I Photographed Dave Matthews Band Ruoff Music Center 2024
July 26, 2024
During my 10th year as a concert photographer based in Dayton, Ohio, I finally photographed a concert at Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana. I got approved to shoot Dave Matthews Band (sixth time) for Cincinnati CityBeat. DMB has been my favorite music group since August 8, 1998, so photographing them is an amazing thrill. My first of 25 DMB shows was at this venue (Deercreek Amphitheatre), so shooting this show was extra special.
Industry Standard Concert Photography
Industry-standard concert photography is shooting the first three songs. Each time I shoot DMB, I am limited to two songs. Knowing every song in their catalog, I believe the two-song limit is due to the majority of their songs being longer than other artists’ music. For this show, the first song was Grey Street, and the second was #41. These are two of my absolute favorite songs and are amazing in concert. I took 30 seconds during the show to just take everything in. I was 5 feet from Dave Matthews singing one of my favorite songs. Wow.
The staff at Ruoff Music Center was great to work with. Email communication was great leading up to the show. One nice perk of shooting there is up close parking in the employee parking lot. No other venue I’ve ever worked at has provided a designated parking lot. The only exception was when Taylor Swift’s people provided free parking at PayCor Stadium in Cincinnati.
A Special Thanks
I want to thank Dave Matthews Band’s public relations staff for always allowing me to post my DMB photos. The photo release prohibits photographers from sharing images on their own social media or their own website. Because DMB has been my favorite for nearly 3 decades, I wanted to get written permission from the band. I never disclose my contacts because I worked hard to find and maintain those relationships. So, thanks again DMB & management!
