Concerts returned, first tentatively and then in full force. We asked our photographers to share their favorite photos, which included Lil Baby and Lindsey Stirling. Some of our photographers reported experiencing some rust after such a long break. Others are still waiting until it’s safer to be in public. But in all, it seems that music is healing once again.

In no particular order, here are the RIFF photo staff’s favorite concert photos of 2021.

Lil Baby at Oakland Arena – Sept 25

Following Lil Baby throughout his career, I’ve really enjoyed his nonchalant yet aggressive flow. He doesn’t yell or raise his voice, but the way he projects and his use of 808s is really well executed.

At Oakland Arena, he performed with Lil Durk, where the two went back to back, trading verses. As Lil Baby sat down on a couch on stage, he looked straight into the crowd and glanced right at my camera. I didn’t notice this at the time, but I couldn’t believe it while editing the photo. This shot became one of my favorites because it looks so personal, yet candid. — Matt Pang – @mattgods

Tinashe at Warfiled in San Francisco – Oct 19

Tinashe’s concert this year was nothing less than extravagant. It was a lot of fun to shoot as the energy at the Warfield electrified not only myself but the crowd. A three-tiered stage added to the challenge of capturing the perfect photo within the moment. This shot sticks out to me the most because I was able to catch Tinashe in a golden light that complemented her skin and picked up the details in her outfit and makeup. I also love the ring that hovers over her like a halo, which shows that she’s the focal point of the photo and the moment. — Onome Uyovbievbo – @by.onome

Lindsey Stirling at Concord Pavilion – Sept. 3

Lindsey Stirling’s shows are an amazing work of performance art, stunning both in sound and in visual production, so she makes things sort of easy for us photographers.

However, on this night our shooting position at the Concord Pavilion was so far to the left of the stage that I couldn’t see half of the stage. This made the shoot much more challenging than usual.  I was thrilled to get this shot with her dancers despite the challenges. — Steve Carlson – @SteveCarlsonSF

 

J. Cole at Oakland Arena – Oct 20

It was a rainy night when J. Cole performed at Oakland Arena and while they were setting up the stage following opener 21 Savage, I knew that J. Cole was about to offer up a performance art visual for his crowd. Large groups of staff used forklifts to move the production pieces onto the stage.

After the curtains dropped, J. Cole came out rapping right in front of a literal flaming basketball hoop. This show felt like a sold-out Warriors game with the ecstatic crowd and themed props. As J. Cole soaked it all in mid-performance, I was able to capture this photo.  — Matt Pang

Korn at Oakland Arena – Oct. 18

Korn is one of those bands that I grew up listening to yet had never had the chance to photograph. Jonathan Davis with his H.R Giger microphone has always been an iconic image that I wanted to capture, and a month prior I had the opportunity when Korn played Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View.

However, at that show, Davis was still recovering from COVID-19 and was mostly relegated to sitting in a throne. Lucky enough, Korn was added to the System of a Down tour a month later and I got another chance. This photo captures the massive energy and celebration that Korn invoked from the crowd. — Derek Tobias – @simmonstobias

KISS at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View – Sept 10

This was my “first KISS” for such an iconic band.

I remember, as a kid, watching their videos on MTV in awe and thinking, “Wow, they put on a great performance,” KISS always look like they’re having fun and enjoy putting on bombastic performances for their fans.

They’re in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; I think that says it all. — Sean Liming – @S.Liming

 

Murs at the Cornerstone in Berkeley – July 8

Right after venues first started opening up again, my first show of the year was DJ Fresh, Murs, Eligh and The Grouch of Living Legends. This was also my first non-mainstream hip-hop show and the energy and collaboration of the artists on stage blew my mind. 

This is my favorite shot of MURS from his set.  He had such great energy, catching air while alternating with Eligh and The Grouch. — Karen Goldman – @xposure120

 

 

Bleachers at the Masonic – Oct. 16

There’s a special place in heaven for artists who let the photographers shoot their entire show, and Bleachers are well on their way to sainthood in my book

There’s something special about catching a moment with an artist late in the show when the initial excitement has given way to exhaustion and emotional connection with an audience, and I was thankful to be in the balcony to capture this image of Jack Antonoff midway through Bleachers’ show at the Masonic in October. I also love how this moment, back to back with saxophonist Evan Smith, echoes the relationship between Antonoff’s greatest muse, Bruce Springsteen, and Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band. — Steve Carlson

J Balvin at Outside Lands Music Festival – Oct. 31

J Balvin blew me away with his performance at the end of a long weekend walking back and forth across Golden Gate Park. The music, the dancing, the pyrotechnics, and the light show made for quite the performance, and was great for taking photos. I took this photo when he first took the stage after a countdown full of flames flying across the stage led to fireworks and J Balvin standing center stage. He stood there for about 10 seconds as the crowd went crazy, and it felt like a great close to the weekend. — Adam Pardee – @adampardeephoto

MisterWives at the Regency Ballroom – Nov. 23

MisterWives took the stage with a very dynamic presence in their return to San Francisco, filled with sparkly, coordinated outfits and instrumental solos. As a photographer, it was hard to keep up with the spirited Mandy Lee, as she covered every inch of the stage, making sure she was up close for all the fans to hear her powerful vocals. Their performance wasn’t one I’ll soon forget.

Black Veil Brides at the Warfield – Oct. 3

While I didn’t go to many concerts this year, I was still fortunate see some of my favorite bands. One of the most memorable was Black Veil Brides, on tour with DED and In This Moment. This photo included some luck: Right angle, position and timing. This show was only the second date on the tour that drummer Christian “CC” Coma was with the band (yup, recovering from COVID-19. This photo shows the high energy that I’ve come to expect from Black Veil Brides. It shows Andy Biersack singing along with the crowd, guitarist Jinxx (Jeremy Miles Ferguson) and bassist Lonny Eagleton head-banging along. Not pictured, but Eagleton and CC were sharing one of those rhythm section moments we see at just about every rock show. — Nathan McKinley – @memories.by.mckinley

Megan Thee Stallion at BottleRock Napa Valley – Sept. 5

Megan Thee Stallion closed out the weekend at BottleRock in Napa with an insane performance. She was on-point with amazing choreography, and great lighting. I had so many great shots that it was hard to choose. I honestly think she plays to the photographers during her first couple of songs. I have another photo where she is looking straight down the barrel of my lens. This was a rememberable performance as it wrapped up my long weekend and it was my first concert since February 2020. It was a wild, long weekend where I shot photos of 43 different acts. — Adam Pardee