philosophy

Taking a break today to talk about some tour theory, if you will. This will be one of those posts that isn’t really gear or project-related. What I want to instead focus on today is leadership styles on touring. If one takes away nothing else further from this screed, take ye this, because its the core of my philosophy on tour: people, in general, hate being given direct orders. What I mean by a direct order is any imperative that comes in the form “X, go do Y.” Language needs to do two things: it needs to convey some sort of content, such as an imperative. “Stagehand, run this cable.” But further, it has to negotiate a relationship type. It… Read More »Tour Theory: hierarchical relationships

Designing is all about getting one thing: an emotional response from the audience. Nothing more, nothing less. As designers, we are sellers of looks, a peddler of feelings. I want the audience to feel nostalgic when Alan sings “Remember When”, and I want them to feel like amped-up rodeo-goers when Ronnie belts out “Let the Cowboy Rock”. Any lighting look or cue, any set piece, any gag or effect that happens should be in support of what the artist is trying to convey. There’s another, related concept that goes along with this idea, and it’s the idea of designing without limits. This might at first sound like a fatuous trope ordinarily reserved for hawkers of the more superficial self-help material,… Read More »Designing Without Limits