Lights on the current tour

[highway320]

So far this tour, I have attended Lowell, Nothampton, and Portland.
Tremendous shows, and I have been having a fantastic time, as usual :)

I am curious though, if anyone else has noticed the lighting situation?

At Lowell, the lights from the stage projecting into the house, were so bright, that it seemed like the house lights were on. It became a real distraction, and took away from the ability to get more lost in the show.
At the other two, I also noticed a lot of lights from stage, projecting behind & through the musicians. That effect can be really cool, but it also results in SOMEONE getting shined directly at, out in the crowd. The spot I chose in Portland, seemed to be a target spot for one of those spotlights, it was definitely bugging me.

Now please understand that lights certainly didn't ruin any shows for me, I hope I'm not coming across like that.
It just seemed like they are doing something pretty different than in the past, lighting-wise. And I'm just curious if anyone else has noticed the current lights enough to take note or comment.

[IthacaIsGrateful]

Well, I have no problem saying that it ruined it for me. I don't mind them when they are not on the brightest setting. However, I wish the person operating/programming the lights would limit the brightness to 60% when the lights are aimed at audience members. If the brightest setting was reserved for ceiling or the back wall above audience members heads that would go a long way to rectifying the problem. I sent a snarky message to the venue, but they said DSO brought those lights--thus, that's why I'm here.

 

Just to clarify, since the OP didn't say--what I'm objecting to is the brightest setting landing on my retinas. I spent a lot of the concert trying to shield my eyes.

[Tom Banjo]

It’s been a little while now since Blinky stepped aside. He had manned the lights for a long time for DSO. I believe 15 plus years. 

 

Whomever is doing the lights is probably new to Dso. I would approach him personally and let him know what going on. They can probably make adjustments and improve their lighting and your experience. 

[Mango]

Try wearing white pants and a neon green shirt in the front row....i was blinding myself. Probably the band too....

[jerseycity72]

totally agree the lights are really obnoxious.  blazing bright spots periodically drilling into your eyes, esp if you're sitting in balcony.  My wife left after first set at Northampton, where we were in the front row.  It's like you're getting an eye exam with your pupils dilated.  Adds nothing to the concert but detracts mightily.  Totally pointless.  I actually found the light guy downstairs.  Claimed he'd been doing it for years, knew what he was doing.  I tried to explain.  He didn't seem to get it at all.  I'd rather have no light show than this.  New Haven, again in balcony front row, nearly as bad.  How about bathing the stage with different colors, more suffused, not laser-blasting the audience?   DSO's music is better than ever -- it deserves better by far.

[LIkeEveryOne]

I wrote a post about the lights and deleted all of it except this part.. “to whom it may concern ,  don’t shine the bright lights on my face and leave them there, it’s not fun” 

 

i loved the music, 

now let’s dance! 

[GratefulDevil]

I'm so glad someone started this thread. I completely agree. I've been seeing DSO since 2002, love the band, and agree the music has never been better. This tour I was at Northampton, New Haven, and Albany. I independently noticed the problem with the lighting as did many others I've spoken to. The handful of people posting on this thread is a small fraction of the people who are bothered by the lights.

 

I have two problems with the lighting. First, as people have mentioned, is the bright lights in your face. During the best moments of a song when your eyes are closed, and your mind takes you away to a great place, and it's nothing but pure enjoyment of the moment, suddenly it's BAM!!!! bright lights in the face you come back to reality and that does ruin the moment.

 

Second problem is I think the stage is over lit. Whether 1st set or 2nd, most of us have gotten used to a dimly lit stage often with blue lights during the big slow songs & ballads like Row Jimmy, LLR, Birdsong, IWTYH, and especially Black Peter. But several times this tour I thought to myself during those songs "dim the lights, turn the lights down". It is counter to what I've been used to and enjoyed most and what best sets the mood of the song. That also takes away from the moment for me. And as great as the DSO audience is, there are people who inevitably talk at the wrong time. (Morning Dew is not a time to catch up on gossip with high school friends.) Dimming the lights also helps those people get the message that this is a serious moment.

 

I almost started a thread like this and almost spoke to Cotter but didn't want to come across as a complainer. But the band should know how the lighting changes are being received. If this is what the band members want, that's their prerogative. If they like a bright stage and like seeing the audience, it's their band and their choice. If not, it's probably valuable information to them.

 

DSO is the best band in the land!

[Tom Banjo]

I only did Penns but I can’t disagree that at times the lights were too harsh and bright on the crowd. I was in the back too. 

 

I would hope the new light guy decides to take some constructive criticism and maybe adjust the brightness and frequency of lights of the crowd. 

[2muchfun]

"Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star Orchestra's members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering their own informed improvisations."

 

My hope is they are not trying to improvise the wall of light

[Hardpan]

Both nights in Huntington, I noticed less lighting directed towards the crowd. It could have been where I was standing, but I don't remember being blinded too many times. Some cool lighting effects on stage with the spinning multi beam things and fog machine, nice colors, too.

[Rude]

You should get blinded once in a while at a show. I almost literally fell over at phish with their insane strobe light.  Lost all sense of up and down. Getting lost in a fog of light is fine with me as long as it’s not the whole show. And there are levels of blinding. As long as you can still see the band through the lighting it’s not that bad. I enjoyed Toms style on lights and remember his last show on west coast. He blinded us and it seemed to be out of spite. Idc about the reasons of the departure but evidently not ending well caused him to take it out on the crowd. I thought his lighting was spectacular. His lighting system had so much potential and it was a big upgrade to the last system. 

[smoseywales]

I recall, several years ago at the Norva in myhomeinNorfolkVirginia the lights being very different, modernized, almost like Dave Mathews (whom I like).  For DSO, it did not work. It was like a brick through a stained glass window. The vibe of a Dead show in an old theater was destroyed. After all, the songbook closed 20 years ago.

 

I was happy, the next time, when they returned to the former style; they complemented, rather than detracted.

 

I'm going to the show Friday.  I wish I hadn't read this but will withhold judgment until I see them.

 

I also agree with the commenters about the lights-in-the-eyes stunt. It's fine as an occasional device, annoying when over-used.  This includes white lights on the crowd.  Gets old, fast. I think it was at a recent DBT show, or maybe at Lockn', where it was so overused that you started to duck when it was coming.

[t.bell]

Was center floor last night and

ligh were a non issue. 

Our concerns must’ve been recognized.