Elle, Helene, Dierks, Alicia
Bruce Rodgers and the Tribe Inc. design team have a host of new projects on the board for 2023: Elle King’s A-Freakin-Men Tour with LD Craig Richter, which kicked off on Valentine’s Day in the U.S. Tribe also has production designed an upcoming European tour with LD Tim Routledge for German artist Helene Fischer performing with Cirque du Soleil. The show, starting in March, promises to feature 40 musicians, dancers and artists, along with a pool and a ring of fire. Tribe’s design for Dierks Bentley’s Gravel & Gold Tour heads out in April with LD Chris Reade. Tribe is also designing Alicia Keys’ upcoming 2023 world tour in North and South America—her first major outing since 2013.
Janet Jackson, The Last Rockstars
Designer Watch caught up with Troy Eckerman on a quiet day, where he was found working on a house of worship lighting installation in the Texas Hill Country. Sounds calm. But there’s lots going on underneath. He says he and his son Caleb are preparing to program Janet Jackson’s Together Again tour for LD Eric Wade. The North American tour kicks off April 14 and features rapper Ludacris. Earlier this year, Eckerman worked with LD Peter Morse for The Last Rockstars debut tour— a supergroup made up of four major musicians in Japan’s rock scene — with dates in Tokyo, New York City and Hollywood, CA. And he’s still relishing the memories of working on Garth Brooks’ five stadium performances in Dublin late last year. “It was great fun. What a great camp!”
Jackson Browne
Chris Stuba is out as lighting director for Jackson Browne. During band rehearsals in Los Angeles, Stuba says, “I cannot believe my good fortune, this man and this music are amazing. Dizzy Gosnell and I have been working on a new plot.” The tour hits Japan and Australia in March to April and the U.S. in June.
Counting Crows
Joel Reiff will be out with Counting Crows for most of the year. “For the beginning New Zealand/Australia dates [in March] I’ll be the lighting director on a rig designed by my buddy Alex Skowron. Come the summer, we’ll be using a new design by me,” the LD notes.
Designs in Progress
Designer Paul Normandale of Lite Alternative says he’s recently been working with a number of tours, citing Robbie Williams (production design and show design), Arctic Monkeys (production design), Stevie Nicks (show design), Pixies (lighting design), and Def Leppard (content and show design).
Seal
LD Nate Cromwell has a few projects he’s working on — one of which is production designing for Seal as he gets ready for his 30th Anniversary Tour which runs April 25 to June 12 in the U.S. This is the artist’s first tour since his 2018-2019 international tour.
Kenny Chesney
LD Phil Ealy says he’s traveling to Nashville to start rehearsals March 1 for the Kenny Chesney I Go Back Tour, which will hit arenas.
Muse
Muse launched its 2023 Will of the People arena tour of North America Feb 25 in Chicago. Sooner Routhier did the design with Aaron Luke returning at the helm to operate lighting. This 2023 tour is “a continuation of the Underplay tour in the fall,” Routhier says.
Thomas Rhett
Lighting/Creative Designer Alec Takahashi is back on the road with Thomas Rhett, currently on the last leg of last year’s tour. He says the new show and new design for the Home Team 23 tour starts in early May, and he’ll be out on the road with this one as well. Cole Swindell and Nate Smith are openers.
Turnpike Troubadours
Joshua Schultz hit the road in late February as lighting designer and director for the country music band, Turnpike Troubadours. He was launching his new design for larger venues on this go-around. “I’m excited to make the jump to arenas this year,” he says, noting that their popularity is gaining “hugely and quickly.” The LD adds, “We are looking at 40 arena shows this year. We started at venues like Cain’s Ballroom [Tulsa, OK] and Billy Bob’s [Ft. Worth, TX] last year to arenas this year. It’s pretty crazy.”
Libby’s YouTube Tutoring
LD Libby Gray didn’t plan to become a YouTube tutor. But the LD for Styx was repeatedly asked by followspot operators across that country that she share her show-calling skills with peers. She explains, “It is becoming a forgotten skill and these kids don’t know what they’re doing.” This inspired her video series called, How to Call Followspots with Libby Gray. Viewer feedback and increasing subscribers to her channel led to a dozen more instructional videos. In her newest one for 2023, 911! If Hell Drops By Your Show for a Visit, she shares the importance a lighting console can play in case of emergency in a concert situation. Visit her YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM0Pw-R3sfnZhG7jPCn9oUA
Share your news with Debi Moen at dmoen@plsn.com
