PDX in Tune is the Newest Showcase of Portland’s Musicians - but it’s Not What You Might Think
If your Instagram feed looks anything like mine, you may have recently seen a new suggested account to follow and been struck with a pleasant curiosity. PDX in Tune (@pdx_in_tune) is the newest passion project from New York transplant photographer Brian Knapp and is exactly as the name describes, an endeavor to capture the those soft and vulnerable moments in the midst of a dynamic live performance where a musician must put up that fourth wall and tune out their audience so they can tune in on their instrument.
Portland is no stranger to some wildly talented live music photographers, all with their own spin on capturing light and movement as it dances around with the performer on stage, but Knapp takes a different approach, instead choosing to highlight the few moments of quiet in a performance, illustrating the “life” in live music. In a modern world where it seems so many, including musicians, are focused on offering only the most finely curated cut of their careers, the dazzling highlight reel that keeps the energy at a 10 and paints a picture like the entertainment never stops, photos like those shown with PDX in Tune prove that both performer and audience see the beauty in those less posed, more human moments.
In his own words, Knapp explains the point of the project is about “celebrating the uncomfortable moment every musician experiences having to tune in the middle of a show”. In our chat he went on to say how he empathized with how nerve wracking it can be for musicians to pause their performance for tuning, being such a necessary component, adding, “I’ve made it my mission to capture that moment in a positive, lighthearted way”.
“I started collecting and posting snaps, and after a little while the page started to look to me like a real shared experience between bands. A lot of similar poses and forms made one band seem like another. It's now become a challenge for me to get a tuning shot that itself stands out from the crowd—seated, looking around, multiple people tuning at the same time, unusual instruments, etc. My white whale is to capture a drummer tuning.”
Gumberoo: What gave you the idea for this project?
Knapp: “I wanted to celebrate that intimate but uncomfortable moment we all experience as musicians, so I snapped a picture with my phone and told my friend, “I think I want to start an account of just people tuning”. He laughed and said, “Dude, you should go for it!” I think that was all the encouragement I needed. Thanks, Caleb!
“The guitar player [] was tuning, and the audience was very quiet and peaceful, but the whole thing felt so vulnerable; she couldn’t engage the crowd since she had to focus on tuning, so she was just standing there in the quiet between songs, preparing for the next. She seemed so on the spot, but I could tell the audience was just happy to be there.”
G: Who are some of your favorite acts you’ve photographed?
K: “There are so many, but a few that stand out are Pom Poko, Twingle, The Fur Coats, Sunbathe, Friends Friends and most recently Lackadaisy. I really love all their styles and how much energy and emotion they bring to their shows. They make it hard to remember to be ready to take a tuning snap between songs because I get so carried away listening!”
G: And who was your favorite act you’ve seen live, ever?
K: “Hell Nancy, by far! She’s local to Portland–I just love her music and she’s such a cool person. Her writing is so thoughtful and her lyrics are poetic. [H]er phrasing, natural flow of language, and the way she uses layers of meaning across line endings are poetry craft, and so rare among song-writers.”
“When I moved to Portland in 2022, I started going to a lot of shows and bringing my camera, and I found them to be great opportunities to practice the craft without feeling like I was bothering anyone. The stage lighting makes it pretty easy to get an interesting or dramatic shot.”
It’s clear that Knapp’s approach to capture the grace and charm in the humanity of music is a welcomed breath of fresh air by the local community, and we can’t say we’re surprised. Beyond that, Knapp’s project also emphasizes a focus on instrumentalism, highlighting the root of music as opposed to the pomp of performance. It’s this connection to the artistry itself that, no doubt, has been such a point of resonance among local musicians and music fans.
“I’ve been very surprised at how well-received the project has been by musicians and photographers.” Knapp says of his work. “I try to keep the whole thing pretty lighthearted by messaging the musicians and saying ‘Got you!’ or adding whimsical titles to the shots, like the one of Mindparade crouched down behind a keyboard stand captioned ‘You can tune but you can’t hide!’ ”. And it seems like this good-fun approach has proved endearing to Knapp’s subject matter, as he goes on to say, “a couple of times someone noticed me taking their picture while tuning and asked “Are you PDX In Tune?!” which is a really fun way to be seen. To be honest, I feel pretty vulnerable myself walking up to the stage and taking a picture in a moment that nobody else is trying to capture. I imagine people in the audience are like “why does he want a picture of them tuning?’ ”
If you want to follow along with Brian Knapp as he captures the quiet moments of Portland’s live music scene, be sure to follow @pdx_in_tune on Instagram.
