I'm off to see the wizard
It's been a busy 6 weeks here at home, working with the guys at
Audio Images Sound & Lighting. We have been doing quite a few festivals providing staging, sound, lights, backline, etc. Long hours but also some good times and laughs.
Well now it's back on the road on Sunday with the band
YES. The tour is kicking off in Toronto and will run till August 22 when it finishes in Mexico City. A North American tour in the summer and fortunately most of the shows are indoors. I hate the heat.
After the YES tour I will be heading out with the band
ASIA. Steve and Geoff from YES will obviously playing with them too. The tour will kick off in Japan in the middle of September with a North American tour after that and the UK in December.
So it looks like the rest of my year will be fairly busy. I have begun looking for a different house and have been going back and forth with the credit union on a mortgage. It looks like I have finally been approved. So hopefully during the weeks between legs of the tour I can find the new digs.
Labels: Concert, Home, Road, roadie, Roadies, Stage, Toronto, Tour, Touring, YES
My tour ends early
I have been so busy touring this year and I haven't been blogging here much. Well our current tour was cut short last week. We were suppose to be out with 3 Doors Down this month. We have been playing shows with them off and on since May. Along with Seether, Staind and a few other bands and doing some headlining shows.
Anyway Brad, the lead singer from 3 Doors had been struggling with his voice and it turns out he has laryngitis. He was ordered to take a week off. So while he was doing this our band flew home and the crew traveled from Denver to New York where we had a headlining show early last week.
After the NY show we left and drove to Kentucky to resume the tour. We reached West Virginia and received a phone call from the 3 Doors camp. They told us to sit tight because it looked like we were going to postpone until at least Dallas.
It was decided by our management to send everyone home and wait. So here we sit. The tour has been postponed.
In the meantime we are getting ready for a Canadian headlining tour. It will be something very different from what the guys have been doing recently up there.
I have been putting together a special sized lighting package.
I have also been fighting a cough for nearly a month. It seems to go away and then come back. I think I had a cold and now it's allergy driven.
Labels: 3 Doors, Concert, F11, Finger Eleven, Touring
California, 48 hours, and more
Just returned from California after doing a show in Stockton on Sunday. It's been a long 72 hours. Four flights, getting bumped to a different flight and returning an hour later than expected.
It was a good trip in the end. Our hotel was across from the venue which is located downtown near the new arena and a baseball stadium. We all flew into San Francisco on Saturday afternoon. We picked up a couple of rental vans and drove 85 miles to Stockton. Of course most of us were hungry and hit the old
In N Out burger.
Everyone decided to just hang around the hotel and chill out when we arrived. I noticed the stadium next door and decided to go. The Stockton team is a class A affiliate pro team for the Oakland A's. I bought a ticket for $7 and went to my seat which was in the first row just past the dugout. It is a nice little park and it was a beautiful evening. Spent some of the game chatting sports with a gentleman and his kids.
Sunday morning came around early and it was off to the venue. We were using rented backline except for guitars. Once the gear arrived we did our thing and set up and the guys ran through a quick sound check.
I then rushed to focus the lighting system, which went painlessly, thanks Dustin it was a great day.
The show went well. Most of the crowd was out there for over 8 hours in the heat.
Yesterday it was early morning with myself, the crew and two of the band driving back to San Fran for the trip home. After dropping everyone off, I return the van and take the tram back to the terminal. I get to the gate to check in and find out I was bumped to a different flight. It seems my original flight was delayed and I would miss my connection.
Anyway I finally made it home nearly an hour late.
So as I type this I am sitting here doing laundry and will be packing so that I can fly out tomorrow morning at 7:30. Where it's off to Milwaukee to start the next leg of the tour.
I better go look at the lawn, I think it might need mowing.....
Labels: Concert, F11, Finger Eleven
So this is where I live....
No not the place in the picture. That is the venue at the Toledo Zoo. Yes, they have a concert venue inside the zoo. Kind of cool actually.
This recent leg of the tour wrapped up on Saturday night and I returned home on Sunday. After nearly three months without seeing home, I am now sleeping in my own bed.
The band heads to Europe next week for 7 or 8 shows. I will not be going which is sort of fine with me since I can use a break. I was offered a job with another band doing a three week Canadian tour starting today. The timing was perfect since I was going to be off during this time period, but I passed for several reasons.
I will head back out with Finger Eleven again at the end of June. It is more festival dates and a run of shows with Seether. Then it looks like shows with Three Doors Down who we have done some festival dates with recently.
In the meantime it's back to doing normal everyday stuff. It is always strange when you come off a long tour. Your home life seems to have stood still. It's hard to believe how much time has actually passed. I am trying to get put some things in order. Deal with some financial things and maybe do a few home improvement projects.
Let the decompressing begin.
Labels: Concert, F11, Finger Eleven, Touring
Hockey, Coffee and the road
We are in Norfolk for a show tomorrow.
The days are all running together right now. I haven't been home since winter and summer is just over a month away. At least it's still hockey season and my team is in the conference finals. GO PENS!! It is also the only way I actually know what day it is. I wake up each morning and go through basically the same routine. I am pretty much a robot at this point.
I decided today to shut myself down for 24 hours. No band stuff, no hanging out with anyone from the tour. Just myself going for coffee, eating lunch and walking around. I'm probably going to head to the movies alone. It's not that I don't like everyone I'm touring with, I do. It's a great bunch out here, band and crew. But some days you have to say enough.
Just twelve shows left before the break. The guys head to europe for two weeks, which I will not be doing. No need for a lighting guy. So I will have most of June off. Well not actually off since I have a bunch of projects to finish around the house.
Labels: Concert, F11, Finger Eleven, Lighting, Touring
How much is too much?
Yesterday was the fourth show in Canada this week. The guys were booked into theaters with several thousand capacity. This meant we were able to bring in a larger production. I did a three truss design which was basic because of a rigging problem in one of the venues. Don't get me wrong it is a nice size show.
The band decided to play a thirty minute set acoustic before kicking into the regular set. James came up with a concept of having a video projection behind them during the first part of the show. The image is of space and a comet slowly heading toward the stage. It is morphing the entire time as it grows larger. Just before the electric part of the show the image brightens and explodes. We then release the cyc that the image was on to reveal the large backdrop with the pile of band equipment on it.
It's a nice effect and the transition works very well. We are hoping to take it on a full tour later this year.
Now yesterday was interesting. The venue was changed to a large club. This meant we had to scale back considerably. I was still able to get about 30% of the show into the place and things went well.
The band and some of the crew have flown to LA to do some sort of acoustic performance. Since I was not needed I get to stay in Toronto for a couple days. Going to LA for the weather would have been nice, but I can't say I missed the plane ride.
So on Saturday it's back to the states and a show on Sunday where we resume the tour with Chevelle. Glad we will be heading south soon.
Labels: Concert, F11, Finger Eleven, Lighting
Toronto
Just a few days into the tour and I am tired already. It's sucks getting old. Things kicked off on a solid note in Columbus the other night. Everyone was a little rusty but the show went pretty well and the crowd was appreciative. Day two featured a trip to the motor city. Besides some issues with the bands monitors the show went ok. Again the crowd seemed to enjoy it and sang along at several points in the show.
We arrived in Toronto around 5 am yesterday morning and I found myself venturing to my room while still half asleep. Along with point a couple of the guys in the right direction since they had a bit much to drink on the ride here.
It's a busy schedule the next couple of days. We set up yesterday at MTV for a private event that they are having tonight. The guys will be closing the show. One of the other artists on the bill is Alanis Morissette. She is going on early and playing an acoustic set.
This afternoon we head over to Muchmusic so that some of the guys can perform a short acoustic set.
For me today it is easy since I won't be running lights for either performance since television is involved.
Tomorrow is a different story. We will be at Massey Hall for a concert. I have a lighting system coming in that I designed and will be using for three of the next four shows. If you are attending any of them you will be seeing the band in a whole new light. Pun intended. They actually will be doing something special for these Canadian shows.
The interesting part of the next couple days will be the weather. It appears a major winter storm will be coming up the east coast and will impact the northeast part of the US and southeast part of Canada. They are calling for up to a foot in most areas. So it will be interesting to see what happens as far as the show. Hopefully it won't be postponed.
Last time I was in Toronto with the guys back in December we had a major snow storm. I think someone is trying to tell us something.
Labels: Concert, F11, Finger Eleven, Snow
To the Five For Fighting fans
Over the last month or so I have noticed a lot of people coming to this blog after searching for Five For Fighting tour dates. I'm sorry to say that there are no plans for John and the band to do any touring anytime soon. John has been playing a few charity, corporate and other events solo but no band shows.
I am not sure what his plans are for 2008. Our conversations have centered around hockey lately. Plus I have been busy with the Finger Eleven camp and their tours which continue next week.
Feel free to contact John at his
website or myspace. I know he tries to answer all his email.
In the meantime if you haven't done it, go out and buy the latest concert DVD from his most recent tour. You will get to see my work right on your tv or computer.
Labels: Concert, F11, FFF, Finger Eleven, Five For Fighting, Touring
Tour dates updated
Originally we were scheduled to start the next tour on the 19th of February. Things have been pushed back to March 4th. Most of the shows are with Chevelle. There are some dates you will find posted for Chevelle around the net that the guys will not be on. All of the dates posted here are the two bands together.
Also the guys will be performing at Juno Awards in Canada in April. They are also up for single, album and artist of the year.
I haven't posted anything about these changes till now. Things have been pushed back due to illness with a band member. He is going to be fine but was ordered to rest. I will not discuss it here until the band posts it on their site.
Here are the updated shows.
Mar 4 2008-Newport Music Hall- Columbus, Ohio
Mar 5 2008-Fillmore - Detroit= Detroit, Michigan
Mar 8 2008-Massey Hall- Toronto, Ontario
Mar 10 2008- Hamilton Place Theatre- Hamilton, Ontario
Mar 11 2008- Capitol Theater-North Bay, Ontario
Mar 12 2008- Centennial Hall- London, Ontario
Mar 16 2008-The Hippodrome-Springfield, Massachusetts
Mar 18 2008-Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel -Providence, Rhode Island
Mar 19 2008-Rams Head Live! -Baltimore, Maryland
Mar 20 2008-Toad’s Place -New Haven, Connecticut
Mar 22 2008-Sammy T’s- Huntsville, Alabama
Mar 24 2008-The Swamp Ft. -Walton Beach, Florida
Mar 25 2008 -Strand Theatre- Shreveport, Louisiana
Mar 26 2008 -Diamond Ballroom (Oklahoma City)- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Mar 29 2008 -The Pavilion @ Concrete Street -Corpus Christi, Texas
Mar 30 2008-Whiskey River- Waco, Texas
Apr 1 2008-Midnight Rodeo- Amarillo, Texas
Apr 2 2008-Fillmore Auditorium Denver, Colorado
Apr 8 2008-University of Akron- EJ Thomas- Akron, Ohio
Apr 9 2008-Bogart’s- Cincinnati, Ohio
Apr 11 2008-Univ. of Pittsburgh-Johnstown- Johnston, Pennsylvania
Apr 12 2008-Machine Shop- Flint, Michigan
Apr 13 2008-Streeters -Traverse City, MI, Michigan
Apr 15 2008-House of Blues - Chicago -Chicago, Illinois
Apr 16 2008 -Pageant- St. Louis, Missouri
Apr 18 2008- East Peoria Event Center- East Peoria, Illinois
Apr 19 2008 -Uptown Theatre 1800 -Kansas City, MO, Missouri
I am looking to get back out there.
Labels: Concert, F11, Finger Eleven, Touring, Tours
2008 and the Finger Eleven dates are in
Well some of the Finger Eleven tour dates have been officially announced. I actually received them plus a lot more that are not confirmed a couple weeks ago. Their management office sends everyone in the band and crew dates whenever they come from the agent.
The first six weeks of shows will be with Chevelle. It looks like large clubs and a few small theaters, mainly in the 1200-2000 range. The majority of them are in the United States but there looks like there will be some Canadian shows too.
February 2008
19 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
20 - Traverse City, MI - Streeters
22 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
23 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
24 - Akron, OH - University of Akron/ E.J. Thomas Hall
26 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
27 - Saint Louis, MO - The Pageant
28 - East Peoria, IL - East Peoria Event Center
March 2008
1 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room @ Murat Centre
2 - Sault St. Marie, MI - Kewadin Casino Dreammakers
4 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
8- Toronto - Massey Hall
10- Hamilton, ONT- Hamilton Place Theatre
12- London, ONT- Centennial Hall
14 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
16 - Springfield, MA - The Hippodrome
18 - Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
19 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!
20 - Richmond, VA - Toad's Place
22 - Huntsville, AL - Sammy T's
24 - Ft. Walton Beach, FL - The Swamp
25 - Shreveport, LA - The Strand Theatre
26 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
29 - Corpus Christi, TX - The Pavilion @ Concrete Street
30 - Waco, TX - Graham Central Station
It looks like we will be touring for most of 2008.Labels: Concert, Finger Eleven, Lighting, Touring, Tours
Happy Thanksgiving and chill time
I have some time off again, some where around 10 days I guess.
We spent the last weekend in Florida playing radio festivals. They went well for the most part especially when the band had no sound checks. All of the shows featured Breaking Benjamin, Seether and Drowning Pool along with various other acts. All of the bands know each other and have toured together in the past, so it is like a family reunion.
It was actually pretty cold for the show on Friday somewhere in the mid 40's when the guys hit the stage. For me my fingers cramped up a bit from it.
I had a chance to see the some of the guys who used to be in the band Cold. I toured with them in 2003 and they are how I first met Finger Eleven. A lot has changed in four years.
I also had a chance to see another old friend Joe Comeau. He is a singer/guitarist who has been in various bands over the years. I have known him about 20 years, but have not seen him in about 7. It is always great to get caught up with people.
For those of you in the USA, I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.
Labels: Canada, Concert, Finger Eleven, Florida, Thanksgiving
My work in print...wait video..no photo...
It has been an interesting year in 07. I have been fairly busy having done three different tours with various musical styles. One of those tours was with Five For Fighting who I began touring with in 2002 and have worked with John (the only actual member) off and on over that period. We did some touring last year at this time and then again this past spring.
During that time we filmed a concert in Orlando which will be released to the public next week. I have mixed feelings about it. I am glad it will be coming out especially for John's fans who have been asking for this for some time.
However I wish we could have filmed it with a lighting system that would have translated better to video. We were carrying a small moving light package but not a complete system. So for that show we used the in house system at House of Blues along with the lights we carried.
I should wait till I have seen the whole thing before I pass judgement.
If you have been reading this blog lately you know that I am currently working for Finger Eleven as their lighting director. Plans were to film the show in Toronto this week during the Canadian tour. Of course we never got that far into before the tour was cancelled.
I am disappointed to say the least. Today, we were sent over 900 megs of photos shot during the tour. Most of them early on before I had the cues finalized. The show was looking good and I planned to add a few things for the shoot. The pictures came out great. There are some shots which I believe will be in a DVD they will be releasing in December. This is not concert footage from the new tour but previous stuff along with old video's and photos.
Hopefully we will have the opportunity in 2008 to shoot a new live concert video.
Labels: Concert, Finger Eleven, Five For Fighting, Lighting, Touring
Hurry Up and Wait
Things have been a little surreal the last few days. We are still on the road but this part of the tour is basically over. We will still being doing the show in Winnipeg tomorrow. Unfortunately we have to use local production and this makes my day a lot longer. I have to program the show from scratch and I have mostly par cans and only 10 moving lights. But I am professional and I will rise above it.
Wednesday is still a scheduled fly day to Toronto. The band will be appearing at MTV in the afternoon and then at the Casby awards that night playing three songs.
It also appears that I will remain in Toronto until Saturday when we fly to Houston to do Buzzfest.
So all in all I will only lose about 10 days of work from this tour. There are three shows in late November in Florida and then several more weeks in the states in December. Most of these are radio station festivals.
There is talk of starting a long tour in mid January either in Canada or the US. Nothing is set in stone yet. I have been assured that we will be touring in 2008.
So one more week and then home to my simple boring life.
Labels: Canada, Concert, Finger Eleven, Tour, Touring
Strength In Numbers Tour Cancelled
Where do I begin. Well as the title of this post says the tour has been cancelled. The singer from Sum 41 hurt his back on stage the other night and is laid up for 4-6 weeks. This happened during the show in Calgary. No one knew the severity of his injury until the next morning when the rest of us arrived in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
That night the guys (Finger Eleven) ended up headlining by themselves and played a longer set. This meant I spent the afternoon programming for four songs that I didn't have on this particular desk. The show went off well and the crowd had a great time.
We proceeded to Red Deer, Alberta after the show where we did the same thing the following day. However, we were informed that the promoter for the tour decided to cancel the remainder of the shows except Winnipeg. Needless to say we are all disappointed but things happen. At least we have that show and still have to do MTV and another TV event on Wednesday. Then next weekend we fly down to Houston for Buzzfest.
However, it also means 2 weeks less work for everyone. This I am not happy about since that is a lot of money that I will not see.
Today we spent the day off in Calgary. Tomorrow the plan is to go to Regina for another day off and then on to Winnipeg.
But wait!! We find out that the show in Winnipeg may be cancelled since there is no sound and lighting system available for the show. We have to use a regional company since the touring production was sent home. So everyone plans to fly home. Let's just say everyone is not in a good mood. What else can happen we thought.
We all head to the mall and then go eat dinner. While there the phone's begin to ring and we are informed that the show is back on. Production for the show is available because the band Heart is playing the next night and we can use the system that is being provided for them.
So now I wait to find out what lighting gear will be available. Hopefully the same console I had out here and similar lighting fixtures, but I am not holding my breath.
Well it's off to my bunk since we are departing at 4 am.
Labels: Concert, Finger Eleven, Lighting, Strength In Numbers, Sum 41, Tour
Finally a day of rest
Finally a day off, well a partial day off. We departed Kelowna late last night and arrived in Edmonton around 3:30 this afternoon. I think I slept most of the way. However on our bus sleep is not very restful. We are on a Prevost H3 and they are so tall and just sway back and forth. I am stuck in a top bunk so I get tossed around like a rag doll.
Anyway after four shows and a couple days of rehearsal let me reflect a little. Things are coming together on all levels. I am still going through the lighting cues and cleaning things up. The guys have also been changing the set list around a bit. I am also taking on a couple extra jobs on this tour. Besides running lights for the Finger Eleven guys, I am running lights for the opener and also helping out the lighting crew and set carpenter.
Hey any extra cash is a good thing. Even though it makes my day a little longer.
I took a few pictures of the lighting just after sound check yesterday. Kind of hard to see with the venues house lights on but it gives me an idea of how things are progressing.
The show in Toronto next month will be filmed for release as a concert DVD. So I have begun to get ideas for the show since we need to add a bit more lighting for the shoot. I expect to hear from the video crew this week.
Labels: Canada, Concert, Finger Eleven, Lighting, Strength In Numbers
Hello Canada
Well another week at home just flew by. After some home repairs, a dentist visit and auto inspections I head back out on the road. It's off to the great white north. We will be on the Strength In Numbers Tour co-headling with Sum 41. If you have seen the guys in Finger Eleven before well they have a couple of surprises for you this time around.
The tour will run till November 10th, hopefully we won't see a lot of cold weather yet. Well at least not much snow.
I need to pack. Three flights ahead of me.
More to come.
Labels: Canada, Concert, Finger Eleven, Strength In Numbers, Tours
What's that smell
Five days in and things are off and running. I haven't been on a tour like this in years. We are all on one bus and so far have played some very small places.
The band is as good as I remember them. I finally got my lighting package up and somewhat programmed. They showed up late in Reno after the freight company dropped the ball. The show was then nearly cancelled do to inspections from the fire marshall. The venue owners had failed to take care of some previous violations. In the end we did the show but with no real lighting except for what we are carrying.
Tomorrow we head to Tempe Arizona to play another dive. Then it's on to LA on Tuesday and an appearance on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Then it's off to Minneapolis, yes you read that right LA to Minnesota and another one of those long submarine rides. We will probably stop somewhere along the way and spend a day doing nothing while the driver sleeps.
Labels: Concert, Finger Eleven, Lighting, Touring, Tours
It's good to be busy?
I realized this morning that I only had five days off since last weeks tour ended. Tomorrow it's back to the airport and off to California. This next run is for the month of September so I will be back by October 1st.
It's back to the clubs and I mean clubs. I think the biggest venue on this run is like 1200 capacity. The band and crew are traveling on one bus with a trailer for the gear. Space is limited so I had to cut back on the moving light package that I wanted to bring out. It is going to be just a few moving heads, some strobes and a console. It should be fine though, it's always a fun challenge to create a show in these places.
Wish me luck.
Labels: Concert, Crew, Finger Eleven, Lighting, Touring
It's all fun until someone gets hurt.
The title of this post is a quote that I have been saying all summer while on tour. Why? I have no idea, I just tend to say shit like that.
The tour ended last night without much fan fare. There were a few crew group photos taken and some champagne drunk. We loaded out and headed to a hotel by the Detroit airport at 2:30am. This morning people went their separate ways. I finally had a short flight home in a long time, just over an hour.
The unfortunate thing is I have been fighting a little cold since Minneapolis. I ended sleeping most of this afternoon after picking up a few groceries.
My body is home but my head is still on tour. I have just about a week at home before I head back out on the 5th of September.
I have come up with a small moving light package for the tour but am still waiting on word from management if they want to spend the money. Hopefully a decision will be made tomorrow. I have to have the lighting vendor get our gear to us for the first show and time is pressing.
Labels: Concert, Lighting, Touring
And then there was one
Tomorrow will bring an end to the Rock The Bells tour. My feelings on this tour are mixed. I got to work with some old friends again and also made some new friends.
The schedule was pretty painless since we spent more days off than we did doing shows. Of course we logged a lot of miles.
There were a lot of problems at the beginning which were basically resolved. Many of them I will probably look back at a laugh about.
The last show is tomorrow here in Detroit, actually Clarkston Michigan at the DTE Energy Center. I have done this venue at least ten times over the years.
On Thursday it's back home for a week before the Finger Eleven tour starts for me. I am still trying to sort out the lighting gear that I want to bring out with us for the run.
My job never ends.
Labels: Concert, Finger Eleven, Lighting
