Experiences at IATSE

I did lighting, followspot, and stage management for hundreds of acts such as Metallica, Hole, Bjork, Lyle Lovett, Toad the Wet Sprocket. I was young; it was fun, hard work.

My Locals (#675 and #28) were embedded with good folks. IATSE is the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees, a union for stage productions and film/television productions. Most movies are union made, the logo is shown at the tail end of the credits.

1) The best thing about working for the union as a stage tech is meeting all the great folks who are touring (famous and non): the lighting director for the 1998 tour of Rent was an awesome guy; where there is a lighter on Willie Nelson's tour bus, there is smoke (ahem) along with his tour manager; Keanu Reeves' is a sweet guy, if mediocre bass player.

2) Also the ability to be 40 feet right above the stage in a hanging truss followspot mini pod during a straight-up loud-as-**ck rock show as the lights swirl and the crowd roars around you, was a fabulous thing about that job.

3) Ability to play with fun new toys. The electric and sound crews sometimes got a visit from a vendor with a new trick or toy that they would share with us. Leko and Mackie were both quite cool with sharing new toys on trial basis'....