Lighting designer/programmer Paul Dexter of Masterworks Lighting has gone back to the “vault” — designing the production, lighting and programming for the new edition of Raiding the Rock Vault, now at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
The show, which opened March 11, features some of the members of classic rock’ bands performing hits from the 1960s to 1980s. Dexter brought in Joshua Schultz to help program as well. LD Rob Pick runs the show — lights, video and lasers all on one console — for the next six months of its run. Trip Advisor has rated the show #1 for the past few years.
In the same format, but with a country twang, Dexter’s new version of Raiding the Country Vault opened two nights earlier, March 9, at the Starlite Theatre in Branson, MO. Dexter wrote the script, created the storyline concept and designed the production as well. The theatre has dates booked into December.
While getting those two productions up and running, Dexter continues on with REO Speedwagon, which will be touring with Styx and Don Felder later this year.
Tribe Thrives
Fresh off the launch of Chris Stapleton’s “All-American Road Show” tour and Dierks Bentley’s “What the Hell” tour, production designer Bruce Rodgers and Tribe Inc. are prepping their design for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which takes place April 7 in Brooklyn, NY and airs later on HBO. Rodgers says, “We’re also looking forward to the world premier of our design at the end of April for Cirque du Soleil’s new Big Top World Tour of Volta.” And while we’re still writing about the recent Super Bowl Halftime Show, Rodgers says they’re already surveying the new home of the Minnesota Vikings, U.S. Bank Stadium, for the next halftime spectacular, set for Feb. 4, 2018.
Coffee Break’s Over
Fueled by the java and jive of his coffee shop/record store, LD Ed Warren is back in action with projects a-brewing. They include a new lighting/production design for British band Circa Waves’ world tour; new lighting/production design for U.S. band Phantogram’s world tour with Jason Carroll operating the show; new production design for London venue The Borderline; lighting design for Mac Demarco; and lighting/production design for Metronomy. “I didn’t realize I was so busy,” he exclaimed, after tallying up all those projects.
Quick Cues
LD Peter Morse is currently designing (with Butch Allen)
Julianne Hough and Derek Hough’s “Move Beyond — Live on Tour.” The brother-sister duo from TV’s Dancing With the Stars opens their tour April 19.
LD Bryan Hartley is repacking his travel bags to start his next tour with Megadeth. “They’re just off a Grammy win in February, so that is exciting for all of us. We have a great year to go!” he says. As a side note, he points out that the recent Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour, their 19th year, was their biggest seller to date. (They scored 25th on Pollstar’s Top 100 Worldwide Tours for 2016, with $55.3 million in total ticket sales.)
LD Andrew Drury heads out April 6 with Trace Adkins’ tour all year on a mostly weekend-warrior schedule.
LD Marc Janowitz recently shot a Netflix special for comedian Hasan Minhaj’s one-man show, Homecoming King, as lighting/production/video designer. By mid-March, he was out with Trey Anastasio’s solo acoustic dates in concert halls.
LD Han Henze reports a busy first quarter of 2017. He worked with LD Tom Kenny as lighting director on a Nickelodeon pilot project in January. In February, he assisted LD Mike Swinford as lighting director on CMT’s Crossroads in Nashville featuring Darius Rucker and John Mellencamp. The two worked together again at the end of March on CMT’s InstaJam in Las Vegas. Henze also designed, directed and programmed a CMT Hometown Heroes Brett Eldredge performance in Paris, IL.
In related news, LD Tom Kenny was recently in Austin during SXSW for MTV’s annual Woodie Awards.
After a month in Ecuador, followed by cave diving in Mexico, LD Sarah Landau is back with A Perfect Circle’s tour as production designer.
LD Mac Mosier headed down to South America until mid-April with James Taylor, citing an “interesting combo” with Elton John for some stadium shows. The U.S. tour starts April 28.
LD Seth Jackson is gearing up for Toby Keith’s tour in May. He’s also got a slate of projects with C3 Presents, again working with project manager Jack Rushen of Technical Productions in St. Louis. Gigs include lighting the NFL Draft in Chicago; his fifth year at Lollapalooza and the Austin City Limits Music Festival; and his second year at the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans.
LD Brent Clark is back with The Barenaked Ladies on a small theatre run through the northern U.S., filing his calendar from mid-April to mid-May.
David Davidian video-directed “A Concert For Causes” at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Acts for the March 25 event included The Band Perry, Cole Swindell, Demi Lovato, Jake Owen and Randy Travis.
Joel Reiff has been production manager/lighting director for Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo on their acoustic tour in March. “I was taking over for my buddy Chris Nathan, who is on to other acts. I go back to Alice Cooper in April, and Mike Duncan will be taking over for me when Pat and Neil go back out with the full band.” Joel’s also out on the Kid Rock cruise this month, bailing out PLSN editor and LD Nook Schoenfeld.
Raid your own vault of current projects and get the news to Debi. You can reach her at dmoen@plsn.com.
