DESIGN APPROACH: “Story comes first — I set the mood and atmosphere of every story. Absence of light is as important as lighting a space or subject. Less is more. This tour has multiple pixel-mappable fixtures with plenty of exciting punches from profiles. The side light has been the key for transitions and giving simple effects to the band members.”
BACKSTORY
HOME BASE: “New Orleans. It’s always awesome to see touring friends on their days off here.“
YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: “Eleven.”
LIGHTING INDUSTRY CAREER SPARK: “I was a tech in high school theater. I learned that a show is a family, and that entertainment will always be emotionally important; I wanted to be a creator for such.”
FIRST INDUSTRY JOB: “After college, I was a cruise ship lighting technician. I spent four years traveling, firing pyro and repairing lights.”
INDUSTRY HEROES/MENTORS: “Wilson Simon really pushed me to keep grinding. Eric Price gave me my first touring shot. Patrick ‘Little Buddy’ Connelly taught me everything is laughable, even a 45-hour day. Dallas Spatz never gives up when hope is lost.”
WHOSE SHOW DESIGNS DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO? “Tobias Rylander, Andy Cass, Ben Dalgleish, Gigi Pedron and Sooner Routhier. They are all game-changers.”
OTHER ARTISTS YOU’VE WORKED WITH? “Neck Deep, The Used, We the Kings, Stick Figure.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? “(It’s) a different room every day that creates a different challenge. I enjoy making each show similar at best, but unique, like a creativity puzzle. I love climbing back into a bunk after an exhausting day, where everything — both mind and body — are shot, and having the bus rock you to sleep knowing you get to do it again tomorrow.”
YOUR DREAM CONCERT TO LIGHT: “The Jimi Hendrix Experience when it was the three-piece, because anything could happen during the show. The Doors during the club scene in LA, because intimate set-tings lead to a more unique experience. Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Kaya tour, because it was monumental. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard now, because if you’ve seen them, you’d know why…”
