Oktoberfest can be a lonely and green-eyed time for those of us who can’t enjoy most beer. It’s a yeasty, foamy, full-bodied celebration that usually comes with sides of brats, pretzels, and other gluten-containing bites. In the gluten-free world, there’s really no comparison. But, would you believe me if I said I found something better—and year-round? Photos and words by Katherine Alex Beaven

Photos by Katherine Alex Beaven

Photos by Katherine Alex Beaven

I’ll be honest with you: I am not a tropical island person. I am not one of those travelers who picks vacation destinations based on the number of palm trees dotting the landscape or how promising the UV index looks. I don’t enjoy tanning, sitting in a beach lounger all day, or never leaving the hotel (but if that’s your bag, you certainly can do all of those things in Aruba, and do them well).Photos and words by Katherine Alex Beaven

If you’re going to celebrate anything this Cinco de Mayo, it should be that Mexican is a seriously gluten-free-friendly cuisine. With core ingredients like corn, meats, vegetables, and flourless sauces, we’ve finally got a solid selection to pick through on the menu! So, pack your sunglasses and SPF, and let’s head down to the Yucatan Peninsula where you can find your perfect party, swim with sea turtles, climb ancient ruins, and restore your mind, body, and tan. Photos and words by Katherine Alex Beaven

When I was younger, my grandpa gave me the invaluable gift of travel. In 1993, he took our small family on a two-week cruise around the Gulf of Alaska. It was the most exotic place I’d ever been.Photos and words by Katherine Alex Beaven

Photos by Katherine Alex Beaven It’s a little after 5 PM in New York City and The Front Bottoms’ Brian Sella is sitting upstairs in Irving Plaza. It’s the first of two sold-out shows the band is playing here and, if the line of waiting fans that has stretched around the corner for the last hour is any indicator, things are about to get crazy. Later, during the show, the inside of the venue will be heaving, full of sweaty bodies desperate to get closer to the stage and have their voices heard by the New Jersey band.

Photos by Katherine Alex Beaven It used to be that New York’s Lower East Side stretched west from the East River to Broadway and all the way north to 14th Street. But little by little, it got chopped up into smaller areas that were then rebranded by realtors: The East Village, Chinatown, Alphabet City, Bowery, Little Italy, and the ever-sickening NoLIta (an estate agent contraction that stands for North of Little Italy).

Photos by: Katherine Alex Beaven // This Times Square location has become something of a staple venue for Taking Back Sunday in the past couple of years. They were here for three nights in April 2014, on their tour with The Used, and before that also played one date of their ‘Tell All Your Friends’ tenth anniversary tour right here. Both times, the Long Island emo/rock band have been full of vitality and fire, yet tonight, the band seem kind of lacklustre.

Photo by: Katherine Alex Beaven // When Jeremy Fury recorded “You’re My Halo” with his old band, they subtitled it “Prom Song.” His new group, Jeremy and the Harlequins, sharpened the tune into something more suited to a delinquents’ ball. The new version premieres today on Speakeasy. It’s a vintage-style rock ’n’ roll song powered by trebly guitar, Fury’s impassioned, reverb-soaked vocals and backing shoo-wops. The song comes from the group’s upcoming debut, “American Dreamer,” which comprises songs Fury and his drummer brother

Photo by: Katherine Alex Beaven // Devoted to revisiting the Rock & Roll and Rockabilly sounds and antics, Jeremy and the Harlequins revitalizes that tradition with heaps of super fun attitude. Nostalgic, and at some times haunting, Jeremy and The Harlequins are a trip through the early days of American rock ‘n roll.

Photos by: Katherine Alex Beaven & Getty Images // The finest moments from a memorable weekend in the Windy (and rainy) City Held in Chicago from September 12-14, the tenth anniversary staging of the Riot Fest promised to be one of the musical events of 2014.

Here are a few samples from the STA North America Tour Brochure that feature some of my images.