MAX Presents: the House of Divine Tour

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On a cold and stormy night in Santa Ana, CA, New York native MAX sparked a fire within everyone from all ages that came out to the Observatory despite the weather. With supporting act Nina Nesbitt opening the show with insane vocals and a charming stage presence, it was the right way to bring the energy out and get the audience ready for what was to come. The House of Divine tour is filled with non stop dancing, good vibes, and all around love for people. Originally known as Max Schneider back when he first started on Youtube, MAX has grown from doing covers with musicians like Kurt Schneider, Sam Tsui, Against the Current, and more, to a pop artist sensation, collaborating with DJs and other artists from all over the world like Galantis, Noah Cyrus, Audien, and several others. His career has no foreseeable end in sight, with good reason. Having seen how his craft has changed since 2013 has been incredible to say the least. Not only is he one insanely talented individual, it just so happens that he is a truly genuine and loving human being, trying to inspire others to live freely and spread love wherever you may go. If you have yet to experience what a MAX show is like, you must check out the House of Divine tour, coming to a city near you. Check out the dates below, as well as a gallery of photos I captured from the night!

Who would you like to see me interview or shoot with next? Leave a comment below and be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated on all things photo and music related! Until next time! 

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Exclusive Discount Codes

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Hey guys! Here you will find a list of some awesome brands I'm affiliated with. It will be updated constantly, so be sure to save it somewhere for your shopping needs! 

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• Metal Marvels - Female made online store

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code “MAX” for 15% off  

• Abella Eyewear - Sunglasses Company

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code “MAX” for 30% off  

• Dazey LA - Female made online boutique

https://www.dazeyla.com/

code “MAX” 10% off    

• MVMT - Online watch store

Referral link: https://www.mvmtwatches.com/?ref=bb-qwr6z9

• Happy Plugs - Swedish Headphone online store

https://happyplugs.com/

code “MAX” for 20% off

• Hair Burst Vitamins - UK based natural health supplements company

Referral link: https://www.hairburst.com/?ref=bb-qwr6z9

• Heartman Clothing - Charity based clothing line

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code “MAX” for 10% off  

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Copasetic: A Photo Gallery

Sometimes you find yourself at a networking event, meet some cool people, and all of a sudden you're doing a spontaneous shoot with a model you just met at said event. I met the talented and super bubbly Andrelina Perazzo while at an event in the LA Art District for the collective and agency I'm with called TGS Collective; my sister had worked with her before but conversation was nothing but full of positive vibes and inspiration. We noticed a gorgeous VW van in the valet parking lot next door, and couldn't help but to create some magic with what we had. To our luck, one of the valets was the owner of the bus and said it was totally fine to shoot with it! We were inspired by the vibrant and matching colors of the bus with Andrelina's outfit, and pulled together an edgy and moody vibe. Sometimes the most random shoots end up turning into something special! Check out what we captured below and be sure to follow Andrelina on her socials! 

What would you like to see next? What's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done? Leave a comment below and let me know! Would love to hear some cool stories you might have! Make sure to subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on Instagram to stay up to date on all things photo! 

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Artist Feature: Fly By Midnight

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When I first came across a band called Fly By Midnight one day on Spotify, I couldn't believe how good these guys were. There was something special about them; I knew the second I heard a few of their singles such as Vibe and XL. A few months later, the guys announced a show they were playing in Hollywood in just a few weeks time. After exchanging some emails and some ideas, I had the opportunity to meet and grab coffee with the NYC based duo while they were visiting Southern California; not only are they talented, they just so happen to be charming and genuine people, with a great sense of humor. You can watch the full interview below (10/10 would recommend) or read on to see more photos from the shoot we put together in West Hollywood, find out what Fly By Midnight is about.  

Max Baker chats with the gents of funk pop duo Fly By Midnight, Justin + Slavo. How did these two start making music together? Are there plans for a tour? What's in the future for these two? Check this out and be sure to leave a comment below and give this a thumbs up! Filmed and edited by @samanthabakerfilm

“We constantly want to kind of turn the creative knob a bit left of center, and if it doesn’t work, you go back; but if it works, that’s what will set you aside from the rest. ”

Me: If you guys want to introduce yourselves, where you guys are from, and what you do exactly in the band.

Justin: My name is Justin Bryte, I play keyboard and sing in the duo, and I'm from Staten Island, New York, born and raised.

Slavo: My name is Slavo, I am from Florida, and I play guitar and I sing. 

M: For those who might not be familiar with the band, how did Fly By Midnight get started and where did the name come from?

J: Yeah, two very different things, because the name was definitely not an organic process, but I guess coming together was more natural. Slavo moved to Florida from Staten Island, about, how many years ago, what was it?

S: Yeah, 5 years ago. I moved to New York from Florida. After being there for a couple years, I met Justin at a studio on Staten Island, and he was doing a solo project. I was producing, and we started working together, wrote the first song we released as Fly By Midnight called Brooklyn, and that was one of the first songs we ever wrote together; that was kind of the birth of Fly By Midnight. The name itself was- it was funny, we spent like a whole week trying to figure that out. 

J: We drove around looking at signs and stuff...

S: Exactly, yeah, just looking for inspiration.

J: It was funny, we wrote the song first, and we knew we wanted to be a duo, and then we were like -

M: You're like "now what?" 

J: Yeah! We wrote the song and were like "who are we?". But it all came together, and now here we are.

S: We like to say that because our sound is fly and retro, we came up with the idea of "Fly", and then "By Midnight" came from the idea that we're up past midnight pretty much every night. 

M: I feel that. So you just released your latest single, All the Feels, what was the inspiration behind the song and how has the feedback been from the fans and the general public so far? I know it literally just came out. 

S: Yeah, it's been what? A day?

M: A whole day!

J: Yeah a whole day! (laughs) I mean, for being a whole day, it's been really really positive. I think what we were really striving for the track was to just be universally relatable; it's such a feel good, positive song, and we just really wanted to inject those positive vibes into everyone. Because everyone has their feels; you know, whether it's a romance, or, like we said, a cup of coffee in the morning -

S: Ice cream, puppies...

J: Yeah, ice cream -

M: Pizza -

J: For me, it's coffee over romance any day of the week. But yeah, the story, the real story, is that we were sitting in the studio right, and we were searching on Spotify just listening to the music because we're music fans as well, and I came across a playlist on Spotify called "All the Feels", and I looked over at Slavo and I was like, "yeah this is a cool title for a song", and we looked it up and no one had wrote a song yet called All the Feels, and we were like "quick! write it! release it!". It's been really cool, I think the video came together - it was the first video also we filmed a little bit of awhile ago - we've kind of had it in our pocket for awhile, so it was cool to kind of hold onto it and be excited for it to come out. 

M: And how has the feedback been as far as the song goes? Have the fans been reacting really well? 

S: It's funny, everyone that's a fan of Fly By Midnight, they show us so much love, and we appreciate it, and we've been getting great feedback; people are going crazy about the song. The one thing I will say is we have a guy named Matt Reed, who's over at Mix 107.1 at Boston radio station, and he's been showing us love since, I think Malibu, or before that, he's a great radio host over there and he's been supporting us. One thing he said that I thought was really cool was that he premiered the song on the radio over there, and talked about how he was playing the song, you know, driving down the coast, and it was gonna be the next summer smash; just having that kind of energy and support behind the song is really important to us, and keeps us going. 

J: And I think for us too, because he has heard all of our songs, he's premiered a lot of our songs, I think the fact that he - we speak on a friendly basis kind of now - and he's like "yo, this is like the one", and we were like "ah alright, this is the one". 

M: It's like "Yeah, let's hope so"! (laughs)

J: We'll find out!

M: That's awesome!

J: Thanks!

M: With the new music you guys have released this year so far, is there any plans for a tour in the US, or maybe even globally? Maybe? Hopefully?

S: I mean yeah, we've been trying to go do a tour, like since we started we wanted to do a sorority tour, we thought that would be a lot of fun, it's more of our demographic and ya know, colleges are always a lot of fun. We played a lot of college shows in the beginning too, so yeah as far as touring the states, we've been trying to get on a booking with another artist that we kind of work well with. If we could do it on our own, we would do it in a heartbeat. It's more of just the whole funding process and just making sure everything's set up, so it's more timing for us, making sure it;s done the right way, and we want to take advantage of trying to meet everyone that we can while on the road. And you know, as far as international, we've been trying to go to a lot of these - we have a lot of fans in Europe, Australia, we even have a cool little fan base in Asia, Asia is a really cool fan base; it's all timing. We just want to make sure when we do it, it's done right.

M: Totally, makes sense. What has been the difference between New York and the East Coast, versus the West Coast? As far as the fan scene, the music scene -

S: The weather!

M: Just everything, the weather (laughs)

J: Yeah, it's exciting, and slightly nerve-wracking at the same time, because New York is kind of the birth town of Fly By Midnight, so whenever we do play a show there - we usually play a big one every year that's usually like a summer party, like one we just played - it's always packed out. We know it's gonna sell out and bring in people. I think LA is really exciting because we communicate with fans through social media here, but obviously we don't live here. So we don't know what to expect. I think it'll be really cool, and I think it'll go over really well so I guess we'll find out.

M: That's awesome. So, this is the last question, and I always ask this with everybody I interview with: what's some advice that you might have for creatives and other musicians to stay inspired and to keep pursuing the dream?

S: That's a really good question. It's easy to get caught up in doing and being creative, and get overwhelmed by the constant hustle, and for us, we've been very fortunate that we see the increase every time we release a new song, and we've seen it with the content, and we've seen our numbers go up, so it's definitely rewarding. That's something that's tangible, and we can feed off that, but you know, every now and then we get worked up and it's tiring, so it's just kind of understanding  what you're capable of doing as far as content and what you're putting out there and making sure you're resting for these things. I don't know, it sounds stupid, but -

J: No, I think it's a good point. I mean, especially if you do hustle, and I know you hustle, and for the Fly By fans, you know that we hustle, and I think we've learned, even especially lately,  that we were pushing ourselves 1000 miles per hour, but sometimes you gotta kick it back to 999. Kind of just take a day to heal your mind and stuff.  But I would just say, experimenting because, especially for Fly By Midnight,  and even also on the photography and video side,  it's easy to get caught up in what everyone's doing. So we constantly want to kind of turn the creative knob a bit left of center, and if it doesn't work, you go back; but if it works, that's what will set you aside from the rest. 

S: Spice things up.

J: Yeah, spice it up, and don't be afraid to fail.

S: Fuck with the flava - quote me. 

(everyone laughs)

Be sure to follow Fly By Midnight on their social media:

And while you're at it, check out their latest single, All the Feels, below! 

Thanks to Justin & Slavo for such a fun afternoon and taking the time to shoot and hang! Might have an excuse to go to New York in the future, but maybe that's just me. Who would you like to see me interview and shoot with next? Leave a comment below and be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated on all things photo and music related! Until next time! 

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Written, filmed, and photographed for Fly By Midnight, in association with The Gypsy Shack Collective (www.tgscollective.com)

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How To: Vans Warped Tour #RIP

Today's the day, folks. It's the first day of the final round of the legendary Vans Warped Tour, created by Kevin Lyman back in 1995. Lyman released a statement earlier this year, saying, "I have been a very lucky person to have traveled across the country and sometimes around the world as one of the founders and producers of the Vans Warped Tour. Today, with many mixed feelings, I am here to announce that next year will be the final, full cross-country run of the Vans Warped Tour." With such an incredible history and effect this tour alone has had on not only the artists who participate and perform for the Warped tour, but also the fans; every individual who has been able to come to a show or two, and all the experiences that have transpired in the past (almost) 25 years is surely something unforgettable. "I am so grateful to have worked with more than 1,700 bands over the last 23 summers. I wish I could thank every band that has played the tour.", Lyman says. You can read the full statement here. 

To commemorate something that has had a major effect on me personally, and many of the friends I've met because of the music scene, here's an article for those who may be hitting up Vans Warped Tour for their first (or final) time. Not sure what to expect? Read on to find out some tips and tricks from my experience of a full day at one of the coolest tours around. 

Michael Bohn of Issues, 2016

Over the years, I've been able to photograph the Warped tour a couple times whenever it came to the town closest to me. It's been one of the wildest yet awesome experiences I've had as an artist. My first year was 2014, and I learned a lot about what to try doing for the next time, which was in 2016. Whether you're going to be shooting Warped tour at a date near you, or you're just going for fun with friends (I'm doing that this year at the Ventura, CA date), here's some advice for what to expect from what will be one of the best days of your life.

Dress appropriately. First things first; you have to wear an outfit that you will not be dying in by the end of a 10+ hour day. Depending on where you live, make sure to check how the weather is going to be the day before you go. If you're traveling far from your hometown to a certain location, pack options just in case. For instance, I have a friend who's gone to Warped tour with me that came in from Washington to California. We may be on the West coast, but the weather can be drastically different. For me, a good go-to is shorts, a tee, an extra layer (i.e. flannel or hoodie - it gets cold when the sun goes down), fanny pack or back pack, a hat, sunglasses, and the most comfortable shoes you own is the way to go. I've seen some people get super dressed up (God only knows why) and they end up looking like a complete mess by the time headliners come on to play. Customize and play around with some options; it's Warped tour, you can basically get as wild with your fashion as you want! But please keep comfort in mind. Whether you're shooting all day or just with friends and going into the mosh pits, comfort is absolutely 100% necessary.

Ryan Graham of State Champs, Warped 2016

What should I bring with me? Make a checklist of what you need to bring for the event. Water and sunscreen will become your absolute best friend. With being in the sun all day and constantly on the go, you need to stay hydrated and take care of yourself. If you're shooting, pack your gear the night before and charge everything. Lenses, filters, charger, batteries, anything you might need for a successful day to get that magic caught in camera. I would recommend bringing a mobile charger while you're at it just in case you want to post any cool content throughout your experience! PSA bring enough cash (yes, cash) to bring for your spending needs like food, drinks, and of course merch! A tip to see exactly what you can and can not bring is to check out their website to confirm different policies as every venue and date varies on what you can bring. Make sure to have a sharpie or two in hand just in case for autographs and to keep track of set times! Which brings me to my next point...

Time. Time is never on your side when it comes to festival days. I highly recommend coming to the venue one to two hours before gates open. I know that might sound crazy, but I've been to shows where fans show up the morning of a concert that doesn't start until 8 pm! Two hours gives you plenty of time to check out parking, familiarize yourself with the venue and the layout, pick up tickets or passes, and hey, you might even meet some band members while in line! Some bands take the time to come out to eager fans outside, coast the lines, and share what time their set is. It's a cool opportunity to hang and talk with different artists, (maybe even network?) and snag a photo while you're at it! 

John O' Callaghan of The Maine, Warped Tour 2016

Kennedy Brock and Pat Kirch of The Maine, promoting the lines at Warped tour 2016

How do I meet bands?! Something everyone wants to know. You'd be surprised how easy it can be to meet the artists and other celebrities at some point during your day. Like I mentioned earlier, it's easy to meet some band members when they're promoting their set times. They're just people; go say hi! Another great spot to look for artists is where else but their merch tents. They'll be everywhere, and usually, throughout the day they can be found meeting and selling merchandise when they're not performing. I've been able to meet and photograph people like John O'Callaghan of The Maine and Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive this way. Another example is how my sister met Tyler Posey one year, known for MTV's Teen Wolf. He's known for being a big fan of the pop-punk scene, and was there with his friends of State Champs! He was just walking around like any other person, and she managed to strike up a conversation and take a quick photo. This is the type of event where anything is possible when exploring the grounds: you never know who you can meet and connect with!

Now for the music:  Okay, you've made it inside, got your squad on backup, and you're ready to head to the stage - but wait, which one?! As soon as you get inside, it's the moment where you can find out the exact set times. Sadly, every day is different for the tour, and you don't find out when your favorite bands are playing until you get through the gates. But don't stress! There are signs everywhere stating where each stage is, who's playing where, and what time, which is where that sharpie can come into play. Sometimes they hand out actual copies of set times for the days, sometimes they don't. So if you can, try writing it down somewhere if you've got something to spare. If you try saving it in your phone and your phone ends up dying halfway through the day, you're screwed. Sadly technology isn't always our friend. When you do find the signs and figure out who's playing where and when that's when you want to plan your day out. It's good to have a schedule to stick with, and you can always switch things up if you want. I know for me personally, I've had friends where we have certain bands that we want to see but we sometimes don't want to see the same bands. Keep communication open with your group. For instance, say your friend wants to see We the Kings at 11:30 but you want to check out Beartooth at 11:25; pick a spot where you can meet up after their sets and go from there. Do whatever works for you and your friends! 

The Maine's tent, Warped 2016. Fans could easily meet members like John or Garrett here, selling merch.

Let's see, am I missing anything? Outfits, necessities, friendship, bands, music...oh yeah, don't forget to open this pit up!!!

How have you gotten through a festival day? Leave a comment below of anything I might have missed, which stop you're going to, who you're most excited to see, and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter for all things photography and music related, and follow me on Instagram and Twitter while you're at it! 

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Artist Feature: Corii

As any other Saturday morning may go, from brewing coffee and trying to recover from Friday night festivities, my friend Corii came in with her contagious energy that instantly makes you feel a bit more awake (even before a glass of coffee). I had asked her to come over, told her about how I started blogging and wanted to ask a few questions about her and her music, and all in all, just another excuse to hang out and have fun. She's one of those people you feel an instant connection with, and I can honestly say she's someone I felt as if I had known for years, even though we had only just met a few months ago from a mutual friend while at Disneyland. 

With her charm and infectious laugh, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to feature her on my site!

Who is Corii? Find out below by checking out the interview. 

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Me: Alright so, for anyone who might not know you, what's your name, where are you from, and what is your favorite song at the moment?

Corii: Okay so, my name is Corii [artist name], I'm from New Jersey, and my favorite song at the moment... 

M: I know, there's so many good ones out there right now!

C: Oh my god dude, this is like asking me what my favorite potato chip is [laughs] I'm gonna say Concentrate by Demi Lovato.

M: Ugh that album is so good.

C: I'm obsessed. 

M: So how long have you been in the industry?

C: I went to music school, and then probably the first time that I released something that considers me being in the industry would probably be in 2010, I would say. I mean, I started writing and putting songs out when I was younger, that was before Spotify and stuff, so 2009. I was still working in studios, but I would say consider it more serious around 2010 or 2011. 

M: And what made you get into the music scene?

C: Well, I'm only really good at music so...

M: That's how I feel about art in general so I understand.

C:  Exactly! I have always just loved singing, I became more comfortable with songwriting when I was in my senior year of high school, that's when I really got into it. Before, I was just singing other people's songs, and then I got really into writing my own stuff. I think that's how it started, I just wanted to write my feelings because I had my first breakup, so I had to release it someway.

M:  What was your first concert?

C: My first concert?! So I would say my first concert was at Berkley, it was when I had a different [artist] name, but that was my first big concert, and then I got into another one and another one, and it just kinda lead from there and continued. But my biggest show was when I opened for The Weekend Riot at the Trocadero in Philly. But my first big concert where people actually came just to see me I was in college at Berkley. And then I had my own big show at the Hard Rock in Philly, and then it got bigger when I opened for the Weekend Riot.

M: So awesome! And how big was the crowd for that one?

C:  We sold it out, I couldn't tell you the exact number but I'm sure the guys would know.

M: We'll just ask Bruce next time we see him [laughs]

C: Yes exactly, but I want to say it was around 250 or something around that!

M: Awesome! If you could tour with anyone, who would it be and why? What's your dream lineup? 

C: It's hard because my dream lineup, to what I am, is different. I'm obsessed with Paramore, everyone knows that, like I would love to tour with her. I'll pick three; Paramore, Demi Lovato, and Sia. 

M: Interesting! So if you could compare your sound to anyone, who would it be? So people can get an idea of what type of music you do.

C: I'd say probably Sia, like a mix of her and Demi. More Demi vocally, and with Sia, I like to put a little dark twist on things, and belt really high. That's what both of them do, so I would saw the two of them. 

M:  They both have a sort of unique sound as far as pop music goes, because they're always changing what they do, you know?

C:  Oh definitely, Sia has one of the most distinctive voices ever; like one of the songs I'll be releasing very shortly, everyone says it sounds very much like Chandelier, so I would definitely say Sia, but Demi too, just because I love to belt really high, and both of them do that.

M: What's something that most people might not know about you?

C: I'm pretty much an open book, but I guess for people who might not know me, I would say I'm really really into working out, like I was a really big runner and super into that, but I got injured so I stopped doing that, but a low-key passion of mine has been running. I did cross-country like I did it for a different college because I was going to music school. I've done a half-marathon, I still haven't done a full marathon yet, but I do love running a lot.

M: Nice. And what would you say is something you like to do to refocus, like what you do for your "me time"? Whether it be yoga, or reading, or what's something you do for you?

C: Definitely running or spinning, and I also love cooking.

M: Oh fun! What's your favorite dish to cook?

C: The best thing I've made this year is borsh soup. 

M: What the heck is that?!

C:  [laughs] It's a beet soup; I learned it at the restaurant I worked at. I'm not gonna lie, when I made it and took a bite of it I was so impressed with myself. I had never heard of it either, but I always like to try new things. Like if I try something new when I'm out somewhere, I want to try it out myself at home. It's just very comforting to get out and do food shopping, and then coming out and prepping, like cutting celery, and just being in my own zone. You don't really have to worry about other things and just be in your zone. 

M: What's some advice that you might have for when creatives get stuck in a rut?

C: Honestly, I think my biggest advice is to not compare ourselves to others. I feel like that's what we as creatives do, and whenever we see someone do something that you think is better than what you're doing, you're holding yourself back. I know for me, I'm a perfectionist, so I'm constantly fighting myself all the time, so it gets me stuck in ruts. I'm doing all these things but then I'm always like "oh my gosh, that wasn't good enough, I'm not gonna post that", when it's really your own self that's holding you back, so I always say try to not compare yourself to others and try to put things out and do things, and if people like it, then great, and if they don't, they don't, because if not, then you didn't even get the chance to show that. 

M: I completely agree. So, final question, what's one thing you want to do before you die? What's at the top fo your bucket list?

C: Top tier priority, would be to go to Ireland with my dad. We're Irish and Italian, but everyone has been to Ireland except me, because my sisters and cousins and such are 10 years older than me, so I was in 3rd grade or something, and everyone went to Ireland except me, and my parents had already done as well. They felt bad about it so they decided to take me to Disneyworld to make up for it, even though we went to Disneyworld a ton of times (I love it though, obviously). I just have this dream to take my dad to Ireland one day, just the two of us, drink beer, and see where we're from and learn the culture and whatnot. 

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Corii will be releasing her first official single, Good Love, in May! Be sure to follow her at all her socials below:

Like what you see here? Let me know in the comments who'd you like me to interview and shoot with next! And be sure to follow me on my socials if you don't already! Thanks for taking the time out of your day for checking my site out, and I hope to hear from you soon!

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