Diehards

DIEHARDS is an inside look at the energy and spirit that fuel every live show -- the fans.

Intrigued by the character and culture of music fans, Erin Feinberg spent a decade photographing audiences across all genres, from every vantage point -- out in the parking lots, up in the rafters, around the stages, and from inside the mosh pits. Captured in more than one hundred stunning images, Feinberg's photos draw you in to the fans mindset, free of inhibitions and under the spell of music!

Feinberg shares, I discovered a unique bond among these enthusiasts that transcends language, ethnicity, gender, and even the very music we are celebrating -- because the music also seems to define who we are. And through my lens I've witnessed fan subcultures born of this devotion.

The photographs are bookended by original essays from two music legends, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Peart. Sharing perspectives from opposite ends of the stage, both performers beautifully articulate the power of their loyal, passionate audiences, as individuals and en masse.

Every night at 8 o'clock, it's those faces jammed up to the front of the stage, smiling, singing, living every note of your song, their song, taking every breath with you, or dancing in the rafters that continue to fuel your rock and roll passion. Bruce Springsteen

In a very real way, we, as performers, ought to bring everything we have to every show. It is also important to remember that people in the audience often bring everything they have, too. Neil Peart

Erin Feinberg is a New York City based photographer and filmmaker with a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University and a Master of Arts from both New York University and the International Center of Photography. She has two photography books in the works as well as a documentary film, The Best Seat in the House, that explores her passion for music and drums. Erin is an accomplished martial artist, a Liverpool F.C. supporter, loves a great burger, and is happiest by the ocean.