Selected Music Images (1968-2023)
I think that if I was given a choice of careers I would have chosen musician over photographer, but the truth was I wasn't a very good musician, although I certainly gave it my best shot. I remember playing autoharp in my elementary school music class, and when I was accepted into New York’s Highschool of Music and Art, I was required to play an instrument. I chose the french horn (an extremely difficult instrument to play) and was so bad at it that the teacher had me fake-play a number of the songs during our public recital. Still determined to have an instrument I could call my own, I took up classical flute in college (it being an easy instrument to carry around), but after three years of constant practicing, I realized that Carnegie Hall was not in my future, even with ”practice, practice, practice”. But the truth is I can keep a pretty good beat when playing percussion in impromptu jam sessions, but that's about it for my musical career.
The first photograph I ever had published was of Country Joe, taken at the Fillmore East in 1968, and I have been shooting musicians ever since. Despite my lack of talent in playing an instrument, and the inability of the camera to actually capture sound, there has always been a place in my heart in photographing musicians, the music scene, and the communal interaction between the player and their audience.
(For image data, click thumbnail and hover cursor over enlarged photographs)
Title: Bruce Springsteen, LA Sports Arena, 1984
Medium: Silver Gelatin Print from 35mm B&W Negative
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Title: Michael Jackson, Dodger Stadium, LA CA, 1984
Medium: Silver Gelatin Print from 35mm B&W Negative
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Title: The Everly Brothers, 1984
Medium: Negative Scan from 35mm B&W Negative
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Title: Yoyo Ma, Playing with the Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols Orchestra, Cambridge MA
Medium: Silver Gelatin Print from 35mm B&W Negative
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Title: Richard Pryor, LA Street Fair, LA CA
Medium: Silver Gelatin Print from 35mm B&W Negative
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Title: Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Fillmore East, 1969
Medium: Negative Scan from 35mm B&W Negative
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Title: Van Morrison, LA CA, 1984
Medium: Silver Gelatin Print from 35mm B&W Negative
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Title: KVHW, Maritime Hall, SF CA, 1999
Medium: Silver Gelatin Print from 35mm B&W Negative
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Title: George Clinton, LA CA, 1984
Medium: Silver Gelatin Print from 35mm B&W Negative
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Title: Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead, Boston Garden, 1993
Medium: Silver Gelatin Print from 35mm B&W Negative
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Title: Peter Tork Duo, Virgin Records, Boston MA
Medium: Silver Gelatin Print from 35mm B&W Negative
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: February 28, 2019
Title: Amy Helm, Sonia, Cambridge MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: 2021
Title: The New Motif, Soundcheck Studios, Pembroke MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: September, 8, 2018
Title: Billy Cobham, Regatta Bar, Cambridge MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: December 31, 2019
Title: Pink Talking Fish, The Paradise, Boston MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: April 20, 2006
Title: Medium: McCoy Tyner, The Jammies, NYC
Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: August 21, 2019
Title: Hot Tuna, Wilbur Theatre, Boston MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: March 8, 2023
Title: Daniel Donato, Soundcheck Studios, Pembroke MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2023 Joshua Touster
Date: May 23, 2019
Title: Anton Schwartz, The Regatta Bar, Cambridge MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: November 16, 2013
Title: Bruce Hornsby, Mount Auburn Hospital Gala, Cambridge MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: December 17, 2018
Title: Hiss Golden Messenger, The Sinclair, Cambridge MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: April 26, 2017
Title: The Jazz Experience, NE Baptist Hospital Gala, Boston MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: April 7, 2007
Title: Steve Kimock, EarthDay NY
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: February 11, 2017
Title: John Scofield, The Regatta Bar, Cambridge MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: October 31, 2020
Title: Cal Kehoe, Pink Talking Fish, Swanzy Drive-In NH
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: December 8, 2017
Title: New Monsoon, Terrapin Crossroads, San Rafael, CA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: January 27, 2018
Title: Rob, Possum, Atwoods, Cambridge MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: October 28, 2022
Title: Dana Colley, Vapors of Morphine, Lizard Lounge, Cambridge MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: March 13, 2019
Title: Oz Noy, The Regatta Bar, Cambridge MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster
Date: August 20, 2011
Title: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Boston MA
Medium: Digital Color Photograph
Copyright © 2022 Joshua Touster