Zach Scott has been a self-described “huge fan” of New Found Glory since sixth grade. Following the rise of the quartet from their early days through their ascendent to the top of the alt rock charts, he’s developed a deep appreciation of their ability to balance raw power with subtle emotions.
So, when Scott got the opportunity to light a holiday show by the band in the car park of Seat Geek Stadium (home of the NSWL’s Chicago Red Stars), he decided to depart from his usual near-total busking mode and program a heavily cue-stacked lightshow for the band’s 90-minute performance.
“Because of my connection to the band, I wanted to do this,” said Scott. “I decided to cue stack a lot of the songs I knew they would play.”
Scott’s plan may have seemed simple, but there was a complicating factor: he was given only 48-hours-notice that he would be LD for the show. To make matters even more problematic, he also had to light two other bands on the second night of the holiday show, along with providing supplemental lighting at the start and conclusion of the movies that were shown each night.
It is under circumstances such as these, says Scott, that his go-to console, the ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 really shines.
“I had minimal time to get things together, but that is the exact reason why the MQ80 is my favorite desk,” he said. “I used an MQ80 with an Extra Wing on this project. That combination is always my first choice, because of the size allows me to take it anywhere, including on airplanes, and because of how quickly it allows me to be up and running. From getting a basic file ready 15 minutes before showtime to spending 3 months programming a tour together, it will do whatever you ask of it.”
In this instance, Scott programmed six New Found Glory songs, each with 30-40 cues. The rest of his show was busked. The user-friendly, logical setup of the console and the MagicQ Software made the programming easier.
“The MagicQ software is basically my third arm,” said Scott. “Whatever I can imagine in my mind, I can then translate to the software without a lot of complications slowing down the process.”
While the MagicQ software expedited programming in the tight window available to Scott before the two-day show, the intuitive layout out of the console and its 12-inch screen made busking “infinitely easier” for New Found Glory as well as the other bands.
“Being able to take my desk on the stage deck to do my DS focus without having to ask a tech to assist with moving it made my days a lot easier,” said Scott. “I never fail to be amazed at how something so compact can be so easy to work with in real time at a show. Things like the eight Encoder Wheels put so much at your fingertips.”
Using this power, Scott conjured up nonstop intensity in his four-universe shows during the two-day event. “I always strive to create a totally immersive environment,” he said. “This is more challenging to do at a drive-in show environment, so I pushed beams with extra intensity into the lot to pull the cars into the experience.”
In the end, the whirlwind show experience, left Scott with an immense sense of satisfaction. “I can’t really explain the feelings I got at the end of the New Found Glory Show,” he said. “Seeing my work created under time pressure, come together to revolve around a band I have always loved, is something I’ll never forget.”
