Year in Review: The Best Concert Photos of 2016

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Morgan Hotston 
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Artist: Arkells 
Venue: Massey Hall  
City: Toronto 
Date: November 4
Photographer: Francesca Ludikar 

There are many things that make the Arkells great, and I feel like all of that is felt through this photo. The pure joy felt at one of their shows, the energy and devotion they give, and just maybe because they are local boys who have been  staples of the Canadian music scene for a while now.

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Artist: Kanye West 
Venue: The Forum  
City: Los Angeles  
Date: October 26
Photographer: Andrew Gomez 

I think this was the tour of the year with all the hype surrounding Kanye. He pushed traditional stage boundaries, and brought on a ton of moody lighting. It was quite dark, so I really appreciate this image. The composition is great, and the cellphone lights create such a cinematic tone.

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Artist: Zella Day 
Venue: The Mod Club 
City: Toronto  
Date: July 12
Photographer: Angelo Marchini 

I love the moodiness and darkness of this shot. The shadows fall perfectly, there is minimal background activity, and her hair falls perfectly across her face.

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Artist: Florence And The Machine 
Venue: Molson Amphitheatre 
City: Toronto  
Date: June 10
Photographer: Janine Van Oostrom 

One thing I love the most about shooting live music is that there are moments that you can capture an artist in a frame outside of their stage setup. You can get them almost floating mid air, without wires, cords, and instruments. A space where you can start directing what they look like as a portrait, instead of incorporating the stage elements. This shot embodies the power and control of Florence’s voice when she belts out those key notes, and the blue tones are so lovely aesthetically.

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Artist: Billy Talent 
Venue: The Horseshoe Tavern  
City: Toronto  
Date: July 28
Photographer: Katrina Lat 

I always love to see Billy Talent shots up on the site. They seem to consistently be a great band to shoot, and the Horseshoe gave them the opportunity for a very intimate set.