Peter Spadaro III goes Rogue for Matisyahu

USA - A little over two years ago, lighting designer Peter Spadaro III dropped in at a local pub outside New York City. He left with a future client, one who would help push his career in new creative directions. His new friend was Matisyahu, a fiercely independent artist who has blazed new paths since he arrived on the music scene in 2004 by blending his Orthodox Jewish heritage with a mix of reggae, beatbox and alternative rock sounds.
Matisyahu, who reached the Billboard Top 40 with his single King Without a Crown, happened to be looking for a lighting designer at the time of their meeting. Spadaro, who was designing an upcoming show at the iconic Capitol Theatre, was seeking a new creative challenge. The two hooked up. In March, the latest chapter in this history was on display, as Spadaro unleashed an intense razor-sharp lightshow for his client at the New Orleans House of Blues with help from Chauvet Professional Rogue fixtures.
The stop was part of Matisyahu’s US tour in support of his fifth studio album. Spadaro has been travelling with eight Rogue R1 Spot fixtures as the foundation of his floor package on the tour. He paired these with the Rogue R1 Wash and Rogue R1 FX-B units that were already in the House of Blues rig.
“I travel with and depend on the Rogue Spots,” says Spadaro. “They’re extremely versatile, real workhorses that allow me to create a variety of looks, so I can keep up with the musical directions that Matisyahu and his band take. It was nice when we walked into the House of Blues and found all these other Rogues there, especially the FX-Bs. I worked with the FX-B on the Jam Cruise, so I know what this fixture can do. The possibilities with it are pretty much endless.
“Matisyahu has his own intense vision,” adds Spadaro. “He follows this vision, which always adds a level of spontaneity to his shows. So, when he just goes off on an improvisational beatbox, or his band goes on an extreme progression, my lighting follows suit to support them. I have to be in the moment understanding what they’re doing and feeling where they’re going, so I can capture it all in light. When you’re working with a client that is this improvisational, you have to have the confidence to take chances.”
(Jim Evans)

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