly neon-lit backstage bathroom.

Rock and roll #2: end of the night debris.