Chuck's Lights with Tony Levin at Toad's Place

The trip to New Haven took about 3 hours, despite rainy travel and heavy traffic around New York. I arrived at Toad's Place about 4pm to do lights with The Tony Levin Band. They were still setting up the stage and I started to figure out the light board which was a Leprechaun 2000. It had to be the largest light board I have ever run...it had 72 channels. OT, the house sound man, helped me with figuring out the system. The band arrived around 5:30 and started to set up and tune their instruments. I checked out the light adjustments during the sound check to see which ones would have to be adjusted. The house light/video man, Dan, climbed out on the various scaffolding to adjust the lights for me. Thanks Dan!

Everything was ready for the show around 6:45, the doors would open at 7:30 for the shows. Kaki King, a great acoustic guitarist was to start at 9:15 and The Tony Levin Band would start at 10:15...time to kill. I hung out a while in the dressing rooms. Tony was working on his computer, the rest of the band was talking and Kaki King was playing her guitar. Then I went to get something to eat with my friend Jesse (Tony's guitarist), his wife & his wife's sister at a restaurant next door to Toad's Place. We went back to the club and Jesse & I hung out for a while in the Sky Box which is a theater seating area in a balcony in the club. The Sky Box seating is by invitation only by the club, it is not open to the public.

Kaki King took the stage to do her performance. I was amazed at what she could do with an acoustic guitar. Jesse suggested that I should do some lights for her, so I did. I did lights for the rest of her show. After her show, before Tony's show I complimented her on her performance. I also told her I was doing lights for her during the show and asked her if she minded. She said, "Was that you? No one ever did that before. I thought it was great! I could really feel the lights." Thanks Kaki...maybe we'll do it again sometime!

Tony was going to start in about 5 minutes so I headed back to the light board. I wasn't exactly sure if the band was ready, but according to my watch it was time for the show to start so I slowly dimmed the stage lights that I left on between the shows. I am truly amazed at the power of lights on the audience. As soon as they go down, the crowd comes to life! First Larry (synthesizer/keyboards) comes onto the stage & starts to play. Then Jesse (guitar) comes out followed later by Jerry (drums) and finally Tony (bass) comes out to complete the band.

The show was great! The light board was a little slow, but I figured out ways around that. Tony announced I was doing lights before the song Ever the Sun will Rise which got applause. I started that song with a star field which was little lights behind a curtain to the rear of the stage that twinkled with just a spotlight on Tony & Larry. Then as the song progresses I did a reverse sunset with spotlights...blending red, then purple, then blue while eliminating the red, then adding amber while eliminating the purple. I took only a few photos of the band playing...it's hard to concentrate on taking a picture and remember where they are in a song.

I talked to people at the club after the show and got a free Toad's Place t-shirt. It was snowing outside and I was going to Woodstock, NY to stay at Jesse & Mary Lou's place for a couple of days. A caravan of vehicles left for Woodstock...Jesse & Mary Lou in their Subaru, Tony & Jerry in a minivan, and Robert (soundman) & Manuel (merch sales & drums on Tequila) in the equipment van. Route 34 out of New Haven was a real windy highway we took until we got to route 84. On route 84 Jesse & I took off from the rest of the pack. We were doing 80-85mph while it was snowing on a 55mph highway. A car came up to pass...of course it was a state trooper, but he went by us like we were standing still. Talk about your heart stopping. We got to Woodstock safe & sound. I had a lot of fun staying up there, I just wish the weather would have been better. (It snowed most of the time while I was there).


The poster at the entrance to Toad's Place	Kaki King's promo card

The Leprechaun 2000 light board	Tony's soundman Robert setting up for the show

Kaki King warming up in the dressing room	Kaki King onstage

L to R: Jesse, Jerry, Manuel, Tony, Larry (Jerry plays sax in Tequila, Manuel sits in on drums)	L to R: Jesse, Tony, Manuel, Jerry, Larry (another one from Tequila)

Before the show started, Jesse relaxing in the Sky Box	The next day Jesse looking at some old vinyl near Albany, NY

Jesse outside his house getting some wood for the fire	One of Jesse's great pizzas made from scratch