Feb. 14, 2024
#223 - Marsha Stern talks about almost 50 years "in the biz"

Marsha Stern is an award-winning lighting designer, programmer, technician and production manager who’s career began in NYC in the music business and spans the NYC Nightclub and Special Events circuit from the late 70’s through the mid 90’s when she began to pioneer using automated lighting and entertainment technologies in architectural lighting design. Today, Marsha continues to take on design projects, while also focusing on her work dedicated to Roy Thode, an iconic DJ from the glory days of disco (https://roythode.com) and a podcast, The Heartbeat Of The Dance Floor® (https://heartbeatofthedancefloor.com). This episode is brought to you by our newest sponsors, AVL Media Group and Entertainment Safety Alliance.
1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,560
Well, hello and thank you for
joining me today on Geyses of
2
00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:08,560
Gear Episode #223.
Today's episode is brought to
3
00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:13,800
you by AVL Media Group, a new
sponsor to Geyses of Gear, your
4
00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:16,120
premier North American
distribution partner.
5
00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:19,280
AVL Media Group is one of the
leading distributors of
6
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,640
professional audio, video and
lighting equipment in North
7
00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,360
America.
Initially established in 1996 by
8
00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,960
Founder and CEO Steven Kosters,
after seeing an opportunity to
9
00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,680
inject a sense of genuine
passion into the distribution
10
00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,560
process as an exclusive US
distributor for Midas Pro
11
00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,880
Consoles, Lab Group and
Amplifiers, Lake processors,
12
00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,120
Tanoi Installation speakers,
Clark Technic Signal Processing,
13
00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:49,200
Turbo Sound Loud speakers and
Aston Microphones, AVL are
14
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,880
committed to developing long
term business relationships with
15
00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:57,240
their partners at every level by
providing outstanding pre and
16
00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:02,920
post sale service and support.
AVL Music Group is your premier
17
00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,680
North American distribution
partner and today's podcast is
18
00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:13,200
also brought to you by another
amazing new sponsor and partner
19
00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,040
to our show, someone who's been
on the podcast recently.
20
00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,640
Yes, I'm talking about the Event
Safety Alliance.
21
00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:23,680
The ESA focuses on the
knowledge, behaviors, and
22
00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,200
guidances that provide the
ability to plan and respond
23
00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:31,680
consistently, empowering event
professionals of all stripes to
24
00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:36,480
identify and mitigate risks.
ESA education, training,
25
00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:41,080
standards and guidance and the
thought leadership is helping to
26
00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,320
shape safety at live events for
this generation and the next.
27
00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,840
Become a member of the Event
Safety Alliance and join
28
00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,200
thousands of event professionals
from around the globe, creating
29
00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,160
a safer, more prosperous future
for our industry.
30
00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:00,240
Advance your knowledge by
becoming a member today at
31
00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:06,960
eventsafetyalliance.org.
The
32
00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:43,120
So I'm super excited to have two
new sponsors on today's podcast.
33
00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,280
I don't think I've ever had two
brand new sponsors on a podcast.
34
00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:51,440
And although ESA is not really a
sponsor, we're we're supporting
35
00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,520
their organization, we're
listing them as a sponsor and
36
00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,240
we're very happy and proud to
represent the ESA on this
37
00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,720
podcast now.
So welcome aboard to the ESA and
38
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,440
AVL.
You know, I've known Steven
39
00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,280
Kosters a long time.
I I come from the music industry
40
00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:13,120
and lighting, I guess my
earliest sort of introduction to
41
00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:18,520
the lighting business in Canada.
And I met Steven Kosters, you
42
00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,480
know, through those connections.
And when I started early on at
43
00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,120
Martin Professional or at
Trackman, Martin's distributor,
44
00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:29,200
I got to know Steven and but
most recently he started this
45
00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:34,800
AVL as a different business
model and it's a very unique
46
00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,840
business model, different than
most distributors.
47
00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:40,960
And why you ask, I'll tell you
why.
48
00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,080
So first of all, he works and
this isn't a pitch by the way.
49
00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,200
This is just something I was
interested in his model.
50
00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,480
So I asked him questions about
it because it's unique and
51
00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:53,160
different, but he works
alongside manufacturers, not as
52
00:03:53,160 --> 00:04:00,440
a distributor, but really as a
partner as part of their channel
53
00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,480
instead of a replacement for
their channel to market.
54
00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:10,720
I would compare it maybe to the
Amazon FBA model, Fulfillment by
55
00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:15,480
Amazon model.
So AVL gets involved not only in
56
00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,519
fulfillment but invoicing.
They actually own the accounts
57
00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:21,920
receivable, although the way
invoicing works, it's
58
00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:23,680
interesting.
For example, if you buy a Midas
59
00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:28,520
console from them, you'll get a
an invoice from with the Midas
60
00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,080
logo on it.
And although AVL takes
61
00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,440
responsibility for that account
receivable, you know you're
62
00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,960
being invoiced by a company that
at least appears to be Midas
63
00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,240
North America or whatever.
And so I you know that part of
64
00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,120
it.
The other thing is AVL carries
65
00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,480
the inventory, but they don't
actually own the inventory.
66
00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,200
The manufacturer owns the
inventory.
67
00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,680
AVL will get involved in
marketing, but the manufacturer
68
00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,480
and the brand itself is
responsible for the marketing
69
00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:59,600
and the cost of the marketing.
And AVL handles all the sales,
70
00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:03,640
shipping, support, as I said,
accounts receivable, warranty
71
00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:09,000
service.
And and so what's the upside to
72
00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,640
the manufacturer #1?
It's not like a distributed
73
00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,200
model where you know, your
branding gets maybe pushed back
74
00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,480
a little bit or watered down or
the relationship changes between
75
00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,640
the brand and the customer.
It appears to the customer that
76
00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,520
you're basically dealing
directly with the brand and of
77
00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:32,000
course they cut their margins.
So instead of call it X, it's X
78
00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,400
-, 10% or whatever.
So instead of having to split
79
00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,520
your margins as a manufacturer
with the distributor, the
80
00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:42,200
distributor's taking far less
because they're taking just
81
00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,040
basically for those services
that they're providing.
82
00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:51,680
And so, you know, I don't know
how it works from a standpoint
83
00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,920
of dollars and cents as far as
you know, is it more successful
84
00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:56,920
to the manufacturer?
Is it less successful?
85
00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,640
But when I learned about it from
Steven, I I was very intrigued
86
00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:04,600
and I thought it was a really
cool sort of evolution of the
87
00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,240
distribution model.
And it seems to be something
88
00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:12,720
that we'll see more of as we go
forward because I think in many
89
00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,880
industries, not just ours, in
the car business, in
90
00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,200
electronics, in musical
instruments, in almost every
91
00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:24,480
industry you can imagine, we've
gone more to AD, to C model, so
92
00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,000
direct to consumer model,
removing dealers, removing
93
00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,040
distributors.
And I know that all of my
94
00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,800
friends who are huge, you know
equipment dealers or gear
95
00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,160
dealers don't like when I say
this, but I'm not the one
96
00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,040
creating it.
It's it's the market that's
97
00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:41,960
creating it.
It's Amazon that's creating it.
98
00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,440
It's it's you know we're all
moving to a more direct to
99
00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,960
consumer model and you know it's
why one of the reasons Tesla's
100
00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,280
so successful because they don't
put a franchise between them and
101
00:06:52,280 --> 00:06:54,160
the customer.
They sell directly to the
102
00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:58,000
customer and they hear feedback
directly from the customer and
103
00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:59,560
they're working directly with
the customer.
104
00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:03,200
So I know some of the large,
especially the the American car
105
00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:07,280
manufacturers are fighting
against this by offering more
106
00:07:07,280 --> 00:07:10,640
and more services and trying to
to form a better relationship
107
00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:12,560
between the the customer and the
brand.
108
00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,120
But I think at the end of the
day this is a model that's gonna
109
00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:22,720
keep pushing to AD to C model
and and we're gonna see that
110
00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,160
more and more.
So I think AVL is an interesting
111
00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:26,680
model.
I'm not saying it's the best
112
00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,280
model, I'm not saying it's the
worst model.
113
00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:29,960
I'm just saying it's
interesting, it's different.
114
00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,600
And so again we welcome them as
a new sponsor.
115
00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:39,480
We welcome the ESA as a new
sponsor and we've got a couple
116
00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:41,640
more to announce as well.
So we're pretty excited.
117
00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,280
It's a good time right now,
early 2024.
118
00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:49,720
So today's guest has been a
friend of mine for probably 30
119
00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,920
years now, maybe even more than
30 years, but about 30 years,
120
00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:57,520
we'll call it, and someone who
everyone knows.
121
00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,240
You see her at trade shows, you
see her at the bar at trade
122
00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,960
shows, you see her at events,
you see her on jobs.
123
00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,200
She's been around our industry
as much as anyone I can think of
124
00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:13,600
and just an amazing person, a
very talented person.
125
00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,880
If you've ever been belly up to
a bar with her, she's a very
126
00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,640
passionate person.
She loves to have a good chat.
127
00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,760
So unfortunately today I'm
limited by time.
128
00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:28,760
Otherwise this would be a four
hour podcast, but you know, I'm
129
00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:31,320
going to, I'm going to read her
bio here for you, just so you
130
00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:33,520
know a little bit more.
So of course I'm talking about
131
00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,240
Marcia Stern, who's an
award-winning lighting designer,
132
00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,440
programmer, technician and
production manager, whose career
133
00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,640
began in New York City in the
music business and spans the New
134
00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:47,360
York City nightclub and special
events circuit from the late 70s
135
00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,960
through the mid 90s when she
began to pioneer using automated
136
00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:53,840
lighting and entertainment
technologies in architectural
137
00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,800
lighting design.
In April of 1999, Marcia
138
00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,520
Incorporated as Marcia Stern
Lighting Design and Consulting,
139
00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:04,440
Inc, actively working as an
independent designer, programmer
140
00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:07,520
and consultant.
She's got a lot of stories, so
141
00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:12,360
let's go ahead and get going.
Well, hello Marcia.
142
00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:16,600
Hi, Marcel, how are you today?
Isn't that weird?
143
00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,040
We were just talking, and then I
just pop in and say hello, but
144
00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,280
we were just talking.
So it's kind of bizarre.
145
00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,760
Like, are we on some kind of
weird, funky psychedelics or
146
00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,320
something?
Given the AI world we live in
147
00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,200
today, anything's possible,
Marcel.
148
00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,880
Yeah, you know what's funny
though, when you speak about
149
00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:36,720
psycho psychedelics?
Like, you know, it was bad back
150
00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:40,480
when we were doing bad things,
but nowadays people are doing
151
00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,000
this for health reasons, like
they're taking psilocybin and
152
00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,600
whatever they call it,
psychotropics or whatever.
153
00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,360
Well, yeah, and it's becoming so
casual, it's almost a little
154
00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,800
scary.
But that said, that said, when
155
00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:57,680
you talk about back in the day
and you know coming from that,
156
00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:02,760
that that world of New York City
nightlife debauchery that I came
157
00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:06,200
from and being now, thank you
very much, officially an old
158
00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:12,920
geezer, I I remember back when
ketamine first came to New York
159
00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:18,880
City clubs and the first thought
in this, I'm talking like 1981.
160
00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,720
82.
And now it is part of a
161
00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:27,440
psychological therapy, and
rightly so, because I remember
162
00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,480
my first impression of that drug
was it was like truth serum.
163
00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,880
Yeah, you.
Confronted yourself immediately
164
00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:38,760
and it was friggin truth serum.
And that's what people are using
165
00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,720
now is therapy and Bravo, It's a
good thing.
166
00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:43,480
It's the way to get to the
bottom of it.
167
00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,080
That's.
Yeah, you know, I listen to, I
168
00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:48,560
listen to a lot of podcasts, Joe
Rogan being one of them.
169
00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:50,840
And Joe Rogan talks about this.
What is it?
170
00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:56,280
DCTDTCDCP whatever, The one that
you go on this wacky trip where
171
00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,560
you really find yourself and
you're in like outer space
172
00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:03,560
almost, right.
And he, yeah, he talks about
173
00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:07,160
that one and there's another one
and you know, I'm just like,
174
00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:10,000
yeah, you know, that whole thing
passed me by.
175
00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:14,720
You know it, Yeah.
I mean, now, you know, a glass,
176
00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,760
a glass or two of wine.
And I'm pretty much in the bag,
177
00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:20,480
so I don't need all that extra
help to find.
178
00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:23,440
My Yeah, I hear you.
I miss Billy Joel and the the
179
00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:27,760
Grammys last felt loud on Sunday
night, 'cause I fell asleep at
180
00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,640
the end.
I pooped out around 10:30 just
181
00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,560
when we went.
On I'm going to a thing in Miami
182
00:11:33,560 --> 00:11:36,680
tonight and you know, I'm in
Palm Beach, so it's it's like a
183
00:11:36,680 --> 00:11:38,680
two hour drive to get to this
place.
184
00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:45,040
It's at the Perez Art Museum and
yeah, and it's it's like 250
185
00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,640
tech people and investors and
stuff like that.
186
00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:51,280
It'll be a cool event and I.
I actually heard a buzz about
187
00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:53,400
something that was going on down
there.
188
00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:54,720
Bravo to you.
It's amazing.
189
00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,640
I'm speaking at it.
I'm speaking at this thing
190
00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,560
tonight.
So, so anyways, so I'm part of
191
00:12:00,560 --> 00:12:03,280
the in crowd in this little
group who's doing it.
192
00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,560
It's for a a software product
called Rome that is their
193
00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:09,800
official launch tonight.
And I've been a user all the way
194
00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,080
through beta.
My company has and we love it.
195
00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:16,480
And so they invited me to speak.
And so then today the CEO of the
196
00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:18,920
company said, hey, Marcel, we
want you to be part of our core
197
00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:20,960
team at a dinner after the
event.
198
00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,360
And I went, oh, OK, what time's
that at?
199
00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:24,640
And he said we've got
reservations.
200
00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:28,680
I forget which restaurant but
incredible restaurant at 9:30
201
00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,840
and I'm going, OK, wait, 930.
Finish dinner at 12.
202
00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:37,000
I'll be home at like 2215 and
I'm like, you know what?
203
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:40,960
I I really appreciate that and I
would love to do that, but I
204
00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:43,280
ain't going.
Sorry, I got to skip dinner.
205
00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:45,800
So.
And traffic down here has gotten
206
00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:47,800
whack a do.
I mean, we've known each other
207
00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:52,200
for a good long while and it was
way different when you live out
208
00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:53,800
West in Hollywood.
No, it's brutal.
209
00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:58,320
I honestly, I hate when I got to
go down to to Miami, but you
210
00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:00,480
know, this is a really, really
special event and it's going to
211
00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,040
be pretty cool.
So anyways, we got a lot to
212
00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:05,000
discuss so we can't chitchat so
much.
213
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:06,880
We got to get into the the meat
of this.
214
00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:11,400
First I want to tell you that I
actually, when I had a snack
215
00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,240
that I kind of called lunch, but
I was in such a hurry I just
216
00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:15,680
kind of threw stuff down my
throat.
217
00:13:15,680 --> 00:13:20,040
I listened to about 1/2 hour of
your podcast, Heartbeat of the
218
00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:25,880
Dance Floor and episode 12 with
Paul Gregory, Ken Billington and
219
00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,400
Militello.
And I forget the other guy's
220
00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:29,240
name.
I don't know him.
221
00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,600
Yeah I don't.
I have no knowledge of him.
222
00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,800
So.
But the other three I know.
223
00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:40,880
And you know, one funny thing is
that it was the longest
224
00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,400
introduction of guests that I've
ever heard on any podcast in my
225
00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:48,120
entire life.
Like you know, each guest got
226
00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,920
like a good five minute
introduction of everything and
227
00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:55,120
every award.
For brief resumes, I mean those
228
00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,200
guests have some very long
resumes.
229
00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,400
It was very thorough.
It was very thorough.
230
00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,040
I I'm sitting here like
shoveling lunch down and looking
231
00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,320
at my watch and going, come on
Marsha, get through the intro.
232
00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,160
I want to hear the stories.
But yeah, they got into, you
233
00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:12,560
know, Paul was talking about the
Saturday Night Fever dance floor
234
00:14:12,560 --> 00:14:17,920
and and yeah, I mean great bunch
of people and actually I don't
235
00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,840
recall, I remember listening to,
I think maybe your first or
236
00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,240
second one that you did, but
this one I watched on YouTube
237
00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,240
and I actually enjoyed it.
It was, it was fun.
238
00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,720
I hope you're still doing that.
I am.
239
00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:33,280
I'm working on one, but you know
being A1 girl band between the
240
00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:35,160
music stuff that I've been
doing.
241
00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:37,800
In fact, one of my music
productions just dropped today
242
00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,160
through a colleague that I've
been collaborating with, Sound
243
00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:43,480
Metaphors out of Berlin.
They're a record store and a
244
00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:46,480
streaming service and DJ and
whatnot.
245
00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,440
So that just dropped at about
12:30 this afternoon on their
246
00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:54,480
SoundCloud platform.
And I do have two so.
247
00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:57,720
That means, like micro pennies
in royalties, perhaps?
248
00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:03,360
There's no royalties involved.
Just like the rest of the music
249
00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:05,880
business.
Well, we're not selling
250
00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,040
anything, so there's no
royalties involved.
251
00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,640
That comes about when you're
actually exchanging hands
252
00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,120
financially, which I was at.
This point, I was just making a
253
00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:15,680
joke really, about how streaming
works these days.
254
00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:17,600
You know, God forbid there is
royalties.
255
00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:19,920
You know, it's you get like,
well, there are one one
256
00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,600
billionth of a penny every
listen or something.
257
00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,560
Well, it's it's sad.
It's gone with the wind.
258
00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:29,640
And you know, when I began my
life as an adult with career
259
00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:31,920
goals, it was to be a
songwriter.
260
00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:33,600
Yeah.
And producer.
261
00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:38,840
And as as a songwriter, those
royalties are important.
262
00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,480
So when I look at what goes on
now and what we just went
263
00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,160
through with the strike and all
the AI, there's righteous
264
00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,280
grounds for why some people are
in arms.
265
00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:51,000
I personally get pissed off when
I hear so much of the new music
266
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,480
that is sampling.
Other artists work, and I always
267
00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:58,080
wonder if those artists are
getting acknowledged much less
268
00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:02,600
100th of a penny on each play or
whatever.
269
00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:04,800
And then everybody gets pissed
off.
270
00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:06,080
When?
When?
271
00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:08,480
Which streaming service?
Was it there recently?
272
00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:12,720
I'm not much of A social media
person.
273
00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:14,960
Tiktok didn't they pull?
Didn't Universal pull its
274
00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:16,160
catalog recently?
I didn't.
275
00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:21,280
I I believe Universal pulled its
catalog off of Tiktok recently.
276
00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:24,520
Everybody was bitching and
moaning, but nobody realizes
277
00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,520
that none of those artists are
even getting a thousandth of a
278
00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,400
penny.
Yeah, no, I I know lots and lots
279
00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:33,400
different types of artists than
you do.
280
00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,080
Like, I know, I know rock
musicians mostly.
281
00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:41,880
And the royalties are so small.
I mean, like you might get an $8
282
00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:44,480
check every month or a $10 check
every.
283
00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:46,160
Month or something.
Royalty is different than a
284
00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,400
songwriter.
No, I mean songwriter royalties.
285
00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:50,040
I'm, I'm talking about
Songwriter Royal.
286
00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,480
It's just not so much money
unless you're getting Taylor
287
00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,000
Swift types of plays, you know?
Like exactly.
288
00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,440
And more.
You can supplement it with
289
00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:02,240
something like a live career or
record sales or whatever.
290
00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:06,319
And yes, the entire music
business is way different from
291
00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:09,000
when I worked for record
companies and promoters and was
292
00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:13,040
a music producer in the 70s.
Yeah, you know, then radio
293
00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,839
pushed your charts.
Then everybody was in arms
294
00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:20,800
because you had DJs who were
playing music in clubs like
295
00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:28,640
Studio 54 or like Bonds or or
Ice Palace and they were
296
00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:31,120
selling.
They all of a sudden had a $2
297
00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:33,720
billion in record sales and they
didn't know where it came from
298
00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:38,520
and it wasn't the radio.
Then radio said, oh, let's have
299
00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,400
a disco radio station.
Yeah, yeah.
300
00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:46,000
No, it's it's it's bizarre like
one time my son and I got into
301
00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:49,680
this conversation about you know
how the music business is
302
00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,520
different today cuz you know his
mother is from the music
303
00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,000
industry and she complaints to
him about it often I guess.
304
00:17:55,440 --> 00:18:00,360
But we talked about it one day
and and you know he he was just
305
00:18:00,360 --> 00:18:05,480
blown away by as kids like he's
19 now but anyone under 30 years
306
00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:08,760
old when you talk to them about
different things like it's funny
307
00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,880
last night with with my
girlfriend Karen and her family
308
00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:17,360
it was one of her son's birthday
and we we played Family Feud
309
00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:19,480
like a board game.
Family Feud.
310
00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:25,440
Not not on the TV or anything.
And the questions like, you
311
00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,640
know, you know, name.
I forget what the question was,
312
00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:32,480
but something about a top sitcom
on television or whatever.
313
00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,480
And they were naming like or no
shows that you would watch in
314
00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:39,600
reruns.
And Jeremy is saying How I Met
315
00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:43,760
your mother, 'cause that, like
for his generation, they watched
316
00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:45,000
that over and over and over
again.
317
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:46,960
He saw every episode, 10 times
or whatever.
318
00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:49,000
And you.
Know it was a little kid back
319
00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:49,800
then too?
Yeah.
320
00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,280
Right.
But it's those shows or newer
321
00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:54,480
that they're talking about.
And it was like all in the
322
00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,680
family.
I Love Lucy.
323
00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,600
And they're all going, what the
hell is that?
324
00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:02,800
What is all in the family?
And I'm like, oh, you have no
325
00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,480
idea.
And I grew up with Leave It to
326
00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,320
Beaver and Ozzy and Harry.
And if I really go back to some
327
00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:12,120
of my first impressions, Burns
and Allen and well, you.
328
00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,560
Know it's funny 'cause that was.
TV show The old The Lone Ranger.
329
00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:17,920
I used to love watching the.
Lone, you said leave it to
330
00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:20,320
Beaver.
But one of the questions was
331
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:24,160
like famous moms, dead or alive,
and one of it was whatever Judy
332
00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:25,480
Cleaver.
Is that what her name was?
333
00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:26,840
June.
Cleaver.
334
00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:30,280
June Cleaver, right.
And they're like, who the hell
335
00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:32,920
is June Cleaver?
And I'm just laughing, right?
336
00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:38,280
They have no idea 'cause if
you're under 50 or 45, at least,
337
00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,480
you know, So I mean, it reminds
us how old we are.
338
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,360
And with a name like that, they
probably associate it with a
339
00:19:44,360 --> 00:19:46,240
character in a Stephen King
novel.
340
00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:47,760
Something.
Yeah, Cleaver.
341
00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,840
Right, right.
Some kind of a slasher.
342
00:19:51,360 --> 00:19:55,880
Yeah.
No, it's funny, but so you know,
343
00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,680
getting into to your life, cuz
you know, it's funny.
344
00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,720
I looked at your bio and some of
this stuff I didn't even know,
345
00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:05,240
like I, you know, I know
basically that you got your
346
00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,520
start, I think, in the clubs,
right?
347
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,400
Well, I got my start in the
music business, which did segue
348
00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:17,120
into the clubs and how it did
was kind of weird.
349
00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:22,520
But one day I ended up with a
job doing lights in the clubs
350
00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:26,040
because I knew the music and the
lighting guy had a summer gig he
351
00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:30,120
needed to go to and needed a
replacement and said literally,
352
00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:32,560
you know the music, if you can
figure out the controls, you
353
00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:34,920
have a job for the summer.
Well on the controls was
354
00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:37,600
probably like a two scene.
Hit this button then hit this.
355
00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:39,040
Button.
No, it was light lab.
356
00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,120
It was like 4 light lab, you
know.
357
00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:43,760
Yeah, yeah. 16 channel
controller and a couple of four
358
00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:45,800
channel controllers and a mirror
ball and this.
359
00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:47,360
And you had spinners and
rotators.
360
00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,400
It was at New York NY John
Addison and Maurice Brahms Club.
361
00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:54,400
It was just before they opened
Bonds and I.
362
00:20:54,400 --> 00:21:00,200
Then I moved to Bonds and then
anyway, that's I started back in
363
00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:05,200
1980.
Summer of 79 saw the end of my
364
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,360
music production days because
the Joel Long sound kind of
365
00:21:08,360 --> 00:21:13,800
internally imploded due to a
bunch of what's that are not
366
00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,560
relevant to to today or the
story.
367
00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:20,840
But that said, you know, all the
albums on the top are the albums
368
00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:27,600
I produced back in back in 7879.
They're not all of them.
369
00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:28,920
They're just the ones that
charted.
370
00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:37,440
And the the company kind of
disbanded in 79.
371
00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,920
And in the fall of 79, I started
doing lights at a little club in
372
00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:42,720
the city.
And then in the spring I got
373
00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,400
this offer to fill in at New
York, NY.
374
00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,880
And there began my lighting
career in earnest, which went on
375
00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:52,000
until this day.
I just kind of, you know, and
376
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,400
I've got to compliment you
before we go any further because
377
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:58,520
when you started Happy Hour
during the pandemic, I would
378
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,080
just say I can't thank you
enough.
379
00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,800
It really saved me and I think a
whole lot of people out there
380
00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:08,840
who all of a sudden found
themselves isolated and it was
381
00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:10,640
such a wonderful thing.
You had something to look
382
00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:12,080
forward to.
You had friends you could
383
00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,720
commiserate with.
It's a little early in the day
384
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:17,320
for one.
I do have a glass of water for
385
00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,960
my dryness, but it was always a.
Wonderful.
386
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,280
I have dribbles of a cup of
coffee called coffee here so.
387
00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:25,840
Thank you so very, very much for
that.
388
00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:31,040
Hey, thank you for filling in
all the dead air when nobody
389
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:35,440
wanted to talk about anything.
Can always can always count on
390
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:38,240
you to to take over the dead air
there, Marsha.
391
00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:39,480
No.
It was fun.
392
00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:44,600
It was it was timely and fun.
But I want to go back to so I
393
00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,240
this is going to show my
ignorance of the early stage of
394
00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:52,080
nightclubs in New York City.
But I think at some point, as I
395
00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,680
recall, you had some sort of an
attachment to Studio 54.
396
00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:57,720
Was that just as a customer or
did you work?
397
00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,000
There.
No, I did.
398
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,920
I I had an attachment actually
through and this is kind of
399
00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,320
leading back to the pandemic.
A lot of people did a pivot.
400
00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:12,520
I think I made a circle because
that was in earnest a big turn
401
00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:14,960
that's bringing me back to music
and what I'm doing now.
402
00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:19,960
And the DJ Roy Thode, who I am
working earnestly on this legacy
403
00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:26,080
site with or for, he's dead.
So I guess it's for me and I.
404
00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:28,760
Hope it's not with him, because
that would be sorry.
405
00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:33,400
I hope it's not with him.
Well, it is spiritually, right?
406
00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,240
It's spiritually.
I feel Roy and have on right
407
00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:38,960
there ever since the day he
died.
408
00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:42,160
That said, I didn't.
Hear So he was the DJ he was the
409
00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:47,360
DJ at he was.
One of the original DJs at 54.
410
00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:51,000
There's another person whose
podcast is in the editing room
411
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:57,240
still, who preceded Roy as an
original hire at Studio 54,
412
00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,760
who's a dear friend of mine as
well, and I have many of his
413
00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:02,640
archives.
But all this music that I'm
414
00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:08,160
regurgitating, for lack of a
better term, our old analogue
415
00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:12,440
tapes Roy recorded I have over
well over 100 of the.
416
00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:13,800
Real.
So let me ask you something,
417
00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:15,280
these DJ.
Archives.
418
00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:18,280
So back to your question, I'm
sorry to be breathy, because you
419
00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:19,240
know, no.
No, no, it's OK.
420
00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:20,600
I want to ask you another
question though.
421
00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:22,840
The DJs.
Let me answer the first one.
422
00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:27,480
My Studio 54 had more to do with
him and music and my record
423
00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,960
promotion days.
I was recognized back then as a
424
00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,840
record company Rep, or a
publicist, or a producer, or
425
00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:36,840
someone who worked with the
Village People, or the Ritchie
426
00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:41,920
family, or for Ariola Records,
or XY and Z, as well as being
427
00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:45,040
one of Roy's inner circle and
coming in with him early or
428
00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:46,680
whatever.
And one night I did work there.
429
00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:48,440
I worked the coat check.
Huh.
430
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,480
One night it was probably.
A1 Night.
431
00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:52,760
Probably a memorable night
though.
432
00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:55,400
Marsha, if you're here, I need
help in the coat check.
433
00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:56,680
Are you mine?
I said no.
434
00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:58,320
Why not?
Was it memorable?
435
00:24:59,120 --> 00:25:02,920
It was, and I made a bundle in
tips way more than the paycheck.
436
00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:05,400
Who's the most famous person's
coat that you grabbed?
437
00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:12,560
Do you remember?
No, but remember Brian Keith
438
00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:16,000
from I think it was was that not
All in the family, it was the
439
00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:20,840
little kids show, TV show going
back to our childhood, I think
440
00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:22,640
Brian Keith.
I don't.
441
00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,240
Know was the father or the
adoptive father.
442
00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:29,280
You know, I've had a few passes
made by a couple of actors and
443
00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:32,640
that sort of stuff.
Liza Minnelli picked her up a
444
00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:38,000
couple of times off the
staircase, you know, oddball
445
00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,120
encounters.
Actually, a dear friend of mine
446
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:43,320
who I used to dance and party
with a lot.
447
00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:48,000
Esther Comitari at the time she
was a very famous model, did a
448
00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,720
lot of Vogue and Terry Muegler
and runway stuff.
449
00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:56,320
She is indeed an in earnest now,
the queen of Burundi.
450
00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:58,880
At that time her parents were
alive and she is a born
451
00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,960
Princess.
She is Queen Princess Esther
452
00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:04,680
Comitari.
Wow.
453
00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:08,880
So she might be the most famous
person, not that I ever worked
454
00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:10,840
with, but that I was friends
with.
455
00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:13,240
So did you spend a lot of time
at 54?
456
00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:17,480
Like, were you a regular?
Yeah, you could say.
457
00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,640
You could say so.
There was a circuit of clubs
458
00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:21,760
that you did on various nights
of the week.
459
00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:27,560
Paradise Garage typically was a
Friday night either depending on
460
00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,840
the time of year you were in the
city or you were on Fire Island.
461
00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:38,880
So you might have done Studio 54
on a Thursday, Paradise Garage
462
00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,320
on a Friday, or 12 W on a
Friday.
463
00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:45,680
You had in the winter time 12 W
Flamingo or Paradise Garage of
464
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:47,360
the private clubs to choose
from.
465
00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:50,680
Early when I first moved to the
city there was a place open
466
00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,880
called the Loft.
It preceded Paradise Garage by a
467
00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:57,320
guy named David Mancuso and if
you go back in some of the disco
468
00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:04,360
archives, he is a notable and I
was there a few times so clubs
469
00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:11,280
were a lot more the drill I.
Would say, yeah, but 54, was it
470
00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:13,880
like, did you know it was
something then?
471
00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:17,240
Or like did that notoriety
happen later?
472
00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,800
Like, in other words, no.
You you knew it.
473
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:21,280
You know.
When it was happening, it was
474
00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:22,600
like a really big.
Deal.
475
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:30,240
When it opened, it was kind of
the 1st of its kind in being a
476
00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:32,960
mega club.
The clubs that I went to prior
477
00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,720
to that were a lot more mundane,
a lot more sedate.
478
00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:40,240
La Mouche was very popular.
It was a private club, was down
479
00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:44,720
in Chelsea, but again, you're
talking smaller. 54 went out of
480
00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,440
its way to garner publicity.
Yeah.
481
00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:53,120
And that was something that
regimes used to do.
482
00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:56,400
So I would say when I moved to
the city and started going out
483
00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:02,200
in 1977, the club for
celebrities was Regimes and then
484
00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:07,160
54 opened in April of 77, and I
had just moved to New York in
485
00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:09,880
September of 76.
So yeah, I was right there at
486
00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:12,760
the beginning and the thick of
it and then boom.
487
00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:17,560
And then after that Xenon opened
and this opened and that opened
488
00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,920
and then so.
To get into these places, did
489
00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:23,720
did you have to know somebody to
get into these places?
490
00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:26,960
Like were you special to be able
to get in or were you like held
491
00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,320
behind velvet ropes or how did
that was that?
492
00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,880
Was there like a hierarchy or
something?
493
00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,640
Hard to answer that because so
many of the times I was over
494
00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:39,560
there on business or on a list
and I still.
495
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:40,560
Knew me?
Right.
496
00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:45,680
However, I will say this, some
clubs imitated 54 that had the
497
00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:48,800
stanchions in the list and I
could be there on a list and
498
00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:53,120
damn, both Steve and Mark knew
who I was in some days, hi,
499
00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:55,040
Marsha.
And other days they would just
500
00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:56,960
look right past me.
That's funny, you know?
501
00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:59,560
And it And yeah, and it would,
but that was the thing and that
502
00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:01,800
was the thing that 54 came known
for.
503
00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:04,520
So of course, other clubs
imitated it.
504
00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:07,600
You know.
But most places you'd go and
505
00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:09,560
there's a guy at the door that
they knew you.
506
00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:13,280
If you were a regular, yeah.
Or if it was a membership club,
507
00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:14,840
you know, you had your
credentials.
508
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:16,880
Or you'd go there and you'd say
I'm on the list.
509
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:22,120
Yeah, you know, when I, when I
first moved to the US and was
510
00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,760
working with Martin at the time
or their distributor Trackman, I
511
00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:28,640
remember my first trip to New
York and one of the dealers in
512
00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,640
New York, the lighting dealers,
not drug dealers, took me out,
513
00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:36,920
took me out to a club one night
and we had to go to the door
514
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,560
guy, you know, the infamous door
guy or whatever.
515
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:43,240
And here's me, this dumb
Canadian.
516
00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,880
No nothing.
Never been exposed to anything
517
00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:49,480
weird at all cuz I'm from a
little city in Canada and
518
00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:54,240
there's this like 7 foot tall
tranny dude guy girl.
519
00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:58,280
I don't remember how you call
it, but it's a male who looks
520
00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:04,080
like a very tall very big female
And and you know, yes, you know,
521
00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:07,200
what do you want?
And and like just really like,
522
00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:11,200
you know you don't belong here.
Mr. Kind of an attitude.
523
00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:12,680
Right.
And I was just like I was in
524
00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,240
fear like I didn't know what to
do, right.
525
00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:20,000
Like Oh my God, I don't know.
I went to all of them.
526
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:25,320
Like what year this would have
been 91 or early 92 maybe?
527
00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,360
I might have been Sound Factory.
I've been to Sound Factory a few
528
00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:31,560
times so it wouldn't have been
Sound Factory cuz I would have
529
00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,840
remembered that cuz I went there
with Derek Vasquez and.
530
00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:36,960
Those guys.
Right, Yeah.
531
00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:42,040
Yeah, Derek and I have worked
together since the old days.
532
00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:46,640
Yeah, in fact I have a few funny
old Dinosaur Geezer show and
533
00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,280
tell things here, but what I
didn't bring out of the old pin
534
00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:53,080
spots I have in the back that
are from Derek Custom lighting
535
00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,120
we did because we did special
events together.
536
00:30:56,560 --> 00:31:01,680
Yeah, well, I didn't meet most
of those guys until because when
537
00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:03,400
I was with Martin, we were the
dorks.
538
00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:06,840
Like we weren't the cool people
at all at at the big clubs or
539
00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:08,760
anything.
It was, it was high end at the
540
00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:11,080
time.
Well, it wasn't even high end
541
00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:14,600
yet in the early 90s.
High end sort of mid 90s.
542
00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,520
Got to be the real in thing,
right, with the intelibeams and
543
00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:21,760
all that stuff, but.
They were around the 80s
544
00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:23,440
intelibeams.
No.
545
00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:27,040
Yeah, I surely was.
Well, yeah, Intellibeams, I
546
00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,280
would say early 90s, ninety two,
I think.
547
00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:32,600
Intellibeam is a mirrored light.
We'll have to, we'll have to
548
00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:35,040
come back to this.
We'll have to come back to this.
549
00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:40,960
I think the Intellibeam would be
about 92 or maybe even 9394 like
550
00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:44,480
it was a bit later.
Whatever the fixture was, there
551
00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:46,240
were mirrored.
Golden scans.
552
00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:50,080
In the clubs at the time, yeah.
And the only and and I know this
553
00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:53,360
because I was a barrel light
snob, I was a Vera light snob
554
00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:58,400
and I stopped working in the
clubs in like 9091.
555
00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:02,160
It was that that year was the
end of my club days and went
556
00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:06,240
earnest into special events
until the mid 90s and I was a
557
00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:08,440
Vera light head.
Yeah, well, the.
558
00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:11,320
Snobbery.
The earliest we had a head that
559
00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:14,880
moved and everybody else had
mirrored lights, wiggle lights,
560
00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:16,760
and that's all that was around.
And it was.
561
00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,440
We couldn't buy them.
Yeah, Miami, Martin proliferated
562
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:24,000
the market absolutely, Marcel,
right through the mid 90s.
563
00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:28,360
Yeah, In the earliest days it
was Comar with the robots and
564
00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:32,320
Clay Paki with the golden scans
and super scans and all of that
565
00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:34,760
stuff that were sort of the
earliest lights.
566
00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:36,240
So it was probably Clay Paki
stuff.
567
00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,400
I would guess that you're
talking about that.
568
00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:41,400
Was so pre day?
Yeah, if it had a mirror, I
569
00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:44,360
wasn't interested.
Yeah, sorry.
570
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,800
Yeah, yeah, it doesn't matter.
Didn't change my life.
571
00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:48,680
I did.
OK.
572
00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:53,560
No, we met.
We met when you were at Martin
573
00:32:53,560 --> 00:33:00,120
in Florida, Martin Tracoman way
back and it was in the 90s and I
574
00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:03,360
think it was in the mid to late
90s because it was around the
575
00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:06,880
time that I did the bridge into
architectural lighting.
576
00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:13,320
I believe that it was when I was
at high end and I worked with
577
00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:16,800
you on one of the FAO Schwartz
jobs, if you.
578
00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,520
Worked on FAO then.
It definitely was, which was.
579
00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:24,600
Right around that time, it was.
9097 probably. 9697 cause the
580
00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:26,960
club debuted.
In fact, I was just wearing.
581
00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,480
Funny you should say that.
I was just wearing the T the
582
00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:32,720
other day.
The T-shirt from the opening,
583
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:37,720
the preview of the the FAO
Schwarz.
584
00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,440
Yeah.
Yeah, no, that was a cool job.
585
00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:45,080
Those the, you know, honestly,
like you probably deserve some
586
00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:49,800
credit for being one of the, at
least from my knowledge, one of
587
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:54,760
the earliest designers to
incorporate automated lighting
588
00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:58,960
into like architectural retail
environments.
589
00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:02,520
And you know, I I remember
working with you on NBAFAO
590
00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:06,320
Schwarz probably.
One of the luckiest because for
591
00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:11,080
FAO Schwarz I was stupid enough
to use a beta version of the
592
00:34:11,159 --> 00:34:16,480
high end colors and and nobody
uses beta versions in a
593
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,400
permanent installation.
But somebody who is that naive
594
00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:23,440
and I was really lucky and I
will commend high end, we had an
595
00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:27,920
incredible support system and
FAO Schwarz also had an
596
00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:30,280
incredible technical team
because of all the other
597
00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:32,639
automation and technology that
was there.
598
00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:37,239
So we were able to take their
automation guy, send him down to
599
00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:41,360
Austin, train him and get him
set so that he could handle a
600
00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:45,320
lot of the regular maintenance
on the high end system and and
601
00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:48,360
you know, so it was a great team
effort.
602
00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:52,840
I must say our Yeah, and kudos
to high end for taking the
603
00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:55,639
gamble with me, because no one
else had ever done that before,
604
00:34:55,679 --> 00:34:56,800
so.
No, I mean, it was.
605
00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:00,280
A cool project I.
I think I got involved a little
606
00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:02,960
later.
Like I I think you were already
607
00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:06,040
underway when I started with
High end and and I kind of got
608
00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:10,080
thrown into the loop and it was
a really cool project.
609
00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:13,000
And I just remember, wow, you
know, I've never seen anybody
610
00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:15,240
use all these moving lights on a
job like this.
611
00:35:15,240 --> 00:35:19,080
And when you speak of being
crazy to use beta stuff at that
612
00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:22,280
time everything was beta stuff.
At that time.
613
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:26,640
We were moving so fast and
creating things so quickly that
614
00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:30,520
almost every light, like you
know, I talked to to lighting
615
00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:32,520
people now like the kids these
days.
616
00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:37,040
Everything is so good right now.
Like even whether it's American
617
00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:42,480
DJ or it's, you know, High End
or Robe or Ayrton or Chauvet,
618
00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,560
all of it is really, really good
stuff right now.
619
00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:51,040
And back then it wasn't, I mean
even production, production
620
00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:53,880
stuff that we were selling
especially at Martin, but high
621
00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:57,320
end as well was buggy.
And you know, I don't know if
622
00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:01,600
you remember the the days at
high end when when there was
623
00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,680
like, I don't remember the exact
rule, but I think it was when
624
00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:08,760
there was either a problem with
a fixture beyond a certain
625
00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:13,400
whatever scope or the same
problem happened more than a few
626
00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:16,480
times or whatever.
Richard Bellevue would close the
627
00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:18,320
entire production of that
fixture.
628
00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:21,120
He'd shut down production until
they found a fix for it.
629
00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:23,760
And you've?
Got You could be a little
630
00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:26,880
obsessive when it came to that
and and and you're right it was
631
00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:27,920
new, but that was.
Cool.
632
00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:30,000
He really knew what they were
doing.
633
00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:34,760
Yeah, yeah, no, it was it, it
was it was a fun time.
634
00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:39,920
Like, I'm I'm so proud and happy
to have been there at the
635
00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:43,480
forefront of for sale automated
lighting.
636
00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:47,880
You know, like I wasn't at the
forefront of Vera Light, but the
637
00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,040
stuff that was actually being
sold, I was.
638
00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:53,520
I was one of the early guys in
involved in that industry with
639
00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,280
Martin at the time.
And it was fun.
640
00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:01,240
It was fun.
And and I too, share gratitude.
641
00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:06,320
And I'm grateful that I was
lucky enough to be at the right
642
00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:11,760
place at the right time and with
enough aptitude and talent to
643
00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:14,840
make something out of it.
Because certainly being thrown
644
00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:16,840
in the pot doesn't mean you're
going to be able to swim in the
645
00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:18,680
water.
Yeah, well, you know what
646
00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:20,400
though?
You're it's funny you say at the
647
00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,880
right place at the right time.
If I was to define your career,
648
00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:27,280
you know, to me, you're Marsha
at the right place at the right
649
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:31,000
time, Stern, because you've been
at the right place at the right
650
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,080
time about 100 times in your
career.
651
00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:36,480
You, you keep falling backwards
into these incredible
652
00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:38,240
opportunities.
And I mean, you're earning your
653
00:37:38,240 --> 00:37:41,440
way in.
You're like nobody works a trade
654
00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:43,320
show like Marsha works a trade
show.
655
00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:47,200
You know, you talk to everybody.
You talk to everybody at length.
656
00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:51,800
You know you you are out from
the morning till the night and
657
00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:54,960
and you hit 1000 conversations
in between those times.
658
00:37:55,480 --> 00:37:59,480
And that's what you got to do to
to forge ahead in this industry
659
00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:03,080
and to create A to create a life
for yourself in this industry.
660
00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:05,400
Otherwise, you know you're not
employed for very long.
661
00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:11,200
Well, and you know, as someone
who was, is not at the trade
662
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:16,520
show seeking employment, but
rather going there to to be a
663
00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:21,960
part of something that's bigger
than me, like one of the
664
00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:25,400
proudest achievements that I've
ever done with you, Mr.
665
00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:27,600
Fairbairn, I have a little show
and tell.
666
00:38:28,240 --> 00:38:29,280
Are we make?
Sense.
667
00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:33,440
I mean, that was amazing.
That was a cohesiveness.
668
00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:37,520
That was, you know, as spiritual
as it was.
669
00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:42,240
As it was exuberant, I mean it
just gave you an energy and and
670
00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:46,520
we all sprang into and it showed
me what a community is and was
671
00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:48,400
and does and that's so much of
entertainment.
672
00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:52,240
And I don't say this in a
negative way, I just say this as
673
00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:56,240
an observer.
I spent a good number of years
674
00:38:56,240 --> 00:38:58,600
working in the entertainment
nightclub world.
675
00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:02,000
I transitioned to the
architectural world based on the
676
00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:06,240
luck I had being one of the few
people in 95 that had extensive
677
00:39:06,240 --> 00:39:12,680
experience both running,
operating, designing and fixing
678
00:39:12,720 --> 00:39:15,440
Vera lights because I was
trained and I used to do the
679
00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:21,680
repair at Palladium also after
Dexter left to know that when we
680
00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:24,600
met and I was starting in
architecture, to be at the cusp
681
00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:29,240
of something like that was just
amazing and to be vertical and
682
00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:32,680
lucid now to be able to talk.
About it is pretty cool.
683
00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,560
Too and in some ways it's kind
of led into this whole
684
00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:40,360
historical path that I'm on,
which is recent and it brought
685
00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:44,000
about a lot and the pandemic
kind of made me re evaluate.
686
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:47,800
So when I look at the historical
perspective, when I look at the
687
00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:52,400
work, the the projections, now
it's more about the contacts,
688
00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:57,960
the the the comrade or ship that
I have with the various people
689
00:39:57,960 --> 00:39:59,800
that I love to see.
I'm sorry I missed this,
690
00:39:59,880 --> 00:40:01,160
Giselle.
The look like a.
691
00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:02,840
No, I didn't go either.
I didn't go either.
692
00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:05,760
My first one in God knows I
don't even remember.
693
00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:08,000
Yeah, it looked like we missed
the good one, kiddo.
694
00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:11,160
You know, you know going back
again to the sort of beginning
695
00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:16,520
of time with with whether it's
Studio 54 or any of these other
696
00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:21,480
you know, New York, NY or or
Bond or whatever The Saint, I
697
00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:26,760
know you were there as well.
First, females who run lights
698
00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:30,480
and be on the marquee.
Interesting, cool.
699
00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:35,840
But going back so one thing it
seems to me at least, and you
700
00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:39,640
can correct me if I'm way wrong
on this, but people who worked
701
00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:44,080
either in sound or lighting or
design at those early clubs went
702
00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:46,520
on to incredible careers in our
industry.
703
00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:51,040
And I'm guessing DJs probably
went on to become producers of
704
00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:55,680
of incredible, you know, hit
albums or something, you know,
705
00:40:55,680 --> 00:41:00,440
but even like Paul Gregory and
and Billington and Zay Moore and
706
00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:02,880
some of these guys who were
involved in some of those early
707
00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:05,960
projects.
Well, Billington already had a
708
00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:10,240
very successful Broadway career
and was hired by Jimmy Mary, who
709
00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:14,520
opened The Red Parrot to do a
Broadway lighting set up.
710
00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:20,640
We had we were the first disco,
if you will, in Manhattan in
711
00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:23,080
anywhere in the world that I
know of that had a computerized
712
00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:26,240
lighting system.
We who it opened, we the Red
713
00:41:26,240 --> 00:41:27,880
Parrot.
Oh, so you were there as?
714
00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:31,840
Well, I worked there as well,
but when it opened in I think
715
00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:37,080
New Year's Eve of 1980, if I'm
not mistaken, it, it opened with
716
00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:40,480
a live sound stage.
And they also had a swing band
717
00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:42,160
orchestra, the Red Parrot
Orchestra.
718
00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:47,720
And so they would have two show,
two or three shows with the Red
719
00:41:47,720 --> 00:41:52,720
Parrot orchestra doing swing
music in between, the disco DJ
720
00:41:52,720 --> 00:41:56,800
playing the hits of the day.
And we had video screens.
721
00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:00,560
It was a Kliegel Brothers,
Kliegel Gold Performer 2.
722
00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:04,200
That was our lighting console.
We had full sound, audio,
723
00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:06,640
soundstage.
It was amazing.
724
00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:10,600
And Ken came in, Ken and Jason
excuse me, Cantro is came in as
725
00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:14,520
Broadway designers and put a
completely new twist on it.
726
00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:19,360
Paul Gregory, on the other hand,
designed and fabricated through
727
00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:25,400
his company at the Time Light
Lab, the dance floor for the
728
00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:28,120
movie Saturday Night Fever,
which was 77.
729
00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:31,120
So that was three years prior.
And if if people want to hear
730
00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:34,120
about that, they can go to your
heartbeat of the dance or
731
00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,720
podcast episode 12 that I was
just listening to.
732
00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:39,640
He was just starting to talk
about it.
733
00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:42,720
But it was funny because he said
I I fabricated this thing and
734
00:42:42,720 --> 00:42:46,160
put it on the roof of my station
wagon and drove from Chicago to
735
00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:48,720
New York.
I mean, I was like, what?
736
00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:52,440
You know, that's insane.
You know, one of the most iconic
737
00:42:52,680 --> 00:42:54,640
nightclub movies ever?
Probably or.
738
00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:57,280
Dance.
I can mention a DJ who has an
739
00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:00,720
incredible career.
Today, two shows on SiriusXM.
740
00:43:00,720 --> 00:43:04,760
Many of your listeners may know.
Robbie Leslie, He has a show on
741
00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:06,520
Friday nights.
Robbie Leslie presents.
742
00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:10,680
He does a show on Andy Cohen
station, Kiki Radio.
743
00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:15,960
It's on Thursday nights.
He stems from those early days.
744
00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:19,640
Very sadly, we lost many of the
artists who just aren't with us
745
00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:23,040
and aren't around anymore that
were an integral force in the
746
00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:25,520
70s.
It was a hard lifestyle.
747
00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:28,520
I mean, it's, you know, it's not
an easy lifestyle to live
748
00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:31,720
through into your 80s or 90s or
whatever, you know?
749
00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:34,480
We're not that old, Marcel.
No, no.
750
00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:38,440
But I'm saying, I'm saying like.
80S or 90s is pushing it.
751
00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:42,880
However, sadly, AIDS, AIDS
incredible chunk aids.
752
00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:46,400
Was a big one.
Population in the mid to late
753
00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:52,160
80s and of that you lost many
artists of all ilks, whether
754
00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:53,440
they were.
Musicians magic.
755
00:43:53,720 --> 00:43:57,880
Designers or shows or whatever.
And so that's where a lot went
756
00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:02,600
and a lot went to drug overdoses
and a lot went to XY's and Z's,
757
00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:05,840
you know, And he kind of wonder
what music would Larry Levan be
758
00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:07,560
playing today?
I mean, he was the heart and
759
00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:09,720
soul of Paradise Garage,
probably one of the most
760
00:44:09,720 --> 00:44:12,040
infamous clubs to ever come out
of New York City.
761
00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:15,560
And a place where I did my first
installation.
762
00:44:15,560 --> 00:44:19,840
I learned not only how to put an
Edison plug on a park in, but
763
00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:23,640
what an Edison plug was that
day, my first day on the job.
764
00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:25,720
And you know who my crew chief
was?
765
00:44:25,720 --> 00:44:27,920
A lighting designer?
Joe Zamor.
766
00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:28,840
Oh.
Funny.
767
00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:32,640
That's where Joe and I met back
in 1980.
768
00:44:32,640 --> 00:44:34,160
Oh.
That's wild.
769
00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:39,080
And and a lighting designer
whose award is on the wall.
770
00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:40,960
It was given to me when the Red
Parrot closed.
771
00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:44,240
It's a Lumen award that is, you
know, is an architectural
772
00:44:44,240 --> 00:44:46,320
lighting design award.
But it was awarded to the Ice
773
00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:50,320
Palace 57 and the owner, Jimmy
Murray, who was the same owner
774
00:44:50,320 --> 00:44:52,800
as the Red Parrot and the
lighting designer was a guy by
775
00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:56,240
the name of Chris Harms and that
was a light Lab installation,
776
00:44:56,240 --> 00:45:00,280
which was a Paul Gregory
installation among many others.
777
00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:04,640
So, you know, sadly, so many of
those people, yes, I wonder
778
00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:06,680
where they would be, what their
music would be.
779
00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:11,320
Artists DJ is like a Jim Burgess
who had an opera background.
780
00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:15,400
I mean, we used to hang out.
He'd freaking sing opera Arias.
781
00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:19,160
I mean, it was amazing, amazing.
You wonder what they would be
782
00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:22,040
doing now, given all the
creative tools that people have
783
00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:25,560
at their disposal that they
didn't have back then, you know?
784
00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:28,400
So let me ask you this though,
did your like when?
785
00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:31,080
So you came from South Florida,
right?
786
00:45:32,120 --> 00:45:35,440
Born and raised, Sir.
So you you had a pretty normal
787
00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:39,040
upbringing, you know, normal
parents, normal family and
788
00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:39,920
everything else, right?
I.
789
00:45:41,120 --> 00:45:47,240
I I guess they were right.
I came from a very loving home.
790
00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:53,440
I had as normal a childhood as I
suppose anyone could want.
791
00:45:53,440 --> 00:45:56,680
We lived in a lovely suburban
neighborhood that at the time I
792
00:45:56,680 --> 00:45:59,280
was born was brand new in North
Miami.
793
00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:02,600
I went to North Miami Junior
High and Senior High and had a
794
00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:06,920
prom and was involved and and
went to our our Junior and
795
00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:08,440
senior prom.
We're at the Fountain Blue
796
00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:09,840
Hotel.
That's wild.
797
00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:12,200
What I'm getting at though.
Marsha is where did it all go
798
00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:14,040
wrong?
You know, how the hell did you
799
00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:15,160
end up on this?
I.
800
00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:17,960
Moved to New York.
Club scene in New York.
801
00:46:18,280 --> 00:46:18,880
What?
Do you think?
802
00:46:19,600 --> 00:46:22,480
No, but did your parents think,
What the heck are you doing,
803
00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:24,480
Marsha?
You're in these nightclubs,
804
00:46:24,480 --> 00:46:28,320
working all hours of the night
in these crazy places I am.
805
00:46:28,520 --> 00:46:35,480
Quite certain that my mother was
not pleased, but I was grateful
806
00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:39,680
that they both gave me the grace
to live my life and they
807
00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:42,840
accepted it even though they may
not have understood it.
808
00:46:44,440 --> 00:46:51,160
I I remember and and I also look
leaving Florida when I had a
809
00:46:51,160 --> 00:46:54,840
really good job at the age of
you know, 920 years old.
810
00:46:54,840 --> 00:47:03,000
I was making in 1975 like 20 to
30 grand a year and on the pace
811
00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:06,880
to double it annually.
That was not that was stay 2-3
812
00:47:06,880 --> 00:47:10,040
more years and move to New York
with 100 grand in your pocket
813
00:47:10,040 --> 00:47:11,840
was what the smart person would
have done.
814
00:47:11,840 --> 00:47:15,120
But Marcia didn't do that.
Marcia needed to do what she
815
00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:16,960
needed to do and follow her
heart.
816
00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:19,680
And, you know, my parents are
Holocaust survivors.
817
00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:24,120
And so they had to leave their
home in Vienna at the ages of 18
818
00:47:24,120 --> 00:47:29,640
and 19 respectively.
And I presented it to my mother
819
00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:32,200
in a way that I thought she
would understand.
820
00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:36,840
And that was that she didn't
have the opportunity to make the
821
00:47:36,840 --> 00:47:39,440
choice on how she was going to
become an adult.
822
00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:45,800
I was fortunate enough to have a
choice to make, and this was the
823
00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:49,280
choice I was going to do.
And I did it knowing I had a
824
00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:53,000
safety net to come back to.
And I don't think that I would
825
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:56,880
have moved to New York at the
ripe old age of not quite 22 if
826
00:47:56,880 --> 00:48:00,840
I didn't have a safe home
environment to come to.
827
00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:03,960
And I think that was a huge part
of what gave me the confidence
828
00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:07,400
to do things that I probably
shouldn't have done and go
829
00:48:07,400 --> 00:48:11,240
places I probably shouldn't have
gone and explore things that
830
00:48:11,240 --> 00:48:14,320
maybe I shouldn't have gone.
But I think now that I look back
831
00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:19,080
on it, I'm glad I had the balls.
Yeah, well, here's.
832
00:48:19,080 --> 00:48:21,920
The thing though, like I, you
know, it's going to sound
833
00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:22,960
sexist.
It's not.
834
00:48:23,360 --> 00:48:26,840
You know, I did AI took a
similar route in that I went out
835
00:48:26,840 --> 00:48:29,440
on the road as a musician much
younger than 22.
836
00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:36,280
I was, I think I was 16 or 17
with a fake ID because you had
837
00:48:36,280 --> 00:48:39,160
to be 18 in Canada to play in
the bars and stuff.
838
00:48:39,720 --> 00:48:44,920
And you know, my mom, just my
dad was dead when I was four and
839
00:48:44,920 --> 00:48:47,000
my stepdad was already out of
the picture by then.
840
00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:49,600
So my mom just said, hey, look,
you know, that's what you want
841
00:48:49,600 --> 00:48:51,000
to do.
I support you, you know,
842
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:57,600
whatever you want.
And but I was a guy and so, you
843
00:48:57,600 --> 00:49:00,160
know, I I always think it's
different for a daughter.
844
00:49:00,160 --> 00:49:01,880
And you were an only child too,
weren't you?
845
00:49:02,520 --> 00:49:05,240
I yeah, up to this day, I'm
still an only child.
846
00:49:05,360 --> 00:49:10,920
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And and I, you know, before I
847
00:49:10,920 --> 00:49:14,920
got the cojones to stop
everything and do what I wanted
848
00:49:14,920 --> 00:49:18,000
to do and then move to New York,
you know, I did the things you
849
00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:21,160
were supposed to do.
I went to college, you know,
850
00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:23,640
they transferred to a nice
dental hygiene school.
851
00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:27,360
And I had nice jobs and medical
offices were a nice young woman
852
00:49:27,360 --> 00:49:30,520
at the age of 19 or 20 could
earn a good living in yada, yada
853
00:49:30,520 --> 00:49:32,800
and yada, yada.
And you know, and then it was
854
00:49:32,800 --> 00:49:38,040
like one day I just said I don't
think I could do this anymore.
855
00:49:38,520 --> 00:49:40,440
Yeah, yeah.
You know, it's funny.
856
00:49:40,440 --> 00:49:44,840
When I was looking at your, your
info that you sent over, I saw,
857
00:49:44,880 --> 00:49:48,680
you know, went to college for
dental hygiene and you know,
858
00:49:48,680 --> 00:49:51,840
then my first job, you know,
whatever, not first job.
859
00:49:51,880 --> 00:49:55,640
But yeah, now I'm now I'm now
I'm in a nightclub in New York.
860
00:49:55,640 --> 00:49:59,960
And I'm like, so you went to
school for dental hygiene so
861
00:49:59,960 --> 00:50:02,520
that you could be a tech in a
nightclub, you know?
862
00:50:02,520 --> 00:50:05,520
I mean, these are just the paths
we take sometimes, right?
863
00:50:05,960 --> 00:50:09,320
Well, not for nothing.
When I moved to New York, one of
864
00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:13,400
my early jobs that supported me
while I was looking for a job in
865
00:50:13,400 --> 00:50:17,240
the music business was as an
assistant in a dentist office.
866
00:50:17,480 --> 00:50:19,920
An endodontist office, to be
particular.
867
00:50:20,160 --> 00:50:23,600
Interesting.
And they knew I was looking for
868
00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:27,200
work.
And as soon as I secured the job
869
00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:30,160
as a publicist with the Howard
Bloom organization, which was
870
00:50:30,160 --> 00:50:34,560
like in Jed, right after the New
Year in 77, that that was it, It
871
00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:39,040
was a goodbye and Be friends and
Barry Moosie Kant the Dent, the
872
00:50:39,040 --> 00:50:42,960
endodontist, performed a couple
of my root canals and my dentist
873
00:50:42,960 --> 00:50:45,240
for 40 years.
I met through that building.
874
00:50:45,240 --> 00:50:48,320
And you know, it's funny where
life takes you.
875
00:50:48,360 --> 00:50:51,920
And and lucky that I had enough
of a skill set in that arena.
876
00:50:52,280 --> 00:50:54,680
Yeah.
The earn a living when I had
877
00:50:54,720 --> 00:50:57,280
just moved to New York.
The only other dental person I
878
00:50:57,280 --> 00:51:01,080
knew in the nightclub business
was Tim.
879
00:51:01,320 --> 00:51:04,680
What's his last name?
Tim, who owned Tantra in Miami
880
00:51:04,680 --> 00:51:07,080
Beach and some other places as
well.
881
00:51:07,080 --> 00:51:09,160
He owns some clubs and
restaurants and stuff.
882
00:51:09,960 --> 00:51:11,920
Tim.
I can't remember his damn last
883
00:51:11,920 --> 00:51:15,320
name, but he was a dentist
during the day and like at night
884
00:51:15,320 --> 00:51:19,960
you'd see, you know, him and his
wife doing crazy things on poles
885
00:51:19,960 --> 00:51:22,960
in his restaurants and or in his
nightclubs or whatever, right?
886
00:51:23,040 --> 00:51:27,360
It's like what is going on here?
But a really cool guy.
887
00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:32,360
But, you know, seeing him in the
nightclub at night made me never
888
00:51:32,360 --> 00:51:35,880
want to be under, you know, a
light with him with knives and
889
00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:42,560
stuff in my mouth in the
morning, you know, No, thank
890
00:51:42,560 --> 00:51:43,720
you.
Yeah.
891
00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:46,920
Maybe just give me some of that
stuff you took last night and I
892
00:51:46,920 --> 00:51:49,120
won't feel a thing.
Yeah.
893
00:51:49,760 --> 00:51:52,680
Well, you know, yeah.
And you have to kind of have
894
00:51:52,680 --> 00:51:56,840
your wits about you if you're on
the other end of, you know, even
895
00:51:56,840 --> 00:51:59,320
what we do.
I mean, working in a nightclub
896
00:51:59,320 --> 00:52:02,760
and being the person who is
responsible for making the party
897
00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:05,480
is a little bit different than
being the rigor on the job that
898
00:52:05,480 --> 00:52:08,520
does the sets and the staging
the day before.
899
00:52:08,880 --> 00:52:12,360
Yeah, yeah.
So how did you, how, and maybe
900
00:52:12,360 --> 00:52:14,680
even why?
Like what made you decide or
901
00:52:14,680 --> 00:52:18,280
whatever?
But was it like a really natural
902
00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:22,240
sort of transition from being a
club lighting person to being
903
00:52:22,440 --> 00:52:25,640
more of an architectural or
architectainment or
904
00:52:25,840 --> 00:52:29,000
architectural retail or whatever
you want to call it, but a a
905
00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:31,640
more sophisticated lighting
person?
906
00:52:32,640 --> 00:52:36,680
Or like were you following the
path of maybe a Paul Gregory or
907
00:52:36,680 --> 00:52:41,320
or someone along those lines?
I was not following anyone
908
00:52:41,320 --> 00:52:45,920
else's path, but again, it was
luck and circumstances that led
909
00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:50,680
me where I needed to be.
At the time in the 90s, post
910
00:52:50,680 --> 00:52:55,400
Palladium, I was working with
Robert Isabelle Incorporated.
911
00:52:55,400 --> 00:52:59,080
We were doing massive special
events again.
912
00:52:59,080 --> 00:53:01,520
I was continuing as a Vera Light
head.
913
00:53:01,520 --> 00:53:07,080
Van Coe was our supplier in New
York, Teddy van Brahmel's
914
00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:13,040
company, and we were the largest
renter of Vera lights in the
915
00:53:13,040 --> 00:53:17,200
Northeast, if that gives you any
idea beyond tours, beyond all
916
00:53:17,200 --> 00:53:19,280
kinds of stuff.
And you couldn't buy a Vera
917
00:53:19,280 --> 00:53:26,080
light in 1990 or 91 or 95.
And that was where I got my
918
00:53:26,080 --> 00:53:31,600
bread and butter doing doing
these mega mega events and
919
00:53:31,600 --> 00:53:34,000
working on my own special
events.
920
00:53:34,000 --> 00:53:36,640
I did a lot of my own special
events where I did a lot of work
921
00:53:36,640 --> 00:53:39,680
as I mentioned with Derek
Vasquez and his company Custom
922
00:53:39,680 --> 00:53:43,200
Lighting.
And I had a ski accident and I
923
00:53:43,200 --> 00:53:47,160
blew my knee out.
And when I blew my knee out,
924
00:53:47,160 --> 00:53:51,720
that kind of put the kibosh on
climbing ladders and running
925
00:53:51,720 --> 00:53:56,920
around like a lunatic and doing
all these events and post during
926
00:53:56,920 --> 00:54:01,440
not long rehab, but post initial
rehab as I'm ready now to go
927
00:54:01,440 --> 00:54:03,560
back to work.
And what the blank am I doing?
928
00:54:03,560 --> 00:54:07,240
Because now what I was doing, it
doesn't really make sense right
929
00:54:07,240 --> 00:54:12,440
now since I'm still on the on
the mend was an ad in the Times
930
00:54:12,680 --> 00:54:16,040
from an architectural lighting
design firm called Johnson
931
00:54:16,040 --> 00:54:19,360
Schwinghamer.
And I happened to answer it and
932
00:54:19,360 --> 00:54:22,280
Johnson Schwinghamer was looking
for a designer they were
933
00:54:22,280 --> 00:54:24,960
interviewing.
Turned out they had a new
934
00:54:24,960 --> 00:54:27,080
project, which is why they
wanted a designer.
935
00:54:27,080 --> 00:54:29,560
That was FAO Schwarz in Las
Vegas.
936
00:54:29,880 --> 00:54:33,240
I presented the idea of doing
this all with automated
937
00:54:33,240 --> 00:54:35,680
lighting, something that had
never been done before.
938
00:54:36,080 --> 00:54:39,480
Both Clark Johnson and Bill
Schwinghammer loved it.
939
00:54:39,520 --> 00:54:42,320
It was more of a bill project
than well, the two of them
940
00:54:42,320 --> 00:54:45,000
worked together on that, but FAO
ended up being a little more of
941
00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:49,320
a bill client.
But be that as it may, that was
942
00:54:49,320 --> 00:54:51,080
how I segwayed into
architecture.
943
00:54:51,080 --> 00:54:52,440
Lucky.
Interesting.
944
00:54:53,080 --> 00:54:58,160
Fucking lucky.
No, but why, what, what made you
945
00:54:58,160 --> 00:55:04,000
think that going all automated
on a job like that in retail,
946
00:55:04,200 --> 00:55:08,480
your first basically foray into
architectural lighting.
947
00:55:09,200 --> 00:55:13,920
I mean, if you look back, that
was pretty friggin brave, you
948
00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:18,280
know, it was pretty.
Palsy There were 3-4 aspects of
949
00:55:18,280 --> 00:55:22,440
the store that I was involved
with, with my special lighting
950
00:55:22,440 --> 00:55:25,480
segment and it had its own
heading and its own section in
951
00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:28,360
the contract and blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah, you know,
952
00:55:28,360 --> 00:55:31,880
in its own drawings and whatnot.
And one aspect, the main aspect
953
00:55:31,880 --> 00:55:34,920
was the Trojan horse, which was
this like 65 foot animated
954
00:55:34,920 --> 00:55:36,840
Trojan horse that was at the
entrance.
955
00:55:37,160 --> 00:55:41,000
It was the FAO Schwarz shops at
Caesars Forum Shops in Las
956
00:55:41,000 --> 00:55:47,040
Vegas, and that was an animated
attraction and they had a
957
00:55:47,040 --> 00:55:51,440
soundtrack and a show that was
going to be repeated like every
958
00:55:51,440 --> 00:55:55,560
15 or 20 minutes throughout with
the animation and a whole
959
00:55:55,560 --> 00:55:58,560
thingama do.
And they needed an intermission,
960
00:55:58,560 --> 00:56:03,800
if you will.
And I thought that was a great
961
00:56:03,800 --> 00:56:07,840
opportunity to introduce moving
light whether the fixtures and
962
00:56:07,840 --> 00:56:12,640
the the lights themselves moved
as they did in the animation or
963
00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:16,400
if it was a stagnant with color
very slowly.
964
00:56:16,400 --> 00:56:19,440
And actually the in between
looks that I did my program was
965
00:56:19,440 --> 00:56:22,480
Brad Schiller.
And we spent an entire night in
966
00:56:22,480 --> 00:56:26,960
the store programming the in
between sections so that we had
967
00:56:26,960 --> 00:56:31,680
maybe a four hour uninterrupted
loop that would run, that would
968
00:56:31,680 --> 00:56:35,760
pause every time there was an
animated show that was a pre
969
00:56:35,760 --> 00:56:39,840
recorded segment that would
repeat so that our show didn't
970
00:56:39,840 --> 00:56:43,400
repeat so it didn't look like
every time the ceiling turned
971
00:56:43,400 --> 00:56:45,360
blue.
Then boom, the animation starts.
972
00:56:45,400 --> 00:56:48,600
I didn't want that.
I wanted something that really
973
00:56:48,600 --> 00:56:49,680
was different in.
Me.
974
00:56:51,000 --> 00:56:55,560
Yes, and and they gave me FAO
Shores, they gave me Dick Glass
975
00:56:56,120 --> 00:57:01,800
was the VPO at the time and he
gave me a clean pallet, the
976
00:57:02,000 --> 00:57:05,000
design team of Johnson
Schwinghammer that I worked with
977
00:57:05,000 --> 00:57:08,560
those guys, they were great and
they really just let me run with
978
00:57:08,560 --> 00:57:10,560
it.
I worked with Joanne Newbold,
979
00:57:10,560 --> 00:57:14,840
who was the creative designer
for the store, and we did a
980
00:57:14,840 --> 00:57:19,400
thing for, I don't remember
what, but there was a tree.
981
00:57:19,400 --> 00:57:22,720
It was one of the bears things
and they did a tree and they
982
00:57:22,720 --> 00:57:24,960
wanted twinkle lights for the
tree.
983
00:57:25,320 --> 00:57:27,880
And so that was a segment that I
was involved in.
984
00:57:27,880 --> 00:57:31,840
And then there was a Star Wars
area where, you know, at the
985
00:57:31,840 --> 00:57:37,280
cafe, the Cantina in Star Wars
where they animated fixtures
986
00:57:37,280 --> 00:57:41,280
come out and they do that well.
They had a show and they had
987
00:57:41,320 --> 00:57:45,200
animatronics doing that and that
was a light show that I was
988
00:57:45,200 --> 00:57:48,080
involved with.
So I had a lot of different
989
00:57:48,080 --> 00:57:50,680
arenas.
There was a huge long vault that
990
00:57:50,680 --> 00:57:54,400
led down to the FAO Schweese,
which was their new candy line
991
00:57:55,360 --> 00:57:59,880
and that was, I don't know,
maybe a 60 foot long arc that
992
00:57:59,880 --> 00:58:02,280
was just rainbow neon back and
forth.
993
00:58:02,280 --> 00:58:04,880
So there was lots of wonderful.
You know, it's it's funny
994
00:58:04,880 --> 00:58:08,200
though, because you talk about
it now and of course now nothing
995
00:58:08,200 --> 00:58:11,400
about that is too edgy or
cutting edge or.
996
00:58:11,400 --> 00:58:13,800
Or out.
There or anything, right?
997
00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:17,480
But at the time really nothing
like that had been done.
998
00:58:17,480 --> 00:58:20,960
I remember, I, I just remember
being involved in that project
999
00:58:20,960 --> 00:58:23,680
and just going, wow, this is
like the coolest thing ever in a
1000
00:58:23,680 --> 00:58:24,600
retail store.
Like.
1001
00:58:24,800 --> 00:58:29,240
And then the NBA job that you
did was similar to and it was
1002
00:58:29,240 --> 00:58:31,000
just really cool to be a part
of, you know?
1003
00:58:31,000 --> 00:58:36,000
And again, now everybody does
that stuff now and and times 10,
1004
00:58:36,000 --> 00:58:39,080
you know, 'cause there's so, so
many cool products out there
1005
00:58:39,080 --> 00:58:40,760
now.
It's so easy to do stuff like
1006
00:58:40,760 --> 00:58:43,280
that.
But back then it was unheard of.
1007
00:58:43,720 --> 00:58:45,200
It was pretty cool.
It did.
1008
00:58:45,200 --> 00:58:46,840
It did break ground.
Thank you.
1009
00:58:46,880 --> 00:58:49,240
Thank you very much.
And there were a handful of
1010
00:58:49,240 --> 00:58:53,280
people who were on that cutting
room floor, cutting edge floor
1011
00:58:53,280 --> 00:58:57,160
if you will, Paul being one of
them, his company Focus
1012
00:58:57,160 --> 00:58:59,120
Lighting.
I mean, I knew Paul back from
1013
00:58:59,120 --> 00:59:02,920
the Light Lab days and actually
worked at Light Lab for a stint
1014
00:59:02,920 --> 00:59:05,400
back in like 80 or 81 or
something.
1015
00:59:06,720 --> 00:59:11,960
But he had founded Focus
Lighting, which again put that
1016
00:59:11,960 --> 00:59:14,840
that entertainment technology
that we knew.
1017
00:59:15,440 --> 00:59:19,560
I put it to work in a changing
world so that now you had Times
1018
00:59:19,560 --> 00:59:21,760
Square that was getting
involved.
1019
00:59:21,800 --> 00:59:25,920
It wasn't just the neon we had
now moved.
1020
00:59:25,920 --> 00:59:28,600
You had video that was a little
more accessible putting up
1021
00:59:28,600 --> 00:59:31,840
screens, this and that.
You know, I had again.
1022
00:59:31,840 --> 00:59:34,840
Look, I'm Marshall.
Lucky Stern.
1023
00:59:34,840 --> 00:59:36,160
And that's really OK by.
Me.
1024
00:59:36,320 --> 00:59:38,760
Yeah, no, but you know what
again, you made your luck cuz
1025
00:59:38,760 --> 00:59:42,760
you talked to 1000 people and at
the end of the day, our
1026
00:59:42,760 --> 00:59:46,880
industry, more than any other
that I know of is built on
1027
00:59:46,880 --> 00:59:48,560
network.
Who do you know?
1028
00:59:48,640 --> 00:59:52,000
It's really, it's not what do
you know?
1029
00:59:52,000 --> 00:59:54,960
It's not how great is your skill
set necessarily.
1030
00:59:54,960 --> 00:59:56,680
It's not that you don't have
skills.
1031
00:59:56,680 --> 00:59:59,360
I'm just saying that, you know,
because I don't have any special
1032
00:59:59,360 --> 01:00:00,800
skills.
I've just always been a good
1033
01:00:00,800 --> 01:00:03,440
networker and I know a lot of
the right people and stuff right
1034
01:00:03,440 --> 01:00:05,120
it.
Is your skill set, Marcel,
1035
01:00:05,120 --> 01:00:08,160
exactly.
Your job was at the time when we
1036
01:00:08,200 --> 01:00:12,680
met, was to be a networker and
cast your net and bring into the
1037
01:00:12,680 --> 01:00:16,800
company People like me who took
the product and then did
1038
01:00:16,800 --> 01:00:18,800
something with it so that the
public knew.
1039
01:00:18,840 --> 01:00:21,600
And before you knew it, you
know, by the time I had been
1040
01:00:21,600 --> 01:00:26,600
doing this for four or five
years of the architectural
1041
01:00:26,600 --> 01:00:30,680
world, all of a sudden I
remember doing a light fair
1042
01:00:32,320 --> 01:00:35,240
manufacturer's showcase thing
because I used to open up light
1043
01:00:35,240 --> 01:00:38,360
fair when they do the
manufacturer's showcase and I
1044
01:00:38,360 --> 01:00:43,080
didn't intentionally do it as a
blowout, but at that time, high
1045
01:00:43,080 --> 01:00:47,600
end, ETC.
Martin and Vera Light all had
1046
01:00:47,600 --> 01:00:49,640
architectural fixtures.
Yeah.
1047
01:00:50,600 --> 01:00:55,440
And I used all of them in
different parts and different
1048
01:00:55,440 --> 01:00:57,600
aspects.
And I didn't mean it to be a
1049
01:00:57,600 --> 01:01:01,200
shootout at any kind.
I just meant to illustrate to
1050
01:01:01,480 --> 01:01:05,720
the architectural community that
what you're seeing has been mod,
1051
01:01:05,760 --> 01:01:08,920
has is is taking your theater
experience and it's modified it
1052
01:01:08,920 --> 01:01:14,240
for your use, ETC.
Did the high did the HID version
1053
01:01:14,240 --> 01:01:17,360
of the Source 4.
I wouldn't say that I was the
1054
01:01:17,360 --> 01:01:20,400
only reason, but certainly the
fact that I had specs.
1055
01:01:20,400 --> 01:01:24,080
Source 4 is in NASDAQ Amex
Marketplace and the maintenance
1056
01:01:24,080 --> 01:01:27,600
people were not happy.
Going 6070 feet in the air every
1057
01:01:28,080 --> 01:01:32,800
50 hours to change a lamp was
inspiration.
1058
01:01:33,120 --> 01:01:37,360
And that was what was happening
around 2000, 2001, which was
1059
01:01:37,440 --> 01:01:40,640
when.
You know, again, it's another
1060
01:01:40,640 --> 01:01:44,480
fun part about being old is that
you and I remember a lot of the
1061
01:01:44,480 --> 01:01:48,400
same things like, you know, the
very first architectural wash
1062
01:01:48,400 --> 01:01:50,840
lights that were coming out,
things like the high end, what
1063
01:01:50,840 --> 01:01:55,240
was it called, the EC1 and
Martin had the Mac exterior and
1064
01:01:56,160 --> 01:01:59,240
and then you know, everybody was
coming out with those things at
1065
01:01:59,240 --> 01:02:01,520
that point.
Before that there was nothing.
1066
01:02:01,520 --> 01:02:06,840
There was these big, you know,
discharge fixtures of some sort
1067
01:02:06,840 --> 01:02:13,200
or whatever, exactly a lot.
Of Hidi remember being on the
1068
01:02:13,200 --> 01:02:17,320
balcony over on the 9th Ave.
building of the Verolite offices
1069
01:02:17,320 --> 01:02:18,920
when they were at the Chelsea
Piers.
1070
01:02:19,440 --> 01:02:21,760
And I'm going back to when the
Palladium was open and I
1071
01:02:22,040 --> 01:02:26,680
remember being there with Gary
Delansky and the and their
1072
01:02:27,000 --> 01:02:30,840
Iridian architectural line.
It just been launched, it was
1073
01:02:31,120 --> 01:02:34,720
pre ETC.
It was part of the Verolite
1074
01:02:34,720 --> 01:02:40,040
family and Gary Delansky was the
Rep and I remember the first
1075
01:02:40,040 --> 01:02:43,080
fixture that came out was their
AR5 and they.
1076
01:02:43,120 --> 01:02:45,360
The little moving light thing,
The little moving head thing,
1077
01:02:45,360 --> 01:02:46,400
right?
Is that the one?
1078
01:02:46,960 --> 01:02:48,640
I'm sorry.
No, it was the AR500.
1079
01:02:48,640 --> 01:02:49,880
It was.
It wasn't the little one.
1080
01:02:49,880 --> 01:02:53,160
Yes, the little one I use in FAO
Schwarz, but a year, two years
1081
01:02:53,160 --> 01:02:57,040
before that, it was the big
monster, I guess it was an
1082
01:02:57,160 --> 01:03:02,120
AR500.
And they were doing a demo for
1083
01:03:02,120 --> 01:03:05,680
the Empire State Building.
Now at that time, the Empire
1084
01:03:05,680 --> 01:03:09,160
State Building was exactly what
you're saying, huge HI DS and
1085
01:03:09,160 --> 01:03:12,160
the union guys would come out
and when they chat a holiday and
1086
01:03:12,160 --> 01:03:14,400
you wanted red, white and blue,
they'd come out and they'd
1087
01:03:14,400 --> 01:03:15,680
change the filters and they'd
come back.
1088
01:03:15,680 --> 01:03:20,480
And this was a Union gig, right?
And I remember seeing the mock
1089
01:03:20,480 --> 01:03:23,880
up on the Balcon out on the
rooftop of the bit, the office
1090
01:03:23,880 --> 01:03:25,160
building, and then setting it
up.
1091
01:03:25,160 --> 01:03:28,160
It's that Empire State Building
and blah, blah, blah.
1092
01:03:28,880 --> 01:03:33,200
And I was told the reason at the
time that they couldn't go
1093
01:03:33,200 --> 01:03:36,320
automated was because of the
union contract, Because if it
1094
01:03:36,320 --> 01:03:41,960
was just one guy and there was a
lot of rebuttal on Broadway as
1095
01:03:41,960 --> 01:03:47,400
well, until the lighting people
got trained in automation and
1096
01:03:47,400 --> 01:03:49,840
got trained in the new
technology.
1097
01:03:49,840 --> 01:03:52,440
There was a lot of this head
butting that went on because
1098
01:03:52,440 --> 01:03:54,200
guys were afraid of losing their
jobs.
1099
01:03:54,200 --> 01:03:57,240
All of a sudden the moving
companies, the automated
1100
01:03:57,240 --> 01:03:59,240
companies.
And that coincided a lot with
1101
01:03:59,240 --> 01:04:06,080
the patent ending on verilite 25
year patent that I think began
1102
01:04:06,080 --> 01:04:10,680
in 79 or 80.
When that ended, now you could
1103
01:04:10,680 --> 01:04:14,200
have Martin and High End and
Clay Paki and every other
1104
01:04:14,200 --> 01:04:17,800
company had access to the moving
head, the yoke.
1105
01:04:18,160 --> 01:04:19,960
Yeah.
Well, yeah, we.
1106
01:04:20,160 --> 01:04:24,560
Have the mirror, which also
limited how it could be used in
1107
01:04:24,560 --> 01:04:27,840
an installation.
So maybe you think it was 95 or
1108
01:04:27,840 --> 01:04:31,840
96 when the patent ran out?
Well, it was actually.
1109
01:04:31,840 --> 01:04:35,080
Challenged.
It was challenged in in some big
1110
01:04:35,080 --> 01:04:38,160
fights with Martin and and high
end and.
1111
01:04:38,200 --> 01:04:40,880
Yeah.
But those studio colors came out
1112
01:04:40,880 --> 01:04:43,880
mid 90s, yeah.
And they were all among the
1113
01:04:43,880 --> 01:04:48,920
first of the competitors.
Yeah, moving heads, yeah,
1114
01:04:48,960 --> 01:04:51,040
because that was the technology.
It was the moving head.
1115
01:04:51,040 --> 01:04:53,680
Not the light that was moving,
but the head that was moving it.
1116
01:04:53,720 --> 01:04:56,200
Yeah, yeah.
No, I mean, it was a.
1117
01:04:56,200 --> 01:04:58,720
It was a.
Cool to be an old geezer, and I
1118
01:04:58,720 --> 01:05:04,080
think it's great to be vertical
and lucid and and to know where
1119
01:05:04,080 --> 01:05:06,040
we've came from and how much
we've changed.
1120
01:05:06,040 --> 01:05:08,680
Maybe that's why I've turned
into this historical nut.
1121
01:05:09,080 --> 01:05:11,280
Yeah, no, there's nothing wrong
with that, you know.
1122
01:05:11,280 --> 01:05:15,360
I mean it's I think it's really
cool like I it's one of the
1123
01:05:15,360 --> 01:05:19,320
reasons I do this podcast is I
love hearing stories.
1124
01:05:19,320 --> 01:05:23,320
Like, I think it was Paul Dexter
who told me that when he was
1125
01:05:23,320 --> 01:05:27,640
doing his earliest, and I forget
what band it it was, but when he
1126
01:05:27,640 --> 01:05:30,840
was doing his earliest lighting
designs for whatever band, it
1127
01:05:30,840 --> 01:05:36,720
was in the 70s and there maybe
yeah, it was the 70s.
1128
01:05:37,000 --> 01:05:39,560
And you know, he had no park
hands or anything.
1129
01:05:39,560 --> 01:05:45,240
So he took old pineapple cans
and you know mounted lamps in
1130
01:05:45,240 --> 01:05:48,160
them and and he created these
square park hands out of these
1131
01:05:48,160 --> 01:05:52,120
pineapple cans.
And you know it, it worked
1132
01:05:52,160 --> 01:05:54,560
right.
And the same thing with sound
1133
01:05:54,560 --> 01:05:56,320
systems.
Everybody just built their own
1134
01:05:56,320 --> 01:05:58,680
sound systems and Bob over there
built this one.
1135
01:05:58,680 --> 01:06:00,800
I'm going to build one louder.
My speakers are going to be
1136
01:06:00,800 --> 01:06:04,520
bigger, you know, and.
I remember my friend Wendy and I
1137
01:06:04,520 --> 01:06:09,080
scrounging for old pizza cans in
Chinatown because she needed
1138
01:06:09,080 --> 01:06:13,520
lights for a dance company show
and we made park hands out of
1139
01:06:13,520 --> 01:06:16,200
pizza cans.
Very Paul Dexter story.
1140
01:06:16,200 --> 01:06:18,240
That's funny.
Yeah, and that's what we did.
1141
01:06:18,240 --> 01:06:20,720
We Jerry rigged it.
I mean my buddy Martin and I,
1142
01:06:20,720 --> 01:06:22,640
who I worked with, the
Palladium, we used to come up
1143
01:06:22,640 --> 01:06:26,920
with the craziest ideas of
things to do that would just
1144
01:06:26,920 --> 01:06:30,600
make something out of nothing,
even if it was just for the day,
1145
01:06:30,760 --> 01:06:32,560
you know?
And for that, and for that
1146
01:06:32,560 --> 01:06:34,520
matter, my friend Roy tho, the
DJ.
1147
01:06:34,680 --> 01:06:38,320
Yeah, his home was out on Fire
Island at the Ice Palace, and I
1148
01:06:38,320 --> 01:06:42,560
can't tell you how many
Saturdays were spent literally
1149
01:06:42,560 --> 01:06:45,480
Jerry rigging silly things so
that it looked cool.
1150
01:06:45,480 --> 01:06:49,200
For that Saturday night crowd,
we would do stuff like take the
1151
01:06:49,200 --> 01:06:52,400
fire hose and run it through the
pool and make it into a fountain
1152
01:06:52,400 --> 01:06:53,640
for the night.
Huh.
1153
01:06:53,680 --> 01:06:57,640
Just stupid crap.
But that's you know, that's
1154
01:06:57,640 --> 01:06:59,200
creative too.
And.
1155
01:06:59,200 --> 01:07:00,680
And.
I love that kind of stuff.
1156
01:07:00,960 --> 01:07:04,520
It doesn't have to be a $20,000
light to to be cool, you know?
1157
01:07:04,800 --> 01:07:08,640
So do you know a designer out of
Chicago, Rob Jepsen?
1158
01:07:09,520 --> 01:07:12,360
Yeah, so well.
But I do know we.
1159
01:07:12,560 --> 01:07:17,120
Yeah, Rob was on my podcast and
he told a story of when he was,
1160
01:07:17,480 --> 01:07:19,920
you know, first getting into
lighting and stuff.
1161
01:07:20,600 --> 01:07:24,840
He saw ACLS and he went whoa and
you know, he just thought they
1162
01:07:24,840 --> 01:07:30,600
were car headlights.
And so he, he went to the auto
1163
01:07:30,600 --> 01:07:36,400
wrecker and stole some car
headlights and and, you know,
1164
01:07:36,400 --> 01:07:38,840
put four of them together on a
bar or whatever.
1165
01:07:39,280 --> 01:07:42,880
And he kept blowing fuses or
popping circuits or whatever he
1166
01:07:42,880 --> 01:07:45,400
was doing.
And he was like, what the hell?
1167
01:07:45,400 --> 01:07:47,680
How come people can do this and
I can't do this?
1168
01:07:47,680 --> 01:07:51,200
It's not working.
And so he finally went to
1169
01:07:51,360 --> 01:07:53,360
somebody else and he goes,
you're an idiot, you know, you
1170
01:07:53,360 --> 01:07:55,360
need to run six of them in
series.
1171
01:07:55,920 --> 01:08:00,040
And he goes, so I went and stole
two more.
1172
01:08:00,040 --> 01:08:05,280
I'm like, you know, this is how
you built a lighting rig back in
1173
01:08:05,280 --> 01:08:06,640
the day I guess, right?
That's funny.
1174
01:08:06,640 --> 01:08:08,400
Well, you know what the ACL
stands for.
1175
01:08:09,000 --> 01:08:11,480
Yeah, of course.
Aircraft landing lights.
1176
01:08:11,520 --> 01:08:16,680
That's why they're zeroed in.
The 1st place I became familiar
1177
01:08:16,680 --> 01:08:21,560
with that was really in
Palladium, because Palladium was
1178
01:08:21,560 --> 01:08:27,120
a true theatre.
The Saint was a true theatre,
1179
01:08:27,120 --> 01:08:32,720
but it wasn't run as a theatre.
So and that was post, that was
1180
01:08:32,720 --> 01:08:36,680
post.
Studio 54 Studio 54 also was a
1181
01:08:36,680 --> 01:08:41,319
theater, but it but I wasn't.
I wasn't Privy as much to the
1182
01:08:41,319 --> 01:08:44,080
lighting as I said.
I was more involved in my music
1183
01:08:44,080 --> 01:08:46,960
career at that time.
The only time I would punch
1184
01:08:46,960 --> 01:08:49,640
lights is when Bobby Da Silva,
the lighting guy, would run off
1185
01:08:49,640 --> 01:08:53,600
and go on one of his long and
involved breaks and something
1186
01:08:53,600 --> 01:08:55,840
needed to happen because the
music required it.
1187
01:08:55,840 --> 01:08:58,640
So that I, you know, knew enough
to punch a light or two.
1188
01:08:58,920 --> 01:09:02,359
But but other than that, I was
not a lighting person per SE at
1189
01:09:02,359 --> 01:09:06,040
the time.
I was a music person, but, you
1190
01:09:06,040 --> 01:09:10,200
know, and and I learned what an
ACL was in my Palladium tenure
1191
01:09:10,319 --> 01:09:13,399
because that was really when I
became, you know, a true techie
1192
01:09:13,399 --> 01:09:17,120
in theater and did a lot of Off
Broadway, off off Off Broadway
1193
01:09:17,120 --> 01:09:21,479
and proper theater gigs.
And then I recognized how
1194
01:09:21,479 --> 01:09:25,920
different theater was from
disco, from clubs, from the way
1195
01:09:25,920 --> 01:09:29,080
they were built, from what you
could use fly rail systems, high
1196
01:09:29,080 --> 01:09:30,800
ceilings, all that sort of
thing.
1197
01:09:31,000 --> 01:09:34,760
It really did make a difference.
Yeah, you know one of the clubs,
1198
01:09:36,040 --> 01:09:39,479
one of the things you were able
to another one of your sort of
1199
01:09:39,640 --> 01:09:42,640
what you would call a lucky
moment or whatever, I think
1200
01:09:42,640 --> 01:09:47,399
probably for 10 years or maybe
more before before it I think
1201
01:09:47,399 --> 01:09:50,080
kind of ended with COVID.
But you got into a pretty good
1202
01:09:50,080 --> 01:09:52,240
run with working with
manufacturers.
1203
01:09:52,240 --> 01:09:55,640
You got into a couple of
different manufacturers where
1204
01:09:55,640 --> 01:09:57,720
you were in pretty good
positions where you were either
1205
01:09:57,720 --> 01:10:00,200
a consultant or a Rep or
whatever it was called.
1206
01:10:00,200 --> 01:10:04,240
But that I enjoyed that, did you
I?
1207
01:10:04,240 --> 01:10:05,600
Enjoyed that very much.
I did.
1208
01:10:05,600 --> 01:10:07,480
I enjoyed that very much.
In fact.
1209
01:10:08,400 --> 01:10:13,800
COVID and Trans kind of put the
halt on our lives and in my
1210
01:10:13,800 --> 01:10:17,320
personal moment in time, I was
in the middle of making a
1211
01:10:17,320 --> 01:10:22,760
transition from being primarily
and solely working with Acclaim
1212
01:10:22,760 --> 01:10:25,560
product.
I had just learned Matthias's
1213
01:10:25,560 --> 01:10:27,520
new control system over
italation.
1214
01:10:27,520 --> 01:10:30,840
I had just been trained on it.
I came to New York for the
1215
01:10:31,200 --> 01:10:35,200
opening of the Brooklyn Museum
Studio 54 Night Magic exhibit
1216
01:10:35,200 --> 01:10:39,520
that actually I had some of my
artifacts in the museum exhibit
1217
01:10:40,200 --> 01:10:43,800
and when I was in New York,
COVID hit and I ran to Florida
1218
01:10:43,800 --> 01:10:47,720
and that was the end of that.
On the 13th of March I flew from
1219
01:10:47,720 --> 01:10:51,640
New York to Florida and the
world shut down and and and you
1220
01:10:51,640 --> 01:10:58,240
know that ended any possible
forward motion and and you know
1221
01:10:58,240 --> 01:11:00,440
I say we all pivoted during the
pandemic.
1222
01:11:00,440 --> 01:11:04,280
I think I made a circle because
my pivot was to go back to my
1223
01:11:04,280 --> 01:11:08,320
musical roots, to pick up all of
these legacy projects that were
1224
01:11:08,320 --> 01:11:10,920
in music that had been lying
dormant, that I have been
1225
01:11:10,920 --> 01:11:16,040
otherwise too busy working full
time for a claim or for whatever
1226
01:11:16,040 --> 01:11:18,760
design or this, that or the
other thing, you know.
1227
01:11:18,760 --> 01:11:24,600
And now I had the time and the
interest to do something with it
1228
01:11:24,600 --> 01:11:26,240
instead of just letting it sit
there.
1229
01:11:26,640 --> 01:11:30,360
And it's turned into a real
passion project.
1230
01:11:30,360 --> 01:11:36,080
Marcel, I can't tell you the
enthusiasm and the joy that I
1231
01:11:36,080 --> 01:11:39,880
get from reconstructing these
old musical files, from putting
1232
01:11:39,880 --> 01:11:44,120
them out, from presenting them,
the feedback I've gotten from
1233
01:11:44,120 --> 01:11:47,800
the Roy Thode website, which is
all music, to the heartbeat of
1234
01:11:47,800 --> 01:11:51,640
the dance floor, which relives
the stories with people that are
1235
01:11:51,640 --> 01:11:56,560
still here to tell them.
And I constantly.
1236
01:11:58,560 --> 01:12:06,320
I constantly shed a tear over
the dear friend who didn't want
1237
01:12:06,320 --> 01:12:08,880
to do an interview and now it's
too late, or we couldn't
1238
01:12:08,880 --> 01:12:12,520
schedule it because of XYZ.
And now it's too late.
1239
01:12:12,520 --> 01:12:16,200
And I hate the it's too late.
So we've had too many, It's too
1240
01:12:16,200 --> 01:12:17,840
late.
And I think that also.
1241
01:12:18,680 --> 01:12:20,960
Yeah.
And I think that also spurns us.
1242
01:12:20,960 --> 01:12:23,920
I mean I can only so you and I
have been friends a very long
1243
01:12:23,920 --> 01:12:28,240
time and surely we have a lot of
commonalities that has let that
1244
01:12:28,240 --> 01:12:31,360
friendship endure.
And and I think we're both
1245
01:12:31,360 --> 01:12:36,160
inspired by spreading joy and by
we.
1246
01:12:36,160 --> 01:12:39,960
Like a good time, Marsha.
Yeah, we like to have a good
1247
01:12:39,960 --> 01:12:41,680
time.
We've had some fun.
1248
01:12:43,200 --> 01:12:47,680
I remember a few fun nights.
Oh, maybe more than a few fun
1249
01:12:47,680 --> 01:12:51,520
nights.
More than a few, I know.
1250
01:12:51,520 --> 01:12:55,880
God, I think I I think back to
golf course days and going out
1251
01:12:55,880 --> 01:12:58,000
on the boat when I for when we
first met.
1252
01:12:58,040 --> 01:13:00,840
Way back.
I remember when my dad drove me
1253
01:13:00,840 --> 01:13:02,360
to your house so that we could
go out.
1254
01:13:02,400 --> 01:13:09,560
Oh my God, yeah, that was funny.
So I forget what I was just
1255
01:13:09,560 --> 01:13:12,200
going to say.
I don't even remember what I was
1256
01:13:12,200 --> 01:13:13,880
just going to say.
That's crazy, because you got me
1257
01:13:13,880 --> 01:13:18,200
on the boat thing, by the way.
Now that everyone from New York
1258
01:13:18,200 --> 01:13:21,040
is selling their expensive
apartments and driving up the
1259
01:13:21,040 --> 01:13:24,880
price of houses in Miami and
South Florida, when are you
1260
01:13:24,880 --> 01:13:27,800
going to sell your house for a
gazillion dollars and move back
1261
01:13:27,800 --> 01:13:29,520
to New York and buy a cheap
condo?
1262
01:13:30,360 --> 01:13:33,120
I got news for you.
If the price of housing in New
1263
01:13:33,120 --> 01:13:36,720
York City went down, I would
wholly consider it.
1264
01:13:37,560 --> 01:13:42,040
You know, like you, I have a
wonderful, wonderful respite in
1265
01:13:42,040 --> 01:13:45,320
the mountains.
That is but my heart's desire,
1266
01:13:45,320 --> 01:13:49,400
but not the most practical pace
in the world to roam your life
1267
01:13:49,400 --> 01:13:53,480
around.
However, anybody out there
1268
01:13:53,480 --> 01:13:56,520
listening a nice pet of terror
in New York City is right up my
1269
01:13:56,520 --> 01:13:58,040
alley.
And real estate values are
1270
01:13:58,040 --> 01:14:00,520
really good in Florida now.
Yeah, they are.
1271
01:14:00,520 --> 01:14:02,360
It's crazy.
I mean, unless you're buying,
1272
01:14:02,360 --> 01:14:04,960
you know, it's like where we
live now, we live in a pretty
1273
01:14:04,960 --> 01:14:06,800
small house.
And I've been looking at this
1274
01:14:06,800 --> 01:14:11,680
place right next door, not right
next door to our house, but an
1275
01:14:11,680 --> 01:14:14,440
area very close to where we're
at here in Wellington.
1276
01:14:14,880 --> 01:14:18,920
And you know, a few years ago
when I was starting to think
1277
01:14:18,920 --> 01:14:21,840
about it, it was a reasonable
price.
1278
01:14:21,840 --> 01:14:25,160
You know, I won't get into the
prices, but now it's literally
1279
01:14:25,160 --> 01:14:29,000
four times as much, literally
four times as much money.
1280
01:14:29,680 --> 01:14:37,520
I have seen the prices of homes
on my block go from the benign
1281
01:14:38,200 --> 01:14:42,400
to the oh, I can't believe it,
to the absolutely,
1282
01:14:42,400 --> 01:14:45,040
astronomically ridiculous over
the past.
1283
01:14:45,280 --> 01:14:48,280
It's not.
It it really is crazy.
1284
01:14:48,280 --> 01:14:50,680
And if you had told me that this
neighborhood was going to have
1285
01:14:50,680 --> 01:14:54,280
homes that were valuing where
they are now, where they're
1286
01:14:54,360 --> 01:14:57,000
jumping at now, I would have
said you're nuts.
1287
01:14:57,640 --> 01:15:01,480
But then again, there's only a
gazillion people coming to South
1288
01:15:01,480 --> 01:15:03,600
Florida.
Housing is at a premium, and if
1289
01:15:03,600 --> 01:15:06,600
you were fortunate enough to
have a nice single family home
1290
01:15:07,120 --> 01:15:09,640
in a good neighborhood, it's
going to be worth a chunk of
1291
01:15:09,640 --> 01:15:12,480
change.
Yeah, no, it's it's gone nuts.
1292
01:15:13,120 --> 01:15:16,280
It really has gone nuts.
So what are, what are you doing?
1293
01:15:16,280 --> 01:15:19,160
You keep talking about this
music thing that I'm doing now,
1294
01:15:19,160 --> 01:15:22,560
and so tell me specifically.
Like, you know, I know you're
1295
01:15:22,560 --> 01:15:26,400
doing a lot of historical stuff
and blah blah blah, but what is
1296
01:15:26,400 --> 01:15:27,920
it really that you're focused
on?
1297
01:15:28,600 --> 01:15:33,760
Well, I have a website,
roytho.com, and Roy Thode is the
1298
01:15:33,760 --> 01:15:37,920
DJ who I inherited much of his
archives and things.
1299
01:15:38,360 --> 01:15:42,120
And when you put together his
historical archives, like for
1300
01:15:42,120 --> 01:15:45,760
example, the gold record that
you see behind me that was given
1301
01:15:45,760 --> 01:15:49,120
to him, it's for Sylvester's
album.
1302
01:15:49,800 --> 01:15:54,320
OK.
There's an award there that was
1303
01:15:54,400 --> 01:15:56,640
the ice, but given the Ice
Palace, the owner of the Ice
1304
01:15:56,640 --> 01:15:58,920
Palace, you know there's an
award for me.
1305
01:15:58,920 --> 01:16:04,280
But my history has brought me
into this historical moment.
1306
01:16:04,280 --> 01:16:06,320
It got me involved with the
Brooklyn Museum.
1307
01:16:06,320 --> 01:16:09,960
It got me involved with the
Studio 54 movie and that is
1308
01:16:09,960 --> 01:16:13,760
based more, especially the 54
stuff that revisits my own
1309
01:16:13,760 --> 01:16:17,320
musical world as a producer and
as a musician.
1310
01:16:17,680 --> 01:16:21,040
And what I'm doing is taking
these old analog tapes that are
1311
01:16:21,040 --> 01:16:26,200
digitized and present RE and
presenting them through Roy's
1312
01:16:26,200 --> 01:16:28,520
website.
So that's a lot of technical
1313
01:16:28,520 --> 01:16:32,080
prowess in editing.
That is a whole new skill set
1314
01:16:32,080 --> 01:16:34,640
that I'm learning and really
enjoying the heck out of.
1315
01:16:34,960 --> 01:16:37,800
You know, For me editing was a
tape and a razor blade and an
1316
01:16:37,800 --> 01:16:39,880
editing block.
Back in the day, it's totally
1317
01:16:39,920 --> 01:16:41,440
true.
It's all different now.
1318
01:16:41,480 --> 01:16:44,320
It's cut and paste.
Yeah.
1319
01:16:44,320 --> 01:16:47,920
And it's and it's mixing and
it's recording and it's working
1320
01:16:47,920 --> 01:16:52,120
in digital recording which is
really interesting, I mean so,
1321
01:16:52,120 --> 01:16:54,560
so that's a bit of a learning
curve in that which kind of
1322
01:16:54,560 --> 01:16:57,760
keeps me out of trouble.
But then the idea with this Roy
1323
01:16:57,760 --> 01:17:03,760
Foed website is is to sell music
or to just give access to music
1324
01:17:03,880 --> 01:17:05,840
or at.
This juncture it is to give
1325
01:17:05,840 --> 01:17:09,360
access.
Selling music, you get into the
1326
01:17:09,360 --> 01:17:11,920
legalities and the copyright
issues, right?
1327
01:17:12,120 --> 01:17:16,720
However, what I'm doing is
reviving his artistry and
1328
01:17:16,720 --> 01:17:22,120
presenting it.
Democratizing access to his.
1329
01:17:22,200 --> 01:17:28,440
That and and he as a dead person
who's been dead 42 years.
1330
01:17:28,760 --> 01:17:31,400
Oh, wow.
Had he died in 1980?
1331
01:17:31,440 --> 01:17:32,840
Died.
Died in 1982?
1332
01:17:32,840 --> 01:17:34,280
I've had all this stuff since
82.
1333
01:17:34,280 --> 01:17:35,480
It's just.
Oh my goodness.
1334
01:17:35,800 --> 01:17:38,440
You look, I haven't had this
stuff for 20 years before you
1335
01:17:38,440 --> 01:17:40,120
had the technology to digitize
it.
1336
01:17:40,240 --> 01:17:45,600
Yeah, that's wild.
Think about it and and for some
1337
01:17:45,600 --> 01:17:49,120
reason I have this.
And if I can spread the joy by
1338
01:17:49,120 --> 01:17:52,600
taking the music and putting it
out there, it's through his
1339
01:17:52,600 --> 01:17:55,840
website that I publicize it
through the front page on the
1340
01:17:55,840 --> 01:18:00,600
website ofroytho.com, you can
access all of the platforms, the
1341
01:18:00,600 --> 01:18:04,400
Mixcloud, the SoundCloud.
We just did a release in tandem
1342
01:18:04,400 --> 01:18:07,360
with sound Metaphors on their
SoundCloud platform.
1343
01:18:07,680 --> 01:18:10,280
He's got a Facebook page.
He's got an Instagram account.
1344
01:18:10,280 --> 01:18:12,160
He's got more social.
And there's an audience for
1345
01:18:12,240 --> 01:18:15,680
this.
Yes, there's a very big audience
1346
01:18:16,840 --> 01:18:21,400
and and it's not just new and I
do get a lot of new followers
1347
01:18:21,400 --> 01:18:24,360
and new audience, but it's a lot
of other people who were there
1348
01:18:24,600 --> 01:18:28,240
and some of the comments that
come back really do touch me and
1349
01:18:28,240 --> 01:18:31,480
it gives me inspiration because
I'm bringing joy to these
1350
01:18:31,480 --> 01:18:34,600
people.
Some have never heard it before.
1351
01:18:35,160 --> 01:18:37,800
This guy I'm working with in
Germany who has this record
1352
01:18:37,800 --> 01:18:41,560
store sound metaphors, and he, I
don't even think he was alive
1353
01:18:41,560 --> 01:18:45,760
when Roy died.
But he's so interested.
1354
01:18:45,760 --> 01:18:51,120
There's a lot of of music that
Roy did that back in the 70s.
1355
01:18:51,120 --> 01:18:54,240
He was in trouble with.
He was very, very important and
1356
01:18:54,240 --> 01:18:56,240
he died and no one remembers
him.
1357
01:18:56,240 --> 01:19:00,360
And I guess that's maybe my job,
to make sure that what he did
1358
01:19:00,360 --> 01:19:06,680
doesn't go unappreciated because
it was so damn good and it holds
1359
01:19:06,960 --> 01:19:11,280
its own in today's world. 40
years later, it stands alone.
1360
01:19:11,920 --> 01:19:16,120
Look, SiriusXM had me do a 10
hour New Year's Eve broadcast
1361
01:19:16,120 --> 01:19:20,200
this year, welcoming in the new
year on their Studio 54 radio
1362
01:19:20,200 --> 01:19:21,560
station.
I don't.
1363
01:19:21,880 --> 01:19:26,080
I don't think I would have had
the opportunity to do all of
1364
01:19:26,080 --> 01:19:30,600
this stuff if not for the work
with Roy combined with my own
1365
01:19:30,600 --> 01:19:35,560
musical background gives me the
ability to do this and not to
1366
01:19:35,560 --> 01:19:37,440
take away from my lighting
career.
1367
01:19:37,880 --> 01:19:42,480
And I did recently design a
streaming TV studio in New York
1368
01:19:42,480 --> 01:19:44,720
for a friend of mine.
It just hasn't quite come to
1369
01:19:44,720 --> 01:19:46,800
fruition yet.
As you well know, we're waiting
1370
01:19:46,800 --> 01:19:51,320
for the funding, but but you
know, it just seems that
1371
01:19:51,320 --> 01:19:55,000
following my nose has taken me
back to my music and I'm
1372
01:19:55,000 --> 01:19:56,160
enjoying it.
So that's.
1373
01:19:56,160 --> 01:20:01,040
Wow, that's so fun though, huh?
Yeah, yeah, maybe That's what my
1374
01:20:01,040 --> 01:20:01,880
purpose is.
May.
1375
01:20:01,920 --> 01:20:04,200
You know, you get to this ripe
old age.
1376
01:20:04,200 --> 01:20:05,960
You like to know that you have a
purpose.
1377
01:20:06,200 --> 01:20:09,040
That's appreciated.
And maybe this is?
1378
01:20:09,600 --> 01:20:11,520
You know the beginning of
fulfilling that?
1379
01:20:11,880 --> 01:20:14,560
You know, and the The thing is,
I mean, as much as it's nice to
1380
01:20:14,560 --> 01:20:19,720
get a a big fat paycheck or
whatever, sometimes it's so much
1381
01:20:19,720 --> 01:20:23,120
better to be like following a
passion and following something
1382
01:20:23,120 --> 01:20:27,720
that gives you joy and and like
you said, a purpose, you know,
1383
01:20:27,800 --> 01:20:31,400
that to me is so much more fun
than running around as a sales
1384
01:20:31,400 --> 01:20:33,880
Rep for a lighting company or
something.
1385
01:20:33,880 --> 01:20:36,600
And again, as as much as it's
nice to get a fat paycheck from
1386
01:20:36,600 --> 01:20:43,000
somebody for doing something,
that's rather easy, you know, I
1387
01:20:43,000 --> 01:20:47,960
I love that stuff.
At at at some point, I have
1388
01:20:47,960 --> 01:20:53,320
every intention of selling much
of the memorabilia that I have.
1389
01:20:53,360 --> 01:20:56,080
How that's going to happen, I'm
not sure.
1390
01:20:56,080 --> 01:21:01,920
I also believe that I've got
enough that already has
1391
01:21:01,920 --> 01:21:04,720
qualified for an actual
historical museum exhibit.
1392
01:21:04,720 --> 01:21:07,520
And I would like to see a lot of
that combined with a lot of
1393
01:21:07,520 --> 01:21:11,120
other things that I've accrued
or other friends of mine have
1394
01:21:11,120 --> 01:21:14,280
and have accrued from that era
and put it into a proper
1395
01:21:14,280 --> 01:21:17,240
collection because that should
be recognized.
1396
01:21:17,240 --> 01:21:21,400
I mean, my personal beef with
the world of today is that the
1397
01:21:21,400 --> 01:21:25,400
music did not stop with our acid
rock of the 60s and all of a
1398
01:21:25,400 --> 01:21:27,800
sudden jump into rap and hip
hop.
1399
01:21:27,800 --> 01:21:33,080
You had an entire era of Motown,
Detroit, Memphis, rhythm and
1400
01:21:33,080 --> 01:21:36,880
Blues dance music, the kind of
stuff that Roberta Flack
1401
01:21:36,880 --> 01:21:41,520
described in this way.
You be in the basement and
1402
01:21:41,520 --> 01:21:44,520
someone to put a 45 on the
record player.
1403
01:21:44,760 --> 01:21:49,760
You throw a towel over the light
and you dance on a space no
1404
01:21:49,760 --> 01:21:52,880
bigger than a dime.
That's cool.
1405
01:21:53,040 --> 01:21:55,160
I like that.
That was really cool.
1406
01:21:56,120 --> 01:21:57,000
Marsha.
You know what?
1407
01:21:57,000 --> 01:21:58,960
We could we could talk for three
more hours.
1408
01:21:58,960 --> 01:22:00,320
We're gonna have to do another
one.
1409
01:22:00,880 --> 01:22:02,920
Unfortunately, I have to go
today.
1410
01:22:02,920 --> 01:22:05,960
But I appreciate you getting
this going.
1411
01:22:06,600 --> 01:22:07,160
Another one.
I know.
1412
01:22:07,160 --> 01:22:10,440
So would I.
Tell silly stuff, fun stuff.
1413
01:22:10,480 --> 01:22:11,440
I'd love to do it.
We'll.
1414
01:22:11,520 --> 01:22:13,560
We'll definitely do it.
Always a delight.
1415
01:22:13,800 --> 01:22:17,000
We'll definitely do it again.
No, I I love talking with you.
1416
01:22:17,000 --> 01:22:22,160
I love listening to you and you
know, I feel like we've just
1417
01:22:22,160 --> 01:22:24,440
gotten started.
But unfortunately today is one
1418
01:22:24,440 --> 01:22:28,600
of those days where I have time
limits and I've got places that
1419
01:22:28,600 --> 01:22:31,840
I've got to be.
So thank you so much for doing
1420
01:22:31,840 --> 01:22:34,880
it.
And Sarah probably already told
1421
01:22:34,880 --> 01:22:38,200
you it'll air next week, but
we'll send you the links and
1422
01:22:38,200 --> 01:22:40,920
stuff and.
Yeah, sounds good.
1423
01:22:40,960 --> 01:22:43,640
And I thank you.
And I'm very proud to now be
1424
01:22:43,640 --> 01:22:46,120
officially an old geezer of
gear.
1425
01:22:46,520 --> 01:22:50,840
You are a geezer.
Easy for.
1426
01:22:50,880 --> 01:22:53,720
You I look forward to Part 2,
Marcel, and thank you again for
1427
01:22:53,760 --> 01:22:55,800
having me as a guest.
This has been a lot of fun.
1428
01:22:56,000 --> 01:22:57,760
All right, Marcia.
Take care
1429
01:23:12,120 --> 01:23:12,200
the.
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,560
Well, hello and thank you for
joining me today on Geyses of
2
00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:08,560
Gear Episode #223.
Today's episode is brought to
3
00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:13,800
you by AVL Media Group, a new
sponsor to Geyses of Gear, your
4
00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:16,120
premier North American
distribution partner.
5
00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:19,280
AVL Media Group is one of the
leading distributors of
6
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,640
professional audio, video and
lighting equipment in North
7
00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,360
America.
Initially established in 1996 by
8
00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,960
Founder and CEO Steven Kosters,
after seeing an opportunity to
9
00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,680
inject a sense of genuine
passion into the distribution
10
00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,560
process as an exclusive US
distributor for Midas Pro
11
00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,880
Consoles, Lab Group and
Amplifiers, Lake processors,
12
00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,120
Tanoi Installation speakers,
Clark Technic Signal Processing,
13
00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:49,200
Turbo Sound Loud speakers and
Aston Microphones, AVL are
14
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,880
committed to developing long
term business relationships with
15
00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:57,240
their partners at every level by
providing outstanding pre and
16
00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:02,920
post sale service and support.
AVL Music Group is your premier
17
00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,680
North American distribution
partner and today's podcast is
18
00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:13,200
also brought to you by another
amazing new sponsor and partner
19
00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,040
to our show, someone who's been
on the podcast recently.
20
00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,640
Yes, I'm talking about the Event
Safety Alliance.
21
00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:23,680
The ESA focuses on the
knowledge, behaviors, and
22
00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:27,200
guidances that provide the
ability to plan and respond
23
00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:31,680
consistently, empowering event
professionals of all stripes to
24
00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:36,480
identify and mitigate risks.
ESA education, training,
25
00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:41,080
standards and guidance and the
thought leadership is helping to
26
00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,320
shape safety at live events for
this generation and the next.
27
00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,840
Become a member of the Event
Safety Alliance and join
28
00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,200
thousands of event professionals
from around the globe, creating
29
00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,160
a safer, more prosperous future
for our industry.
30
00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:00,240
Advance your knowledge by
becoming a member today at
31
00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:06,960
eventsafetyalliance.org.
The
32
00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:43,120
So I'm super excited to have two
new sponsors on today's podcast.
33
00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,280
I don't think I've ever had two
brand new sponsors on a podcast.
34
00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:51,440
And although ESA is not really a
sponsor, we're we're supporting
35
00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,520
their organization, we're
listing them as a sponsor and
36
00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,240
we're very happy and proud to
represent the ESA on this
37
00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,720
podcast now.
So welcome aboard to the ESA and
38
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,440
AVL.
You know, I've known Steven
39
00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,280
Kosters a long time.
I I come from the music industry
40
00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:13,120
and lighting, I guess my
earliest sort of introduction to
41
00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:18,520
the lighting business in Canada.
And I met Steven Kosters, you
42
00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,480
know, through those connections.
And when I started early on at
43
00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,120
Martin Professional or at
Trackman, Martin's distributor,
44
00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:29,200
I got to know Steven and but
most recently he started this
45
00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:34,800
AVL as a different business
model and it's a very unique
46
00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,840
business model, different than
most distributors.
47
00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:40,960
And why you ask, I'll tell you
why.
48
00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,080
So first of all, he works and
this isn't a pitch by the way.
49
00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,200
This is just something I was
interested in his model.
50
00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,480
So I asked him questions about
it because it's unique and
51
00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:53,160
different, but he works
alongside manufacturers, not as
52
00:03:53,160 --> 00:04:00,440
a distributor, but really as a
partner as part of their channel
53
00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,480
instead of a replacement for
their channel to market.
54
00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:10,720
I would compare it maybe to the
Amazon FBA model, Fulfillment by
55
00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:15,480
Amazon model.
So AVL gets involved not only in
56
00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,519
fulfillment but invoicing.
They actually own the accounts
57
00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:21,920
receivable, although the way
invoicing works, it's
58
00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:23,680
interesting.
For example, if you buy a Midas
59
00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:28,520
console from them, you'll get a
an invoice from with the Midas
60
00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,080
logo on it.
And although AVL takes
61
00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,440
responsibility for that account
receivable, you know you're
62
00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,960
being invoiced by a company that
at least appears to be Midas
63
00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,240
North America or whatever.
And so I you know that part of
64
00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,120
it.
The other thing is AVL carries
65
00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,480
the inventory, but they don't
actually own the inventory.
66
00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,200
The manufacturer owns the
inventory.
67
00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,680
AVL will get involved in
marketing, but the manufacturer
68
00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,480
and the brand itself is
responsible for the marketing
69
00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:59,600
and the cost of the marketing.
And AVL handles all the sales,
70
00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:03,640
shipping, support, as I said,
accounts receivable, warranty
71
00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:09,000
service.
And and so what's the upside to
72
00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,640
the manufacturer #1?
It's not like a distributed
73
00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,200
model where you know, your
branding gets maybe pushed back
74
00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,480
a little bit or watered down or
the relationship changes between
75
00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,640
the brand and the customer.
It appears to the customer that
76
00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,520
you're basically dealing
directly with the brand and of
77
00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:32,000
course they cut their margins.
So instead of call it X, it's X
78
00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,400
-, 10% or whatever.
So instead of having to split
79
00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,520
your margins as a manufacturer
with the distributor, the
80
00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:42,200
distributor's taking far less
because they're taking just
81
00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,040
basically for those services
that they're providing.
82
00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:51,680
And so, you know, I don't know
how it works from a standpoint
83
00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,920
of dollars and cents as far as
you know, is it more successful
84
00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:56,920
to the manufacturer?
Is it less successful?
85
00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,640
But when I learned about it from
Steven, I I was very intrigued
86
00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:04,600
and I thought it was a really
cool sort of evolution of the
87
00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,240
distribution model.
And it seems to be something
88
00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:12,720
that we'll see more of as we go
forward because I think in many
89
00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,880
industries, not just ours, in
the car business, in
90
00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,200
electronics, in musical
instruments, in almost every
91
00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:24,480
industry you can imagine, we've
gone more to AD, to C model, so
92
00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,000
direct to consumer model,
removing dealers, removing
93
00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,040
distributors.
And I know that all of my
94
00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,800
friends who are huge, you know
equipment dealers or gear
95
00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,160
dealers don't like when I say
this, but I'm not the one
96
00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,040
creating it.
It's it's the market that's
97
00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:41,960
creating it.
It's Amazon that's creating it.
98
00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,440
It's it's you know we're all
moving to a more direct to
99
00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,960
consumer model and you know it's
why one of the reasons Tesla's
100
00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,280
so successful because they don't
put a franchise between them and
101
00:06:52,280 --> 00:06:54,160
the customer.
They sell directly to the
102
00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:58,000
customer and they hear feedback
directly from the customer and
103
00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:59,560
they're working directly with
the customer.
104
00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:03,200
So I know some of the large,
especially the the American car
105
00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:07,280
manufacturers are fighting
against this by offering more
106
00:07:07,280 --> 00:07:10,640
and more services and trying to
to form a better relationship
107
00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:12,560
between the the customer and the
brand.
108
00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,120
But I think at the end of the
day this is a model that's gonna
109
00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:22,720
keep pushing to AD to C model
and and we're gonna see that
110
00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,160
more and more.
So I think AVL is an interesting
111
00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:26,680
model.
I'm not saying it's the best
112
00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,280
model, I'm not saying it's the
worst model.
113
00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:29,960
I'm just saying it's
interesting, it's different.
114
00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,600
And so again we welcome them as
a new sponsor.
115
00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:39,480
We welcome the ESA as a new
sponsor and we've got a couple
116
00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:41,640
more to announce as well.
So we're pretty excited.
117
00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,280
It's a good time right now,
early 2024.
118
00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:49,720
So today's guest has been a
friend of mine for probably 30
119
00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,920
years now, maybe even more than
30 years, but about 30 years,
120
00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:57,520
we'll call it, and someone who
everyone knows.
121
00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,240
You see her at trade shows, you
see her at the bar at trade
122
00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,960
shows, you see her at events,
you see her on jobs.
123
00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,200
She's been around our industry
as much as anyone I can think of
124
00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:13,600
and just an amazing person, a
very talented person.
125
00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,880
If you've ever been belly up to
a bar with her, she's a very
126
00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,640
passionate person.
She loves to have a good chat.
127
00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,760
So unfortunately today I'm
limited by time.
128
00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:28,760
Otherwise this would be a four
hour podcast, but you know, I'm
129
00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:31,320
going to, I'm going to read her
bio here for you, just so you
130
00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:33,520
know a little bit more.
So of course I'm talking about
131
00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,240
Marcia Stern, who's an
award-winning lighting designer,
132
00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,440
programmer, technician and
production manager, whose career
133
00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,640
began in New York City in the
music business and spans the New
134
00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:47,360
York City nightclub and special
events circuit from the late 70s
135
00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,960
through the mid 90s when she
began to pioneer using automated
136
00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:53,840
lighting and entertainment
technologies in architectural
137
00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,800
lighting design.
In April of 1999, Marcia
138
00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,520
Incorporated as Marcia Stern
Lighting Design and Consulting,
139
00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:04,440
Inc, actively working as an
independent designer, programmer
140
00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:07,520
and consultant.
She's got a lot of stories, so
141
00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:12,360
let's go ahead and get going.
Well, hello Marcia.
142
00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:16,600
Hi, Marcel, how are you today?
Isn't that weird?
143
00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,040
We were just talking, and then I
just pop in and say hello, but
144
00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,280
we were just talking.
So it's kind of bizarre.
145
00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,760
Like, are we on some kind of
weird, funky psychedelics or
146
00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,320
something?
Given the AI world we live in
147
00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,200
today, anything's possible,
Marcel.
148
00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,880
Yeah, you know what's funny
though, when you speak about
149
00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:36,720
psycho psychedelics?
Like, you know, it was bad back
150
00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:40,480
when we were doing bad things,
but nowadays people are doing
151
00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,000
this for health reasons, like
they're taking psilocybin and
152
00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,600
whatever they call it,
psychotropics or whatever.
153
00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,360
Well, yeah, and it's becoming so
casual, it's almost a little
154
00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,800
scary.
But that said, that said, when
155
00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:57,680
you talk about back in the day
and you know coming from that,
156
00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:02,760
that that world of New York City
nightlife debauchery that I came
157
00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:06,200
from and being now, thank you
very much, officially an old
158
00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:12,920
geezer, I I remember back when
ketamine first came to New York
159
00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:18,880
City clubs and the first thought
in this, I'm talking like 1981.
160
00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,720
82.
And now it is part of a
161
00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:27,440
psychological therapy, and
rightly so, because I remember
162
00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,480
my first impression of that drug
was it was like truth serum.
163
00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,880
Yeah, you.
Confronted yourself immediately
164
00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:38,760
and it was friggin truth serum.
And that's what people are using
165
00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,720
now is therapy and Bravo, It's a
good thing.
166
00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:43,480
It's the way to get to the
bottom of it.
167
00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,080
That's.
Yeah, you know, I listen to, I
168
00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:48,560
listen to a lot of podcasts, Joe
Rogan being one of them.
169
00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:50,840
And Joe Rogan talks about this.
What is it?
170
00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:56,280
DCTDTCDCP whatever, The one that
you go on this wacky trip where
171
00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,560
you really find yourself and
you're in like outer space
172
00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:03,560
almost, right.
And he, yeah, he talks about
173
00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:07,160
that one and there's another one
and you know, I'm just like,
174
00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:10,000
yeah, you know, that whole thing
passed me by.
175
00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:14,720
You know it, Yeah.
I mean, now, you know, a glass,
176
00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,760
a glass or two of wine.
And I'm pretty much in the bag,
177
00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:20,480
so I don't need all that extra
help to find.
178
00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:23,440
My Yeah, I hear you.
I miss Billy Joel and the the
179
00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:27,760
Grammys last felt loud on Sunday
night, 'cause I fell asleep at
180
00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,640
the end.
I pooped out around 10:30 just
181
00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,560
when we went.
On I'm going to a thing in Miami
182
00:11:33,560 --> 00:11:36,680
tonight and you know, I'm in
Palm Beach, so it's it's like a
183
00:11:36,680 --> 00:11:38,680
two hour drive to get to this
place.
184
00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:45,040
It's at the Perez Art Museum and
yeah, and it's it's like 250
185
00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,640
tech people and investors and
stuff like that.
186
00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:51,280
It'll be a cool event and I.
I actually heard a buzz about
187
00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:53,400
something that was going on down
there.
188
00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:54,720
Bravo to you.
It's amazing.
189
00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:57,640
I'm speaking at it.
I'm speaking at this thing
190
00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,560
tonight.
So, so anyways, so I'm part of
191
00:12:00,560 --> 00:12:03,280
the in crowd in this little
group who's doing it.
192
00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,560
It's for a a software product
called Rome that is their
193
00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:09,800
official launch tonight.
And I've been a user all the way
194
00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,080
through beta.
My company has and we love it.
195
00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:16,480
And so they invited me to speak.
And so then today the CEO of the
196
00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:18,920
company said, hey, Marcel, we
want you to be part of our core
197
00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:20,960
team at a dinner after the
event.
198
00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,360
And I went, oh, OK, what time's
that at?
199
00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:24,640
And he said we've got
reservations.
200
00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:28,680
I forget which restaurant but
incredible restaurant at 9:30
201
00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,840
and I'm going, OK, wait, 930.
Finish dinner at 12.
202
00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:37,000
I'll be home at like 2215 and
I'm like, you know what?
203
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:40,960
I I really appreciate that and I
would love to do that, but I
204
00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:43,280
ain't going.
Sorry, I got to skip dinner.
205
00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:45,800
So.
And traffic down here has gotten
206
00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:47,800
whack a do.
I mean, we've known each other
207
00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:52,200
for a good long while and it was
way different when you live out
208
00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:53,800
West in Hollywood.
No, it's brutal.
209
00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:58,320
I honestly, I hate when I got to
go down to to Miami, but you
210
00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:00,480
know, this is a really, really
special event and it's going to
211
00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,040
be pretty cool.
So anyways, we got a lot to
212
00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:05,000
discuss so we can't chitchat so
much.
213
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:06,880
We got to get into the the meat
of this.
214
00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:11,400
First I want to tell you that I
actually, when I had a snack
215
00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,240
that I kind of called lunch, but
I was in such a hurry I just
216
00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:15,680
kind of threw stuff down my
throat.
217
00:13:15,680 --> 00:13:20,040
I listened to about 1/2 hour of
your podcast, Heartbeat of the
218
00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:25,880
Dance Floor and episode 12 with
Paul Gregory, Ken Billington and
219
00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,400
Militello.
And I forget the other guy's
220
00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:29,240
name.
I don't know him.
221
00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,600
Yeah I don't.
I have no knowledge of him.
222
00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,800
So.
But the other three I know.
223
00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:40,880
And you know, one funny thing is
that it was the longest
224
00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,400
introduction of guests that I've
ever heard on any podcast in my
225
00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:48,120
entire life.
Like you know, each guest got
226
00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,920
like a good five minute
introduction of everything and
227
00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:55,120
every award.
For brief resumes, I mean those
228
00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,200
guests have some very long
resumes.
229
00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,400
It was very thorough.
It was very thorough.
230
00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,040
I I'm sitting here like
shoveling lunch down and looking
231
00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,320
at my watch and going, come on
Marsha, get through the intro.
232
00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,160
I want to hear the stories.
But yeah, they got into, you
233
00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:12,560
know, Paul was talking about the
Saturday Night Fever dance floor
234
00:14:12,560 --> 00:14:17,920
and and yeah, I mean great bunch
of people and actually I don't
235
00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:21,840
recall, I remember listening to,
I think maybe your first or
236
00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,240
second one that you did, but
this one I watched on YouTube
237
00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,240
and I actually enjoyed it.
It was, it was fun.
238
00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,720
I hope you're still doing that.
I am.
239
00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:33,280
I'm working on one, but you know
being A1 girl band between the
240
00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:35,160
music stuff that I've been
doing.
241
00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:37,800
In fact, one of my music
productions just dropped today
242
00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,160
through a colleague that I've
been collaborating with, Sound
243
00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:43,480
Metaphors out of Berlin.
They're a record store and a
244
00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:46,480
streaming service and DJ and
whatnot.
245
00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,440
So that just dropped at about
12:30 this afternoon on their
246
00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:54,480
SoundCloud platform.
And I do have two so.
247
00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:57,720
That means, like micro pennies
in royalties, perhaps?
248
00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:03,360
There's no royalties involved.
Just like the rest of the music
249
00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:05,880
business.
Well, we're not selling
250
00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,040
anything, so there's no
royalties involved.
251
00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,640
That comes about when you're
actually exchanging hands
252
00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,120
financially, which I was at.
This point, I was just making a
253
00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:15,680
joke really, about how streaming
works these days.
254
00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:17,600
You know, God forbid there is
royalties.
255
00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:19,920
You know, it's you get like,
well, there are one one
256
00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,600
billionth of a penny every
listen or something.
257
00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,560
Well, it's it's sad.
It's gone with the wind.
258
00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:29,640
And you know, when I began my
life as an adult with career
259
00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:31,920
goals, it was to be a
songwriter.
260
00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:33,600
Yeah.
And producer.
261
00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:38,840
And as as a songwriter, those
royalties are important.
262
00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,480
So when I look at what goes on
now and what we just went
263
00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,160
through with the strike and all
the AI, there's righteous
264
00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,280
grounds for why some people are
in arms.
265
00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:51,000
I personally get pissed off when
I hear so much of the new music
266
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,480
that is sampling.
Other artists work, and I always
267
00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:58,080
wonder if those artists are
getting acknowledged much less
268
00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:02,600
100th of a penny on each play or
whatever.
269
00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:04,800
And then everybody gets pissed
off.
270
00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:06,080
When?
When?
271
00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:08,480
Which streaming service?
Was it there recently?
272
00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:12,720
I'm not much of A social media
person.
273
00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:14,960
Tiktok didn't they pull?
Didn't Universal pull its
274
00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:16,160
catalog recently?
I didn't.
275
00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:21,280
I I believe Universal pulled its
catalog off of Tiktok recently.
276
00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:24,520
Everybody was bitching and
moaning, but nobody realizes
277
00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,520
that none of those artists are
even getting a thousandth of a
278
00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,400
penny.
Yeah, no, I I know lots and lots
279
00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:33,400
different types of artists than
you do.
280
00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,080
Like, I know, I know rock
musicians mostly.
281
00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:41,880
And the royalties are so small.
I mean, like you might get an $8
282
00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:44,480
check every month or a $10 check
every.
283
00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:46,160
Month or something.
Royalty is different than a
284
00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,400
songwriter.
No, I mean songwriter royalties.
285
00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:50,040
I'm, I'm talking about
Songwriter Royal.
286
00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,480
It's just not so much money
unless you're getting Taylor
287
00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,000
Swift types of plays, you know?
Like exactly.
288
00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,440
And more.
You can supplement it with
289
00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:02,240
something like a live career or
record sales or whatever.
290
00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:06,319
And yes, the entire music
business is way different from
291
00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:09,000
when I worked for record
companies and promoters and was
292
00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:13,040
a music producer in the 70s.
Yeah, you know, then radio
293
00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,839
pushed your charts.
Then everybody was in arms
294
00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:20,800
because you had DJs who were
playing music in clubs like
295
00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:28,640
Studio 54 or like Bonds or or
Ice Palace and they were
296
00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:31,120
selling.
They all of a sudden had a $2
297
00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:33,720
billion in record sales and they
didn't know where it came from
298
00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:38,520
and it wasn't the radio.
Then radio said, oh, let's have
299
00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,400
a disco radio station.
Yeah, yeah.
300
00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:46,000
No, it's it's it's bizarre like
one time my son and I got into
301
00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:49,680
this conversation about you know
how the music business is
302
00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,520
different today cuz you know his
mother is from the music
303
00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,000
industry and she complaints to
him about it often I guess.
304
00:17:55,440 --> 00:18:00,360
But we talked about it one day
and and you know he he was just
305
00:18:00,360 --> 00:18:05,480
blown away by as kids like he's
19 now but anyone under 30 years
306
00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:08,760
old when you talk to them about
different things like it's funny
307
00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,880
last night with with my
girlfriend Karen and her family
308
00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:17,360
it was one of her son's birthday
and we we played Family Feud
309
00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:19,480
like a board game.
Family Feud.
310
00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:25,440
Not not on the TV or anything.
And the questions like, you
311
00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,640
know, you know, name.
I forget what the question was,
312
00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:32,480
but something about a top sitcom
on television or whatever.
313
00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,480
And they were naming like or no
shows that you would watch in
314
00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:39,600
reruns.
And Jeremy is saying How I Met
315
00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:43,760
your mother, 'cause that, like
for his generation, they watched
316
00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:45,000
that over and over and over
again.
317
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:46,960
He saw every episode, 10 times
or whatever.
318
00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:49,000
And you.
Know it was a little kid back
319
00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:49,800
then too?
Yeah.
320
00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,280
Right.
But it's those shows or newer
321
00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:54,480
that they're talking about.
And it was like all in the
322
00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,680
family.
I Love Lucy.
323
00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,600
And they're all going, what the
hell is that?
324
00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:02,800
What is all in the family?
And I'm like, oh, you have no
325
00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,480
idea.
And I grew up with Leave It to
326
00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,320
Beaver and Ozzy and Harry.
And if I really go back to some
327
00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:12,120
of my first impressions, Burns
and Allen and well, you.
328
00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,560
Know it's funny 'cause that was.
TV show The old The Lone Ranger.
329
00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:17,920
I used to love watching the.
Lone, you said leave it to
330
00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:20,320
Beaver.
But one of the questions was
331
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:24,160
like famous moms, dead or alive,
and one of it was whatever Judy
332
00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:25,480
Cleaver.
Is that what her name was?
333
00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:26,840
June.
Cleaver.
334
00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:30,280
June Cleaver, right.
And they're like, who the hell
335
00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:32,920
is June Cleaver?
And I'm just laughing, right?
336
00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:38,280
They have no idea 'cause if
you're under 50 or 45, at least,
337
00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,480
you know, So I mean, it reminds
us how old we are.
338
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,360
And with a name like that, they
probably associate it with a
339
00:19:44,360 --> 00:19:46,240
character in a Stephen King
novel.
340
00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:47,760
Something.
Yeah, Cleaver.
341
00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,840
Right, right.
Some kind of a slasher.
342
00:19:51,360 --> 00:19:55,880
Yeah.
No, it's funny, but so you know,
343
00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,680
getting into to your life, cuz
you know, it's funny.
344
00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,720
I looked at your bio and some of
this stuff I didn't even know,
345
00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:05,240
like I, you know, I know
basically that you got your
346
00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,520
start, I think, in the clubs,
right?
347
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,400
Well, I got my start in the
music business, which did segue
348
00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:17,120
into the clubs and how it did
was kind of weird.
349
00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:22,520
But one day I ended up with a
job doing lights in the clubs
350
00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:26,040
because I knew the music and the
lighting guy had a summer gig he
351
00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:30,120
needed to go to and needed a
replacement and said literally,
352
00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:32,560
you know the music, if you can
figure out the controls, you
353
00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:34,920
have a job for the summer.
Well on the controls was
354
00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:37,600
probably like a two scene.
Hit this button then hit this.
355
00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:39,040
Button.
No, it was light lab.
356
00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,120
It was like 4 light lab, you
know.
357
00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:43,760
Yeah, yeah. 16 channel
controller and a couple of four
358
00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:45,800
channel controllers and a mirror
ball and this.
359
00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:47,360
And you had spinners and
rotators.
360
00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,400
It was at New York NY John
Addison and Maurice Brahms Club.
361
00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:54,400
It was just before they opened
Bonds and I.
362
00:20:54,400 --> 00:21:00,200
Then I moved to Bonds and then
anyway, that's I started back in
363
00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:05,200
1980.
Summer of 79 saw the end of my
364
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,360
music production days because
the Joel Long sound kind of
365
00:21:08,360 --> 00:21:13,800
internally imploded due to a
bunch of what's that are not
366
00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,560
relevant to to today or the
story.
367
00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:20,840
But that said, you know, all the
albums on the top are the albums
368
00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:27,600
I produced back in back in 7879.
They're not all of them.
369
00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:28,920
They're just the ones that
charted.
370
00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:37,440
And the the company kind of
disbanded in 79.
371
00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,920
And in the fall of 79, I started
doing lights at a little club in
372
00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:42,720
the city.
And then in the spring I got
373
00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,400
this offer to fill in at New
York, NY.
374
00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,880
And there began my lighting
career in earnest, which went on
375
00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:52,000
until this day.
I just kind of, you know, and
376
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,400
I've got to compliment you
before we go any further because
377
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:58,520
when you started Happy Hour
during the pandemic, I would
378
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,080
just say I can't thank you
enough.
379
00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,800
It really saved me and I think a
whole lot of people out there
380
00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:08,840
who all of a sudden found
themselves isolated and it was
381
00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:10,640
such a wonderful thing.
You had something to look
382
00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:12,080
forward to.
You had friends you could
383
00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,720
commiserate with.
It's a little early in the day
384
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:17,320
for one.
I do have a glass of water for
385
00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,960
my dryness, but it was always a.
Wonderful.
386
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,280
I have dribbles of a cup of
coffee called coffee here so.
387
00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:25,840
Thank you so very, very much for
that.
388
00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:31,040
Hey, thank you for filling in
all the dead air when nobody
389
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:35,440
wanted to talk about anything.
Can always can always count on
390
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:38,240
you to to take over the dead air
there, Marsha.
391
00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:39,480
No.
It was fun.
392
00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:44,600
It was it was timely and fun.
But I want to go back to so I
393
00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,240
this is going to show my
ignorance of the early stage of
394
00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:52,080
nightclubs in New York City.
But I think at some point, as I
395
00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,680
recall, you had some sort of an
attachment to Studio 54.
396
00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:57,720
Was that just as a customer or
did you work?
397
00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,000
There.
No, I did.
398
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,920
I I had an attachment actually
through and this is kind of
399
00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,320
leading back to the pandemic.
A lot of people did a pivot.
400
00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:12,520
I think I made a circle because
that was in earnest a big turn
401
00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:14,960
that's bringing me back to music
and what I'm doing now.
402
00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:19,960
And the DJ Roy Thode, who I am
working earnestly on this legacy
403
00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:26,080
site with or for, he's dead.
So I guess it's for me and I.
404
00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:28,760
Hope it's not with him, because
that would be sorry.
405
00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:33,400
I hope it's not with him.
Well, it is spiritually, right?
406
00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,240
It's spiritually.
I feel Roy and have on right
407
00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:38,960
there ever since the day he
died.
408
00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:42,160
That said, I didn't.
Hear So he was the DJ he was the
409
00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:47,360
DJ at he was.
One of the original DJs at 54.
410
00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:51,000
There's another person whose
podcast is in the editing room
411
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:57,240
still, who preceded Roy as an
original hire at Studio 54,
412
00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,760
who's a dear friend of mine as
well, and I have many of his
413
00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:02,640
archives.
But all this music that I'm
414
00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:08,160
regurgitating, for lack of a
better term, our old analogue
415
00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:12,440
tapes Roy recorded I have over
well over 100 of the.
416
00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:13,800
Real.
So let me ask you something,
417
00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:15,280
these DJ.
Archives.
418
00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:18,280
So back to your question, I'm
sorry to be breathy, because you
419
00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:19,240
know, no.
No, no, it's OK.
420
00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:20,600
I want to ask you another
question though.
421
00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:22,840
The DJs.
Let me answer the first one.
422
00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:27,480
My Studio 54 had more to do with
him and music and my record
423
00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,960
promotion days.
I was recognized back then as a
424
00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,840
record company Rep, or a
publicist, or a producer, or
425
00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:36,840
someone who worked with the
Village People, or the Ritchie
426
00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:41,920
family, or for Ariola Records,
or XY and Z, as well as being
427
00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:45,040
one of Roy's inner circle and
coming in with him early or
428
00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:46,680
whatever.
And one night I did work there.
429
00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:48,440
I worked the coat check.
Huh.
430
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,480
One night it was probably.
A1 Night.
431
00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:52,760
Probably a memorable night
though.
432
00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:55,400
Marsha, if you're here, I need
help in the coat check.
433
00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:56,680
Are you mine?
I said no.
434
00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:58,320
Why not?
Was it memorable?
435
00:24:59,120 --> 00:25:02,920
It was, and I made a bundle in
tips way more than the paycheck.
436
00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:05,400
Who's the most famous person's
coat that you grabbed?
437
00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:12,560
Do you remember?
No, but remember Brian Keith
438
00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:16,000
from I think it was was that not
All in the family, it was the
439
00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:20,840
little kids show, TV show going
back to our childhood, I think
440
00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:22,640
Brian Keith.
I don't.
441
00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,240
Know was the father or the
adoptive father.
442
00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:29,280
You know, I've had a few passes
made by a couple of actors and
443
00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:32,640
that sort of stuff.
Liza Minnelli picked her up a
444
00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:38,000
couple of times off the
staircase, you know, oddball
445
00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,120
encounters.
Actually, a dear friend of mine
446
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:43,320
who I used to dance and party
with a lot.
447
00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:48,000
Esther Comitari at the time she
was a very famous model, did a
448
00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,720
lot of Vogue and Terry Muegler
and runway stuff.
449
00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:56,320
She is indeed an in earnest now,
the queen of Burundi.
450
00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:58,880
At that time her parents were
alive and she is a born
451
00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,960
Princess.
She is Queen Princess Esther
452
00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:04,680
Comitari.
Wow.
453
00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:08,880
So she might be the most famous
person, not that I ever worked
454
00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:10,840
with, but that I was friends
with.
455
00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:13,240
So did you spend a lot of time
at 54?
456
00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:17,480
Like, were you a regular?
Yeah, you could say.
457
00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,640
You could say so.
There was a circuit of clubs
458
00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:21,760
that you did on various nights
of the week.
459
00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:27,560
Paradise Garage typically was a
Friday night either depending on
460
00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,840
the time of year you were in the
city or you were on Fire Island.
461
00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:38,880
So you might have done Studio 54
on a Thursday, Paradise Garage
462
00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,320
on a Friday, or 12 W on a
Friday.
463
00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:45,680
You had in the winter time 12 W
Flamingo or Paradise Garage of
464
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:47,360
the private clubs to choose
from.
465
00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:50,680
Early when I first moved to the
city there was a place open
466
00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,880
called the Loft.
It preceded Paradise Garage by a
467
00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:57,320
guy named David Mancuso and if
you go back in some of the disco
468
00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:04,360
archives, he is a notable and I
was there a few times so clubs
469
00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:11,280
were a lot more the drill I.
Would say, yeah, but 54, was it
470
00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:13,880
like, did you know it was
something then?
471
00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:17,240
Or like did that notoriety
happen later?
472
00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,800
Like, in other words, no.
You you knew it.
473
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:21,280
You know.
When it was happening, it was
474
00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:22,600
like a really big.
Deal.
475
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:30,240
When it opened, it was kind of
the 1st of its kind in being a
476
00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:32,960
mega club.
The clubs that I went to prior
477
00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,720
to that were a lot more mundane,
a lot more sedate.
478
00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:40,240
La Mouche was very popular.
It was a private club, was down
479
00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:44,720
in Chelsea, but again, you're
talking smaller. 54 went out of
480
00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,440
its way to garner publicity.
Yeah.
481
00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:53,120
And that was something that
regimes used to do.
482
00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:56,400
So I would say when I moved to
the city and started going out
483
00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:02,200
in 1977, the club for
celebrities was Regimes and then
484
00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:07,160
54 opened in April of 77, and I
had just moved to New York in
485
00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:09,880
September of 76.
So yeah, I was right there at
486
00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:12,760
the beginning and the thick of
it and then boom.
487
00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:17,560
And then after that Xenon opened
and this opened and that opened
488
00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,920
and then so.
To get into these places, did
489
00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:23,720
did you have to know somebody to
get into these places?
490
00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:26,960
Like were you special to be able
to get in or were you like held
491
00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,320
behind velvet ropes or how did
that was that?
492
00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,880
Was there like a hierarchy or
something?
493
00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,640
Hard to answer that because so
many of the times I was over
494
00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:39,560
there on business or on a list
and I still.
495
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:40,560
Knew me?
Right.
496
00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:45,680
However, I will say this, some
clubs imitated 54 that had the
497
00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:48,800
stanchions in the list and I
could be there on a list and
498
00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:53,120
damn, both Steve and Mark knew
who I was in some days, hi,
499
00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:55,040
Marsha.
And other days they would just
500
00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:56,960
look right past me.
That's funny, you know?
501
00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:59,560
And it And yeah, and it would,
but that was the thing and that
502
00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:01,800
was the thing that 54 came known
for.
503
00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:04,520
So of course, other clubs
imitated it.
504
00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:07,600
You know.
But most places you'd go and
505
00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:09,560
there's a guy at the door that
they knew you.
506
00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:13,280
If you were a regular, yeah.
Or if it was a membership club,
507
00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:14,840
you know, you had your
credentials.
508
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:16,880
Or you'd go there and you'd say
I'm on the list.
509
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:22,120
Yeah, you know, when I, when I
first moved to the US and was
510
00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,760
working with Martin at the time
or their distributor Trackman, I
511
00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:28,640
remember my first trip to New
York and one of the dealers in
512
00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,640
New York, the lighting dealers,
not drug dealers, took me out,
513
00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:36,920
took me out to a club one night
and we had to go to the door
514
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,560
guy, you know, the infamous door
guy or whatever.
515
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:43,240
And here's me, this dumb
Canadian.
516
00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,880
No nothing.
Never been exposed to anything
517
00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:49,480
weird at all cuz I'm from a
little city in Canada and
518
00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:54,240
there's this like 7 foot tall
tranny dude guy girl.
519
00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:58,280
I don't remember how you call
it, but it's a male who looks
520
00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:04,080
like a very tall very big female
And and you know, yes, you know,
521
00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:07,200
what do you want?
And and like just really like,
522
00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:11,200
you know you don't belong here.
Mr. Kind of an attitude.
523
00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:12,680
Right.
And I was just like I was in
524
00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,240
fear like I didn't know what to
do, right.
525
00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:20,000
Like Oh my God, I don't know.
I went to all of them.
526
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:25,320
Like what year this would have
been 91 or early 92 maybe?
527
00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,360
I might have been Sound Factory.
I've been to Sound Factory a few
528
00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:31,560
times so it wouldn't have been
Sound Factory cuz I would have
529
00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,840
remembered that cuz I went there
with Derek Vasquez and.
530
00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:36,960
Those guys.
Right, Yeah.
531
00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:42,040
Yeah, Derek and I have worked
together since the old days.
532
00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:46,640
Yeah, in fact I have a few funny
old Dinosaur Geezer show and
533
00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,280
tell things here, but what I
didn't bring out of the old pin
534
00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:53,080
spots I have in the back that
are from Derek Custom lighting
535
00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,120
we did because we did special
events together.
536
00:30:56,560 --> 00:31:01,680
Yeah, well, I didn't meet most
of those guys until because when
537
00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:03,400
I was with Martin, we were the
dorks.
538
00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:06,840
Like we weren't the cool people
at all at at the big clubs or
539
00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:08,760
anything.
It was, it was high end at the
540
00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:11,080
time.
Well, it wasn't even high end
541
00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:14,600
yet in the early 90s.
High end sort of mid 90s.
542
00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,520
Got to be the real in thing,
right, with the intelibeams and
543
00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:21,760
all that stuff, but.
They were around the 80s
544
00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:23,440
intelibeams.
No.
545
00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:27,040
Yeah, I surely was.
Well, yeah, Intellibeams, I
546
00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,280
would say early 90s, ninety two,
I think.
547
00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:32,600
Intellibeam is a mirrored light.
We'll have to, we'll have to
548
00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:35,040
come back to this.
We'll have to come back to this.
549
00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:40,960
I think the Intellibeam would be
about 92 or maybe even 9394 like
550
00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:44,480
it was a bit later.
Whatever the fixture was, there
551
00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:46,240
were mirrored.
Golden scans.
552
00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:50,080
In the clubs at the time, yeah.
And the only and and I know this
553
00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:53,360
because I was a barrel light
snob, I was a Vera light snob
554
00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:58,400
and I stopped working in the
clubs in like 9091.
555
00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:02,160
It was that that year was the
end of my club days and went
556
00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:06,240
earnest into special events
until the mid 90s and I was a
557
00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:08,440
Vera light head.
Yeah, well, the.
558
00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:11,320
Snobbery.
The earliest we had a head that
559
00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:14,880
moved and everybody else had
mirrored lights, wiggle lights,
560
00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:16,760
and that's all that was around.
And it was.
561
00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,440
We couldn't buy them.
Yeah, Miami, Martin proliferated
562
00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:24,000
the market absolutely, Marcel,
right through the mid 90s.
563
00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:28,360
Yeah, In the earliest days it
was Comar with the robots and
564
00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:32,320
Clay Paki with the golden scans
and super scans and all of that
565
00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:34,760
stuff that were sort of the
earliest lights.
566
00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:36,240
So it was probably Clay Paki
stuff.
567
00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,400
I would guess that you're
talking about that.
568
00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:41,400
Was so pre day?
Yeah, if it had a mirror, I
569
00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:44,360
wasn't interested.
Yeah, sorry.
570
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,800
Yeah, yeah, it doesn't matter.
Didn't change my life.
571
00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:48,680
I did.
OK.
572
00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:53,560
No, we met.
We met when you were at Martin
573
00:32:53,560 --> 00:33:00,120
in Florida, Martin Tracoman way
back and it was in the 90s and I
574
00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:03,360
think it was in the mid to late
90s because it was around the
575
00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:06,880
time that I did the bridge into
architectural lighting.
576
00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:13,320
I believe that it was when I was
at high end and I worked with
577
00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:16,800
you on one of the FAO Schwartz
jobs, if you.
578
00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,520
Worked on FAO then.
It definitely was, which was.
579
00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:24,600
Right around that time, it was.
9097 probably. 9697 cause the
580
00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:26,960
club debuted.
In fact, I was just wearing.
581
00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,480
Funny you should say that.
I was just wearing the T the
582
00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:32,720
other day.
The T-shirt from the opening,
583
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:37,720
the preview of the the FAO
Schwarz.
584
00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,440
Yeah.
Yeah, no, that was a cool job.
585
00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:45,080
Those the, you know, honestly,
like you probably deserve some
586
00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:49,800
credit for being one of the, at
least from my knowledge, one of
587
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:54,760
the earliest designers to
incorporate automated lighting
588
00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:58,960
into like architectural retail
environments.
589
00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:02,520
And you know, I I remember
working with you on NBAFAO
590
00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:06,320
Schwarz probably.
One of the luckiest because for
591
00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:11,080
FAO Schwarz I was stupid enough
to use a beta version of the
592
00:34:11,159 --> 00:34:16,480
high end colors and and nobody
uses beta versions in a
593
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,400
permanent installation.
But somebody who is that naive
594
00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:23,440
and I was really lucky and I
will commend high end, we had an
595
00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:27,920
incredible support system and
FAO Schwarz also had an
596
00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:30,280
incredible technical team
because of all the other
597
00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:32,639
automation and technology that
was there.
598
00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:37,239
So we were able to take their
automation guy, send him down to
599
00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:41,360
Austin, train him and get him
set so that he could handle a
600
00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:45,320
lot of the regular maintenance
on the high end system and and
601
00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:48,360
you know, so it was a great team
effort.
602
00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:52,840
I must say our Yeah, and kudos
to high end for taking the
603
00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:55,639
gamble with me, because no one
else had ever done that before,
604
00:34:55,679 --> 00:34:56,800
so.
No, I mean, it was.
605
00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:00,280
A cool project I.
I think I got involved a little
606
00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:02,960
later.
Like I I think you were already
607
00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:06,040
underway when I started with
High end and and I kind of got
608
00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:10,080
thrown into the loop and it was
a really cool project.
609
00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:13,000
And I just remember, wow, you
know, I've never seen anybody
610
00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:15,240
use all these moving lights on a
job like this.
611
00:35:15,240 --> 00:35:19,080
And when you speak of being
crazy to use beta stuff at that
612
00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:22,280
time everything was beta stuff.
At that time.
613
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:26,640
We were moving so fast and
creating things so quickly that
614
00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:30,520
almost every light, like you
know, I talked to to lighting
615
00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:32,520
people now like the kids these
days.
616
00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:37,040
Everything is so good right now.
Like even whether it's American
617
00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:42,480
DJ or it's, you know, High End
or Robe or Ayrton or Chauvet,
618
00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,560
all of it is really, really good
stuff right now.
619
00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:51,040
And back then it wasn't, I mean
even production, production
620
00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:53,880
stuff that we were selling
especially at Martin, but high
621
00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:57,320
end as well was buggy.
And you know, I don't know if
622
00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:01,600
you remember the the days at
high end when when there was
623
00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,680
like, I don't remember the exact
rule, but I think it was when
624
00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:08,760
there was either a problem with
a fixture beyond a certain
625
00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:13,400
whatever scope or the same
problem happened more than a few
626
00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:16,480
times or whatever.
Richard Bellevue would close the
627
00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:18,320
entire production of that
fixture.
628
00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:21,120
He'd shut down production until
they found a fix for it.
629
00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:23,760
And you've?
Got You could be a little
630
00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:26,880
obsessive when it came to that
and and and you're right it was
631
00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:27,920
new, but that was.
Cool.
632
00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:30,000
He really knew what they were
doing.
633
00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:34,760
Yeah, yeah, no, it was it, it
was it was a fun time.
634
00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:39,920
Like, I'm I'm so proud and happy
to have been there at the
635
00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:43,480
forefront of for sale automated
lighting.
636
00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:47,880
You know, like I wasn't at the
forefront of Vera Light, but the
637
00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,040
stuff that was actually being
sold, I was.
638
00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:53,520
I was one of the early guys in
involved in that industry with
639
00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,280
Martin at the time.
And it was fun.
640
00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:01,240
It was fun.
And and I too, share gratitude.
641
00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:06,320
And I'm grateful that I was
lucky enough to be at the right
642
00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:11,760
place at the right time and with
enough aptitude and talent to
643
00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:14,840
make something out of it.
Because certainly being thrown
644
00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:16,840
in the pot doesn't mean you're
going to be able to swim in the
645
00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:18,680
water.
Yeah, well, you know what
646
00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:20,400
though?
You're it's funny you say at the
647
00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,880
right place at the right time.
If I was to define your career,
648
00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:27,280
you know, to me, you're Marsha
at the right place at the right
649
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:31,000
time, Stern, because you've been
at the right place at the right
650
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,080
time about 100 times in your
career.
651
00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:36,480
You, you keep falling backwards
into these incredible
652
00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:38,240
opportunities.
And I mean, you're earning your
653
00:37:38,240 --> 00:37:41,440
way in.
You're like nobody works a trade
654
00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:43,320
show like Marsha works a trade
show.
655
00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:47,200
You know, you talk to everybody.
You talk to everybody at length.
656
00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:51,800
You know you you are out from
the morning till the night and
657
00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:54,960
and you hit 1000 conversations
in between those times.
658
00:37:55,480 --> 00:37:59,480
And that's what you got to do to
to forge ahead in this industry
659
00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:03,080
and to create A to create a life
for yourself in this industry.
660
00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:05,400
Otherwise, you know you're not
employed for very long.
661
00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:11,200
Well, and you know, as someone
who was, is not at the trade
662
00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:16,520
show seeking employment, but
rather going there to to be a
663
00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:21,960
part of something that's bigger
than me, like one of the
664
00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:25,400
proudest achievements that I've
ever done with you, Mr.
665
00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:27,600
Fairbairn, I have a little show
and tell.
666
00:38:28,240 --> 00:38:29,280
Are we make?
Sense.
667
00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:33,440
I mean, that was amazing.
That was a cohesiveness.
668
00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:37,520
That was, you know, as spiritual
as it was.
669
00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:42,240
As it was exuberant, I mean it
just gave you an energy and and
670
00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:46,520
we all sprang into and it showed
me what a community is and was
671
00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:48,400
and does and that's so much of
entertainment.
672
00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:52,240
And I don't say this in a
negative way, I just say this as
673
00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:56,240
an observer.
I spent a good number of years
674
00:38:56,240 --> 00:38:58,600
working in the entertainment
nightclub world.
675
00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:02,000
I transitioned to the
architectural world based on the
676
00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:06,240
luck I had being one of the few
people in 95 that had extensive
677
00:39:06,240 --> 00:39:12,680
experience both running,
operating, designing and fixing
678
00:39:12,720 --> 00:39:15,440
Vera lights because I was
trained and I used to do the
679
00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:21,680
repair at Palladium also after
Dexter left to know that when we
680
00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:24,600
met and I was starting in
architecture, to be at the cusp
681
00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:29,240
of something like that was just
amazing and to be vertical and
682
00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:32,680
lucid now to be able to talk.
About it is pretty cool.
683
00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,560
Too and in some ways it's kind
of led into this whole
684
00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:40,360
historical path that I'm on,
which is recent and it brought
685
00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:44,000
about a lot and the pandemic
kind of made me re evaluate.
686
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:47,800
So when I look at the historical
perspective, when I look at the
687
00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:52,400
work, the the projections, now
it's more about the contacts,
688
00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:57,960
the the the comrade or ship that
I have with the various people
689
00:39:57,960 --> 00:39:59,800
that I love to see.
I'm sorry I missed this,
690
00:39:59,880 --> 00:40:01,160
Giselle.
The look like a.
691
00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:02,840
No, I didn't go either.
I didn't go either.
692
00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:05,760
My first one in God knows I
don't even remember.
693
00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:08,000
Yeah, it looked like we missed
the good one, kiddo.
694
00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:11,160
You know, you know going back
again to the sort of beginning
695
00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:16,520
of time with with whether it's
Studio 54 or any of these other
696
00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:21,480
you know, New York, NY or or
Bond or whatever The Saint, I
697
00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:26,760
know you were there as well.
First, females who run lights
698
00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:30,480
and be on the marquee.
Interesting, cool.
699
00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:35,840
But going back so one thing it
seems to me at least, and you
700
00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:39,640
can correct me if I'm way wrong
on this, but people who worked
701
00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:44,080
either in sound or lighting or
design at those early clubs went
702
00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:46,520
on to incredible careers in our
industry.
703
00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:51,040
And I'm guessing DJs probably
went on to become producers of
704
00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:55,680
of incredible, you know, hit
albums or something, you know,
705
00:40:55,680 --> 00:41:00,440
but even like Paul Gregory and
and Billington and Zay Moore and
706
00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:02,880
some of these guys who were
involved in some of those early
707
00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:05,960
projects.
Well, Billington already had a
708
00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:10,240
very successful Broadway career
and was hired by Jimmy Mary, who
709
00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:14,520
opened The Red Parrot to do a
Broadway lighting set up.
710
00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:20,640
We had we were the first disco,
if you will, in Manhattan in
711
00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:23,080
anywhere in the world that I
know of that had a computerized
712
00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:26,240
lighting system.
We who it opened, we the Red
713
00:41:26,240 --> 00:41:27,880
Parrot.
Oh, so you were there as?
714
00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:31,840
Well, I worked there as well,
but when it opened in I think
715
00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:37,080
New Year's Eve of 1980, if I'm
not mistaken, it, it opened with
716
00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:40,480
a live sound stage.
And they also had a swing band
717
00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:42,160
orchestra, the Red Parrot
Orchestra.
718
00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:47,720
And so they would have two show,
two or three shows with the Red
719
00:41:47,720 --> 00:41:52,720
Parrot orchestra doing swing
music in between, the disco DJ
720
00:41:52,720 --> 00:41:56,800
playing the hits of the day.
And we had video screens.
721
00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:00,560
It was a Kliegel Brothers,
Kliegel Gold Performer 2.
722
00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:04,200
That was our lighting console.
We had full sound, audio,
723
00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:06,640
soundstage.
It was amazing.
724
00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:10,600
And Ken came in, Ken and Jason
excuse me, Cantro is came in as
725
00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:14,520
Broadway designers and put a
completely new twist on it.
726
00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:19,360
Paul Gregory, on the other hand,
designed and fabricated through
727
00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:25,400
his company at the Time Light
Lab, the dance floor for the
728
00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:28,120
movie Saturday Night Fever,
which was 77.
729
00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:31,120
So that was three years prior.
And if if people want to hear
730
00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:34,120
about that, they can go to your
heartbeat of the dance or
731
00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,720
podcast episode 12 that I was
just listening to.
732
00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:39,640
He was just starting to talk
about it.
733
00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:42,720
But it was funny because he said
I I fabricated this thing and
734
00:42:42,720 --> 00:42:46,160
put it on the roof of my station
wagon and drove from Chicago to
735
00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:48,720
New York.
I mean, I was like, what?
736
00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:52,440
You know, that's insane.
You know, one of the most iconic
737
00:42:52,680 --> 00:42:54,640
nightclub movies ever?
Probably or.
738
00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:57,280
Dance.
I can mention a DJ who has an
739
00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:00,720
incredible career.
Today, two shows on SiriusXM.
740
00:43:00,720 --> 00:43:04,760
Many of your listeners may know.
Robbie Leslie, He has a show on
741
00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:06,520
Friday nights.
Robbie Leslie presents.
742
00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:10,680
He does a show on Andy Cohen
station, Kiki Radio.
743
00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:15,960
It's on Thursday nights.
He stems from those early days.
744
00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:19,640
Very sadly, we lost many of the
artists who just aren't with us
745
00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:23,040
and aren't around anymore that
were an integral force in the
746
00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:25,520
70s.
It was a hard lifestyle.
747
00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:28,520
I mean, it's, you know, it's not
an easy lifestyle to live
748
00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:31,720
through into your 80s or 90s or
whatever, you know?
749
00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:34,480
We're not that old, Marcel.
No, no.
750
00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:38,440
But I'm saying, I'm saying like.
80S or 90s is pushing it.
751
00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:42,880
However, sadly, AIDS, AIDS
incredible chunk aids.
752
00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:46,400
Was a big one.
Population in the mid to late
753
00:43:46,440 --> 00:43:52,160
80s and of that you lost many
artists of all ilks, whether
754
00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:53,440
they were.
Musicians magic.
755
00:43:53,720 --> 00:43:57,880
Designers or shows or whatever.
And so that's where a lot went
756
00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:02,600
and a lot went to drug overdoses
and a lot went to XY's and Z's,
757
00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:05,840
you know, And he kind of wonder
what music would Larry Levan be
758
00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:07,560
playing today?
I mean, he was the heart and
759
00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:09,720
soul of Paradise Garage,
probably one of the most
760
00:44:09,720 --> 00:44:12,040
infamous clubs to ever come out
of New York City.
761
00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:15,560
And a place where I did my first
installation.
762
00:44:15,560 --> 00:44:19,840
I learned not only how to put an
Edison plug on a park in, but
763
00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:23,640
what an Edison plug was that
day, my first day on the job.
764
00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:25,720
And you know who my crew chief
was?
765
00:44:25,720 --> 00:44:27,920
A lighting designer?
Joe Zamor.
766
00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:28,840
Oh.
Funny.
767
00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:32,640
That's where Joe and I met back
in 1980.
768
00:44:32,640 --> 00:44:34,160
Oh.
That's wild.
769
00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:39,080
And and a lighting designer
whose award is on the wall.
770
00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:40,960
It was given to me when the Red
Parrot closed.
771
00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:44,240
It's a Lumen award that is, you
know, is an architectural
772
00:44:44,240 --> 00:44:46,320
lighting design award.
But it was awarded to the Ice
773
00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:50,320
Palace 57 and the owner, Jimmy
Murray, who was the same owner
774
00:44:50,320 --> 00:44:52,800
as the Red Parrot and the
lighting designer was a guy by
775
00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:56,240
the name of Chris Harms and that
was a light Lab installation,
776
00:44:56,240 --> 00:45:00,280
which was a Paul Gregory
installation among many others.
777
00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:04,640
So, you know, sadly, so many of
those people, yes, I wonder
778
00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:06,680
where they would be, what their
music would be.
779
00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:11,320
Artists DJ is like a Jim Burgess
who had an opera background.
780
00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:15,400
I mean, we used to hang out.
He'd freaking sing opera Arias.
781
00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:19,160
I mean, it was amazing, amazing.
You wonder what they would be
782
00:45:19,160 --> 00:45:22,040
doing now, given all the
creative tools that people have
783
00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:25,560
at their disposal that they
didn't have back then, you know?
784
00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:28,400
So let me ask you this though,
did your like when?
785
00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:31,080
So you came from South Florida,
right?
786
00:45:32,120 --> 00:45:35,440
Born and raised, Sir.
So you you had a pretty normal
787
00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:39,040
upbringing, you know, normal
parents, normal family and
788
00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:39,920
everything else, right?
I.
789
00:45:41,120 --> 00:45:47,240
I I guess they were right.
I came from a very loving home.
790
00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:53,440
I had as normal a childhood as I
suppose anyone could want.
791
00:45:53,440 --> 00:45:56,680
We lived in a lovely suburban
neighborhood that at the time I
792
00:45:56,680 --> 00:45:59,280
was born was brand new in North
Miami.
793
00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:02,600
I went to North Miami Junior
High and Senior High and had a
794
00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:06,920
prom and was involved and and
went to our our Junior and
795
00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:08,440
senior prom.
We're at the Fountain Blue
796
00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:09,840
Hotel.
That's wild.
797
00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:12,200
What I'm getting at though.
Marsha is where did it all go
798
00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:14,040
wrong?
You know, how the hell did you
799
00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:15,160
end up on this?
I.
800
00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:17,960
Moved to New York.
Club scene in New York.
801
00:46:18,280 --> 00:46:18,880
What?
Do you think?
802
00:46:19,600 --> 00:46:22,480
No, but did your parents think,
What the heck are you doing,
803
00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:24,480
Marsha?
You're in these nightclubs,
804
00:46:24,480 --> 00:46:28,320
working all hours of the night
in these crazy places I am.
805
00:46:28,520 --> 00:46:35,480
Quite certain that my mother was
not pleased, but I was grateful
806
00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:39,680
that they both gave me the grace
to live my life and they
807
00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:42,840
accepted it even though they may
not have understood it.
808
00:46:44,440 --> 00:46:51,160
I I remember and and I also look
leaving Florida when I had a
809
00:46:51,160 --> 00:46:54,840
really good job at the age of
you know, 920 years old.
810
00:46:54,840 --> 00:47:03,000
I was making in 1975 like 20 to
30 grand a year and on the pace
811
00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:06,880
to double it annually.
That was not that was stay 2-3
812
00:47:06,880 --> 00:47:10,040
more years and move to New York
with 100 grand in your pocket
813
00:47:10,040 --> 00:47:11,840
was what the smart person would
have done.
814
00:47:11,840 --> 00:47:15,120
But Marcia didn't do that.
Marcia needed to do what she
815
00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:16,960
needed to do and follow her
heart.
816
00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:19,680
And, you know, my parents are
Holocaust survivors.
817
00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:24,120
And so they had to leave their
home in Vienna at the ages of 18
818
00:47:24,120 --> 00:47:29,640
and 19 respectively.
And I presented it to my mother
819
00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:32,200
in a way that I thought she
would understand.
820
00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:36,840
And that was that she didn't
have the opportunity to make the
821
00:47:36,840 --> 00:47:39,440
choice on how she was going to
become an adult.
822
00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:45,800
I was fortunate enough to have a
choice to make, and this was the
823
00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:49,280
choice I was going to do.
And I did it knowing I had a
824
00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:53,000
safety net to come back to.
And I don't think that I would
825
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:56,880
have moved to New York at the
ripe old age of not quite 22 if
826
00:47:56,880 --> 00:48:00,840
I didn't have a safe home
environment to come to.
827
00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:03,960
And I think that was a huge part
of what gave me the confidence
828
00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:07,400
to do things that I probably
shouldn't have done and go
829
00:48:07,400 --> 00:48:11,240
places I probably shouldn't have
gone and explore things that
830
00:48:11,240 --> 00:48:14,320
maybe I shouldn't have gone.
But I think now that I look back
831
00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:19,080
on it, I'm glad I had the balls.
Yeah, well, here's.
832
00:48:19,080 --> 00:48:21,920
The thing though, like I, you
know, it's going to sound
833
00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:22,960
sexist.
It's not.
834
00:48:23,360 --> 00:48:26,840
You know, I did AI took a
similar route in that I went out
835
00:48:26,840 --> 00:48:29,440
on the road as a musician much
younger than 22.
836
00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:36,280
I was, I think I was 16 or 17
with a fake ID because you had
837
00:48:36,280 --> 00:48:39,160
to be 18 in Canada to play in
the bars and stuff.
838
00:48:39,720 --> 00:48:44,920
And you know, my mom, just my
dad was dead when I was four and
839
00:48:44,920 --> 00:48:47,000
my stepdad was already out of
the picture by then.
840
00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:49,600
So my mom just said, hey, look,
you know, that's what you want
841
00:48:49,600 --> 00:48:51,000
to do.
I support you, you know,
842
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:57,600
whatever you want.
And but I was a guy and so, you
843
00:48:57,600 --> 00:49:00,160
know, I I always think it's
different for a daughter.
844
00:49:00,160 --> 00:49:01,880
And you were an only child too,
weren't you?
845
00:49:02,520 --> 00:49:05,240
I yeah, up to this day, I'm
still an only child.
846
00:49:05,360 --> 00:49:10,920
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And and I, you know, before I
847
00:49:10,920 --> 00:49:14,920
got the cojones to stop
everything and do what I wanted
848
00:49:14,920 --> 00:49:18,000
to do and then move to New York,
you know, I did the things you
849
00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:21,160
were supposed to do.
I went to college, you know,
850
00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:23,640
they transferred to a nice
dental hygiene school.
851
00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:27,360
And I had nice jobs and medical
offices were a nice young woman
852
00:49:27,360 --> 00:49:30,520
at the age of 19 or 20 could
earn a good living in yada, yada
853
00:49:30,520 --> 00:49:32,800
and yada, yada.
And you know, and then it was
854
00:49:32,800 --> 00:49:38,040
like one day I just said I don't
think I could do this anymore.
855
00:49:38,520 --> 00:49:40,440
Yeah, yeah.
You know, it's funny.
856
00:49:40,440 --> 00:49:44,840
When I was looking at your, your
info that you sent over, I saw,
857
00:49:44,880 --> 00:49:48,680
you know, went to college for
dental hygiene and you know,
858
00:49:48,680 --> 00:49:51,840
then my first job, you know,
whatever, not first job.
859
00:49:51,880 --> 00:49:55,640
But yeah, now I'm now I'm now
I'm in a nightclub in New York.
860
00:49:55,640 --> 00:49:59,960
And I'm like, so you went to
school for dental hygiene so
861
00:49:59,960 --> 00:50:02,520
that you could be a tech in a
nightclub, you know?
862
00:50:02,520 --> 00:50:05,520
I mean, these are just the paths
we take sometimes, right?
863
00:50:05,960 --> 00:50:09,320
Well, not for nothing.
When I moved to New York, one of
864
00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:13,400
my early jobs that supported me
while I was looking for a job in
865
00:50:13,400 --> 00:50:17,240
the music business was as an
assistant in a dentist office.
866
00:50:17,480 --> 00:50:19,920
An endodontist office, to be
particular.
867
00:50:20,160 --> 00:50:23,600
Interesting.
And they knew I was looking for
868
00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:27,200
work.
And as soon as I secured the job
869
00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:30,160
as a publicist with the Howard
Bloom organization, which was
870
00:50:30,160 --> 00:50:34,560
like in Jed, right after the New
Year in 77, that that was it, It
871
00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:39,040
was a goodbye and Be friends and
Barry Moosie Kant the Dent, the
872
00:50:39,040 --> 00:50:42,960
endodontist, performed a couple
of my root canals and my dentist
873
00:50:42,960 --> 00:50:45,240
for 40 years.
I met through that building.
874
00:50:45,240 --> 00:50:48,320
And you know, it's funny where
life takes you.
875
00:50:48,360 --> 00:50:51,920
And and lucky that I had enough
of a skill set in that arena.
876
00:50:52,280 --> 00:50:54,680
Yeah.
The earn a living when I had
877
00:50:54,720 --> 00:50:57,280
just moved to New York.
The only other dental person I
878
00:50:57,280 --> 00:51:01,080
knew in the nightclub business
was Tim.
879
00:51:01,320 --> 00:51:04,680
What's his last name?
Tim, who owned Tantra in Miami
880
00:51:04,680 --> 00:51:07,080
Beach and some other places as
well.
881
00:51:07,080 --> 00:51:09,160
He owns some clubs and
restaurants and stuff.
882
00:51:09,960 --> 00:51:11,920
Tim.
I can't remember his damn last
883
00:51:11,920 --> 00:51:15,320
name, but he was a dentist
during the day and like at night
884
00:51:15,320 --> 00:51:19,960
you'd see, you know, him and his
wife doing crazy things on poles
885
00:51:19,960 --> 00:51:22,960
in his restaurants and or in his
nightclubs or whatever, right?
886
00:51:23,040 --> 00:51:27,360
It's like what is going on here?
But a really cool guy.
887
00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:32,360
But, you know, seeing him in the
nightclub at night made me never
888
00:51:32,360 --> 00:51:35,880
want to be under, you know, a
light with him with knives and
889
00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:42,560
stuff in my mouth in the
morning, you know, No, thank
890
00:51:42,560 --> 00:51:43,720
you.
Yeah.
891
00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:46,920
Maybe just give me some of that
stuff you took last night and I
892
00:51:46,920 --> 00:51:49,120
won't feel a thing.
Yeah.
893
00:51:49,760 --> 00:51:52,680
Well, you know, yeah.
And you have to kind of have
894
00:51:52,680 --> 00:51:56,840
your wits about you if you're on
the other end of, you know, even
895
00:51:56,840 --> 00:51:59,320
what we do.
I mean, working in a nightclub
896
00:51:59,320 --> 00:52:02,760
and being the person who is
responsible for making the party
897
00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:05,480
is a little bit different than
being the rigor on the job that
898
00:52:05,480 --> 00:52:08,520
does the sets and the staging
the day before.
899
00:52:08,880 --> 00:52:12,360
Yeah, yeah.
So how did you, how, and maybe
900
00:52:12,360 --> 00:52:14,680
even why?
Like what made you decide or
901
00:52:14,680 --> 00:52:18,280
whatever?
But was it like a really natural
902
00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:22,240
sort of transition from being a
club lighting person to being
903
00:52:22,440 --> 00:52:25,640
more of an architectural or
architectainment or
904
00:52:25,840 --> 00:52:29,000
architectural retail or whatever
you want to call it, but a a
905
00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:31,640
more sophisticated lighting
person?
906
00:52:32,640 --> 00:52:36,680
Or like were you following the
path of maybe a Paul Gregory or
907
00:52:36,680 --> 00:52:41,320
or someone along those lines?
I was not following anyone
908
00:52:41,320 --> 00:52:45,920
else's path, but again, it was
luck and circumstances that led
909
00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:50,680
me where I needed to be.
At the time in the 90s, post
910
00:52:50,680 --> 00:52:55,400
Palladium, I was working with
Robert Isabelle Incorporated.
911
00:52:55,400 --> 00:52:59,080
We were doing massive special
events again.
912
00:52:59,080 --> 00:53:01,520
I was continuing as a Vera Light
head.
913
00:53:01,520 --> 00:53:07,080
Van Coe was our supplier in New
York, Teddy van Brahmel's
914
00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:13,040
company, and we were the largest
renter of Vera lights in the
915
00:53:13,040 --> 00:53:17,200
Northeast, if that gives you any
idea beyond tours, beyond all
916
00:53:17,200 --> 00:53:19,280
kinds of stuff.
And you couldn't buy a Vera
917
00:53:19,280 --> 00:53:26,080
light in 1990 or 91 or 95.
And that was where I got my
918
00:53:26,080 --> 00:53:31,600
bread and butter doing doing
these mega mega events and
919
00:53:31,600 --> 00:53:34,000
working on my own special
events.
920
00:53:34,000 --> 00:53:36,640
I did a lot of my own special
events where I did a lot of work
921
00:53:36,640 --> 00:53:39,680
as I mentioned with Derek
Vasquez and his company Custom
922
00:53:39,680 --> 00:53:43,200
Lighting.
And I had a ski accident and I
923
00:53:43,200 --> 00:53:47,160
blew my knee out.
And when I blew my knee out,
924
00:53:47,160 --> 00:53:51,720
that kind of put the kibosh on
climbing ladders and running
925
00:53:51,720 --> 00:53:56,920
around like a lunatic and doing
all these events and post during
926
00:53:56,920 --> 00:54:01,440
not long rehab, but post initial
rehab as I'm ready now to go
927
00:54:01,440 --> 00:54:03,560
back to work.
And what the blank am I doing?
928
00:54:03,560 --> 00:54:07,240
Because now what I was doing, it
doesn't really make sense right
929
00:54:07,240 --> 00:54:12,440
now since I'm still on the on
the mend was an ad in the Times
930
00:54:12,680 --> 00:54:16,040
from an architectural lighting
design firm called Johnson
931
00:54:16,040 --> 00:54:19,360
Schwinghamer.
And I happened to answer it and
932
00:54:19,360 --> 00:54:22,280
Johnson Schwinghamer was looking
for a designer they were
933
00:54:22,280 --> 00:54:24,960
interviewing.
Turned out they had a new
934
00:54:24,960 --> 00:54:27,080
project, which is why they
wanted a designer.
935
00:54:27,080 --> 00:54:29,560
That was FAO Schwarz in Las
Vegas.
936
00:54:29,880 --> 00:54:33,240
I presented the idea of doing
this all with automated
937
00:54:33,240 --> 00:54:35,680
lighting, something that had
never been done before.
938
00:54:36,080 --> 00:54:39,480
Both Clark Johnson and Bill
Schwinghammer loved it.
939
00:54:39,520 --> 00:54:42,320
It was more of a bill project
than well, the two of them
940
00:54:42,320 --> 00:54:45,000
worked together on that, but FAO
ended up being a little more of
941
00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:49,320
a bill client.
But be that as it may, that was
942
00:54:49,320 --> 00:54:51,080
how I segwayed into
architecture.
943
00:54:51,080 --> 00:54:52,440
Lucky.
Interesting.
944
00:54:53,080 --> 00:54:58,160
Fucking lucky.
No, but why, what, what made you
945
00:54:58,160 --> 00:55:04,000
think that going all automated
on a job like that in retail,
946
00:55:04,200 --> 00:55:08,480
your first basically foray into
architectural lighting.
947
00:55:09,200 --> 00:55:13,920
I mean, if you look back, that
was pretty friggin brave, you
948
00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:18,280
know, it was pretty.
Palsy There were 3-4 aspects of
949
00:55:18,280 --> 00:55:22,440
the store that I was involved
with, with my special lighting
950
00:55:22,440 --> 00:55:25,480
segment and it had its own
heading and its own section in
951
00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:28,360
the contract and blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah, you know,
952
00:55:28,360 --> 00:55:31,880
in its own drawings and whatnot.
And one aspect, the main aspect
953
00:55:31,880 --> 00:55:34,920
was the Trojan horse, which was
this like 65 foot animated
954
00:55:34,920 --> 00:55:36,840
Trojan horse that was at the
entrance.
955
00:55:37,160 --> 00:55:41,000
It was the FAO Schwarz shops at
Caesars Forum Shops in Las
956
00:55:41,000 --> 00:55:47,040
Vegas, and that was an animated
attraction and they had a
957
00:55:47,040 --> 00:55:51,440
soundtrack and a show that was
going to be repeated like every
958
00:55:51,440 --> 00:55:55,560
15 or 20 minutes throughout with
the animation and a whole
959
00:55:55,560 --> 00:55:58,560
thingama do.
And they needed an intermission,
960
00:55:58,560 --> 00:56:03,800
if you will.
And I thought that was a great
961
00:56:03,800 --> 00:56:07,840
opportunity to introduce moving
light whether the fixtures and
962
00:56:07,840 --> 00:56:12,640
the the lights themselves moved
as they did in the animation or
963
00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:16,400
if it was a stagnant with color
very slowly.
964
00:56:16,400 --> 00:56:19,440
And actually the in between
looks that I did my program was
965
00:56:19,440 --> 00:56:22,480
Brad Schiller.
And we spent an entire night in
966
00:56:22,480 --> 00:56:26,960
the store programming the in
between sections so that we had
967
00:56:26,960 --> 00:56:31,680
maybe a four hour uninterrupted
loop that would run, that would
968
00:56:31,680 --> 00:56:35,760
pause every time there was an
animated show that was a pre
969
00:56:35,760 --> 00:56:39,840
recorded segment that would
repeat so that our show didn't
970
00:56:39,840 --> 00:56:43,400
repeat so it didn't look like
every time the ceiling turned
971
00:56:43,400 --> 00:56:45,360
blue.
Then boom, the animation starts.
972
00:56:45,400 --> 00:56:48,600
I didn't want that.
I wanted something that really
973
00:56:48,600 --> 00:56:49,680
was different in.
Me.
974
00:56:51,000 --> 00:56:55,560
Yes, and and they gave me FAO
Shores, they gave me Dick Glass
975
00:56:56,120 --> 00:57:01,800
was the VPO at the time and he
gave me a clean pallet, the
976
00:57:02,000 --> 00:57:05,000
design team of Johnson
Schwinghammer that I worked with
977
00:57:05,000 --> 00:57:08,560
those guys, they were great and
they really just let me run with
978
00:57:08,560 --> 00:57:10,560
it.
I worked with Joanne Newbold,
979
00:57:10,560 --> 00:57:14,840
who was the creative designer
for the store, and we did a
980
00:57:14,840 --> 00:57:19,400
thing for, I don't remember
what, but there was a tree.
981
00:57:19,400 --> 00:57:22,720
It was one of the bears things
and they did a tree and they
982
00:57:22,720 --> 00:57:24,960
wanted twinkle lights for the
tree.
983
00:57:25,320 --> 00:57:27,880
And so that was a segment that I
was involved in.
984
00:57:27,880 --> 00:57:31,840
And then there was a Star Wars
area where, you know, at the
985
00:57:31,840 --> 00:57:37,280
cafe, the Cantina in Star Wars
where they animated fixtures
986
00:57:37,280 --> 00:57:41,280
come out and they do that well.
They had a show and they had
987
00:57:41,320 --> 00:57:45,200
animatronics doing that and that
was a light show that I was
988
00:57:45,200 --> 00:57:48,080
involved with.
So I had a lot of different
989
00:57:48,080 --> 00:57:50,680
arenas.
There was a huge long vault that
990
00:57:50,680 --> 00:57:54,400
led down to the FAO Schweese,
which was their new candy line
991
00:57:55,360 --> 00:57:59,880
and that was, I don't know,
maybe a 60 foot long arc that
992
00:57:59,880 --> 00:58:02,280
was just rainbow neon back and
forth.
993
00:58:02,280 --> 00:58:04,880
So there was lots of wonderful.
You know, it's it's funny
994
00:58:04,880 --> 00:58:08,200
though, because you talk about
it now and of course now nothing
995
00:58:08,200 --> 00:58:11,400
about that is too edgy or
cutting edge or.
996
00:58:11,400 --> 00:58:13,800
Or out.
There or anything, right?
997
00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:17,480
But at the time really nothing
like that had been done.
998
00:58:17,480 --> 00:58:20,960
I remember, I, I just remember
being involved in that project
999
00:58:20,960 --> 00:58:23,680
and just going, wow, this is
like the coolest thing ever in a
1000
00:58:23,680 --> 00:58:24,600
retail store.
Like.
1001
00:58:24,800 --> 00:58:29,240
And then the NBA job that you
did was similar to and it was
1002
00:58:29,240 --> 00:58:31,000
just really cool to be a part
of, you know?
1003
00:58:31,000 --> 00:58:36,000
And again, now everybody does
that stuff now and and times 10,
1004
00:58:36,000 --> 00:58:39,080
you know, 'cause there's so, so
many cool products out there
1005
00:58:39,080 --> 00:58:40,760
now.
It's so easy to do stuff like
1006
00:58:40,760 --> 00:58:43,280
that.
But back then it was unheard of.
1007
00:58:43,720 --> 00:58:45,200
It was pretty cool.
It did.
1008
00:58:45,200 --> 00:58:46,840
It did break ground.
Thank you.
1009
00:58:46,880 --> 00:58:49,240
Thank you very much.
And there were a handful of
1010
00:58:49,240 --> 00:58:53,280
people who were on that cutting
room floor, cutting edge floor
1011
00:58:53,280 --> 00:58:57,160
if you will, Paul being one of
them, his company Focus
1012
00:58:57,160 --> 00:58:59,120
Lighting.
I mean, I knew Paul back from
1013
00:58:59,120 --> 00:59:02,920
the Light Lab days and actually
worked at Light Lab for a stint
1014
00:59:02,920 --> 00:59:05,400
back in like 80 or 81 or
something.
1015
00:59:06,720 --> 00:59:11,960
But he had founded Focus
Lighting, which again put that
1016
00:59:11,960 --> 00:59:14,840
that entertainment technology
that we knew.
1017
00:59:15,440 --> 00:59:19,560
I put it to work in a changing
world so that now you had Times
1018
00:59:19,560 --> 00:59:21,760
Square that was getting
involved.
1019
00:59:21,800 --> 00:59:25,920
It wasn't just the neon we had
now moved.
1020
00:59:25,920 --> 00:59:28,600
You had video that was a little
more accessible putting up
1021
00:59:28,600 --> 00:59:31,840
screens, this and that.
You know, I had again.
1022
00:59:31,840 --> 00:59:34,840
Look, I'm Marshall.
Lucky Stern.
1023
00:59:34,840 --> 00:59:36,160
And that's really OK by.
Me.
1024
00:59:36,320 --> 00:59:38,760
Yeah, no, but you know what
again, you made your luck cuz
1025
00:59:38,760 --> 00:59:42,760
you talked to 1000 people and at
the end of the day, our
1026
00:59:42,760 --> 00:59:46,880
industry, more than any other
that I know of is built on
1027
00:59:46,880 --> 00:59:48,560
network.
Who do you know?
1028
00:59:48,640 --> 00:59:52,000
It's really, it's not what do
you know?
1029
00:59:52,000 --> 00:59:54,960
It's not how great is your skill
set necessarily.
1030
00:59:54,960 --> 00:59:56,680
It's not that you don't have
skills.
1031
00:59:56,680 --> 00:59:59,360
I'm just saying that, you know,
because I don't have any special
1032
00:59:59,360 --> 01:00:00,800
skills.
I've just always been a good
1033
01:00:00,800 --> 01:00:03,440
networker and I know a lot of
the right people and stuff right
1034
01:00:03,440 --> 01:00:05,120
it.
Is your skill set, Marcel,
1035
01:00:05,120 --> 01:00:08,160
exactly.
Your job was at the time when we
1036
01:00:08,200 --> 01:00:12,680
met, was to be a networker and
cast your net and bring into the
1037
01:00:12,680 --> 01:00:16,800
company People like me who took
the product and then did
1038
01:00:16,800 --> 01:00:18,800
something with it so that the
public knew.
1039
01:00:18,840 --> 01:00:21,600
And before you knew it, you
know, by the time I had been
1040
01:00:21,600 --> 01:00:26,600
doing this for four or five
years of the architectural
1041
01:00:26,600 --> 01:00:30,680
world, all of a sudden I
remember doing a light fair
1042
01:00:32,320 --> 01:00:35,240
manufacturer's showcase thing
because I used to open up light
1043
01:00:35,240 --> 01:00:38,360
fair when they do the
manufacturer's showcase and I
1044
01:00:38,360 --> 01:00:43,080
didn't intentionally do it as a
blowout, but at that time, high
1045
01:00:43,080 --> 01:00:47,600
end, ETC.
Martin and Vera Light all had
1046
01:00:47,600 --> 01:00:49,640
architectural fixtures.
Yeah.
1047
01:00:50,600 --> 01:00:55,440
And I used all of them in
different parts and different
1048
01:00:55,440 --> 01:00:57,600
aspects.
And I didn't mean it to be a
1049
01:00:57,600 --> 01:01:01,200
shootout at any kind.
I just meant to illustrate to
1050
01:01:01,480 --> 01:01:05,720
the architectural community that
what you're seeing has been mod,
1051
01:01:05,760 --> 01:01:08,920
has is is taking your theater
experience and it's modified it
1052
01:01:08,920 --> 01:01:14,240
for your use, ETC.
Did the high did the HID version
1053
01:01:14,240 --> 01:01:17,360
of the Source 4.
I wouldn't say that I was the
1054
01:01:17,360 --> 01:01:20,400
only reason, but certainly the
fact that I had specs.
1055
01:01:20,400 --> 01:01:24,080
Source 4 is in NASDAQ Amex
Marketplace and the maintenance
1056
01:01:24,080 --> 01:01:27,600
people were not happy.
Going 6070 feet in the air every
1057
01:01:28,080 --> 01:01:32,800
50 hours to change a lamp was
inspiration.
1058
01:01:33,120 --> 01:01:37,360
And that was what was happening
around 2000, 2001, which was
1059
01:01:37,440 --> 01:01:40,640
when.
You know, again, it's another
1060
01:01:40,640 --> 01:01:44,480
fun part about being old is that
you and I remember a lot of the
1061
01:01:44,480 --> 01:01:48,400
same things like, you know, the
very first architectural wash
1062
01:01:48,400 --> 01:01:50,840
lights that were coming out,
things like the high end, what
1063
01:01:50,840 --> 01:01:55,240
was it called, the EC1 and
Martin had the Mac exterior and
1064
01:01:56,160 --> 01:01:59,240
and then you know, everybody was
coming out with those things at
1065
01:01:59,240 --> 01:02:01,520
that point.
Before that there was nothing.
1066
01:02:01,520 --> 01:02:06,840
There was these big, you know,
discharge fixtures of some sort
1067
01:02:06,840 --> 01:02:13,200
or whatever, exactly a lot.
Of Hidi remember being on the
1068
01:02:13,200 --> 01:02:17,320
balcony over on the 9th Ave.
building of the Verolite offices
1069
01:02:17,320 --> 01:02:18,920
when they were at the Chelsea
Piers.
1070
01:02:19,440 --> 01:02:21,760
And I'm going back to when the
Palladium was open and I
1071
01:02:22,040 --> 01:02:26,680
remember being there with Gary
Delansky and the and their
1072
01:02:27,000 --> 01:02:30,840
Iridian architectural line.
It just been launched, it was
1073
01:02:31,120 --> 01:02:34,720
pre ETC.
It was part of the Verolite
1074
01:02:34,720 --> 01:02:40,040
family and Gary Delansky was the
Rep and I remember the first
1075
01:02:40,040 --> 01:02:43,080
fixture that came out was their
AR5 and they.
1076
01:02:43,120 --> 01:02:45,360
The little moving light thing,
The little moving head thing,
1077
01:02:45,360 --> 01:02:46,400
right?
Is that the one?
1078
01:02:46,960 --> 01:02:48,640
I'm sorry.
No, it was the AR500.
1079
01:02:48,640 --> 01:02:49,880
It was.
It wasn't the little one.
1080
01:02:49,880 --> 01:02:53,160
Yes, the little one I use in FAO
Schwarz, but a year, two years
1081
01:02:53,160 --> 01:02:57,040
before that, it was the big
monster, I guess it was an
1082
01:02:57,160 --> 01:03:02,120
AR500.
And they were doing a demo for
1083
01:03:02,120 --> 01:03:05,680
the Empire State Building.
Now at that time, the Empire
1084
01:03:05,680 --> 01:03:09,160
State Building was exactly what
you're saying, huge HI DS and
1085
01:03:09,160 --> 01:03:12,160
the union guys would come out
and when they chat a holiday and
1086
01:03:12,160 --> 01:03:14,400
you wanted red, white and blue,
they'd come out and they'd
1087
01:03:14,400 --> 01:03:15,680
change the filters and they'd
come back.
1088
01:03:15,680 --> 01:03:20,480
And this was a Union gig, right?
And I remember seeing the mock
1089
01:03:20,480 --> 01:03:23,880
up on the Balcon out on the
rooftop of the bit, the office
1090
01:03:23,880 --> 01:03:25,160
building, and then setting it
up.
1091
01:03:25,160 --> 01:03:28,160
It's that Empire State Building
and blah, blah, blah.
1092
01:03:28,880 --> 01:03:33,200
And I was told the reason at the
time that they couldn't go
1093
01:03:33,200 --> 01:03:36,320
automated was because of the
union contract, Because if it
1094
01:03:36,320 --> 01:03:41,960
was just one guy and there was a
lot of rebuttal on Broadway as
1095
01:03:41,960 --> 01:03:47,400
well, until the lighting people
got trained in automation and
1096
01:03:47,400 --> 01:03:49,840
got trained in the new
technology.
1097
01:03:49,840 --> 01:03:52,440
There was a lot of this head
butting that went on because
1098
01:03:52,440 --> 01:03:54,200
guys were afraid of losing their
jobs.
1099
01:03:54,200 --> 01:03:57,240
All of a sudden the moving
companies, the automated
1100
01:03:57,240 --> 01:03:59,240
companies.
And that coincided a lot with
1101
01:03:59,240 --> 01:04:06,080
the patent ending on verilite 25
year patent that I think began
1102
01:04:06,080 --> 01:04:10,680
in 79 or 80.
When that ended, now you could
1103
01:04:10,680 --> 01:04:14,200
have Martin and High End and
Clay Paki and every other
1104
01:04:14,200 --> 01:04:17,800
company had access to the moving
head, the yoke.
1105
01:04:18,160 --> 01:04:19,960
Yeah.
Well, yeah, we.
1106
01:04:20,160 --> 01:04:24,560
Have the mirror, which also
limited how it could be used in
1107
01:04:24,560 --> 01:04:27,840
an installation.
So maybe you think it was 95 or
1108
01:04:27,840 --> 01:04:31,840
96 when the patent ran out?
Well, it was actually.
1109
01:04:31,840 --> 01:04:35,080
Challenged.
It was challenged in in some big
1110
01:04:35,080 --> 01:04:38,160
fights with Martin and and high
end and.
1111
01:04:38,200 --> 01:04:40,880
Yeah.
But those studio colors came out
1112
01:04:40,880 --> 01:04:43,880
mid 90s, yeah.
And they were all among the
1113
01:04:43,880 --> 01:04:48,920
first of the competitors.
Yeah, moving heads, yeah,
1114
01:04:48,960 --> 01:04:51,040
because that was the technology.
It was the moving head.
1115
01:04:51,040 --> 01:04:53,680
Not the light that was moving,
but the head that was moving it.
1116
01:04:53,720 --> 01:04:56,200
Yeah, yeah.
No, I mean, it was a.
1117
01:04:56,200 --> 01:04:58,720
It was a.
Cool to be an old geezer, and I
1118
01:04:58,720 --> 01:05:04,080
think it's great to be vertical
and lucid and and to know where
1119
01:05:04,080 --> 01:05:06,040
we've came from and how much
we've changed.
1120
01:05:06,040 --> 01:05:08,680
Maybe that's why I've turned
into this historical nut.
1121
01:05:09,080 --> 01:05:11,280
Yeah, no, there's nothing wrong
with that, you know.
1122
01:05:11,280 --> 01:05:15,360
I mean it's I think it's really
cool like I it's one of the
1123
01:05:15,360 --> 01:05:19,320
reasons I do this podcast is I
love hearing stories.
1124
01:05:19,320 --> 01:05:23,320
Like, I think it was Paul Dexter
who told me that when he was
1125
01:05:23,320 --> 01:05:27,640
doing his earliest, and I forget
what band it it was, but when he
1126
01:05:27,640 --> 01:05:30,840
was doing his earliest lighting
designs for whatever band, it
1127
01:05:30,840 --> 01:05:36,720
was in the 70s and there maybe
yeah, it was the 70s.
1128
01:05:37,000 --> 01:05:39,560
And you know, he had no park
hands or anything.
1129
01:05:39,560 --> 01:05:45,240
So he took old pineapple cans
and you know mounted lamps in
1130
01:05:45,240 --> 01:05:48,160
them and and he created these
square park hands out of these
1131
01:05:48,160 --> 01:05:52,120
pineapple cans.
And you know it, it worked
1132
01:05:52,160 --> 01:05:54,560
right.
And the same thing with sound
1133
01:05:54,560 --> 01:05:56,320
systems.
Everybody just built their own
1134
01:05:56,320 --> 01:05:58,680
sound systems and Bob over there
built this one.
1135
01:05:58,680 --> 01:06:00,800
I'm going to build one louder.
My speakers are going to be
1136
01:06:00,800 --> 01:06:04,520
bigger, you know, and.
I remember my friend Wendy and I
1137
01:06:04,520 --> 01:06:09,080
scrounging for old pizza cans in
Chinatown because she needed
1138
01:06:09,080 --> 01:06:13,520
lights for a dance company show
and we made park hands out of
1139
01:06:13,520 --> 01:06:16,200
pizza cans.
Very Paul Dexter story.
1140
01:06:16,200 --> 01:06:18,240
That's funny.
Yeah, and that's what we did.
1141
01:06:18,240 --> 01:06:20,720
We Jerry rigged it.
I mean my buddy Martin and I,
1142
01:06:20,720 --> 01:06:22,640
who I worked with, the
Palladium, we used to come up
1143
01:06:22,640 --> 01:06:26,920
with the craziest ideas of
things to do that would just
1144
01:06:26,920 --> 01:06:30,600
make something out of nothing,
even if it was just for the day,
1145
01:06:30,760 --> 01:06:32,560
you know?
And for that, and for that
1146
01:06:32,560 --> 01:06:34,520
matter, my friend Roy tho, the
DJ.
1147
01:06:34,680 --> 01:06:38,320
Yeah, his home was out on Fire
Island at the Ice Palace, and I
1148
01:06:38,320 --> 01:06:42,560
can't tell you how many
Saturdays were spent literally
1149
01:06:42,560 --> 01:06:45,480
Jerry rigging silly things so
that it looked cool.
1150
01:06:45,480 --> 01:06:49,200
For that Saturday night crowd,
we would do stuff like take the
1151
01:06:49,200 --> 01:06:52,400
fire hose and run it through the
pool and make it into a fountain
1152
01:06:52,400 --> 01:06:53,640
for the night.
Huh.
1153
01:06:53,680 --> 01:06:57,640
Just stupid crap.
But that's you know, that's
1154
01:06:57,640 --> 01:06:59,200
creative too.
And.
1155
01:06:59,200 --> 01:07:00,680
And.
I love that kind of stuff.
1156
01:07:00,960 --> 01:07:04,520
It doesn't have to be a $20,000
light to to be cool, you know?
1157
01:07:04,800 --> 01:07:08,640
So do you know a designer out of
Chicago, Rob Jepsen?
1158
01:07:09,520 --> 01:07:12,360
Yeah, so well.
But I do know we.
1159
01:07:12,560 --> 01:07:17,120
Yeah, Rob was on my podcast and
he told a story of when he was,
1160
01:07:17,480 --> 01:07:19,920
you know, first getting into
lighting and stuff.
1161
01:07:20,600 --> 01:07:24,840
He saw ACLS and he went whoa and
you know, he just thought they
1162
01:07:24,840 --> 01:07:30,600
were car headlights.
And so he, he went to the auto
1163
01:07:30,600 --> 01:07:36,400
wrecker and stole some car
headlights and and, you know,
1164
01:07:36,400 --> 01:07:38,840
put four of them together on a
bar or whatever.
1165
01:07:39,280 --> 01:07:42,880
And he kept blowing fuses or
popping circuits or whatever he
1166
01:07:42,880 --> 01:07:45,400
was doing.
And he was like, what the hell?
1167
01:07:45,400 --> 01:07:47,680
How come people can do this and
I can't do this?
1168
01:07:47,680 --> 01:07:51,200
It's not working.
And so he finally went to
1169
01:07:51,360 --> 01:07:53,360
somebody else and he goes,
you're an idiot, you know, you
1170
01:07:53,360 --> 01:07:55,360
need to run six of them in
series.
1171
01:07:55,920 --> 01:08:00,040
And he goes, so I went and stole
two more.
1172
01:08:00,040 --> 01:08:05,280
I'm like, you know, this is how
you built a lighting rig back in
1173
01:08:05,280 --> 01:08:06,640
the day I guess, right?
That's funny.
1174
01:08:06,640 --> 01:08:08,400
Well, you know what the ACL
stands for.
1175
01:08:09,000 --> 01:08:11,480
Yeah, of course.
Aircraft landing lights.
1176
01:08:11,520 --> 01:08:16,680
That's why they're zeroed in.
The 1st place I became familiar
1177
01:08:16,680 --> 01:08:21,560
with that was really in
Palladium, because Palladium was
1178
01:08:21,560 --> 01:08:27,120
a true theatre.
The Saint was a true theatre,
1179
01:08:27,120 --> 01:08:32,720
but it wasn't run as a theatre.
So and that was post, that was
1180
01:08:32,720 --> 01:08:36,680
post.
Studio 54 Studio 54 also was a
1181
01:08:36,680 --> 01:08:41,319
theater, but it but I wasn't.
I wasn't Privy as much to the
1182
01:08:41,319 --> 01:08:44,080
lighting as I said.
I was more involved in my music
1183
01:08:44,080 --> 01:08:46,960
career at that time.
The only time I would punch
1184
01:08:46,960 --> 01:08:49,640
lights is when Bobby Da Silva,
the lighting guy, would run off
1185
01:08:49,640 --> 01:08:53,600
and go on one of his long and
involved breaks and something
1186
01:08:53,600 --> 01:08:55,840
needed to happen because the
music required it.
1187
01:08:55,840 --> 01:08:58,640
So that I, you know, knew enough
to punch a light or two.
1188
01:08:58,920 --> 01:09:02,359
But but other than that, I was
not a lighting person per SE at
1189
01:09:02,359 --> 01:09:06,040
the time.
I was a music person, but, you
1190
01:09:06,040 --> 01:09:10,200
know, and and I learned what an
ACL was in my Palladium tenure
1191
01:09:10,319 --> 01:09:13,399
because that was really when I
became, you know, a true techie
1192
01:09:13,399 --> 01:09:17,120
in theater and did a lot of Off
Broadway, off off Off Broadway
1193
01:09:17,120 --> 01:09:21,479
and proper theater gigs.
And then I recognized how
1194
01:09:21,479 --> 01:09:25,920
different theater was from
disco, from clubs, from the way
1195
01:09:25,920 --> 01:09:29,080
they were built, from what you
could use fly rail systems, high
1196
01:09:29,080 --> 01:09:30,800
ceilings, all that sort of
thing.
1197
01:09:31,000 --> 01:09:34,760
It really did make a difference.
Yeah, you know one of the clubs,
1198
01:09:36,040 --> 01:09:39,479
one of the things you were able
to another one of your sort of
1199
01:09:39,640 --> 01:09:42,640
what you would call a lucky
moment or whatever, I think
1200
01:09:42,640 --> 01:09:47,399
probably for 10 years or maybe
more before before it I think
1201
01:09:47,399 --> 01:09:50,080
kind of ended with COVID.
But you got into a pretty good
1202
01:09:50,080 --> 01:09:52,240
run with working with
manufacturers.
1203
01:09:52,240 --> 01:09:55,640
You got into a couple of
different manufacturers where
1204
01:09:55,640 --> 01:09:57,720
you were in pretty good
positions where you were either
1205
01:09:57,720 --> 01:10:00,200
a consultant or a Rep or
whatever it was called.
1206
01:10:00,200 --> 01:10:04,240
But that I enjoyed that, did you
I?
1207
01:10:04,240 --> 01:10:05,600
Enjoyed that very much.
I did.
1208
01:10:05,600 --> 01:10:07,480
I enjoyed that very much.
In fact.
1209
01:10:08,400 --> 01:10:13,800
COVID and Trans kind of put the
halt on our lives and in my
1210
01:10:13,800 --> 01:10:17,320
personal moment in time, I was
in the middle of making a
1211
01:10:17,320 --> 01:10:22,760
transition from being primarily
and solely working with Acclaim
1212
01:10:22,760 --> 01:10:25,560
product.
I had just learned Matthias's
1213
01:10:25,560 --> 01:10:27,520
new control system over
italation.
1214
01:10:27,520 --> 01:10:30,840
I had just been trained on it.
I came to New York for the
1215
01:10:31,200 --> 01:10:35,200
opening of the Brooklyn Museum
Studio 54 Night Magic exhibit
1216
01:10:35,200 --> 01:10:39,520
that actually I had some of my
artifacts in the museum exhibit
1217
01:10:40,200 --> 01:10:43,800
and when I was in New York,
COVID hit and I ran to Florida
1218
01:10:43,800 --> 01:10:47,720
and that was the end of that.
On the 13th of March I flew from
1219
01:10:47,720 --> 01:10:51,640
New York to Florida and the
world shut down and and and you
1220
01:10:51,640 --> 01:10:58,240
know that ended any possible
forward motion and and you know
1221
01:10:58,240 --> 01:11:00,440
I say we all pivoted during the
pandemic.
1222
01:11:00,440 --> 01:11:04,280
I think I made a circle because
my pivot was to go back to my
1223
01:11:04,280 --> 01:11:08,320
musical roots, to pick up all of
these legacy projects that were
1224
01:11:08,320 --> 01:11:10,920
in music that had been lying
dormant, that I have been
1225
01:11:10,920 --> 01:11:16,040
otherwise too busy working full
time for a claim or for whatever
1226
01:11:16,040 --> 01:11:18,760
design or this, that or the
other thing, you know.
1227
01:11:18,760 --> 01:11:24,600
And now I had the time and the
interest to do something with it
1228
01:11:24,600 --> 01:11:26,240
instead of just letting it sit
there.
1229
01:11:26,640 --> 01:11:30,360
And it's turned into a real
passion project.
1230
01:11:30,360 --> 01:11:36,080
Marcel, I can't tell you the
enthusiasm and the joy that I
1231
01:11:36,080 --> 01:11:39,880
get from reconstructing these
old musical files, from putting
1232
01:11:39,880 --> 01:11:44,120
them out, from presenting them,
the feedback I've gotten from
1233
01:11:44,120 --> 01:11:47,800
the Roy Thode website, which is
all music, to the heartbeat of
1234
01:11:47,800 --> 01:11:51,640
the dance floor, which relives
the stories with people that are
1235
01:11:51,640 --> 01:11:56,560
still here to tell them.
And I constantly.
1236
01:11:58,560 --> 01:12:06,320
I constantly shed a tear over
the dear friend who didn't want
1237
01:12:06,320 --> 01:12:08,880
to do an interview and now it's
too late, or we couldn't
1238
01:12:08,880 --> 01:12:12,520
schedule it because of XYZ.
And now it's too late.
1239
01:12:12,520 --> 01:12:16,200
And I hate the it's too late.
So we've had too many, It's too
1240
01:12:16,200 --> 01:12:17,840
late.
And I think that also.
1241
01:12:18,680 --> 01:12:20,960
Yeah.
And I think that also spurns us.
1242
01:12:20,960 --> 01:12:23,920
I mean I can only so you and I
have been friends a very long
1243
01:12:23,920 --> 01:12:28,240
time and surely we have a lot of
commonalities that has let that
1244
01:12:28,240 --> 01:12:31,360
friendship endure.
And and I think we're both
1245
01:12:31,360 --> 01:12:36,160
inspired by spreading joy and by
we.
1246
01:12:36,160 --> 01:12:39,960
Like a good time, Marsha.
Yeah, we like to have a good
1247
01:12:39,960 --> 01:12:41,680
time.
We've had some fun.
1248
01:12:43,200 --> 01:12:47,680
I remember a few fun nights.
Oh, maybe more than a few fun
1249
01:12:47,680 --> 01:12:51,520
nights.
More than a few, I know.
1250
01:12:51,520 --> 01:12:55,880
God, I think I I think back to
golf course days and going out
1251
01:12:55,880 --> 01:12:58,000
on the boat when I for when we
first met.
1252
01:12:58,040 --> 01:13:00,840
Way back.
I remember when my dad drove me
1253
01:13:00,840 --> 01:13:02,360
to your house so that we could
go out.
1254
01:13:02,400 --> 01:13:09,560
Oh my God, yeah, that was funny.
So I forget what I was just
1255
01:13:09,560 --> 01:13:12,200
going to say.
I don't even remember what I was
1256
01:13:12,200 --> 01:13:13,880
just going to say.
That's crazy, because you got me
1257
01:13:13,880 --> 01:13:18,200
on the boat thing, by the way.
Now that everyone from New York
1258
01:13:18,200 --> 01:13:21,040
is selling their expensive
apartments and driving up the
1259
01:13:21,040 --> 01:13:24,880
price of houses in Miami and
South Florida, when are you
1260
01:13:24,880 --> 01:13:27,800
going to sell your house for a
gazillion dollars and move back
1261
01:13:27,800 --> 01:13:29,520
to New York and buy a cheap
condo?
1262
01:13:30,360 --> 01:13:33,120
I got news for you.
If the price of housing in New
1263
01:13:33,120 --> 01:13:36,720
York City went down, I would
wholly consider it.
1264
01:13:37,560 --> 01:13:42,040
You know, like you, I have a
wonderful, wonderful respite in
1265
01:13:42,040 --> 01:13:45,320
the mountains.
That is but my heart's desire,
1266
01:13:45,320 --> 01:13:49,400
but not the most practical pace
in the world to roam your life
1267
01:13:49,400 --> 01:13:53,480
around.
However, anybody out there
1268
01:13:53,480 --> 01:13:56,520
listening a nice pet of terror
in New York City is right up my
1269
01:13:56,520 --> 01:13:58,040
alley.
And real estate values are
1270
01:13:58,040 --> 01:14:00,520
really good in Florida now.
Yeah, they are.
1271
01:14:00,520 --> 01:14:02,360
It's crazy.
I mean, unless you're buying,
1272
01:14:02,360 --> 01:14:04,960
you know, it's like where we
live now, we live in a pretty
1273
01:14:04,960 --> 01:14:06,800
small house.
And I've been looking at this
1274
01:14:06,800 --> 01:14:11,680
place right next door, not right
next door to our house, but an
1275
01:14:11,680 --> 01:14:14,440
area very close to where we're
at here in Wellington.
1276
01:14:14,880 --> 01:14:18,920
And you know, a few years ago
when I was starting to think
1277
01:14:18,920 --> 01:14:21,840
about it, it was a reasonable
price.
1278
01:14:21,840 --> 01:14:25,160
You know, I won't get into the
prices, but now it's literally
1279
01:14:25,160 --> 01:14:29,000
four times as much, literally
four times as much money.
1280
01:14:29,680 --> 01:14:37,520
I have seen the prices of homes
on my block go from the benign
1281
01:14:38,200 --> 01:14:42,400
to the oh, I can't believe it,
to the absolutely,
1282
01:14:42,400 --> 01:14:45,040
astronomically ridiculous over
the past.
1283
01:14:45,280 --> 01:14:48,280
It's not.
It it really is crazy.
1284
01:14:48,280 --> 01:14:50,680
And if you had told me that this
neighborhood was going to have
1285
01:14:50,680 --> 01:14:54,280
homes that were valuing where
they are now, where they're
1286
01:14:54,360 --> 01:14:57,000
jumping at now, I would have
said you're nuts.
1287
01:14:57,640 --> 01:15:01,480
But then again, there's only a
gazillion people coming to South
1288
01:15:01,480 --> 01:15:03,600
Florida.
Housing is at a premium, and if
1289
01:15:03,600 --> 01:15:06,600
you were fortunate enough to
have a nice single family home
1290
01:15:07,120 --> 01:15:09,640
in a good neighborhood, it's
going to be worth a chunk of
1291
01:15:09,640 --> 01:15:12,480
change.
Yeah, no, it's it's gone nuts.
1292
01:15:13,120 --> 01:15:16,280
It really has gone nuts.
So what are, what are you doing?
1293
01:15:16,280 --> 01:15:19,160
You keep talking about this
music thing that I'm doing now,
1294
01:15:19,160 --> 01:15:22,560
and so tell me specifically.
Like, you know, I know you're
1295
01:15:22,560 --> 01:15:26,400
doing a lot of historical stuff
and blah blah blah, but what is
1296
01:15:26,400 --> 01:15:27,920
it really that you're focused
on?
1297
01:15:28,600 --> 01:15:33,760
Well, I have a website,
roytho.com, and Roy Thode is the
1298
01:15:33,760 --> 01:15:37,920
DJ who I inherited much of his
archives and things.
1299
01:15:38,360 --> 01:15:42,120
And when you put together his
historical archives, like for
1300
01:15:42,120 --> 01:15:45,760
example, the gold record that
you see behind me that was given
1301
01:15:45,760 --> 01:15:49,120
to him, it's for Sylvester's
album.
1302
01:15:49,800 --> 01:15:54,320
OK.
There's an award there that was
1303
01:15:54,400 --> 01:15:56,640
the ice, but given the Ice
Palace, the owner of the Ice
1304
01:15:56,640 --> 01:15:58,920
Palace, you know there's an
award for me.
1305
01:15:58,920 --> 01:16:04,280
But my history has brought me
into this historical moment.
1306
01:16:04,280 --> 01:16:06,320
It got me involved with the
Brooklyn Museum.
1307
01:16:06,320 --> 01:16:09,960
It got me involved with the
Studio 54 movie and that is
1308
01:16:09,960 --> 01:16:13,760
based more, especially the 54
stuff that revisits my own
1309
01:16:13,760 --> 01:16:17,320
musical world as a producer and
as a musician.
1310
01:16:17,680 --> 01:16:21,040
And what I'm doing is taking
these old analog tapes that are
1311
01:16:21,040 --> 01:16:26,200
digitized and present RE and
presenting them through Roy's
1312
01:16:26,200 --> 01:16:28,520
website.
So that's a lot of technical
1313
01:16:28,520 --> 01:16:32,080
prowess in editing.
That is a whole new skill set
1314
01:16:32,080 --> 01:16:34,640
that I'm learning and really
enjoying the heck out of.
1315
01:16:34,960 --> 01:16:37,800
You know, For me editing was a
tape and a razor blade and an
1316
01:16:37,800 --> 01:16:39,880
editing block.
Back in the day, it's totally
1317
01:16:39,920 --> 01:16:41,440
true.
It's all different now.
1318
01:16:41,480 --> 01:16:44,320
It's cut and paste.
Yeah.
1319
01:16:44,320 --> 01:16:47,920
And it's and it's mixing and
it's recording and it's working
1320
01:16:47,920 --> 01:16:52,120
in digital recording which is
really interesting, I mean so,
1321
01:16:52,120 --> 01:16:54,560
so that's a bit of a learning
curve in that which kind of
1322
01:16:54,560 --> 01:16:57,760
keeps me out of trouble.
But then the idea with this Roy
1323
01:16:57,760 --> 01:17:03,760
Foed website is is to sell music
or to just give access to music
1324
01:17:03,880 --> 01:17:05,840
or at.
This juncture it is to give
1325
01:17:05,840 --> 01:17:09,360
access.
Selling music, you get into the
1326
01:17:09,360 --> 01:17:11,920
legalities and the copyright
issues, right?
1327
01:17:12,120 --> 01:17:16,720
However, what I'm doing is
reviving his artistry and
1328
01:17:16,720 --> 01:17:22,120
presenting it.
Democratizing access to his.
1329
01:17:22,200 --> 01:17:28,440
That and and he as a dead person
who's been dead 42 years.
1330
01:17:28,760 --> 01:17:31,400
Oh, wow.
Had he died in 1980?
1331
01:17:31,440 --> 01:17:32,840
Died.
Died in 1982?
1332
01:17:32,840 --> 01:17:34,280
I've had all this stuff since
82.
1333
01:17:34,280 --> 01:17:35,480
It's just.
Oh my goodness.
1334
01:17:35,800 --> 01:17:38,440
You look, I haven't had this
stuff for 20 years before you
1335
01:17:38,440 --> 01:17:40,120
had the technology to digitize
it.
1336
01:17:40,240 --> 01:17:45,600
Yeah, that's wild.
Think about it and and for some
1337
01:17:45,600 --> 01:17:49,120
reason I have this.
And if I can spread the joy by
1338
01:17:49,120 --> 01:17:52,600
taking the music and putting it
out there, it's through his
1339
01:17:52,600 --> 01:17:55,840
website that I publicize it
through the front page on the
1340
01:17:55,840 --> 01:18:00,600
website ofroytho.com, you can
access all of the platforms, the
1341
01:18:00,600 --> 01:18:04,400
Mixcloud, the SoundCloud.
We just did a release in tandem
1342
01:18:04,400 --> 01:18:07,360
with sound Metaphors on their
SoundCloud platform.
1343
01:18:07,680 --> 01:18:10,280
He's got a Facebook page.
He's got an Instagram account.
1344
01:18:10,280 --> 01:18:12,160
He's got more social.
And there's an audience for
1345
01:18:12,240 --> 01:18:15,680
this.
Yes, there's a very big audience
1346
01:18:16,840 --> 01:18:21,400
and and it's not just new and I
do get a lot of new followers
1347
01:18:21,400 --> 01:18:24,360
and new audience, but it's a lot
of other people who were there
1348
01:18:24,600 --> 01:18:28,240
and some of the comments that
come back really do touch me and
1349
01:18:28,240 --> 01:18:31,480
it gives me inspiration because
I'm bringing joy to these
1350
01:18:31,480 --> 01:18:34,600
people.
Some have never heard it before.
1351
01:18:35,160 --> 01:18:37,800
This guy I'm working with in
Germany who has this record
1352
01:18:37,800 --> 01:18:41,560
store sound metaphors, and he, I
don't even think he was alive
1353
01:18:41,560 --> 01:18:45,760
when Roy died.
But he's so interested.
1354
01:18:45,760 --> 01:18:51,120
There's a lot of of music that
Roy did that back in the 70s.
1355
01:18:51,120 --> 01:18:54,240
He was in trouble with.
He was very, very important and
1356
01:18:54,240 --> 01:18:56,240
he died and no one remembers
him.
1357
01:18:56,240 --> 01:19:00,360
And I guess that's maybe my job,
to make sure that what he did
1358
01:19:00,360 --> 01:19:06,680
doesn't go unappreciated because
it was so damn good and it holds
1359
01:19:06,960 --> 01:19:11,280
its own in today's world. 40
years later, it stands alone.
1360
01:19:11,920 --> 01:19:16,120
Look, SiriusXM had me do a 10
hour New Year's Eve broadcast
1361
01:19:16,120 --> 01:19:20,200
this year, welcoming in the new
year on their Studio 54 radio
1362
01:19:20,200 --> 01:19:21,560
station.
I don't.
1363
01:19:21,880 --> 01:19:26,080
I don't think I would have had
the opportunity to do all of
1364
01:19:26,080 --> 01:19:30,600
this stuff if not for the work
with Roy combined with my own
1365
01:19:30,600 --> 01:19:35,560
musical background gives me the
ability to do this and not to
1366
01:19:35,560 --> 01:19:37,440
take away from my lighting
career.
1367
01:19:37,880 --> 01:19:42,480
And I did recently design a
streaming TV studio in New York
1368
01:19:42,480 --> 01:19:44,720
for a friend of mine.
It just hasn't quite come to
1369
01:19:44,720 --> 01:19:46,800
fruition yet.
As you well know, we're waiting
1370
01:19:46,800 --> 01:19:51,320
for the funding, but but you
know, it just seems that
1371
01:19:51,320 --> 01:19:55,000
following my nose has taken me
back to my music and I'm
1372
01:19:55,000 --> 01:19:56,160
enjoying it.
So that's.
1373
01:19:56,160 --> 01:20:01,040
Wow, that's so fun though, huh?
Yeah, yeah, maybe That's what my
1374
01:20:01,040 --> 01:20:01,880
purpose is.
May.
1375
01:20:01,920 --> 01:20:04,200
You know, you get to this ripe
old age.
1376
01:20:04,200 --> 01:20:05,960
You like to know that you have a
purpose.
1377
01:20:06,200 --> 01:20:09,040
That's appreciated.
And maybe this is?
1378
01:20:09,600 --> 01:20:11,520
You know the beginning of
fulfilling that?
1379
01:20:11,880 --> 01:20:14,560
You know, and the The thing is,
I mean, as much as it's nice to
1380
01:20:14,560 --> 01:20:19,720
get a a big fat paycheck or
whatever, sometimes it's so much
1381
01:20:19,720 --> 01:20:23,120
better to be like following a
passion and following something
1382
01:20:23,120 --> 01:20:27,720
that gives you joy and and like
you said, a purpose, you know,
1383
01:20:27,800 --> 01:20:31,400
that to me is so much more fun
than running around as a sales
1384
01:20:31,400 --> 01:20:33,880
Rep for a lighting company or
something.
1385
01:20:33,880 --> 01:20:36,600
And again, as as much as it's
nice to get a fat paycheck from
1386
01:20:36,600 --> 01:20:43,000
somebody for doing something,
that's rather easy, you know, I
1387
01:20:43,000 --> 01:20:47,960
I love that stuff.
At at at some point, I have
1388
01:20:47,960 --> 01:20:53,320
every intention of selling much
of the memorabilia that I have.
1389
01:20:53,360 --> 01:20:56,080
How that's going to happen, I'm
not sure.
1390
01:20:56,080 --> 01:21:01,920
I also believe that I've got
enough that already has
1391
01:21:01,920 --> 01:21:04,720
qualified for an actual
historical museum exhibit.
1392
01:21:04,720 --> 01:21:07,520
And I would like to see a lot of
that combined with a lot of
1393
01:21:07,520 --> 01:21:11,120
other things that I've accrued
or other friends of mine have
1394
01:21:11,120 --> 01:21:14,280
and have accrued from that era
and put it into a proper
1395
01:21:14,280 --> 01:21:17,240
collection because that should
be recognized.
1396
01:21:17,240 --> 01:21:21,400
I mean, my personal beef with
the world of today is that the
1397
01:21:21,400 --> 01:21:25,400
music did not stop with our acid
rock of the 60s and all of a
1398
01:21:25,400 --> 01:21:27,800
sudden jump into rap and hip
hop.
1399
01:21:27,800 --> 01:21:33,080
You had an entire era of Motown,
Detroit, Memphis, rhythm and
1400
01:21:33,080 --> 01:21:36,880
Blues dance music, the kind of
stuff that Roberta Flack
1401
01:21:36,880 --> 01:21:41,520
described in this way.
You be in the basement and
1402
01:21:41,520 --> 01:21:44,520
someone to put a 45 on the
record player.
1403
01:21:44,760 --> 01:21:49,760
You throw a towel over the light
and you dance on a space no
1404
01:21:49,760 --> 01:21:52,880
bigger than a dime.
That's cool.
1405
01:21:53,040 --> 01:21:55,160
I like that.
That was really cool.
1406
01:21:56,120 --> 01:21:57,000
Marsha.
You know what?
1407
01:21:57,000 --> 01:21:58,960
We could we could talk for three
more hours.
1408
01:21:58,960 --> 01:22:00,320
We're gonna have to do another
one.
1409
01:22:00,880 --> 01:22:02,920
Unfortunately, I have to go
today.
1410
01:22:02,920 --> 01:22:05,960
But I appreciate you getting
this going.
1411
01:22:06,600 --> 01:22:07,160
Another one.
I know.
1412
01:22:07,160 --> 01:22:10,440
So would I.
Tell silly stuff, fun stuff.
1413
01:22:10,480 --> 01:22:11,440
I'd love to do it.
We'll.
1414
01:22:11,520 --> 01:22:13,560
We'll definitely do it.
Always a delight.
1415
01:22:13,800 --> 01:22:17,000
We'll definitely do it again.
No, I I love talking with you.
1416
01:22:17,000 --> 01:22:22,160
I love listening to you and you
know, I feel like we've just
1417
01:22:22,160 --> 01:22:24,440
gotten started.
But unfortunately today is one
1418
01:22:24,440 --> 01:22:28,600
of those days where I have time
limits and I've got places that
1419
01:22:28,600 --> 01:22:31,840
I've got to be.
So thank you so much for doing
1420
01:22:31,840 --> 01:22:34,880
it.
And Sarah probably already told
1421
01:22:34,880 --> 01:22:38,200
you it'll air next week, but
we'll send you the links and
1422
01:22:38,200 --> 01:22:40,920
stuff and.
Yeah, sounds good.
1423
01:22:40,960 --> 01:22:43,640
And I thank you.
And I'm very proud to now be
1424
01:22:43,640 --> 01:22:46,120
officially an old geezer of
gear.
1425
01:22:46,520 --> 01:22:50,840
You are a geezer.
Easy for.
1426
01:22:50,880 --> 01:22:53,720
You I look forward to Part 2,
Marcel, and thank you again for
1427
01:22:53,760 --> 01:22:55,800
having me as a guest.
This has been a lot of fun.
1428
01:22:56,000 --> 01:22:57,760
All right, Marcia.
Take care
1429
01:23:12,120 --> 01:23:12,200
the.