The Crew At Work!

One of the big rigs arrives at the venue. All of the equipment is transported in five rigs like this. (Photo: Michael Drazdzinski)

When they arrive, these rigs are packed to the brim with equipment! (Photo: Michael Drazdzinski)

A team of roadies unloads everything and sets up the equipment. (Scott Hoffman, James and Andy Sottile) (Photo: Michael Drazdzinski)

There’s a whole lot of cabling involved! (Photo: Michael Drazdzinski)

Everything is packed in hard-sided travel crates with wheels. (Photo: Michael Lutch)

Even the performers’ wardrobes are kept in travel crates.

We set up several tour offices like this one backstage in each venue each night. There’s one for tour management and one for tour production. Each tour also travels with its own tour accountant who usually likes his/her own office, too! (Kim Hilton and David Gaetke) (Photo: Michael Drazdzinski)

Before James and the band arrive, someone has to put up signs telling everyone where to find their dressing rooms and offices. (Photo: Michael Drazdzinski)

Backstage is never as fancy as people imagine! (Photo: Michael Drazdzinski)

Every instrument has to be unloaded and set up. (Photo: Michael Lutch)

The height of every drum and piece of percussion is measured carefully. (Scott Hoffman, drum tech) (Photo: Michael Drazdzinski)

James’s guitar tech, “JP” Jon Prince, works on each of James’s guitars before each show. (Photo: Michael Lutch)

JP re-stringing a guitar. (Photo: Michael Lutch)

To the side of the stage, there’s always an area where James and singers can make throat-soothing drinks and check out the set list order. (Photo: Michael Drazdzinski)

The band’s “in-ear” monitor mixer makes sure the sound is mixed properly for each musician individually. Note: the “in-ear” monitors are used by James and the musicians onstage to allow them to get individual mixes in their ears of whatever instruments or singers they would like to hear while performing. Everyone has a different preference regarding level of sound from each instrument during performance. The audio mix board in the front of the house (usually at the back of the concert hall) is where the sound mixer for the tour will mix the sound heard by the audience. (Rachel Adkins, “in-ear mixer extraordinaire”) (Photo: Michael Drazdzinski)

The calm before the storm! (Photo: Michael Drazdzinski)

Jon Prince “guarding” one of the trucks. (Photo: Jimmy Johnson)

Rainy load in. (Photo: Chris Fulton)

Bangor, Maine. (Photo: Chris Fulton)

A bus with a flat tour: part of the casulaties of touring. (Photo: Jimmy Johnson)