October 7th has been significant in my life for the past few months for two reasons.
1. It is my daughters birthday and she is now 8 years old. She is incredibly special.
2. Production rehearsals begin for the Lead Me On Tour
I would post pictures of my daughters birthday party but you aren't here to see that. However, I have posted some pictures below production rehearsals. Today is the load in process for the audio, lighting, and staging. We have the day to get things set up and looking right and then tomorrow the band will return and we will start production runs. For those of you that don't know how this process works, let me explain.
Production rehearsals help the tour iron out production issues, program lighting and audio consoles. We take three or four days to put the set up and make sure it works as planned and it also gives us a chance to run the show from top to bottom tweaking things here and there. A lot of work goes into getting a tour out on the road and we have a great crew that works behinds the scenes to get this done. Be sure to thank them when you see them on the road the next couple of months. Without them there is no tour.
Justin - First off, happy birthday to your daughter! I hope you get to spend some time with her today and am happy for you that you're not yet out on the road on this significant day in your family.
I'm noticing the trusses and trying to think back to the last time that Amy was out on the road with her own gear like this. "Simple Things" was promoted with Amy in an opener slot for Mercy Me on their "Imagine" tour, so I'm guessing that gear was pretty much under their control as the headliner. So we're looking back to either a Christmas tour or "Behind the Eyes", right? Since then there have been little strings of symphony shows or various one-offs here and there, and I'm guessing that lights and sound were local rentals in most of those circumstances. Am I correct? If so (or even if not, as it's been quite awhile either way, I think), how cool is it to be putting things together like this once again? Does it seem like "old times", not just for the band but also for all of you in the road crew?
Posted by: Chris (Charlotte, NC) | October 07, 2008 at 08:38 AM
Hi Amy,
I will always remember the time you took to talk with me in the hotel after a concert at the Boston Commons (oh my gosh, about 23 years ago..yikes!). You spent time in the hotel lounge by the piano with MW Smith and other band members and talked to me about finding the right church etc. Even after you and members of your band went to the movies to see some movie with Rodney Dangerfield (I don't remember the name now)you gave my daughter your Junior Mints..I think she kept them in the freezer for a very long time! Anyway, good luck on this tour and my family and I plan to see you and Vince for the Christmas Tour (in Augusta, Maine - we live here now) Also, we saw Vince in Cohasset this summer (right before his knee surgery) - we hope it went well. Sending our prayers to you. The Maclay Family
Posted by: Patti Maclay | October 09, 2008 at 01:22 PM