Tour Legs: Feb. 10-18 (U.S.); March 3-16 (U.K./Europe); April 3- May 15 (U.S.)
Design Concept: “The shows in February will be one-offs, so I’ll spec out a system. The new tour design happens in April when we’re carrying gear again. We’re talking about adding more video elements and beam fixtures surrounding and encasing the band.”
Design Process: “They’re into what the visual part of the show looks like, but we’ve built up a relationship so that they trust me to make it awesome. Fitz (Michael Fitzpatrick) loves to tinker with things, and it’s a constant process of refinement; he’s one of the most visually inclined artists I’ve worked for.”
Lighting philosophy: “The music is the script. The lights need to reflect and bring out whatever moment the music is in. If a certain part of the song is all about the beat, then so are the lights. If it’s about the rhythm of the keys, then the lights need to be on that. The primary job of lighting is to draw focus, and I try to use that to highlight the strongest part of the music and stage performance at all times during the show.”
Bio
Home Base: Hollywood, CA
Years in the Industry: 8+
Years with the Band: <1
Career Spark: “I used to compose music and was good at translating it visually. I love seeing the whole production — performance, audio, and visual — work as one.”
First Gig: “Lighting small bands in Iowa. I had my own limited equipment at the time, so I did everything!”
First Gig as an LD on Tour: “The first band I consistently toured with was Janelle Monae. It was a great experience, and I remain close to the band and crew.”
Whose show designs do you pay attention to? “I try to see whatever Cory FitzGerald has his hand in (which is a lot!). He’s been a great friend, and his work is always new and original.”
What jazzes you about what you do? “I love the traveling, working with incredibly talented and diverse people — band and crew alike — and, most of all, the show. I still get a rise out of doing a great show, and that’s a good sign!”
Best Advice: “Make sure the show is worth it. Sometimes the amount of energy you have to expend to just get into a position where you can have a good show is huge; make sure you like doing that show or burn-out can (and will) happen.”
