Festival season is approaching! I must say it’s very exciting because there’s a lot going on these next few months. Not only with my boys from NOLA, Bonerama, but also with a brand new festival that is getting a lot hype named Delfest. If you don’t know the basis of how some great festivals were started I have a prime example for you… When I was a younger lad our group of friends heard of a festival that was started in the small town named Limestone in the state of Maine by the band Phish. Here unsuspecting residents were welcoming a crowd of over 80,000 fans for a weekend. It so happens that this same sort of ideal is being placed in the town I grew up in with a multitude of bands based from the bluegrass genre. This year it’s come to my hometown of Cumberland, Maryland where the festival will take place at the end of May with talented acts performing in this small, yet beautiful town in Western Maryland. On another note, they acquired me as the festivals lighting operator for the weekend. It will be an honor to illuminate such acts as Del McCroury, Keller Williams and the Keels, Vince Gill, David Grisman, Sam Bush, Railroad Earth, Dierks Bentley, and many more…
Recently I asked a lot of my colleagues in the lighting biz if there were any gigs to get a hold of since it was a slow part of the year for my main clients. Turns out they told me along with any other people who would ask them that it is a cold time in the live entertainment biz right now. I became sort of paranoid figuring what the heck to do with my down time, and then it clicked recently. The solution was simple, and it will allow me to have my own schedule in these slow times. Phase one of that solution is to help out my family that has proudly owned and operated an Italian Bakery for the past 100 years. Phase two was to start looking into an adjunct teaching position. A local university named Frostburg State University would be a great starting point to teach a course focused on certain aspects of our business that are a rarity in the education of our bright young minds of tomorrow. I will be sure to keep evolving in my beloved craft of stage lighting, but I most certainly want to show our young ones what more they can do with lighting AND VIDEO outside of the traditional theater norm with live entertainment.
ONE WEEK LATER….
Shucks, it seems the emails are starting to float in for some extra work. Wouldn’t ya know it? When I begin to write about the slow times the work comes a callin’. Haha, that rocks. On a final note I am proud announce that my main men from NOLA, Bonerama will be embarking on a great festival season that will include notable summer fests such as All Good, 10,000 Lakes, and many more. Keep an eye out for my boys this summer! They are nominated for Best Live Album of the Year at the Jammy Awards and they will definitely be coming through your part of town soon. Check out their website at: http://www.bonerama.net.
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