Portland Museum of Art recently opened an enthusiastic photo exhibition they so suitably named "Backstage Pass". They show covers familiar faces from music of all sorts during the latter part of last century and is made up of fragments of the common publicist's worst nightmare, snapshots of everyday events, both casual and ceremonial, and well-composed captions of the dominant stars of the past decades. These are not your regular glamour shots from glossy magazine pages, nor are they fuzzy stage pictures bathed in red, but perhaps a glimpse of the image behind the idol, or as the title suggests, a backstage pass to the unknown realms of rock and roll history.


Bob Dylan posing with random kids (by Barry Feinstein).


Chet Baker with second wife, Helima (by William Claxton).


Syd Vicious provoking attention on an airport bus (by Bob Gruen).


Elvis caught in the act (by Alfred Wertheimer).


Rod Stewart taking it easy on a Sunday morning (by Ian Dickson).


Kurt crying (by Ian Tilton).


Tina Weymouth and Grandmaster Flash chilling in the hood (by Laura Levine)


David Bowie and guitarist Mick Ronson observing each other's meals (by Mick Rock).


Debbie Harry and fellow "Blondie" Chris Stein swinging on the rooftops (by Lynn Goldsmith).


Dylan and Cash (by Daniel Kramer).

And my favorites:


Jackson 5's superb pose (by Julian Wasser).


Jagger, Richards, and unknown pug (by Michael Joseph).