Ashod Simonian

Ever wonder what indie rockers on tour do for the other 23 hours of their day? Real Fun answers that question with over 100 photographs of musicians lounging in the giant green room that is the world--sleeping, eating, fishing and just goofing off. Photographer Ashod Simonian has traveled with scores of bands, and his dreamy, lush Polaroids capture Death Cab for Cutie, Spoon, Sleater Kinney, Pavement, Jenny Lewis, the Shins, Wilco and Broken Social Scene, among many others, in colorful images conveying not just stories but the feelings behind them: boredom, exultation, frustration and bliss. Many of the performers have also contributed essays and memoirs, making this an essential compendium of wisdom and memories from the road. Others have recorded songs for the accompanying CD. The tracks were all selected by Simonian and most are original, recorded especially for this project. All of this is well and good, but what makes Real Fun more than a scrapbook is Simonian's acute photographic instincts, his eye for detail and sense of scene: compelling pictures regardless of the subject.