Well it’s really early for me right now and I’ve finally found some time to write after a long week and a half. I apologize for the delay but lately in my life I’ve had to tend to some things that have been happening with my career as of late. To start I have finally been getting asked to do some cool work so I had to sit down and do a lot of thinking on what the hell my next step was going to be. I’ve pretty much got it broken down it to phases. Well to begin, I started my career with one of the best up and coming bands in America, EastonAshe whom I will never forget and will definitely want to work again with in the future. These are the guys I’ve been writing about for the longest time in my blogs. Lately I have gotten some opportunities elsewhere to allow me to facilitate my career further and make the next step in pursuing my dreams. To start, the first phase of my journey was pretty much in taking a new type of craft from what I learned in college which was of course stage lighting. Through this phase it has helped me construct a unique plethora of chops and ideas to bring to the lighting console. Problem was that I wasn’t making enough dough to use the “big boy” shit yet.
The second phase was going back to school. Through working with my different gear over the years in my young career I developed a thirst for more knowledge that is out there in our beautiful field of technology. I would do anything to get close to it. Stand behind a light board at a big show, go to warehouses and beg the managers to let me test some stuff out, and even product reviewing which I can’t thank this magazine enough for allowing me to make the proper contacts to get my foot in the door. Since having my foot in the door I have literally been shoving it to a point where I can get out there start making some money for upgrades and make some even more cool shit happen with my rig I've been devolping. If you know the basis of my blog and previous article it talks about how I would save whatever money I could to put a light show together. Whether it was taking out a student visa loan, saving whatever paychecks I could, eating A LOT of ramen noodles. You name it, I probably did it. I was as hungry to get things moving just like any musician out there trying to make their career happen. Ironically I learned how to live this way so well because I have been living with hungry musicians and working as a unit for the past three years building our dreams together. It was a sad day and one of the toughest decisions I had to make when I told them I was moving on. They understood and wished me the best. Even though we aren’t working together anymore right now we will always have our memories and one of the strongest bonds of friendship I have ever developed in my life. That’s also a big part of why I love lighting closely with only a few projects because of the connection you can formulate together. It’s what takes the live show above and beyond just any other show you’ll attend. For me personally being so tight with timing when you know a musicians style and approach inside-out you can make it look amazing. That’s what really connects with a crowd and fulfills their experience ten fold.
So enough of my philosophy, lets talk about the gigs that have contacted me. They are both tremendous opportunities, but very different. I was forced to make a hard choice because they are both still in their building phase, begin their tours at the same time, and require my full attention. I have no problem with this because I’m an eager guy ready to get out there and mix it up with whatever comes my way. So I could either take a touring theater gig or a touring rock gig. I chose the rock gig. This decision was in my heart from the beginning but I am a way too analytical cat so I will always look at every perspective. So after some soul searching the decision was final to take the rock gig. The theater gig definitely had the advantage to help me be more relaxed with my cues and I also was able have free reign on eventual set design. On the down side I’d have to be more contained and wouldn’t be able to throw in what I wanted. Plus 90% of the music is pre recorded! I pretty much realized it wouldn’t be fair to them if I wasn’t going to be happy with lighting the show. I am an aggressive dude who pushes the show and in a really weird way the musicians. That is a cool attribute I got to develop with EastonAshe and I can’t wait to work with others and see what I’ll come up with! With that being said it is the live rock and roll feel that I will always hunger for and push myself to get better and better. Luckily enough I’m also being given the opportunity to build another monster with this gig and that I think is where I’ll want to stay for the time being. I grew up on live music and I will always have that ear for moments during the show that can truly reach out to a crowd and make them feel as much apart of the show as the band and even myself. I believe live music brings a great fellowship amongst the fans in attendance too. You’ll meet people and make friends and you’re really being given the chance to have your work recognized in a unique way. To me that’s another great thing about running lights. So that sums up phase three, wanting to take it to the next level and make a name for myself, and continuing to grow in the business so hopefully I can pass on what I’ve done for lighting to the bright young minds of tomorrow which is….teaching theory (phase four)! So here we go! Be sure keep an eye out and I’ll see you all sometime around the bend for sure.
All the best,
Squints AKA Totts AKA Tony
Song of the week: Lily Allen “LDN”
Can you guess what I was doing during the last time I listened to this song? Email me your answer and the first person to guess it correctly I’ll give you the full story 😉
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http://www.myspace.com/com/squints4
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