In the early 2000s, I started experimenting with photography using disposable cameras. I had one with me wherever I went, especially while playing drums with Charlie Hunter, Norah Jones, John Mayer, Marc Broussard, Jesse Malin, The Alternate Routes, and more. A few years ago, I brought all of the undeveloped rolls out of storage. As I re-discover them, I’m sharing them with the world. Click photos to enlarge and see descriptions. You can also follow Backstage Archive on Facebook and Instagram. Enjoy!
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John Scofield, Charlie Hunter - Japan - January 2002. I started playing drums with Charlie in 2000. My last tour with him was a co-bill with Scofield's band at Blue Note clubs in Tokyo and Osaka.
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John Mayer - Ireland - February 2003. I played drums with John from 2002-2003. This picture is from an early morning van ride from the hotel to the airport for our flights back to the USA.
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Jesse Malin, tour manager Dan Plenge, bus driver - UK - 2004. I toured with Jesse through from 2004-2005. This is from after a gig, loading up and getting ready for the next stop.
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Chip Johnson - USA - circa 2006. I was with The Alternate Routes from 2005-2007. Most of our traveling took place in this van. Chip was an excellent bass player / driver and always wore his seat belt.
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Charlie Hunter, Norah Jones - backstage - 2001. Norah sang on Charlie’s album 'Songs From the Analog Playground' and toured with us in support of the record.
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Michael Chaves, Matt Mangano, David LaBruyere, John Mayer, me - backstage - 2002. Matt was playing guitar when I joined the band; and when he left, Chaves took his place.
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Christine Smith, Tommy Stinson - UK tour bus - 2004. Tommy was the opening act for Jesse Malin when we were in the UK and Ireland, supporting Jesse's album ‘The Heat’ (with Christine on keyboards).
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Matt DiLeo - Montclair, NJ - 2004. Matt inherited my vintage pink wrap-around couch and turned it into an art project. He also did the cover art for my two solo releases in 2018.
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Adam Deitch, Chris Lovejoy - Japan - January 2002. Adam was drumming with John Scofield, Chris was playing percussion with Charlie Hunter, and we were all touring through Japan together.
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Adam Gardner - USA - summer 2002. During the year I was drumming with John Mayer, we spent a month on the road with Guster. Here’s Adam posing with apple and beverage at a hotel after party.
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Justin Lomery, Johnny Pisano - hotel bathroom 2004 - Jesse Malin tour stop in Philadelphia. Justin played guitar, Johnny played bass, and sometimes they did each other's hair.
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Marc Broussard, The Alternate Routes, Ross DuPre' at Mississippi Nights - St. Louis, MO - 2005. A few months after I started drumming with AR, we opened up some shows for Marc Broussard.
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John Ellis, Charlie Hunter waiting to check-in at the hotel - circa 2001. This was taken during our tour of Alaska, where we played in Anchorage, Ketchikan, and Juneau.
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John Mayer - 2002. I took this picture from my seat behind the drums. Great energy from the crowd that night.
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Jesse Malin on Wexford Street - Dublin, Ireland - September 2004. On his way back from getting lunch before we loaded in for our gig that night at Whelan's.
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Douglas Jennerich, Michael Jackson, Marcos Garcia - Montclair, NJ - 2004. After tour, I would usually drop off my bags at home in Jersey City and drive to Montclair to hang with these guys.
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Mos Def aka Yasiin Bey - Hoboken, NJ - February 2001. Mos sang on Charlie’s album ‘Songs From The Analog Playground’. I snapped this pic while he was getting ready to record at Water Music Studios.
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Scotty Crowe - Europe - 2002. Scotty was on tour with John Mayer as merchandise guru and keeper of John's fan site. I took this photo in our bus as we traveled from one European city to the next.
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Me, Mike Davis, Nabil Ayers - London - 2004 on a UK tour with Jesse Malin. Alien Crime Syndicate was the opening act (and Tommy Stinson's backing band) with Mike on guitar and Nabil on drums.
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Tim Warren - Bloomington, IN - circa 2006. The Alternate Routes had a gig that night at a party for a fan who was attending Indiana University. After the show, Tim taught us sign language.
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John Ellis, Matt Chamberlain, Skerik, Charlie Hunter - Berkeley, CA - 2001. Galactic was headlining that night at The Greek with Critters Buggin and Charlie opening.
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John Mayer - UK / Ireland ferry - 2002. John didn’t smoke cigarettes, but he would sometimes pose with one for comic effect. All the cool kids were doing it.
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Justin Lomery - Interstate 55, Illinois - 2004. Temporarily derailed on tour with Jesse Malin. The bus broke down on our way to the gig, so Justin and I went exploring the freeway flora.
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AJ Faas - Bloomfield, NJ - c. 2001. AJ led a percussion ensemble called Teonanacatl that featured a rotating cast of characters (including me). Sometimes he and I would play duo shows.
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Avi Bortnick and Jesse Murphy - Japan - 2002. When I was drumming with Charlie Hunter, we did a week of shows with John Scofield in Tokyo and Osaka. Avi was on guitar with JS, and Jesse was on bass.
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Nick Alexander and Johnny Pisano - UK - 2004. Nick was our merch manager when JP and I were on tour with Jesse Malin. Sadly, Nick was taken from us in the Paris attacks of 2015 at the Bataclan.
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Eric Donnelly - USA - circa 2006. We all took turns driving the tour van in The Alternate Routes. When we ran out of cigarettes on long trips, the next best things were baby carrots.
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Ryan Miller - USA - summer 2002. During the year I was drumming with John Mayer, we spent a month on the road with Guster. Here's a photo of Ryan serenading an adoring fan at a hotel party.
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Chris Lovejoy and Charlie Hunter - USA - c. 2001. Soundcheck is a great time to work out new ideas. Charlie was really excited to try his scat / percussion solo. Chris seemed skeptical.
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John Mayer - USA - 2002. I snapped this photo on the tour bus, right after we got off stage. It was that time of the night I refer to as “post-gig, cool-down, snack-time”.
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Johnny Pisano / Jesse Malin - London - 2004. When I was drumming with Jesse in the UK, we stayed at the Columbia Hotel. The lobby bar was perfect for winding down after the gig with “a few” cocktails.
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Party guys - Montclair, NJ - 2004. After tour, I would usually drop off my bags at home in Jersey City and drive to Montclair to hang with this crew. We’re still friends and we all miss Scotto.
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John Ellis / Theryl DeClouet - Hoboken, NJ - February 2001. In the studio for Charlie Hunter’s album ‘Songs From The Analog Playground’. John played sax, Theryl sang on “Mighty Mighty” and “Spoonful”.
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David LaBruyere - Ireland - 2003. David and I were on tour together as the rhythm section for John Mayer. In addition to being a fantastic bass player, he's also a great juggler.
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Marc Broussard - Pennsylvania - 2003. I played drums with Marc for a summer tour and had a great time with him and his crew. I took this pic loading in at a gig opening for PA fave sons, The Clarks.
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Mike Sembos - USA - 2005. When I was playing drums with The Alternate Routes, we spent a week on the road with O.A.R. as their opening act. Sembos was our rhythm guitar player and my photo partner.
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Charlie Hunter - Charleston, SC - November, 2000. Charlie is an amazing musician AND a fantastic dancer. Here he is strutting his stuff backstage at the Music Farm.
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John Mayer / Scotty Crowe - Australia - 2002. The promoter picked us up at the hotel and brought us to the gig in a van with no windows or seats. We made it there in one piece and had fun on the way.
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Chris Lovejoy - Jersey City, NJ - 2001. Chris and I recorded an album together called BRAIN TRUST. We wrote the music in the living room of my apartment. Here’s Chris deciding what to get for lunch.
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Kristin Diable & Cash - Baton Rouge, LA - 2004. I played drums with KD in NYC during the early 2000s. We headed south in 2004 to make her album Shelter. Cash helped us make a fantastic record.
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Gloree Centeno / John Fesken in NJ, December 2000. I was playing drums that night with Fireworks Collage Project at FEASE, and caught these two in a special moment during the post-gig shenanigans.
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Zach Galifianakis, Vanessa Carlton, John Mayer - Los Angeles - 2002. The show was fun, and the after party was great. Shortly after I took this photo, John wrote his phone number on Zach’s forehead.
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Tim Warren - USA - ca. 2005. My favorite moments with The Alternate Routes were helping songs go from a page to the stage. Inspiration can come from anywhere at anytime, and Tim was always ready.
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Jesse Malin, Bryan Middleton, Johnny Pisano, Natalie Baverstock, Christine Smith - NYC - Summer 2004. Taking a break during the video shoot for "Mona Lisa" (directed by Jonathan Caouette).
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John Ellis and Norah Jones - USA 2001. In addition to being a great sax player, John is also a fantastic juggler. Here he is warming up in the dressing room while Norah prepares a cocktail.
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Scotty Crowe / Brian Rosenworcel - USA - summer 2002. During the year I was drumming with John Mayer, we spent a month on the road with Guster. The gigs were fun, as were the after parties on the bus.
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Chip Johnson - Southern California - 2007. While I was touring with The Alternate Routes, we made a video for "Time is a Runaway". On the way to the set, we pulled over for a pit stop and photo op.
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Me, Spencer Miles, Joey Palestina - Montclair, NJ - 2005. I played drums with Spen and Joey in their band, THING-ONE. Sometimes we met for cocktails and Spencer would lick my head.
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Stephen Kellogg / Ari Hest - NYC - 2003. I played drums with Ari for a few gigs in October on the east coast. This is from backstage at The Knitting Factory before a double bill with SK on 10/17/03.
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Daniel Plenge / Christine Smith - USA - 2004. While we were on tour with Jesse Malin, we would gather in the bus lounge for deep conversations. Here is Christine explaining how time travel works.
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Rich Bustamante, Gabriel Añel, John Mayer, Marcos Garcia - Philly - 2002. When I was drumming with JM, my friends drove from NJ to PA for our gig at TLA. We warmed up for the show with some Xbox.
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Steve Albini, Dave Patrikios, me, John Biz - Chicago - 2005. I was playing drums for John (with Dave on bass), and we recorded his album 'The Happiest Days Of My Life' at Steve’s studio.
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Chris Lovejoy and Alice Cooper - USA - circa 2001. We played many gigs with Charlie Hunter, but only one venue had a mural of Vince Furnier in the dressing room.
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Jeffrey Clemens and me - NOLA - Summer 2002. I was on the road that year, playing drums with John Mayer. We had a day off, so I went to see JC and spent a lovely Louisiana afternoon in the yard.
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Keith Hartel / Joe Condiracci - NYC - 2004. Keith and I were Joe's rhythm section in the early 2000s. We played a bunch of gigs in Manhattan and had as much fun off stage as we did on stage.
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Eric Donnelly / Mike Sembos - Pennsylvania, 2005. When I was touring with The Alternate Routes, we stayed in some strange places. The Fort Motel in Orwigsburg, PA was definitely one of the strangest.
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Charlie Hunter - Brooklyn - March, 2001. Chris Lovejoy and I released 'Brain Trust' in 2001, featuring lots of drums and percussion and special guests. Charlie played "Knock Yer Mouth Loose”.
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Ken Helie, Matt Mangano, John Mayer, David LaBruyere - USA - 2002. Pre-show warm up in the dressing room. Matt checks tuning, John checks vocals, and Dela checks reflection while I take photos.
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Marc Broussard - Asbury Park, NJ - 2003. When I was drumming with Marc, one of our summer tour stops was the at The Stone Pony. Here he is on a Boardwalk phone chat with Casino in the background.
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Stephen Connolly and Mark Crecco - Bloomfield, NJ - December 2000. Steve and I were performing at FEASE Art Gallery with The Fireworks Collage Project. Mark was there for emotional support.
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Überjam soundcheck - Tokyo, January 2002. When I was drumming with Charlie Hunter, we did a week of shows in Japan with John Scofield. He was supporting his Überjam album and the band was on fire.
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Adam Gardner - USA - Summer 2002. At some point during the John Mayer / Guster tour, we got our hands on a Flowbee. Adam was brave enough to be a customer on the tour bus bathroom barber shop.
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Justin Lomery and Christine Smith - London - 2004. Justin, Christine, and I were on tour with Jesse Malin in the UK. Whenever we had some time off, we would take the Tube and explore the city.
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Tim Warren and Chip Johnson - Bridgeport, CT - 2005. Chip testing out his new bass amp before a tour with The Alternate Routes at the band house in Black Rock, CT (next to Harborview Market).
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Jamie Mclean, Charlie Hunter, George Sluppick, Chris Stillwell, Robert Walter, Chris Lovejoy - USA, circa 2001. In case you ever wondered what happens backstage, here's a big rager in progress.
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John Mayer - 2002. Guitar changes were usually a good time to put down my sticks and pick up the camera while we had a few seconds between songs. Gotcha!
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Doug Jennerich / Sebastian Masuelli - NJ - ca. 2005. If I wasn't on tour or at home, I was probably spending time with my homies in Montclair. Here’s an impromptu portrait of a poet and a painter.
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Frankie Muniz and Matt Mangano - LA, CA - 2002. Frankie was a big John Mayer fan back in the day. He came to see us play at the House of Blues on Sunset Strip and hung out backstage after the show.
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John Ellis and Skerik - USA circa 2001. Pre-gig cocktails with the Charlie Hunter Band, featuring special guest Skerik. He and John always made for a great double sax section.
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John Mayer - Los Angeles, CA - 2002. We were in LA for a tv performance, during a stop on the west coast tour. Later that night, we went to our friend Leah's house to watch the show.
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Me, Justin Lomery, Tommy Stinson - UK, 2004. Justin and I were playing with Jesse Malin. Tommy opened up the shows during our tour in the UK. We would often gather in the bus lounge for shenanigans.
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Joe Centeno - Bloomfield, NJ - December 2000. I was playing drums with Fireworks Collage Project at FEASE Art Gallery and Joe was at the gig. After the show, he took a few hits from Brian’s trumpet.
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John Ellis, Charlie Hunter, Chris Lovejoy, me, Norah Jones - USA - 2001. Norah was a special guest when we were on tour for ‘Songs from the Analog Playground’. Here’s a dressing room group photo.
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Scotty Crowe and David LaBruyere on the John Mayer tour bus - USA - 2002. Scotty and Dela would occasionally challenge each other in a candy eating contest. (I think Scotty won this match.)
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Christine Smith, Jesse Malin, Natalie Baverstock - NYC - 2004. During my time on drums with JM, we made a video for "Mona Lisa”. Here's a dressing room pic, prepping for the shoot.
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Richard On, Marc Roberge, Mike Sembos - USA 2005. When I was drumming with The Alternate Routes, we opened some shows for O.A.R. Here's Mike warming up with Richard and Marc before showtime.
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Adam Deitch - Japan - 2002. When I was drumming with Charlie Hunter, we played shows with the John Scofield band. Deitch would always take some time in the dressing room to get properly warmed up.
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John Mayer and Michael Chaves at the airport, circa 2002. I'm not sure where I took this photo, or where we were going on tour. Just another day and another flight.
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Stephen Connolly - Hudson County, NJ - ca 2000. We were in the studio with Gabe Walsh, recording the album Homelife for Gabe's band YOUR TEAM RING. I was on drums and Steve was playing percussion.
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Justin Lomery - The Columbia Hotel, London - Summer 2004. When we were on tour with Jesse Malin, Justin and I would sometimes share a room (which also served as a rehearsal space and photo studio).
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Eric Krasno, Chris Lovejoy, bass player - USA - 2000. When Chris and I were in Charlie Hunter’s band, we toured with Soulive. After one of the gigs, we went to a house party for a jam session.