TOUR: Yes (the band)
DATES: March 1- April 12, North America; May, Brazil; more dates though summer 2013.
SHOW CONCEPT: Live performance of three albums in their entirety: The Yes Album, Close to the Edge, and Going For the One.
GEAR: “We carry a floor package: LED washes, small bright profiles, supplemented with local production. I use gear needing less truck space, weight, and power, yet gives us some punch.”
SET: “No set pieces — a few risers and a video screen. I use several vertical trusses on bases. I attached several hinge plates, added 10-foot pieces and angled them into an upside-down ‘V’ with LED washes on top and bottom. By placing some of them upstage as far as possible and using black truss, [I use] lighting as a ‘set piece.’”
MORE ELEMENTS: “More fixtures on downstage corners frame the stage and band. They are great for giving that beam look, which is, at times, laser-like. Lasers were something the band used years ago; I wanted to recreate a bit of that.”
GOAL: “I wanted lighting to appear to ‘float.’ I don’t want to over-saturate the stage. I try to light the band with a color or two and use others to frame them. I’m using moving lights, but don’t have them constantly moving. At times it’s an ‘old school’ PAR can feel.”
ON THE CREW: “Production manager/guitar tech Joe Comeau and I have known each other for 25 years.”
ABOUT Don Weeks:
Home Base: Upstate New York
Years in the Biz: 30
Years with Yes: Since 2011.
Early Inspiration: A Rush concert in 1979.
First Pro LD Gig: Shok Paris (Cleveland metal band)
Lighting Heroes: Howard Ungerleider, Marc Brickman. Also likes keeping up with designs from friends in the industry, including Martin Thomas, Scott Warner, Matt Mills and many more.
Best Advice: Don’t be a jerk. Enjoy what you do.
