Family of concert riggers take to the air to make the music happen

Plenty of children follow in their father's footsteps. Few do so on 8-inch-wide steel beams as high as 120 feet in the air.

Ted Caldwell, 58, began working in the concert industry as a rigger in the early 1980s. Sons Jeremy, 22, and Josh, 29, grew up watching him work at vertigo-inducing heights threading steel cable to support and raise concert equipment.

Now, father and sons take to the rafters together as independent contractors working primarily for Crew 1 Productions, which rigs events in Nashville, Atlanta, Memphis and Chattanooga. Most recently they stepped out 78 feet above the floor of McKenzie Arena for Elton John and Leon Russell's Nov. 19 show.

If you are going to follow in your father's footsteps, there are less thrilling jobs to have, Jeremy Caldwell said.

"I always wanted to go out and do what Dad did," he said. "It's cool to have Dad around. Because he's been doing it for so long, it's easy to sync up with him. You almost know what he's thinking."

TYING THE KNOT

Riggers are divided into two groups, up riggers and down riggers. Down riggers work from the ground, assembling equipment and marking points on an arena's beams according to each artist's stage plan. Up riggers then walk the beams securing steel support cables for the motors and chains that will raise sound and lighting equipment.

Before a rigger is allowed to step off the catwalk and onto the beams, they must first literally learn the ropes. The training lasts about a year and involves learning to tie essential knots like the bowline and clove, as well as learning how to assemble support equipment.

By the time they joined their father on job sites at age 18, both Caldwell sons had grown up around rigging and were on the fast track to the beams. Jeremy Caldwell began full-time rigging after high school and was up-rigging soon after that. Josh Caldwell worked off and on as a down rigger for more than 10 years but didn't start full-time work with Crew 1 until last year. He hooked onto his first safety line late this summer.

A rigger's first time stepping off onto the beams is a rite of passage and something he never forgets, Josh Caldwell said.

"No matter who you are, the first time you step out on that beam, it's intimidating," he said. "There's a healthy amount of apprehension and fear at first.

"Everyone gets it, but you just have to take a deep breath, step out there and trust yourself."

BEAMING UP

Despite their familiarity with the business and the many safety systems in place, Ted Caldwell said he still worries when his sons step out on the beams.

"The first time I saw (Jeremy) walk out, I just got a big breath and knew that I was just going to have to trust his instincts," he said. "He'd been around it a good part of his life and knew the basics, but I was nervous.

"I didn't want him to see that. I just looked away and said, 'OK, I've got to deal with this. He'll be OK.'

None of the Caldwells have ever had an accident while up rigging or known anyone who has. While they acknowledge that falling is a constant danger, even talking about it is taboo.

Even with almost 30 years walking the beam, Ted Caldwell said his wife, Robin, is still unnerved by his job.

"She still worries," he said. "I can remember the first time she came to a show and looked up to see me rigging. It was one of those, 'Oh, I can't look' moments; but she knows how serious I am about it and how I love to do it."

Part of rigging's appeal is the thrill, Jeremy Caldwell said.

"It really is no-guts/no-glory," he said. "It's just such a rush because you know you're up there and doing something so important and so valuable to the show."

SHOW TIME

A rigger's day typically begins between 7 and 8 a.m., when the crew consults with the tour's rigging supervisor, who maps out the artist's stage configuration. Most concerts average 60-80 points that need to be hung from the beams, but some, such as Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts, can have as many as 130.

Rigging usually takes four to five hours to complete. It is physically draining work that leaves many riggers, most of whom are athletic, physically spent, Ted Caldwell said.

After the rigging is complete, however, riggers stay for the show, usually with seats most fans would kill for. Other than an adrenaline fix, that backstage access is an important perk for many riggers, Jeremy Caldwell said.

"It's the best when you rig for some of your favorite acts ever," he said. "My mind jumbles with all the artists I've seen and all the times I've just loved seeing acts."

Because Crew 1 contracts for prime touring cities like Atlanta and Nashville, the Caldwells have had the opportunity to work shows for almost every major national touring artist, including The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, U2, AC/DC and a who's who of country artists. The Caldwells will rig nine dates of Garth Brooks's upcoming winter tour.

In addition to arena rigging, all the Caldwells have experience working in building temporary venues such as stages and roofs, which are used in many outdoor festivals.

During the summer of 2009, Jeremy Caldwell began working as a supervisor for StageCo, an international staging company. His first project was with Paul McCartney's Summer Live tour, which included dates as far away as New York City, Boston and Dallas.

Ted Caldwell has spent more than half his life in a job for which the dress code is a full body harness and a foot-wide beam is a spacious office. The work is hard, but being a member of what he calls the concert "elite" is something he said he can't conceive of leaving.

"I kind of compare it to going to war, special forces, if you will," he said. "If you get in a pickle or a tight spot, you know the guy that's rigging with you will come over and help you.

"I want to keep doing it as long as I can. I think it keeps me on top of my game."

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