Ethan Russell Will Go Behind the Scenes of Rock & Roll at Harris Center, 5/20

He is now on the short list of the foremost rock photographers in the world, but back in 1968 Ethan Russell was a young aspiring American writer with a Nikon camera and photography hobby. He had studied at UC Davis and was now living in London. Mick Jagger asked him to take his picture, and the rest is history: within a few years, Ethan Russell became a multi-Grammy-nominated photographer, director, and author. Jagger noted, "We trusted Ethan as an artist, which made him invisible to us, and which allowed his photographs to capture our most intimate moments." On May 20, Ethan Russell will bring such moments to the Harris Center stage, along with his own story and phenomenal photographs. The presentation kicks off a six-week exhibit of Mr. Russell's work at the Bank of America Gallery within the Harris Center for the Arts.

A one-man multi-media presentation, The Best Seat in the House provides a rare opportunity to go behind-the-scenes and see and hear about a fascinating cross section of music history. Mr. Russell's presentation includes 375 photographs, music and some fascinating personal stories. In recounting the moments behind the photographs, and in showing the world that extended beyond the picture's frame, Ethan Russell ensures that audiences, too, get to relive this incredible era in the history of music from the best seat in the house. The Best Seat in the House takes the audience on the road with The Rolling Stones and Carlos Santana, to see Janis Joplin at The Royal Albert Hall and Jim Morrison in London's Roundhouse, to witness the shooting of the Who's Next cover, to watch John Lennon fall in love, to witness The Beatles filming Let It Be, the Stones touring Exile on Main Street, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and more.

ETHAN RUSSELL: The Best Seat in the House takes place at the Harris Center on Friday, May 20, 2016 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are priced at $19-$39; Premium $45, students with ID $12. Tickets are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from noon to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. The Harris Center is located on the west side of the Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

Ethan Russell photographed The Who's Quadrophenia, The Beatles last photo session, and many other of rock and roll's legendary moments, including photo shoots with Jerry Lee Lewis, The Moody Blues, Eric Clapton & Cream, Traffic, and Rickie Lee Jones. He's the only one to have shot album covers for The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who.

"You think you've seen all there is to see of the Rolling Stones. You haven't. Ethan Russell's photographs reveal a completely different side to the band - relaxed, unguarded and light years away from any rock-star posturing. The only way you'd get closer would be to join them on tour." -The London Sunday Times

As a film maker, Ethan directed the last taping of John Lennon & Yoko Ono in Central Park. He directed videos with Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones, Emmylou Harris, Paul Simon, Rosanne Cash, Hank Williams, Jr. and more, and in in doing so, created a new kind of short, music-based film which became known as music video.

"It has been quite a ride," says Russell.

Ethan has written three books exploring those years, but with the live show he now focuses on his "ride," and what it really was like to be there.

Fifth Anniversary Season of Great Shows. Up Close. In Folsom!

Now in its Fifth Anniversary Season, the Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College brings the community together to share in cultural experiences featuring the work of artists from throughout the region and around the world. Built and operated by the Los Rios Community College District, the $50 million, state-of-the-art regional performing arts center boasts three intimate venues with outstanding acoustics, an art gallery, a recording studio, elegant teaching spaces, plenty of safe parking and all the other amenities of a world-class performing arts venue. Each year the Center hosts upwards of 400 events attracting more than 150,000 annually.