Ryder Blue Cavazos shoots at ACL Fest as her father looks on.
Photo by David Brendan Hall
As an avid music fan, my love for concert photography should come as no surprise. Many of my fellow concert photographers can attest to the thrill of getting that one shot of that one band you love.
When my 7-year-old daughter, Ryder Blue Cavazos, began tinkering with my cameras at the age of 3, I was obviously a very happy dad. Just the interest in the tool itself was enough for me. As she got older, that interest grew more and more to the point where she was requesting her own camera.
Using a hand-me-down Canon 20D equipped with a 40mm pancake lens, Ryder set out to shoot a few acts during the second day of 2014’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. She had cut her live music chops by shooting Fitz and the Tantrums a month prior at ACL Fest. FFF Fest gave her an opportunity to join me in the pit and see how that process worked.
A year later, we were in contact with Echosmith about having Ryder shoot from side stage during weekend one of this year’s ACL Fest. This was especially meaningful to her since the Chino, California quartet is one of her favorite bands. The gallery above features some of Ryder's favorite shots from the shoot.
Mama Duke is riding the wave of a very successful TV audition.
On Tuesday, June 17, Austin’s own Mama Duke stepped into the national spotlight via an audition on America’s Got Talent, showcasing her skills and unapologetic authenticity. In just a week, she's seen a swell of support from viewers who can't get enough of her new song.
The rising star is chronicling it all on social media and will be hosting a livestream Wednesday, June 25, at 7 pm on TikTok. She writes in a social media post that she'll be on to discuss what's happened up until now and answer questions about what the process has been like behind the scenes.
Known for blending rap, pop, and other genres, Mama Duke performed an original disco-infused song for AGT's celebrity judges, Simon Cowell, Mel B of the Spice Girls, Sofia Vergara, and Howie Mandel.
Her performance of her new rap-pop anthem "Feels So Good to Be You" earned her a standing ovation and unanimous “yes” votes from all four judges, propelling her to the next round of the competition. Cowell congratulated the performer on her smart audition, using a well-produced backing track. But he didn't know Mama Duke would also be releasing the song the same day.
That proved to be an even smarter choice. The song struck a chord with audiences, and the video of her audition on AGT’s YouTube channel has garnered over 15,000 likes and countless positive comments.
Mama Duke's AGT audition marked a major milestone in her journey, one she described as a chance to represent not just herself, but all the communities she belongs to. It seems she was ready to hit the ground running, embracing the visibility and opportunities that come with performing on such a massive stage.
The viral momentum of her AGT audition has helped make "Feels So Good to Be You" the highest-streamed song of her career, climbing to #4 on the iTunes Top 20 charts — her first time ever charting.
On Spotify, Mama Duke’s monthly listeners have surged from fewer than 300 before her audition to 230,000 in just a week. The song itself is approaching 600,000 plays on the platform at the time of this article's publication.
The hype has also translated to in-person audiences in Austin. Just two days after her audition aired, on Thursday, June 19, Mama Duke performed at the Long Center’s Drop-In concert series in Austin, sharing the stage with fellow Austin artist Skateland. The free outdoor concert drew a record-breaking crowd.
Despite her whirlwind rise to fame, Mama Duke has remained refreshingly grounded. The day after her AGT audition aired, she returned to her job at the YMCA, embodying the humility and work ethic that have endeared her to fans. Of course, no one knows how long this wave will last, but with so many new fans following along, the ball is in Mama Duke's court.
America's Got Talent airs on Tuesdays at 7 pm on NBC (locally on KXAN). Mama Duke isn't the only artist who has enjoyed a spike in fame after this season's auditions, but it's going better for some than others. However far Austin's champion makes it, she seems to have secured a career win already.
