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Amos Lee Tour

Nook Schoenfeld, Editor, PLSN

The Most Colorful Time of the Year

It’s a good thing February is the shortest month, because except for the bright reds you see around Valentine’s Day, it’s one of our least colorful months. By mid-January, I’m already nostalgic for the holiday season. For a few weeks every year, everything becomes colorful in America again. I drive around and see beautiful green foliage in living rooms and on doors, long after the leaves have fallen. Multi colored holiday strings of lights add to the red candy canes that illuminate our city streets.

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Avett Brothers tour photo by CrackerFarm

LD Pete Schroth with the Avett Brothers

TOUR DATES: February-November

THE DESIGN: “The Avett Brothers never play the same set or the same song the same way. Every night is different. They feed off the vibe of the crowd; if the crowd wants a more chill show or a rocker, then that’s the direction. Cue stacks don’t fit with their way of playing. Everything is on the fly all the time. I design a rig that morphs into different animals; lighting one guy playing an acoustic guitar or a heavy rocker with all seven band members. Overall, I try to accent the music, push the emotion further, but subtly so that people may not notice that the whole stage just ‘warmed up,’ but they feel it with their hearts.”

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The cast of In Transit both blend in and stand out among the colorful set designed by Donyale Werle and lit by Don Holder. Photo by Joan Marcus

Thrusting a Transit Space

In Transit at Circle in the Square Theatre makes use of a unique scenic design by Donyale Werle

In Transit is Broadway’s first a cappella musical, a cheerful, peppy, and sometimes bittersweet look into the lives of different couples (and couples to be) in NYC. Performing on a bi-level, T-shaped stage at the Circle In The Square Theatre in New York, the 11-person ensemble generates all of the sounds heard with few exceptions. On top of nicely replicating the feeling of the New York subway with a token booth located on the second level, the show features a 71-foot conveyer belt that moves people and scenery around and gives the thrust space a genuine thrust.

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Atomic built the rope structures. Photo by Steve Jennings

Temple of the Dog

Kille Knobel and Nimblist Serve Up a Unique Design with a Darkly Lit Forest of Ropes

Temple of the Dog consists of vocalist Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam members Stone Gossard (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Matt Cameron (drums). The band released just one album in 1991, but its success really grew much stronger the following year when the band members, along with TOTD guest vocalist Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam, emerged as music industry icons.

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The LD makes use of Rogue Hybrids and washes on the tour

Kenny Rogers Tours with All-Chauvet Professional Rig

WESTBURY, NY — Last year, Kenny Rogers announced plans for his 35th Annual and Final “The Gambler’s Last Deal” Christmas & Hits Tour, with holiday-themed shows set from Nov. 25 to Dec. 23, and non-holiday themed shows running into 2017 in response to public demand. Jeffrey Metter, who has worked on Kenny Rogers’ show looks since 1991, opted for an all-Chauvet rig for the shows.

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Santana photo by Chad Tasky

Lighting Santana

The phrase,” A well crafted career,” is often heard regarding the success of someone’s longevity in their particular line of work. This certainly applies to Michael Ledesma. Throughout his career, Mike has possessed a key ingredient underpinning all the elements necessary, that of being present in the moment. For 37 years, he has lit some of the greatest artists of our time, and they, in turn have relied upon him to interpret visually their music and art. Longtime associations with legends Paul Simon, Kenny Loggins and Gloria Estefan are a testimonial to not only his lighting skills but his personality as well.

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