Tour Dates: June 26-Aug. 16, 2014
Describe your approach: “For this run, the majority of the gear is provided locally. Because of 311’s large, diverse song catalog there is quite a bit of punting or busking going on. One of the most important tasks was to make sure that every cue and palette would translate properly and could be “cloned” easily from day to day without a lot of extra programming.”
Design philosophy: “My philosophy remains the same as it has for a long time. Light the talent, and have a nice color base for every look with complimentary accents using color and movement to match what is happening musically.”
On working with the band: “I send the band and management a few different concepts to look at but at this point in our relationship they normally give me the green light on whatever I think best. From time to time we will talk about ideas for different songs but for the most part they trust tI’ll give each song the best treatment.”
Backstory:
Homebase: Plantation, FL, near Fort Lauderdale.
Years in the industry: 32
Years with the band: 7
Creative spark: A childhood friend introduced me to lighting in a club and I haven’t stopped since.
First industry job/first gig as an LD: Traveling all over New England and Canada with a cover band. There were many places to play in the ‘80s.
Heroes and mentors: Roy Bennett and Howard Ungerleider. Howard was an inspiration because of his innovations. He set some real standards for concert lighting, most of which we all use even though we sometimes forget where those standards came from. Roy because of his vision. There are some things that he does that create the perfect look or transition and usually not what I would have come up with for that part of a song or a show. I’m always baffled on how he thought of it.
What do you like about what you do? I still get a kick out of turning a song’s meaning into something visual.
Tour highlights: Every day is memorable for different reasons. There are always challenges to overcome and it’s so rewarding at showtime when you see that your decisions and hard work have paid off. I also have to mention my tech, comrade and buddy Bobby Grey, who is a great sounding board and a smart, hard working young man.
Words to live by: Don’t take shortcuts. Put the work into it no matter how hard it is or how long it takes. Don’t just do it for yourself – do it for everyone. It doesn’t make it art just because you’re the only one who understands it.
