Treehouse Mania Debut Performance
Treehouse Mania is a band of 10 year old rock and rollers from the towns of Livingston and West Orange in New Jersey. The band was conceived by Matt Sternthall of The Red Light Band. His son Brandon plays the keyboard. He wanted Brandon to be able to perform in a band so he looked around and found other kids who are into music and learning different instruments – like guitar (Ayan and Andrew), drums (Jake) and base (Jack). After months of practice the kids were ready to perform as a band in front of public. So the Treehouse Mania debut performance opened for the Red Light Band at their regular venue – the Ringside Pub in Caldwell.
The Ringside Pub was full for the Treehouse Mania debut performance. A lot school friends and their families came to watch the show and everyone was very enthusiastic in cheering the band as they performed their set of 6 songs. I was there to photograph the band. I wanted the low light mood of a bar setting and did not want to flood the space with flash. I used the flash gently to work along with the available light instead of fighting it. I knew that during the actual performance I would not have any room to move around in front the stage. So I got a number of shots while the band was setting up and rehearsing a couple of songs. It was a wise decision because during the performance I got stuck in one spot with no way of making my way around.
Treehouse Mania debut performance was not just about music. The band had T-shirts to sell and the entire profit was donated to the local charity Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Many people who came to the show supported Treehouse Mania in its great cause to raise money for people who need help in the neighborhood.
