diff --git a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/band.rb b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/band.rb
index 56161d067..640f6c2a0 100644
--- a/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/band.rb
+++ b/ruby/lib/jam_ruby/models/band.rb
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 module JamRuby
   class Band < ActiveRecord::Base
 
-    attr_accessible :name, :website, :biography, :city, :state, :country
+    attr_accessible :name, :website, :biography, :city, :state, 
+      :country, :original_fpfile_photo, :cropped_fpfile_photo, 
+      :cropped_s3_path_photo, :crop_selection_photo, :photo_url
 
     attr_accessor :updating_photo
 
     self.primary_key = 'id'
 
+    before_save :stringify_photo_info , :if => :updating_photo
+    validate :validate_photo_info
     validates :biography, no_profanity: true
 
     # musicians
@@ -59,6 +63,14 @@ module JamRuby
       loc
     end
 
+    def validate_photo_info
+      if updating_photo
+        # we want to mak sure that original_fpfile and cropped_fpfile seems like real fpfile info objects (i.e, json objects from filepicker.io)
+        errors.add(:original_fpfile_photo, ValidationMessages::INVALID_FPFILE) if self.original_fpfile_photo.nil? || self.original_fpfile_photo["key"].nil? || self.original_fpfile_photo["url"].nil?
+        errors.add(:cropped_fpfile_photo, ValidationMessages::INVALID_FPFILE) if self.cropped_fpfile_photo.nil? || self.cropped_fpfile_photo["key"].nil? || self.cropped_fpfile_photo["url"].nil?
+      end
+    end
+
     def add_member(user_id, admin)
       BandMusician.create(:band_id => self.id, :user_id => user_id, :admin => admin)
     end
@@ -241,5 +253,15 @@ module JamRuby
           end
         end
       end
+
+      def stringify_photo_info
+        # fpfile comes in as a hash, which is a easy-to-use and validate form.  However, we store it as a VARCHAR,
+        # so we need t oconvert it to JSON before storing it (otherwise it gets serialized as a ruby object)
+        # later, when serving this data out to the REST API, we currently just leave it as a string and make a JSON capable
+        # client parse  it, because it's very rare when it's needed at all
+        self.original_fpfile_photo = original_fpfile_photo.to_json if !original_fpfile_photo.nil?
+        self.cropped_fpfile_photo = cropped_fpfile_photo.to_json if !cropped_fpfile_photo.nil?
+        self.crop_selection_photo = crop_selection_photo.to_json if !crop_selection_photo.nil?
+      end
   end
 end
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/accounts_profile_avatar.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/accounts_profile_avatar.js
index 460a6ab8b..81336953e 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/accounts_profile_avatar.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/accounts_profile_avatar.js
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
         var self = this;
         var logger = context.JK.logger;
         var rest = context.JK.Rest();
-        var userId;
         var user = {};
         var tmpUploadPath = null;
         var userDetail = null;
@@ -18,8 +17,6 @@
         var userDropdown;
 
         function beforeShow(data) {
-            logger.debug("data.id=" + data.id);
-            userId = data.id;
         }
 
 
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/band_setup.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/band_setup.js
index eb1d30316..5752a35e4 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/band_setup.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/band_setup.js
@@ -229,7 +229,8 @@
             userNames = [];
             userIds = [];
             userPhotoUrls = [];
-            bandId = "1158c8b6-4c92-47dc-82bf-1e390c4f9b2c";// $("#hdn-band-id").val();
+            //bandId = "1158c8b6-4c92-47dc-82bf-1e390c4f9b2c";
+            bandId = $("#hdn-band-id").val();
             resetForm();
         }
 
@@ -271,6 +272,10 @@
                 $("#band-website").val(band.website);
                 $("#band-biography").val(band.biography);
 
+                if (band.photo_url) {
+                    $("#band-avatar").attr('src', band.photo_url);
+                }
+
                 loadGenres(band.genres);
 
                 loadCountries(band.country, function() {
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/band_setup_photo.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/band_setup_photo.js
index af00f42c0..f5775cee5 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/band_setup_photo.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/band_setup_photo.js
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@
         function events() {
             // wire up main panel clicks
             $('#band-setup-photo-content-scroller').on('click', '#band-setup-photo-upload', function(evt) { evt.stopPropagation(); handleFilePick(); return false; } );
-            $('#band-setup-photo-content-scroller').on('click', '#band-setup-photo-delete', function(evt) { evt.stopPropagation(); handleDeletePhoto(); return false; } );
+            $('#band-setup-photo-content-scroller').on('click', '#band-setup-photo-delete', function(evt) { evt.stopPropagation(); handleDeleteBandPhoto(); return false; } );
             $('#band-setup-photo-content-scroller').on('click', '#band-setup-photo-cancel', function(evt) { evt.stopPropagation(); navToEditProfile(); return false; } );
-            $('#band-setup-photo-content-scroller').on('click', '#band-setup-photo-submit', function(evt) { evt.stopPropagation(); handleUpdatePhoto(); return false; } );
+            $('#band-setup-photo-content-scroller').on('click', '#band-setup-photo-submit', function(evt) { evt.stopPropagation(); handleUpdateBandPhoto(); return false; } );
             //$('#band-setup-photo-content-scroller').on('change', 'input[type=filepicker-dragdrop]', function(evt) { evt.stopPropagation(); afterImageUpload(evt.originalEvent.fpfile); return false; } );
         }
 
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/jam_rest.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/jam_rest.js
index f36dfddc4..f0ad75ebc 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/jam_rest.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/jam_rest.js
@@ -211,6 +211,12 @@
             var cropped_fpfile = options['cropped_fpfile'];
             var crop_selection = options['crop_selection'];
 
+            logger.debug(JSON.stringify({
+                    original_fpfile : original_fpfile,
+                    cropped_fpfile : cropped_fpfile,
+                    crop_selection : crop_selection
+                }));
+
             var url = "/api/users/" + id + "/avatar";
             return $.ajax({
                 type: "POST",
@@ -259,6 +265,12 @@
             var cropped_fpfile = options['cropped_fpfile'];
             var crop_selection = options['crop_selection'];
 
+            logger.debug(JSON.stringify({
+                    original_fpfile : original_fpfile,
+                    cropped_fpfile : cropped_fpfile,
+                    crop_selection : crop_selection
+                }));
+
             var url = "/api/bands/" + id + "/photo";
             return $.ajax({
                 type: "POST",
diff --git a/web/app/views/clients/_session.html.erb b/web/app/views/clients/_session.html.erb
index eda192a6b..4c71c8349 100644
--- a/web/app/views/clients/_session.html.erb
+++ b/web/app/views/clients/_session.html.erb
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
             <%= image_tag "shared/icon_session.png", {:height => 19, :width => 19} %>
         </div>
         <h1>session</h1>
-        <%= render "screen_navigation" %>
     </div>
 
     <!-- session controls -->