Susan M. Bardenhagen
(Jaxx House Photographer)
In 2000, Jeff and Frankie from Tesla toured with a band called "Bar 7" and stopped at Jaxx. Here's a picture of Susan with Jeff taken by Korupt's RoadKrew.
Susan Bardenhagen, our Jaxx House Photographer since 1999, has quite the eclectic musical background. She grew up on big band and swing; began collecting pop 45s from Cousin Brucie's playlist on New York City's ABC-AM radio in '63; started playing violin at age 9 and folk guitar on her Gibson 12-string at 16; became the girlfriend with a station wagon for loading equipment for a band who covered Cream, Hendrix, and Joplin in high school; spent a few years as an elementary music teacher; has country/western as required listening when visiting her sister's horse farm; and is absolutely turned on to hard rock and metal from taking photos at Jaxx.
Susan attended her first rockn'roll concert in 2nd grade- Jay & the Americans; saw Peter, Paul & Mary in Central Park in '67; delighted in Broadway musicals and plays; can "namedrop" both Jerry Seinfeld as his costume designer for "Romeo & Juliet" and Elliot Easton- lead guitarist of the Cars- in her music theory class in high school; experienced the Doors in Madison Square Garden in '68; saw the whole Who doing "Tommy" in college (though she and John Entwistle admitted to each other they don't remember it much); played violin with the Prince William Symphony Orchestra from '81-'94; has driven to Florida and back in a weekend just to see Steve Vai in '01 G3; flew to London in May '05 to see Cream's reunion gig; and is still working on establishing a Guinness Book of Records' title as having attended a record number of concerts and performing arts events- estimated at 800 since '96.
One might think that Susan hardly has time to have a "day job" - but she's been a public school educator for 31 years! In addition to taking photos at Jaxx (sometimes 4-5 times a week), she has been a contributing writer to three northern Virginia Observer newspapers as a music critic and had B.B. King request to meet her and take photos for him in '04.
Toronto for SARStock, Woodstock 29, Dallas for Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Reno- she'll drive or fly anywhere almost to see a band and take photos. She also takes photos of almost everything- trains, dragonflies, horses, the Olympics in Atlanta, and landscapes- recently earning 8 ribbons at the Prince William County Fair.
From her EDUC8N background, Susan has developed an exciting program for JaxxRoxx.com- an alumni association and honorary degrees of association- garnering photo/media passes for the likes of Anthrax, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, John Mellencamp, Ozzfest 2005, the Reno/Tahoe BluesFest, and the New York Dolls for exclusive rights for Jaxx "Rolls on the Road." Stay tuned for her reviews and lots and lots of photos..........
