Sacramento is beautiful, at least it was in the area surrounding the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. I've never seen healthier or heartier looking trees anywhere than along the streets of Sacramento. I took a walk to the capital building, maybe 10 minutes away from the venue. The grounds around the capital are dotted with enormous, storybook-perfect examples of every imaginable tree, many with plaques identifying the species. There was also the rose garden, humongous orange trees, and a small vegetable garden. Words, and even pictures, don't really do justice to the impressiveness of the trees and plants as viewed by the naked eye.
The auditorium shows it's age backstage, with soft spots in the floors, and horrible toilets and showers. There was a large gap in the floor between the stage and the seating when we arrived. The backline guy, Ruff, was still groggy, fresh from his bunk, carrying TWO cups of hot tea as he entered. After coming out of the bright sun into the dimly-lit auditorium, he didn't see the gap, and fell right in, landing on a rail sitting maybe three feet down. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt. We were all shocked that he didn't break his leg. He did spill his tea. See the pic of Ruff immediately afterward, with empty tea in the foreground, and dangerous gap in the background. A local crewman remarked later that at first he thought Ruff was Mini-Me.
The catering was in the basement....and, I mean, it really was just an old basement with folding tables and chairs. I had a pork chop and some shrimp for dinner, and started feeling severely nauseous half an hour later. During the show, I was nearly certain I was going to vomit. I kept thinking, "How should I leave the faders when I run to the backstage bathroom to puke?" But I made it through. I still think I got poisoned by the shrimp scampi. And now I'm just about to depart on a TWENTY-HOUR trip to Denver, Colorado. Not good. Not good at all.
Wish me luck.
More Sacramento pics to come as I get good wifi.
To Dave,
ReplyDeleteI just happen to stumble upon your tour blog & may I add what a gem to discover. Just wanted to say that it was a real honor to have the opportunity to attend both Reno, and my hometown, Sacramento's shows. It's nice to know that Sacramento treated you all quite well. I suggest visiting "Old Sac" next time you're in town. Thank you for help presenting a deliciously spectacular show. They are memorable events that I'll certainly never forget.
I am currently studying Film Production & I would love to know how one can get involved with such a business/tour. Any advice would be most appreciated.
By the way, may I ask what camera you used to take such stunning photographs?
Respectfully,
Stefanie
Stefanie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words about the show and the blog. How lucky you are to be a native of such a beautiful city and area.
As far as the business of touring, I may not be the best person to ask, considering this is my first real touring experience. In a way, that's what the blog is all about.
But, like anything else, it starts with getting familiar with the various pieces of the production puzzle. Once you've honed a skill, and done some independent and local crew work, look to establish rapport with techs, stagehands, stage managers and production managers. Larger productions are more likely to have need for assistant-level lighting, video, camera, and audio people. Work leads to more work.
All of the pictures were taken with my little Sony Cybershot DSC-W370. I bought the camera the day before the tour started, with the blog in mind.
Best of luck to you,
Dave