My Day With Westend Wang
At The Vibrant Arena with Westend Wang
So, I got an invite from Tanner Van Antwerp to photograph Westend Wang on August 10th, 2024, while he opened for Torrian Ball at The Vibrant Arena in Moline, Illinois.
This was a completely new experience for me as a photographer, since up to this point, my work had largely consisted of portraits, wildlife, and travel photography. Needless to say, I was very excited to have the opportunity.
I worked with Westend Wang (Wayne Lyter) at The Breakroom inside The Office Cocktail Lounge in downtown Davenport, Iowa, which made the event more comfortable. Of course, anyone who knows Wayne would agree that he’s always fun and great to hang out with.
Hanging out backstage with Westend Wang and Torrian Ball’s crew was a lot of fun and offered a chance to chat and see how everyone prepared for their shows.
After getting some drinks and preparing in the green room, it was time to head out to the stage to continue preparing for the night’s events.
Having the run of the arena long before showtime was a great experience and offered the chance to get camera angles and shots that aren’t always available during the performances. It’s been quite a while since I had taken part in sound checks and setup, so it was nice to be able to document others instead of worrying about acoustics and tones.
Behind the stage was great for photos of Westend Wang preparing for his performance due to the lighting, so I made sure to take every opportunity to get as many shots as I could.
After a brief trip back to the green room for a break before the start of the show…it was time.
Concert-goers are probably aware that because there is so much light directed at the talent on stage, seeing your own feet and knowing where you’re stepping is tricky at best once the show starts. If you’re supposed to be moving in the shadows on or around the stage, it pays to memorize what’s on the ground before the house lights turn off. Since Westend Wang was opening and wouldn’t have a great deal of time on stage, moving quickly in the dark at ground level to get shots in quick succession while focusing on the back of my camera was a bit daunting. I suppose, the bonus of being in the shadows is that hardly anyone sees if you fall.
However, it worked out well and I was able to get some great shots from ground level.
Because I wasn’t quite sure how much time I had to get photos of Westend Wang, I moved quickly and made my way to the back of the stage to get photos while he was standing in the spotlight which turned out great.
I was extremely happy with how these photos turned out and I’m really hoping to have more opportunities to photograph Westend Wang’s performances in the future.
Thankfully, I might not have to wait long, since his alter-ego is part of a local comedy group known as Holy Smokes. I was able to get photos from 2 of their previous shows in the East Village of Davenport, so articles from those are on the way.
In the meantime, be sure to check out their Facebook page for show updates.