Rashawn Ross and Fenton Williams interviews.

[Elliottman]

I was watching some of Folsom fields on Youtube and remebered how you guys had said the camera work was horrible. Then i remembered an interview i had read with the Lighting dude - Fenton Williams over at Ants. Here's a one with Rawshan Ross too. Really good reads i thought. Notice what Williams says about Folsom Fields and Rawshans favorite songs!

Rashawn Ross -

Let’s start with your background and musical origins. Can you talk a bit about those?

I grew up in the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas. I got into jazz in the eighth grade and I have been playing music professionally since I was 14, playing calypso and reggae. St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands, is pretty much a melting pot musically, so that’s where I get my musical taste from. I like a variety of stuff.

When did you come to the United States and how did you hook up with Soulive?
I first came to the United States right after high school. I moved to Boston, attended the Berklee College of Music and graduated from there in 2000. I knew some of the guys from Lettuce, which was the band that Eric Krasno and a bunch of guys who were going to the Berklee summer program started. I knew Sam Kininger and Adam Deitch and all those guys. I think it was 2003, Lettuce was getting ready to gig in Japan and they had a gig at the Lion’s Den in New York. They asked me to come play so I ended up going down there, playing and learning the music. Then they were going to Japan in a few days and they said, “You should go to Japan with us,” so I went ahead and started rehearsing and at the last minute they got the ticket and I was in Japan.

After that it boiled over into Soulive. At the time, Sam Kininger and Ryan Zoidis were doing gigs off and on with Soulive as a horn section and I started sitting in. Soon after that I started doing horn arrangements to their older stuff and they dug it and that’s pretty much how the Soulive thing came about.

So, did your connection to the Dave Matthews Band take place through Soulive?

No, that dated back to 2002, when I first opened with Yerba Buena. I was out in the house checking out their soundcheck and I had my horn in my hand. Carter saw me and signaled to come up onstage. So I went up, started jamming during soundcheck and that’s pretty much where the whole connection started. I kept in contact with LeRoi and Carter and whenever they came to town I would hang out and go to the shows. That’s where the whole DMB thing started.

What was your first reaction when you saw them play?

My first reaction was, “Wow they’re very musical, there’s a lot of music going on.” It wasn’t cream puff, making-it-acceptable-to-the-masses type music; it was a bunch of guys playing what they wanted to play and it just so happened that the masses loved it. It was like, “Wow, they’re playing everything that I would love to play and they’re not afraid to play it. They’re doing what they want and they’re successful at it.”

Talk a bit about how that relationship developed and how you came to take on a regular role with the band.

LeRoi and I hit it off right away. He’s a huge jazz fan and so am I. At Berklee I was doing the whole jazz thing and we would just sit there and talk about all these jazz musicians and listen to music. We had that in common from the beginning, that was pretty much the basis of the relationship. And pretty soon he said, “You know what, you should learn some of these tunes, so whenever you’re around and we’re in town you can come up, play with us and really fatten up the music a little bit. I was like, “Cool, no problem,” and that’s what started happening.

Pretty soon I was learning more and more tunes and Dave would say, “This tune would sound great with trumpet and saxophone.” It kind of evolved and finally it was like, “You should come play with us.” [laughs] So I got the call asking me if I would like to come out to Colorado for Red Rocks and I said sure. And that’s how it all started.

What was it like coming into a situation where so many members of the crew have been with the band for such an extended period of time?

It makes things easier because more than a job, it’s like a family. It’s good to come into a situation where everybody knows their role, yet it’s so laid-back. That just speaks to the kind of band and the kind of individuals you have in this band—to have the same crew pretty much from the beginning. Not a lot of bands can accomplish that, taking close to 70 people on the road and have the majority of them be there from the beginning. But everybody is so hospitable and when I came into this situation everybody made me feel at home. I really love the girls and guys on the crew. They never let you pass without saying hello. It’s a good feeling to walk into that, it’s so cool to work in an atmosphere like that. Everything is just so cool and laid-back.

What are your favorite songs, both to perform and to hear?

I love “Last Stop” because Roi and I, we’ve slipped a few new things in there and the horn arrangement is pretty kicking, so I love playing that. I love the new stuff that’s happening. I can’t say they’re a stretch because with a drummer like Carter nothing’s a stretch. I love “Break Free” because it’s just a pretty song. I love the songwriting. Dave is a genius when it comes to lyrics. My favorites of the new ones are “Break Free” and “Kill the King.” Of the old ones, “Last Stop,” “Warehouse” and “Nancies.”

I know our readers would be interested to hear your thoughts on the band members given your unique perspective. Let’s start with LeRoi.
One word comes to mind: wisdom. I have learned so much standing next to him onstage, both musically and learning to play without fear. He’s always told me, “You’ve got to have one radical in the band. Don’t be afraid to try new things.” I’ve learned so much from LeRoi, so, wisdom, period.

Stefan?

Stefan, he’s just so intense. I feel Stefan more than I see him and I guess that kind of fits because he is the bass player [laughs]. He has such an intense personality and he’s so versatile on his instrument. He can go anywhere.

Carter?

He’s been the big brother in the band. He’s always checking to make sure I’m doing okay. He’s like the guy who makes everything easy and comfortable for me. And with a drummer like him, you can take it anywhere, he can play anything. He’s not your typical rock drummer; you can go anywhere with Carter.

Boyd?
Honesty. You gotta dig Boyd’s honesty. When BT plays something I feel it and I feel like he needs every note that he plays. I wish I could play with that kind of honesty. It is unreal. Every night he blows me away.

Dave?

He’s a funny guy, such a funny guy. He makes everything easy because he’s the front man and he has all this energy directed towards him but he finds a way to make everybody feel special. There are times when I’d be like, “Wow, I can’t believe I’m here,” and Dave will come along and say, “Man, I’m the luckiest man in the world to have you in my band right now.” He’s a stand-up guy and I’m blessed and honored that he has me here. There’s not much else I can say about a guy like Dave.

Finally, what are your thoughts on playing at Randall’s Island?

It’s a hometown show for me so I’ll be playing in front of people I know who still haven’t seen the band. This is going to be my first time playing Randall’s. I don’t know what to expect yet but I know it’s going to be exciting because I’m going to have some friends and family checking it out for the first time. So I’m pretty sure I’m going to hear about it later [laughs].



And Williams -


Looking back, can you talk about your impressions of last year’s Randall’s Island event?

It had that great festival-type feeling. I had a great time checking out the second stage. It’s a great way for people to come together for a couple of days and enjoy music, wander around check out other music and enjoy the day.

Of course, there is quite a bit of work to be done before that happens. Can you walk us through the process of loading in and setting up for this event? When does that begin?

I have a feeling on Thursday they’ll go in and do a pre-rigging: The riggers and production managers go in. Then about 8AM on Friday we’ll start unloading lighting, video, sound and band gear. Then there will be a soundcheck and when it gets dark, Aaron [Stinebrink] and I will stay until midnight or so programming the lights and getting that ready.

Mostly what we do is program the focus positions of the lighting. They change dramatically. We’ve been playing mostly amphitheatres and Randall’s Island is a great field so when you do positions to light the audience it’s drastically different from the previous show where you have an array and everything is spread out and gets wider to the lawn.

You mention programming. Can you explain how much of what you do on a given night is improvisational?
I would say 95% of the show is improvisational. I have my board set up where I want all my buttons and faders. I have a button that will fade in three seconds to a different color or I have a button that will do a ten- to fifteen-second move from the stage to the audience. So when I hit those buttons I know that they’re going to go to different looks but the timing and everything I hit on the fly live.

It’s different every night. One night I’ll pick a bassline to try to follow during a certain part of the song, where two nights later if they play that song again, I might go ahead and mess around with what Boyd’s doing on violin. But that is all run very live during the show.

Are there particular color tones or palettes that you always associate with specific songs?
Sure. “Hunger for the Great Light”—I always envision that song with a lot of yellows. “#41” I envision richer colors, blues and cooler colors. “Granny” is another hot song I envision in deep reds and ambers.

Do your views on those ever change, depending on how the band might interpret a song at a given show or just your approach on a particular night?
Absolutely, and the nice thing about it is I can do that on the fly, if I’m feeling that it’s a little different or my mood’s different. I should also mention that if you were to see a song like, say, “Pig” as number three in the setlist and then you came to a show a week later and it was song number twelve, it’ll have a whole different feel to it because there are so many different elements that are added as the show goes on. This whole design is about layers and depth. We have so much going on upstage behind the band, with five or six different layers of stuff that will eventually appear during the show including new low-res video walls that we can use as a lighting effect, and a fiber-optic drop.

How much preparation will you do before a tour as you add in new elements?

I would say a good 20-25 days in terms of playing with this and figuring it out. We spend a month before the tour up in Connecticut. To give you an idea of how far out we work, we’re working on next year already.

To what extent does the band play a role in providing feedback as you develop new ideas?
I will show them what I’m working on just to make sure they don’t say, “Holy crap what is this?” But for the most part they’ve been very supportive of what I show them and the direction that we’re going in. The only time they see it from out front is before the first show.

We’ll come in the night before and then the band plays for an hour and a half or so. Then we’ll have dinner and they will come out and wander around. We’ll crank some music over the p.a., whether it be Dave Matthews Band or something else that people like, and Aaron and I will just go out there and have fun, so they can see what’s going on and have a feel for what it’s going to be like.

That’s always nerve-wracking because it’s always the first show and things get tighter after about six or seven shows. We figure out a lot by trial and error: “Wow, that works really well!” But you might not find it until the third or fourth show. I’m finding new things all the time.

Do you have favorite songs to light?
I really love the song “You Never Know.” I love lighting “Kit Kat Jam,” which they haven’t played in a while. I love “#41” and “Last Stop.”

You also directed two of the band’s DVDs. Looking back at those after a few years, what are your thoughts?

Folsom Field I was younger and I think looking back maybe I had too much energy. I was trying to get too much across. There is multiple-screen stuff and shots sliding in and out which I thought was cool at the time but when I look back, it seems a little too fast-paced. When you get to The Gorge, it’s a little more simple. I think there’s still a great energy to it but it’s not boom boom boom trying to get everything in. During Folsom Field I wanted to get every bass idea, every drum roll and then a few years later I realized it’s not necessary to get every single shot in there.

Do you have any future plans to direct?

I would love to do more but it all depends on timing. I moved over for a few years and directed video, but it got to the point where I missed doing the lighting. You’re playing along with the band much more. My first love of doing anything with this band is the lighting—I want my fingers to be moving in time with the band

[cart]

Wow great find, gotta love Rashawn

[NJPearce22]

95% improv on the lights...that's crazy!

[Brock]

95% improv on the lights...that's crazy!

and ridiculously difficult. and i read that they switched to catalyst from the wholehog this year, which seems to me like it would make it even harder to improv... i really wish i could spend a tour working under fenton. you'd learn so much

[mattinbeloit]

good find, thanks.

[Taylor2885]

reading about how humble the band is (and expecially dave) and how close they are as a family makes me love this band even more. And it's not just the 7 of them on stage, but their whole crew as well. Must be amazing to work for them.

[i like tictacs]

At least fenton is realizing the headache that was FF

[Mikey]

bring back kit kat jam for fenton!

[Blake]

I like how you mispelled not one, but both names in the title

[Brock]

I like how you mispelled not one, but both names in the title

haha, i was just coming in to fix that for search purposes. for posterity's sake, the original title:

Rawshan and Wiiliams interviews.

[Nitro1515]

bring back kit kat jam for fenton!

[paulaitchison]

“You know what, you should learn some of these tunes, so whenever you’re around and we’re in town you can come up, play with us and really fatten up the music a little bit.

[mattinbeloit]

“You know what, you should learn some of these tunes, so whenever you’re around and we’re in town you can come up, play with us and really fatten up the music a little bit.

Ya I think that they were making fat jokes and he didn't catch on. Now they are stuck with him and don't know what to do....

[GSR]

Both of these were in the Randall's Island Satellite Newspaper that was handed out at the shows this year.