In 1966, The Lovin’ Spoonful released their third album. On it was a track called “Nashville Cats,” a tune penned by John Sebastian. The song, written after a stop on their tour in Nashville, pays homage to the musicians in Music City. A local 19-year-old musician named Danny Gatton had opened for the band and pretty much blew Sebastian’s mind and his band off the stage. Fifty years later, the lyrics might well apply to the wealth of talented lighting designers based in the city today. On the pages that follow, PLSN profiles six lighting designers at the top of their form who hail from Nashville. Innovative and fully in command of the art of craft, they all knew early on, what their path would be. From country superstars to heavy metal legends, they can light it all. Please meet the 21st century’s new Nashville Cats.
Trevor Ahlstrand, Ahlstrand Productions
Trevor Ahlstrand knew early on in high school the career path he wanted to pursue. “I love the art of using light to enhance music visually,” he says. Controlling light through complex programming, “ultimately lead to me becoming a designer,” he adds.
A broad spectrum of design projects filled 2015. These included a Christian conference, a Lady Antebellum music video, several corporate events and a Slipknot tour. At the end of the year Ahlstrand designed, “one of my favorite projects the CMT tour, which Brett Eldredge and Thomas Rhett co-headline.”
New set and video elements for Slipknot’s tour in Europe kick off 2016. Back in the States, overseeing Chick-fil-A’s national conference design immediately follows the launch of Canaan Smith’s tour.
Seeking to foster a career geared to his love of country music motivated the move to Nashville in 2005. Freelancing through Bandit Lites sharpened his programming chops. His first “big break” as a designer came with Avenged Sevenfold, “by being at the right place at the right time.” A colleague recommended Ahlstrand to facilitate a production ramp up with the bands increasing popularity.
“They have been an amazing camp to work with. I am really blessed the timing worked out the way it did.”
Ahlstrand looks for directors with great timing ability and “someone who will protect show integrity, without letting stress affect execution.” Currently out and “absolutely killing it” are Greg “Little G” Kocurek with Slipknot and Westley Palmer with Brett Eldredge. Additionally, Trevor calls upon programmers Matt Mills and Andre Petrus.
For a rendering program, he uses Cinema 4D. “It works great alongside Vectorworks, when drawing my plots.”
Ahlstrand appreciates the fact that, “There are so many great companies in Nashville now. All of them provide excellent service and support while remaining unique in their own way.”
Contact Trevor Ahlstrand at www.ahlstrandproductions.com.
David Butzler, LD for Garth Brooks
David Butzler joined the Garth Brooks touring family in 1990. Last year’s tour, in support of his album, Man Against Machine, marked 25 years. He notes that Brooks’ style and work mode is very spontaneous, constantly changing things up. The morph to this year’s lighting design began July of last year.
Butzler’s career started in St. Louis, MO. He augmented his position as house LD at Mississippi Nights, a 1,000-capacity venue that hosted shows from 1979 to 2007, by doing the state and county fair circuit with Wakefield Systems.
“Garth was an up-and-coming act around ‘89, working the same circuit. He asked me to become a part of his team, and I said yes,” says Butzler. The offer came with a stipulation that he relocate to Nashville.
Bandit Lites provided gear and additional crew, when needed, for Butzler’s work with Brooks.
To handle the many consoles lighting companies were creating for their own line of intelligent fixtures. Aaron Swetland became his programmer. “You didn’t have the option like today of a Hog or grandMA that could handle all the different lights,” says Butzler. John Hoffman came on as tour board-op. Both remain to this day.
“With Garth, it is very much a team vibe, and he is very involved in the design,” says Butzler, noting the set each night is spontaneous. Venues vary as well. For that reason, “I approach all my designs with an A, B, C type scenario to handle changes without affecting the integrity of the show.”
He plots in Vectorworks, with Dizzy Gosnell at Bandit drawing the larger systems in the company’s proprietary CAD program, Bandit Blocks. Moo TV is Butzler’s go-to vendor for video.
The day he was introduced to Allen Branton as “Garth Brooks Lighting Designer” is the day he acknowledged to himself, that, indeed he is a lighting designer.
“I got where I am with the sweat on others brows,” says Butzler. “It’s never been just about me.”
Contact David Butzler through Facebook and LinkedIn.
Mike Swinford, UpLate Design, Inc.
When PLSN contacted Mike Swinford asking what projects he had designed in 2015, he responded, “Just updated my credits. Wow. Looking at 2015 makes me dizzy! No wonder I did not get much boating in.”
Understandable, since the list runs the gamut of multiple tours, NBA events, television award and special events as Lighting and Production Designer. To highlight just a few of these includes Kenny Chesney Tour, NBA All-star, CMT Artist of Year Award and Clint Black for Rett Syndrome broadcast.
2016 looks to be just as busy, with Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatt tours, the NBA Draft and CMA Music Festival.
Swinford began establishing his career in the Los Angeles area as a designer during the early 1980’s. At the time, he mainly worked rock acts, “Kenny Loggins, The Allman Brothers and the Go-Go’s, to name a few,” he says. His first “big break” occurred with Rick Springfield. “Chip Monck was the production manager and lighting designer,” says Swinford, “and had no interest in touring anymore. He called and asked me to take it over for him.”
A freelancer, the majority of his work came through Rikki Farr and Bob Gordon during Electrotec’s heyday.
“Rikki asked me to do a design for a band I had never heard of called Alabama,” he recalls. The band preferred his execution of the show to other director’s work and eventually, “made me an offer I could not refuse.” That was in 1988.
“Many of the biggest stars started out opening for them and I got a lot of referral work due to that.”
Swinford attributes a lot of his success to his go-to vendor, Dale Morris of Morris (formerly Morris Light and Sound). The original vendor for Alabama, he and Morris remain close friends and business associates to this day, “not to mention their gear is first class,” he adds. For video, he uses VER, MooTV and Vision Visuals.
When looking at directors, “it is all about timing,” he says, mainly working with Phil Ealy, Keith Hoagland Andy Knighton and Scott Cunningham.
As far as programming goes,” it is no secret that Mark Butts and I have done many events together for many years. We have a great creative relationship. I also like working with Mike Appel, Ken Hudson, Fuji and Willy McLachlan. “
He uses 3D Studio Max and AutoCAD for rendering programs and works out of his home office.
View more of Mike Swinford’s work at www.plsn.me/Mike-Swinford-Gallery.
Justin Kitchenman, FadeUp Design Group
Justin Kitchenman tells PLSN Luke Bryan is the bulk of his yearly workload. “Production manager Pete Healey and I constantly morph the core design to accommodate venues from an NFL stadium to Country festivals,” he says. Variations on the theme service Bryan’s other annual events such as the “Crash My Playa” in Riviera Maya, Mexico and the “Farm Tour” through the rural south every fall.
“I work closely with production manager James “Mo” Butts on designs for Cole Swindell,” who was named New Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards last year.
Upcoming in 2016, a new design for Luke Bryan and in house projects for Elite Multimedia, Nashville are in the works. “Heath Marrinan, my business partner in FadeUp Design Group, has been spearheading several large-scale architectural and special events, too.”
Originally from Philadelphia, Kitchenman realized he was a bit off the radar for any touring work. A move to Nashville in 2002 brought him under the wing of Premier Global Productions solving that problem, followed quickly by his first design credit for the Hilary Duff’s Metamorphosis tour in 2003-2004.
“I program and operate most of my designs,” he says, but looks for directors who keep their own interests in check. “I have to trust they will meet any requests from the artist with respect, professionalism and integrity.”
He uses Vectorworks and ESP Vision drafting and renderings.
Kitchenman touts all Nashville vendors with good service and gear. “No company has done more for me than Premier Global Productions (PGP), though. I am forever grateful to Troy and James Vollhoffer and Creech Anderson.”
“There was never an ‘aha’ moment when I knew this is what I wanted to do. It’s definitely been a journey that took many twist, turns, ups and downs.”
Contact Justin Kitchenman at www.fadeup.com.
Chris Lisle, Chris Lisle Lighting Design
Chris Lisle, a fourth generation Nashville native says, “last year was a great one!” He created designs for Miranda Lambert, Jennifer Nettles, Chase Rice, Billy Currington, Dave Koz and the KAABOO Music Festival. 2016 kicks off with three new tours for Lee Brice, Chris Young and Miranda Lambert.
He learned his craft freelancing on regional tours 1991-1994. A position as lighting director on the “Wal-Mart Country Music Across America” tour in 1995 was his first big break.
“This was a great opportunity for me as a young LD,” he recalls. “The bill was full of up-and-coming country artists, opening the door for networking and great contacts.”
His tour designs these days have LD’s employed by the lighting vendor or the artist directly. He does looks for a few key traits, nonetheless. “Timing, getting along with the crew is a must, as are communication skills,” says Lisle. He feels technical knowledge of the system enhances all those traits.
A WYSIWYG user for 11 years, he rarely finds time get behind a console, though he stills likes to. Local programmers Erik Parker and Mike Marcario handle many of his designs.
Chris always seeks the “best bang for my clients buck, with many of my tours serviced by Bandit and Moo TV. Along with our business relationship, their customer service and product is top notch,” he says.
Asked when he realized he wanted to be a lighting designer, Lisle responds, “My mom says I would stand up in my crib and grab the switch on the wall turning it off and on. So, age one! Okay, maybe not. I knew from the time I did my first show in 1991 it was what I wanted to do.”
Contact Chris Lisle at www.clldllc.com.
Sooner Routhier, SRae Productions
“I’ve been blessed to work with a number of incredible artists last year,” says Sooner Routhier, Parnelli Lighting Designer of the Year for 2015. Among these were The Weeknd, Imagine Dragons, Mötley Crüe and Ingrid Michaelson, to name a few.
SRae Productions, the company formed by her and Production Manager Robert Long, are currently working on new projects with Disturbed, Sixx:A.M. and KISS.
The two partners’ years of touring has generated a lot of work via word of mouth. Their website (sraeproductions.com) offers contact information and company details.
Local access to lighting vendors to support her design and program work prompted the company to locate to Nashville in 2015. The city also is the base for many clients her husband, stage manager Chris “Rock” Glatfelter, works with.
While she is quite capable in Cinema4D, Sooner prefers to use Vectorworks and, “the art I can create,” through Photoshop.
Routhier learned her craft in college working for a local band. She credits the LD Brian “Pappy” Clark with giving her the break she was looking for. He was impressed with, in her words, “nerd-like” attention to detail, taking her on the road as a tech.
Given her success, it is no wonder Sooner looks for similar traits in, “lighting directors that have a lot of drive and aim for perfection.”
“It’s also important,” she adds, “to have a director with a positive, happy attitude. There is nothing worse than sitting behind a console through the long hours of an overnight session with someone who is miserable!”
Asked when she first realized she wanted to be a lighting designer, Sooner responds:
“I learned I could get extra credit in dance if I joined the tech crew. The art form of lighting the lines of a body in dance was more enjoyable to me than the actual physical movement.”
Contact Sooner Routhier at www.sraeproductions.com.
