National Park Radio Played Through a Smoky Pier Sunset

A quick note before this one - recap posts have been slower to go up than usual. It's been a busy stretch of shoots and processing paid client work, and blog write-ups got pushed down the list. Catching up now.

August 12th brought regional wildfire smoke drifting in from further east, and the sun sat low and orange behind the stage for most of the set - not the clear golden hour these shows usually get, but it made for its own kind of backdrop.

National Park Radio formed in Harrison, Arkansas in 2012, led by Stefan Szabo, with his wife Kerrie joining in 2017. The two of them are the core of it — Ozark-rooted indie-folk that leans on acoustic guitar, upright bass, and banjo. It's the kind of band that carries its home mountains with it wherever it plays.

What stood out watching them work: how much instrument-swapping happened mid-set, players picking up banjo, guitar, and bass in different combinations song to song rather than staying locked to one role. Nobody stood still for long.

Concerts at the Pier runs through the end of August - don't wait for the last week to catch it.

If you're a local event organizer, venue, or festival that wants professional event photography on the Olympic Peninsula, get in touch.

See you on the pier.