Lighting the Way: Calvin Butler’s Journey from Louisiana to the Big Stage

Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Calvin Butler, a rising star in the world of lighting design. At just 22 years old, Calvin is already making waves in the live entertainment scene—designing, programming, and directing lighting for concerts, theatre, and corporate events. Originally from Louisiana and now based in Los Angeles, Calvin splits time between touring and working in local concert venues.

Most recently, Calvin’s talent landed him the opportunity to design and tour with Allie X—a major milestone that marks an exciting chapter in his growing career. We’re thrilled to talk with Calvin about how he got started, what inspires his work, and where he sees his journey headed next. For more on Calvin, hit his website.

Let’s start at the beginning—how did you first get into lighting design, and what drew you to it?

Calvin Butler: “I loved the theatre from a young age. Although I started out as a performer, in high school I got the chance to direct a play. The theatre program was quite small, so I had to be the stage manager, sound designer, and lighting designer for the production as well. Discovering how the colour, speed, and intensity of fixtures impact the mood of a scene made me fall in love. Years later, and I’m still in love.”

Palace at House of Blues Houston, photo by Sai Abhiroop Tanjavuru (@tanjcreativecorner)

At just 22, you’re already designing and touring shows. What’s been the most exciting—and the most unexpected—part of that journey so far?

“I’ve come to discover that the benefits of this job have to be viewed in balance. There are a lot of long days into long nights, in front of a computer or console, or setting up/striking a set. Also, as a person who loves his solo time, you don’t get a lot of privacy on tour. However, there aren’t many feelings that can match being in control of what is being seen during a concert. As I hit a button or move a fader, I feel like I’m communicating with the artist and together we’re guiding the audience’s energy.

“Also, tour bus sleep is some of the best sleep I’ve ever had.”

You’ve done concerts, theatre, and corporate gigs. How do you shift your creative mindset depending on the type of show you’re working on?

“(laughs) It is generally understood that there’s less of a creative and more of a practical approach when it comes to corporate. There’s a lot of money involved, but that’s because the client wants everything to look perfect. You show up very early in the morning, focusing lights to create the proper balance for the speakers. Then you spend hours dialling in the perfect look for the room that is both beautiful and pleasant, but not distracting. Once the show starts, you don’t actually change much at all.

“Theatre is the most collaborative. You’re working with set designers, costumes, choreographers, etc, to create what is half practical to see the actors and also what logically moves the story along. You think more about the time of day and how to separate this location from another in the story.

“I’ve found concerts to be pretty much all spectacle. How beautiful can I make the stage and artist look? Is this song about flash and strobe, or does it require a cool tone, mellow look? Do I want them to cry or dance?”

How did your collaboration with Allie X come about? Was there a specific moment where you felt like, “Ok, this is a turning point?”

“I got introduced to Allie through a friend and colleague who’s worked with her before. They needed an LD to come in for her ‘Weird World Tour’ and work with a show that was mostly designed, but they were adding a bunch of new songs and reworking the theme of the show.

“I first had a meeting with her creative director, Bryan Hindle and the direction of the show and the feeling of each song. We joke now that Bryan and Allie felt more comfortable with me after I stated that the show felt ‘Iconic’ in the meeting. I knew I’d enjoy working on the show when I felt Bryan and Allie’s energy in the rehearsal spaces. They lean into drama, theatrics, and standing in power on stage. I was right, it’s Iconic.”

Allie X has such a defined aesthetic. What were your first thoughts when you started designing for her, and how did you start building the visual world around her performance?

“When you go to an Allie X show you can feel just how safe it is for Queer or alternative folks to come there and just unapologetically be themselves and that’s definitely on purpose. When you talk to Allie, you quickly find that she embraces the weird and the character of it all. She has the most beautiful song, ‘Galina,’ about a lady who made eczema cream. Once you relax and embrace the safety to be weird yourself, it’s just a matter of doing whatever makes sense for the show.”

Palace at Denver Mission Ballroom, photo by Sean Schmitt (@seanboy)

Walk us through the creative process of designing her last show. How much freedom did you have, and how collaborative was it?

“I think I’d built up some trust from my work on her previous show, so there was quite a bit of liberty on this project. Early on, I had a meeting with Bryan and was the creative director and set designer for the show. Bryan and Allie were pretty set on having clouds and a moon be the set for the tour. After talking to Brian about the placement of the set and lights, I went to work by myself for a bit, designing and timecoding the looks for each song in my home office. I spent my time driving, walking, showering, etc, listening to the Cape God album. That allows me to get to know not only the structure of the song form and hits in each song but also the progression of intensity and emotion throughout the set.

“Once we got into the rehearsal space, Bryan and I spent time testing and rearranging the set and lights to see what was going to work and what wasn’t. We then spent the next few days rehearsing the show, making small edits here and there after each run.”

Were there any particular songs in her set where the lighting arrangement really clicked, or where you felt especially proud of how the visuals landed live?

“Yes! ‘Rings a Bell’ was one of my absolute favourites, and I love the way it turned out live. The song itself starts off with so much tension, with heavy 2/4 beats sort of crashing at you. However, when the melody comes in, especially around the choruses, her voice and choice of diction seem to float over the structure in a way that draws you in like a spell.

“In order to match that theme, I thought of splitting the colour on stage with one half bumping in a deep red on the 1 beat while the other side of the stage bumping in a deep blue on the 2 beat. This creates a tint of light purple in the center of the stage where she stands. She in the midst of hard contrast around her, becomes this balanced focal point hovering in the middle. It feels like a spell when you see it live.”

Allie X on May 4, 2025, photo by Ann Storlie

You also programmed and directed on the Allie X tour—how do you juggle those responsibilities on the road without losing your creative flow?

“Actually, I really feel the most creative when I can spend the time being the lighting designer and programmer before the show travels, and then I get to be on the road with the production as the lighting director to ensure that it comes the way it to live. It’s a lot of work, start to finish, but you get to be there through every creative process and decision. Design and directions are two of what the audience ultimately gets to see.”

When you’re not touring, you work in concert venues around Los Angeles. How has that steady gig work helped you grow your skills or build connections?

“As a new LD in touring working in house venues has definitely helped my career. While touring, you get used to doing the same show for over a month. It’s nice to go to house gigs and get a new experience every day. Sometimes I’m helping touring LD connect their rig to our house system. Sometimes I’m the one doing all the lighting for the touring artist. Also working in different venues in LA, sometimes I’m in a venue with the newest movers and all the haze in the world. Sometimes I get Lekos for front light, and not enough haze to see a proper beam of light. It’s kept me on my toes, but in my technical and creative adaptability.”

Allie X on May 4, 2025, photo by Ann Storlie

Who are some other artists, LDs, or creative directors that inspire your work right now?

“So many! There is a lighting designer, Ed Warren, who designed The Last Dinner Party’s 2024 Tour, which is one of the most beautiful designs I’ve seen. There are a bunch of well-known companies like Wasted Potential or Black Lantern Creatives that make these spectacular shows that I aspire to create one day. But I think who inspires me the most are the young new LD in their early 20s like me, whom I’ve met. There’s not a lot of us but it’s great to see the industry be more accepting of young tech, or women, BIPOC, and queer techs as well.”

What kind of gear or software do you rely on most? Any tools or setups you’re itching to explore next?

“I have all types of monitors, cables, visualization software, drafting software, etc, in my home office set up that I use all the time. However, the MA2 software is very special to me. I basically travel with my laptop and the software just in case I ever need to edit a file on the go. As the industry is advancing, MA3 is becoming more and more popular. I still love the MA2, but I’m starting to transition to 3 to keep up with where the industry is going.”

What’s next for you—are there any dream artists or projects on your radar that you’d love to design for?

“I wouldn’t say there’s a specific artist; however, I’d love to try my hand more in the country and blues scene. I’ve always loved the music, and it’s a step away from the flash that I have enjoyed doing so far in the pop and rock world. Right now, I’m lucky enough to be growing the artist and projects I work on, so I’m excited to see what’s next.”

Allie X on May 4, 2025, photo by Ann Storlie