Garbage Happy Endings Tour 2025
Photographing the band Garbage on their final extended headlining run, the Happy Endings Tour, was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had as a photographer. New to being considered a live music photographer and concert photographer, based in Sacramento and working frequently throughout San Francisco and Los Angeles, photographing this band had been on my list for years. Garbage has long been one of the artists I hoped to work with as a tour photographer, capturing the energy and storytelling that only live music photography can deliver.
When the tour was announced, I reached out to nearly every media outlet I could think of in hopes of securing credentials. Most requests were turned down. With so many established music photographers hoping to document what might be the band’s final run through certain cities, competition for access was intense. As a relatively new concert photographer, I knew I was starting near the bottom of the ladder.
Then something unexpected happened. I was able to connect directly with Shirley Manson, who graciously approved me to photograph the band in what ended up being four different cities along the tour. While I wasn’t officially embedded as a tour photographer, being welcomed to photograph multiple shows felt like an incredible opportunity. Each night brought a new atmosphere to capture from the pit—exactly the kind of challenge that makes live concert photography so rewarding.
The experience ultimately led me to photograph the final U.S. stop of the tour in Los Angeles. Standing in the photo pit for that last performance, camera in hand, it was hard not to reflect on how unlikely the whole journey had seemed at the start. What began as a long-shot request turned into the chance to document several unforgettable nights of a band I’ve admired for decades. For me, this is what music photography is all about—capturing the emotion, energy, and connection between artist and audience in a single frame.
At the Mountain Winery, I’d attended concerts there years ago, but photographing a show in that setting was a completely different experience. Early in the night I met a couple of fellow music photographers who generously shared some tips on where I could move around once the standard first-three-songs window ended. With Garbage giving me permission to continue shooting from the soundboard, I was able to take advantage of the freedom—shifting positions behind the crowd and along the back of the venue to capture a little more variety in the images while still taking in the atmosphere of one of the most unique concert venues in the Bay Area. 🎶📷
The photo of the four band members, Shirley Manson, Butch Vig, Nicole Florentino, and Duke Erickson (above), caught the attention of Shirley and she reposted it on the band’s social media. And when I met the band at the next show in San Francisco, I was so honored Shirley complimented my photography from the night before.
Photographing Garbage at The Warfield felt like stepping into a piece of San Francisco music history. Opened in 1922 as a vaudeville theater, the ornate venue later evolved into one of the city’s most beloved rock halls, hosting legendary runs from artists like Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead while maintaining an intimate, high-energy atmosphere despite holding more than 2,000 fans.
That intimacy was definitely felt from the photo pit. There were about a dozen photographers packed along the barricade, making it tough to move around and find clean angles. Being relatively new to the pit scene at the time, I was still figuring out the unspoken etiquette, and a few times I found myself pushed out of some prime spots. But in one of those small, unforgettable concert moments, Shirley Manson seemed to notice and made her way directly in front of me, striking a pose that lined up perfectly with the stage symmetry. It made those first three songs count and helped me capture some of my favorite frames from the night.
Inside, the venue was completely packed—you could feel the love in the room from the moment the band stepped on stage. The indoor production also meant the lighting design by Gigi Lights really came alive, with bold colors and dramatic contrasts that elevated the mood of the set. Songs like “Hold,” “The Day I Met God,” and “Vow” carried a cinematic intensity, and at a certain point I had to stop thinking like a photographer and just let myself sink into the performance. Sometimes the best part of concert photography is remembering you’re also part of the audience.
Photographing at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino ended up being a completely different experience from the other stops I covered on the tour. For this show, I was the only photographer in the room and was told I had free rein to move anywhere in the venue—as long as I stayed out of backstage areas. After navigating crowded photo pits earlier in the tour, the freedom to roam opened up a lot more creative possibilities, letting me experiment with different angles and perspectives throughout the set.
The crowd dynamic, however, felt noticeably different from the packed theater atmosphere I’d experienced in The Warfield. Many of the attendees seemed to be regulars at the casino who had taken advantage of discounted tickets, and the room itself felt more like a conference hall than a traditional concert venue. At one point during the show, Shirley Manson paused to speak about the political and humanitarian issues she often addresses on stage and in her social media, including the tragedies unfolding in Gaza. While much of the audience applauded in support, a small group of guests walked out during that moment—an unusual contrast to the overwhelmingly supportive reactions she typically receives from longtime fans.
Despite the different setting, I ended up loving the intimacy of the show. Being able to move freely around the room led to a few interactive moments with Shirley that I likely never would have captured in a crowded pit at a larger venue (as seen in the photo above). And although the Silver Legacy’s concert space isn’t as grand as some of the theaters on the tour, once the house lights dropped, the lighting design by Gigi Lights once again transformed the room completely—turning an ordinary conference space into something atmospheric and cinematic for the duration of the performance.
Photographing at the Hollywood Palladium felt like the perfect final chapter to this run of shows. Opened in 1940, the Palladium has long been one of Los Angeles’ most iconic concert halls—hosting everyone from big band orchestras in its early years to legendary rock, punk, and electronic acts over the decades. Its wide dance floor and balcony create an electric atmosphere, and for a band with a following as devoted as Garbage’s, it was the ideal setting for their final U.S. stop.
This show actually came together for me last minute. After photographing the Bay Area stops on the tour, I reached out hoping to cover the Los Angeles performance, and the band’s team was more than happy to grant one more photo pass. Once in the pit, I also had the chance to finally meet a few Los Angeles music photographers I’d only known through social media, including Jennie Book, who I collaborate with on the women-run music blog Sound Check SF.
The room was packed with energy. Lifelong fans filled the floor—some of whom had followed the band across multiple cities on the tour—alongside friends and peers from the music industry who came out to support them. It created a powerful sense of community in the room, the kind you only see when a band has built decades of loyalty.
At one point I made a conscious decision to lower my camera for a few songs and just take it all in. After listening to Garbage for nearly 30 years, being able to stand there—now as a professional concert photographer—felt like a full-circle moment.
While it’s bittersweet knowing Garbage may not tour again as headliners, there’s comfort in knowing they’ll likely continue appearing at festivals and special shows along the West Coast. And if they do, I’ll absolutely be there—hopefully with another chance to document the magic from the photo pit.
