Rock & Roll Books

This one's for the punters in the pit. For a decade of concerts, photographer Sandy Carson faced the wrong way for at least a song or two, capturing the audience instead of the artists to stunning effect. We Were There thus offers a visual study of the sweat, chaos, and freak fashions populating a concert's front row. Even so, the Scotsman and longtime local's best snaps (some from assignments for the Chronicle) capture the ecstasy and exaltation of seeing one's favorite band in the flesh. Look at the young woman, hair clenched in hands, exploding with adoration for Against Me! at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2012. Complete with a faux festival wristband for a bookmark and a flexi disc of unreleased recordings by Black Angels and the Sword, We Were There contains a curious treasure singular to rock & roll.

We Were There: Austin Concert Crowds Shot From the Pit