Tour: April 2015-Fall 2016
Design: “I had free rein, not something I’m used to, so it was fun. We use a lot of LED elements — for pixel mapping, as movers, strobes, PARs — including a LED Wall. We made a scrim using the band’s album art, which the video wall shines through.”
Your Approach: “Less is more; keep things simple and hidden until big moments. I typically only use a simple color palette per song. During the design process I make different lighting/video arrangements in WYSIWYG and look at different perspectives and the audience views, to see what works and what doesn’t from all angles.”
BACKSTORY
Home Base: Brooklyn, NY, but originally from Texas.
Years in the Industry: 13
Career Spark: “Live music and the concert experience. I used to spend a lot of money going to concerts when I was younger, and that interest drew me into the industry.”
First Industry Gig: “Working at Stubb’s BBQ (outdoor amphitheater) in Austin, after having worked for friends’ bands in the early 2000s.”
First Gig as an LD: “The Groovin’ Ground band at The Vibe club in Austin.”
Heroes: “Lighting heroes include Chris Kuroda and LeRoy Bennett.”
Whose show designs are on your radar? “NIN, alt-J, Foo Fighters, Kanye West, Phish and My Morning Jacket.”
Define “Great” Lighting Design: “It should enhance the performance. Timing is a huge part of the execution. Subtleties in lighting are another element I strive for. I’m a big fan of cues that change without you even noticing. There’s also the need for instant changes and this all comes back to timing.”
What do you like about what you do? “The whole process from designing and programming a show — from sketching out ideas to inserting the first truss into a CAD. This tour, I learned a lot about video content creation — something I would like to be more involved in for future designs.
Words to Live By: “Trust your gut, but be open to suggestions, especially from those who hired you. It’s their show, not yours.”
