The Photo Pit-Jersey Born Photogapher Captures Music-BK Style!

April 1, 2021 by Debra L. Rothenberg

Brooklyn Roads’ Contributing Photographer Debra L. Rothenberg shares some of the iconic images and experiences about Brooklyn’s music scene. She is an award winning photographer and an accomplished professional whose first book, Bruce Springsteen In Focus, received global acclaim. Her work can be viewed on her website at https://debrarothenberg.com.

As a “Jersey Girl” who has been living in Manhattan for the past 22 years, I wasn’t too familiar with Brooklyn until a few years ago. I knew all the venues in the City and shot at all of them, large and small, and it was very exciting to branch out into Brooklyn and experience the venues, people and music. Brooklyn Bowl and Brooklyn Steel have been great places to see amazing talent, from lesser known acts to those who sell out fast, such as “Passenger.” The Barclays Center gets the big acts, such as Cher, Ed Sheehan and fellow New Jerseyean Bruce Springsteen, but we can’t forget when Neil Diamond went back to perform at his High School-Erasmus High School on Flatbush Avenue or when Sarah McLachlan performed at the newly renovated Kings Theater. Of course, a great memory and time was when U2 performed live for MTV at Empire Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn.
Things are always quite exciting in Brooklyn and Brooklyn Roads Magazine covers it all.

: Cher at Barclays Center

: U2’s Bono Performs at Brooklyn Bridge Park

: Bruce Springsteen at Barclays Center /photo by Debra L. Rothenberg

: Passenger at Brooklyn Steel

: Sugarray Rayford at Brooklyn Bowl

: Sarah McLachlan at The Kings Theatre

: Rachel Price Surprises The Avett Brothers at Barclays Center

: Ed Sheeran at Barclays Center

: The Boss at Barclays Center

Artists on our Radar

Emery Major Brings Colorado to Brooklyn!

Step inside the world of Colorado landscapes with Emery Major, who writes and performs music based in the folk, indie and pop genres. A Colorado native, Major is a folk singer-songwriter whose music is deeply thoughtful and aware of his environment. His songs are not just a feel; they are a location, deeply influenced by his upbringing in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado as well as his urban experiences in Nashville, Tennessee and Brooklyn. Over the years, he has defined his storytelling musical persona through performances at prestigious venues and folk festivals across his various homes. Major is known for his perfect blend of the old and new. His style is reminiscent of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and James Taylor while also resembling the more modern singer-songwriter styles of Jason Mraz, Hunter Hayes, and Ed Sheeran. Relying heavily on the acoustic guitar to accompany his journey, the music and lyrics are tied together in a deeply impactful way, as Major’s soothing voice brings the listener through discussions of layered concepts such as existentialism, personal development, and love. The music production of each song incorporates white noise, three-part harmony, and folk acoustic guitar progressions and harmonics as he slowly engages the listener in passionate stories. In one such song, “It’s okay to be sad,” Major’s powerful dynamics in his voice builds the song to its climax, utilizing both the soothing and stronger aspects of his voice. Major knows who he is as an artist; he has even performed covers such as his latest release, Paramore’s “The Only Exception,” in which he challenges himself by putting a vulnerable, bluegrass spin on the popular record. Major’s career is just beginning, and listeners would be wise to join his promising journey.

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