Directors are commanding the familiar “House lights, go!” in more headsets lately as tours kick off around the country. Designer Watch checked in with LDs to get the buzz on what’s new in the new normal.
Falcone Lights Lambert
LD Tess Falcone lit Adam Lambert’s performance as a part of “Outloud: Raising Voices” to kick off Pride Month. Lambert’s concert at the Los Angeles Coliseum divided the audience into vaccinated and unvaccinated sections. All crew were required to be fully vaxxed. “I’ve never been so happy for an overnight programming session,” Falcone admits. “I can’t wait to see an audience dancing and singing along again — hopefully soon.”
Falcone has heard of bands requiring vaccines, with some crew members losing their jobs over it. “All of the shows I’ve done in L.A. still require either proof of vax or a negative test within 48 hours of the gig,” she says. “Some crew members from other countries are having a tougher time getting their second doses, too, so that’s an added headache.”
Davidian Returns to Lighting
It’s been a while since David Davidian has sat in front of a lighting console; in recent years he has having taken on other roles such as video director and tour manager. He’s now returning to the lighting world for an artist he has collaborated with for over 20 years. “I’m so happy to be back with the Jackson Browne team, working with production manager Dennis Scrimmo and doing lighting design again, I have missed it,” the LD says.
The tour starts July 29, with Jackson Browne performing as the special guest on James Taylor & His All Star Band’s itinerary. Davidian will create the lighting and video elements of the show together with Greg Classen, who also serves as programmer and operator. In mid-September, David resumes his tour manager role with Alice Cooper, as Browne begins headlining his 2021 tour.
“Many tours have told their staff members that they will now have a ‘no vaccination, no gig’ policy,” David notes. “I respect and understand those who have fears about getting the vaccine, but at the moment this policy seems to be a prevalent artist/management position. Personally, I will do whatever it takes to get back to work. I want see the industry I love start to thrive again and get past this pandemic.”
Cromwell for Alanis
LD Nathaniel Cromwell is handling production design, lighting programming and direction for Alanis Morissette’s tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of her Jagged Little Pill album. Cromwell says they will carry lighting, video and audio, with I-Mag contracted locally. The global trek takes off Aug. 12 in Austin, TX, with a few countries moved to 2022 because of Covid travel restrictions. “Yes, management is requiring vaccines,” Cromwell confirms of the crew mandate.
Gott Gets Back to Chicago
A fully vaccinated LD Mike Gott says shots were required for Chicago’s tour, which started June 23. This is his 18th year with Chicago as LD and his 10th year as their rigging supervisor. Most dates are rescheduled 2020 tour dates, and Gott hopes they will play steady all the way to late December without cancellations due to the changing social gathering rules. Otherwise, it’s business as usual. “This year we are taking out the same system as the last two years,” he reports. “Budget has remained untouched.”
Eckerman Programs McGraw
Troy Eckerman embarks on 23 years with Tim McGraw as he programs upcoming private and corporate shows for LD Pat Brannon. Eckerman, who also offers design services and lighting rentals, says, “Churches have kept us alive” with a few sales jobs, installs and rentals while live entertainment was in the dark. “Our time has been spent grooming rental gear in our inventory,” he notes. “We were just as busy doing projects as we were before Covid.”
However, he does raise a “huge concern” with the short supply of crew and with equipment parts — and he’s not just talking computer chips. “Manufacturers actually have no idea when parts will be coming back online to produce fixtures,” he notes. “It ultimately leaves all of us in this industry in a bad place of more unknown coming in the future.”
Florida Georgia Line
Scott Cunningham recently designed and programmed Florida Georgia Line’s June 12 headline performance for Encore Drive In Nights. He also is the designer/programmer for country artist Russell Dickerson’s tour, with rehearsals starting this summer. “This year we are implementing the design we planned for 2020, and our gear and budgets are the same,” he notes. Cunningham believes vaccines will become required once they reach the fall touring cycle.
Gray Designs Styx
Libby Gray returns to the road as lighting designer for Styx, which started June 18 to coincide with the new album release, Crash of the Crown. “We’re carrying audio and a four-truss moving rig,” Gray says. Covid precautions are in place and vaccines are required of everyone, she adds. “No exceptions, no excuses.”
Breathing Freely with Air Supply
LD Troy Stubby filled his lockdown hours as a Cannabis Trimmer/Bud Tender until he could get back out with Air Supply, which kicked-off July 18. “We have had six shows so far this year, going well with all the new precautions in place,” Stubby notes. “My budget and crew will remain the same, and in Asia, it looks like I’m going to add more lighting to my plot.”
While band management didn’t require vaccines, “they did strongly and nicely suggest getting it,” Stubby explains. “If not, they were asking for negative Covid tests every Monday, as we tour on a Wednesday to Sunday schedule. I could see how cumbersome and inconvenient it was going to be, so I made the decision [to get vaccinated]. All 11 of us have our shots.”
Thomas Travels with Alan Parsons
LD Martin Thomas returns to the Alan Parsons Live Project, starting in Spain in July, and the U.S. from August to October. His goal is to make all his productions as cost-efficient as possible to help clients recoup some losses from the lockdown. “Budgets will be tight, as everything from hotels and airfare to diesel fuel and labor costs are going to be 10 to 30 percent higher in coming months,” he says. Making his department as frugal as possible by gear selection, fixture type and truck space will allow him to keep his touring crew labor and design concepts intact. His vendors are on board, offering “great deals” on older gear already on their shelves.
“Everyone has to have proof of vaccination just to get the plane ticket,” Thomas says. “We also needed to show proof to the Minister of Culture to get our invite to come over. Anyone that is not getting the jab is going to have to show a pretty strong argument in this industry as to their dissension.”
Zac Comes Back
Chris Cockrill will spend a few weeks programming to get back out as lighting director with the Zac Brown Band’s “The Comeback Tour” in August. Crew has to be vaccinated to rejoin the tour. The production is “a slightly smaller and updated tour design that continues from March 2020 when we were shut down,” he describes.
Over the past 15 months, Cockrill’s calendar was filled with programming gigs with designer Tom Kenny and programmer David “Fuji” Covertino for CMT shows including Crossroads, CMT Giants, and the 2020 and 2021 CMT Awards. “I’m counting the days until I can say ‘house lights, go!’ again with a full crowd in attendance!”
Give a shout to Debi about your upcoming opportunities to hear (or say) “house lights, go!” Reach her at dmoen@plsn.com.
