THE DESIGN: “Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson are relatively hands-off in terms of day-to-day design. My mentor, LD Dale Doucette has been running this show for a decade, so his style and rapport with the band are well established. We are cautious about strobes and haze; my job is to provide the biggest looking show I can with contrast and movement carrying the visual interest— no matter the rig. We carried gear on the summer “Rock Hall Three for All” tour with Cheap Trick and Joan Jett; for this autumn leg we’re using house and local rigs. This has taught me how to build a show efficiently. In three days I may have three different consoles and rigs, so keeping a consistent feel makes each show feel like a Heart show.”
BACKSTORY
Home Base: North of Boston
Creative Spark: “I attended the same undergrad theater program as my older brother, a sound designer. As a peace offering, I kept to the dimmer end of things. I figured I’d be lighting director for a dance company; arts education runs in my family. Upon graduating in 2010, I found myself getting a start by working at East Coast Lights and Production Services (ECLPS), a rock ‘n’ roll production shop. In 2012, Dale Doucette rented a small package for Heart; I went out as his tech. In 2014, I became Dale’s lighting director, running his design while he production managed the tour.”
Mentors: “Dale Doucette. He is Road Dad, hockey coach; I’m incredibly lucky because not everyone is so generous and open with their knowledge.”
What do you like about what you do? “It’s like a professional kitchen; knives are flying, people are swearing, there’s yelling and screaming, but at the end of the day you all have a beer together. The collaboration is beautiful. You make friends worldwide the road becomes home away from home.”
Heart tour highlight: “DVD shoot June 29, 2016 Live at the Royal Albert Hall (to be released Dec. 2, 2016) with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It was the first show of our UK leg. A bit of baptism by fire for my first live DVD shoot, but open communication with our crew, the house crew, and the film crew made for a successful production.”
Best Advice: “Never stop learning. Any given person knows something you don’t.”
