It felt uncomfortable to be recognized.
I didn't want to be on a stage.
But when you're asked to be part of something as big and as historic as the "Who Shot Rock" exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, you don't protest. You just do it.
"Who Shot Rock" and the companion book of the same name featured legends like Annie Leibovitz, Bob Gruen, Jim Marshall, Richard Avedon, Danny Clinch, Henry Diltz, Anoton Corijn, and nearly every other person who has ever held a camera and mattered in the industry.
Looking through some personal snapshots of the exhibit's opening night, I said, to my wife, "Holy shit, it's like I've aged ten years since then. Oh wait, it's been that long."
Almost a decade has passed (2009) since I sat on a panel with Bob Gruen, one of my photography idols, to answer questions from Gail Buckland, the curator of the exhibit. It felt otherworldly then, and it still feels a little like a dream.
But I'm so glad I said yes to the opportunity. It will always feel like an honor having been part of it.
Rancid @ CBGB 2003, image toured with the Who Shot Rock exhibit.
Bob Gruen and me after the panel discussion at the Brooklyn Museum 2009.
Pictured below: Blondie performs at the opening.
Celebrating with my wife, Rebekah Borucki, Henry Diltz, Danny Clinch, the curator Gail Buckland, John Espinosa, Julie Grahame, Kellie McLaughlin and newly elected City Councilman Justin Brannan.
STUN @ CBGB 2003, image toured with the Who Shot Rock exhibit.