Most of us who work for a living don’t have a single day that is more important than others – but I have the Annual Parnelli Awards. If you’ve ever been to a concert and wondered about the lighting and audio and the people behind the scenes who make it all come together, then you’d be interested in the award show that honors that talent.
Since 2001, scores of our highest achievers and most admired innovators (lighting designer, audio engineers, concert video directors, etc.) have been awarded a Parnelli Award. The award recognizes pioneering, influential professionals and their contributions, honoring individuals, companies, and game-changing products. It is truly the “Oscar®” of the Live Event Industry.
Making it Happen
A career is ultimately a series of detours. I spent 10 years of my life trying to be a rock star, and another 10 trying to be a script writer. Blah-blah-blah, and now I look back on a career where I help others find their voice in articles, blogs, and marketing material; where I write about the business of live music; and I make an award show happen.
I produce it, co-write it, write and direct three short lifetime honoree documentaries, cast it, create the 250+ graphic deck, and work with a wide variety of talented techs (lighting, video graphics) … my typical “joke” is I do everything from hanging out with rock stars to bussing tables. The latter was an exaggeration … until this weekend when Friday morning I found myself pushing huge cases of gear from the dock to the ballroom … and then back again suddenly on Sunday morning.
Putting a Solid Team Together
I have a remarkable team I’ve worked with for years starting with associate producer Suzi Spangenberg. She handles many a fires. Co-writer and Chairman of the Board Marshall Bissett is key. My production team is made up largely of St. Louis-based TPI Productions headed by Liz and Michael O’Keefe. There’s no accepting “good enough” with them. As we struggled with the lighting and video with the in-house convention production team, while the two award shows the previous night were fine with it, we knew the color was off the layout of the video wasn’t quite right. They kept at it and it looked beautiful. Many high level production and lighting people, including Bruce Springsteen’s long time lighting guy, complimented us on how great it all looked.
I’ve always been keenly aware of the visual, and they are greatly apart of this show. The show is largely run by the graphic slide deck I put together, which I do in tandem with writing the script. If I can “show it” I don’t “say it” – this creates a faster-moving show. (And a faster-moving show, or at least one that seems faster, is always a priority.)
But getting back to the team: Sure, I put the graphic slides together, but an amazing talent named Roy Golden makes it all work. Show caller/director Mikey Miller keeps it all on track. We have a rock n’ roll TelePrompteress named Deidre Prestridge who is unflappable. She, and all of these people, are also a complete joy to be around. Nothing would happen without Associate Producer Suzi Spangenberg. There are many more (LI has a word count!), but all of the crew are a joy to work with.
Me … Doing Whatever It Takes
And of course there is our esteemed leader, Terry Lowe, founder of the magazines that put this on and Executive Producer of this show – and does it with a good sense of humor.
What Makes for “Best Ever” Show?
I’ve been honored to be involved with this show for over 20 years, most as Producer/Writer. We’ve had it go off the rails a few times (one early show descended into a “roast” of insults, and another show went 3-1/2 hours!). But for the last 10 years, especially the last three, each has been better than the one before it. I inevitably get asked immediately after, “how are we going to top this?” I’m never worried because I get a better grip on what makes it a success. Yes, the video documentaries I create for the lifetime honorees are always loved, and my ability to chose to the write presenter and work with them to make their part of the script shine is another key; but mostly, I know to get out of the way and create space for those spontaneous moments, usually from one of the now 30 winners we honor that night. (Here’s a 10 minute recap of the most recent one – watch it and you’ll see what I mean.)
That said, this show was especially great. On Sunday morning, my mind churns with what I wish was better, making notes for next year. But then I turned to focus on the fact we made a lot of people happy. We had the largest, most diverse group of nominees and winners we’ve ever had. Crews from Earth
Wind & Fire, Weird Al, Lady Gag, Kesha, Beyoncé, Dierks Bentley, Rauw Alejandro, Kesha, Mary J. Blige, Billy Strings, Nine Inch Nails, Disturbed, and My Chemical Romance among many others were all part of it.
The people that make these shows happen spend their lives behind the scenes. One night a year they get their chance at the spotlight and I’m proud to be part of that. The Production Manager of the Yearfor Rauw Alejandro, ERic P. Duheaney II, stood on stage with his award and yelled, “Remember this name. I started [here] in Anaheim loading trucks and look at me now!”
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