carofotos

Collaboration

My first time seeing Rudy in Chicago was back in 2019 at Cafe Mustache. His music brought the sunny side psych Cali vibe music to a small cafe in the Midwest. We briefly met because I was definitely not trying to fan girl while taking photos but eventually said hello and went on my shy night shenanigans. We continued to stay in contact with each other via Instagram and one day he dropped the bomb of wanting to move to Chicago. I was sitting at my best friends house answering him saying “funny enough I have a friend with a spare room that just opened”.

Bada bing bada boom a few chat later, in October 2020 he makes the big move. We did a big photoshoot a few days after he moved into his new place to make the big announcement. Part of the shoot was inspired by Bob Dylans The Freewheelin’ taking it in the middle of the street in his new neighborhood Humboldt Park. These images were later used in Vogue MX that same month! Rudy later finished his most recent album Closet Botanist while in Chicago. The album new soulful rock maturity wasn’t trying to shy away from his roots in Cali. But did create a different vibe that the band and him work together in Austin, Texas where the album was recorded. Rudy dedicates the album to those who love so hard that they neglect to water their own garden. Even in a much colder climate, the closet botanist continues to grow.

Through the years of him living in the nice icy midwest, I carried on with documenting his new adventure in Chicago from his first headlining show at Schubas Tavern, to small shoots while living together randomly and a special moment where I moved to Portland and he played that same night before we parted ways once again.