I Hope You Are All Happy Now
Photographs by Nicholas Zinner
(Evil Twin Publications/St. Martin's Press)

Nick (whoops, Nicholas) Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has seen a million faces. And he's rocked them all. Now he's got a book of photos he took to prove it. Of course, pretty much anyone with a camera can be a photographer these days. But not everyone (ie, me) has been around the world on tour. What sets many of these shots apart is that instead of a photographer going to several concerts or someone following a band around, the person taking the photos is the rock star himself. And you just can't get any closer to the secret life of a rock star than that (ie photos of hotel beds, backstage, etc). Sometimes those shots of the crowds actually stand out, like the one from Coney Island with the Cyclone rollercoaster. Don't be mislead though. There's a lot more subjects in front of the camera from the past few years than just a large volume of crowds. Zinner has been hanging out with bands and musicians that you may or may not recognize (TV on the Radio, Zinner's bandmates, Liars, Bright Eyes). And stay with the book, cause there's some great shots of the YYYs, cityscapes, people laying on the floor, and more people laying on the floor. -Kenyon



nick and kenyon. december 2003 (not in book)