It was a busy summer for I Prevail. The multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated band headlined ten European shows in May, followed by festival appearances at the UK, including Slam Dunk. The to top it off, they then went on a 22 city coheadline shed and arena tour with Halestorm.

Jeff Maker was with them all the way. Though, the Las Vegas-based LD wasn’t expecting to find himself in that position just a few months earlier. Steve “Cowboy” Stemac recommended Maker for the job.

After checking out Maker’s resume, the hard rockers from Michigan hired him on the spot. An understandable decision, given this LD’s stellar track record with Dresden Dolls, Megadeth, All Time Low, Gaslight Anthem, and others. It turned out to be an ideal match. Traveling thousands of miles with the band, Maker served up a bright, fast-moving show, that bristled with an intensity that fit the band’s music like a leather glove.

Looking back on this successful run, Maker talked to us about the rewards and challenges of stepping in relatively late to work with a rapidly rising band on a two-continent run.

I Prevail generated some blistering intensity on this tour with their music and stage presence. How did you ensure that your lighting kept up?
“Knowing the music inside and out as well as timecoding the entire show helped me keep up for sure. Timecoding always gives me an endless amount of arms on the console so that every subtlety of their music has its own time to shine.”

But, did you do any busking in their shows?
“Zero busking on this show. I timecoded the lighting as well as synced all video content with software at my home studio. The only thing I left for myself to do live were blinder interactions with the crowd in between songs and some positions.”

Given the intensity we just mentioned, how did you chill out after the shows?
“I relax in silence by a bonfire backstage (if they have one) and think about the day/the set or hang on the bus with an ice cold Coke Zero, after show food, and watch a good scary movie are also nice ways I like to chill. “

How involved did the band get in your designs?
“As long as my design included a big upstage video wall, they pretty much let me create whatever I thought would look best for the Europe tour. It had to meet their final approval of course. For the U.S. tour the band had already signed Chris Denholm on to design the tour before I came aboard. The band approved his design but then we tweaked it a bit to fit into the venues and into the budget. Myself and Mathes Kuhn had the final word on fixture choices as well as their modes. It was crucial to select the proper fixtures for outdoor shows as well as ones bright enough to complement the video wall content.”

What was the most challenging thing about the tour?
“I know this might sound cliche but every tour presents its own unique challenges. I had to make sure certain moments of video content were on full display without lighting taking away from it or simply it complimenting the content. In Europe, we only traveled with our video wall and floor package. My flown design would be spec’d and sourced locally with some markets not having specific fixtures. Cloning different fixtures daily and reorganizing my pixel groups took a little extra time. In the states it was the same rig every day since we were able to travel with all of the gear. All in all, it was quite a harmonious process without any outside micromanaging. I’m used to designing/programming/timecoding all of my own rigs. Sometimes having too many cooks in the kitchen can be counterproductive or unnecessary. “

What was the most rewarding thing about the tours?
“A satisfied crowd, an excited band, and seeing my programming/timing come together in live vs the visualizer. If the artist and their fans are happy, I’m happy.”

How has working for I Prevail on this tour changed you as a designer?
“I feel like I grow and learn something new with every artist I have the honor to work with/for. I’m thirsty for knowledge and to broaden my skill set so I can bring the most I possibly can to the table. They put their absolute trust in me and that is such a confidence booster as well. Programming to their music was such a treat for me cause it’s so dang good! But most importantly they are great people to work for. I’ve been lucky to work with so many positive people/artists who are open to new ideas, that my brain can’t help but change for the better.”