Concert photography by James DeCamp.

Below are images from the scene of a mass shooting at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004.

Four people were killed and seven wounded in the crossfire during one of the concerts. Concerts scheduled for the night included Damageplan (with 2 former members of Pantera) DimeBag and Vinne with special guest Position 6 and 12 Gauge.
Damageplan was an American heavy metal band from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Diesel Machine and Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and later Bob Zilla on bass. Damageplan released its debut album New Found Power in the United States on February 10, 2004, which debuted at number 38 on the Billboard 200, selling 44,676 copies in its first week. While Damageplan was promoting the album at a concert on December 8, 2004 at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, a man named Nathan Gale climbed on stage and killed lead guitarist Darrell and three others, and wounding another seven, before being shot dead by police officer James Niggemeyer.
Although no motive was found, some witnesses claimed Gale blamed the brothers for Pantera’s breakup and believed that they had stolen his lyrics. The band’s manager confirmed there are unreleased Damageplan recordings, although they have not surfaced, and the band has not performed since the incident. Abbott and Zilla have joined the band Hellyeah, and Lachman joined The Mercy Clinic.

 

Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics transport one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics transport one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics transport one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics transport one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

People hug in the parking lot as Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

People hug in the parking lot as Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

People hug in the parkinglot as Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

People hug in the parkinglot as Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

Columbus Police guard the doors from the parking lot as Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Columbus Police guard the doors from the parking lot as Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

Columbus Police guard the doors from the parking lot as Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Columbus Police guard the doors from the parking lot as Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

Columbus Police guard the doors from the parking lot as Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Columbus Police guard the doors from the parking lot as Columbus, Worthington & Clinton Twp Medics work on one of seven shooting victims at the Alrosa Villa, 5055 Sinclair Road late Wednesday night December 8, 2004. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

Darrell Abbott also known as Dimebag Darrell and Diamond Darrell, was an American musician and songwriter who was a co-founder of Pantera alongside his brother Vinnie Paul, and founder of Damageplan. He was considered to be one of the driving forces behind groove metal.

Abbott was shot and killed by a gunman while on stage during a performance with Damageplan on December 8, 2004, at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio. He ranked No. 92 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists and No. 1 in the UK magazine, Metal Hammer.

On December 8, 2004, 34 dates into the Devastation Across The Nation tour, Abbott was shot on-stage while performing with Damageplan at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio. A crowd of approximately 250 had watched four support acts (two local bands entitled Volume Dealer and 12 Gauge, and the tour support Shadows Fall and The Haunted), when moments into Damageplan’s set, 25-year-old former Marine Nathan Gale shot Abbott five times in the head with a 9 mm Beretta 92FS pistol. Some in attendance initially believed the shooting was part of the act, but as Gale continued shooting, the audience quickly came to the realization that the event was not staged. Firing a total of 15 shots, Gale killed three other people and wounded seven more.

Jeff “Mayhem” Thompson, the band’s head of security, was killed tackling Gale, as was Alrosa Villa employee Erin Halk. Audience member Nathan Bray was killed while trying to perform CPR on Abbott and Thompson. It was rumored that one crowd member leapt in front of the gunman, saving the lives of several band members. Damageplan’s drum technician, John “Kat” Brooks, was shot three times as he attempted to disarm Gale, but was overpowered and taken hostage in a headlock hold. Tour manager Chris Paluska was also injured.

Responding within three minutes to a dispatch call made at 10:15pm, seven police officers entered through the front entrance and moved toward the stage. Officer James Niggemeyer came in through the back door, behind the stage. Gale only saw the officers in front of the stage; he did not see Niggemeyer, who was armed with a 12 gauge Remington 870 shotgun. Niggemeyer approached Gale from the opposite side of the stage past a group of security guards, and saw Gale lift his gun to Brooks’ head, and fired a single shot as Gale noticed him. Gale was struck in the face with eight of the nine buckshot pellets and killed instantly. Gale was found to have had 35 rounds of ammunition remaining.

Two fans administered CPR on Abbott until paramedics arrived, but were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Early speculation about motive suggested that Gale, who was a Pantera fan, might have turned to violence in response to the breakup of the band, or the public dispute between Abbott and Pantera singer Phil Anselmo, but these were later ruled out by investigators. In VH1‘s documentary, Behind the Music, Damageplan’s sound engineer Aaron Barnes stated that the whole time, after shooting Dimebag, Gale was looking for Vinnie, possibly planning to murder him too. Another conjecture was that Gale believed Abbott had stolen a song that he had written. About six months prior to the shooting, Gale got into an altercation at a Damageplan concert in Cincinnati where he damaged $5,000 worth of equipment while being removed from the stage by security.

 

Photographed with Canon 1D MkII cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses

Alicia Keys gets the crowd on their feet at the Palace Theatre in Columbus Ohio Monday, February 4, 2002.

 

Alicia Keys gets the crowd on their feet at the Palace Theatre in Columbus Ohio Monday February 4, 2002. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Alicia Keys gets the crowd on their feet at the Palace Theatre in Columbus Ohio Monday February 4, 2002. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Alicia Keys gets the crowd on their feet at the Palace Theatre in Columbus Ohio Monday February 4, 2002. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Alicia Keys gets the crowd on their feet at the Palace Theatre in Columbus Ohio Monday February 4, 2002. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Alicia Keys gets the crowd on their feet at the Palace Theatre in Columbus Ohio Monday February 4, 2002. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Alicia Keys gets the crowd on their feet at the Palace Theatre in Columbus Ohio Monday February 4, 2002. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

Alicia Augello Cook, known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, pianist, actress, and activist. Keys released her debut album with J Records, having had previous record deals first with Columbia and then Arista Records. Keys’ debut album, Songs in A Minor was released in 2001, producing her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single “Fallin’“, and selling over 12 million copies worldwide. The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002. Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003, spawning successful singles “You Don’t Know My Name“, “If I Ain’t Got You” and “Diary“, and selling 8 million copies worldwide. The duet song “My Boo” with Usher scored her a second number-one single in 2004. The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards in 2005. Later that year, she released her first live album, Unplugged, becoming the first woman to have an MTV Unpluggedalbum debut at number one.

As I Am was released in 2007, producing the Hot 100 number-one single “No One“, selling 5 million copies worldwide and earning an additional three Grammy Awards. The Element of Freedom was released in 2009, becoming her first chart-topping album in the UK, and selling 4 million copies worldwide. Keys additionally collaborated with Jay Z on “Empire State of Mind” as her fourth number-one single, and won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2010. Girl on Fire was released in 2012 as her fifth Billboard 200 topping album, spawning the successful title track. Her second live album, VH1 Storytellers was released in 2013. Here was released in 2016, becoming her seventh R&B/Hip-Hop chart topping album.

Keys has won numerous awards such as 15 Grammy Awards and 17 NAACP Image Awards and has sold over 35 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists. Keys made her film debut in Smokin’ Aces and has also appeared in The Nanny Diaries and The Secret Life of Bees. Considered a pop icon, Billboardmagazine named her the top R&B artist of the 2000s decade and placed her number 10 on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years. VH1 also included her on their 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list, while Time have named her in their 100 list of most influential people in 2005 and 2017.

Britney Spears performs her first Dream Within a Dream Tour in concert at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus Ohio November 1, 2001. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by Spears, in support of her third studio album, Britney. The performances were accompanied by many extravagant special effects – during the encore, there was a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage.

 

Britney Spears performs her first Dream Within a Dream Tour in concert at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus Ohio November 1, 2001. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by Spears, in support of her third studio album, Britney. The performances were accompanied by many extravagant special effects – during the encore, there was a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)
Britney Spears performs her first Dream Within a Dream Tour in concert at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus Ohio November 1, 2001. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by Spears, in support of her third studio album, Britney. The performances were accompanied by many extravagant special effects – during the encore, there was a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)
Britney Spears performs her first Dream Within a Dream Tour in concert at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus Ohio November 1, 2001. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by Spears, in support of her third studio album, Britney. The performances were accompanied by many extravagant special effects – during the encore, there was a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Britney Spears performs her first Dream Within a Dream Tour in concert at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus Ohio November 1, 2001. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by Spears, in support of her third studio album, Britney. The performances were accompanied by many extravagant special effects – during the encore, there was a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Britney Spears performs her first Dream Within a Dream Tour in concert at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus Ohio November 1, 2001. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by Spears, in support of her third studio album, Britney. The performances were accompanied by many extravagant special effects – during the encore, there was a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)Britney Spears performs her first Dream Within a Dream Tour in concert at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus Ohio November 1, 2001. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by Spears, in support of her third studio album, Britney. The performances were accompanied by many extravagant special effects – during the encore, there was a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)Britney Spears performs her first Dream Within a Dream Tour in concert at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus Ohio November 1, 2001. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by Spears, in support of her third studio album, Britney. The performances were accompanied by many extravagant special effects – during the encore, there was a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)Britney Spears performs her first Dream Within a Dream Tour in concert at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus Ohio November 1, 2001. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by Spears, in support of her third studio album, Britney. The performances were accompanied by many extravagant special effects – during the encore, there was a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

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Britney Jean Spears is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, she performed acting roles in stage productions and television shows as a child, before signing with Jive Records in 1997. Spears’s first two studio albums, …Baby One More Time (1999) and Oops!… I Did It Again(2000), were global successes and made her the best-selling teenage artist of all time. Referred to as the “Princess of Pop“, Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop, during the late 1990s and the early 2000s.

Spears adopted more mature and provocative themes for her next two studio albums, Britney (2001) and In the Zone (2003). She also ventured into acting with her starring role in the 2002 film Crossroads. However, her much-publicized personal issues sent her career into hiatus. Despite being released while her personal struggles were ongoing, Blackout(2007), is often critically referred to as her best work. Her unusual behavior and hospitalizations placed her under a still ongoing conservatorship.

Spears returned to the top of record charts with her sixth and seventh albums, Circus(2008) and Femme Fatale (2011). In 2012, Forbes reported that Spears was the highest paid female musician of the year, with earnings of $58 million, having last topped the list in 2002. During the promotion of her eighth and ninth studio albums, Britney Jean (2013) and Glory (2016), Spears embarked on the four-year concert residency, Britney: Piece of Me, at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Five of Spears’ singles have reached number one in the United States: “…Baby One More Time“, “Womanizer“, “3“, “Hold It Against Me” and “S&M“. Other singles, “Oops!… I Did It Again” and “Toxic“, topped the Australian and Canadian charts. Spears has earned numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award, six MTV Video Music Awards, including the Video Vanguard Award, seven BillboardMusic Awards, including the Millennium Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Billboard ranked her as the eighth biggest artist of the 2000s decade. One of the world’s best-selling music artists, Spears has sold over 100 million records worldwide. In the United States, Spears remains the fourth best-selling female album artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era, as well as the best-selling female albums artist of the 2000s. In 2004, she launched a perfume brand with Elizabeth Arden, Inc., from which sales exceeded US$1.5 billion as of 2012.

 

The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was launched in support of her third studio album, Britney (2001). The tour was promoted by Concerts West, marking the first time Spears did not tour with Clear Channel Entertainment. On September 21, 2001, a North American tour was announced that kicked off exactly two months later after various dates were postponed. In February 2002, Spears announced a second leg of the tour. It was directed and choreographed by Wade Robson, who explained the main theme of the show was Spears’s coming of age and newfound independence. The stage was designed by Steve Cohen and Rob Brenner and was composed of a main stage and a B-stage, united by a runway. Inspired by Cleopatra‘s barge, a flying device was developed so Spears could travel over the audience to the B-stage. The setlist was mostly composed by songs from the supporting album, as Spears felt they were more reflective of her personality. Songs from her previous two studio albums were also included in remixed form by Robson.

The show was divided into seven segments with the last one being the encore. Spears opened the show hanging from a gyrating wheel; it continued with Spears performing a medley of older hits, jumping in bungee cords from the flying device onto the stage and dancing in a jungle setting. Most of the performances were accompanied by extravagant special effects, including confetti, pyrotechnics, laser lights, and artificial fog and snow. In the encore, there was a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage; this was considered one of the signature performances of the tour. During the 2002 leg, some changes were made; several songs were remixed, and Spears premiered various unreleased songs which included “Mystic Man”. The show received mixed reviews by critics, who praised the show for being innovative but dismissed it for taking the attention away from the music.

According to Billboard, the 2001–02 dates in North America had an average of $803,683 in gross and 14,344 in attendance, bringing a total gross of $53,846,761 and 961,048 tickets sold in 66 shows, not including the Japanese sold out show at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo for 60,000 fans. Overall, the Dream Within a Dream Tour grossed $56.8 million and sold more than 1 million of tickets in 68 shows. On July 27, 2002, Spears performed for 51,261 fans at Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City. The show grossed $2,251,379 and was the 37th on Pollstars Top 200 Concert Grosses in North America. During the second show in Mexico, Spears left the stage after the sixth song due to a lightning storm; the show was canceled and angered the audience. The tour was broadcast live on an HBO special on November 18, 2001, and went on to win an Emmy for Outstanding Technical Direction on the 2002 ceremony. A DVD titled Live from Las Vegas was released in January 2002.

I only had the opportunity to photography Merle Haggard once, way back in 2000 at a dive of a club on the East side of Columbus.  Only got the usually three songs, but enjoyed the show greatly and his Bakersfield sound.  He definitely was a legend. Rest In Peace @merlehaggard.

 

Merle Haggard, in concert at Club Dance Thursday night March 30, 2000. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Merle Haggard, in concert at Club Dance Thursday night March 30, 2000. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Merle Haggard, in concert at Club Dance Thursday night March 30, 2000. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Merle Haggard, in concert at Club Dance Thursday night March 30, 2000. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

The Donnas take the stage at Bernie’s on High Street in the campus area Tuesday night March 21, 2000.

The Donnas (or at least two out of four of them shown here) take the stage at Bernie's on High Street in the campus area Tuesday night March 21, 2000. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

The Donnas (or at least two out of four of them shown here) take the stage at Bernie’s on High Street in the campus area Tuesday night March 21, 2000. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

The Donnas take the stage at Bernie's on High Street in the campus area Tuesday night March 21, 2000. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

The Donnas take the stage at Bernie’s on High Street in the campus area Tuesday night March 21, 2000. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

One of the crowd watching The Donnas as they take the stage at Bernies on High Street in the campus area Tuesday night March 21, 2000. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

One of the crowd watching The Donnas as they take the stage at Bernies on High Street in the campus area Tuesday night March 21, 2000. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

 

 

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Dolores Mary Eileen O’Riordan belts out a song at Polaris Amphitheater Tuesday night, August 31, 1999 as the Cranberries played to a large crowd.

 

Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan belts out a song at Polaris Amphitheater Tuesday night as the Cranberries played to a large crowd. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan belts out a song at Polaris Amphitheater Tuesday night as the Cranberries played to a large crowd. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan belts out a song at Polaris Amphitheater Tuesday night as the Cranberries played to a large crowd. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan belts out a song at Polaris Amphitheater Tuesday night as the Cranberries played to a large crowd. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan belts out a song at Polaris Amphitheater Tuesday night as the Cranberries played to a large crowd. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan belts out a song at Polaris Amphitheater Tuesday night as the Cranberries played to a large crowd. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan belts out a song at Polaris Amphitheater Tuesday night as the Cranberries played to a large crowd. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

 

The Cranberries are an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1989 by lead singer Dolores O’Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan, and drummer Fergal Lawler. Although widely associated with alternative rock, the band’s sound also incorporates indie pop, post-punk, Irish folk, and pop rock elements.

The Cranberries rose to international fame in the 1990s with their debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, which became a commercial success. The Cranberries are one of the most successful rock acts of the ’90s and have sold over 40 million records worldwide. The band has achieved four top 20 albums on the Billboard 200 chart (Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?; No Need to Argue, To the Faithful Departed and Bury the Hatchet)and eight top 20 singles on the Modern Rock Tracks chart (“Linger“, “Dreams“, “Zombie“, “Ode to My Family“, “Ridiculous Thoughts“, “Salvation“, “Free to Decide“, and “Promises“).

In early 2009, after a six-year hiatus, the Cranberries reunited and began a North American tour, followed by shows in Latin America and Europe. The band recorded their sixth album Roses in May 2011, and released it in February 2012. Something Else, an album covering earlier songs together with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, was released in April 2017.

Dolores Mary Eileen O’Riordan was an Irish musician and singer-songwriter. She led the rock band The Cranberries for 13 years before the band took a break starting in 2003, reuniting in 2009.

Her first solo album, Are You Listening?, was released in May 2007 and was followed up by No Baggage in 2009. O’Riordan was known for her lilting mezzo-soprano voice, for yodeling and for her strong Limerick accent. She appeared as a judge on RTÉ‘s The Voice of Ireland during the 2013–14 season. In April 2014, O’Riordan joined Jetlag(later called D.A.R.K.) and began recording new material. In May 2017, Dolores declared that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

The Germain Amphitheater (originally the Polaris Amphitheater) was a 20,000-seat outdoor entertainment venue located in Columbus, Ohio, near the suburb of Westerville. The venue opened as part of a large development venture off of Interstate Highway I-71. There were 6,700 seats in an open-air pavilion—much of it under cover—and room for another 13,300 people on general admission lawn seating. The concert season began mid-May, continuing through early October and featured 20-30 concerts per year. At the time it opened, it was the largest and most suitable venue for concerts in central Ohio.

A relative unknown at the time, Britney Spears performs in concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to a sell out crowd Wednesday night, August 18, 1999.

Unlike her second concert in 2001 at Nationwide Arena, this venue had a limited space (2500 seats).

 

Britney Spears performs in concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to a sell out crowd Wednesday night, August 18, 1999. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Britney Spears performs in concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to a sell out crowd Wednesday night, August 18, 1999. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Britney Spears performs in concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to a sell out crowd Wednesday night, August 18, 1999. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Britney Spears performs in concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to a sell out crowd Wednesday night, August 18, 1999. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Britney Spears performs in concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to a sell out crowd Wednesday night, August 18, 1999. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Britney Spears performs in concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to a sell out crowd Wednesday night, August 18, 1999. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Britney Spears performs in concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to a sell out crowd Wednesday night, August 18, 1999. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

Britney Spears performs in concert at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to a sell out crowd Wednesday night, August 18, 1999. (© James D. DeCamp | http://www.JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) [Photographed with Canon EOS D2000 cameras in RAW mode with L series lenses.]

 

 

Britney Jean Spears is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, she performed acting roles in stage productions and television shows as a child, before signing with Jive Records in 1997. Spears’s first two studio albums, …Baby One More Time (1999) and Oops!… I Did It Again (2000), were global successes and made her the best-selling teenage artist of all time. Referred to as the “Princess of Pop“, Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop, during the late 1990s and the early 2000s.

Spears adopted more mature and provocative themes for her next two studio albums, Britney (2001) and In the Zone (2003). She also ventured into acting with her starring role in the 2002 film Crossroads. However, her much-publicized personal issues sent her career into hiatus. Despite being released while her personal struggles were ongoing, Blackout (2007), is often critically referred to as her best work. Her unusual behavior and hospitalizations placed her under a still ongoing conservatorship.

Spears returned to the top of record charts with her sixth and seventh albums, Circus (2008) and Femme Fatale (2011). In 2012, Forbes reported that Spears was the highest paid female musician of the year, with earnings of $58 million, having last topped the list in 2002. During the promotion of her eighth and ninth studio albums, Britney Jean (2013) and Glory (2016), Spears embarked on the four-year concert residency, Britney: Piece of Me, at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Five of Spears’ singles have reached number one in the United States: “…Baby One More Time“, “Womanizer“, “3“, “Hold It Against Me” and “S&M“. Other singles, “Oops!… I Did It Again” and “Toxic“, topped the Australian and Canadian charts. Spears has earned numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award, six MTV Video Music Awards, including the Video Vanguard Award, seven BillboardMusic Awards, including the Millennium Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Billboard ranked her as the eighth biggest artist of the 2000s decade. One of the world’s best-selling music artists, Spears has sold over 100 million records worldwide. In the United States, Spears remains the fourth best-selling female album artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era, as well as the best-selling female albums artist of the 2000s. In 2004, she launched a perfume brand with Elizabeth Arden, Inc., from which sales exceeded US$1.5 billion as of 2012.