THE DESIGN: “The concept started with Clare Gillen’s scenic design with wooden wave patterns, which I uplight using LED bars and wash fixtures. Some band members are uncomfortable with front lighting or side lighting, while one prefers uplighting, so I got creative with all of the above. I chose CMY spots to immerse the band and crowd in gobos at specific moments. While the band offers color or cue suggestions, I mostly feel a sense of autonomy in my world.”
HOME BASE: Philadelphia, PA
INDUSTRY YEARS: Eight
CAREER SPARK: “I play three instruments, and studied music at Tulane University. That led to an associate degree in audio engineering, but it didn’t take long to find joy in lighting. Punting a show is like playing a piano.”
FIRST INDUSTRY GIG: “I interned at the House of Blues New Orleans, helping load-in, load-out, running audio in the restaurant, plus other tedious tasks no one wanted to do.”
HEROES/MENTORS: “Dallas Spatz, Alex Manuel, Matt Greer and Adam Waguespack. I’ve learned a lot about programming, taste and troubleshooting, to confidence and leadership.”
DESIGNERS WHO CATCH YOUR EYE? “Michael Brown, Matt Greer, Victor Zeiser, Tiberius Benson, Ali Blue, Ben Silverstein, Nate Beckett.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? “I love making a living from being creative. I also love the travel, and I’m always down to go exploring for a pinball bar.”
YOUR FANTASY CONCERT TO LIGHT: “M83, LCD Soundsystem or Darkside. My favorite music to light is percussive and rhythmic. Some of the best lighting comes from daring to be bold.”
HOW YOU SPEND TIME OFF THE ROAD? “My girlfriend and our pets get a lot of attention. A large portion of time goes toward my mother, diagnosed with ALS. In 2018, I left New Orleans, and my full time job at Solomon Group to get closer to her and my family. In April, while on a load-out, she went into respiratory distress, so I left the tour, spending two weeks in the ICU sleeping on the couch next to her. She’s home now, where I visit her every other day when off the road. I’m trained on how to take care of her. She’s lost most of her motor function, so visits are important to her. I don’t do this alone, but I share this because I’m sure other touring people also deal with trauma at home. They’re not alone.”
