Celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary, Aerosmith is set to kick up its heels and blow the doors open April 6 starting its special “Deuces Are Wild” residency in Las Vegas. Prior to the premiere at the Park MGM’s Park Theater, Nick Whitehouse of the Fireplay design team told us, “It’s going to be a really amazing show for them, really theatrical, awesome sound, amazing visuals, killer lighting. It’s combining the best of their renowned live shows, a historic career and a Vegas spectacle into the ultimate Aerosmith rock ‘n’ roll experience!”
Designing and producing the Sin City event are the Fireplay team of: Steve Dixon, producer; Amy Tinkham, director; Jamie Lew, art director; Josh Zangen, production designer; Kelly Sticksel, SFX designer; Nick Whitehouse and Steven Douglas, lighting designers. Video content is by Pixomondo. The band’s longtime LD, Cosmo Wilson, joins the team as the band’s lighting designer and lighting director. Wilson and Douglas met up in Vegas mid-March to start programming.
The residency runs select dates into December. Whitehouse details a full calendar of Fireplay’s other major projects for April, including: Thomas Rhett’s performance at ACM Awards, Las Vegas (April 7); Kelsea Ballerini’s kick-off of her “Miss Me More” tour (April 9); Coachella second stage headline show for Billie Eilish, providing support for lead designers/directors at Cour Design (April 13); last show of Justin Timberlake’s Man Of The Woods tour (April 13); premiere of James Taylor & His All-Star Band Vegas residency at Caesars Palace Colosseum (April 17-May 11); Thomas Rhett’s start of “Very Hot Summer” tour (April 24). And wait until you see what’s on the calendar for May. Coming next time.
Back to Aerosmith-related news, Cosmo carries out LD Tom Horton’s design for Judas Priest’s 50th anniversary tour May 3-June 29 in the U.S., promoting their March 2018 album release, Firepower.
SRae Updates
Designers at SRae Productions — Sooner Routhier, Robert Long and Ashely Zapar — put KISS on the road at the beginning of the year. 4U2C handled the content design and direction. Says Routhier, “We did full production design, show direction, and Robert and Ashley are on the road as production manager and production coordinator. Michael Cooper and I programmed it while Motley is still at the console as operator.” Routhier and Long also designed lighting for Muse’s Simulation Theory world tour, which has received positive reviews for its Sci-Fi fantasy theme. The creative director is Jesse Lee Stout, and lighting director is Aaron Luke.
Still in Chains
LD Matthew Guminski is on the road for the better part of 2019 as the lighting designer for Alice in Chains. After wrapping up a short Australia/New Zealand run in March, he turns his sights on an April Canadian run, a May/June European run, and a summer U.S. co-headline run with Korn and Underoath. He also just packed up programming duties for New York Fashion week with German LD Florian Schreiter. On his days off, he teaches console classes.
Sights on 311
Sightline Design Group’s Bobby Grey continues his production/lighting designer duties with 311, creating some video elements for the spring tour, along with the 311 Caribbean Cruise to Belize and Mexico in early March. Grey also designed a show for the Persian pop artist Dariush at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles in February, assisted by Darien Koop, programmer and onsite lighting director.
Advising with Intensity
LD Jeff Ravitz of Intensity Advisors says he finished his fifth year as lighting designer for the annual Writer’s Guild West Awards. “It is usually looked to as one of the final awards that predicts how the Oscars might go,” he explains. “They do a simultaneous show from NY, the WGA East. It’s a pretty fun show — star studded presenters and winners — so I look forward to it every year.”
Quick Cues
LD Gurn Kaniski goes out in April with Whitesnake’s world tour marking the 40th anniversary of their third studio album, Flesh & Blood…LD Alastair Watson is touring with Sammy Hagar’s Full Circle Jam…LD Steve Granville — out with Australian metalcore band Parkway Drive — is traveling the U.S. promoting their new album, Reverence…Jef (yes, spelled correctly) Benjamin, the LD for Earth, Wind & Fire since 2017, continues on with the group on their spring tour…LD Celine Royer is traveling through European with Mike Shinoda’s shows…Show designer/LD Travis Shirley kicked off Maren Morris’ “Girl: The World Tour” in March on her first full production headlining run, he says. Tim Creedon is lighting director…Emily Bornt is heading out on “Derek Hough Live — The Tour” until mid-June in the U.S. Peter Morse designed the lighting, with Benny Kirkham programming. Bornt just wrapped the Dancing With The Stars Live tour — also with Peter and Benny in the same roles…LD Chris Werner is knee-deep in on-site programming of two exhibits within The National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir, VA, created in collaboration with the team at The Scenic Route. Still under construction, the museum is expected to open in 2020…Trivia question: Did you know that LD Graham Rolak, on tour with Incubus, is also a guitarist and vocalist in his band Lexington Wolf? Find out more in On the Road in this month’s issue, page 12.
The 2019 touring season is warming up. Keep Debi posted on your hot news for this summer. Reach her at dmoen@plsn.com.
