Rob Steinberg hosts the Osiris Media network’s Festival Circuit podcast that began with a deep dive into the history and legacy of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Below, Rob profiles fellow Osiris podcast, 420LIVE!! With Jeff Kravitz.
Jeff Kravitz, the host of 420LIVE!! on Osiris Media, is an internationally famous photographer and a complete original. I’ve been friends with Jeff for almost 30 years and I’ve never met anyone quite like him. With boundless energy and enthusiasm, Jeff has become one of the top photogs in his field, covering some of the biggest events in history. Whether shooting the Super Bowl Halftime, the Oscars, the MTV VMA’s, Bonnaroo, the Game of Thrones Premiere or the Grammys, Jeff has a front row seat and his photos are seen by millions.
Jeff is well regarded amongst his subjects and in the industry. Many of his iconic images have graced the pages of books and magazines like Rolling Stone, and are all over the internet. He shoots performances, events and has done thousands of portraits for executives, musicians and actors (like ME!). Jeff is the President and Founder of FilmMagic.com, which was bought by Getty Images in 2007.
Like many of us, Jeff had a full 2020 planned when COVID hit. So, what does an event photographer do when there’re no more events, award shows, festivals, concerts or premieres, and you’re stuck home in lock down? Jeff put on his thinking cap and decided to do one of the things he does best. Talk.
On March 16th he started a live webcast at 4:20 p.m. Pacific Time, to hang with his friends on Facebook Live. Jeff figured if he couldn’t be with his friends in person, he’d meet them at the Age-Old-420 and enjoy chilling with some “kind” while he distracted them from the news with stories and photos.
Jeff started doing shows seven days a week, reaching 50 shows before joining Osiris Media in early May. After his first week of talking to himself he started inviting some of the friends he’s made over the years to come on and talk about how they were handling their new lives in the pandemic. His eclectic lineup of guests has included drummer Stewart Copeland, comedians Jeffrey Ross, Tommy Chong and Osiris’ own Tom Marshall, which are still some of his favorite interviews. No shrinking violet, Jeff elevated his interviewing techniques as well as vehemently expressing his opinions and thoughts on the state of affairs of the country and the governments’ inept handling of the Covid-19 virus.
Fortunately, Jeff had some pretty good influences in the craft of interviewing while growing up in New Jersey. His dad, Pinky Kravitz, known as “Mr. Atlantic City”, was a radio and television host for over five decades.
Having to learn a new medium, Jeff threw himself into the technology with a passion. He honed his craft and learned to make his guests feel comfortable enough that he pulled things out of them that you might not hear in other interviews. What’s the most important thing Jeff’s learned in the process? How to really listen. And he does. Comments from viewers on his show have been praiseworthy, as he’s been able to open up artists that are normally quiet and reserved.
Jeff has strong opinions and has no plans to slow down or mellow out. Future interviews he’d like to do include Lenny Kravitz, Miley Cyrus and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready. Jeff’s upbeat energy and compassion shows how much he cares about people and the world.
420LIVE!! is a daily oasis and a refuge from the onslaught of madness and negative messaging coming out of our devices. Jeff says he is here to distract and distract he does. The world is a crazy place right now and thankfully we have a little insanity in Jeff Kravitz to take us out of our space, if even for an hour a day at 420. You can catch Jeff’s old shows on YouTube.com/jeffkravitz or IGTV @jeffkravitz.
Written by Rob Steinberg, host of Festival Circuit on Osiris Media and semi famous actor. JamBase is the media partner of Osiris Media.
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