This month's Live Design magazine contains an interview with Rush production designer and director (and official Mai Tai / Mint Julep maker) Howard Ungerleider titled A Day In The Life. The article describes the Snakes & Arrows stage show in painstaking detail and Howard offers up some neat little anecdotes as well:
... Ungerleider experienced a rather significant déjà vu during the formative phase of this production. “When I originally designed the Snakes and Arrows system, I hadn't yet heard the name of the album, so it was kind of bizarre that the truss that I designed was based on curves,” he says, adding that he has been experimenting with curves over the past four years after reading an article about a new curved glass that architects are using in buildings. “I wondered what the effect would be if I put automated fixtures in that same configuration, so I did some experimenting over at my shop, and it worked really well. I decided to make this S-shaped concave truss with a convex section,” he says. “I showed Geddy, and he loved it. I then asked if he had a copy of the album for me, and when he handed me the Snakes and Arrows cover, it kind of freaked me out!” ... After 34 years, one must assume Ungerleider has acquired some serious job security with Rush. “The guys in the band have complete faith in what I do, and we know each other well,” he comments. “We actually hang out when we're off the road, and I have freedom to pursue other projects when I'm not touring with them. As much as I love this gig, I also enjoy working on other projects; it gives me an opportunity to get away and into many different camps and come up with new fresh ideas. I think differently for each band I work with. Again, my whole thing is about uniqueness.” ...
Thanks to Mike Q for the heads up.
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