Every now and then, somebody new reaches out with that little spark in their voice — or in this case, in their lens — and you can just tell they’re hungry to capture the thing we all love so much: live country music while it’s still breathing, sweating, and ringing in your ears.
A while back, Pennsylvania-based photographer Olivia reached out to me asking for credentials and a little publishing space to share her budding concert photography work. I took a look at her profile, liked what I saw, and decided to give her a shot.
And y’all, I’m glad I did.
This past weekend, Olivia headed out to Thunderbird Café & Music Hall in Pittsburgh to photograph Lily Rose, along with openers Jake Banfield and Jack Wilder. The show took place May 1, 2026, with Lily Rose joined by Jake Banfield and Jack Wilder at the Lawrenceville venue.
Lily Rose live at Thunderbird Café — photo by Olivia / @oliviarundlephoto
Now, I’ll admit right up front: Lily Rose is the main reason this one caught my attention. I found “Villain” the same way a whole lot of us did — through TikTok — and that song had me by the throat from the first listen. There was something about it that felt modern without feeling hollow, vulnerable without begging for pity, and sharp enough to cut through all the noise… and I was going through a pretty messy breakup at the time so I needed it.
Lily’s own story has that same kind of punch. After “Villain” broke out as a viral hit in 2020, the Atlanta native went from local favorite to national name, eventually landing a record deal, touring with names like Sam Hunt, Luke Bryan, and Shania Twain, and earning recognition including an ACM Best New Female Artist nomination and GLAAD’s Outstanding Breakthrough Artist Award.
Lily Rose performing under stage lights — photo by Olivia / @oliviarundlephoto
But here’s what I love most about Lily Rose live: she doesn’t feel manufactured. She has that rare balance of confidence and ache, like she can walk into a room knowing exactly who she is, then turn around and sing something that makes every person in that room feel a little exposed.
According to Olivia’s recap from the show, Thunderbird had that intimate-but-charged energy from start to finish. Jack Wilder and Jake Banfield got the room warmed up early, each bringing their own sound and pulling the crowd in before Lily ever hit the stage. By the time Lily walked out, Olivia said the room felt fully locked in, with fans singing every word right back to her.
That’s the sweet spot, isn’t it? Not just watching a show, but being inside it.
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Lily Rose — photo by Olivia / @oliviarundlephoto
For readers who may not be familiar with Jake Banfield yet, he’s an Oklahoma native (our home-base too) whose path into music started after a college basketball injury sidelined him. He picked up a pawn shop guitar, taught himself to play, and started building his sound out of country, hip-hop, R&B, and church-rooted vocals.
That kind of backstory matters to me because country music has always been full of folks who found the song after life knocked them sideways. Jake’s not coming at it from some polished assembly line. He’s coming at it from the kind of pivot that either breaks you or turns you into a storyteller. That, and I have a soft spot for the boys from Oklahoma.
Jake Banfield live at Thunderbird Café — photo by Olivia / @oliviarundlephoto
Jake Banfield — photo by Olivia / @oliviarundlephoto
Jack Wilder, meanwhile, brought the local flavor to the bill. He’s a Pittsburgh-based pop/alt-country artist who describes his live show with a clear “come have fun or stay home” kind of attitude, and his current artist profiles point listeners toward songs like “Cowboy Heartbreaker,” “Talk of the Town,” and “Tequila Told Me To.”
And honestly? That’s exactly the kind of opener a room like Thunderbird needs. Somebody who knows how to loosen the bolts before the headliner comes in and knocks the whole thing wide open.
Jack Wilder live at Thunderbird Café — photo by Olivia / @oliviarundlephoto
But the heart of this gallery belongs to Lily Rose, and Olivia captured that beautifully. From the notes she sent over, the performance had that special mix of vulnerability and command that makes Lily stand out in the current country landscape. She can give you a soft spot and a backbone in the same breath, and that is not something every artist can pull off.
Olivia summed it up best herself, calling it “one of those nights that you want to live over and over again.”
That’s what great concert photography does, too. It lets the rest of us live it a little, even if we weren’t in the room.
Lily Rose — photo by Olivia / @oliviarundlephoto
So consider this both a Lily Rose appreciation post and a little introduction to Olivia’s eye behind the camera. I’m always rooting for new talent — onstage, backstage, and behind the lens — and there’s something really satisfying about watching a photographer start catching those split-second moments that make live music feel alive.
Go give Olivia’s work a look on Instagram at @oliviarundlephoto, and keep an eye out for more of her Pennsylvania-area concert coverage.
Artists, venues, and promoters in the Pennsylvania area looking for live show photography can reach Olivia through Instagram DM at @oliviarundlephoto or by email at oliviarphoto.co@gmail.com.