Steve Birnbaum, the creator of The Band Was Here, has learned the art of blending history with the present moment. On his Instagram, he lines up iconic album covers, movie stills, and rare photos of fascinating personalities with the exact locations where they were originally taken. The result is a striking visual time warp that shows how much—or how little—those places have changed.
From music legends like Johnny Cash to cult-favorite actors and pop culture icons, Steve’s work isn’t just about the locations; it’s about the stories tied to them.
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#1 Green Day Walking Around NYC In 1994 Shortly Before The Release Of Their Third Album Dookie, Photo By Ken Schles
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Dookie. I absolutely hate the results I got here and intend on going back to do it right (I took this picture a few years ago actually), but I felt obligated to show some respect to an album that meant so much to me when it was released 30 years ago. Crazy!
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#2 Johnny Cash At His Cash Cabin, Photo By Andy Earl
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#3 Elvis Presley, Signing Autographs For Fans At The Cbs-TV Studio 50 Stage Door In NYC On March 17, 1956, Photo By Alfred Wertheimer
Here he is signing autographs for fans at the CBS-TV Studio 50 stage door in NYC on March 17, 1956. All photos by Alfred Wertheimer I believe.
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#4 Lana Del Rey In New Orleans, Photo By Wyatt Spain Winfrey
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#5 Amy Winehouse, 2007 In NYC, Photo By Patrick Morgan
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#6 Nirvana August 28, 1993, Photo By Youri Lenquette
As I was lining up the second image you see of Kurt smiling, a woman named Amelia, probably in her 70’s living in the house in the background, came out and politely asked if I was here to help put away the trash cans of the neighbors…assuming they weren’t home and away on vacation.
Before I could say anything, she looked down at all the images I had laying on the road and said, “Oh, look at David…and Kurt, poor Kurt. Such a nice boy and great smile.”
By the way she said this, especially by calling Dave David, I knew she had known him. She had been living in that house when Dave lived near by and hadn’t moved since then. The day they took these photos, she was living in that house.
We got talking and she told me that she went over to Dave’s house the morning Kurt had died and told Dave about all the news trucks that were lined up in the neighborhood. She may have said she was the one that went over to his house to inform him of Kurt’s death, but I can’t be sure. It was a bit surreal hearing this all and being taken back to that time and place. It quickly put into perspective for me on how real this was, how these were real people, and though it may seem like a long time ago, it really wasn’t. It just all seemed so real.
We chatted more and she shared her concern/issue with touring at such a young age and the effect it probably had on them…”being the biggest band in the world, being pulled in all these directions, and only in your mid 20’s!”
Speaking with people like this never gets lost on me, hearing this all just hit a bit little different. Perhaps because what she said kind of goes along with what Dave said in that 2013 article.
Anyway, Go Karts with Kurt and Dave looked fun!
Image credits: thebandwashere
#7 Madonna Out On St.Marks Place On February 8, 1983, Photographed By Amy Arbus
Here’s what Amy said in a 2012 article with Interview Magazine:
“Madonna wasn’t famous then. The photo was taken in 1983, at St. Mark’s Place and Second Avenue,” Arbus says. “That was literally the first review of her first big single, which I think was “Holiday.” Nobody knew who she was yet. And she was still using her last name. I’d heard she lived on the floor of her recording studio at the time; that’s gossip. I remembered her from the gym that we both went to, which defies imagination, because I don’t know how either of us was affording a gym membership,” Arbus says. “But she used to sit in the dressing room, naked, for the longest time of any of the other women. Just sitting there, while everyone else changed clothes, because she had the best body!”
This picture graces the cover of Amy’s book PHOTOGRAPHS FROM ON THE STREET 1980-1990. Below’s quote was taken from a talk/interview between Elizabeth Avedon and Amy about her time as a photographer then:
“In 1980 when I started working for The Village Voice I didn’t think of myself as an artist, in part, because I was working for a newspaper. I also didn’t consider myself a journalist because I wasn’t covering the news. I was making photographic portraits for a style page called, “On the Street.” My page ran every six weeks with the tagline, “There are eight million fashions in the Naked City and Amy Arbus is going to photograph all of them… a few at a time.” It felt like a tremendous undertaking. After making these images for ten years, I realized that what I had created was a chronicle of a seminal time in New York City’s history.”
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#8 Guns N’ Roses At Canters Deli On June 12th 1985 Shortly After Slash Joined The Band, Photo By Jack Lue
Canters is always a fun spot to visit while in town even though I’ve tried to get this image before. I’m never happy with my results though. Just doesn’t do Jack’s pic justice. Perhaps his pic is too epic to emulate.
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#9 Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, Filmography By Chris Columbus
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#10 The Doors In Venice Beach 1969, Photo By Henry Diltz
Here’s what Henry said about these pics back in 2017 on his gram: “Hooray it’s 4/20! I certainly got high with these guys, but we all got high in those days…everyday. Gods ‘erb made a lot of things happen. “ – Henry Diltz
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#11 1991 Film Boyz N The Hood, Filmography By John Singleton
This is easily in my top 10 films of all time. I felt like I was watching something new, raw and real when I first watched this as a kid. Probably a bit young to have been watching this back in the 90s when I first saw it, but ultimately think it had a positive effect on me.
These spots are some of my favorite to visit, but I’m never happy with the results.
Fun fact: The 19 year old John Singleton was a Production Assistant on Pee Wee’s Playhouse where he met Laurence Fishburne who played Cowboy Curtis on the show.
Shortly after, Singleton sent the script to Fishburne, later staring in Boyz N The Hood as Furious Styles.
Image credits: thebandwashere
#12 Robert Plant, On Sunset Boulevard In 1975 Proclaiming “I Am A Golden God!” Photo Peter Simon
This iconic moment was taken at the Continental Hyatt House aka “Riot House”, overlooking a large billboard on Sunset Boulevard advertising the Led Zeppelin album Physical Graffiti.
Apologies for the reposted content, but this is one of my favorite gets ever! I couldn’t miss up on an opportunity to share again.
As always, thanks to the lovely staff at Andaz West Hollywood for allowing me access to this spot, especially @nilajacash. You guys rock!
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#13 David Bowie At Radio City Music Hall In February 1973, Photo By Masayoshi Sukita
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#14 Bob Dylan At Sheridan Square Park On January 22, 1965, Photo By Fred W. Mcdarrah
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#15 Mary J. Blige, NYC, 1996, Photo By Kevin Westenberg
Here’s what Kevin said about this shot on his insta (go follow! @kevinwestenberg)
“Taken on December 16, 1996. Without knowing it at the time, this album shoot changed so many things for my photo career. Now history, it still gives perspective and in hindsight has become a classic.
It was a joy to play my small part in the transformation of her image to ‘Queen of Hip Hop Soul’. We can never know in advance the nature of where each project will fit into pop culture history. I can definitely say that with this project, the success of this album would form the next 10 years of photo work worldwide for me. This album became Blige’s first number one on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It is certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for excess of three million copies sold in the US. Moreover, it is her first album where she serves as an executive producer, alongside Steve Stoute, who also shared executive producer credits on the album.”
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#16 Dave Grohl, 2011
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#17 Bruce Springsteen Walking On The Sunset Strip In 1975, Los Angeles Ca, Photo By Terry O’neill
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#18 Anthony Bourdain At Les Halles Restaurant On Park Avenue In 2001, Photo By Chris Floyd
Here’s what Chris had to say over on his Instagram about the late Bourdain:
“I photographed Tony about a year after his book ‘Kitchen Confidential’ was published. These were taken at Les Halles on Park Avenue South. I didn’t know much about him. I had assumed that he was going to be some gobby big mouth with a book to sell. BUT…. within 5 minutes of meeting him I realised that this guy was special. He had a warmth and a wit that was overwhelming, similar to when you meet great musicians, he was in tune with the universe. That’s what Tony was like. He projected an aura of wisdom. Food was the door through which he explored the human condition. The act of sitting down with another human being and breaking bread was a holy sepulchre where homo sapiens could gather common cause and unite. Of course, this whole belief system came to fruition with the TV shows he made – ‘No Reservations’ and ‘Parts Unknown’ – but those shows weren’t born in a vacuum. They were made possible by what he had learned from years of working in kitchens and feeding people. The tyranny of brunch was a phrase I first learned from Tony. After that first time I went to Les Halles quite a lot. I never asked for special favours but every time I went there some part of the meal was comped. The food, the booze, the dessert. The waiter would say, “Oh this is from Tony!” I subsequently photographed him 3 or 4 more times. He always greeted me like an old friend, once calling me before we were due to meet at some joint in Chinatown: “Listen, all the good shit at this place is gone by 12:30, so meet me out front at 11.45 and don’t be late.” A date with Tony was something to relish. The man had a hell of a soul. I miss that.”
What was once Les Halles is now Chez Francis @chezfrancis_nyc . Thank you to the staff for allowing me access to take these pics.
Much has changed (renovations) since these pictures were originally taken, but this was the best I could do of what remains.
Image credits: thebandwashere
#19 Blink-182 From The Classic Music Video For “All The Small Things,” Filmography By Marcos Siega
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#20 Bts Pics From The Film Joker, Photo By Michael Szpot
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#21 John Lennon, Photo By Bob Gruen
Ozzy Osbourne at Strawberry Fields in Central Park in 2010 for the cover and music video of John Lennon’s “How?”
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#22 Cyndi Lauper On December 9, 1983 In NYC With The 59th Street Bridge Behind Her, Photo By Ozier Muhammad
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#23 The Notorious B.i.g Hanging Around Clinton Hill Brooklyn, Photo By Clarence Davis
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#24 Blink-182 And A Still From Their 1999 Music Video For “What’s My Age Again?” Filmography By Marcos Siega
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#25 Oasis, 2000, NYC, Photo By Peter Pakvis
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#26 The Cast Of Workaholics, Photo By Adam Newacheck
The first season of the show was shot at this house while some of the guys were still living there. They were worried the show would be cancelled and wanted to save money by staying there. Fans would often stop by during that time to hang out.
The Workaholics gang have a funny weekly pod @podimportant. If you’re looking for some laughs, I recommend you check it out.
Image credits: thebandwashere
#27 Oasis In Coney Island Back In 1995, By Anton Corbijn
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#28 Elliott Smith, October 1997, Photo By Unknown
I recently came across this image having never seen it before. It’s both haunting and beautiful.
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#29 The Strokes, 2001, NYC, Photo By Mark Seliger
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#30 Sonic Youth Hanging Out On Broadway In NYC, 1983, Photo By Amanda Linn
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