Actor and Austin, TX resident Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves found a way to warm hearts. February’s disastrous winter storm snapped the state’s electrical power grid, leaving millions in the dark with no heat for days and nights. Snow, sleet, ice and the official report of “blizzard conditions” gripped the Lone Star State over Valentine’s Day weekend, not letting go of its hold throughout the week. The deep freeze shut down water facilities, which led to a shutdown of running water and pipes bursting across Texas as temperatures finally rose above freezing after seven days. With demand for plumbers to fix the pipes and construction workers to repair the damage, millions are still in misery — a number are still without running water a month later — and suffering from the historic storm event.
Acknowledging that Texans help Texans, McConaughey called on the state’s celebrity musicians and friends to come together for a virtual “We’re Texas” benefit concert on Sunday, March 21 to raise money for repairs and recovery — and to boost the spirit.
Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theatre set the stage for McConaughey’s hosting of the two-hour online event, broadcast through his YouTube channel. Atlanta-based production company Pullspark handled the event, bringing in LD Seth Thiesen. Thiesen recently left Pullspark for a full-time opportunity as the director of live experiences at a Nashville church, which has five worship locations. Though he stays busy, he said he couldn’t pass up the chance to help with this cause.
The format was this: Texas artists who were invited to participate shot their own shows. “The artists sent us their videoed performances ahead of time,” Thiesen told PLSN’s Designer Watch. “Some were even shot on iPhones — and we went through it to adjust sound and other levels for its web broadcast.” Pullspark brought in its own cameras and Thiesen used the venue’s in-house LED rig to light McConaughey’s hosting segments, including the intros and segue between performances and celebrity guests. Videos also captured stories of those who experienced hardships during the storm. The show was edited and completed for airing during the week before it went online.
Texas artists Willie Nelson, George Strait, Kelly Clarkson, Kacey Musgraves, Lyle Lovett, Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., Miranda Lambert and more performed special songs for the fundraiser. Don Henley even shared news about his Dallas family’s busted pipes prior to singing “Snow.”
ACL in-house LD Bryan Schrumpf assisted with the production, joking that he “served as McConaughey’s stunt double.” All kidding aside, Schrumpf said he helped Thiesen get patched in and moved some fixtures around.
Thiesen added that he enjoyed working with the Oscar-winning actor. “It’s great to work with someone who has the passion that he has to help his fellow Texans.” Visit McConaughey’s Just Keep Livin Foundation (jklivinfoundation.org) to learn more about the Texas Relief Fund and to watch the free event.
Onward to the Olympics
LD Steve Brill of the New York-based Lighting Design Group is headed to the 2021 Olympic Games this summer in Tokyo — postponed from 2020 because of the pandemic. Brill is again handling the lighting of seven television studios set up on site for the broadcast coverage, along with a number of camera location setups as well. Near the end of March, Brill told Designer Watch, “We just finished packing three containers in New Jersey. Later this week we will be packing two in London. All will be on the way to Tokyo shortly.” While foreign fans and volunteers have been banned from attending the event — fearing it will fuel a Covid-19 virus spread — those who are directly involved in the production are allowed. “This is a big one for us,” Brill noted. “It keeps around 30 people employed.”
Joining his crew is LD Ross Blitz, a NextGen nominee profiled in PLSN’s June 2020 issue. Blitz is blissed out over this prestigious lighting programmer gig. “I’m very excited, and I’m sure this Olympics will be very different from the previous two that I’ve been a part of,” Blitz said, awaiting to be informed of all the special Covid precautions. The opening ceremony kicks off July 23, although some events begin earlier, with closing festivities on Aug. 8.
Ragan Joins TAG
LD Chris Ragan — designer for Dead & Company, The Secret Machines, Gov’t Mule, and more over the years — recently joined full service production vendor Technical Arts Group (taglive.com) as an account executive focusing on tour sales, festivals and venue installations. With offices already open in Secaucus, NJ and Miami, TAG plans to open a West Coast operation later in the year. Meanwhile, the LD said he will also continue to offer his freelance design services through his company, Raygun Designs (raygundesignsnyc.com).
The Making Theatre Podcast
U.K. theatrical designers LD Bruno Poet and LD James Farncombe started The Making Theatre Podcast to keep themselves busy during lockdown. Poet said, “It is an ongoing series of informal yet revealing conversations, each episode featuring a different discipline, and a guest talking in depth about their experiences and their responsibilities in the complex and sometimes messy business of making a show.” Guests have ranged from lighting designers to stage managers, producers, technicians and others who all play a part in a production. “We are getting a positive reaction so far, both from colleagues and professionals in the business, but also from students and teachers who are enjoying hearing about the different roles. A few people have commented that it is a great insight into how theatre really works and that it brings back great memories of the buzz of live performance. We have also been told that it is comforting in the current climate.” Connect via plsn.me/UKpod.
Indie Venues Get Support
LD Tess Falcone happily reported to work for Jimmy Eat World’s Phoenix Sessions in January to February. The band planned to donate a portion of ticket sales from the January/February shows to support the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) Emergency Relief Funds.
The concert film series featured three shows, each dedicated to one of three full album performances, live-streamed from the Icehouse in Phoenix. “Dan Hadley and I created one design aesthetic for each album but with similar lighting rigs that could be transferred between the different shooting locations,” Falcone said.
Big Noise From Silent House
LD Alex Reardon, newly appointed president of design firm Silent House Productions, made some big noise by discussing live event technology recently in Forbes magazine (plsn.me/forbes). Acknowledging the “huge honor” of his new position, Reardon told Designer Watch what his role means going forward. “We’ve certainly had to endure the uncertainty and anxiety of the pandemic — as everyone has. But as a sliver of light starts to crack on the horizon, I’m absolutely focused on optimizing and strengthening our work-flow. I’m certain that once we are all back at live shows again, we’ll need to be more robust, more creative, and more nimble to meet our client’s needs. I’m also spending time continually connecting with all of our brilliant team, so that the cohesion we had — when we were all together in the office — continues on as we work from home. Having said that, and as efficient as we are, it will be so wonderful to be back in the office again.”
Hope springs eternal. Email Debi your warm-weather aspirations. Reach her at dmoen@plsn.com.
