All lighting designers want to create compelling visuals that inspire awe, but not many of them will tell you they feel a responsibility to represent the visual aspect of the band they work for. Jason Liggett is perhaps unique in that regard as he described in his quest to become the lighting designer for alt rock band Wilco. For someone who started as a security guard in a nightclub, Liggett has come a long way.
PLSN: How did you get involved in the lighting industry?
Jason Liggett: I got involved in the lighting industry by getting my foot in the door working security at a venue called Higher Ground, currently located in South Burlington, Vermont. At that time it was in Winooski, Vermont and my friends had just opened the club. I was doing security and I kept looking out of the corner of my eye wondering why nobody was worried about the details of lighting the talent. Eventually I started doing the focus, and the focus turned into running the lights.
How long did you work security before you switched to lighting?
It was probably about six months before I was helping out with the club’s lighting.
Did you have any previous experience in lighting?
I had plenty of experience setting up various strobe lights and rope lights in the band I was in when I was a kid.
Oh, you were also a musician?
When the band used to get together to practice and play, I was always the guy who made sure the aesthetics were right to make it feel really cool.
Every band needs a production designer or an aesthetic designer. You must have realized at a young age the importance of lighting and what it added to the music.
I was fascinated and I would geek out with the black lights, strobes and stuff like that. I loved it.
What happened after you became the lighting guy at Higher Ground?
One of the club owners and production manager was Matt Sutte, and I credit him as the guy who gave me the opportunity to start doing the shows for the bands who needed somebody, which was probably about 50 percent of the time. As far as the term “house LD,” that took a couple of years after they opened before that became an official position.
I’ve been with them for about 11 years and I still work for them when I’m home.
How did you make the move into freelance lighting design?
The bands that would come through — the bands you would see all the time — a lot of them were local and would play at other venues in a 300-mile radius. I started to realize that it was a good idea to purchase some lights that I could throw in the back of a car and travel with. It was probably around 2003 when I started to buy lights and do stuff outside the club, like one-offs in New York City. I’m from New Jersey, so I knew a lot of bands growing up that would come up to Vermont and ask me to come down to run their stuff down there, too.
Do you keep in touch with those bands and early contacts?
Yes, although it is harder to fit in one-offs these days. Currently, I’m full-time with Wilco and I’m still the house LD at Higher Ground. I still try to keep in contact and go see their shows when I can. I have friends who will be my friends for life from all the experiences I have had in lighting.
How did you familiarize yourself with the technology that was available?
The learning came from a lot bands coming in with supplemental light packages. I paid attention to what they were doing, while reading all the magazines and instruction manuals to learn everything I could.
How did you develop the skills needed to be a designer?
I would spend a lot of time talking to lighting designers and operators as they were programming — designers like Chris Kuroda, Saxton Waller, Wade Wilby, Hans Shoop and Johnny R. Goode, to name a few. The concepts of lighting are pretty logical but trying to figure out how to go about doing it all was the hard part. Luckily, there were a lot of lighting designers along the way who were willing to answer my questions. I really learned a lot of things from Nook’s “LD-at-Large” column in PLSN.
Tonight, we’re at the Wilco show here in Royal Oak, Mich., and you’re supplementing your rig with the house rig. How did your experience at Higher Ground help you with that?
I know the job description of the house LD that I’m going to meet at any given venue. I know the questions to ask them because I was asked those same questions for years, so it becomes natural. Everything I learned helping touring productions set-up, I translated into working with the in-house staff on this tour.
From what I understand, you submitted a resume for this job. How did you describe your specific style of programming?
On my cover letter, I basically described my style. I said that visually representing Wilco’s music through lighting is a real responsibility. The textures of the songs and the intensity of the music is a lighting director’s dream. The transition of going from a coffee house to chaos, with taste, is essential to lighting Wilco.
How long have you been touring?
I have been touring around four years. The first big taste of touring I did was with The Benevento-Russo Duo and Mike Gordon in 2005 and 2006. The next tour I did was Yonder Mountain String Band in 2007. That was a great experience. After the Yonder Mountain String Band I worked with a band called The Sound of Urchin from New York City. We did 26 shows in 28 days across the country and back. It was insane. That was a van and trailer tour and I brought all the gear I owned — Martin SCX 700 scanners, PixelLine Micro Ws, my own console and hazer. We basically brought an arena type show to bars all across the country. It was an amazing experience to be able to do that and it was such a unique thing.
Twenty-six shows in 28 days: that’s a lot of work in a short period of time. What did you learn from that?
I learned that if you bring a pro lighting rig into an environment that’s not used to it, you can blow people’s minds. You can make 50 people feel like they’re in the front row of Madison Square Garden in their local bar.
Looking at your schedule with Wilco, it seems like you’ve been in a variety of venues from theatres to ballparks. What has been your biggest challenge?
The pre-production has been the biggest challenge on the outdoor ballpark shows. In a theatre, you roll up to a loading dock and you’re within 30 feet of the stage.
In the ballparks, it’s very difficult to get everything from the truck to the stage, so a lot of times we end up building plywood ramps because the truck is 500 feet away and the ballparks are extremely protective of their field. That part can test your patience. Some days you’re all set but other days, you’re still working on the console while the opening band is playing. Luckily, it’s a great crew I work with on Wilco. It’s a well-oiled machine.
Was it hard being a relatively young freelance designer, during the economic downturn? How did you handle it?
Last December, I think everyone in the industry will agree, the number of gigs out there was low and morale was probably at a low. The talk of recession and all these economic things was weighing heavily on everybody, so I really went through a week just contemplating my life and my career choice. I had to consider whether or not I could really make a living doing this and what I steps I needed to take to get beyond it. I’m really glad I made the choices I did and stayed true to my heart and dreams. I had to remind myself to shut up and be patient, and things were going to happen. Shortly thereafter, I was hired by Wilco. Now, life couldn’t be greater. I just got engaged, too.
If you could look ahead at your career path, where are you headed in the future?
About a year ago, I told myself I wanted to do a show in Madison Square Garden in 2010, and I feel like I’m a little ahead of the curve. Right now, touring is where it’s at and I’m just psyched to be here. I would also like to thank the community of lighting designers I have had the opportunity to work with, as well as all the opportunities given to me by the industry.
