“Use your gut, don’t get into situations that you don’t feel comfortable with, and if you have questions ask…don’t assume you know everything.” - Chris Wrightsman
With twenty-five years of touring experience under his belt, Production manager/Tour Manager Chris Wrightsman certainly know his way around a venue or two. The Cleveland native is also not afraid to mix FOH, monitors, or even lend his hand as a lighting Designer. At the end of the day, it’s about putting on a great show, keeping a level head, and getting to the next gig.
I spoke with Chris backstage before a recent Young The Giant show at New York’s Summer Stage in Central Park. It’s a load-in/load-out not without it’s complications, but we were still able to find time to chat about some of Chris’s touring highlights.
Here’s just a short list of some of the bands that Chris has worked with; Young the Giant, Michelle Branch, Richie Sambora, O.A.R., Secret Stash, Yukon Cornelius, Ozomatli, Multiple Warped Tours, and many others.
Special Mentions:
Young The Giant, AES event, Airturn – Go Stand, Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead, Telefunken M80 Dynamic Microphone, Wild Thing (The Backstage, on the Road, in the Studio, Off the Charts Memoirs of Ian Copeland) First edition by Copeland, Ian (1995) Hardcover