Black Violin is comprised of a viola player and a violinist, who have combined their classical string training with hip-hop beat influences to create “classical boom.” Production designer/LD Eric Cathcart designed and programmed for their “Classical Boom Tour” of theaters and performing arts centers.
Describing his design constraints, Cathcart says, “This is a bus-and-trailer tour, so space is quite limited. I was sent the existing plot, knowing that it fit in the trailer, and worked within those confines for the design. Based on the availability of the gear from the vendor, I was able to send out an entirely LED floor package with them. Programming was a bit interesting; with some of the songs based on classical music, typical verse/chorus/bridge song structure was out the window. With some of the more intricate songs having tracks, I was able to take advantage of the already existing timecode to execute precise playback.”
Lighting director Tyree Duncan is running the show — with many sold-out dates — through Aug. 21 in the U.S.
Cathcart notes that there’s talk of expanding the tour to include video this fall.
Cathcart also designed and programmed Chris Janson’s club tour, when the artist is not supporting Cole Swindell. Ian Waite is the lighting director, with dates to Sept. 22.
The Tales of the Hoffmans
The Hoffman brothers, at design team Pulse Lighting, recently completed a new lighting installation at The Anthem, a new venue in Washington, DC. The 6,000-capacity, club-style venue is owned by I.M.P. Productions, which also owns the 9:30 Club. Pulse Lighting also handled the Figure Skating Olympic Trials in January. In touring news, Paul Hoffman has been working with Widespread Panic, while Preston Hoffman is with moe. New and soon: work with Nashville-based singer-songwriter Margo Price; actress/singer-songwriter Haley Kiyuko’s Expectations tour of North America, April 11-June 18; and LD Kenny Gribbon’s summer design for reggae rock band Rebelution. Design team member LD Justin Bridges is in the middle of rehearsals with Brandi Carlile in Seattle, soon to hit the road March 3-Aug. 17 to promote her new album, By the Way, I Forgive You. Bridges says, “I have been keeping busy all over, leaving straight from her to Mexico City and EDC Mexico. When things are busy, they are real busy; when things are slow, they are molasses.”
Quick Cues
LD Michelle Sarrat is preparing to go out as lighting director for Jack White — his first tour in almost four years. Matthieu Larivée is production designing, while she consults with him on fixture selection. The tour supports White’s third solo album, Boarding House Reach, set to release March 23, with tour dates starting April 19.
In related news, Larivée, of Luz Studios in Montreal, designed the production and lighting for Børns’ 2018 North American headlining run, the Blue Madonna tour. Despite the artist’s European name spelling, the indie pop singer, songwriter and musician is an American. (See “On the Road,” page 14.)
Production designer Paul Normandale just finished the startup of Lorenzo Cherubini, an Italian singer-songwriter, rapper and superstar, who is better known as Jovanotti.
LD Michael Zielinski has started working on the upcoming design for Counting Crows’ 25th anniversary world tour, which hits the summer amphitheater circuit. “It’s going to be a fun design taking the audience through two and a half decades of Counting Crows nostalgia,” he says.
LD Mike Howe is preparing for a March tour of Australia with longtime client Mastodon, a heavy metal band from Atlanta with whom he’s worked for 10 years now. Later in summer, Mastodon hits the road with Primus.
LD Jared Rarick has been off at home in Tampa since Nov. 12 when he returned from his first European tour with the Doobie Brothers. He hits the road with Peter Frampton mid-March through the end of April for some solo dates, not carrying any lighting.
LD David “Gurn” Kaniski is designing the upcoming Steely Dan tour, “The Summer of Living Dangerously.” The co-headlining North American summer tour with the Doobie Brothers, which runs from May 10-July 12, is the first major Steely Dan trek for co-founder Donald Fagen since co-founder Walter Beck’s death last September.
LD Chris Stuba continues on with Brian Wilson’s anniversary of the album, Pet Sounds, in April. He has shows in the States until June and then back to Europe for the summer festival season. It looks like he may tour till the end of the year. Meanwhile, Stuba is still waiting to hear back about Bob Seger’s rescheduled tour after the veteran rocker was sidelined in 2017 by a back injury. “He is on the mend, and I’m sure he will back. I have been keeping just busy enough with auto shows and corporates to allow me to spend quality time with family and friends.”
Meagan Metcalf is on the road as lighting director for St. Vincent (See story, page 32). Jesse Blevins designed the lighting and production, while Willo Perron provided the creative direction. Up next on her design calendar is the summer tour for Canadian indie rock band, Metric.
LD Bud Horowitz is designing the new global run of “Yanni 25: Live at the Acropolis Anniversary Concert Tour.” The tour starts April 23, hitting North American venues through
summer.
CMA Touring Awards for Lighting, Video
David “Gig” Butzler was awarded Lighting Director of the Year at the Sixth Annual CMA Touring Awards, which honor members of the Country Music Association who exemplify remarkable professional achievement. Butzler’s fellow LD nominees in that category were: Scott Cunningham with Florida Georgia Line; Phil Ealy with Kenny Chesney; Justin Kitchenman with Luke Bryan; and Gavin Lake with Eric Church’s tour.
In another production-related category, John Breslin took home honors as Video Director of the Year for Garth Brooks’ tour. Other nominees in that category were: Houston Creswell with Dierks Bentley; Milojko Dobrijevich with Jason Aldean; Chris Jones with Eric Church; and Ryan Rushing with Luke Bryan’s tour. The ceremony took place Jan. 22 at the Marathon Music Works in Nashville.
Reach out to Debi Moen with news about your latest gigs. Contact her via email at [email protected].