Oliva Malkin

Ever since I was young, I would go to Luna Star with my father to watch him play in their open mic nights. And even more than that, I’ve been surrounded by music and the arts since I was born (maybe even before that). This portfolio includes images of the performers that frequent (or have visited) the cafe to play music and the patrons within it. Before the pandemic, people would crowd the restaurant to see the musicians play and enjoy some food, but now, the dining room is usually empty except for a few people. Through years of photographing this cafe, and hundreds of images, I have compiled photographs from before and after the pandemic in order to portray the change in atmosphere and how restaurants have tackled COVID-19. Photographing here meant that I could tell the story of how the lives of the people around Luna Star have changed. It also helps portray their instrument(s) of choice and might even show how the performers interact with each other. The candid images show the raw moments shared between performers and their audience. Hopefully, this portfolio can bring a new light to live music and show how much effort people put into it.