I'm Carter Alan; legend in my own mind and a radio announcer you might have heard of. I've also punished my schedule by writing a few books in too-little spare time. It was during the period I was out on the bookstore/library circuit doing signings that I worked alongside a man I've known for close to 30-years in the Boston area. Allan Dines is not someone who would need an introduction in the business around the region; he's an extraordinary photographer who has captured within his lens stars from Tom Brady to Denis Leary to Steven Tyler. That's just three in a myriad of contact sheets that stretch back to the early 90's.
In late 2019 Allan proposed that the two of us participate in a joint book signing (for me) and photo presentation (for him) at the Wayland Public Library. It would become the final event on the three-year long promotional effort for my "Decibel Diaries" book because soon after that day in January 2020, the pandemic began shutting our doors. It was an fantastic event with a highly-engaged audience as we each presented our artistic efforts. I was quickly fascinated and impressed by the variety and quality of Allan's portfolio and the obvious gifts he possesses. BB King, Billy Idol, Brad Delp, Carl Perkins - the list just went on and on.
The folks who were there that day got to see and hear about Allan's extensive body of work. But beyond that, you would have had to see the various articles or advertisements that these photos accompanied to glean a sense of what he's accomplished. Well, no more.
Allan Dines has just published a book entitled “Front Row Center: How I Met Everyone.” It's available on Amazon and and not only presents a wealth of photographic evidence documenting daytime job assignments and nighttime crawls through Boston-area clubs, but also provides Dines' insight into the stories behind these photos and his career. I should say that I participated in his project as well, providing a Foreword to the book. And if you think that rose-colors my opinion of "Front Row Center," let me tell you that writing a Foreword is not something you volunteer for! It's hard!
Allan Dines will hold a book-launch event: Thursday, November 18, 7pm at the Regent Theatre in Arlington. Jordan Rich will be the moderator of the talk, and books will be available for signing. You have to go to the Regent Theater website to reserve tickets, but they are free (they just want to keep count of how many folks will show). I'm going to the book-launch for a stroll down memory lane and a glimpse at how a brilliant photographer executes his craft!
Since I still have you, let me also let you know that another great Boston photographer and good friend, Leo Gozbekian, has a book out filled with timeless pics entitled "All Access: Concert and Backstage Photos." It's another tremendous collection you should check into.